《The Day I Kissed An Older Man》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°You can quit your job after marrying me. You just need to take good care of me at our home and give me a chubby little son within a year! No daughters, please. Daughters are expensive to raise!¡± How very condescending. The man who made that remark sat in front of Corrinne Carew, and he happened to be her prospective partner during a matchmaking session. At nearly 40 years of age, his hair was thinning and he had a pot belly. Corinne¡¯s stepmother, Lilliana Reece, was worried that she might end up marrying someone better and so forced her to meet with this crass, middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was initially very displeased with Corinne¡¯s dark makeup because it was really heavy on the eyeshadow, but upon seeing her slender figure and decent character, he could imagine how deliciously beautiful she would be if she stood naked in front of him. ¡°And how tall are you again?¡± he asked. Corinne absent-mindedly stirred the coffee inside the cup and replied curtly, ¡°A hundred and sixty-eight centimeters.¡± The middle-aged man was delighted to hear her answer. ¡°Hmm¡­ That¡¯s more or less the standard of a woman that¡¯s fit for me. My height is nearly one point eight meters, so I guess that¡¯s what they call the perfect height difference for a couple! You¡¯d have to tiptoe whenever you kiss me in the future, but that¡¯s not really an issue. I can still bend you over and take you from behind!¡± For the record, whenever men who like to talk big say that their height is nearly 1.8 meters, their true measurements were only 172 centimeters at most!Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Corinne rolled her eye-shadowed eyelids and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re aware of how tall a man is if his woman needs to stand on her toes to kiss him.¡± The middle-aged man frowned unhappily. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± At that point, a tall and stern-looking man walked into the cafe. He was 2.8 meters tall. As Corinne looked up andid eyes on him, a yful twinkle appeared in her eyes. She decided to get up from her chair and walk over to him. ¡°Hey there, handsome. Could I borrow you for a sec to demonstrate what a true height difference is?¡± The man frowned. Before he could refuse, Corinne grabbed his tie, yanked it downward, and tiptoed to nt a firm kiss on his thin lips. ¡°See? You need to be at least as tall as him for women to stand on tiptoe and kiss you!¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± The pot-bellied middle-aged man was angry due to that embarrassment. He stood up in a rage and pointed at Corinne, saying, ¡°You wh*re! Who the hell just grabs random men and kisses them? I¡¯ll tell the person who introduced us to each other about your sluttiness soon enough. Your notoriousness will soon spread within the matchmaking circle, and you¡¯ll never be able to find your perfect match here.¡± ¡®That¡¯d be perfect!¡¯ Once word of her actions got out, her stepmother Lilliana would surely have a hard time trying to y matchmaker again! Corinne snorted in disdain, kicked the crass, big-talking man away, then waved her hand in a gesture of thanks to the tall man who ¡®stood up for her¡¯ in her moment of need. ¡°Thanks for helping me out there, kind sir! See you around, I guess. Bye!¡± She ended her sentence and turned around to leave, but a palm that was cold to the touch grabbed her wrist. ¡°Are you just going to leave after kissing me without my consent?¡± a hoarse, stern male voice reached Corinne¡¯s ears, and an oppressive chill came up her spine. She felt riveted when she looked up and saw the man¡¯s handsome face. His attractiveness knew no bounds. There was a certain maturity and meticulousness in the way he styled his hair, chiseled facial features on his fair-skinned handsome face, and an expression brimming with danger and fierceness. ¡®Uh-oh!¡¯ Corinne had been so worked up about the man from her blind date that she just randomly chose the tallest man in sight without paying much attention to his appearance. Upon a closer look, she came to realize just how uniquely handsome he really was! As if that were not enough, she could tell at a nce that there was more to him than what met the eye! Corinne frowned slightly. ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± The man looked at Corinne sullenly, and his thin lips parted open as if he was about to say something. At that point, his ck-d subordinate who stood beside him had just ended a phone call. He stepped forward with a solemn expression and said, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s been a change of situation! Miss Sophia¡¯s flight was forced to turn back due to bad weather, and she won¡¯t be able to make it into the country today. What are we going to do? Your engagement banquet is tonight, and it¡¯s almost time too.¡± The man frowned after hearing this. That engagement banquet was, quite frankly, a matter of a life- and-death for his grandfather, and the old man had been urging him to get married because he was still a bachelor at nearly 30 years of age! It was not too long ago that the old man had a heart attack that necessitated a life-saving heart transnt operation, but what followed was nothing short of a threat. He agreed to proceed with the operation on the condition that his grandson got engaged that very night and married in another three days! Sophia, the woman whom he had hired to act out the n and please his grandfather, was unable to make it. Since the man¡¯s tight grip on Corinne¡¯s hand did not loosen, she shot back impatiently and said, ¡°Is there anything else you need, mister? Could you let go of me now?¡± The man, Jeremy Holden, stared silently at Corinne as a cryptic look surfaced in the depths of his ck pupils. All of a sudden, the corners of his lips curled coldly as he said, ¡°This young woman right here has delivered herself to me on a silver tter, so we might as well have her rece Sophia.¡± His special assistant, Tommy Jenkinson, was taken aback by the sudden remark. He turned to look at Corinne and sized her up with a rather displeased expression. A girl who used heavy eyeliner, had unkempt hair, and dressed like a brat was hardly fit to be his employer¡¯s partner! ¡°But sir, she¡¯s a little¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. We¡¯ll go with her!¡± Tommy did not dare to object any further. ¡°R¡ªRight!¡± Corinne felt that something was off and asked warily, ¡°Me? Why me? What are you going to do to me, mister?¡± The man stared at her coldly, and answered her coldly, ¡°I want you to take responsibility for kissing me.¡± ¡®Responsibility?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, right? You want me to take responsibility because I kissed you? I gave you my first kiss, you know, but you don¡¯t see me demanding you to take responsibility for me after I just gave you my first kiss, now do you?¡± The man raised his eyebrows curiously. ¡°Your first kiss?¡± Corinnemented pitiably. ¡°You bet! I kept my first kiss for nearly twenty years now, and I gave it to you today just like that!¡± She was bold, if nothing else. Jeremy¡¯s expression turned cold, and he said softly. ¡°Bring her with us, fes.¡± It took just a couple of seconds for Corinne to be ushered into a ck luxury car by several men in ck suits. Situated within New Capital City was Lunar Century Manor, the most high-end urban manor in the entire country. There, Jeremy¡ªthe young master of a famous first-tier family known as the Holdens¡ª had organized a grand engagement banquet. ¡°I wonder who¡¯s the lucky young woman Mister Jeremy is going to be engaged to!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s what many would call the perfect woman¡ªsomeone who has a solid family background and is an outstanding individual herself! Ordinary women will never be able to pique Mister Jeremy¡¯s interest!¡± ¡°Look, there he is! Gosh, he¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± ¡°Hold on. Is the girl standing next to him¡­his legendary fiancee? Why does she look¡­ Well, how should I put this¡­¡± ¡°Different from what we imagined her to be¡­?¡± Everyone stared intently at Jeremy as he led an entric-looking girl into the center stage at the banquet venue. The host of the engagement banquet stepped forward to hold the microphone and began to speak. ¡°Good evening, everyone, and wee to Jeremy Holden¡¯s engagement ceremony!¡± Corinne¡¯s heart raced like mad after being forced to stand on the stage. She admitted she was at fault for kissing him without permission earlier, but the most she expected him to do was to report her to the police for sexual harassment. If it came to that, she would ept whatever punishment that was meted out to her. s, she did not expect him to do something even worse¡ªforcing her to get engaged to him at an engagement banquet! Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A myriad of different expressions on the faces of all the guests below the stage could be seen. Many of them were discussing amongst themselves, too. ¡°This woman¡­is Mister Jeremy¡¯s fiancee? Why is she dressed like some random brat from the streets?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Mister Jeremy¡¯s partner be someone graceful and elegant? Who the heck is that woman?¡± ¡°Ahem! Mister Jeremy has quite a unique taste in women¡­¡± Corinne deliberately dressed like a brat to scare off her blind date, but Jeremy did not seem to care at all that people wereining about her image as his ¡®fiancee¡¯. More urately, he seemed unconcerned that his taste in women was questioned, and he acted as if he was merely a spectator in his own show. Her situation could be likened to being held at knifepoint, so despite the odd looks from many guests, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and exchange engagement rings with Jeremy. It was a farce she had to maintain until the host announced the end of the ceremony. Although everyone found it difficult to appreciate what Jeremy saw in her, they apuded raucously for Jeremy, if only for the sake of his dignity. Following the apuse, Corinne descended the stage and wanted to leave that chaotic ce as soon as she could. Unfortunately, three beautifully dressed women came up to her and stood in her way. ¡°Which family are you from?¡± ¡°Why did youe here in that ugly-looking get-up?¡± ¡°What makes someone and your bad fashion sense worthy of being Mister Jeremy¡¯s equal?¡± Corinne evaded them and refused to entertain their questions, but the three of them continued to stand in her way. Corinne lost her patience and nced faintly at the gorgeous dresses on those women. ¡°In terms of fashion sense, the three of you are no doubt worthy of being Jeremy¡¯s equal, but let me ask you this: did he ever give you permission?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± The three women were all daughters of New Capital City¡¯s wealthy families, and it was the first time they had been mocked in such a manner. They were adamant about demanding an apology from her, or they would not let her go! Some distance away, Zeke Callen, the Callens¡¯ second youngest son, came over and raised a toast to Jeremy. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that girl from, Jeremy? I imagine your grandfather is going to be pissed if you bring her back to meet him.¡± ¡°He just wants to have a granddaughter-inw,¡± replied Jeremy nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s a woman.¡± Zeke clicked his tongue. ¡°Of all the women in the world you could choose, why her?¡± Jeremy lowered his charming gaze and raised his ss to take a sip of the red wine. It looked as if he was reminiscing about something. ¡°Because her lips are sweet.¡± Jeremy had always been a non-indulgent person, so one could imagine how stunned Zeke was to hear that. He stared at Jeremy in disbelief and remarked, ¡°I never realized you have such unique preferences!¡± A ssh was heard, and it turned out that a ss of wine had been sshed on Corinne. Upon hearing the sound, Zeke looked over and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Your little fiancee is being bullied, it seems. Aren¡¯t you going to check up on her?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Zeke was still trying to figure out what Jeremy meant when he saw Corinne¡¯s left hand grab the first woman¡¯s hair while her right hand reached for a second woman¡¯s hair. Then, Corinne smashed the two skulls together like two watermelons. The two women copsed unconscious to the ground while the third looked on in stupefaction. ¡°You¡­ Y¡ªY¡ªYou¡­ You!¡± Corinne¡¯s face remained expressionless as she kept quiet and gently waved her hand, gesturing for the woman to move aside. The womanplied immediately and did not dare to stand in Corinne¡¯s way anymore. Zeke¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I think I know why you chose that bratty girl now.¡± There was a certain pensiveness in Jeremy¡¯s expression as he sipped his wine in silence. She had earlier approached him with such lightning speed, not to mention use only one hand to make a tall man like him bend down for a kiss. Her strength was nothing short of amazing, and she had guts and brains to go with it too! ¡°Tommy, bring her to the room and let her have a change of clothes.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Rather than following Tommy to get her clothes changed, Corinne walked over and red unhappily at Jeremy. ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, mister! All I did was give you a peck, and now you want me to pledge myself to you. Don¡¯t you think your request is a bit too disproportionate to my actions? Can¡¯t I take responsibility for what happened in some other way? Like financialpensation, for example?¡± Jeremy narrowed his charming eyes, and a cryptic smile unfolded across his face. He looked at Corinne and said, ¡°Hmm¡­ How much do you think a kiss from me is worth?¡± Corinne first looked at his face, then at his thin and handsome lips, as if she was genuinely appraising his value. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure. It¡¯d be better for you to name your price! You¡¯re not young, and it¡¯s probably not your first kiss, so the price better not exceed thirty bucks! It¡¯s not like I can fork out more anyway!¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Tommy felt that she was digging her grave by saying that a kiss from him was only worth 30 dors. It was supposed to be her good fortune to be engaged to Jeremy, yet she seemed to thumb her nose at him! Jeremy raised his hand, signaling for Tommy to back away. He then reached out and hooked Corinne¡¯s pointed chin with his slender fingers. He did not exert much strength, but an air of danger abounded. ¡°Bold of you to belittle me in public, littledy. Might as well go all the way and bear the consequences, eh?¡± Corinne frowned, thinking that the man must have had a few screws loose. After all, it boggled her why he chose to have her y the role when she looked terrible that day. The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched, and her bright eyes turned around slightly. She then said in a nonchnt tone, ¡°Fine! Can I go to the bathroom now?¡± Jeremy did not make anyment but merely gave Tommy a look and signaled to them that they were allowed to take her to the bathroom. A few minutester, Tommy came back with a solemn expression as he approached Jeremy. ¡°Sir, Miss Corinne jumped out of the bathroom window and ran away. I¡¯ve already sent someone to chase after her.¡± Jeremy, dressed in a suave suit, leanedzily on the sofa as if he had anticipated she would do so. His handsome and unfeeling face showed little emotional fluctuation, and he merely swirled the ss of red wine he was holding. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Just find out where she lives and send someone to deliver the betrothal gifts.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Zeke had seen enough of the drama and could not help but feelpelled to persuade his good friend. ¡°Are you sure you want to marry a woman who has nothing to offer you? To tell you the truth, I¡ª¡± Jeremy said earnestly, ¡°Only someone like her will be up to the task.¡± ¡­ It was alreadyte at night when Corinne returned home. As soon as she entered the house, her father Marvin swung his palm toward her. ¡°The nerve of you to come back home!¡± Corinne stepped back quickly and avoided the p with ease. Marvin was brewing with anger as his palm stiffened mid-air. ¡°Your mother chose a good man for you, but you dressed up like some clown for the blind date? You even kissed some random man in public. Our family¡¯s reputation has nowpletely gone down the drain! The person in charge of introducing you to the man scolded your mother because of your actions! I want you to kneel, admit your mistake, and apologize to your mother!¡± Corinne put her hands into her coat pockets and stared coldly at her father. ¡°She¡¯s not my mother.¡± ¡®She¡¯s just a stepmother who¡¯s trying every possible way to marry me off as soon as possible so that I¡¯ll lose the right to inherit the family assets!¡¯ Lilliana feigned kindness and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Marvin. Don¡¯t take your anger out on Corinne. Her ignorance and naivete are all signs of my failure as a stepmother¡­¡± Marvin was even more distressed when he saw his wife interceding for his ignorant daughter at such a time. He turned around and scolded her, ¡°Ungrateful! Utterly ungrateful! Lilliana treats you well all the time, but you won¡¯t even call her mom!¡± Lilliana wiped away her bitter tears and persuaded her husband as if she had been wronged. ¡°Forget it, Marvin! I don¡¯t mind if she calls me Aunt Lilliana!¡± Corinne was not at all surprised to see Lilliana¡¯s performance, for thetter was an expert at ying the victim and showing people only what they wanted to see. It was such a shame that Marvin was smitten by her beauty and could not see Lilliana for who she truly was.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne passed a stack of documents to Marvin and said, ¡°These are the actual information of all the blind dates that Aunt Lilliana set up for me. Why don¡¯t you have a look? If you find anyone you like, I¡¯ll be happy to marry them.¡± Marvin was taken aback for a moment. He picked up the file, looked through it, and his expression gradually soured. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The information that Corinne provided Marvin clearly showed that all the men were good-for-nothings. On average, their age was around 40 years old, and most of them did not even have a decent job! Marvin red at Lilliana unhappily. ¡°Some of the men here are just as old as me. How could you introduce someone so old to Corinne?¡± Lilliana¡¯s expression froze a little. She had gotten someone to doctor the photos and information of those men in advance, so it came as aplete surprise to her that the always-quiet Corinne could find out the true information behind those men. In an instant, Lilliana yed the victim and said, ¡°I have no idea how that happened, Marvin! The men I chose for Corinne were all the cream of the crop! The matchmaker must¡¯ve given me false information!¡± Corinne, however, found itughable. ¡°Look at you harping on about how they¡¯re the cream of the crop without even bothering to verify whether or not the information was urate. Marriage is a significant part of a person¡¯s life, yet you don¡¯t seem to take it seriously when ites to me. Is it because I¡¯m not your flesh and blood? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll feel proud if you saw your daughter marrying someone as old as that.¡± Lilliana hurriedly tried to string together an exnation. ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± Marvin did not want to hear any of it and smacked the information on Lilliana¡¯s face in disappointment. ¡°Enough! You no longer have to deal with anything involving Corinne¡¯s marriage. Your credit card will be suspended this month too, so I expect you to stay home and reflect on your actions instead of going out and spending all my money!¡± Lilliana¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Marvin, this was a misunderstanding¡­¡± Marvin stopped talking to her and looked guiltily at his youngest daughter Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to meet all those old men, Corinne. You don¡¯t need to go on blind dates anymore.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± After Marvin went upstairs, Lilliana¡¯s expression turned fierce as she red viciously at Corinne. Sensing Lilliana¡¯s burning gaze, Corinne said calmly, ¡°By the way, Aunt Lilliana, I forgot to mention something. I thought that since those ¡®cream of the crop¡¯ men that you chose for me were probably your ideal son-inw, I gave them Sherlyn¡¯s number when they asked for my contact information. Hopefully, she¡¯ll marry one of them!¡± Lilliana gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°What? H¡ªHow could you have done that?!¡± Her darling Sherlyn was a famous celebrity who was far above the level of those losers. They should not even be calling her in the first ce! Corinne could not stand to talk to Lilliana anymore, so she yawned and went upstairs to sleep in her bedroom. After Lilliana cursed Corinne in a low voice, she nned to head to her bedroom and coax Marvin not to deactivate her bank card when the doorbell rang all of a sudden. She wondered who could possibly pay their house a visit when it was alreadyte at night. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of a man in a suit and leather shoes. Behind that man was a row of more men, all dressed in ck. They were all carrying a bunch of stuff, and it was quite an intimidating sight. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Lilliana could not help but get her guard up when she saw all those strangers appearing suddenly at her door in the middle of the night. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± The man at the door was Tommy, and he said, ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. Our employer has instructed us to present you with betrothal gifts to your daughter!¡± ¡°Betrothal gift? What betrothal gift? Who is your employer?¡± ¡°His name is Jeremy Holden.¡± Lilliana¡¯s eyes widened, for Tommy¡¯s answer was like a bolt in the blue for her. ¡°J¡ªJeremy Holden?! The Jeremy Holden? From the Holdens? The first-tier family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You mean, Mister Jeremy has taken a fancy to my daughter?¡± Tommy had a rather convoluted expression on his face. He hesitated for a second before saying, ¡°You can look at it that way if you like.¡± Lilliana was instantly reminded of her daughter, Sherlyn. Being such a popr female celebrity, Sherlyn was a beautiful woman, and it made sense for a wealthy young man to have his eyes on her. However, the suitor was too powerful a person, so much so that he sent his men over to deliver betrothal gifts out of the blue! Upon seeing Lilliana¡¯s silence, Tommy asked, ¡°Do you disapprove of the marriage?¡± Lilliana came back to her senses and shook her head right away. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just¡­ My daughter isn¡¯t at home right now. This is huge news, and it might be better for us to wait until shees back before disc¡ª¡± Tommy interrupted her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, your daughter has epted the engagement ring from Mister Jeremy. All you need to do now is ept the gifts.¡± ¡®What?! If Sherlyn already epted the ring from Mister Jeremy, could the two of them have been in a rtionship for some time now? I can¡¯t believe Sherlyn didn¡¯t tell us that she had such an amazing boyfriend!¡¯ Lilliana thought to herself. Lilliana did not want to seem discourteous to her distinguished guests, so she hurriedly invited Tommy toe in and have a seat. Instead of entering, Tommy merely signaled his subordinates to carry the betrothal gifts in. ¡°Mister Jeremy will pay your family a visit in three days to take your daughter¡¯s hand in marriage.¡± Lilliana was shocked yet again. ¡°What? In three days? Isn¡¯t that¡­a little too quick?¡± Tommy assured her, ¡°Not to worry, ma¡¯am. Mister Jeremy has already made preparations for the ceremony. Your daughter deserves only the finest and most luxurious.¡± ¡®Only the finest and most luxurious¡¯? That was a sure sign that Jeremy was head over heels in love with Sherlyn. When Sherlyn would take the Holden surname, Lilliana would be the mother-inw of the Holden family¡¯s young master! She no longer had to worry about having all the riches and glory in the world, for anyone who saw her would have to bow out of respect for her! Lilliana was overjoyed when she imagined what was in store for her. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll use these three days to make the necessary preparations for our daughter¡¯s wedding!¡± Tommy nodded and bade her farewell. ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself and leave you to it.¡± Marvin came out of the room when he heard the noise. ¡°Was there a visitor? What are all these?¡± Lilliana caressed those expensive gifts as her heart raced speedily. ¡°Marvin, I¡¯ve got good news! Jeremy, the Holdens¡¯ young master, has taken a fancy to Sherlyn. These are all betrothal gifts for Sherlyn from the Holdens, and the quality of these items is just extraordinary!¡± Marvin¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°What? Jeremy? You mean Jeremy Holden, the president of Holden Group? Who just returned to China?¡± Lilliana nodded frantically. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡± Marvin clutched his chest, fearing that his heart would go into cardiac arrest due to the sheer excitement. ¡°Oh, heavens! I never expected him to fall for our Sherlyn!¡± Lilliana could not hide her pride. ¡°You¡¯ve got to give her mother some credit too, you know!¡± ¡°Thank you for giving me such an amazing daughter, Lilliana!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re praising me now? I thought you said you¡¯ll suspend my credit card this whole month!¡± ¡°Come on, Lilliana. I said that only because I was angry with what you did. Corinne might not be your own, but you can¡¯t let her go on a blind date with those old men!¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Corinne grew up in the countryside, so she¡¯s a wild and bad-tempered girl. I only looked for an older man in the hopes that he might be able to tolerate her tantrums! I didn¡¯t know the matchmaker would lie about the information!¡± ¡°Alright, Lilliana. I¡¯m sorry for ming you.¡± Lilliana was feeling particrly smug after sessfully swaying Marvin to her side with only a couple of sentences. A naive little girl like Corinne would never be a match for her! With Sherlyn about to marry into the Holdens, Lilliana would soon share the good life with her daughter in the future. Corinne would then be an insignificant speck in her life! Early the next morning, Lilliana called her darling daughter Sherlyn and insisted the youngdy return home immediately. Sherlynined unhappily as soon as she entered the house, ¡°What happened, Mom? Why were you in such a rush to ask me toe home? I still have a scene to shoot this afternoon!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your marriage with Jeremy Holden!¡± ¡°Marriage? What marriage? I don¡¯t even know him personally!¡± Lilliana¡¯s heart sank when she saw her daughter¡¯s clueless expression, but she immediately told Sherlyn about the betrothal gifts that were sent over the previous night. ¡°So, how is it that you don¡¯t know him personally? Haven¡¯t you already epted the engagement ring he gave you?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 The Day I Kissed An Older Man Sherlyn was even more dumbfounded after hearing what her mother said. ¡°Ring? When did I receive a ring¡ª ¡°Wait. I remember now, Mom. An anonymous fan sent me a diamond ring by mail yesterday! I was worried the media might cook up some nonsense news article if they saw it, so I just put it away instead of wearing it.¡± Lilliana was overjoyed to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s it! Mister Jeremy must¡¯ve had a crush on you for a long time, and he¡¯s trying to win your heart by posing as an anonymous fan! I got someone to investigate the people who came yesterday, and as it turns out, their leader was none other than Mister Jeremy¡¯s personal assistant! ¡°Sherlyn, the Holdens are a first-tier family, and Jeremy has shown his utmost sincerity toward you! He¡¯s really in love with you, and nothing will go wrong if you marry him!¡± Jeremy Holden¡­ Sherlyn could not control her reddening cheeks and quickening heartbeat. She heard of his name before despite never meeting him in person, and she knew him as the treasured son of Holdens¡ªa first-tier family. He was the equivalent of a god in the business world! It came as a surprise to her that even Jeremy was one of her fans, and he turned out to be so madly in love with her that he sent people to her house to deliver the betrothal gifts. If anything was to me, it was her irresistible charm! ¡­ That afternoon, Corinne returned home with a delicate photo frame in her arms. She changed into house slippers as soon as she entered and immediately went straight upstairs. Sherlyn happened to be heading down, and she blocked Corinne on purpose. ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand? Did you steal the jewelry from my betrothal gift?¡± Corinne stopped and said curtly, ¡°It¡¯s my property.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I want proof. Show it to me!¡± Sherlyn has always disliked her younger sister, who was raised in the countryside since childhood. She felt that Corinne was a disgrace to the Carew family, and it was unsurprising that she never had any respect for her younger sister. Sherlyn reached out and snatched the item that Corinne was protecting in his arms. ¡°Tch! The way you hold it makes me think that it was some sort of jewelry, but as it turns out, it¡¯s nothing more than a picture depicting your mistress of a mother!¡± ¡®My mother isn¡¯t a mistress!¡¯ Corinne reached out to grab the photo frame, but Sherlyn deliberately dropped the photo frame on the ground. ¡°Oops! It slipped off! My bad!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes reddened as she looked at Sherlyn stepping on the photo frame that was dropped onto the ground. It was an old photo of her mother that she managed to find in one of the Carews¡¯ old photo albums. Earlier in the day, she brought it to the store to have it restored, erged, and framed, as she nned to put it in her room as a table setting. In Corinne¡¯s anger, she grabbed Sherlyn¡¯s clothes and hissed, ¡°Pick. It. Up. Now.¡± Sherlyn had nothing to fear. ¡°How dare you touch me! I¡¯ll have you know that I¡¯ll soon be the Holdens¡¯ daughter-inw. If you so much as piss me off, the Holdens are going to make life difficult for you!¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡®The Holdens?¡¯ Her scalp tingled when she heard that name, since the man who forcibly dragged her to get engaged the day before also shared the same surname. ¡°Are you referring to that first-tier family?¡± Sherlyn had a smug look on her face. ¡°Duh! What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? Well, you should be! Jeremy is my loyal fan and suitor. He wants nothing more than to marry me right now! All the good stuff you see over there are from the Holdens, and you¡¯d better not touch anything sent to mest night! If you break any of them, you won¡¯t be able to afford thepensation!¡± Corinne turned to look at the betrothal gifts Sherlyn was referring to and went nk for a moment. Then, she came to a realization¡ªJeremy must have got absolutely nuts. To think that he sent his men to deliver the betrothal gifts to her doorstep! Corinne¡¯s eyes shed brightly as she thought of something, and she turned to Sherlyn, saying, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to congratte you, then! Though, are you sure that a high-bred family like the Holdens will ept a scandal-tainted celebrity from the entertainment industry as their future daughter-inw?¡± That remark was a touchy issue for Sherlyn. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Mister Jeremy loves me very much, so it¡¯s only normal for him to protect me!¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Corinne grinned and said nothing more. She picked up her mother¡¯s photo, patted the dust off, then turned around and went upstairs. Though she was initially worried about finding a way to extirpate herself from the troublesome state of affairs resulting from her messing with Jeremy the previous day, the solution to her woes appeared in the form of an overenthusiastic Sherlyn! Sherlyn snorted coldly, but she could feel a storm brewing in her heart. Corinne might be a country girl, but her remark made perfect sense. The Holdens were a first-tier family, while Sherlyn barely even made it as an actress. If the Holdens¡¯ elders found out about her scandals, they would almost certainly have a bad impression of her. With that in mind, Sherlyn decided to quit the entertainment circle at once. Compared to being the Holdens¡¯ daughter-inw, the petty profits she made in the entertainment industry were not even worth a mention. She was about to call herpany to inform them that she would be terminating her contract and quitting the industry, but her phone rang before she could make the call. She was clueless as to why there had been so many spam calls recently, and she did not n to answer the call until she saw that the caller was a benefactor she had just slept with recently. Since she had also intended to break things off for good, she decided that she might as well answer the call. ¡°Where are you, babe? I miss you so much. Come to the hotel and spend the night with me!¡± Sherlyn shot back in disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®babe¡¯. That might not sound disgusting to an old geezer like you, but it sounds disgusting to me!¡± ¡°What the hell did you just say? Did you just call me disgusting? Have you forgotten how you begged me to help you snag a role that could win you the next Lotus Award?¡± Sherlyn was uninterested. ¡°I¡¯ve quit the industry, so I don¡¯t care about the Lotus Award anymore. Find someone else. Oh, and don¡¯t ever call me again!¡± On the other end of the line, the greasy-haired, red-faced old man turned livid with anger. He had gone through great pains to buy a diamond ring for her and had it sent to her by mail, but his gesture was all for naught. ¡®Damn you! So you¡¯re rejecting me after you received the ring? Ungrateful woman! You can kiss goodbye to your hopes of making a living in the industry. Just wait. You won¡¯t get any more projects in the future!¡¯ ¡­ Three dayster, the Carews hosted a marriage banquet for their daughter. Many rtives and friends were invited to partake in the celebration. Lilliana deliberately asked Marvin to make a grand show so her precious Sherlyn would be married off in the best possible manner. ¡°Look, the Holdens¡¯ wedding entourage is here! What a sight to behold! They really do live up to their reputation as a first-tier family! The cars are all limited-edition luxury vehicles!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the first car in magazines! The price is worth ten Bugattis!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Sherlyn! She¡¯s so lucky to marry someone as awesome as Mister Jeremy!¡± Sherlyn, who was wearing a wedding dress, beamed with pride as she listened to the ¡®oohs¡¯ and ¡®aahs¡¯ of all her rtives and friends. Corinne was nowhere to be seen, and Sherlyn figured that she might be hiding somewhere in jealousy. ¡®Hmph, let her wallow in her jealousy! That¡¯s all she can afford to do!¡¯ Sherlyn was about to meet her groom, and she eagerly looked forward to finding out what kind of man Jeremy was. He was definitely super handsome, and he was surely going to kneel on one knee in front of her to make his passionate confession under everyone¡¯s envious looks¡­ The wedding entourage stopped at the gate of the Carews¡¯ vi. Jeremy¡¯s tall figure got down from the car in front, and he made a majestic, dignified, and elegant appearance. Tommy gave a signal for the group of best men to get down from their respective cars. Dressed in suits and leather shoes, they followed Jeremy to the gate of the Carews¡¯ vi, where the phrase ¡®Congrattions to the Newlyweds!¡¯ was pasted. All of a sudden, Jeremy the groom stopped walking and nced up toward the roof of the vi. There, on the attic¡¯s small balcony, stood a woman in pajamas leaning against the balcony fence. She was gazing down to watch the festivities. After that brief moment of eye contact, the woman immediately turned around and slipped away. Corinne could sense that something was amiss. It appeared as if Jeremy had noticed her watching the wedding celebration from the balcony earlier! Then again, she believed that he might not be able to recognize her because she was not wearing makeup, unlike the super heavy eyeliner she put on the other day. To be on the safe side, she felt that it was better to leave her homepound instead of lingering there any longer. Down at the entrance, Tommy was puzzled when he saw Jeremy stop walking all of a sudden. He leaned closer to remind thetter, ¡°Sir, the entrance to the Carews¡¯ vi is right in front. You might miss the most auspicious moment of your wedding if you don¡¯t go in soon.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Jeremy tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes while staring at the small balcony that connected to the empty attic. After two seconds of silence, he whispered an order, ¡°You can lead the guys in for now.¡± ¡°Well, uhh¡­¡± Tommy was surprised, but he did not dare to question Jeremy¡¯s order. He could only do as he was told and wave his hand to give the men behind him a signal. ¡°Everyone,e on in with me.¡± The Holdens¡¯ wedding entourage was blocked by bridesmaids begging for gifts at the door of the Carews¡¯ vi, making for a particrly lively atmosphere. No one noticed that the groom had gone around to the back door of thepound. There, a girl was strolling and humming ¡®Wedding March¡¯ as if no one would recognize her. She had barely taken a few steps when a hand grabbed the back of her neck by force. Her entire body had been lifted into the air, and both her feet were dangling like amb waiting to be ughtered. ¡°Did you think you could just run away?¡± The man¡¯s voice was as sonorous as a cello. There were strong hints of aggression in his tone, and it sounded rather cold to the ears. Corinne might not be facing the man who attacked her, but she immediately recognized that the voice belonged to Jeremy. She was surprised that Jeremy had recognized her from that distant nce earlier. Even so, she was ready for that eventuality. Corinne turned her head to look at Jeremy and spoke with a lisp in a feigned tone. She stammered and said, ¡°M¡ªM¡ªMister? Who are you? Why are you p¡­pulling my arm?¡± Jeremy was given a small fright when she turned around. He let go of her hand in an instant, almost as if he had seen a ghost. The woman in front of him had plenty of moles on her face, a unibrow, sausage lips, and eye shadows in all colors of the rainbow. Her appearance was exceedingly ugly, and one could even say that it was much worse than gag scenes of cross-dressing men in movies. Corinne reveled at the sight of Jeremy¡¯s expression after he had been frightened by her ugly appearance. She acted stupid once more and said in a daze, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re getting m¡ªmarried, yes? You went t¡ªt ¡ªthe wrong way! You need to go the fuc¡ª ¡°I mean, the f¡ªfront door! Your b¡ªbride is waiting there!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, stared coldly at the ugly girl in front of him, and nearly believed her act. His thin lips curled up in a smile and said, ¡°Is that so? Then why are you wearing the Holdens¡¯ unique engagement ring?¡± As soon as he said that, he grabbed her hand and raised it to gaze upon the diamond ring on her ring finger. Corinne was speechless. Her ruse had been exposed! It was not that she forgot to take it off, but rather, the ring seemed to have taken root on her finger. She was unable to take it off, regardless of how much soap she used. Jeremy¡¯s charming eyes were dark and discerning. He could see what she was thinking, so he opened his mouth to offer an exnation for her doubts. ¡°You don¡¯t need to waste all that effort. The body of this ring is made of tinum that has been mixed with some special materials. The only way to take it off is to lubricate it with a special essential oil.¡± Corinne gritted her teeth. That was some trick he had up his sleeve, and she finally conceded that there was no escape for her. ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, I suggest that we have a frank conversation with each other. I know that you don¡¯t really want to marry me, and that you only need a wife in name for some ulterior reason. Am I wrong?¡± Jeremy did not answer, but he had to admit that she was a smart woman. Corinne pursed her lips and said with a smile, ¡°In that case, my sister Sherlyn is more than willing to marry you. She¡¯s more beautiful than I am, and her figure is so much better than mine. Everything will work out perfectly if you marry her!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, wondering if the girl in front of her was that averse to marrying him. In fact, she seemed to be trying to avoid him! The experience was a novel one for him. All the women he met in the past had tried their level best to get his attention and be his woman. However, he wanted someone who was not clingy. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Jeremy pursed his thin lips and said, ¡°I¡¯ll only marry the person who¡¯s wearing my engagement ring.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°That should be easy then. Bring me some of that special essential oil. I¡¯ll take the ring off at once and return it to you. Then you can just give it to Sherlyn!¡± Jeremy shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± ¡°Then go buy some!¡± ¡°Nobody produces it anymore. It¡¯s not something that can just be bought.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Corinne gritted her teeth. With a half-smile, she suddenly raised her hand and pointed behind the man, ¡°Mister, look! It¡¯s a rainbow-colored pig!¡± Jeremy put on a poker face as the corners of his thin lips began twitching subtly. ¡®How childish.¡¯ The next second, Corinne, who was about to run away, was grabbed by the nape again. Jeremy picked her up and brought her away nonchntly, despite Corinne¡¯s attempts at trying to kick him. ¡­ Back at the vipound, Tommy had just led the handsome entourage to the living room when his phone rang. The caller was Jeremy. Tommy stopped and answered the phone with the utmost respect, after which he turned and made his way out in a dignified manner with the other groomsmen. Upon seeing that, the smug-faced Lilliana went nk for a moment and walked up to them at once. She asked, ¡°Where are you going, Mister Tommy? The bride is waiting right inside.¡± Tommy looked at Lilliana and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy has already gotten his bride.¡± Lilliana was stunned. ¡°He has? But how? Sherlyn is still inside the house!¡± Tommy frowned. ¡°Sherlyn? Ma¡¯am, you must be mistaken. The woman whom Mister Jeremy intends to marry isn¡¯t named Sherlyn!¡± After ending his sentence, he walked past Lilliana icily and led his men away without looking back. Lilliana was frozen stiff, and her face was as pale as paper. Her first thought was, ¡®I¡¯m¡­mistaken?¡¯ All their rtives and friends began to whisper among themselves. Marvin, who had been the subject of much praise and ttery by all the rtives that surrounded him earlier, soon turned into everyone¡¯s object of ridicule. He was ashamed, and his expression was as ugly as ugly could be. He turned around andshed out at Lilliana for causing him to make a fool out of himself. ¡°What the hell is going on, Lilliana? Didn¡¯t you say that Mister Jeremy was going to marry Sherlyn?¡± Lilliana could only put on a helpless look. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how this happened! When the Holdens came to deliver the betrothal gifts to us that day, they said it was because they wanted to marry your daughter. They had all the gifts delivered to us! You saw that, didn¡¯t you, Marvin?¡± Marvin went up and gave Lilliana a tight p. ¡°Our family has be the butt of jokes thanks to you! How could you make all these arrangements without confirming everything beforehand?¡± Sherlyn, who had been waiting too long for the groom toe and get her, heard her parents quarreling outside. She lifted her wedding dress slightly and walked out of the room, asking, ¡°Dad! Mom! What are the two of you doing?! Where¡¯s my groom? Where¡¯s my Jeremy?¡± ¡°Sherlyn, Mister Jeremy¡¯s people just said that there was a mistake. They¡¯ve already left with the real bride!¡± Sherlyn turned pale in shock. ¡°What? How could there be such a huge mistake, Mom? Wasn¡¯t Mister Jeremy going to marry me?¡± Lilliana covered the side of her face that had been beaten by Marvin. ¡°Please don¡¯t me me, Sherlyn. I¡¯m confused too¡­¡± The rtives who had long been fed up with Sherlyn and Lilliana¡¯s characters began to rub salt into the wound. ¡°No point making a scene now that things ended this way, Sherlyn. When you think about it, it¡¯s pretty obvious that someone with Mister Jeremy¡¯s status would never want to marry a scandalous actress like you!¡± ¡°Honestly, I was still trying to wrap my head around how you managed to establish a connection to a first-tier family like the Holdens. Turns out, it was all a mistake!¡± ¡°You should just go back to being an actress, Sherlyn! After all, that¡¯s the only time you get to marry your handsome, no-nonsensepany president! Hahaha!¡± Sherlyn could not bear the ridicule from all her rtives, so she gave Lilliana a resentful look before dashing off to hide in her room. Their snide remarks were infuriating, and she felt ashamed to face anyone ever again. One question remained unanswered: how could the mistake have happened? ¡®Didn¡¯t Mister Jeremy give me a ring?¡¯ She found it hard to ept reality, and she could not believe what was happening. ¡®Who did Mister Jeremy bring away?¡¯ After all, there could not have been another person with the same surname living nearby¡­ Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The sun began to set, and nightfall soon came. The bedroom at the Holdens¡¯ house was huge, and so was the bed. After Corinne was brought there, Jeremy passed her over to some maids and instructed them, ¡°Get her ready.¡± The maids rushed forward and washed her face before putting some makeup on her. Then, she was dressed in a traditional white wedding dress,plete with a veil that covered her face. Since her vision was blurred by the veil, Corinne could see only a patch of white in front of her. As soon as she looked down, however, she saw his expensive, beautifully-crafted leather shoes near her feet. The man¡¯s deep, cello-like voice rang in her ears. ¡°Cooperate with me. I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Behind his rather soothing tone was a strong sense of unseen pressure. At that moment, Corinne was well aware that there was nowhere on earth she could run to. After all, if he could locate her home, he could easily find her regardless of where she ran off to. Corinne gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll cooperate with you. This is the price I have to pay for messing with you. You need to give me an exact timeline though, and by that, I mean, how long do you expect me to cooperate with you? Once it¡¯s time up, we¡¯ll go our separate ways without ever seeing each other again.¡± Jeremy was not romantically interested in her either, so he coldly replied, ¡°Three months.¡± Three months was sufficient time for his grandfather to recover from the surgery, and besides, he did not want to get involved with this woman for too long. ¡°Deal!¡± Three months was not too long nor too short, and Corinne was more or less able to ept that duration. She then took the initiative to hold the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, mister! It¡¯s time to marry you!¡± Jeremy froze slightly and nced down at Corinne holding his hand. To his surprise, he was not particrly averse to her touch, despite his usual disinclination for physical contact. Corinne¡¯s hands were dainty and soft to the touch. ¡­ The Holdens arranged a grand yet traditional wedding. Corinne and Jeremy walked into the banquet hall to partake in the simple wedding ceremony. She waster sent to a room with an atmosphere that screamed ¡®newlyweds¡¯. When Jeremy walked into the room, he found Corinne sitting straight on the edge of the bed. Since she had not taken off her white veil, she looked like a shy little newlywed wife from ancient eras who sat in wait for her husband to enter their bridal chamber. A disdainful glimmer shed across the man¡¯s eyes and he said coldly. ¡°You can rx now. There¡¯s no need for us to y-pretend at the moment.¡± Corinne did not move. Jeremy noticed that something was not quite right, so he strode over and reached out to lift her white veil. Under the warm glow of the room light, a small fairy-like face came into view. Her delicate eyelids were drooping, and she appeared incredibly calm and well-behaved. A trail of crystal-clear saliva flowed out from the corner of her lips, and she licked her lips soon after. Jeremy just had to wonder if she actually fell asleep while sitting up. The movement from when Jeremy lifted the veil probably caused her head to tilt slightly to one side. In turn, her body lost its bnce while she was still asleep, and her body tilted sideways as she fell over. By instinct, Jeremy stretched out his hand so as not to let her fall to the ground. Corinne frowned but did not wake up. Jeremy was a little startled when he looked at her after she fell into his embrace. It was the first time he saw her true face without any makeup, and a look of awe appeared deep within the recesses of his eyes. Her true appearance, sans all the god-awful makeup, turned out to be rather beautiful. All of a sudden, Corinne opened her eyes, likely because she had caught a whiff of a stranger¡¯s scent lingering too close to her. It was then that she realized that Jeremy was holding her in a half-embrace, and her face was within inches of his face too. She instinctively broke free and said in fear, ¡°What are you doing, mister? I should warn you that men are supposed to keep their hands off of women. This marriage isn¡¯t real. It¡¯s an act!¡± Jeremy was appalled that she would repay his kindness with hostility the moment she opened her eyes. Had he not been considerate enough to reach out and support her, she would have fallen face- first to the ground! Ticked off by her behavior, Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who told you that you and I aren¡¯t really married?¡± Corinne frowned and said warily, ¡°Are you trying to go back on your word, mister? We agreed to end this rtionship in three months!¡± ¡°I promised you that it would be over in three months.¡± Jeremy smirked. ¡°But I don¡¯t remember promising that nothing will happen between us during these three months.¡± He hooked Corinne¡¯s chin as soon as he finished his sentence. There was a thinyer of calluses on his rough fingertips, which exuded a dangerous sense of power, along with a strong sense of oppressiveness. ¡°Men ought to always keep their word, mister! How could you just act like some rascal?¡± Corinne stared at him and shook her head vigorously, but that was not enough to break free from his grip. Jeremy leaned over even more and stared at her from up close. When he saw that Corinne¡¯s face was all scrunched up, he let go of her with a sneer and said disdainfully, ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself. I¡¯m not interested in young girls like you.¡± Corinne might have been able to breathe a sigh of relief, but she was nheless pissed. ¡°Heh. d I can sleep easy tonight! Old, energetic uncles like you aren¡¯t my type either!¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Who is she calling old and energetic?¡¯ Corinne raised his hand and poked Jeremy¡¯s chest. ¡°Could you please step aside, mister? I¡¯m sleepy, so I¡¯m going to wash up and go to bed.¡± Jeremy looked at her condescendingly without moving away. Corinne remained non-confrontational and avoided him on her own ord. After walking into the bathroom with her head raised high, the sound of running water was soon heard. While she stepped out of the bathtub, Corinne realized how embarrassing of a situation she was in. It was only after she was done with her bath that she realized she did not bring with her the clothes that she wished to change into!N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The wedding dress was ufortable to wear due to its sheer weight. After some thought, Corinne decided to peek out from the bathroom door, where she saw Jeremy still sitting there on the sofa. He was busy with his phone. She said sheepishly, ¡°Please hand me the clothes I wore earlier.¡± Jeremy looked up slightly, nced at her head lightly, and said, ¡°I threw them away.¡± Corinne gritted her teeth in disbelief. ¡°Then give me another fresh set of clothes!¡± Jeremy cocked an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Is this the kind of attitude you should have when asking someone for help?¡± ¡°What kind of attitude do you expect me to have, then?¡± ¡°For starters, you could beg me.¡± Corinne mmed the bathroom door shut. ¡®Forget it¡¯, she thought, ¡®I¡¯d rather wear the wedding dress even if it¡¯s ufortable!¡¯ Just as Corinne picked up the wedding dress and was about to put it on again, someone knocked on the door outside. She opened the door slightly, but when she saw that it was Jeremy, she grumbled, ¡°Yes?¡± The fragrance of her shower gel wafted out through the crack in the door, and the girl on the other side of the door was wearing only a bath towel. Her fair, porcin shoulders, as well as the few strands of long wet hair falling on her corbone, made her look incredibly attractive. Hot blood coursed through his veins. His pupils trembled slightly, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed in his throat as he extended his hand to pass her a set of men¡¯s pajamas. Corinne was stunned for a moment. She had just reached out to grab the clothes when he lifted his hands yfully. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say thank you? Hmm?¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Corinne pursed her lips and smiled. She took the clothes in a hurry and added angrily, ¡°For nothing!¡± She mmed the door right after saying that! Jeremy¡¯s expression soured. The impact would have broken his arm if he withdrew his hand any slower. ¡®What an ungrateful little brat,¡¯ he thought to himself. The set of man¡¯s pajamas was huge on Corinne, making it look like some figureless big gunny sack was dangling from her. The pants, on the other hand, were especially big, and she could not even keep them from falling down. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Jeremy was no longer in the room by the time Corinne changed her clothes and came out¡ªnot that she cared where he went anyway. After all, their marriage was nothing more than a cooperation, and the validity period was only three months. At the end of that period, they would once again part ways, never to see each other again. Corinne locked the door and drifted into slumber. Early the next morning, Corinne was woken up by one of the maids knocking on the door. ¡°Miss, I was told by Mister Jeremy to hand you your clothes! Miss!¡± The noisy voice woke Corinne up before she could even get enough sleep. Unfortunately, though, she did not have any choice because she was living under someone else¡¯s roof. There was nothing she could do except to get up, open the door, and take the clothes that the maid wanted to hand over to her. After bathing and changing into her clothes, Corinne decided to head out of the room and get something to eat. s, a basin of smelly cold water was sshed all over her. Moments after, she heardughter. Her eyes were blurred by the smelly water, and she was unable to make head or tail of what was going on until the majority of the water flowed down from her head. In front of her was an unknown girl who was about her age. The girl had put on exquisite makeup, and she seemed to be a haughty personality judging from the somewhat arrogant smirk on her lips. Several of the Holdens¡¯ maids surrounded the girl like stars around the moon, and one of them was holding an empty water basin in her hand. It was pretty obvious that the smelly, dirty water had been sshed all over Corinne¡¯s body. Corinne frowned slightly, blinked her eyes to get rid of the water from her wet eyshes, and looked at the unknown girl calmly. She then asked, ¡°Who are you? And why did you ssh that water all over me?¡± The girl had applied thetest lipstick on her lips, and they parted open slightly as she raised her neck proudly, saying, ¡°My name¡¯s Francine. I¡¯m the Holdens¡¯ young miss, and Jeremy¡¯s my brother!¡± It turned out that the girl was Corinne¡¯s ¡®sister-inw¡¯! Corinne cocked an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, why did you ssh the water on me?¡± Francine raised her chin and looked at Corinne with contempt. ¡°I did so you¡¯d know your ce! Don¡¯t get the false impression that you¡¯ll be the young madam just because you¡¯ve married into the family! You¡¯re not fit for the role!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°You say that, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m your brother¡¯s wife¡­which makes me your elder sister-inw! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unbing for you to do what you just do to me?¡± Francineughed and chided, ¡°Sister-inw? Pfft! Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself! My brother didn¡¯t even sleep with youst night. How could you have the audacity to call yourself my brother¡¯s wife when he slept alone in another room on his wedding night? I¡¯ll be honest with you, my elder brother only married you to appease my grandfather, who is currently ill. By the time he recovers from his illness, you¡¯ll have to leave us right away!¡± Corinne was speechless, but at longst, she understood why Jeremy was so eager to get married. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Francine warned again, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about wanting to rely on my brother. He¡¯ll never fall in love with a woman like you! You¡¯re his wife in name only, and you¡¯re nothing in the eyes of our family. You¡¯re lower than a servant, even! My word is gospel whenever my brother isn¡¯t here, and you need to abide by the rules, understand?¡± Corinne nodded earnestly. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll remember!¡± Corinne¡¯s cowardly expression was a delight to Francine¡¯s eyes. ¡°At least you¡¯re learning. Know your ce from now on! Let¡¯s leave, girls. I have a manicure appointment today, and the manicurist will be here soon¡­¡± Francine said as she was about to leave with the maids. ¡°Wait!¡± Corinne called out. Francine stopped and looked at her impatiently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you have any objections?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°No, Miss Francine. It¡¯s just¡­ I only got married yesterday, and I¡¯m not really sure what the rules are. Could you exin them to me? It¡¯ll go a long way in helping me remember your rules.¡± Francine was stunned for a moment but soon cackled in disdain. ¡°Women whoe from poor backgrounds like you are always the most obedient! Well, since you asked, I¡¯ll give you a rough idea of what to take note of! Listen carefully, then. You¡¯d better be on your best behavior.¡± ¡°Umm, okay, wait a minute¡­¡± Corinne humbly asked for advice. ¡°Miss Francine, my memory isn¡¯t very good. Could youe to the room with me and go over everything from the top? I¡¯d like to write down exactly what you say on a piece of pen and paper.¡± ¡°Ugh, that¡¯s so troublesome!¡± Francine was a little peeved, but since she was not about to give up on an opportunity to set the rules, she reluctantly followed Corinne into the room. To her surprise, the door mmed shut as soon as she walked in, and Corinne locked it right away. The maids did not manage to follow them in and ended up getting locked outside. Following a brief episode of bewilderment, they heard Francine¡¯s screams from within the room and knocked anxiously on the door. ¡°Miss Francine? Miss Francine?! Is everything alright?¡± Once Francine entered the room, Corinne grabbed her hair and dragged her into the bathroom, all while she screamed in horror, ¡°Ah! What are you doing?! Let me go!¡± Corinne grasped Francine¡¯s hair with one hand, mped her wrists with the other hand, and pinned down Francine¡¯s iling arms. ¡°Tell me, what did you just ssh on me?¡± demanded Corinne. She looked like a demon at that moment, and Francine finally realized that Corinne¡¯s obedient-looking demeanor earlier was nothing more than a facade. Francine could not help but feel a chill in her heart. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s water left behind in the kitchen after some fish were gutted!¡± ¡°Oh, is that right?¡± Corinne pursed her lips and smiled. Secondster, she dunked Francine¡¯s head into the toilet bowl. Francine tried shouting, but her shouts turned into mere gurgles after her face was submerged underwater. 30 secondster, Corinne pulled her head out and asked, ¡°How does that feel, Miss Francine?¡± Pale-faced and disheveled, Francine said, ¡°H¡ªHow¡­ How d¡ªdare you do this to me! You¡­¡± Corinne shrugged indifferently. ¡°You started it, and I¡¯m just getting even. Since you poured fish-gut water all over me, it¡¯s only fair that I let you have a taste of toilet water.¡± ¡®This woman is insane!¡¯ Francine then frantically shrieked, ¡°Gah! I¡¯m the Holdens¡¯ young miss! My brother loves me dearly! Where did you get the guts to treat me like this?!¡± Corinne ignored her and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less that you¡¯re the Holdens¡¯ young miss. Your brother married me so I could be the Holdens¡¯ young madam, not your punching bag. Remember what happened today, and don¡¯t ever mess with me anymore!¡± Another round of head-dunking ensued, and it ended with Corinne shoving away Francine. Francine raised her head abruptly and gasped for breath. She felt so disgusted by what happened that she nearly burst into tears. That was the first time Francine ever experienced such humiliation. She propped herself on the toilet bowl and retched several times before gritting her teeth and threatening Corinne, ¡°Just you wait, Corinne! I swear I¡¯ll get my brother to divorce you!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s wonderful news! Thanks in advance for your help, Miss Francine!¡± Upon seeing Corinne¡¯s nonchnce, Francine felt as if her threats had fallen on deaf ears and were practically useless. After dragging Francine away and shoving her out of the room, Corinne took off the smelly clothes and went to bathe. There were no other clothes avable for her to wear, and she was forced to step out of the bathroom wrapped only in a bath towel. At that moment, she nced at her cell phone on the bedside table and saw that its screen was flickering. It was a call from Corinne¡¯s colleague, Joanna Johnston. As soon as Corinne answered it, she was greeted by Joanna¡¯s anxious voice as she said, ¡°Bad news, Corinne! Something big happened at thepany! You need toe here, quickly!¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Joanna hung up in such a hurry that Corinne was left listening to the dial tone before she could even ask anything. Since she was still wrapped in a towel, she opened the closet to see if there were any clothes she could wear. Unfortunately, however, it was filled only with Jeremy¡¯s clothes. With few choices avable, she grabbed a random white T-shirt and put it on before hurrying out the door. Jeremy¡¯s T-shirts were sufficiently big for her that the hem reached down to her knees. It was the perfect size to be styled like one of those oversized casual shirt-dresses. ¡­ Upon reaching Alpha Enterprises, Corinne swiped her ess card at the door, and Joanna¡ªwho seemed particrly agitated¡ªran out to find her. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re finally here! The manager wants you to go to his office immediately! You need to prepare yourself. Well, mentally, at least.¡± ¡°The manager is looking for me?¡± It was rare to see Joanna looking so nervous. ¡°What happened?¡± Joanna nced left and right, making sure that no one was around. She then whispered to Corinne, ¡°Thepany¡¯sputers were all infected with a virus, and the system has crashedpletely! All of thepany¡¯s important files were lost¡­¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°And what does that have to do with me? They should be calling a technician to fix it if theputer¡¯s broken.¡± Joanna was evidently anxious. ¡°The technicians are doing their best to repair it. The point is, Zoey reportedly told the manager that the virus came from yourputer after you downloaded a game using thepanyputer. ¡°To make things worse, the boss invited some big shots to take a look at thepany¡¯s new project today, but it¡¯s impossible to recover the presentation file that our department has worked so hard on. The entire situation left the manager fuming, and he¡¯ll definitely me you right now!¡± ¡®Zoey? Zoey Firwood? The one whom everyone says has inside connections in thepany?¡¯ Corinne thought. Zoey, like Corinne, was still midway through their internship period. Theirpany, Alpha Enterprises, made the international top 500 list ofpanies. Annually, arge number of high-achieving students put in a tremendous amount of hard work and effort just to try and get into thepany. Corinne secured the internship after receiving a letter of rmendation from the principal of New Capital University, which was due in no small part to her excellent grades. On the other hand, rumor had it that Zoey was a rtive of the manager. With only one permanent position left that year in Alpha Enterprises¡¯ permanent employee quota, the battle tond that position was only between herself and Zoey. By connecting the dots, Corinne could form a rough idea of what transpired. ¡­ Before Corinne knocked on the door of the manager¡¯s office, she heard Zoey¡¯s voice from within. It sounded like Zoey was trying to persuade the manager to calm down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle. Theputers will be fixed eventually! This is all Corinne¡¯s fault for ying games during working hours¡­¡± The manager, Richard Channing, said angrily, ¡°Where is that sted Corinne? Why isn¡¯t she here yet?!¡± Corinne knocked on the door and pushed it open. ¡°You wanted to see me, sir?¡± When Richard saw her, he yelled, ¡°Finally caring to show up? Are you supposed to clock in for work thiste? You didn¡¯t give any reasons for your absence from work yesterday either! What kind of work ethic do you have right now?¡± Corinne walked in and exined in a kind manner, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I got married yesterday, and I¡¯mte today because I encountered some trouble this morning.¡± Richard felt that she had made a ridiculous excuse. ¡°You got married? Well, assuming you did, couldn¡¯t you have applied for leave? What do you take thepany for? Your own home? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen an employee who does whatever they want at work! First, you were absent, then you came late today, and after that, you yedputer games instead of doing your work!¡± Corinne seemed to have been very obedient. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of experience in marriage. It is my first time, after all. I promise I¡¯ll apply for leave next time around.¡± Richard was speechless, while Zoey could not stand to hear the conversation anymore. ¡°You¡¯re downright shameless, Corinne. If you were absent without a reason, just say so. The cheek of you to use ¡®marriage¡¯ as an excuse! That¡¯s the worst lie I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± At that moment, the door of the office swung open. Alfred Ganz, the owner of Alpha Enterprises, stood at the door with another imposing-looking man. They hade just in time to hear what Corinnest said to Richard. The man who came with Alfred was none other than Jeremy, and he narrowed his charming eyes slightly. Richard was about to continue tearing into Corinne, but as soon as he saw the two men at the door, he stood up in a jolt and nodded at them before bowing to greet them. ¡°Ah! Mister Alfred, when did you and Mister Jeremy arrive? Please,e right in.¡± Zoey looked over, and her eyes were filled with little hearts the moment sheid eyes on the handsome, dignified man next to Alfred. Corinne was spacing out, so she casually turned her head to look at them. ¡®That weird old man again? Why is he everywhere?¡¯ Corinne gasped in stupefaction when she saw Jeremy. Alfred, the owner of Alpha Enterprises, asked with a serious expression, ¡°What were you arguing about earlier, Richard? Did I hear something about thepany¡¯sputer system crashing? What¡¯s going on?¡± Richard sweated profusely as he pointed at Corinne and exined, ¡°Mister Alfred, ourpany¡¯s new intern yedputer games during work hours, which then led to our systems bing invaded by a virus. The technical department is giving it their all to try and restore everything¡­¡± Incensed by what he heard, Alfred asked, ¡°What? Why is she still around then? Are you nning to give her the permanent position?!¡± Richard shook his head at once. ¡°No! Of course not, Mister Alfred! I¡¯ll fire her right away!¡± The corners of Zoey¡¯s lips curled slightly, Jeremy¡¯s stern eyes remained as cold as ever as his gaze skirted indifferently across Corinne without lingering for too long. He acted as if they wereplete strangers and said icily, ¡°Mister Alfred, it seems that I came at an inappropriate time today. We should reschedule if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Mister Jeremy. It was an oversight on my part.¡± Alfred felt incredibly dismayed. He had put in tremendous effort to invite someone of Jeremy¡¯s stature, and the chances of Jeremy epting another future invitation would be even slimmer! Corinne saw Joanna peering anxiously from outside the office door and immediately remembered that the new project was the result of Joanna¡¯s first time leading a team. The possibility that she would be allowed to take up bigger responsibilities in the future would take a big hit if her present efforts went down the drain just like that. Furthermore, Joanna had taken very good care of Corinne during the span of the internship. ¡°Mister Jeremy!¡± Corinne called out suddenly. Jeremy halted his footsteps as soon as he turned around. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne walked toward him and said, ¡°I understand your time is precious, Mister Jeremy, but the fact is that you¡¯re already here. If you just leave empty-handed, wouldn¡¯t it be such a waste if you ended up missing out on a good project?¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°But you have nothing to show me right now.¡± Corinne gave them her word. ¡°I¡¯ll have the new project n shown to you in the time it takes for you to enjoy a cup of coffee!¡± Alfred and Richard looked at Corinne in disbelief. Zoey rolled her eyes in contempt. She doubted that Corinne would be able to fix something that overwhelmed even the professional technicians. ¡®Yeah, bluff all you want! This is just a desperate attempt at trying to fix the situation.¡¯ After a brief silence, Jeremy remained nonmitted. ¡°Young people sure love a challenge. Alright, Mister Alfred, I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m feeling a little thirsty, so could I trouble you for a cup of coffee before I leave?¡± Alfred snapped back to his senses and immediately ordered, ¡°Well, why are you guys still standing there? Hurry and make some coffee for Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Zoey wanted to avail herself of the chance to interact with Jeremy, so she trotted away gracefully to make some coffee. Corinne returned to her workstation and inserted a USB sh drive into theputer. Joanna walked over curiously and asked, ¡°What are you doing, Corinne? Do you know how to fix virus- infectedputers?¡± Corinne had a focused expression as she moved the cursor and replied, ¡°I¡¯m installing some antivirus software!¡± Her response elicited a dejected sigh from Joanna. ¡°Corinne, that¡¯s useless! The technicians said that thepany was targeted by hackers, so there¡¯s nothing antivirus software can do about it!¡± Corinne raised her head slightly and smiled faintly at Joanna. ¡°No harm trying. Who knows what¡¯ll happen?¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Joanna felt that Corinne was very optimistic, and by contrast, she was already prepared for the worse. As depressing as it was to face the fact that the project n which she had spent a whole month preparing for was irretrievable, there was nothing she could do to change the situation. With a sigh, Joanna went to the pantry. ¡°Do your best, Corinne. I¡¯ll make you a cup of coffee to boost your concentration.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Corinne replied. At the same time, a red progress bar appeared on the ck screen of the computer. Once the progress bar was full, Corinne immediately cracked the password. She clicked open a hidden dialog box and tapped away on the keyboard. Then, she hit [Enter] and sent her message. [What kind of grudge do you have?] The shocked hacker replied, [Who are you? How were you able to bypass the AJ League¡¯s ultimate encryption system?] Corinne¡¯s fingers danced across the keyboard. [My identity isn¡¯t the main issue here. The main issue is why you hacked Alpha Enterprises¡¯puter system. Behind every grudge is a specific person, and you ought to be settling scores with the person who provoked you, rather than ruining innocent people¡¯s fruit ofbor.] The hacker refused to back down and immediately fought back. However, his attacks were sessfully intercepted by the defense system that had been set up by his target. He could not help himself from feeling a sense of admiration for his mystery opponent whose skills were superior to his own. ¡­ By the time Joanna came back with coffee, Corinne had restored theputer system to its previous state, and that included all the files within. ¡°It is fixed! You¡¯re amazing, Corinne! How did you do it?¡± Corinne pulled out the USB sh drive and twirled it on the tip of her fingers. She leaned backzily on the chair and said with a smile, ¡°This antivirus software that I bought online for a dor during a promotion sale ims to work against all sorts ofputer viruses. Looks like they weren¡¯t lying after all. I¡¯ll be sure to leave them a good reviewter!¡± Joanna frowned in confusion and said puzzlingly, ¡°Huh? You fixed theputer using antivirus software? The technical department said that antivirus software was useless, but I¡¯m beginning to think they¡¯re the useless ones!¡± Corinne reached out to take the cup of coffee in Joanna¡¯s hand. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t you think you should get around to copying the file and showing it to Mister Alfred?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll go right now. You¡¯re the best, Corinne!¡± Joanna blew a kiss to Corinne and hurried off. The other colleagues surrounded Corinne all of a sudden and requested the link to the antivirus software. Corinne brushed them off by saying, ¡°Rx. I¡¯ll send it to the groupter.¡± She sipped the coffee from the coffee cup in her right hand and looked up slightly to nce at Alfred¡¯s office. ¡®Jeremy probably hasn¡¯t finished his cup of coffee yet, has he?¡¯ she wondered. ¡­ Inside the office, Zoey was striking all sorts of sexy poses to show off her long, fair legs after bringing the coffee to Jeremy. However, she failed to attract the man¡¯s attention, and her legs were beginning to cramp. Joanna knocked softly on the door and leaned in to report the situation. ¡°Mister Alfred, the file is ready, and we can proceed with the meeting as nned.¡± Alfred¡¯s eyes lit up as he tactfully enjoyed the coffee with Jeremy. ¡°Has theputer been repaired?¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Alfred!¡± Joanna nodded affirmatively. ¡°Corinne has restored the system.¡± ¡°Well, well. She¡¯s got quite the skill there!¡± Alfred¡¯s tension could finally subside a little as he stood up and respectfully gestured to invite Jeremy to the meeting room. ¡°Mister Jeremy, the materials are now ready and we can proceed to the meeting room. The person in charge will soon give you a brief introduction of ourpany¡¯s new project.¡± Jeremy¡¯s big hand and handsomely slender fingers were still holding the coffee cup, but he soon ced it down and narrowed his charming eyes in pensive thought as soon as Alfred invited him to the meeting room. He stood up gracefully, and every single gesture that he made exuded the firm, noble charm of a mature man. Zoey gritted her teeth angrily and was surprised that Corinne was able to fix it. ¡­ 15 minutester, Jeremy walked out of the meeting room with a calm look on his handsome face. One could not easily tell what he was thinking. Alfred walked out beside Jeremy with his head hung low. When Jeremy passed by Corinne¡¯s workstation, he paused all of a sudden and tilted his head slightly to nce coldly at her. An unsympathetic smile unfurled across his thin lips. ¡°Bravo, Mister Alfred. Your company¡¯s talented employee has done nothing but waste an hour of my time.¡± Alfred had a look of shame and embarrassment. ¡°I¡­ Umm¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, Mister Jeremy.¡± Jeremy closed his eyes and walked toward the elevator without looking at Corinne a second time. Corinne was still trying to wrap her head around what happened when Zoey walked over with a gloating look. ¡°Your ability to restore theputer system counts for nothing. Mister Jeremy didn¡¯t like your n at all!¡± In ignoring Zoey, Corinne turned to look at Joanna as thetter exited the meeting room. ¡°What happened?¡± she asked. Dejected and crestfallen, Joanna broke down and cried. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but there were so many errors present in the key data. Mister Jeremy said our n is rubbish¡­¡± Corinne frowned. By then, Alfred had sent Jeremy off and came back. Hembasted Joanna sternly, ¡°Is that the kind of work you produce? The basic mistakes are too many to count! You¡¯d be better off finding another job if you can¡¯t even do this right!¡± Joanna bowed in shame. ¡°Mister Alfred, I¡¯m sorry! I¡­¡± Corinne caught the snicker of sess from Zoey¡¯s face and knew she had been up to no good again. ¡°Mister Alfred, the error has nothing to do with Joanna. Theputer system might¡¯ve been restored, but the virus damaged part of the original content and corrupted the data in the presentation. It was my fault for asking Joanna to bring it to the meeting without checking it. I¡¯ll take responsibility and resign.¡± Alfred frowned and looked at Corinne, while Richard, who had been following Alfred from behind, said angrily, ¡°Resign? You can stop dreaming now, Corinne. We¡¯re firing you. Pack up your things and get out of here. You¡¯ll only piss Mister Alfred off if you stay here!¡± ¡­ While Corinne waited for the elevator, Joanna chased after her with a guilty and uneasy expression. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m the one who should resign¡­¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°It has nothing to do with you. Richard wanted to fire me in the first ce, so there¡¯s no point for you to get involved too.¡± However, Joanna still could not ept the injustice. ¡°But if you leave like this, Zoey will be the one promoted to a permanent position. Her abilities can hardlypare to yours. She¡¯s having it too easy!¡± Corinne shrugged indifferently, waved to Joanna, then turned and boarded the elevator. When she got out, someone happened to exit the elevator next to her too. That person was Zoey, and she came out with a box of office supplies that she threw in front of Corinne. ¡°You forgot to take away your stuff. I was informed by the manager that your desk will be vacated for me!¡± Remaining as calm as always, Corinne bent down and picked up her belongings. ¡°As your former colleague, let me give you a word of advice.¡± Zoey folded her arms in a triumphant stance and shrugged. ¡°Make it quick.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips seemed to curl up slightly as she leaned over to Zoey¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Karma¡¯s a b*tch.¡± Zoey was taken aback. ¡°Tch!¡± After all, Zoey had one-upped Corinne, and there was nothing more for Zoey to fear. ¡­ Corinne was walking out of thepany building with her belongings in her arms when a ck- colored, limited-edition Mercedes-Benz MPV parked beside her all of a sudden. Tommy got off the front passenger seat and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy wants you to get in the car, Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne was in no mood to entertain that request and merely walked past Tommy. However, he raised his hand to stop her. ¡°Miss Corinne, please get in the car!¡± Her subsequent efforts to get past him ended up in failure, causing her expression to sour. In the end, she reluctantly got into the car. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Zoey happened to see that scene. She had spotted a limited-edition luxury car passing by thepany entrance, and she went out to try and take a closer look. Little did she expect that Corinne would be getting into such a luxurious car. Zoey could only stare in disbelief. ¡®What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t that a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz? How can someone like Corinne ride in that sort of luxury car? She¡¯s not worthy of it!¡¯ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Zoey stared at the Mercedes-Benz that slowly drove off. In a fit of jealousy, she returned to the company and cooked up wild stories for her colleagues. ¡°Do any of you know why Corinne could leave so happily? Turns out, she¡¯s a sugar baby to a rich old man! She doesn¡¯t need to care whether or not she has a job!¡± ¡®Sugar baby?¡¯ The employees were intrigued by the gossip, and they all surrounded Zoey to find out what was going on. Zoey described the situation with a generous amount of exaggeration. ¡°Out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to head down and return some of the stuff that Corinne left behind. You won¡¯t believe what I saw. She was sitting on thep of some fat old man inside this luxurious car! I don¡¯t think I need to exin what she was doing, right?¡± ¡°An old man, you say? How old is old?¡± ¡°Over sixty, I guess.¡± ¡°Whoa, there. Isn¡¯t that old enough to be her grandfather? I didn¡¯t expect Corinne to be such a degenerate!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! Just goes to show you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Unable to tolerate those remarks anymore, Joanna stood up and retorted loudly, ¡°Enough with your nonsense, Zoey. Corinne isn¡¯t that kind of woman!¡± Zoey sneered. ¡°Me? Talking nonsense? I saw it with my own eyes! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can take a look at thepany¡¯s surveince footage and see for yourself if Corinne got into a Mercedes- Benz just outside the main entrance!¡± Joanna pursed her lips angrily, knowing that she did not have the authority to check thepany¡¯s surveince footage. Zoey was clearly being a bully. She was the one who chased Corinne away, and she dared to badmouth her in thepany. It was utterly despicable! Unable to fight against Zoey, Joanna sat down and continued her work, all while she tried to keep her emotions in check. Within seconds of going on herputer, however, she realized that something was different. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this? Why is there an extra folder on myputer desktop?¡± Another colleague of hers added, ¡°I have an extra folder on myputer. too. What is this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. I have that folder, too! I¡¯m clicking in to see what it is¡­¡± The entire office fell silent after everyone opened the folder and saw the contents. Secondster, looks of disgust, contempt, and derision were directed in Zoey¡¯s direction. Zoey was displeased to be stared at by her colleagues. ¡°Why are all of you looking at me like that?¡± Joanna stood up again with much more conviction than before. She said aloud, ¡°The one ying computer games at work was you all along. You¡¯re the reason why the entirepany¡¯sputers were hacked, too!¡± Zoey was taken by surprise by the usation and retorted guiltily, ¡°Stop making all that up, Joanna! You have no evidence whatsoever! Mind your words, or I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡± All the evidence that Joanna had in hand led her confidence to increase. ¡°Making it up, you say? Wasn¡¯t it you who met someone online and pretended that you liked him just so you¡¯d get some item from a game? You blocked him as soon as you got what you wanted, didn¡¯t you? Turns out, he was a professional hacker, and he not only hacked into yourputer but thepany¡¯s system too! ¡°And what did you do? You med everything on Corinne! Even the presentation that went wrong in today¡¯s meeting was your doing. You tampered with it while I wasn¡¯t paying attention; all the evidence is inside the folder. ¡°The hacker gathered every single one of your misdeeds,piled them into a folder, and distributed copies to every single employee!¡± Zoey began to feel guilty when her colleagues shot her with all those strange looks. She rushed back to her workstation to check if it was true, and sure enough, the extra folder on the computer desktop contained screenshots of her chat history with the online friend, as well as screenshots of the surveince video of when she secretly manipted the presentation. ¡®How could this have happened?!¡¯ Zoey shrieked internally. Alfred came out of the office with a stern and sullen expression, He shouted angrily, ¡°Which one of you is Zoey? Thepany doesn¡¯t need a troublemaker like you. Pack your bags and leave!¡± Zoey¡¯s face turned pale as she wondered if Alfred also had the same folder in hisputer. When Richard heard Alfred¡¯s roar, he hurried out of the office with a very disturbed expression on his face. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Zoey saw him rush out and immediately ran over to ask for help. ¡°Uncle, help me, please! I¡­¡± Richard shot Zoey a vicious re and pushed her away before walking off. He wanted nothing to do with a rtive who had proven to be such a grand failure. In the end, Zoey¡¯s sry was deductedpletely, and she was fired on the spot. She left the company in the most shameful way possible. Karma truly was a b*tch. Joanna could not have been happier, and she immediately took out her cell phone and sent a message informing Corinne of the good news. ¡­ At that moment, the luxury Mercedes-Benz MPV drove slowly on the road, and Corinne sat at the far end of the rear seat while holding her belongings. Beside her was Jeremy, the man she had just wedded, but ever since she got in the car, Jeremy did not once raise his head or look at her. All he did was stare at his phone with an indifferent expression. When her phone beeped twice, Corinne put to one side the box that she was holding and picked up the phone to look at the message. It was a message from Joanna, detailing how Zoey had been fired while Richard was severely reprimanded by Alfred. Corinne¡¯s lips curled up in a smirk. The oue did not surprise her in the least. After the hacker told her the reason why he hacked Alpha Enterprises¡¯ system, she only gave the hacker one suggestion: take revenge against the person in question and avoid doing anything that would implicate innocent people. Zoey¡¯s malicious intentions and misbehavior had to be punished. Corinne unconsciously crossed her legs after replying to Joanna¡¯s message, and her actions led her fair thighs to ovep one over the other. Since she was only wearing a men¡¯s T-shirt, the hem moved up a little while she sat, and the sunlight that came in through the car window made her porcin-white skin glow a little, almost like it was sparkling in snow. The man¡¯s handsome eyebrows cocked up slightly as if blinded by the white light. He nced at her fair-skinned, slender legs next door, and realized that they were almost as thick as his forearm. Meaning, they were too thin. ¡°Is this how young girls like you attract a man¡¯s attention?¡± Corinne looked at Jeremy suspiciously. ¡°Huh? But I¡¯m not even doing anything, mister.¡± Jeremy put away his phone and stared at her. ¡°Then what are you wearing?¡± Corinne lowered her head to look and came to a realization. ¡°Oh, this? It¡¯s yours. The clothes that the maid gave me this morning ended up getting dirty, and since I couldn¡¯t wear them, my only choice was to wear your shirt.¡± The man rested his forehead on one hand, and the frown on his face suggested he was displeased by what he heard. ¡°Did I give you permission to?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes and muttered to herself in disdain. ¡°Why do I have to call him and ask for his permission? It¡¯s just a shirt. Are all old men so petty?¡± Besides, she did not have his phone number either, so she could not get his permission even if she wanted to. Jeremy¡¯s veins were bulging from his forehead. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Corinne smiled sheepishly. ¡°I said¡­ Do old men like you enjoy it when your new wife makes the headlines for running around naked the day after the wedding?¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Old man? Am I that old?¡¯ He narrowed his brooding eyes slightly and said, ¡°And if I say I don¡¯t care?¡± Corinne gritted her teeth. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it off right now, give it back to you, and start running around in my birthday suit!¡± The corner of Jeremy¡¯s lips twitched teasingly. ¡°Sure. Take it off.¡± If a god of luck existed, then Corinne felt that she had probably done something serious to offend him. That seemed to be the only exnation for why a weird old man like Jeremy woulde into her life! After a brief silence, Corinne said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take it off if you want!¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Tommy had a conflicted expression as he sat in the front passenger seat. He motioned for the driver to pull over and stop the car before he told the driver to get down with him. A sullen-faced Corinne held the hem of the big white T-shirt with both hands and slowly began pulling it up. Jeremy rested his foreheadzily on his knuckles. His indifferent gaze fell on her, and there was a hint of yfulness in the depths of his handsome eyes. ¡­ Back at Alpha Enterprises, Richard¡ªthe general manager¡ªwas severely reprimanded by his boss Alfred because of improper employment practices of letting rtives in without proper conduct. Alfred gave him an ultimatum, too, that if he failed to figure out a way to recoup that day¡¯s losses and there was a resulting failure to reach a cooperation with the Holdens in that project, he would have to pack up and leave like his idiot of a rtive, Zoe. Richard was in a state of desperation, so he drove out to get in touch with his contacts and find a solution. Just as he was worrying about whether or not he could keep his job, he spotted Jeremy¡¯s car parked on the side of the road. Jeremy was still nearby. What a wonderful stroke of luck that was! He could use that opportunity to exin to Jeremy the reasons for the mistakes in the n and, in the process, try to salvage some hope from that hopeless situation! With that in mind, Richard parked the car nearby and jogged toward the ck Mercedes-Benz MPV up ahead. Heavy tint had been applied on the windows of that luxurious vehicle, making it impossible for anyone outside the vehicle to tell if there was anyone inside. Richard cautiously looked at the car window and called out, ¡°Mister Jeremy? Are you in the car, Mister Jeremy? Mister Jeremy?¡± The soundproofing used in luxury cars was just as good, so Richard¡¯s voice did not travel into the car. ¡®Is the car empty? Did Mister Jeremy go somewhere? Where could he have gone?¡¯ Richard nced around but did not see anyone around him, so he put his hand on the door handle and tried to open the door. At that moment, Jeremy, still inside the car with Corinne, had an aloof expression and showed no intention to help Corinne out of the predicament. Meanwhile, Corinne did not intend to just give in to the man. After all, she had just been bullied by his sister earlier that morning, and if she did not take a stand right then, she would be treated like a pushover by the Holdens for theing three months. Corinne gritted her teeth and took off the T-shirt. Fortunately, she had worn a small singlet underneath. There might not be much fabric, but it was not revealing either. Jeremy¡¯s eyes froze slightly, and his brow furrowed into a frown! ¡®Is she really going to take the shirt off?!¡¯ All of a sudden, the car door was pulled open, letting in a ray of sunlight and cold air into the car. A strong force pulled Corinne over before she could react. As soon as her eyes saw a blur, a pleasantly masculine fragrance of ambergris mixed with the tobo filled her nostrils, and her heart began to pound rapidly. Jeremy reacted very quickly, and it took him only a split second to cover Corinne¡¯s body with the suit jacket he took off earlier and set to one side. He then pressed her body close to his so that her bare body would not be exposed to others. Richard opened the door and happened to see Mister Jeremy holding a woman in his arms. The woman¡¯s face was buried in Mister Jeremy¡¯s chest, and she was wrapped in a man¡¯s clothes. As his gaze traveled lower, he could see only the woman¡¯s fair, slender legs. Stunned, his jaw practically dropped to the ground. It did not take long for him to realize that he had seen something he should not have, and he immediately broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so¡ªsorry, Mister Jeremy! I was calling you from outside, but I didn¡¯t get a response, so I¡ª¡± Jeremy continued to hug the woman tightly in his arms and nced up coldly before snarling, ¡°F*ck off!¡± Richard closed the car door at once and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. He felt both nervous and uneasy. He was surely doomed after disrupting Jeremy¡¯s ¡®personal time¡¯. Corinne was hugged so tightly that nearly ran out of breath. She had to wiggle a bit from his embrace to stretch her head out of his cocoon of a jacket. With a frown, she asked, ¡°What are you doing, mister?¡± Jeremy lowered his head and looked at the girl in his arms. There were traces of displeasure on her face. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He was appalled that she could still be angry at him. Had he left the situation as is without doing anything, he would have seen her all naked! He began to wonder if she even had any sense of shame. After snapping out of his daze, a sullen-looking Jeremy released her from his embrace and said solemnly, ¡°Put that shirt on right now. You¡¯re the Holdens¡¯ young madam now, and your every word and action represent the Holdens. Next time, don¡¯t ever do something as shameful as taking off your shirt for no good reason.¡± ¡®Shameful? Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted me to take it off?¡¯ Corinne smiled sarcastically. ¡°I guess this means I got your permission to wear your shirt, then?¡± Jeremy frowned slightly, yet there was a little smirk on the corners of his lips. This young woman truly was a vengeful person. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Corinne snorted, moved to one side, and put on her shirt. Jeremy did not look at her again. He turned his face away, got up, and mmed the car door shut as he got down from the vehicle. ¡­ Richard was shaking like a leaf as he exined everything to Tommy, ¡°Mister Tommy, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose! Could you please exin to Mister Jeremy on my behalf¡­¡± Tommy heard the sound of the car door closing and saw Jeremy approaching them. ¡°Sir¡­¡± Richard felt a chill down his spine and immediately turned to bow apologetically. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to open the door earlier¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s ck eyes were cold and stern. ¡°What did you see?¡± Richard froze for a moment and shook his head violently. ¡°Nothing! Nothing at all!¡± Tommy took a step forward, bowed, and pleaded for forgiveness. ¡°Sir, your sister called earlier, and I went to one side to answer the call. It was my fault for not noticing that someone was approaching the car.¡± Jeremy nced at Tommy indifferently and said nothing. He lowered his head, lit a cigarette, then turned to look at Richard, ¡°Well, you¡¯ve already followed me to my car, so tell me, why are you here?¡± Richard immediately said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, my name is Richard Channing from Alpha Enterprises. We just met back at thepany! I¡­ Umm¡­ I¡¯m here to exin the error you saw today. The n was manipted by one of thepany¡¯s interns for their personal interests, and that¡¯s not ourpany¡¯s true standards. I hope you¡¯ll give us another chance to show you the real deal.¡± Jeremy took a puff from his cigarette and cocked his handsome eyebrows. ¡°Manipted? Was it the one who fixed yourputer system?¡± Richard froze for a moment, then shook his head awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­no. It was another one! But not to worry, as both the interns have been fired, and we¡¯ll guarantee that there won¡¯t be any more mistakes in the future! If you have the time, perhaps you could¡ª¡± ¡°I do not.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened and he nced at the back seat of the car from the corner of his eyes. ¡®She was fired?¡¯ Jeremy signaled to Tommy with a nce. He surmised that Corinne had gotten dressed, so he turned and walked toward the car. Richard hurriedly followed behind, ¡°Mister Jeremy! This is a good project, and all I ask is for you to give me a bit of your time. Twenty minutes is more than enough¡­¡± Tommy did not hide his displeasure as he stopped Richard and warned, ¡°He¡¯s made it clear that he doesn¡¯t have the time, Richard. Nothing good wille out of pestering him.¡± Richard froze for a moment and did not dare to pester Jeremy any further. He retreated to the side of the road, saw them off with a bow, and watched as the luxury Mercedes-Benz drove away before his eyes. Entertaining his requests was thest thing that Jeremy wanted to do, what with a woman waiting for him inside the car. Richard had no choice but to find another chance some other day. At that moment, Corinne felt that the air in the car was too stuffy, so she lowered the window slowly to let in some fresh air. Richard looked up at the car and waspletely stunned. That woman in Jeremy¡¯s car bore a striking resemnce to Corinne, whom he had fired earlier that day! Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Corinne had put Jeremy¡¯s T-shirt back on, but she doubled up with the jacket he had given her because she felt a little cold after letting in some outside air through the window. ¡°I heard you¡¯re unemployed now?¡± Corinne heard Jeremy¡¯s deep voice as she stared aimlessly at the passing scenery outside the car window. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Yup, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Jeremy flipped through the documents in his hand. ¡°I gave thepany a chance, yet there were still mistakes that shouldn¡¯t have happened. ording to my standards, such a ncks any investment value.¡± Corinne yawned, evidently because she was a little sleepy. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to tell me why, mister. After all, I¡¯m no longer an employee of Alpha Enterprises.¡± Jeremy was speechless for a moment. He continued flipping through the documents and said in a casual tone, ¡°If you¡¯re looking for apany to do your internship, then¡ª¡± ¡°Stop the car!¡± Corinne interrupted his sentence and stretched her head out of the car window. Her eyes seemed to be sparkling as if she had spotted something. As soon as the driver put his foot on the brakes, Corinne opened the door and went down. In no time, she ran to the bus stop in front and jumped on the bus that had just arrived. She got a seat by the window, stretched out a hand from inside, and gave a thumbs-up to the Mercedes-Benz behind her. Then, she slowly flipped her thumbs-up to be a thumbs-down, clearly showing her contempt for them. Her little hand retracted back into the bus as it drove away slowly. Tommy¡¯s temples were beginning to throb when he saw that. Corinne was truly a unique character. For the record, no one in the entire New Capital City¡ªor even the whole country for that matter¡ªwould dare to show such rudeness in front of Jeremy. ¡°Sir, she took your suit jacket with her. The International Trade Center will bepletedter in the afternoon, and you have to attend the ribbon-cutting¡­¡± ¡°Have someone bring me another one.¡± Jeremy lowered his eyebrows and continued to look through the documents with a gloomy face. ¡°Right!¡± Tommy then said, ¡°Sir, when your sister called me earlier, she told me that she was hospitalized.¡± Jeremy looked up slightly. ¡°She was fine thest time I saw her. Why was she hospitalized?¡± Tommy ryed what Francine told her. ¡°Well, Miss Corinne dunked your sister¡¯s head into the toilet bowl, causing her to drink several mouthfuls of toilet water. You know how your sister is a bit of a clean freak, and she was so disgusted by what happened that she kept on vomiting since morning. Eventually, she got so dehydrated that she had to be sent to the hospital and put on a drip.¡± ¡°And what did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said that it¡¯s not that serious. Put her on a drip and give her some food, and she¡¯ll be back to normal in a couple of days. Still, she¡¯s making a big fuss about wanting you to get even for her and teach Miss Corinne a lesson¡­ ¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°Grandma spoils Francine all the time, and she¡¯s always been a stubborn girl. Corinne might have a tough personality, but she won¡¯t take the initiative to cause any trouble. Let Francine learn her lesson this time. Hopefully, she¡¯ll be able to keep her temper in check sometime in the future. We needn¡¯t concern ourselves with her.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Tommy was taken aback at how tolerant Jeremy seemed to be toward Corinne. After thinking for a moment, he turned and sought further instructions. ¡°Well¡­ Miss Corinne was fired today, so would you like to arrange for her to get a job?¡± Jeremy said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just make sure to keep an eye on her during these three months so she doesn¡¯t do anything to tarnish the family name.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Tommy was initially under the impression that Jeremy had some other sort of feeling for Corinne, but after that remark, he concluded that he had probably been thinking too much. It made sense, though. The only woman for Jeremy was the daughter of the Riveras, and his feelings for her had not changed even after many years had passed. Unfortunately, the feud between the Holdens and the Riveras made it difficult for the two of them to get married. That was the reason that Jeremy remained single, and it was also why his grandfather was so anxious to force him into marriage. ¡­ Corinne took the bus back home so she could pack up her belongings. Since she had to cooperate with that weird old man and stay at the Holdens¡¯ residence for three months, she needed to have her own clothes to wear instead of wearing his all the time. She bumped into Sherlyn as soon as she went into the house. Sherlyn was out of a job, having quit the entertainment industry. She had always put on airs in front of Corinne, and it was no different on that asion when she saw that Corinne had returned. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I thought it was the food delivery guy!¡± Corinne was in no mood to talk nonsense with Sherlyn, so she walked past her and went straight upstairs. Sherlyn, however, was hell-bent on standing in the way, and she did so while staring disdainfully at Corinne. ¡°Is that a man¡¯s suit jacket that you¡¯re wearing? You didn¡¯te homest night, so could you have slept with some random dude?¡± Before Corinne could even begin to exin, Sherlyn started yelling loudly, ¡°Dad! Mom! Look at what Corinne is wearing!¡± Marvin came out of the room upon hearing Sherlyn¡¯s yells, and he immediately pulled a long face when he saw the suit jacket on Corinne¡¯s body. ¡°Why are you wearing a man¡¯s suit jacket, Corinne? What were you doing when you stayed outst night?¡± When Lilliana came up from behind and saw what was going on, she immediately made a panicked expression. ¡°This¡­ This is outrageous! How can you just strut around wearing a man¡¯s clothes when you haven¡¯t even gotten married yet? We Carews are a proper family!¡± Sherlyn followed suit and shouted, ¡°Dad, Corinne spends her nights searching for men out on the streets even when she refused to ept all those proper men that Mom introduced to her through blind dates. How could she do that?¡± Marvin¡¯s face became even uglier, and he said angrily, ¡°Tell me the truth, Corinne. What¡¯s with the clothes on your body?¡± Corinne calmly exined the situation to her father, ¡°My clothes got wet from dirty water by ident this morning. I borrowed this from someone just so I could have something to wear. I have to return them after I wash them. ¡± Sherlyn snorted. ¡°Borrowed? As if anyone would believe that!¡± Marvin did not entirely buy her story. ¡°Then, what were you doing when you were out the whole ofst night?¡± ¡°I found a room to rent yesterday,¡± Corinne replied, ¡°and I stayed there for one night. I¡¯ming back today to pack my stuff because I¡¯ll be staying there in the future.¡± She regarded the Holdens¡¯ house as a ce that she was renting, with rent being the three months of her time. Marvin frowned. ¡°You¡¯re moving out? Why would you want to move out when you already have a home?¡± Lilliana stood next to him and said in an insinuative tone, ¡°Could Corinne be staying at another man¡¯s house? It¡¯s inappropriate for two unmarried people to stay with each other. If she loses her chastity and her dignity, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get married in the future. Even our family¡¯s reputation will be ruined!¡± Sherlyn muttered sarcastically, ¡°Pfft. No point talking about chastity when she spends the night outside andes back in some random man¡¯s clothes!¡± The expression on Marvin¡¯s face became even more sullen as he looked at Corinne with great disappointment. Corinne looked at Lilliana and Sherlyn before remarking with a smile, ¡°Thanks for your concern, you two, but I¡¯m nobody. No one cares what sort of shameful stuff I do. Very few of our rtives remember I exist that nothing I do will ruin the Carews¡¯ reputation. ¡°On the contrary, my dear big sister Sherlyn is a superstar. She¡¯s so famous that even a little bit of gossip can spread like wildfire on the trending news. She¡¯s the one who should pay attention to her chastity and her dignity. Try not to let those unscrupulous journalists capitalize on an opportunity to write about you being taken care of by a sugar daddy. Aunt Lilliana¡¯s gonna be so worried about you if you can¡¯t get married.¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily and shot back, ¡°Who told you I couldn¡¯t get married?¡± Corinne then pointed out, ¡°Oh right, I forgot. You got married yesterday! Where¡¯s your new husband, Jeremy? Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to my new brother-inw?¡± The atmosphere turned cold as soon as she made thatment¡­ Marvin¡¯s rage began to erupt, and he red angrily at Lilliana and Sherlyn. Just the mere mention of it was enough to make his blood boil, courtesy of the huge mess from the previous day that caused him to make a fool out of himself in front of rtives and friends. Corinne added, ¡°It was right for me to stay here when I was still studying, but I¡¯m a working adult now, and I just want to learn how to live independently. You can rest assured that I won¡¯t do anything to bring disgrace to your name once I move out.¡± Marvin looked at Corinne and realized that she was rtively well-behavedpared to Lilliana and Sherlyn¡¯s embarrassing antics. In the end, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Suit yourself, then. You¡¯re free to go out and live elsewhere if you want. This house is full of bad luck now, anyway.¡± ¡°Thanks, Dad.¡± Corinne nced indifferently at the disgruntled Lilliana and Sherlyn before turning around and making her way upstairs. As she was busy changing her clothes, Sherlyn barged into her room again. She had just opened her mouth to start cursing at Corinne when she suddenly saw the trademark logo printed on the lining of the suit jacket that Corinne had taken off. It was from a luxury brand called FA, and furthermore, it was from the luxury bespoke line that was only for VIPs! Sherlyn wondered how a vige girl like Corinne could have the good fortune ofing across such luxurious men¡¯s clothing. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Sherlyn grabbed the jacket in a hurry and asked, ¡°Be honest, Corinne. Where did you get this suit jacket? How did you even get to know a man who could wear something so expensive?¡± Corinne nced disapprovingly at the clothes. ¡°Is it expensive? Some uncle ¡®kindly¡¯ lent me the clothes. It¡¯s not like I know him well, though.¡± Sherlyn could tell that Corinne was probably telling the truth since Corinne never saw much of the world before. Sherlyn then made a snide remark, saying, ¡°Someone like you can¡¯t be acquainted with a man who could wear such high-end clothes! You¡¯d better return them after you have them washed. ¡°Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself and try to associate yourself with him. Men with decent taste will never take a liking to countryside girls like you!¡± Corinne chuckled nonchntly. ¡°By the way, you haven¡¯t answered my earlier question. Where¡¯s your husband?¡± Sherlyn¡¯s face soured in an instant. Seeing as Corinne appeared to be in the dark over the details, she put on a haughty demeanor and said, ¡°Ahem! I changed my mind at thest minute yesterday and decided not to get married anymore. I want to remain a single upper-ss woman, no husband necessary!¡± ¡°You decided not to get married?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow out of curiosity. ¡°Why? The Holdens are a first-tier family. Do you look down on a family like theirs?¡± Sherlyn snorted disdainfully. ¡°Who cares if they¡¯re a first-tier family? I can choose to marry any man I want. All I have to do is this.¡± She made ae-hither movement with her index finger. ¡°Jeremy has never had a girlfriend, even though he¡¯s already 30 years old, so it¡¯s pretty clear that he has some sort of health issue there. He might not even be able to do it! I sure as hell ain¡¯t gonna marry someone just to have a dull marriage. It doesn¡¯t matter how obsessed he is with me or how hard he begs to marry me!¡± Corinne nearlyughed out loud as she nodded. ¡°You sure did put a lot of thought into it. You dodged a big one there, so congrattions!¡± After packing her luggage, Corinne brought it with her and left the home after briefly saying goodbye to Marvin. Sherlyn, on the other hand, secretly began driving to catch up with Corinne¡¯s taxi. She wanted to find out who it was that lent Corinne the jacket. After all, someone who couldmission such high-end bespoke clothes almost certainly had a worth of billions. The failed wedding had been nothing short of a sheer embarrassment. If she could use that opportunity to get together with a tall, rich, and handsome man, she could finally regain her pride in front of all her rtives and friends! ¡­ The taxi drove toward Old Town Street and stopped there. Corinne got out, dragged her luggage bag to a small dingy restaurant, and sat by herself to eat. In the distance, Sherlyn sat in the car and sneered. She thought that Corinne had finally managed to achieve something in life after being able to borrow such expensive clothes, but poor Corinne still ate at some run-down restaurant. Perhaps it was difficult for Corinne to shake off her poor habits! Sherlyn was snickering when someone knocked on her car window. She lowered it and saw none other than a stern-looking traffic officer. ¡°You can¡¯t park here. This is a vition of the traffic rules. I need your driving license, please. You¡¯ll be given a demerit for your offense.¡± Sherlyn snorted and said unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with parking here when there¡¯s no one around? I¡¯m a famous public figure, and I¡¯m only parking here because I¡¯m worried about causing traffic if my fans recognize me and surround me when I get out of the car. ¡°This is for your benefit too, you know. I¡¯m helping you reduce your burden!¡± The traffic officer was unmoved. ¡°Your status is irrelevant. This is a pedestrian street, and no one is allowed to park here. What you¡¯re doing is a vition of thew, and if you insist on refusing to cooperate, I¡¯ll uphold thew and tow your car away.¡± ¡°What? How dare you!¡± Sherlyn took down her sunsses. ¡°Take a good look at who I am! Don¡¯t you know how many millions of fans I have on the inte? You¡¯d better be careful or I¡¯ll get all my fans to sue you!¡± The traffic officer did not even look at her as he picked up the walkie-talkie and called a tow truck to come over. Sherlyn flew into a rage and jumped out of the car to quarrel with the traffic officer, with the ensuing commotion attracting the attention of a group of passers-by. Few recognized her though, and everyone used her of being indecorous. Humiliated, Sherlyn did not let her arrogance loose anymore. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She could only watch helplessly as her little car was towed away by the tow truck, and sheter happened to see Corinnee out of the dingy restaurant after finishing her meal. Sherlyn was instantly reminded of her purpose there and no longer cared that her car was being towed away. She slipped away from the crowd at once and tailed behind Corinne. Corinne walked into arge shopping mall on Old Town Street and went straight to a luxury brand¡¯s gship store, where she began choosing clothes without hiding from view. Sherlyn¡¯s eyeballs were nearly popping out of their sockets as she red and observed everything from the dark. Sherlyn concluded that Corinne had clearly been up to something. There was no exnation for how she could get the money to shop in luxury stores and even choose from the most expensive section. As soon as Corinne picked the clothes, she went out through the door on the other side of the luxury store. Sherlyn was still hot on Corinne¡¯s heels when the store manager greeted her cordially and stopped her. ¡°We¡¯ve packaged all the clothes you chose, Miss Sherlyn. Are you paying by cash or credit card?¡± A confused look appeared on Sherlyn¡¯s face. ¡°You must¡¯ve made a mistake. I just walked into your store!¡± The store manager smiled and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the famous actress Sherlyn Carew? Your assistant came in here earlier and picked them for you ording to your size. We¡¯ve already packed them for you, so you just need to pay up.¡± Sherlyn could only frown. ¡°What in the world is going on? I came here alone without bringing any assistants. I never nned on buying any clothes from your store either!¡± Some of the store¡¯s salespeople gathered together and whispered among themselves. ¡°Are the clothes too expensive for her?¡± ¡°Look at what she¡¯s wearing. That style is so two years ago!¡± ¡°The other actresses were very generous when they came to our store. Sherlyn seems to be a little poor, though. I heard that she quit the industry a few days ago, so I¡¯m guessing money is tight for her¡­¡± Sherlyn stared at her and said, ¡°Who told you I couldn¡¯t afford it? I just don¡¯t like your style of clothes!¡± The store manager said shrewdly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Sherlyn. These are this season¡¯stest styles, and the fashion guru Raufoy personally designed them. They are the epitome of fashion. It¡¯d be such a shame if you couldn¡¯t afford them¡­¡± ¡°Who said I couldn¡¯t afford them? I have lots of money! Take my card!¡± Sherlyn valued her reputation more than anything else, and she could not stand to hear the snide remarks that all the store¡¯s salespeople were whispering among themselves. She gritted her teeth, gave her card, and watched as several thousand dors disappeared from her ount with a swipe. She finally realized that Corinne was the one who engineered the entire situation after noticing she was tailing her. The traffic officer that came to tow the car away earlier was probably Corinne¡¯s doing, too! ¡®Curse you, Corinne!¡¯ When Sherlyn came out of the luxury store with her shopping bag, she ran like the wind to chase after Corinne. She wanted Corinne to return the car andpensate for all the money she spent. s, she was a step toote, for Corinne had gotten into another taxi as soon as Sherlyn reached the entrance of the shopping mall. Sherlyn hailed a taxi and ordered the driver to follow her. Corinne¡¯s taxi eventually brought her to the city center, where she got out, and dragged her luggage bag into a very grand house with a somewhat dated design. A look of disbelief unfolded across Sherlyn¡¯s face, because every inch ofnd in the city center was super expensive, and only the richest of the rich could afford to build a private residence there! ¡®How could that b*tch Corinne just strut in that kind of ce? Did she really seed in establishing some sort of connection with a very important person?!¡¯ At this time, a ck car drove over and stopped at the gate of the residence. Francine got out of the car with the help of several maids, having just been discharged from the hospital after being put on an intravenous drip. She did not seem to be in a very good mood. Upon spotting the people, Sherlyn went over and asked, ¡°Excuse me, may I ask who¡¯s the owner of this house?¡± Francine had a disgusted look on her face as she nced at Sherlyn¡¯s outdated clothes from top to bottom. ¡°What are you doing here? How dare you poke your nose around our ce!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s mind went nk. She was severelycking in confidence as she stood in front of Francine, as thetter was wearing several limited-edition luxury items. She merely smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m here to look for my sister. I just saw her walk in here¡­¡± Francine was starting to get a little impatient. ¡°Your sister? What¡¯s her name?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Sherlyn said, ¡°My sister¡¯s name is¡ª¡± Francine suddenly caught a whiff of the excessive perfume on Sherlyn¡¯s person and retched. When one of the maids saw that, she pushed Sherlyn out of the way and said, ¡°Move aside! Our young miss doesn¡¯t have the time to talk to you right now!¡± ¡°Young miss, are you okay?¡± Francine had retched to the point of copse, and she required the help of the maids before going in. Sherlyn was incredibly annoyed that she was pushed aside before even getting her questions answered. Unfortunately, she did not dare to mess with whoever lived there. The Holdens¡¯ driver lowered the window and gave her a word of advice. ¡°Be on your way now. You shouldn¡¯t be poking your nose around a ce like this.¡± Sherlyn turned her head and asked, ¡°Are you the driver of this family? Could you tell me who¡¯s staying here?¡± The driver replied cautiously, ¡°I can¡¯t disclose that information to you, but I heard that the family just recently recruited a new group of maids. Your sister might be one of them.¡± ¡®Is Corinne here to be a maid?¡¯ Sherlyn thought to herself. ¡®Isn¡¯t she an intern at Alpha Enterprises?¡¯ Sherlyn wanted to ask further, but the driver had already driven the car into the garage. The entire situation was getting more confusing with each passing thought, so she called an old ssmate who worked in Alpha Enterprises to find out what was up with Corinne. Through that conversation, she learned that Corinne had been fired. ¡®Fired? Is that why Corinne is working as a maid in this household? All that talk about finding a house to rent was a lie! She just had to move here because she has to work twenty-four hours a day as a maid! That¡¯s all she¡¯s capable of, and that expensive suit jacket she wore home was probably stolen from the owner!¡¯ Sherlyn was absolutely ted when she connected the dots, and she finally felt ready to go back home and inform her father of her discovery. At the Holden manor¡¯s second floor, Corinne leanedzily by the floor-to-ceiling window and smirked as she watched Sherlyn leave with a pompous gait. ¡­ At noon the next day came, a graceful olddy was helped out of an extended Humvee and into the house. When Francine saw the old woman, she ran toward her and said, ¡°Grandma! You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°I had someone book the earliest flight today after I received your call.¡± Pam Holden, grandmother to Francine and Jeremy, appeared to be heartbroken when she looked at her granddaughter. ¡°Francine! It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you, but you seemed to have lost a lot of weight.¡± Francine saidmentably, ¡°Grandma, Jeremy¡¯s new wife tried to assert her dominance in the house with me right after the marriage. I ended up vomiting so badly and was hospitalized after what she did¡­¡± Pam, being the hale and hearty old woman that she was, had a sharp glimmer in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m interested to see what¡¯s with this new granddaughter-inw of mine, and where she found the courage to bully my precious granddaughter. Can someone bring that Corinne girl down, please?¡± Francine helped Pam onto the sofa and snuggled up to her while saying all sorts of sweet words. ¡®Corinne¡¯s going to get it today! I can¡¯t wait to see Grandma teach her a lesson!¡¯ After a while, Corinne was brought down by the housekeeper. ¡°You¡¯re Corinne?¡± Pam looked at her from head to toe. Corinne nodded. ¡°The one and only. Can I help you with something, olddy?¡± Pam¡¯s expression seemed hostile. ¡°I heard that you bullied our Francine so badly that she had to be hospitalized. Do you think you can act like the woman of the house right after getting married to Jeremy?¡± Corinne had a rough guess as to who the old woman was, and she had some idea of how Francine twisted the facts to her advantage. She ventured forth and exined herself in a manner that projected neither dominance nor submissiveness, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the saying ¡®an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth¡¯. Miss Francine sshed a basin of stinking water on me yesterday, and I dunked her head in the toilet bowl to get even. The question of whether or not I bullied her doesn¡¯t arise.¡± Pam turned to look at her granddaughter. ¡°Did that happen, Francine?¡± A teary-eyed Francine shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her lies, Grandma! There were a lot of servants at home yesterday, and they can all testify for me!¡± Francine gave a signal that prompted several of the maids to vouch for her. ¡°I can testify that the young miss has never provoked the young madam.¡± ¡°I can vouch for it too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Pam¡¯s austere gaze turned to Corinne once more. ¡°Do you have anything else to say now?¡± Corinne frowned helplessly as she red at the maids. No exnation could cut it if all the maids followed Francine¡¯s orders. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve said everything I need to say. If you don¡¯t believe me, then there¡¯s nothing more I can do.¡± The olddy snorted coldly. ¡°Are you still refusing to admit your mistake? I suppose your family has never taught you how to act like a proper person, so in that case, we¡¯ll teach you! Somebody, get a copy of the Holdens¡¯ house rules for her. Make sure to copy everything a hundred times. You¡¯ll only get food once you¡¯re done!¡± Corinne was speechless, and she wondered why both grandmother and granddaughter were so inclined to teach other people how to behave. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here to get justice for me!¡± Francine leaned smugly on Pam and picked up a pastry from the coffee table. ¡°You must be hungry after getting off the ne. How about some pastries for your empty stomach? I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare your favorite lunch in the meantime.¡± Corinne immediately tried stopping her. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t eat that!¡± Francine shot back unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s our house, Corinne. My grandma can eat anything she wants.¡± She then turned to Pam and said, ¡°Ignore her, Grandma. Go ahead and take a bite.¡± Before Corinne could do anything to stop them, the olddy had already taken a big bite of the pastry that her precious granddaughter fed to her. Francine taunted Corinne. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start copying the house rules? Don¡¯t forget, you need to do it a hundred times!¡± All of a sudden, Pam¡¯s face suddenly turned blue, and her eyes bulged out as she opened her mouth wide and gasped for air. Francine was taken aback. ¡°Grandma? What¡¯s happening to you?¡± Upon seeing that something was wrong with the old woman, Corinne quickly stepped forward to check on her. Francine pushed her away in disgust. ¡°Scram! Don¡¯t youy a hand on my grandma!¡± ¡°Her life is in danger right now. Don¡¯t get in the way!¡± ¡°Danger? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s a danger to my grandma!¡± Francine stood in front of Pam and fought tooth and w just to keep Corinne from approaching. In desperation, Corinne pped Francine, sending thetter tumbling over to one side. Then, Corinne immediately went over to Pam, helped the woman up, and hugged her abdomen while jumping up and down vigorously. Francine covered her face as she got back up and screamed in horror when she saw Corinne torturing her grandmother. ¡°Ah! Corinne has lost her mind! She wants to kill Grandma! Why are all of you just standing there? Save my grandma!¡± The Holdens¡¯ male servants surrounded Corinne, but they were wary of making any rash movement because Corinne was still holding Pam. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Corinne took a few steps back while still hugging Pam from behind. ¡°Madam!¡± ¡°Release our madam!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything crazy!¡± All of a sudden, a stern voice questioned, ¡°What¡¯s with all thatmotion?¡± The air pressure seemed to have dropped suddenly when Jeremy walked in. Francine threw herself into Jeremy¡¯s arms like he was her savior. ¡°You need to save Grandma! She¡¯s about to die in Corinne¡¯s hands!¡± Jeremy frowned. He looked at Corinne as she held his grandmother hostage. ¡°Why did you have toy a hand on an old woman?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was about to exin, but Francine interrupted again, ¡°She made Grandma angry, and she punished her by telling her to copy the house rules. She¡¯s getting her revenge on Grandma because she can¡¯t ept having that kind of punishment! Jeremy, that woman is insane! You should divorce her right away!¡± Jeremy pushed the troublemaking Francine away and handed her to Tommy. His dangerden eyes stared intently at Corinne as he ordered, ¡°If you want to live, you¡¯d better let go of my grandmother right now.¡± Corinne said, ¡°Wait!¡± Jeremy was getting impatient. ¡°What for?¡± Pam started to cough violently, and it was then that Corinne finally let go of the old woman. The Holdens¡¯ servants immediately surrounded the olddy and helped her. When Jeremy saw his grandmother coughing violently and gasping for breath, he grabbed Corinne¡¯s neck and questioned, ¡°Where did you get the guts to do something like that to my grandmother?¡± ¡°I¡­ack¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s feet were dangling in the air and her face reddened. She could sense the dense murderous aura through Jeremy¡¯s scarlet red eyes. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Corinne¡¯s face turned purple. By then, Pam caught her breath and anxiously bleated, ¡°Jeremy¡­ Let go of her¡­¡± Jeremy immediately released his grip and tossed Corinne to one side before going over and asking, ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Pam waved her hand weakly. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ Earlier, I¡­I got a prune pit stuck in my throat, but Corinne saved me using the Heimlich maneuver. See that pit on the ground? I spat it out¡­¡± Jeremy froze slightly and nced down at the inconspicuous prune pit on the ground. Then, he looked at Corinne once more, frowning slightly. Corinne got up from the ground and rubbed her arm, which was sore after she had been mercilessly thrown onto the ground by Jeremy. She then went up to Pam and exined, ¡°I baked those pastries for myself this morning, Ma¡¯am. I tend to leave prunes unpitted because I prefer the subtle bitterness that appears when you bake them. It¡¯s not very suitable for old people though, so I sincerely apologize for that.¡± She bowed sincerely before straightening her figure and looking at Jeremy. ¡°You should call a doctor to check up on her, Mister¡ªI mean¡­Jeremy.¡± At the end of her sentence, she turned around and went upstairs to the room. Jeremy felt a wave of mixed emotions when he looked at Corinne¡¯s straight, slender back. ¡­ The whole incident gave Pam a minor scare, and she only fell asleep after being helped into the room. That afternoon, the family doctor came to check up on her, and she had her blood pressure taken to confirm that she was alright. After the family doctor left, the olddy regained some of her energy and said, ¡°Could you wait outside for a bit, Francine? I have something to say to your brother.¡± Francine was a little reluctant to go because she wanted to listen in on their conversation, but Jeremy¡¯s stern look left her no choice but to leave. With only the two of them left in the room, Jeremy walked to the bed and asked, ¡°Is something the matter, Grandma?¡± Pam smiled warmly and looked up at her tall, handsome grandson. ¡°I¡¯m all fine now, Jeremy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Pam asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious how you got to know Corinne.¡± ¡°It was by chance.¡± Pam nodded slowly. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid. I like her very much.¡± There was a fleeting glimmer of surprise in Jeremy¡¯s eyes, and his handsome eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Are you saying that just because she saved you?¡± That escted quickly, considering how she was giving Corinne some punishment just moments before he returned home. There was a twinkle of admiration in Pam¡¯s eyes. ¡°She¡¯s calm when facing tough situations, and she doesn¡¯t try to assert dominance or make herself look meek in front of me. Rather than cry andin when you misunderstood her actions, she came to me just to calmly exin everything and apologize for what happened. She¡¯s a sensible and understanding woman.¡± Jeremy remained silent after recalling how he nearly severed her head off when he choked her in a fit of anger. ¡°You haven¡¯t slept with her yet, have you?¡± The subject changed a little too quickly that Jeremy ended up frozen in ce. Pam teased, ¡°You¡¯re in your thirties, for God¡¯s sake! Why are you so embarrassed?¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡°Jeremy, I know that you rushed into the marriage just to appease your stubborn old grandfather, but I think that you chose a good wife. Marriage isn¡¯t child¡¯s y, you know. I do hope the two of you will be able to live a happy life together in the future!¡± Jeremy felt that it was inappropriate to exin the entire situation to her. Pam added, ¡°I couldn¡¯t attend your wedding because I apanied your grandpa to prepare for the surgery, but I¡¯ll bear witness to your matrimony today. Remember to consummate your marriageter so your grandfather can hold his great-grandson once he recovers!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Grandma, when ites to that, I think¡ª¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Pam frowned and interrupted him, ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to my advice, I¡¯ll tell your grandfather that you tricked him with a fake marriage. You know the kind of temper he has. He¡¯ll surely get sick again, even if he recovers from his surgery!¡± Jeremy rubbed his eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ll have someone bring dinner for youter. Have a good rest now,¡± he said, then turned to leave. Pam still did not give the consummation thing a rest, s. ¡°I¡¯ll do my roundster tonight, so don¡¯t let me down!¡± ¡­ When Jeremy returned to the room, he saw Corinne sitting alone at theputer desk. She seemed to be engrossed in writing something that she did not even look up when he came in. He walked up to her from behind and gazed down to see what it was she was writing. ¡°You¡¯re doing homework?¡± Corinne paid full attention to her task at hand whileining, ¡°I¡¯m copying the house rules. We¡¯re already in the twenty-first century, but your family still has written family rules. My oh my, ancient much¡­¡± Jeremy raised his hand and took away her pen. ¡°You can stop copying now. No one¡¯s going to punish you again.¡± Corinne stretched her waist and said, ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go bathe and sleep, then!¡± She had gained a deeper understanding of the power gap between herself and Jeremy after being strangled earlier. He could easily crush her to death like he could crush an ant. It was not so much her of him, but rather, she just did not feel the need to make her life any more difficult. In theing three months, her priority was to ensure peace during her days in the Holden household, and that meant not making enemies and avoiding much contact with Jeremy. As soon as the three months were up, all she needed to do was pack her belongings and leave. Corinne got up, walked past Jeremy, and avoided him as much as possible. However, a strong force pulled her arm immediately. ¡°Ah!¡± She frowned in pain. ¡°What are you doing, mister?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know what pain feels like.¡± His big palm had just grabbed the sorest part of her arm! When Jeremy threw her down earlier in the day, her forearm bumped into the corner of the coffee table, resulting in pain. Her ns to avoid any sort of conflict were taking a hit because of Jeremy¡¯s troublemaking demeanor! Corinne pulled a long face. ¡°No thanks to you.¡± Startled, Jeremy let go and said in a low voice, ¡°Head downstairs and let the family doctor treat the injury.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. It¡¯s just a scratch.¡± Corinne did not bother going down and merely shook off his hand before going straight into the bathroom to take a bath. After her bath, she changed into her pajamas and went to bed to get ready to sleep. ¡°Come over here!¡± Jeremy called out to her in a loud voice. Corinne looked over and saw him sitting leisurely like a king on the single-seater sofa. She did not want to go to him. ¡°Why should I?¡± The man gestured at the first-aid kit at the corner of the table. ¡°To have some ointment applied on your arm.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°No thanks.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and gave her a death stare. ¡°Are youing here, or shall I go to you?¡± Corinne was beyond annoyed at him! She did not want him to go up to the bed, so she gritted her teeth and got up. Once she walked over to him, she stretched her injured arm toward him. ¡°Fine. Hurry up!¡± The maid had brought it the first-aid kit, and Jeremy meant to let Corinne deal with the wound herself. However, she seemed to have misunderstood his intentions and assumed that he wanted to do it for her. Jeremy had never served anyone before, nor would he do so in the future. Still, he opened the first-aid kit, uncapped a reddish medicated oil, and dipped a cotton swab into the bottle before gently applying it to the injury on the girl¡¯s forearm. In fact, Corinne had extended his arm to him on purpose to vent her anger, but she never thought Jeremy would help her to apply the ointment. She cocked an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Do you feel guilty for what you did today, mister?¡± Jeremy was expressionless. ¡°I injured you by ident today, so I ought to take responsibility. As for my grandmother, there¡¯s no need for you to hold a grudge because she won¡¯t be staying here for long.¡± Corinne did not think too much into it and remarked, ¡°Why should I hold a grudge against her? She¡¯s not a bad person.¡± Jeremy looked up at her. ¡°Well, she punished you to copy the house rules. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a bad person?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Do you think a bad person will just punish you to do some copying? Copying is probably the most severe punishment that a good person could think of. All the bad people I met before always¡­¡± She stopped her sentence midway, causing Jeremy to frown. ¡°Always what?¡± Corinne did not feel the need to share her experiences with someone she did not know well. ¡°Nothing. Are you done? I¡¯d like to go to bed now!¡± Jeremy still did not let go of her arm after applying the medication. Corinne thought that Jeremy was still concerned about their arrangement, so she emphasized her commitment to it. ¡°Rx, will you? I promised to cooperate with you for three months, and I¡¯llplete my task as if it were a real job. Your sister is a pain in the neck, but your grandmother was simply trying to protect her granddaughter because she didn¡¯t know the full details of what happened. I understand where she¡¯sing from, so I won¡¯t hold a grudge against her.¡± Jeremy stared thoughtfully at Corinne. He had been under the impression that she was rash and muddled-headed, but she turned out to be quite understanding. To top that off, she looked pretty cute too. Her eyshes were long, thick, and curly, while her small face was still somewhat childlike with some chubby baby fat and two small dimples. Every frown and smile imparted a lively vibrance to her face. Jeremy got up suddenly, startling Corinne. ¡°Mister?¡± His long arms reached under her waist, and he hoisted her in a bridal carry without so much as a warning. Corinne was petrified by how sudden this turned. ¡°What are you up to now, mister?!¡± She had just finished her question when she was unceremoniously thrown onto the bed. Jeremy took off his suit jacket, yanked out his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt. Each of his movements was aggressive. Corinne sat up, intending to run, but his big palms pushed her down and forced her to lie back down. It was the first time in her life that she was able to see a man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple and chest muscles from up close, and she had to admit¡ªthey were rather enticing. ¡°Don¡¯t fool around, mister! Snap back to your senses and remember that I¡¯m not your type!¡± Jeremy propped his arms on both sides of Corinne¡¯s small head and stared down at her like a hungry wolf. ¡°What if I decided to ignore that so I can have some fun just this once?¡± Jeremy¡¯s masculine body caught Corinne off guard, and she was about to yell when he covered her mouth. ¡°Mgghh!¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Corinne¡¯s eyes widened, and she stared in bewilderment when she realized that Jeremy was doing one-handed pushups. He had covered her mouth with one hand after pulling the nket over their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed. They stared nkly at each other as his face seemed to rise and fall within inches of hers. Anyone who saw them would assume that they were in the midst of a passionate session. Corinne felt a little ufortable and pushed his hand away after finally having enough of his suggestive actions. ¡°Mister, you¡­¡± When Jeremy lowered himself during a round of push-ups, he leaned into her ear and whispered a warning, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to do a proper job of fulfilling your task? You need to cooperate with me on this as well, so stop moving around!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne stared nkly at him for a moment before keenly noticing movements at the door of the room. Pam had pushed the door slightly ajar and was observing in secret. ¡®I get it now!¡¯ As soon as Corinne realized what was going on, she asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you want me to moan too?¡± Jeremy froze slightly and soon narrowed his handsome eyes. ¡°Do you know how?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression was that of confidence, while Jeremy¡¯s was that of yful teasing. ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± Corinne took a deep breath and began her performance. ¡°Yeah, Hubby. Mmh! Come on! Come on! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Do that, do that! MMMHHH! Oh yeah, f¡ª¡± The yfulness in Jeremy¡¯s eyes disappeared in a sh, and his forehead twitched violently as he covered her mouth shut. Corinne frowned. ¡°Mgghh¡­¡± It would be much more believable if her voice was muffled as if she was suppressing herself from making any noise. The small gap at the door began to narrow even more until it finally closed shut. Pam had a satisfied smile as she turned around and left. Corinne pushed the man¡¯s hand away again and said angrily, ¡°Your grandmother is gone, mister! You can get up now!¡± Jeremy lifted the nket, got up gracefully, and grabbed the shirt that he had taken off so he could put it on again. Corinne sat up, leaned against the head of the bed, and remarked in a peeved tone, ¡°You must be very disciplined to have maintained those six-pack abs at this age!¡± ¡®This age?¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s back stiffened. ¡®How old does she think I am?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going to be under the impression that you¡¯re interested in my body if you keep looking at me like that.¡± Corinne wiped off the drool from her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m interested only in your abs. The rest of you aren¡¯t my type!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jeremy walked to the bed and reached out to grab Corinne¡¯s chin. ¡°And what¡¯s your type?¡± Corinne¡¯s small face was tilted up as she said, ¡°The good-boy type that calls me Mommy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you call a man?¡± Jeremy chuckled in disdain. Corinne scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s your type then, mister?¡± Jeremy kept quiet, prompting Corinne to cock an eyebrow and ask, ¡°Let me guess: You like the super sexy ones, don¡¯t you?¡± Jeremy stared at her and leaned over slightly, ¡°As long as they¡¯re not little girls like you who act like cheerleaders in bed.¡± He let go of her chin as soon as he ended his sentence and made his way to the bathroom. Corinne smirked, fully aware that Jeremy would sleep with her that night because Pam was at home that day. Despite knowing that he was not interested in her, she still felt awkward to spend a night with him in the same room. When Jeremy came out of the bathroom, Corinne had already fallen asleep while leaning against the bed head. Her cell phone screen was still on, and she was midway through a mobile game. ¡®She¡¯s too full of herself for wanting a guy who calls her ¡®mommy¡¯ when she¡¯s still a kid at heart.¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s handsome eyes narrowed as he took her cell phone, pressed the lock screen, and tossed it on the side of the bed. He initially did not want to worry too much about her, but since he had hurt her by ident that day, he decided that there was no harm in tucking her in the nket. With that out of the way, Jeremy turned around and walked toward the sofa. ¡­ Jeremy was no longer in the room when Corinne woke up the next day. Being unemployed meant that she did not have to get up early for work, so she leanedzily on the bed head to scroll through her phone. All of a sudden, a contact of hers named Aaron Rhode sent her an urgent message through a messaging app. [Hey, boss! I just got some information on an authentic painting by Nellie Nymphaea! The location is Peakrise Auction House. You need to get here quickly!] Corinne¡¯s eyes turned dark, and she immediately got out of bed to freshen up. As she went down and prepared to head out, Corinne ran into Pam who had just exited the kitchen. She greeted the old woman politely, ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡± Pam frowned unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯ me. Just call me Grandma.¡± The old woman¡¯s attitude seemed to have taken a swift turn from the previous day. Corinne did as she was told and corrected herself, ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°See? Doesn¡¯t that make us feel so much closer to each other?¡± Pam finally smiled and led her to sit at the table. ¡°Come and have a taste of the breakfast I made for you!¡± The Holdens¡¯ maids were all shocked to hear that. They never imagined that the olddy would cook something for Jeremy¡¯s new wife. It was an unprecedented scene! Corinne was in a hurry to leave, but she nheless sat and started eating. It would be imprudent of her to refuse Pam¡¯s gesture. ¡°Thank you, Grandma. It¡¯s delicious.¡± Pam was happy that she enjoyed the food. ¡°Have some more then!¡± Unbeknown to anyone, an obscene amount of pregnancy supplements had been added to the food because Pam was already excited to hold a great-grandson. At that moment, Francine went downstairs and said with a yawn, ¡°Good morning, Grandma!¡± Pam¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. ¡°Perfect timing, Francine. I¡¯d like you toe here and apologize to your sister-inw!¡± Francine was taken aback, and she looked at the olddy in shock. ¡°What? You¡­want me¡­to apologize to her? She¡¯s the one who bullied me!¡± The olddy had a sullen expression as she replied, ¡°The maids don¡¯t answer to you alone, Francine. The older ones, particrly, are more observant! I just found out you started the whole thing by sshing some dirty water on Corinne. That was why she retaliated by putting your head into the toilet.¡± Corinne ate her breakfast in silence and looked up to see the guilt-stricken Francine. Pam had already ushered Francine to Corinne. ¡°Apologize right away! Don¡¯t make me get any more disappointed in you!¡± Francine could not ept what was happening, but she did not dare to disobey her grandmother either. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Corinne smiled slightly, put down her cutlery, then got up and said, ¡°I need to be somewhere, Grandma, so please excuse me.¡± Pam nodded. ¡°Take care.¡± After Corinne left, Francine cried in desperation, sobbing, ¡°Grandma! Why did you side with Corinne instead of me?¡± Pam answered sternly, ¡°I¡¯ll side with whoever treats me well. She¡¯s your sister-inw too, so you need to show her some more respect!¡± Francine protested, ¡°But Jeremy doesn¡¯t like her. He likes the daughter of the Riv¡ª¡± Pam¡¯splexion darkened. ¡°Shut your mouth! Don¡¯t you ever mention that family or their daughter ever again!¡± Francine had rarely seen her grandma that angry before, so she had no choice but to sulk and shut her mouth. ¡­ Peakrise Auction House. Aaron, Newmoon Group¡¯s president, walked with Corinne and reported the situation to her. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s original painting ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯! It was auctioned here by a foreign businessman, and the price is starting at seven hundred and fifty thousand!¡± Nellie Nymphaea was the pen name of Corinne¡¯s biological mother. For years, everyone had been telling her that her mother was dead, yet she never found her mother¡¯s death certificate. Since there were no other clues avable, the only way for her to locate her mother¡¯s whereabouts was to start finding her mother¡¯s works that were scattered all over the world¡­ Corinne asked, ¡°How much money do we have in our ount, Aaron?¡± Aaron replied, ¡°We have about 7.5 million. The rest have been put into several projects.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± Corinne was about to enter the auction house when she saw Jeremy¡¯s car driving toward her. ¡®Why is that old man here too?¡¯ Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°Boss? Aren¡¯t we going in?¡± Aaron asked. Corinne was rooted to the ground as she watched Jeremy get out of the car and walk into Peakrise Auction House. With a frown, she said, ¡°I saw someone I¡¯d rather not see. Let¡¯s wait a while before going in.¡± Aaron looked in the direction of Corinne¡¯s gaze. ¡°That seems to be Jeremy from the Holdens. Do you know him?¡± Corinne looked disgusted. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡­ The auction hall was divided into upper and lower floors. The first floor was for ordinary buyers, while the second floor was for VIP buyers who did not wish to show their identity. They were granted excellent privacy and were identifiable by their room numbers. Jeremy was in room one, while Corinne was in room seven. After several unremarkable artifacts were auctioned off, a set of bronze pieces from this auction were carried to the disy stand. Once the auctioneer gave a brief lecture on the background and value of the artifacts, biddingmenced at 1.5 million dors. ¡°Two million!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Three million!¡± ¡°Four million!¡± ¡­ Eventually, the mysterious bidder from Room One managed to bid for the set of bronze artifacts at a high price of four million, which elicited gasps of awe from the audience. Inside room seven, Corinne leanedzily on the sofa and breathed a sigh of relief. Jeremy seemed to have been eyeing the set of bronze artifacts, and judging from the fact that he had already secured it, he would probably leave soon since there was no reason for him to remain there. ¡°The next piece is a posthumously published painting titled ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ by the famous impressionist painter Nellie Nymphaea. The starting price is seven hundred and fifty thousand!¡± ¡°We have a bid of eight hundred thousand from bidder number three! ¡°Bidder number eleven, nine hundred thousand! ¡°And now bidder number five, nine hundred and fifty thousand!¡± Corinne raised her chin to give Aaron the signal that he could start raising his card. ¡°One and a half million from bidder number seven!¡± The audience was once again astonished to see such a bid, and they began wondering who the powerhouse behind the ¡®number seven¡¯ card was. The auctioneer began to count, ¡°One and a half million going once! Going twice! Going thrice, and¡­¡± A second before he struck the gavel and uttered the word ¡®sold¡¯, Tommy raised his card from room one. The bid caught the auctioneer by surprise, and he spoke in a more excited tonepared to before. ¡°Three million from bidder number one!¡± Another round of shocked gasps resonated through the hall when bidder number one raised the bid by that big an amount. Everyone wondered if the painting would spark a bidding war between bidder number one and bidder number seven. Corinne frowned and wondered why Jeremy was still there. Aaron was just as upset as her. ¡°What in the world is Mister Jeremy¡¯s problem? He¡¯s just trying to unt his wealth!¡± Corinne ordered calmly, ¡°Bid higher, Aaron!¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°We have a bid of four million by buyer number seven. Do we have a higher bid? ¡°Yes, we do! Herees the five-million bid from bidder number one! ¡°Oh, bidder number seven is going even higher! We now have six million from bidder number seven!¡± ¡°Do we have seven million? Oh, it¡¯s higher than that! Bidder number one goes for seven and a half million! Any further bids from the floor? No? Alright then. Seven and a half million, going once, going twice¡­¡± Corinne was annoyed at the development. Her main issue at that juncture was ack of money. Aaron suggested, ¡°Since this painting is very important to you, perhaps we can shift the project funds to it for now.¡± Corinne raised her hand and shook her head. ¡°No, I can¡¯t just divert thepany¡¯s capital to my personal affairs. I¡¯ll find another way to get it. We can let Jeremy keep it for now.¡± Aaron had no choice but to heed her words. The auctioneer sealed the deal with a knock of the gavel, and it was soon announced that bidder number one had secured ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ with a final price of six million. Everyone was astonished to see bidder number one spending six million to buy that painting at several times more than its original value. This merely showed that rich people could do whatever they want with their money. Meanwhile, Corinne was lost in thought. Her mother had only painted under the pseudonym Nellie Nymphaea in her spare time. Despite being rtively well-known, she was not a particrly mainstream painter, and her works were not very popr either. Jeremy¡¯s reasons for bidding such a high price for ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ could point to two possibilities: Corinne¡¯s mother was either someone he knew personally or someone he had connections to. ¡°Hi there.¡± Two beautiful receptionists from the auction house came into their room to serve coffee and dessert. ¡°Corinne? Why are you here? How did you even get to sit in this room?¡± one of the female receptionists suddenly eximed. Corinne looked up and recognized the person as Zoey, who had apparently taken up a job as a receptionist at the auction house after being fired by Alpha Enterprises. Zoey stared at Corinne in shock, and before long, she spotted the handsome, well-dressed Aaron in a designer suit sitting to one side. She gritted her teeth in envy and yelled, ¡°Bravo, Corinne! You made me lose my job, while you¡¯re living the good life with a sugar daddy!¡± Her high-pitched voice was so frantic and loud that the entire auction hall could hear it. Over at room one, Jeremy had just walked out of the room and was about to leave when he heard Zoey¡¯s screech. He halted his footsteps at once and nced coldly at room seven. Zoey had just applied for the job a day ago and had just started her probationary period, but she was already speaking rudely to the VIP buyers! Her actions startled everyone at the venue and left an extremely bad impression on the patrons. The manager of the auction house rushed over with several security personnel. He had Zoey dragged out while he apologized profusely to the bidder in room seven. Zoey knew that she was almost certainly heading for the sack that day, so she let all hell loose when she was taken away by the security guards and yelled out loud, ¡°You¡¯re a b*tch, Corinne! F*ck you! You made me lose my job twice now! It won¡¯t be long before your man gets tired of f*cking your sick *ss and dumps you!¡± Jeremy heard her crystal clear on that asion¡ªthere was no doubt that someone named Corinne was there. ¡®That girl¡­ She¡¯s here? And she was the one bidding in room seven?¡¯ He narrowed his eyes coldly and turned around to walk toward room seven. Aaron had just sent the auction house manager away after receiving an apology from thetter, and he was about to close the door when Jeremy¡¯s tall figure appeared right in front of him. ¡°Is there a Corinne here?¡± Jeremy shot Aaron a hostile look. Aaron was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a smile. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to talk to her about?¡± Jeremy¡¯s handsome eyes narrowed slightly as he said in a cold voice, ¡°Tell her toe out, please.¡± Aaron did not hesitate at all as he turned his head to the room and said, ¡°Hey, someone¡¯s looking for you!¡± Soon, a girl in overalls came out from room seven and stared curiously at Jeremy. ¡°Can I help you, sir?¡± Jeremy looked down at the unknown woman in front of him and frowned, ¡°You¡¯re Corinne?¡± The female receptionist said, ¡°Yes. Corynne with a ¡®Y¡¯.¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze turned cold, and his interest disappeared into thin air. He looked at Aaron, nodded subtly, and said, ¡°Sorry for bothering you.¡± As Jeremy turned to leave, Tommy followed respectfully behind him. When Aaron saw that Jeremy had walked far enough away, he reached into his wallet, took out a tinum shopping card from a luxury brand, and handed it to ¡®Corynne¡¯. ¡°Excellent acting. Now go and get your name legally changed. You¡¯ll be known as Corynne from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!¡± The female receptionist happily took the card and recused herself politely. Aaron closed the door and said, ¡°He¡¯s gone! How did you even meet Jeremy, though? And why are you avoiding him?¡± Corinne said disgruntledly, ¡°Well¡­ I married him a few days ago.¡± Aaron spat out the coffee he had just sipped and coughed violently. ¡°What did you just say?!¡± Corinne calmly exined everything that happened to Aaron, and he was surprised at first, but that look of surprise soon morphed into a wicked smile. ¡°So¡­ Did he live up to his name as the city¡¯s Prince Charming on your wedding night? Mature men happen to be particrly loving toward their partners. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯m told!¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Do you want me to beat you to a pulp?¡± She was never one to joke about beating people up, so Aaron hurriedly ran off. ¡°I, uh¡­ I¡¯m going to the bathroom!¡± Corinne got up from her seat and tagged along too. She went to wash her hands at themon sink while waiting for Aaron toe out, but as soon as she looked up, the reflection in the mirror caused her to turn stiff. Jeremy had been standing behind her with his hands in his trouser pockets, and she could not tell if he was happy or angry to see her. Just because she managed to escape once did not mean that she would escape all the time. Jeremy walked up slowly to her. He had a lofty aura to him, and his unfeeling gaze seemed to be brimming with suspicion over who she really was. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Corinne did not answer. At that moment, Aaron was taking his sweet timeing out of the men¡¯s bathroom. ¡°Boss, the more I think about it, the more I feel annoyed at him! That man has enough money to choose whatever world- ss painting he wanted, so why does he have to snatch ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ from us? It¡¯s so irrit ¡ª¡± He did not have the chance to finish his sentence when he saw Jeremy standing in front of Corinne. Jeremy turned his head to look at Aaron, then at Corinne. He narrowed his eyes and stared scrutinizingly at them both. ¡°Boss?¡± Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Corinne tilted her head as she looked at Aaron, who immediately understood her hint due to years of tacit understanding with her. After clearing his throat, he raised his hand to adjust the Bluetooth earpiece he wore out of habit on his left ear, and walked past Jeremy and Corinne in as calm a manner as possible. He even made a point to lower his voice a little and pretend as if he was speaking to someone over the phone. ¡°Sorry, Boss. Things got a little awkward earlier. That Holden guy overheard me when I was ranting about him earlier. Well, yeah! He¡¯s the one who outbid us on your favorite painting! Sure. we¡¯ll just forget about it and let him have it! ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ isn¡¯t Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s only painting. There are plenty of other ones we can get in the future!¡± Aaron was already quite far away when he ended his sentence. Corinne stared wide-eyed at Jeremy and cocked her eyebrow innocently. ¡°I think he¡¯s angry at you, mister.¡± Jeremy retracted his gaze and turned to Corinne. He began to question her, ¡°Don¡¯t the two of you know each other?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know him at all! Do you? Why was he angry at you again?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet. What are you doing here?¡± Corinne sighed in an annoyed tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that I was fired from Alpha Enterprises, thanks to you? I heard that they¡¯re recruiting auctioneers here, so I submitted my resume and came here for an interview.¡± Jeremy was still rather doubtful. ¡°Did you get the offer then?¡± Corinne shook her head, shrugged her shoulders, and spread her palms. ¡°No. They were looking for someone with more than three years of work experience, so I didn¡¯t meet the requirements.¡± Jeremy looked at her petite appearance. If she were allowed to stand on the auction stage, everyone would probably mistake her for someone who was auctioning off school supplies. Corinne looked up and asked, ¡°And what about you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Grandpa was interested in a set of bronze artifacts, so I came over as his representative to bid for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you, mister. You really are a good grandson!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡®Why does it sound like she¡¯s scolding me?¡¯ All of a sudden, his cell phone rang. Jeremy answered the call, frowned slightly, and hung up with a grunt. He then stared intently at Corinne.¡± Where are you going next?¡± Corinne answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to continue sending in resumes and looking for a job.¡± Jeremy¡¯s rough hands patted her head gently as he leaned over and spoke in a hoarse, irrefutable tone, Come with me. I¡¯ll give you a job.¡± ¡°What?¡± Corinne was stunned. Before she could even process what Jeremy said, he had grabbed her wrist and whisked her away. Corinne found herself back at Lunar Century Manor. Thest time she was there was when Jeremy forced her to get engaged to him. She nced at the decorations around her, which consisted of flowers, a red carpet, ribbons, and balloons. Corinne¡¯s face went pale from fright. ¡°What are you nning this time, Uncle? Are you going to hold another wedding?¡± Jeremy nced askance at her. ¡°Oh? Do you like marrying me that much? Do you want another wedding?¡± Corinne immediately rolled her eyes and was about to turn back when a crisp female voice called out, ¡°Uncle! Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman trotting up to Jeremy in a wedding dress. The young woman asked anxiously, ¡°Uncle! Did you manage to find someone for me?¡± Jeremy raised his hand, pulled Corinne over, and pushed her forward to the girl in the wedding dress. ¡°What do you think of her?¡± The girl in the wedding dress looked at Corinne and blinked. Corinne felt like an object of sale and crossed her hands to protect herself. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The girl in the wedding dress looked at Corinne and pouted her lips in displeasure. ¡°Did you have to find someone this beautiful? I¡¯m the bride, so I¡¯m supposed to be the star of the show! If the bridesmaid you found for me is prettier than me, she¡¯s only going to steal my thunder!¡± Jeremy turned around, looked at Corinne, and snickered coldly. ¡°You call that beautiful? You should¡¯ve told me your eyesight is deteriorating.¡± The young woman was speechless. Corinne red at Jeremy angrily and finally understood what was going on. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 The girl in the wedding dress was Jeremy¡¯s niece, and she needed a bridesmaid on the day of the wedding, which was where Corinne came into the picture. Corinne could not help butin, ¡°Are you that uncultured? Bridesmaids are supposed to be unmarried. Plus, she¡¯s your niece, and I¡¯m your newlywed wife. How can an elder be a bridesmaid for someone younger than them?¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡®Did she just call me uncultured?¡® The girl in the wedding dress was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Oh! So, you¡¯re my aunt!¡± Corinne was definitely not used to being called an aunt. ¡± The girl in the wedding dress held Corinne¡¯s hand enthusiastically and introduced herself with a smile. Hello, Aunt Corinne! My name is Annie Levine, and Jeremy¡¯s my maternal uncle! My bridesmaids got stuck in the traffic jam, so I¡¯m not really concerned with the rules right now because I need ast¨C minute substitute for her.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then! I¡¯ll bring you in so you can get changed into the bridesmaid dress!¡± Annie dragged Corinne to the dressing room. Corinne turned around and shot Jeremy a re. When he said he would give her a job, it turned out that he wanted to give her a job as a bridesmaid! ¡®Hehe.¡® Jeremy¡¯s thin lips curled up slightly when he saw Corinne¡¯s angry little face. Teasing her once in a while was quite amusing for him. Zeke showed up out of the blue with a ss of champagne and hooked his arm on his good friend Jeremy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why are you zoning out here, Jeremy?¡± Jeremy snapped back to his senses. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± ¡°Come on, Payton¡¯s over there. Let¡¯s have a drink with him!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Inside the dressing room, Annie pointed to a few evening dresses on the hangers. ¡°I ordered four sets of dresses for my bridesmaids, so go ahead and choose whichever one you like!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne had always been a casual dresser, so she reached for the outermost one. ¡°This will do!¡± Annie smiled. ¡°Sure thing! You can change here while I head out to check if my other three bridesmaids have arrived, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne went into the dressing room and changed into the dress. It was a blue suspender dress with a bit of ruffles, lending her an almost fairylike purity. As she sat on the sofa in the dressing room and waited for Annie to return, she took out her phone and replied to all her unread messages from Aaron. ¡°Annie!¡± Someone walked into the dressing room all of sudden. Corinne nced up, and it turned out to be a man. ¡°Annie went out.¡± The man stared at her in surprise. ¡°And who-¡± Annie happened toe back right then! ¡°Why are you here, Juan?¡± Juan turned to look at Annie and smiled softly, ¡°I was checking in on your preparations. Have you got all the bridesmaids?¡± Annie replied confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve got everything down!¡± ¡°Great to hear that.¡± Juan nodded, then looked at Corinne, and asked, ¡°Who is she, by the way?¡± Annie pulled Corinne over with a smile and introduced her to Juan. ¡°She¡¯s the bridesmaid that my uncle found for us! Isn¡¯t she pretty?¡± ¡°I see!¡± Juan offered a friendly handshake. ¡°Nice to meet you. You¡¯re helping us a great deal.¡± Juan Hermon was Annie¡¯s groom¨Cto¨Cbe, and he seemed to be a rather charming and gentle man. For some reason, however, Corinne felt that he looked familiar, though she could not remember where or when she saw him. She reciprocated his handshake as a courtesy. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Juan smiled politely and shook her hand. What was supposed to be a brief handshake turned into one that was slightly forceful all of a sudden. He even casually rubbed the tip of his finger against her palm. Corinne was startled by what happened as she looked at Juan with a frown. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°You need to entertain our guests, Juan! I can handle the bridesmaids just fine, so don¡¯t worry too much about it!¡± Annie ushered Juan out of the dressing room in a half-coquettish manner. She then turned and beamed at Corinne, who had changed into her bridesmaid dress. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty, Aunt Corinne! Now I get why my uncle decided not to be celibate anymore and get married!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she smiled dryly. ¡°I¡¯m your bridesmaid today, so don¡¯t call me Aunt Corinne. Just ¡® Corinne¡¯ will do.¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Alright then, Corinne! How did you and my uncle get to know each other?¡± ¡®How did I get to know your uncle, you ask? I have five words for you: I wish it never happened!¡± Corinne¡¯s brow furrowed a little. ¡°We can talk about that another time. It¡¯s your big day today! We should be talking about how you and your soon-to-be husband met!¡± Annie was more than happy to talk about her love story with Juan. Women usually filtered out all the bad stuff about their boyfriends, so all they talked about was how wonderful and sweet the two of them were. Two other girls entered the dressing room not longter, and they happened to be the part-time bridesmaids that Annie hired. Annie arranged for the two of them to change into the bridesmaid¡¯s clothes and answered a phone call. She rushed out not longter, but not before asking Corinne to help her wee the fourth and final part-time bridesmaid, who was arriving very soon. A few minutester, the door swung open and Zoey walked into the dressing room. ¡°Where¡¯s the bridesmaid dress?¡± Corinne raised her hand and pointed. ¡°Over there!¡± Her presence caused Zoey¡¯s face to scrunch up in disgust. ¡°Corinne? You¡¯re here too? What are you doing here?¡± Corinne was busy scrolling her phone while leaningzily on the sofa. She looked up at Zoey, and answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯m a bridesmaid, and I¡¯m here to save a wedding.¡± Zoey had lost her job at the auction house, and her credit card repayment due date was fast approaching. When she saw an urgent job opportunity online that offered to pay a daily rate of 300 dors in exchange for being a bridesmaid, she jumped on the chance without a second thought and rushed over. It was a surprise to her that Corinne had be a part-time bridesmaid! She looked disdainfully at Corinne in the bridesmaid dress. ¡°Well, well! Didn¡¯t you have a sugar daddy in the auction house this morning? Why did you take a job to be a part-time bridesmaid? Were you dumped? I bet you were.¡± Corinne did not answer and merely continued to scroll through her phone. Zoey assumed that her guess was right and that Corinne was embarrassed. She snorted triumphantly, ¡± Serves you right! Did you really think those rich men would take you seriously? They¡¯re just ying with you! ¡± Corinne continued to ignore Zoey, and thetter kept on taunting her a couple more times before going to get changed. However, she frowned when she saw thest remaining bridesmaid dress on the hanger. She eschewed it because of its simplicity andck of design! When she turned around and saw the dress with ruffles that Corinne was wearing, she walked over and demanded in an entitled manner, ¡°Hey! Take off that dress on you and switch with me!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± Zoey said righteously, ¡°Because you made me lose my job twice! You owe me!¡± Corinne smirked coldly. ¡°I wonder who it was that made me lose my job?¡± That was none of Zoey¡¯s concern, and she had already raised her hand to try and take off the dress by force. Quit whining. Give it to me!¡± Corinne had an impatient expression and immediately clenched her fists, but she stopped herself from doing anything when she thought of Annie¡¯s happy smile. It was Annie¡¯s wedding, after all, and finding four bridesmaids had not been an easy task. The ceremony was about to start soon, and it was important for everything to proceed smoothly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll switch with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± After changing into that dress, Zoey beamed with satisfaction as she looked at herself in the mirror from all angles. She felt absolutely beautiful, until she saw Corinne walking out of the dressing room with a yawn¡­ Corinne had changed into the bridesmaid dress that Zoey did not like, but her look and temperament were just as beautiful as in the other dress. In fact, her shoulders and neck seemed slender and well- rounded, while her skin appeared even whiter than ever before. She looked good not because the dresses looked good, but because she had elevated the dresses to a whole new level of extravagance when she wore them. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°SI*t!¡± Zoey cursed angrily with an envious look on her face. Corinne was not prepared to argue with Zoey at someone else¡¯s wedding, so she turned and went to the bathroom. By the time she came out, she inadvertently saw a man and a woman chatting at the end of the corridor, and before long, they both sneaked into the storage room together. If her eyes did not deceive her, then the man was none other than Annie¡¯s groom, Juan. On the other hand, the woman was Zoey, who was wearing a bridesmaid dress the same color as her own. What could a groom possibly be doing with a bridesmaid on a wedding day? Inside the storage room. ¡°You¡¯re heartless, Juan! How could you get married behind my back!¡± ¡°Why are you here, Zoey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m one of the bridesmaids! I didn¡¯t think the groom would be you! No wonder you haven¡¯t been answering my calls recently!¡± ¡°Zoey, I¡¯ve got thirty thousand inside this card. Let¡¯s just treat it as a fee for our breakup! Once you¡¯re done with your bridesmaid duties, make sure to leave without causing any trouble!¡± Zoey took the card. ¡°Thirty thousand? Who are you kidding? If you want to break up, you need to give at least a hundred and fifty thousand!¡± Juan grew annoyed. ¡°A hundred and fifty thousand? Don¡¯t push your luck, Zoey! I can only give you thirty thousand. Take it or leave it, and don¡¯t me me for asking the security guards to kick you out!¡± When Corinne listened to the quarrel going on inside the storage room, Corinne finally remembered why Juan was so familiar. Juan had gone to Alpha Enterprises to pick Zoey up before, and since Zoey had always been one to show off, she unted Juan around thepany because she wanted to show off what a handsome boyfriend she had. Annie, on the other hand, said that she and Juan have been together for three years, and their love for each. other had been super strong. Underneath that gentle-looking persona was a cheater, and poor Annie had been so in love with him! Corinne lowered her gaze and remained expressionless. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Annie was Jeremy¡¯s niece, and there was no reason for her to meddle in the private lives of Jeremy¡¯s rtives. After all, it had nothing to do with her. ¡ª The wedding soon began with a ssic tune-the solemn and romantic ¡®Wedding March¡¯. Annie walked onto the red carpet and made her way toward the man whom she firmly believed would be her lifepanion¡­ Below the stage, Zeke had a sudden thought as he watched the wedding ceremony and raised his arm to nudge Jeremy¡¯s elbow. With a smile, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that little girl you married just a few days ago? Why didn¡¯t you bring her with you?¡± Jeremy remained silent. His eyes were focused on the stage, where the blue-d Corinne was standing. Tommy replied on behalf of Jeremy. ¡°She¡¯s here, Mister Zeke.¡± ¡°Here?¡± Zeke looked left and right. ¡°Where? Why don¡¯t I see her anywhere?¡± Tommy pointed to the stage. ¡°She¡¯s up there.¡± Zeke nced at the stage, where the only women except for the bride Annie were the four bridesmaids. Which one¡¯s her?¡± He had only either seen Corinne in heavy makeup or covered in a veil, and had never seen her true appearance yet. The big screen up on the stage was showing snapshots of the bride and groom¡¯s happy moments together. Meanwhile, the officiant was in the midst of asking the bride to recite her marriage vows¡­ All of a sudden, the video on the big screen changed abruptly and into a surveince video, depicting Juan dragging a woman in a bridesmaid dress into the storage room in the corridor. The entire venue erupted in an uproar. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Juan''s face turned pale as he red at Zoey, who was sitting among the four bridesmaids. ''It must''ve been that b*tch!'' The happy smile on Annie''s face faltered as she stared at Juan in astonishment and disbelief. "What is your rtionship with that woman? And what did the two of you do in the storage room?" Juan held Annie''s shoulders tenderly. "Listen to me, Annie. It''s not what you think! That girl in the video imed to have been unwell and wanted me to help her rest in the storage room. I didn''t think she''d take her clothes off and try to seduce me as soon as we got in! "I was shocked by what happened, so I immediately broke free and ran off. I swear I didn''t do anything that could break your heart!" Annie was not about to simply believe Juan''s side of the story. She pushed him away and walked toward the four bridesmaids on the stage, hissing, "Which one of you is the woman in the video? Show yourself!" Zoey stretched her hand out from behind and gave the sleepy, yawning Corinne a push, sending thetter staggering toward Annie. Annie frowned in bewilderment. "It was you?" Below the stage, Zeke seemed to be enjoying the development. "Your little girlie did it again! I would never have thought that she''d seduce someone else''s groom¡ªlet alone your niece''s groom-when she already has you at home! Tsk, tsk." Jeremy remained calm and merely narrowed his handsome eyes. Corinne tended to react a little slowly when she was sleepy, and it took her some time to sober up before she shook her head. "Look at the skirt that the woman in the video is wearing, and you''ll immediately know who it is. My skirt doesn''t have ruffles." Zoey looked down and realized this. ''Crap!'' After all, her dress was the only one with ruffles among the four bridesmaids! After some thought, she looked down at Corinne and dered, "It''s her! She''s the one who seduced the groom! She had been wearing the skirt that I was wearing, but then she asked to switch with me after she came back from the bathroom. I didn''t think too much about it at the time, but I now understand why she did that! She wanted to frame me for seducing the groom!" Annie and Corinne exchanged nces at each other.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "I remember you wearing the ruffled dress in the beginning. Why did you change into another one?" Annie asked. When Zoey heard Annie pose that question, she stepped forward and mounted another verbal assault. "That''s right! If you didn''t seduce the groom, why did you change dresses with me for no reason?" Corinne looked at the hypocritical Zoey and remarked, "I seem to remember differently though. It was you who insisted on changing it with me." Zoey snorted coldly. "Do you have evidence? Better not make false usations if you don''t!" Corinne cocked an eyebrowzily. "Isn''t there sufficient evidence in the video that''s being yed on the screen?" Zoey turned her head and nced at the big screen, where the surveince video was still ying in a loop. The quality of the surveince video was far from high-definition, and the woman''s face had not been caught on camera, so calling it solid proof would be a bit of a stretch. In response, Zoey sneered, "But aren''t you the woman in the video? You''re only admitting that it''s you if you say the video is sufficient evidence!" Corinne ignored her and looked at the area where the audio engineer was. "Can a sound engineer please turn up the volume to the max? We just need to hear the voice of the woman in the video to know who she is." The volume value on the big screen was raised to the highest level, and the voice in the surveince video gradually became clear... Everyone heard the quarrel between the groom Juan and the bridesmaid Zoey. Their exchange had exposed the somewhat shady rtionship between the two, and anyone with a brain could immediately tell from the quarrel that the two of them were lovers! "It was you!" roared Annie. "And you''re trying to me it on someone else!" Annie swung her palm at Zoey''s face harshly. Zoey covered her face, which had turned pale, as her lips trembled. Hearing the sound on the surveince video left her aghast, especially since the sound quality was incredibly clear. She heard nothing when she secretly requested the footage to be shown. After all, she was the one who nned for that surveince broadcast to be shown to everyone. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Zoey wanted to get revenge on Juan for only giving her 30,000 dors to break up with him. If she could get back at Corinne for causing her to lose her job, then it would kill two birds with one stone. Corinne¡¯s name would be so tarnished that she would nevernd herself a decent man. However, she did not expect that it would backfire after the silent video turned out to be audible! At that moment, Juan tugged at Annie, panicking. ¡°Listen to me, Annie. I swear I don¡¯t know her that well¡­¡± ¡°Keep your hands off me! How could you still make excuses at this time? I never thought you were that sort of person!¡± Annie pushed him away in disgust, turned around, and grabbed the ends of her wedding dress as she ran out of the hall without turning back. Juan shot Zoey a vicious look for ruining his wedding and hurried off to chase after Annie. All the guests were already starting to criticize Zoey, and she fled the stage in shame. ¡± She had seduced the man at a wedding that she was supposed to be a bridesmaid of, and even after demanding money to break up with the man, she went so far as to try and pin the me on someone else! She was the very definition of shameless! If there were rotten eggs lying around nearby, everyone would probably start hurling thern toward that shameless woman! Corinne yawned sleepily, and her only thought at that moment was to go back and take a nap. When she inadvertently lowered her head and looked down, the first thing she saw was Jeremy¡¯s semi- delighted gaze. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that?¡¯ she wondered. After Corinne walked off the stage, a stern-faced Tommy walked up and cleared his throat before saying, I¡¯d like to trouble all of you to act as if you saw nothing today, and that includes the wedding itself. If even a single word about this gets out, the Holdens will not hesitate toe after every single one of you. After all, there are plenty of guests here, and since we can¡¯t possibly trace where the rumor came from, we¡¯ll just have to target everyone present here.¡± The atmosphere grew tense and suffocating. ¡°Ahem! I saw nothing.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t see anything either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just here to have a buffet!¡± ¡°What a coincidence; so am I!¡± The Levines were rted to the Holdens through Jeremy¡¯s biological mother. None of the guests there could afford to offend either the Holdens or Jeremy. Jeremy got up and strode away as everyone fearfully watched on. Corinne followed him from a reasonable distance, since she wanted to go home as soon as possible and get some sleep. All of a sudden, Zeke approached Corinne with intrigue and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be this pretty, little girlie!¡± Corinne nced at Zeke and wondered, ¡®Who the hell is this guy?¡¯ By the time they walked out of the hall, they ran into Juan begging Annie for forgiveness. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll never touch another woman again, Annie! It¡¯s our wedding day today. Why don¡¯t we talk about everything after the wedding is done?¡± ¡°You and I are done. I mean it. There won¡¯t be a wedding!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Juan¡¯s expression turned cold, and he began gritting his teeth when he saw how unmoved Annie was despite begging her so desperately. He needed to marry Annie, because the right to inherit his family¡¯s assets would only be given to him once he married someone from the Levines! He pulled Annie forcefully, leaned into her ear, and said softly, ¡°Be a good girl and go through with the wedding, Annie. I promise to treat you well in the future. Don¡¯t me me for posting your nudes on the inte for all the men to see if you keep protesting!¡± Annie was taken aback as she stared at Juan in disbelief. She could not even begin to process what this man, whom she had loved with all her heart for three years, said to her! Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡°Just how shameless can you be?!¡± Annie raised her hand to p him, but Juan was sharp enough to detect the iing hand and stopped her. Juan smiled in spite of his anger. ¡°You should be a good girl and marry me, Annie. Don¡¯t push me into a corner. You wouldn¡¯t want to know what I¡¯m capable of doing if I¡¯m cornered!¡± ¡°Keep dreaming! I¡¯ll never marry someone like you!¡± Annie¡¯s eyes were red with resentment, disgusted after seeing Juan¡¯s true colors. She would have loved to beat him to death right there if she could. However, her wrist was held in his tight grasp, leaving her unable to jerk her hand free or tond a p on him. Juan sneered like a pervert. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that your nudes will be uploaded onto the inte? If that happens, you¡¯ll¡ª¡± All of a sudden, a tight pnded right on Juan¡¯s face, sending him tumbling back and crashing into the mural in the corridor. Corinne dusted her hands in disgust. ¡°Stupid jerk!¡± Annie was stunned. Juan¡¯s vision turned ck, and he had to shake his head a couple of times before he saw that the person who hit him was one of the bridesmaids. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you hit me?!¡± Corinne smiled in contempt. ¡°Don¡¯t you think a pervert like you who wants to cop a feel from every handshake with a woman, and threatens his girlfriend of three years with uploading nudes on the inte, should be pped?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in other people¡¯s business, b*tch!¡± Juan raised his hand and wanted to p her back, but Corinne grabbed his arm as it swung right at her and twisted it, producing a crisp click that was almost certainly that of a fracture. Juan screamed and looked at the adorable-looking Corinne Annie snapped back from her daze and ran over to give Juan a fierce kick. ¡°Eat this! I wasted three years of my youth on a dog like you! Die, you scumbag!¡± Corinne yawned while holding Juan back so Annie could vent her anger on him like he was a punching bag. Some distance away, Jeremy put his hands in his trouser pockets and watched calmly. With him was Zeke, who shook his head in amazement as he pped. ¡°Man, that wife of yours is a fighter! I¡¯m beginning to worry about you though. It feels like you might be a victim of domestic violence.¡± Jeremy nced coldly at Zeke. His expression became a little stern as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Are you done with him?¡± Annie halted when she heard this. Her eyes were already scarlet red as she looked at Jeremy in distress. Uncle! He cheated on me and threatened me¡­¡¯ ¡± Corinne felt that it was about time to stop, so she let go of Juan to stretch her body and waist. The man¡¯s face was already somewhat disfigured, courtesy of Annie¡¯s hits and scratches. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Juan got up suddenly, picked up a vase that was disyed in the corridor, and threw it at Corinne. ¡°F*cking b*tch! I told you to mind your own business!¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils contracted as he strode forward, stretched out his hand, and pulled Corinne behind him to shield her. He then lifted his leg and kicked Juan with a thump. His luxurious leather shoe struck right in the middle of Juan¡¯s hypocritical face, and he looked down condescendingly at Juan, sneering, ¡°Do you want to get yourself killed?¡± Juan turned pale with fright. ¡°Mister¡­Jeremy¡­¡± Zeke walked over slowly. ¡°Are you trying to end your family¡¯s livelihood in New Capital City? That was bold of you to try andy a hand on Jeremy¡¯s woman!¡± Juan was taken aback. ¡®Mister Jeremy¡¯s woman?¡¯ This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He was afraid ofying a hand on Annie because he knew she was rted to Jeremy, but Jeremy¡¯s move to protect some random bridesmaid came as a shock to him. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I just can¡¯t bear to part ways with Annie! My only hope is for her to give me another chance¡­¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes gloomily. ¡°And that drove you to ckmail her with her nudes?¡± Juan had a guilty look on his face. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t have a choice! Mister Jeremy, I can¡¯t bear to break up Annie! I can¡¯t lose her!¡± Zeke snickered. ¡°You can¡¯t lose her, or you can¡¯t lose your right to inherit your family¡¯s assets?¡± Juan¡¯s expression froze. ¡°I¡­¡± with Annie threw herself into her uncle¡¯s arms and wept uncontrobly. The truth hade to light-Juan had been using her all along. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Jeremy helped Annie up and gestured coldly. ¡°Take him away. We wouldn¡¯t want Lunar Century Manor¡¯s corridors to be tarnished with such lowly vermin!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Tommy sent someone to bring Juan away. As Jeremy held his crying niece helplessly, he nced at Corinne and asked in a stern, somewhat parent-like tone, ¡°Are you injured?¡± Corinne shook her head to brush it off. ¡°Thanks for your concern. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± At that moment, Zoey hid in the corner of the corridor and saw what just happened. She was irredeemably attracted to a powerful man like Jeremy as he had all the qualities of her dream husband- wealth, influence, and good looks. What she did not like, however, was that Corinne received the privilege of being saved by him like a knight in shining armor. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. To her, Corinne would seize any opportunity to dangle herself in front of rich men, and she did not want her to seed! After giving her next move some thought, she gritted her teeth and rushed out crying, ¡°Miss Annie, I was framed! Don¡¯t let yourself be fooled by Corinne!¡± Annie turned to look at Zoey. She frowned as she wiped her tears off and shot back, ¡°I would¡¯ve forgotten all about you if you didn¡¯t show up, b*tch!¡± Rather than panic, Zoey pointed solemnly at Corinne. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! It was her! She video were all doctored! You need to believe me! ¡°She¡¯s super good at fixingputers and is an expert in all that tech stuff. She was the one who framed-¡± Annie walked up to Zoey and retorted in an angry tone, ¡°How dare you point your dirty finger at her? Do you know who she is to me?¡± ¡°W-Who¡­is s-she?¡± Zoey stammered in shock, as she had always been under the impression that Corinne was there as a bridesmaid. Annie kicked Zoey before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that the thought of hooking up with that loser Juan. would never even cross her mind! She¡¯s my au-¡± ¡°Good friend! We¡¯re good friends!¡± Corinne interrupted Annie, since she did not want too many people to know about a rtionship between her and Jeremy that would onlyst three months. ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s my good friend!¡± Annie agreed with that remark and put her hands on her hips. Tommy, I need you to send word out that anyone who hires this b*tch is asking to be made an enemy of the Levines and the Holdens!¡± ¡°. Tommy nodded. ¡°Understood, Miss Annie.¡± Zoey was panicking in full force as she hurriedly begged Annie for mercy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me!¡± With Annie ignoring her, she begged Corinne in an Right, Corinne? Please say some kind words to them for me!¡± Before Corinne had time to say anything, Annie pulled her away and left. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Corinne. Ignore that b* tch!¡± Zoey tried to plead with Jeremy and began begging softly, ¡°Mister Jeremy! Mister Jeremy! Please have mercy! Jeremy did not even bother to look at her. With his usual expressionless mien, he walked away with Zeke and followed the two girls. Zoey stood there in bewilderment as she threw a tantrum and stomped. ¡®What the hell is going on? How did Corinnee to be good friends with someone from a rich family like Annie? And why did Mister Jeremy even rescue her?!! At that point, the half-dead Juan ran back with a stagger. As soon as heid eyes on Zoey, he rushed over and pped her. ¡°Take this, you f*cking b*tch!¡± Zoey screamed and wanted to flee, but she was pushed to the ground while being searched. Juan took out the card that contained the ¡®breakup fee¡¯ from her and was about to bring it back with him. Zoey hurried forward to grab it. ¡°That¡¯s my breakup fee! How could you take it back?¡± ¡°You¡¯re demanding a breakup fee when you ruined my wedding and made me lose my inheritance rights?¡± Juan spat on her face. ¡°Go to hell!¡± On the way back to the Holdens¡¯ residence, Jeremy leaned back in a rxed manner and looked down at the documents in his hand. He asked softly, ¡°Was it your doing?¡± Corinne sounded a little sleepy when she answered, ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°The surveince video that was shown on the big screen,¡± Jeremy reminded her. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Corinne had a nonchnt expression. ¡°Yes, and no.¡± Jeremy was still focused on his documents as he turned over a page. ¡°So it is a yes or a no?¡± ¡°Zoey was the one who put up a video, but I recorded their conversation with the cell phone and added itter,¡± answered Corinne truthfully. Jeremy snorted. ¡°I brought you here to be a bridesmaid, but you ruined the bride¡¯s wedding on your own ord. How do you n to exin yourself?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°To be honest with you, I know better than to meddle in your family¡¯s affairs, but scumbags are the bane of society, and I am duty-bound to end their existence if I see one.¡± Jeremy nearly let out a chuckle as he smirked. ¡°I never took you for a self-styled vignte.¡± Corinne was filled with righteous anger. ¡°That Juan guy cheated on Annie and even tried to cop a feel when we first met and shook hands earlier. That just shows how degraded that f*cktard¡¯s general behavior is! I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want your niece to marry that kind of man, right?¡± Jeremy nced askance at her. ¡°He ¡®copped a feel?¡± ¡°Yeah! A sick pervert like him will never treat Annie well!¡± ¡°And just how did he do that?¡± Corinne felt that Jeremy hadpletely missed her point, but she answered anyway. ¡°Well, he pretended to shake hands politely with me, but he slyly stroked his finger against my palm.¡± Jeremy¡¯s dark eyes darkened, and he did not say another word. When they arrived, Corinne got out of the car and walked into the yard on her own. Jeremy seemed to have a lot of work to do, so she did not wait for him since she figured he was probably not going to get off. Tommy got out of the car and yelled for her to stop. ¡°Miss Corinne! Please wait a moment.¡± Corinne stopped and turned around. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Tommy went to the rearpartment and took out a picture frame that was tightly wrapped in kraft paper. He walked over and handed it to her, saying, ¡°Mister Jeremy won this painting for you at an auction as a token of you for saving his grandmother yesterday. Please take it.¡± ¡®A painting he won at an auction? It could only be¡­¡¯ Corinne¡¯s mind went nk, and there was excitement in her eyes as she peeled off the kraft paper wrapping the frame and nced at it. True enough, it was ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯! Jeremy bought that painting at a high price as a thank-you gift for her! Had she known earlier, she would have continued to let Aaron drive up the bid. The auction house and the seller could have sold it for much more! Corinne thought for a while and went back to knock on the car window on Jeremy¡¯s side. The dark car window was lowered slowly, and Jeremy¡¯s handsome profile appeared. He was not looking up at her, however. Corinne said, ¡°Get out of the car. I have something to tell you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes remained on the document in his hand Corinne emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s about something else!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy turned around slightly and nced at her, whereupon he noticed her bright, affectionate eyes. All of a sudden, a hint of intrigue sprang up, and he wondered what it was that she wanted to tell him. Jeremy closed the document in his hand and got out of the car. He said coldly, ¡°You can talk now.¡± To his surprise, Corinne pushed him against the wall, opened her arms, and hugged the tree trunk. She then demanded brazenly, ¡°Hold my head, mister!¡± Jeremy¡¯s brows sank, and he narrowed his eyes head!¡± Corinne¡¯s big eyes blinked like ss beads as she ignored his question. ¡°Hurry and hold my Jeremy remained unmoved as a dangerous glimmer streaked across his gaze. ¡°You have three seconds to let go of me.¡± Corinne frowned and persisted. She decided to stand on tiptoe and hook her arms around Jeremy¡¯s neck boldly. Jeremy¡¯s gloomy gaze sank as he watched her round face approach his face, and a tender child-like fragrance reached his nostrils. Corinne reminded, ¡°Your grandmother is watching us from upstairs! Don¡¯t move so much and start acting like it¡¯s real!¡± Jeremy froze slightly, and he nced up subtly to see his grandmother peeping at them from the window on the second floor. Corinne¡¯s little head began to shake left and right, simting the movement of kissing, but anyone could tell that it was fake. Jeremy looked silently at her and narrowed his eyes with a half-smile. He then raised his hand to hold her vigorously-moving head in ce and lowered his head slightly to sync with her, all while maintaining a small distance between them. Corinne was taken aback for a moment, and as the two of them looked at each other while keeping a seemingly untouchable distance, their breathing and heartbeat had begun to change. Tommy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He had no business watching them, so he turned around quickly and looked up at the sky. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 After the ¡®kiss¡¯ was over, Corinne pushed Jeremy away at once. She dly took the painting from Tommy and walked away with her arms held around it. After about two steps, she turned back to give him a wink, evenplimenting him, ¡°Thanks, uncle! You¡¯re super handsome today!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was sullen and vague as he pursed his thin lips. ¡®Did that little snob call me handsome only after I gave her a gift?¡± Tommy watched Corinne walk cheerfully into the courtyard and unconsciously beamed. ¡°She¡¯s actually¡­ rather cute!¡± Jeremy shot Tommy a cold look. ¡°Still staring at her, are we?¡± Tommy looked away in fright. ¡°Ahem! So where are we going next, sir?¡± ¡°Thepany.¡± ¡°Thepany it is!¡± The next day, Corinne received a call from Annie just as she was eating the sumptuous lunch Pam made for her. ¡°Corinne!¡± Corinne did not have Annie¡¯s number saved, but she recognized Annie¡¯s voice and asked, ¡°Why do you have my phone number?¡± ¡°I got it from my uncle!¡± Corinne was even more surprised. ¡°And how did he have my number?¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s your husband! Isn¡¯t he supposed to have your number?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°What are your ns today, Corinne? Why don¡¯t youe and have a drink with me if you¡¯re free?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Who drinks in the afternoon?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m hurt, and I need to vent!¡± grumbled Annie, sounding suspiciously drunk as she slurred her words. Come on, join me! It¡¯s so boring to drink alone!¡± As soon as she hung up, she received a message from Annie that stated the address of the bar. Pam came out of the kitchen with some soup. ¡°Who were you on the phone with? And why did they ask you toe for a drink? You need to stay away from alcohol now that you¡¯re preparing for your pregnancy!¡± Corinne said obediently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I don¡¯t drink. It was Annie who much to drink, so I¡¯ll go and check on her to see that she¡¯s alright.¡± Pam put the soup down and looked at her in shock. ¡°Annie? Did Jeremy bring you to meet the Levines already?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. Is something the matter, Grandma?¡± The olddy snapped back to her senses and smiled warmly. ¡°Oh, nothing. Bars aren¡¯t safe ces, so I¡¯ll have the driver send you to pick her up.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Corinne felt that the situation with the Holdens and the Levines was a little odd. They were clearly in-ws through Jeremy, but they did not seem to have much interaction with each other. The Holdens were not invited to Annie¡¯s wedding the previous day, and she recalled that the Levines did not attend the ¡®fake¡¯ wedding between herself and Jeremy, either. In any case, she decided not to think too much about it. Jeremy¡¯s affairs had nothing to do with her anyway. Twilight was the name of the bar, and the ce was rather lively with chatter. Amidst the blinding lights, Corinne was able to spot Annie, who had dyed her hair hot pink overnight, dancing wildly on the dance floor. Corinne wondered if all heartbroken women were like that. ¡°Corinne! You¡¯re here! Let¡¯s have some fun!¡± When Annie spotted Corinne, she ran over, hugged Corinne, and then dragged her to the dance floor. Corinne was not in the mood to dance. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll bring you home!¡± Annie pouted. ¡°I¡¯m not going home! It¡¯s so boring at home!¡± Her refusal to leave left Corinne with no choice but to persuade her to a small booth where they could rest for a while. She ordered a ss of juice to drink, but Annie was more in favor of some liquor. ¡°I¡¯ve got some good news for you! Juan¡¯s arms are wrecked now!¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What happened?¡± Annie smiled wryly and had a ratherplicated expression. ¡°I heard that he was attacked on the way homest night, and both of his arms are broken. He won¡¯t be able to use them anymore even if he recovers. Can you imagine a man like him losing the use of both arms? He¡¯s as good as dead!¡± ¡°He was attacked on the way home?¡± Corinne wondered out loud. Annie frowned suddenly and pointed upstairs while eximing, ¡°Hey, look! Isn¡¯t that Uncle? Why is he with another woman?! Ugh! I didn¡¯t expect him to be having an affair, too! Guess all men are scumbags. Come on! Let¡¯s catch him red-handed!¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 When Corinne looked up in the direction that Annie was pointing, she spotted Jeremy¡¯s slender, stern figure passing through a ss corridor on the second floor. Beside him was a tall, beautiful, curly- haired woman with a slender waist and long legs. Corinne retracted her gaze. Her expression was calm, and so was her tone as she said, ¡°Ignore him.¡± Annie was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re going to ignore that your husband is meeting another woman in private?¡± Corinne sipped the juice through her straw and indifferently replied, ¡°Yep.¡± Annie had just experienced the scumbag treatment firsthand less than a day ago, and with the alcohol going into her, she could not bear to see something like that happen again! ¡°No! If you¡¯re afraid of being controlling, I¡¯ll catch him cheating for you! Hmph! I¡¯m so disappointed in him! He¡¯s already married, but he¡¯s still out there seeing other women!¡± Annie raised her fist angrily and wentupstairs in a rage. Corinne failed to stop her and could only facepalm. Since Jeremy was probably not going to do anything to his niece, Corinne decided to let the drunk Annie do whatever she wanted. Far be it for Corinne to meddle in Jeremy¡¯s private life. The two of them were married for show only, and it was normal for him to have a rtionship with another woman. Corinne leanedzily against the seat in the bar booth and got sleepy as she observed the bar patrons¡± interactions. Had it not been for Annie¡¯s call, she would already be midway through a nap after filling her stomach with lunch earlier. All of a sudden, Aaron hurried over with a few followers. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me a heads up. wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve known that you were here if the manager didn¡¯t spot you and informed me!¡± The bar was an entertainment business under Newmoon Group with Aaron as its owner. boss? I Corinne raised her eyes and nced at Aaron. ¡°I¡¯m just here to pick someone up. I don¡¯t n to stay long.¡± Aaron sat beside her and asked curiously, ¡°Who are you picking up?¡± ¡°A niece.¡± ¡°A what? When did you have a niece? Why do I not know this?¡± Corinne could not be bothered to answer such an unimportant question and asked him instead, ¡°Isn¡¯t it still working hours? Why are you enjoying yourself instead of being at thepany?¡± Aaron kindly uncapped a bottle of mineral water and handed it to her. ¡°Socializing with part of the job, too! Besides, everything will be fine. Thepany is in capable hands!¡± Corinne took a sip of the water. ¡°You socialize almost every day!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Knowing that Corinne had a soft spot for him, Aaron smiled reassuringly. ¡°By the way, boss, the Holden guy didn¡¯t realize we knew each other yesterday, did he?¡± Corinne answered curtly, ¡°No. He was fooled.¡± ¡°Awesome! Well, it¡¯s just a shame that the painting was- ¡°It¡¯s with me.¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It is? That quickly? How did you even get it?¡± Corinne said simply, ¡°He gave it to me.¡± ¡°He gave it to you? The painting that was bought with all that money¡­was just given to you for nothing in return?¡± ¡°Well, he owes me a favor, so giving the painting is like his way of returning the favor.¡± Aaron was bbergasted. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What else are you expecting?¡± Aaron¡¯s lips curled up in a cheeky smile. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. That Holden guy probably has some sort of ulterior motives and is only just doing that to win you over!¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him in annoyance. ¡°Can¡¯t you be more decent? I thought you had some socializing to do. Get on with it, then.¡± Aaron shrugged, got up, and left. Clearly, he did not want to disturb her any further. Before he left, he ordered the waiter to serve a fruit tter, some snacks, and a cup of hot milk for Corinne. After Aaron left, the dizzying neon lights prompted Corinne to close her eyes and take a nap while waiting for Annie toe back. All of a sudden¡­ ¡°Hi there. Mind if I sit here?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 A clear, deep, and masculine voice seemingly rang out through the bar¡¯s loud beats and reached Corinne¡¯s ears. Corinne had just closed her eyes when she heard the person talking to her. The disturbance made her frown unhappily. When she opened her eyes, she saw a rather handsome man with a pleasant smile standing under the glow of the lights. Dressed in ck trousers, a white shirt, and no tie, she wondered if he deliberately unbuttoned two of his shirt buttons just to expose a bit of his corbone. There was a certain elegance in his uninhibitedness that culminated in a mesmerizing charm. Her silence led the man to smile a little more as he asked softly, ¡°Are you alone?¡± Corinne repliedzily, ¡°Nope.¡± The man then responded with a graceful smile. ¡°Do you mind if I sit here?¡± He might be handsome, but Corinne did not bother to show him any courtesy. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do.¡± The man froze for a moment, as if shocked that a girl would reject him. Nevertheless, he quickly regained hisposure and smiled again. ¡°How old are you this year? Are you of legal age?¡± Corinne had a speechless expression as she shot back, ¡°Are you a inclothes police officer?¡± The man was stunned once more and wondered why Corinne said unhappily, ¡°Then why are you asking me all those questions? Are you perhaps a census taker? I was always taught not to talk to strangers!¡± The man¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, and he could not help butugh as he exined, ¡°You seemed to be alone, so I got a little worried. It¡¯s not safe for a girl to stay in this kind of ce alone.¡± Corinne looked at him lukewarmly, took a sip of the milk on the table, and said, ¡°Stay away from me, and I¡¯ll be safe.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Every one of her sentences seemed to stun the self-proimed high-cultured man, for they were nothing like what he knew and expected of women. The charming man looked at Corinne with intrigue and smiled warmly. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting one! May I have the honor of leaving my phone number with you?¡± All of a sudden, Corinne¡¯s cell phone vibrated suddenly, and it turned out to be a call from Annie. She answered the call at once, not wanting to talk to the ¡®charming¡¯ man any further. Annie¡¯s voice sounded rather urgent through the phone. ¡°Corinne! You need toe up here right now!¡± Corinne did not want to. ¡°No thanks. You shoulde down.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t! Come up here and save me!¡± It almost sounded as though Annie was crying. Since something about Annie¡¯s voice was amiss, Corinne frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you?¡± Annie had hung up, however, leaving Corinne with the dial tone. Corinne¡¯s expression soured immediately. Upon seeing her displeased expression, the charming man asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Corinne nodded and stood up. The charming man looked at her. ¡°Say the word, and I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± Corinne said, ¡°I need your help to move aside and get out of the way.¡± Speechless, the charming man took a step back and made way for her by moving his body to the side. He stood rooted to the ground as Corinne hurried toward the elevator. He could only stare at her from behind with intrigue. ¡°What are you staring at, Jason?¡± asked a friend of the charming man in bewilderment after passing by and seeing him zoning out. The charming man, whose name was Jason Talbot, smiled faintly. ¡°A girl with a lot of personality. She¡¯s drinking milk all alone, and I wonder if she¡¯s even an adult.¡± His friend was amazed. ¡°That¡¯s probably the first time you¡¯ve taken an interest in a woman. She must be really special!¡± Jason smiled wordlessly. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 The second floor of Twilight hosted high-end sound-proofed private VIP rooms from the noisy bar downstairs. The two floors were practically worlds apart. Corinne¡¯s call to Annie went unanswered, and she did not know which room Annie was in. The bar¡¯s general manager saw Corinne and came forward respectfully. ¡°Miss Corinne, are you looking for Mister Aaron?¡± Corinne shook her head and asked, ¡°Did you see which room Annie Levine went to?¡± The manager said, ¡°I did not. We haven¡¯t received anyone from the Levines today.¡± Annie probably did not go through the normal registration process because she sneaked up to follow Jeremy. Corinne thought for a while and asked, ¡°Which room is Jeremy in, then?¡± The manager answered truthfully, ¡°He¡¯s in the Snow Room.¡± The Snow Room was thergest and most luxurious VIP room in Twilight, reserved only for the most elite of guests. Just as she was about to go to the Snow Room to see if Annie was there, Sherlyn¡¯s rowdy voice came from behind. ¡°I¡¯m here to look for someone! Get out of the way, and don¡¯t stop me from going any further!¡± The awkward host dissuaded Sherlyn, ¡°The Snow Room is a VIP room, and there¡¯s a private gathering going on inside. You¡¯re not allowed there because your name isn¡¯t on the invitation list.¡± Corinne turned around and happened to see Sherlyn. Sherlyn froze for a moment, then immediately frowned in disgust. ¡°What are you doing here, Corinne?¡± She still held a grudge against Corinne for causing her car to be towed away by the traffic police and being forced to buy a bunch of luxury clothes that were not even the right size. Corinne¡¯s expression remained calm as ever. ¡°I¡¯m here to look for someone too.¡± Sherlyn reacted as if she heard the funniest joke ever, and she looked at Corinne¡¯s clothes from head to toe. contemptuously. ¡°Who could you possibly be looking for in such a ce? The Snow Room up ahead is a high- end VIP room, and the guests there are all rich folks. Do you really expect to get in there when you¡¯re dressed like you¡¯re fresh out of the flea market? You sure crack me up!¡± Corinne did not pay much attention to fashion as long as she feltfortable enough. Her clothes might look simple and elegant, but their materials were made of high quality and were far from being inferiorly cheap. The only aspect that theycked was a logo from a big brand. Twilight¡¯s manager stepped forward and asked respectfully, ¡°Do you need our help to deal with the trouble, miss?¡± Sherlyn smiled smugly andmanded arrogantly, ¡°Show this shameful woman out the door! Twilight is one of the most high-end bars in New Capital City, so you should be mindful not to let any country bumpkins lower your luxury standards!¡± The manager was looking at Corinne instead of Sherlyn, and he was respectfully waiting for further instructions from Corinne. Corinne waved her handzily. ¡°You may act ording to the normal course of regtions. I¡¯ll have a look inside the Snow Room.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The manager bowed and stretched out his hand in a gesture for Corinne to go in. Corinne walked toward the Snow Room without a hitch. No one stopped her as she made her way there, and she could easily push the door open and enter. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Sherlyn was dumbstruck. She could not understand what was going on and was just about to follow Corinne when the security personnel that the manager had called stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t me us for having to take stern action on you if you insist on forcing your way in there!¡± Sherlyn was markedly displeased. ¡°Why is that woman in cheap clothes allowed to enter the Snow Room when I in all my luxury-branded things aren¡¯t allowed in? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m Sherlyn, the popr actress who yed the lead role ¡®The Princess Knows Best¡¯!¡± The security staff shot her a fierce re. ¡°Whether you¡¯re an actress or a princess doesn¡¯t matter to us. We¡¯re only following the rules and doing our job. Please abide by the regtions of this establishment and leave right away!¡± The tough security guards intimidated her, and she could neither enter the Snow Room nor fight back. Gritting her teeth, she resentfully snapped, ¡°Who was that woman who just walked in? Why is your manager so respectful to her?¡± ¡°We cannotment on matters involving the privacy of our guests.¡± Sherlyn was fuming when she did not get an answer. She could not figure out how Corinne managed to do it and wondered if it was because Corinne had gotten. involved with a wealthy family by bing a maid. Sherlyn decided that she would not be leaving anytime soon. After all, she wanted to see just who it was that Corinne woulde out with. Sherlyn¡¯s original purpose there was to look for her former benefactor, the one she impulsively broke off her rtionship with because she mistakenly thought that she could marry into a wealthy family. It was also during that time that she terminated her contract and quit the industry, leaving her jobless for a time. When she went to the agency to discuss the contract renewal, the agency said that she had been cklisted and that they were already recruiting new faces. Infuriated, sheter found out that her former benefactor was here with some friends, so she went there in the hopes she could reconcile with him so he could continue to support her and give her opportunities. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Even though it was described as a private VIP room, the interior was more like that of an entire floor due to how spacious it was. The lights were dim, and there was a live band ying some music. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and they were all having a good time, with groups of three to five clinking sses with each other as they chatted andughed. Corinne nced across the crowd in search of Annie¡¯s figure. All of a sudden, the pink-haired young woman came running toward her. ¡°Hey there, Au-¡± Corinne stretched out a finger and pressed it on Annie¡¯s lips and stopped her from uttering the word ¡°aunt¡¯.¡± Call me by name when you¡¯re outside!¡± Annie curled her lips. ¡°Oh, okay! Corinne¡­¡± Corinne frowned slightly and examined Annie¡¯s body to see if there were any injuries. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why¡¯d you call me toe up and save you?¡± Annie hugged Corinne¡¯s arm anxiously, turned around, and pointed behind. ¡°It¡¯s them! They bullied me!¡± Corinne nced over and saw three well-dressed young men surrounding her. She took one look at them and knew that they were all pampered yboys. The man standing on the left said, ¡°Come on now, beautiful! You can¡¯t me us like that! You promised you¡¯d have some fun with us. How could you say that we bullied you?¡± The man standing on the right sized up Corinne. ¡°Hi there! I didn¡¯t think another beauty like you would show up here. You look like a good girl, but then again, that¡¯s just my type!¡± Corinne remained calm and turned to Annie. ¡°How did you get involved with them?¡± Annie felt guilty and whispered, ¡°I came in to look for Uncle, but I didn¡¯t see him anywhere, so I asked the three of them if they knew where to find him! They insisted on making me y dice with them though, and they promised to bring me to find him if I¡¯d win! But then¡­ I didn¡¯t win! They gave me a choice between drinking ten bottles of beer or giving one of them a French kiss. I sure as hell wouldn¡¯t want to kiss them! As for the drinks¡­ I was worried that they spiked it or something like that, so I didn¡¯t want to drink it either. But they wouldn¡¯t let me go if I didn¡¯t drink¡­¡± Corinne got a rough idea of what happened and nced at the men once again. ¡°Does it make you feel proud to bully a young woman like this?¡± ¡°I thought all women advocate for gender equality? Well, gender equality means that everyone should be willing to ept their losses in a gamble, regardless of their gender. If you can¡¯t afford to lose in a game, don¡¯t even bother ying in the first ce!¡± you sure?¡± A sour expression unfolded across Corinne¡¯s pretty face. ¡°You¡¯re ying dice, right? I¡¯ll y with you!¡± The third young man looked at Corinne¡¯s goody-two-shoes character and smiled wickedly. ¡°Are Corinne said determinedly. ¡°If I win, you¡¯ll write off all her losses earlier.¡± The man cocked his eyebrow. ¡°And what if I win?¡± Corinne looked at him fearlessly. ¡°What do you want?¡± The man took two steps closer, bent down, and whispered into her ear. ¡°Are you still a virgin?¡± Corinne¡¯s face froze, and there were traces of shame and anger in her expression. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Judging from your cute reaction, you most definitely still have your innocence!¡± The man had an evil smile as he whipped out a hotel room card from his breast pocket and handed it to Corinne. ¡°I want your first night. ¡± Annie blushed with rage when she saw the room card. ¡°You people are being jerks in broad daylight!¡± Corinne took the room card. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s start the game then!¡± Annie was taken aback, and stopped uneasily, ¡°Corinne, no! I choose to drink, so don¡¯t y with them!¡± Inside the Snow Room¡¯s innermost billiard room, the Riveras¡¯ youngest son, Sunny, crossed his legs and remarkednguidly, ¡°I¡¯ve got something to tell you guys. I came across this hacker who goes by the name of ¡® Jade Rabbit¡¯ on the inte a few days ago, and she easily deciphered our AJ League¡¯s encryption system! I bet she¡¯s one of the two top hackers in the entire world!¡± Zeke made a hole-in-one and said, ¡°Your dad expects you to help your brother manage thepany, Sunny. Why don¡¯t you do that for once instead of dealing with all this useless stuff?¡± Sunny shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to do that, and why should I if my brother¡¯s in thepany?¡± At that moment, someone came in and eximed, ¡°Guys! Something exciting is happening outside right now. There¡¯s this girl who¡¯s betting her first night in a game of dice with three men!¡± Zeke put his cue down. ¡°Well, well. That sounds interesting! Let¡¯s go and have a look!¡± Jeremy leanedzily on the sofa with an uninterested look. The curly-haired woman beside him gazed affectionately at him and clinked sses. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I think I saw your niece Annie with the girl ying dice!¡± said the person who came in earlier. Jeremy¡¯s brows furrowed that instant. Chapter 32 ?Chapter 32 The man smiled at Corinne and handed her a dice cup. "I wouldn''t want you to use me of bullying you, so we''ll y a game that''s not tooplicated. We''ll just roll the dice, and the one with the highest score wins that round. If you win two rounds out of three, then you win the game. Sounds good? Corinne nodded earnestly. "Okay. Thanks." Annie''s eyes reddened with anxiety. "Corinne! It was my fault! You don''t need to y with them! I''ll drink as many bottles of beer as they want!" She then thought to herself, ''I can''t let my aunt y against those three sleazebags! They''ll bully her if she loses! I don''t want that to happen..." Corinne patted Annie''s restless hand. "Shh! Be quiet, will you? It''s going to be fine." ''What do you mean it''s going to be fine! Annie wanted to call her uncle over for help, but her cell phone had been snatched by one of the men earlier! Though the contest had not yet begun, they were already surrounded by a crowd of men who came in to watch the enjoyment. Both sides had a dice cup, and Corinne''s opponent gave his cup a fancy little shake before mming it heavily on the table. He smiled confidently and asked, "Shall I?" Corinne answered politely, "Go ahead!" "How thoughtful! Don''t mind if I do then!'' The man lifted the dice cup. Of the five dice, four rolled on six, and one rolled on five. The total was 29! The audience was not too optimistic about Corinne''s end. As a young girl, they felt that she did not know how to roll dice and would have to rely on pure luck. Furthermore, the possibility of rolling five sixes at once was simply too slim! Corinne turned a deaf ear to the negativements. She shook her dice cup deftly and lifted it nonchntly. Everyone was shocked when they saw that she did get five sixes! The confident smile on her opponent''s face froze, and he did not believe that she would be that lucky. "That''s some pretty good luck you have there! On to the next round!" Both Corinne and the man rolled five sixes, which turned into a draw. As the third round began everyone watched with intrigue and were eagerly looking forward to the final result. The man rolled five sixes yet again and smiled charmingly at Corinne. "You might be lucky, but the chances of getting five sixes three times in a row are simply too slim! Since thest round was a tie, we might need to add two more rounds. Whoever gets three wins out of five will then be the winner. I''m already looking forward to spending the night with you." "This will be thest round, I''m afraid. You''ll just have to settle with disappointment," said Corinne in a t tone. She lifted the dice cup, shook it for more than 10 seconds, and mmed it on the table. When she lifted the cup, all five dice had split into half from the middle. Half had the ''six'' side up, while the other half had the ''one'' side up. The total, then, was 35! Two wins out of three secured a resounding victory for Corinne! The three yboys were dumbfounded, and there was a look of disbelief written all over their faces. They even leaned forward and looked closely just to confirm that it was the case. Everyone else was just as amazed to learn that she was so skillful despite her young age! "We won? We won!" Annie blinked in confoundment and snapped back to her senses. She leaped in joy and yelled, "Gah! We won! You''re awesome, Corinne! You''re my idol from now on!" Corinne covered her mouth sleepily and yawned. "Let''s go." Zeke watched the entire contest with gusto on the sofa not far away. He was amazed by what he saw and said, " Your girl is full of surprises, Jeremy!"Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy sat on the one-seater sofa in a majestic and royal-like posture. He took a sip from his ss of red wine and crossed his long legs gracefully. His expression was solemn, and no one could tell what he was thinking. Zeke''s remark caught Sunny''s attention, and thetter asked, "Who is she? Does Jeremy know her?" Zeke smiled and said, "That''s his wife! They just got married not too long ago. Since all of us here are like brothers, she''s technically your sister-inw too!" Sunny was taken aback as he frowned and looked at Corinne with a gleaming gaze. The curly-haired woman standing next to Jeremy''s one-seater sofa swirled the champagne in her ss and nced at Corinne from afar. A brief wisp of disdain appeared across her beautiful eyes. Corinne threw the room card back to the man and pulled Annie away. As she was about to leave, Annie suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask the man. ''Give me my phone back!" The man standing in the middle had not yete to terms with epting his loss, and the cell phone provided him with the perfect excuse. ''Tell her to y another game with me if you want it back!" Corinne could not be bothered to go at it again and said to Annie, "Let him have it. We''ll get your rich uncle to buy you a new one once we''re back home." Chapter 33 Full Chapter 33 Annie seemed to be in a dilemma and uttered, "But..." Corinne stared at her and immediately caught on. "There''s some important stuff in your phone, isn''t there?" Annie nodded embarrassedly. Corinne massaged the top of her nose bridge and turned to look at the man. "What other game do you want to y?" The man looked at Corinne''s confident expression. "Winning or losing doesn''t matter this time. We''ll spin this wheel of fortune. I''ll return her phone in exchange for you ying this game once!" Corinne looked down at the device on the table and felt that it was a particrly pointless game. "Fine. I''ll do it." The man smirked. "The rule is that you have to press the button with your eyes closed. Whatever option yound on will be my ''punishment'', and whatever option Ind on will be your ''punishment''!" Corinne frowned and objected to it a little. "Why is it that we''re choosing punishment for each other instead of for ourselves?" The man shook his head. "Because otherwise, it''ll be boring!" Corinne agreed eventually. "Fine." He invited Corinne to go first. The wheel spun rapidly, and Corinne closed her eyes before reaching out to press the button. The wheel stopped, and the punishment she hadnded on was ''kneel and p yourself 20 times''! Annie looked at the wheel andughed loudly. "You asked for it. Don''t go back on your word!" "I''m happy to ept my fate." The man shrugged. Though he was a little embarrassed, he knelt boldly and pped himself 20 times in one go. After that, it was his turn to choose a random punishment for Corinne. The wheel started to spin, and the man stared at it for a moment before closing his eyes and stretching out his hand to press the button. Annie rushed over to see what punishment he hadnded on and frowned instantly. It was [French kiss someone you know from the opposite gender for one minute]! Corinne looked at the punishment item and frowned angrily. The man smiled and said, "I''ve already pped myself, so you need to take your punishment now!" Annie could not take it anymore. "Do you know who she is? You''ve got some nerve, asking her to kiss you! I''ll have you know that she''s my uncle''s¡ª" Corinne interrupted Annie, "No problem, I''ll do it." Annie hurriedly stopped her. "Corinne, he did it on purpose! You can''t let him take advantage of you! I''d rather leave my phone with him than see you do this!" It was such a shame Corinne admitted to this game. "Come on, prettydy! I''m waiting for you!" The man opened his arms, puckered his lips, and waited for the woman to kiss him. Rather than walk toward him, she said, "The punishment is to kiss a man I know. I don''t know you." The man did not give up. "Don''t try to make excuses! Is there any other man here whom you know, aside from me?" Corinne turned around and tried to search for a man whom she knew.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. All of a sudden, Annie received a burst of hope when she finally spotted someone in the corner. She leaned over and pointed the person out to Corinne. "Look, Corinne! It''s Uncle Jeremy! He''s there! You can just kiss him!" All would be well if Corinne were to kiss him. After all, it was normal for a married couple to be intimate, and Annie did not want Corinne to be taken advantage of by that guy simply to get her cell phone back! Corinne saw Jeremy too. With him was an elegant, sexy, and curly-haired woman in a dress that revealed her cleavage. ''So he likes that kind of woman, then. I''ll only be a nuisance if I kiss him when he''s with some other woman,¡¯ Corinne thought inwardly. In addition, she had kissed him before just to get rid of the man her stepmother tried to set her up with, which resulted in her being forced into a marriage and having tomit to it for three months. Kissing him again would lead to even more disastrous consequences! She looked away and spotted the charming man downstairs who hit her up minutes ago. He stood in a quiet ce, looked at her with a kind smile, and his expression was clearly telling her, ''Sure thing. You''re more than wee toe and kiss me.'' Corinne admitted to herself that she did not find him aversive due to how well-groomed he was. ''I''ll kiss him then!'' she thought as she slowly made her way toward him. Chapter 34 ?Chapter 34 Corinne had to pass by Jeremy to reach that sexy man, and though she did not look at Jeremy, she could still feel the mixed emotionsing from his gaze. She walked over without paying attention to him, but someone stuck out their foot from nowhere and tripped her! In that split second, Corinne lost her center of gravity and fell on Jeremy¡¯s muscr chest. The rowdy onlookers fell silent for an instant, and the atmosphere turned deathly quiet. Zeke wanted to stir things up a little, so he blew a whistle that eradicated the still atmosphere. Everyone started to whisper to each other. ¡°Bold of her to choose Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she aware of who he is? How dare she touch him!¡± ¡°She seems to have done it on purpose!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Which woman in New Capital City wouldn¡¯t want to get close to Mister Jeremy?¡± ¡°I bet Mister Jeremy will shove her away. He¡¯s not the kind who¡¯ll let any random woman cop a feel of him.¡± When Corinne looked up, her ck eyshes fluttered, and she had a helpless look of embarrassment in her eyes. ¡°Mister¡­¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrows. ¡°What were you thinking of doing?¡± Corinne sighed and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, mister! I wasn¡¯t going to choose you!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes coldly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you, now?¡± Corinne nodded. "I wasn''t! The person I chose is standing over right away." She was about to get up when she heard the man running over and scolding her, "Do you have a death wish or something? How dare you touch Mister Jeremy? Get up right now so you don''t piss him off!" Corinne wanted to get up, of course, but Jeremy''s big hand suddenly pressed down on the back of her waist and stopped her from straightening herself. The mature and solemn Jeremy nced up coldly, and he stared calmly at the yboy. "And what if I don''t want her to get up?" "Ah, Mister Jeremy..." The man was stunned, and he felt a chill down his spine. Jeremy scared him to the point where he did not dare to speak. Corinne made a small gesture to Jeremy and pointed to the sexy man from downstairs. "I didn''t mean to touch you. I was going to choose that person over there. Let me go... Jeremy nced askance at the man mentioned by her, and his pupils seemed to have gone slightly dark. Corinne tried to get up once again, but she barely attempted to straighten her body when she received a strong pat on the back and fell face down again. Their lips came in contact, and her front teeth struck against his too. Jeremy had begun kissing her before she even had time to think! Corinne''s eyes widened, and her mind was a mess. Although it was unexpected, she might as well make the most of it and ignore that sexy man since Jeremy was kissing her. Corinne epted her fate and started a 60-second countdown in her heart. Her heartbeat seemed to be several times faster than the seconds she counted, and her entire body was burning hot. A minute finally passed, and Corinne was a little out of breath. She buried her head tenderly in Jeremy''s neck and took several deep breaths. She nned to wait until her blush faded since she was embarrassed to face him...Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. That was her first kiss in the true sense of the word, and although it was devoid of any emotion, it nheless made her feel a little embarrassed to have it happen in front of everyone! Jeremy could feel the shyness and embarrassment of the girl in his arms, and he stroked the back of Corinne''s head with his coarse hands as ifforting his frightened little pet. Then, the man raised his eyebrows and looked at the dumbstruck man who yed the game with Corinne earlier. "Isn''t that enough? Are you considering ying some other game? Perhaps you want me to y with you?" The man came back to his senses and waved his hands in fear. "No, not at all! I''ll leave you to it, then. I won''t bother you again!" he said, then turned around and ran away. "Stop!" Annie walked over and put her hands on her hips. The man stood in ce and asked cautiously, without any trace of his smugness from before, "What else do you need from me?" Annie stretched out her hand. "Give me my phone back!" Chapter 35 The man forgot all about it until Annie brought that up again, and he immediately called hispanion toe over and return the phone to him. After taking back her phone, Annie red at them unhappily. "Told you that Jeremy is my uncle. Do you believe me now?" "Yes, yes we do! Sorry for being so ignorant! It was our mistake!" "We swear, we didn''t know she was your niece, Mister Jeremy!" "I''m sorry! I''m really sorry!" No one would have thought that the pink-haired woman who snuck in was Jeremy''s niece. They suspected her to be some random girl who was trying to get close to him. They were lucky not to have anything disastrous happen to them after their antics! The three yboys gathered in front of Annie and bowed deeply to her and Corinne in apology. "We''re sorry! Can we please implore your good grace not to hold a grudge against us?" Annie nced at them, pointed at the door of the Snow Room, and said, "Scram. Don''t ever let me see your face again." The three men scuttled away as if they had just been pardoned from some severe crime. Corinne calmed down by then and she kept herposure while getting off of Jeremy. "You guys have fun. I''ll excuse myself now." Annie ran up to her. "Corinne! Wait for me, I''ming with you!" ?..... Corinne and Annie walked out of the Snow Room together, and Sherlyn-who had been hiding near the bathroom door---rushed out all of a sudden and stood in the way. "Hold it right there, Corinne! I have a question for you." Corinne was in a particrly bad mood and frowned in annoyance. "Out with it?" Sherlyn questioned her. "Tell me why you''re able to enter the Snow Room!" Corinne cocked her eyebrow. "Is it that difficult?" Her nonchnt attitude riled Sherlyn up even more. ''Of course, it is! Even a superstar like me isn''t allowed to enter!'' "Are you going to tell me or not?" "There''s nothing to tell." Corinne walked past her and left with Annie. Annie turned around, nced at Sherlyn, and asked Corinne, "Who''s she?" Corinne answered curtly, "A rtive."This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily, took out her cell phone, and snapped a photo of Corinne walking with the pink-haired Annie. "Fine. If I can''t get it out of you, Dad can! Just wait!" Corinne and Annie walked out of Twilight when a ck Mercedes-Benz parked in front of them. The dark window slowly lowered, revealing Jeremy''s cold side profile. "Get in the car." Corinne frowned and got into the car obediently, without making a big fuss about it. Annie wanted to get into the car too, but Tommy stopped her and said, "Miss Annie, pleasee with me. Mister Jeremy ordered me to send you home so you can reflect on your actions while you''re grounded." She frowned and had a displeased expression on her face. "Grounded? Reflect on my actions? Uncle? Uncle?! Hey!" The ck Mercedes-Benz sped off. It was all quiet inside the car, and Jeremy leaned backzily while resting his forehead on one hand. His dark eyes were brimming with a sternness that was typical of a helicopter parent. "You could''ve solved the problem easily by calling me. Why did you have to act tough?" Corinne said with a sullen face, "I don''t have your phone number." The man stretched out his big palm. "Give me your phone." Corinne took it out and gave it to him without hesitation. After Jeremy saved his number into her phone, he handed it back to her and said, "Corinne, I want you to remember that I can give you anything you ask for except my feelings, so don''t hesitate to call me the next time you encounter a problem." Corinne''s mind went nk for a moment. She turned around to look at him and sneered slightly, "Anything except your feelings, you say? Does that include the kiss from earlier too?" Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Jeremy said without the slightest change in expression, ¡°It wasn¡¯t necessary at first, but I can¡¯t let any man get close to my wife during the duration of our marriage. Walking past me to kiss another man is something that must never happen again.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes, turned her head to look at the street view outside the car window, and snorted sarcastically. ¡°That¡¯s riching from someone who didn¡¯t even lead by example. Didn¡¯t you go on a date with another woman in public?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Corinne was baffled by that remark, and her lips began to twitch. ¡°Me? Jealous? We¡¯re not even a real couple. I¡¯m only angry because you kissed me so forcefully without warning and even made me suffocate!¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrow slightly. ¡°If I remember correctly, you didn¡¯t give me a warning either when you kissed me the other day.¡± Corinne was at a loss for words and her brows had furrowed into a deep frown. ¡°Ahem! How is that the same? Mine was a peck! I didn¡¯t put my¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°Put your what?¡± His teasing tone made Corinne blush, and she could only keep her dissatisfaction to herself. ¡°Nothing!¡± In all honesty, she would rather kiss that sexy man whom she did not know well and had only met once at the bar. She could kiss him without getting any feelings involved, and it was not like they would meet again in the future. Jeremy, on the other hand, had such a great influence in the city that it was almost certain that everyone would soon find out about the kiss. In the end, it would stir up another round of gossip and misunderstandings! She wanted to spend those three months in as low-profile a manner as possible. It was better for fewer people to know about her rtionship with him. Once the three months were up, she would sever her ties with the Holdens and no longer have anything to do with them afterward. She was feeling a little annoyed with how things were developing when her phone rang all of a sudden. She nced at the caller ID and saw that it was a call from her father, Marvin. He probably only called her at that time because Sherlyn was making a fuss about something again. Corinne answered the phone, and her father¡¯s tone was as irritable as she expected. His voice was ring loud even though she did not put him on speaker. ¡°What scandalous things have you done in public, Corinne? You owe us an exnation when you get home!¡± Corinne rubbed her temples. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired today, Dad. I¡¯m only going back tomorrow.¡± Marvin yelled angrily, ¡°No! What were you up to that made you so tired? I want you back at home right this instant!¡± Corinne did not want to waste her breath, so she decided to hang up and switch off the phone. Marvin¡¯s roar could be heard clearly within the quiet car. Meanwhile, Jeremy acted as if it was no big deal as he did a quick perusal of the financial statement on his phone. He asked casually, ¡°Would you like me to apany you back home?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you over my insignificant family issue.¡± The car dropped Corinne off at the door to the Holden family home before driving away again. Jeremy did not go back home with her, which was a good thing given that Pam was at home. His absence would save both of them the trouble of having to act all lovey-dovey in front of the olddy since a small misstep might inadvertently expose their sham of a marriage. Corinne went upstairs and returned to her room. She was in a bad mood, so she switched on her computer and logged in to her game. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. A private message from one of her in-game friends popped up. [Road to Sess: (worship emoji) Master! You¡¯re finally online!] The friend with the username ¡®Road to Sess¡¯ was the same guy who hacked the entire system of Alpha Enterprises after being cheated of some game equipment by Zoey some time ago. Ever since she hacked into the AJ League to negotiate with him, he had been pestering her to teach him and insisted on calling her his master even when she had not even agreed to it yet, much to her chagrin. Corinne tapped the keyboard and replied, [What do you want?] Chapter 37 Chapter 37 [Road to Sess: (disappointed emoji) Nothing. I¡¯m in a bad mood today, so I wanted to talk to my master.] Corinne replied, [What happened?] [Road to Sess: (angry emoji) I saw my friend¡¯s love rival in Snow Room today, so I wanted to help. her vent her anger. I tried to make that woman trip so she¡¯d fall face-first into the ground in front of everyone, but that damn woman deliberately fell on the man that my friend liked and even took advantage of the moment to kiss him on the lips. I¡¯m furious!] Corinne stared lost in thought at theputer screen. The world was such a small ce, and he turned out to be the one who tripped her! Zeke and the curly-haired woman were not the only ones with Jeremy at that time. She faintly remembered another handsome young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes who was about 17 or 18 years old. That must have been ¡®Road to Sess¡¯! [Do you think there¡¯s a possibility she fell that way because of the angle you tripped her? It¡¯s not like she can control where she falls.] [Road to Sess: Hmph! I think she¡¯s a scheming b*tch! And a shameless one, too! I¡¯m positive that she threw herself on him!] Corinne could only sigh. She did not reply to that message and joined the server to relieve her boredom with some games. After winning several games in a row, Corinne clicked on a private message that she received. [Road to Sess: (pitiful emoji) Master, are you from New Capital City? Can I treat you to a meal?] Corinne replied, [Forget that idea. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be happy to see me.] [Road to Sess: (puzzled emoji) Why wouldn¡¯t I be? You¡¯re my idol! I¡¯d be happy to see my idol!] Corinne rested her chin on her palm and felt likeughing. ¡®Because I¡¯m the same person as the woman you¡¯re calling a b*tch!¡¯ she mused. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door. Corinne exited the game and went to the door to open It turned out to be Pam. ¡°Try some of the soup I made for you!¡± Behind the olddy was a maid, who was holding a delicious-smelling bowl of soup. The olddy had been cooking all sorts of food and in a variety of cooking styles too. Corinne¡¯s digestive system was practically working overtime as a result. Luckily for her, the food tasted very good, so she did not refuse either. ¡°Thanks, Grandma.¡± Corinne opened the door wide so that the olddy coulde in. Pam smiled warmly and tenderly as she watched her daughter-inw drink the soup that she made. ¡°Did youe back alone? Where¡¯s Annie?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Corinne replied truthfully, ¡°Jeremy told his special assistant Tommy to send Annie home.¡± Her answer elicited a frown from Pam. ¡°You met Jeremy?¡± Corinne nodded as she drank the soup. She was not too happy to hear that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee back with you?¡± ¡°He sent me home, but he¡¯s probably going toe homete because he¡¯s too busy with work and has a lot of things to deal with.¡± The olddy snorted resentfully, ¡°That brat. Why doesn¡¯t hee home when he already has such a beautiful wife waiting for him here?! All he knows is work! Isn¡¯t his job going to give him children?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched, and she did not know how to respond to that remark. In reality, Pam was a rather adorable old woman and was not as solemn or unapproachable compared to when they first met. Her only w was that she was a little too anxious for a grandson! Corinne returned to her home the next afternoon. As soon as Marvin saw her, he became so angry that he smashed the water ss in his hand and yelled angrily, ¡°Kneel right now, you shameless woman!¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Corinne stepped over the broken ss shards on the ground and walked up to Marvin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad? Why are you so angry?¡± Sherlyn folded her arms as she stood at one side and viciously added fuel to fire. ¡°You have the nerve to ask that? You should be well aware of what you¡¯ve done.¡± Corinne nced insipidly at Sherlyn. ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot of good deeds. Which one are you referring to?¡± Marvin had a sour expression as he asked angrily, ¡°You said you moved out because you got a job. What kind of job are you doing?¡± Corinne was at a loss for words because she did not know what was the best way to describe the work she was doing. She wondered what would be the best upation to describe ¡®pretending to be the wife of a domineering man to help him appease his elders¡¯, and whether ¡®actress¡¯ or ¡®temporary wife¡¯ would be a better job description. When Marvin saw that Corinne was having difficulty answering him, he became even angrier and said, ¡°Are you going to continue hiding it from me? How can you, a student from a famous university, decide to work as a bar hostess? Where¡¯s your shame, Corinne? Are you trying to embarrass me just because you want to anger me?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Hostess?¡¯ Corinne raised her eyebrows. Marvin ced a photo on the table that depicted her and Annie walking side by side when they were coming out of the Snow Room the previous day. Annie dyed her hair pink out of despair after getting her heart broken, and she dressed in a very revealing manner. The tremendous amount of alcohol that she drank led her to walk a little shakily, and anyone who saw her would easily mistake her for being a bar hostess, hence the reason those three men yesterday teased her publicly. It was also inevitable that those who saw them walking side-by-side would feel that they were birds of the same feather. Corinne looked at the photo, nced at Sherlyn, and said, ¡°Sherlyn showed you this photo, didn¡¯t she?¡± Sherlyn did not feel any shame and jerked her chin up as if to say, ¡®So what if it was me?¡¯ Then, her stepmother Lilliana came over and sang the same tune. ¡°Don¡¯t me your sister, Corinne. She¡¯s only doing this in the hopes that you¡¯lle back to the right path! Being a hostess might be easy money, but it¡¯s a depraving job! Sigh! How could you, Corinne¡­ Lilliana¡¯s heartbroken expression prompted Corinne to smile and say, ¡°She wants me to go back to the right path? I think she should be telling herself that.¡± Sherlyn stared at her in displeasure. ¡°What do you mean by that, Corinne? I¡¯m no bar hostess, so I¡¯m already on the right path!¡± Corinne ignored her and exined to Marvin, ¡°The pink-haired girl in the photo is a rtive of my Marvin was taken aback for a moment and was a little skeptical. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Corinne nodded firmly. ¡°I am.¡± Sherlyn did not believe it one bit and stepped forward to try and expose her. ¡°Are you still going to lie to Dad? The Snow Room at Twilight is only for senior members, and ordinary people aren¡¯t allowed to enter at all! How is it that you were able to strut in there if you didn¡¯t work as a wine hostess? Can you exin that?¡± Corinne looked at her and smiled calmly. ¡°I can go in there because myndlord is one of their senior members.¡± Sherlyn frowned and remembered having seen Corinne enter the huge home when she followed her the other day. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Sherlyn was dumbfounded. ¡®What trending searches? How am I trending when I didn¡¯t even receive any jobs recently? And I¡¯m on top of that list?¡¯ She never made it to the top of the trending list even when she had a wardrobe malfunction before! ¡®What¡¯s going on?!¡¯ A bad feeling rose in Sherlyn¡¯s heart, and she quickly took out her phone to check what happened. Sure enough, her name soared to the very top of the searches, and the apanying caption was ¡®Exposed: the man backing actress Sherlyn Carew!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s hands trembled uncontrobly as she clicked on the headline. The entry showed a video of several big shots from the entertainment circle at a certain dinner party, and there was even a GIF of her sitting in a bald man¡¯sp! ¡®How did these shady pictures go viral? Who did this? Who¡¯sunching a smear campaign against Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. me?¡± Being on the trending search meant that everyone around the world could see his daughter¡¯s scandalous behavior. Marvin felt utterly humiliated by her and said, ¡°You shameless little fool! Just look at your indecent behavior in the video!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s face turned pale, and all she could do was shake her head guiltily to deny it. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, I¡­¡± A disgusted look appeared on Marvin¡¯s face as he scolded her. ¡°What else do you have to say? You¡¯re sitting right on that old man¡¯sp! Why am I a father to such a shameless daughter!¡± Sherlyn still wanted to argue. ¡°But, Dad, I¡­ We were just talking about work¡­¡± Marvin grabbed the pressed flower decoration from the cab in a rage, threw it in Sherlyn¡¯s face, and lashed out, ¡°Work? Do you need to sit on a man¡¯sp to talk about work?!¡± Sherlyn felt that she had hit a dead end and was frightened, speechless. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Take it easy, Dad. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t do it voluntarily.¡± Corinne poured a ss of warm water for Marvin and persuaded him like a good daughter. ¡°She¡¯s just trying to be popr enough to make a name for the Carews. Those old men touched her because she¡¯s forced to let them do it!¡± Marvin became even angrier. ¡°Bah! Make a name for us? More like disgrace us! She did something so indecent and even got on the trending searches! I can¡¯t even begin to describe how ashamed I am!¡± 1 Everything could be viewed in perspective when hepared his two children. Marvin initially felt. that Corinne¡¯s decision to work as a maid was already disgraceful enough, but he finally realized how genuinely embarrassing it was after finding out that Sherlyn had done something so scandalous! By contrast, at least Corinne was working an honest job! Sherlyn did not dare to object to her father, but she showed no hesitation in making her displeasure known to Corinne. She pointed at Corinne and cursed angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t try to provoke Dad by pretending like you¡¯re a saint in front of him! I think this was all your doing! Nothing good. ever happens when you¡¯re around! You-¡± Marvin gave Sherlyn the tightest p. ¡°What gave you the right to scold your sister? You¡¯re the one drinking out there with those men, and you have the nerve toe back here andin about your sister? She¡¯s working an honest job, and she hasn¡¯t done anything unbing! Look in the mirror, Sherlyn! You¡¯re the stubborn one, and you don¡¯t seem to want to learn from your mistakes at all! I¡¯m going to teach. you a good lesson today, you shameless woman!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Sherlyn screamed, fell to the ground, and started to cry. ¡°How dare you cry!¡± Marvin was incensed, and he wanted to kick her again in a bout of anger. Lilliana saw her daughter being beaten up and ran over to stop Marvin. ¡°Stop it, Marvin! Stop hitting Sherlyn! She must have a good reason to do what she did!¡± Marvin snickered in disgust. ¡°And what good reason might that be? I think she¡¯s just doing whatever she can to climb the socialdder! Is this how you raised your daughter, Sherlyn!? The two of you are an embarrassment to the Carews! You both are going to stay at home obediently from now on. None of you are allowed to go out! That¡¯ll save me some embarrassment at least!¡± He did not want to see either of their faces and huffed coldly before going upstairs. Lilliana hurriedly helped Sherlyn up and asked heartbrokenly, ¡°Are you okay, Sherlyn?¡± Sherlyn threw herself into Lilliana¡¯s arms and wailed. ¡°How did this happen, Mom? How did the video go viral?! I¡¯m too ashamed to meet anyone anymore!¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Lillianaforted her daughter Sherlyn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sherlyn. I¡¯ll find a way to clear your name! Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Corinne stood rxedly to one side with a mocking smirk, and she even chuckled a little at the sight of Lilliana and Sherlyn in shambles. Sherlyn ceased crying the second she heard that little chuckle from Corinne. A frown appeared on her face, and she red at Corinne while pointing resentfully at her. ¡°It was you! You did this to me, Corinne!¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow and spread her hands innocently. ¡°How can a small-time maid like me be capable of doing that to you? It¡¯s expensive to pay for a headline slot in the news, and I can¡¯t afford to do that at all.¡± Indeed, money was not involved, only certain tech-savvy skills. Sherlyn nheless stared unhappily at her. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t pay for the news to be in the headlines, you came here to add fuel to the fire in front of Dad. He wouldn¡¯t have known about the news if you weren¡¯t here!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked Dad to demand that Ie home?¡± Sherlyn was speechless. Corinne then added, ¡°Well, not that it matters. He¡¯ll eventually see the news himself even if I hadn¡¯t come back today. Word of advice: if you don¡¯t want anyone to find out that you¡¯re engaging in all those shameful acts, the best thing you can do is not do them in the first ce.¡± Sherlyn was so angry that she was incapable of coherent speech and could only cry incessantly.. Lilliana could not bear to see her daughter cry like that and no longer maintain the kind expression. on her face. She said, ¡°Enough with your sarcastic remarks, Corinne! Do you think you¡¯re any better? You¡¯re a b*stard child who only acts like a good girl in front of your Dad!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me, but I know exactly what kind of despicable people you and Sherlyn are!¡± Corinne nced insipidly at them and smiled. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening to the two of you right now? Karma¡¯sing back to bite you for all the evil things you¡¯ve done!¡± said Corinne, then immediately turned around and went upstairs to look for Marvin. There were several things she wished to speak about with her father in private. Lilliana could only grit her teeth in ire as she looked at Corinne¡¯s calm figure from behind. ¡®How dare this b*tch make a fool out of us! I¡¯ll make her pay for this in the future!¡¯ Her attempts at chasing Corinne out of the Carew home had never been sessful. Though the Carews were not a very wealthy family, their ancestors divided a lot of real estate between them, and collecting the rent from all that property was more than enough to sustain their family for their entire life. Lilliana, however, could not stand to see an illegitimate child like Corinne getting a share of the spoils! She initially wanted to marry Corinne off as soon as possible so that Corinne would take the husband¡¯s surname and lose all rights to inherit the family property. s, all her ns to get Corinne to go on a blind date had been a failure, thus dying the possibility of marrying Corinne off. Lilliana felt that it was about time she figured out some other way to deal with Corinne as soon as possible, because keeping her around would bring even more misfortune to them! Marvin was fuming by himself in the study when someone knocked suddenly on the door. He immediately scolded them, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me,¡± came Corinne¡¯s tender voice. Marvin¡¯s anger was slightly quelled. ¡°Corinne? Come in.¡± Corinne gently pushed open the door of the study and walked in with a painting. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Lillianaforted her daughter Sherlyn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sherlyn. I¡¯ll find a way to clear your name! Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Corinne stood rxedly to one side with a mocking smirk, and she even chuckled a little at the sight of Lilliana and Sherlyn in shambles. Sherlyn ceased crying the second she heard that little chuckle from Corinne. A frown appeared on her face, and she red at Corinne while pointing resentfully at her. ¡°It was you! You did this to me, Corinne!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Corinne cocked an eyebrow and spread her hands innocently. ¡°How can a small-time maid like me be capable of doing that to you? It¡¯s expensive to pay for a headline slot in the news, and I can¡¯t afford to do that at all.¡± Indeed, money was not involved, only certain tech-savvy skills. Sherlyn nheless stared unhappily at her. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t pay for the news to be in the headlines, you came here to add fuel to the fire in front of Dad. He wouldn¡¯t have known about the news if you weren¡¯t here!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked Dad to demand that Ie home?¡± Sherlyn was speechless. Corinne then added, ¡°Well, not that it matters. He¡¯ll eventually see the news himself even if I hadn¡¯t come back today. Word of advice: if you don¡¯t want anyone to find out that you¡¯re engaging in all those shameful acts, the best thing you can do is not do them in the first ce.¡± Sherlyn was so angry that she was incapable of coherent speech and could only cry incessantly.. Lilliana could not bear to see her daughter cry like that and no longer maintain the kind expression. on her face. She said, ¡°Enough with your sarcastic remarks, Corinne! Do you think you¡¯re any better? You¡¯re a b*stard child who only acts like a good girl in front of your Dad!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me, but I know exactly what kind of despicable people you and Sherlyn are!¡± Corinne nced insipidly at them and smiled. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening to the two of you right now? Karma¡¯sing back to bite you for all the evil things you¡¯ve done!¡± said Corinne, then immediately turned around and went upstairs to look for Marvin. There were several things she wished to speak about with her father in private. Lilliana could only grit her teeth in ire as she looked at Corinne¡¯s calm figure from behind. ¡®How dare this b*tch make a fool out of us! I¡¯ll make her pay for this in the future!¡¯ Her attempts at chasing Corinne out of the Carew home had never been sessful. Though the Carews were not a very wealthy family, their ancestors divided a lot of real estate between them, and collecting the rent from all that property was more than enough to sustain their family for their entire life. Lilliana, however, could not stand to see an illegitimate child like Corinne getting a share of the spoils! She initially wanted to marry Corinne off as soon as possible so that Corinne would take the husband¡¯s surname and lose all rights to inherit the family property. s, all her ns to get Corinne to go on a blind date had been a failure, thus dying the possibility of marrying Corinne off. Lilliana felt that it was about time she figured out some other way to deal with Corinne as soon as possible, because keeping her around would bring even more misfortune to them! Marvin was fuming by himself in the study when someone knocked suddenly on the door. He immediately scolded them, ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me,¡± came Corinne¡¯s tender voice. Marvin¡¯s anger was slightly quelled. ¡°Corinne? Come in.¡± Corinne gently pushed open the door of the study and walked in with a painting. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Marvin had a gloomy expression and was still somewhat angry because the scandal Involving his eldest daughter Sherlyn had be a trending topic. Corinne walked over slowly and persuaded him softly, ¡°Dad, your health will be affected if you get. angry. Don¡¯t worry so much about that whole incident with Sherlyn. I¡¯m sure a lot of people will forget about it once all the fanfare dies down.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± At the end of the day, Corinne was the more honest and sensible daughter, which saved Marvin from worrying too much about her. Many things had not gone smoothly for Marvin in recent days, and he frowned before asking, ¡°Is there something you want to talk to me about?¡± Corinne nodded and put the painting she was holding on the table. ¡°Take a look at this painting, Dad¡­¡± she said while gently tearing off the kraft paper covering the painting. The piece¡¯s magnificent, artistic beauty soon came into view. She had brought with her ¡®Geese in Late Autumn-one of her mother¡¯s posthumously published works- which Jeremy had given her some time ago. As soon as Marvinid eyes on the painting, he was taken aback for a moment and asked excitedly, ¡°Corinne! This painting is Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s posthumous work ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯! Rumor has it that it was recently sold to a mysterious buyer at a super high price of seven and a half million! Where did you get it? Is it genuine?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Corinne answered. ¡°The person who bought this painting was my current employer at the house where I¡¯m working as a maid. I happened to save his grandmother¡¯s life that day, so he gave me this painting as a token of his gratitude.¡± Marvin had an incredulous expression on his face! ¡°Your employer bought that painting for such a high price and decided to just give it to you for free?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s very rich, and he loves his grandmother dearly too. Seven and a half million is nothing to him.¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve never dreamed that something like that would happen!¡± eximed Marvin, and he then stretched out his hand to gently caress the painting. There was a sense of yearning and despair as if he had recalled something from the past. Corinne observed the changes in her father¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Dad¡­ Nellie Nymphaea is my mother¡¯s pen name, am I right?¡± Marvin stiffened. He raised his head suddenly, then turned to Corinne and looked at her in shock.¡± You¡­ How did you know?¡± Corinne answered calmly, ¡°I can vaguely recall certain memories from when I was still a child, and the name Nellie Nymphaea somehow rang a bell to me. Iter found a photo of my mother at home, and I saw the name Nellie Nymphaea at the back of the photo. I noticed that my mother¡¯s handwriting is the same as Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s signature.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s how she found out¡­¡¯ Since there was no point in hiding It, Marvin sighed and admitted, ¡± You¡¯re correct. Nellie Nymphaea is your mother.¡± Corinne knew she was right a long time ago and tentatively said, ¡°Dad, I realize that some of her so - called posthumous works look more like new paintings, instead of old works that were published posthumously. Do you think perhaps Mom is still alive?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± That remark seemed to have incited something in Marvin, and he interrupted her sternly, ¡°Your mother passed away when you were very young! The works you mentioned that look. like new paintings were probably someone else trying to imitate her style and pass their work off as hers. And another thing: you¡¯re not allowed to tell anyone else that your mother is Nellie Nymphaea! Do you understand?¡±. Corinne frowned in confusion. ¡°Why? Why can¡¯t I mention anything about Mom?¡± Marvin remained speechless for some time. He looked at Corinne with aplicated look in his eyes and kept quiet for a bit longer before saying angrily, ¡°Your mother wasn¡¯t my wife, so it won¡¯t do you any good to tell people that she¡¯s your mother. You wouldn¡¯t want them going around telling the whole world you¡¯re my illegitimate daughter!¡± Marvin would sidestep her question and change the subject whenever Corinne asked him about her mother, which led her to believe that there had to be some sort of dark secret. Although Corinne¡¯s memory of her mother was vague, she could roughly remember that her mother was a cold and proud woman, and by that logic, it was impossible that she would stoop so low as to be someone else¡¯s mistress. Corinne never believed in that ¡®mistress¡¯ designation given to her mother by her rtives. If indeed her mother had passed away, she was no less determined on finding out the truth and clearing her mother¡¯s name. After leaving the painting to Marvin for safekeeping, Corinne said goodbye and left. She could tell that Marvin still thought fondly of her mother, and she was certain that Marvin would take good care of her mother¡¯s posthumous piece. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Corinne was not worried that Lilliana and Sherlyn would destroy the painting, mainly because Marvin was always very secretive about Nellie Nymphaea, and they were thus unaware that she was Corinne¡¯s mother. Even if they did find out the truth, Corinne was certain that they would not do anything to her mother¡¯s painting. After all, Lilliana and Sherlyn might not like her mother, but they loved riches and would probably be more than happy to be given something of such value. Corinne went out of her home, walked to a nearby bus stop, and began to wait for a bus back to the Holden home. As she waited for the bus, a ck car slowly drove over and stopped in front of her. It was none other than Jeremy¡¯s vehicle. ¡®D*mn it, why do I always have to run into him outside?¡¯ Is the world too small, or did he just happen to be wherever she went? Tommy got down from the front passenger seat and opened the rear seat door for her. He then said respectfully, ¡°Please get in the car, Miss Corinne. Mister Jeremy sent me here to pick you up.¡± When Corinne saw that Jeremy was not in the car, she immediately understood that it was not a chance encounter. She frowned unhappily and asked Tommy, ¡°How does he know I¡¯m here? Did he send you to follow me?¡± ¡®Is he worried that I¡¯d make a run for it or something?¡¯ she thought. Tommy replied with a serious face, ¡°When you answered the call yesterday and said that you were going back home, Mister Jeremy instructed me toe here and wait for you.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. I forgot about that.¡± Corinne knew that she had no choice but to get in the car, so she cooperated with him and asked, ¡°Where will I be sent to today?¡± Tommy sat back in the front passenger seat, turned his head around, and replied earnestly, ¡°Hel wants me to pick you up and send you to have a meal with him before the two of you go home together.¡± Corinne had a shocked expression and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with him? Did he take the wrong medicine today or something? I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d one day invite me to have a meal with him.¡± Tommy¡¯s expression became sullen in response, and the corners of his mouth began to twitch. He was a little used to her reckless remarks and actions and thus exined in a business-like manner, ¡°Well, the olddy called him today andshed out at him for leaving you alone at home all the time, so¡­¡± ¡®Oh, I see! I knew he was never sincere in wanting to invite me over for a meal!¡¯ Corinne cocked her eyebrows. ¡°What are we eating again?¡± Tommy answered politely, ¡°French cuisine. I wonder it¡¯s to your liking-¡± Corinne rejected it without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s not! Tell him that I want some Asian food!¡± Tommy was taken aback, and his lips began twitching uncontrobly. ¡°I¡­ Umm¡­ I¡¯ll tell him now, Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. then.¡± ¡®This woman sure is different from the others! Any ordinary woman would kill to get a chance to have a meal with Jeremy, and they wouldn¡¯t even dare to be so picky over what type of cuisine. they would be having. How could she demand to eat Asian cuisine with him?¡± As far as Tommy was concerned, Jeremy had never eaten Asian food in his entire life! Chapter 44 Chapter 44 At the entrance of the Asian restaurant, Jeremy strode out of the car with Corinne by his side before walking into the restaurant. Tommy respectfully stood by the car and stared incredulously at Jeremy from behind. After Corinne suggested that they get some Asian food, he casually called Jeremy to inform him of Corinne¡¯s request. Little did he expect that Jeremy would agree to cancel the reservation at the French restaurant and change the venue to an Asian restaurant. His attitude toward Corinne seemed to be different from most. However, the more important issue was whether or not Asian cuisine even suited his taste pte. The aroma in the Asian restaurant was characteristically rich and spicy. Corinne had chosen a seat by the window, and she held a pen while browsing through the menu. Then, she raised her head and asked, ¡°Do you take spicy food?¡± Jeremy, who was sitting opposite her, nodded slightly. ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne grunted in response and chose two spicy soups. The tables in the restaurant were very close to each other, and the chatter from the next table could be heard very clearly. ¡°Look! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Yeah, he is!¡± ¡°Is that his girlfriend sitting opposite him? She¡¯s got good looks too, but she seems to be much younger than the man!¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s his sister!¡± ¡°Man, I¡¯m so jealous! I wish I had such a handsome brother!¡± ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want him to be my brother. I much prefer having a husband as handsome as him!¡± Jeremy stood out like a sore thumb, for it was out of ce for such a handsome man in a well- fitting suit to grace a smoky Asian restaurant with his elegance. It was inevitable, then, that the female diners at the nearby tables would get infatuated with him. He disliked the noisiness there. and nced across the surroundings with a solemn face. ¡°Don¡¯t they have any quieter private rooms here?¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow and said with a smile, ¡°No one eats this kind of food in a private room. Authentic Asian cuisine can only be enjoyed in a lively environment!¡± Jeremy could only look at her. He neither understood her nor wanted to make any effort to understand her, so he just let her be. Corinne handed over the menu to him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finished ordering, mister. Is there anything else you¡¯d like to add?¡¯ Jeremy reached out to take the menu and immediately handed it to the waitress. He said softly to her, ¡°A bottle of mineral water, please.¡± The young waitress was staring all googly-eyed at the man¡¯s handsome face and was on the verge of drooling. It was not until he gave her an impatient look that she was frightened back to her senses and felt a chill down her spine. She took the order quickly and smiled awkwardly,¡± Ahem¡­ Alright, sir. It¡¯ll be sent over soon.¡± After the blushing waitress left, Corinne took out her phone and yed some mobile games while waiting for the dishes to be served. There was nothing inmon between them anyway, so there was no point in having a conversation. Momentster, someone knocked on the window. Corinne turned around and saw Annie standing right outside. She was stering her face on the ss window, and she looked at them in shock and surprise. Another two people were spotted beside Annie-one was the beautiful curly-haired woman who was with Jeremy in Twilight¡¯s Snow Room, and the other was her online ¡®friend¡¯ who tripped her that day. Before long, Annie ran excitedly into the restaurant and went up to their table. ¡°Uncle! It is you! I thought I was seeing things! I never thought you¡¯d set foot into this sort of restaurant and eat this sort of cuisine!¡± Jeremy looked sternly at Corinne and raised his chin slightly. ¡°It was her choice.¡± Though his tone was insipid and there was nothing out of the ordinary with what he said, the young man and the curly-haired woman who came in after Annie simultaneously had a look of surprise. They thought to themselves, ¡®He lowered his standards and ate in this ce just because she said she wanted to? Has she be someone important to him?¡¯This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Annie looked at Corinne with admiration and adtion. ¡°I was right to make you my goddess! You¡¯re the only person who can bring my uncle down from his ivory tower to experience the wonders of this world!¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she smiled stiffly. It was not so much her ability as it was the agreement that existed between them. Since he needed her to cooperate in being affectionate in front of his grandmother, he had no choice but to be magnanimous and invite her to a meal. Jeremy shot Annie a cold look. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to reflect on your mistakes at home? Who said you coulde out?¡± Annie pouted and stuck out her tongue. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay at home and spend my time reflecting on it! Isn¡¯t it depressing enough for me to get cheated on and have my wedding ruined? How could you bring yourself to have me lock myself up at home and reflect on it!¡± Jeremy ignored her protests and looked at the two people beside her. Sunny looked at Jeremy respectfully and greeted him. ¡°Hello, Jeremy.¡± Jeremy nodded slightly, as if to acknowledge his greeting. ¡°How did the three of you end up together? Where have all of you been?¡± The curly-haired woman smiled warmly and tucked her hair behind her ears as she came forward. Sunny and I went shopping and ran into Annie there.¡± Jeremy closed his eyes, responded with a soft grunt, and said nothing else. The curly-haired woman looked at the freshly-served food on the table and said enthusiastically, You two seem to have just started eating, and we happen to be searching for a ce to eat too. May we join in?¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Rather than answering them, Jeremy looked at Corinne as if to get her opinion. Corinne was concentrating on her food when she realized that he was looking at her. She immediately understood what he was trying to imply and said indifferently, ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t mind!¡± He was paying, after all, and she was only there to fill her tummy. Whether or not they joined did not matter to her. After Corinne made her stance known, Jeremy nodded and said, ¡°Have a seat then.¡± The curly-haired woman was startled to see their interaction, and her expression sank right then. Annie sat down enthusiastically next to Corinne, while the curly-haired woman casually took her seat next to Jeremy. Since the table was meant for four, Sunny had to sit on the chair that the waitress brought over. After ordering some more food, the curly-haired woman greeted Corinne with a smile. ¡°Hi there, Corinne. My name is Rosie Sutton, and I¡¯ve been friends with Jeremy for many years.¡± Corinne drank some water and nodded. ¡°Hi, nice to meet you.¡± Annie pestered Corinne like a little girl and asked, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask yesterday but didn¡¯t get a chance to. How are you so good at dice games? Did you learn it before? It¡¯s super amazing!¡± Before Corinne could even say anything, Sunny let out a disdainful snort. ¡°Tch! You¡¯re calling her your goddess just because she¡¯s good at rolling dice! What sort of admiration is that, Annie?¡± Annie frowned unhappily and red at Sunny, ¡°She is and always will be my queen! Why do you even care so much about it? If you think you¡¯re better than me, then why don¡¯t you tell me who your goddess is?¡± Sunny waggled his eyebrows proudly. ¡°Have you heard of Jade Rabbit, one of the two top hackers in the world? She¡¯s my goddess, and I¡¯m going to make her my wife too! She¡¯ll be mine, and I¡¯ll dote on her to high heaven!¡± When Corinne heard that, she choked up and coughed violently, almost slice that she stuffed into my mouth. Annie panicked. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Jeremy, who was having a conversation with Rosie, heard Corinne¡¯s coughing and looked over suddenly. He frowned, ced a tissue in front of her mouth, and asked her to spit out what was in her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t wolf down all the food in such a rush. No one¡¯s going to snatch it from you.¡± The man¡¯s tone was harsh, as if he was lecturing his children. Rosie was taken aback. She had never seen Jeremy caring so much for a woman. Sunny frowned and had a look of contempt. ¡°She¡¯s just pretending!¡± Rosie shot back at him and said, ¡°How can you say that? She¡¯s really choking!¡± Sunny downyed her remark. ¡°What¡¯s there to choke on Asian food? I think she¡¯s just putting on an act and making a mountain out of a molehill!¡± Rosie was helpless. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so mean¡­¡± Corinne wiped her mouth, got up, and said, ¡°Excuse me while I go to the bathroom.¡± Rosie then stood up and followed her. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, Corinne!¡± Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°I¡¯ming along, Corinne!¡± said Annie as she stood up to follow Corinne. Sunny put his legs up on the seat, deliberately stopping Annie from following Corinne and Rosie, much to Annie¡¯s chagrin. ¡°Sunny, what¡¯s wrong with you? Move!¡± Annie rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Uncle, look at him¡­¡± Jeremy slowly averted his gaze from Corinne¡¯s back and gave Annie and Sunny a cold nce. Instantly, both of them fell silent. In the washroom. After Corinne was done, she left the cubicle to go wash her hands. Rosie, seeing hering out, went over to pass Corinne her jacket. She sheepishly said, ¡°Corinne, can you please hold on to my jacket? I just realized there¡¯s no hook to hang the jacket.¡± Corinne nodded. She drew out some tissues to wipe her hands dry before taking Rosie¡¯s jacket. After a while, Rosie came out from the cubicle. As she washed her hand, she looked at Corinne apologetically. ¡°Sunny has always been a bbermouth child since he was a kid. I hope you won¡¯t take it into your heart by what he said just now.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows. ¡°Huh? What did he say?¡± Rosie was baffled for a moment by her behavior, but she smiled immediately. ¡°It¡¯s good to know it didn¡¯t bother you. Hey, I didn¡¯t know you had such a good temper.¡± Corinne curled up her lips into a smile. ¡°Really? You¡¯re ttering me.¡± There was nothing to be upset about when an unimportant person said something that was not important to her at all. Rosie looked different from the way she dressed upst night in Twilight. Her style was more. casual and daily-looking today. She had a morous type of face, and her makeup was very intricate today. ¡®She must be the one ¡®Road To Sess¡¯ mentioned. Because of her, Sunny tripped me yesterday, and I ended up falling onto Mister. But if Rosie likes Jeremy and Jeremy likes her in return too, why didn¡¯t he marry her? I just don¡¯t understand,¡¯ she thought. Rosie had finished washing her face. When she was reaching for the tissues, she identally knocked the tissue box, and it ended up falling into the rubbish bin. She sighed awkwardly. ¡°Oh no! Those tissues have be dirty. Corinne, can you please hold my jacket for a while longer? My hands are still wet.¡± It was not a huge problem for Corinne. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± When Corinne and Rosie were back at the table, Jeremy was not there. Annie and Sunny were still bickering at each other. Rosie looked around and asked curiously, ¡°Hey, why are you two the only ones left? Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± Annie answered, ¡°It was too noisy, so Uncle Jeremy went out to talk on the phone.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Rosie looked out the window like she was trying to find where Jeremy was. On the other hand, Corinne did not care and went back to her seat to continue eating. After a while, all of them were nearly done, but Jeremy was not back yet. Annieined about the heat in the restaurant and suggested going out to look for Jeremy. Everyone agreed with the suggestion and decided to leave the restaurant when¡­ Rosie, putting on her jacket, reached into her pocket, and her expression contorted. ¡°Oh no, my watch is missing!¡± Annie helped to look at the table and also under it. ¡°It¡¯s not on the table or under the table. Rosie, did you remember wrongly? Maybe you didn¡¯t bring it out with you today?¡± Rosie shook her head firmly. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure I was wearing it just now. It was in the way when we were having dinner, so I took it off and put it into the pocket of my jacket. ¡°What should I do¡­? I don¡¯t mind if it was something else other than that watch. The watch is really important to me. It was thest birthday present my grandfather gave to me before he passed away!¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Annie felt bad and sympathized with Rosie. ¡°What? Don¡¯t panic. We¡¯ll find that watch together!¡± Corinne squinted upon realizing where the situation could be headed to. Sunny also joined the search. All of a sudden, he remembered something and red at Corinne suspiciously. He questioned, ¡°Hey, weren¡¯t you the one holding Rosie¡¯s jacket when both of you. went to the washroom?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, I did. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sunny looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Then give Rosie back her watch now!¡± There was not even a change in Corinne¡¯s expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t take it. How am I going to give it back to her?¡± Sunny grabbed her arms and treated her like a thief, preventing her from running away. ¡°You were the only one who held Rosie¡¯s jacket. If you didn¡¯t take it, who did?¡± Corinne remained calm. ¡°She asked me to help her hold on to it when we were in the washroom. I only agreed to help her due to that.¡± Sunny snorted sarcastically. ¡°Then you took the chance and stole the watch from one of the pockets!¡± With a calm face, she insisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Obviously, Sunny did not believe her and started to act aggressively. ¡°Your words mean nothing. Let us search your body and belongings if you didn¡¯t steal the watch!¡± Annie, displeased by this, ran over to push Sunny away. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! Why did Corinne need to steal the watch? It¡¯s just a watch. Uncle Jeremy will buy it for her if she really likes it!¡± Sunny snorted disdainfully. ¡°Then she should agree with the search to prove her innocence!¡± ¡°No! Who gives you the right to do a search on her? It¡¯s pure humiliation standing in front of Corinne and was determined to stop Sunny. Corinne was the one who risked her life to save her yesterday in Twilight. It was her turn to protect Corinne today! Since Sunny thought Annie was in the way and was an obstruction, he tried to pull her to the sides. It became a tug-of-war between the two of them. As a result, Corinne got pushed back and she stumbled¡­ Clink! All of a sudden, an item dropped on the floor. Sunny let go of Annie and picked up the item that was beside Corinne¡¯s foot. His eyes widened.¡± What is this? you didn¡¯t steal it? How could you do it? Do you think you¡¯re worthy to be Jeremy¡¯s wife?¡± Rosie was in disbelief as she looked at Corinne. ¡°Corinne¡­ You took it?¡± Corinne had no idea where the watch fell off her body. She furrowed her brows and looked at Rosie. Her lips were curled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know it better than me if I took it¡­or you put it on me, don¡¯t you?¡± Rosie put on an innocent-looking face. ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I do such a thing?¡± Enraged, Sunny rebuked Corinne, saying, ¡°That¡¯s enough of you! Everyone saw the watch drop from your body. It doesn¡¯t matter that you deny it. Why do you have to nder Rosie?¡± The diners in the restaurant came over to watch what was happening. They pointedly red at Corinne and criticized her. ¡°Weren¡¯t they eating together? Why is she stealing from her friends?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like a person who will do that kind of thing!¡± ¡°Hey, we shouldn¡¯t judge a person by her cover.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± rang a stern voice. With Jeremy back in the restaurant, the temperature of the restaurant turned down a little. His vibe was too strong. The crowd automatically moved aside to make way for him. Annie ran towards him. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, you¡¯re back! Sunny insisted that Corinne stole Rosie¡¯s watch, and he even wanted to do a search on her!¡± Sunny was unafraid, however, and held the evidence up in the sky. ¡°Jeremy, I didn¡¯t use her! Rosie¡¯s watch dropped from her. Everyone here saw it!¡± Jeremy looked at the watch and tilted his head to look at Corinne with a weird look. With a stern voice, he asked, ¡°Did you take it?¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡®Does that mean Mister suspects I stole the watch like Sunny and the other people, too?¡¯ Corinne thought. Come to think of it, they were not a real couple; trust never existed between them. Despite feeling a little disappointed, she did not care too much about it. She shook her head and answered calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it.¡± No one could tell what Jeremy was feeling because of his cold expression. He responded calmly,¡± Alright, then. Let¡¯s go.¡± The strong smell of food in the restaurant was making him ufortable, and he did not feel like staying for longer. Sunny was shocked to hear Jeremy saying they were leaving. He frowned vehemently as he found it hard to ept having things ended this way. He swiftly ran over and spread his arms to stop. Jeremy from leaving. ¡°Jeremy, why are you believing her when she was caught red-handed?¡± Jeremy¡¯s long eyes squinted. ¡°The watch didn¡¯t go missing, did it now? What else do you want her to do?¡± Sunny stubbornly argued, ¡°But she¡¯s a thief! How could you allow this thief to be with you?¡± Jeremy was evidently displeased by Sunny¡¯s words, and his Sunny¡¯s back stiffened, and all of a sudden, he was afraid to fear because he thought he was a righteous person. Stubbornly, he pointed at Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s¡­her¡­¡± At this point, Jeremy¡¯s face looked borderline cynical. ¡°Say that again.¡± Rosie quickly approached them and consoled softly, ¡°Sunny, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t dwell on it anymore. Besides, I¡¯m embarrassed that everyone¡¯s upset just because of my watch.¡± She took the watch from Sunny¡¯s hand and walked over to if you like this watch, I can give it to you.¡± She pulled Corinne¡¯s hand and put the watch on Corinne¡¯s wrist. With a bright and friendly smile, she said, ¡°Here, you go. Think of it as a present tomemorate our first meeting.¡± Sunny furrowed his eyebrows and said unhappily, She gave him a helpless look. ¡°Sunny, don¡¯t say that. I trust Corinne didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡± Sunny was feeling sorry for her and murmured, ¡°Rosie, you¡¯re too kind.¡± Corinne looked down at the watch on her wrist. It was feminine watch. There were even a fewrge diamonds iid on the dial. Chapp She smiled joyfully like she had gotten a treasure. While she admired and touched the watch, she looked at Rosie. ¡°Are you sure? Didn¡¯t you say this was thest gift your grandfather gave to your before he passed away? Are you giving me such an important watch?¡± Rosie thought Corinne was just like any othermoner who never owned anything expensive, so she smiled. ¡°Of course! Although this watch is very important to me, I¡¯m happy to give it to you. I think we can get along very well. Giving the watch to you is also anothermemoration for me!¡± Corinne chuckled and raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll take your gift, then.¡± Sunny loathed Corinne¡¯s attitude and snorted, ¡°Are you seriously epting it?¡± She nced at him and ignored him. As she waved her hand that had the watch on, she raised her head and asked Jeremy, ¡°Honey, will you buy this watch for me if I like it?¡± It caught Jeremy by surprise when Corinne called him her honey. He was quite thrilled with it. His brows lifted, and he looked at her rather pleasantly. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± Corinne nodded satisfyingly. A secondter, she took off the watch carefully and ¡­ threw it into the soup they did not finish. Everyone was shocked by her action, especially since that watch was an expensive watch from use! Rosie panicked. ¡°My watch!¡± Sunny was infuriated. ¡°Corinne, what did you do?!¡± Peacefully as she was, she drew out some tissues to wipe her wrist and every finger that touched the watch like she had touched something disgusting. After that, she threw away the tissues and said to Jeremy, ¡°Honey, you don¡¯t have to buy me a watch anymore. Just help me to pay back. Miss Sutton¡¯s watch to her.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Without stopping, she turned around and left the restaurant. Rosie¡¯s friendly facade fell at that moment as she said angrily, ¡°Jeremy, how could Corinne do that?¡±. Jeremy looked at Corinne leaving dashingly and felt rather satisfied. His expression hardened, however, as he turned to look at Rosie. He said, ¡°She¡¯s too childish, Why- don¡¯t you tell Tommy how much the watch is, and he¡¯ll transfer ten times the amount back to you. for the watch.¡± Rosie was stunned and hurt. ¡°Jeremy, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years. You know I don¡¯t care about money! The watch means a lot to more. Isn¡¯t Corinne a little too much?¡± Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Jeremy squinted. ¡°Then why did you give such an important item to someone else so easily? Since you¡¯ve gifted it out, it¡¯s up to her how she wants to deal with it.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Rosie¡¯s face contorted in pain. At this point, Sunny still sided with Rosie. ¡°Jeremy, that woman is-¡± Sunny ceased when Jeremy looked at him with an unforgiving gaze. ¡°And you! If you ever dare to talk badly about my wife to me ever again, don¡¯t even try to call me next time,¡± Jeremy warned. ¡®Wife? Jeremy calls Corinne his wife?!¡¯ Sunny was dumbstruck. With that, Jeremy left the restaurant. Sunny gripped his fists tightly and asked, dissatisfied, ¡°If Corinne is your wife, what about my sister?¡± Jeremy stopped walking, but he did not respond. After that, he quickly strode to chase after Corinne. Annie finally regained her senses and chased after them. ¡°Uncle Jeremy! Corinne! Wait for me!¡± Rosie and Sunny both had terrible looks on their faces. The people continued to discuss the incident. Sunny stared at them angrily and snapped, ¡°What are all of you looking at? Go eat!¡± Annie was sent home first. Without the bbermouth, the car was awfully quiet. Corinne wound down the window to feel the night breeze. ¡°That watch costs one hundred and fifty thousand dors.¡± Jeremy broke the silence. Corinne snorted at Jeremy¡¯s words. ¡°My innocence is priceless.¡± He curled his lips. ¡°So I¡¯m the one owing you now? Her eyes widened as she looked at him. ¡°Mister, did you suspect I stole Rosie¡¯s watch, too?¡± He narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Is it important whether or not I suspect you¡¯re the thief?¡± She frowned. ¡°Even though this is a forged wedding, we¡¯re still a team! I think we should at least have the courtesy to trust each other. Otherwise, it¡¯s going to be hard teaming up.¡± He nodded with a weird smile. ¡°Yes, you got a point on that. But I never suspected you today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her eyes shone at his words, but she somehow did not believe them. He stretched his hand to smooth her hair tousled by the breeze. ¡°If you like money, I have more valuables in the house. You could¡¯ve easily taken them. There¡¯s no need for you to steal from other people.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°What if I take away the valuables Unlike his usual cold expression, he was soft and tolerating. ¡°The items in the house are too old; there¡¯s nothing precious lying around there. Just tell me what you want and I¡¯ll get people to buy new ones for you.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. He did mention he could give me anything I want other than love in these three. months. So he¡¯s serious about it!¡¯ she thought. After a sigh, she said, ¡°I just want to end these three months as soon as possible.¡± His gaze darkened, and the unhappy feeling had him narrowing his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that you have to spend the next three months with me.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s too much of a fuss. There are too many troubles with the rich, and I don¡¯t want to get myself involved in any of it.¡± Squinting, his gaze trained on Corinne, who was feeling troubled. A distressed feeling appeared in his heart. ¡®Does this girl really hate my family?¡± Ding, ding! Out of the blue, Corinne received a text message. She took out her phone to take a look. It was a text message from an unknown number. [If you don¡¯t wish to expose your rtionship with Mister Jeremy,e meet me at the coffee. shop near the Starry Bridge at 3 p.m. tomorrow.] There was a photo of her sitting across from Jeremy in the restaurant when it was just the two of them. From the angle of the photo, it looked like it was taken outside of the restaurant. Corinne furrowed her eyebrows and wondered who it could be. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 The next day, Corinne arrived at the coffee shop near Starry Bridge at 3 p.m. as she was told. The coffee shop had a simple and elegant design. It was very quiet. There were only a couple and a man with sses busy working with hisptop in the shop. After picking a ce to sit down, she ordered a cup of coffee and a dessert. As she was enjoying her dessert, she started to monitor the people around her. The couple looked like they were on a blind date as they politely asked about each other¡¯s favorites and hobbies. There was nothing suspicious about them. The man with the sses was tapping nonstop on the keyboard, and his eyes never left the screen. Who sent her the text message? Could they not have arrived? ¡°Corinne!¡± She looked up when she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Mister Richard?¡± It was her boss, Richard Channing from when she was working as an intern at Alpha Enterprises. Richard had gotten fatter. Corinne felt like she could feel oil squeezing out of his face when Richard smiled. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s been quite some time since west met.¡¯ As a matter of fact, it was only a couple of days since shest worked at Alpha Enterprises. ¡®Was Richard the one who sent me the text?¡¯ she wandered. In an attempt to find out, she asked, ¡°Mister Richard, why are you here?¡± Richard sat down cheerfully. ¡°You don¡¯t have to guess it anymore. I was the one who was looking for you.¡± Corinne picked up her coffee to take a sip. ¡°So it was you who sent me that text after all.¡± Richard nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I know about you and Mister Jeremy.¡± She raised her eyebrow. ¡°So?¡± He smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie to you. I was fired because Mister Jeremy refused to cooperate in a new project with Alpha Enterprises. I think you¡¯re partly responsible for that.¡± Corinne disagreed. ¡°I¡¯m partly responsible? Did you get your facts right? From what I know, I was the innocent scapegoat when thepany system was hacked because your rtive, the girl called Zoey Firwood, yed a game on thepany¡¯sputer. How dare youe find me being ountable when I didn¡¯t request you to prove my innocence?¡± Richard was stunned. He did not know Corinne knew every detail that happened in thepany after she got fired. As awkward as he could be, he coughed and said, ¡°Ahem, ahem! It¡¯s in the past. It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s responsible for that anymore. Hey, do you know how hard it is for me to be promoted to a managerial role? It¡¯s very hard for me to find a good job at my age now. I have a family to feed-¡± It was tiring for Corinne to hear Richardining, so she interrupted him, ¡°Mister Richard, please get to the point!¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Since Corinne had said that, Richard quickly said his mind, ¡°I saw you getting into Mister Jeremy¡¯s car that day, and I saw you eating with him again yesterday. So I know you must have a very ambiguous rtionship with Mister Jeremy. I¡¯m hoping you can help me with a favor.¡± This intrigued Corinne. She asked curiously, ¡°How can I help you?¡± Richard smiled impishly. ¡°Your words should have some weight with Mister Jeremy. All you have to do is ask Mister Jeremy to agree to coborate with Alpha Enterprises. Mister Alfred will reinstate my position then!¡± Finally, Corinne understood. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Richard was very confident. He squinted and warned her, ¡°I did some research and found out Mister Jeremy had just married. What would you say if Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife found out about you, Mister Jeremy¡¯s lover? What do you think it¡¯s going to happen to you?¡± Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¡®Lover?¡¯ Corinne was dumbstruck. After a while, realization clicked in her mind, and she nearly chuckled.¡± Oh, I don¡¯t know. His wife might try to give me a hard time!¡± Richard snorted confidently. ¡°You bet! If you want me to keep this a secret, you have to think of a way to make Mister Jeremy agree to work with Alpha Enterprises!¡± Corinne sighed helplessly. ¡°Mister Richard, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I can¡¯t do that. As you said, I¡¯m just his lover. How could I have the power to change his mind regarding his work?¡± Richard smiled lustfully, scrunching his eyes and brows. ¡°Why not? You girls just need to make a man happy on the bed. He could offer his life to you when he¡¯s satisfied.¡± This disgusted Corinne. She sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that. Why don¡¯t you do it yourself? See if he¡¯ll listen to you when you satisfy him.¡± Richard was stunned silent, and he exploded with rage. ¡°Corinne Carew! You don¡¯t have to pretend you¡¯re a good girl with me! I saw your clothes in a mess when you were in his car! Do you really think you¡¯re a different person just because you¡¯re young and beautiful to be his lover? I¡¯ll give you onest chance! Are you going to help me or not?¡± It was so funny how he behaved in such a way when he was the one asking for help. Corinne did not panic and used the fork to pick up the dessert to put it into her mouth. She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s out of my hands.¡± ¡°You little ungrateful wench!¡± Richard smacked the table angrily and raised his hand to p Corinne- ¡°Don¡¯t you feel shameful to be hitting a girl at such an old age?¡± A melodious, charming male voice was heard. Richard¡¯s hand was stopped by that man, ceasing his swing. He looked at the man who stopped him and reprimanded angrily, ¡°Where did youe from? Get lost! Don¡¯t be a busybody!¡± The man chuckled sardonically. ¡°I¡¯m her friend. Don¡¯t think ofying a finger on her with me around, Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Obviously, Richard was weaker than the mystery man, especially when he was so much shorter than him. In the end, he gritted his teeth and took back his hand to point at Corinne unhappily. ¡°My, my. It¡¯s true when people say you shouldn¡¯t judge a person by his cover. You look like a nice girl, but I didn¡¯t know you have such a messed up personal life. Mister Jeremy wasn¡¯t enough that you have to get yourself another guy.¡± He then cursed, ¡°Fine! You¡¯re not going to help, are you? Just wait. I¡¯m going to make sure you regret it!¡± With that, he stormed off the coffee shop angrily. Corinne merely smiled, unbothered by what Richard said, and continued to eat the dessert she ordered. The hero pulled a chair and sat across from her elegantly. There was a cheerful smile on his sexy, handsome face. ¡°Hey, we meet again today. Do you mind if I sit here?¡± She recognized he was the guy-the handsome guy-who tried to hit on her at Twilight. ¡°Yes, I mind,¡± she answered. The sexy man smiled helplessly. ¡°Is it nice of you to be treating me this way when I just rescued you?¡± Corinne nced at him and said, ¡°I think you can¡¯t tell the difference between helping and being a busybody.¡± Even if the man did not stop Richard, Corinne would have never let Richard p her. She was ready to use the fork to stab him so he would learn to not humiliate women. The handsome man was intrigued as if he had found a new toy to y with. ¡°You¡¯re a very special girl. My name is Jason Talbot. Let¡¯s be friends.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Do you want to be my friend, or are you trying to make me your girlfriend?¡± Jason was dumbstruck. The smile on his face became brighter as he found her very interesting. ¡°I want both. Can I?¡± Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Corinne respected Jason for being honest in answering. Just as she was about to fight back, however¡­ Jason smiled and stopped her from talking. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t answer that. It¡¯s going to look bad on me if I continue to bother you when you specifically reject me.¡± From the way Corinne reacted, he was sure she was going to reject him. It was not going to happen, even if she tried to be polite. This startled Corinne. At that point, she had a feeling that this man was very smart. ¡°Corinne Carew?¡± Jason tried to call her full name. ¡°Huh?¡± She had to look up at him because she was enjoying her dessert when he called her. He smiled. ¡°Nothing. I heard this name uttered just now, so I wanted to make sure it¡¯s yours. How do you spell it? C-o-r-i-n-e?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s C-o-r-i-n-n-e. Double n,¡± she corrected him. ¡°I see. Corinne Carew¡­ What a lovely name. You look very lovely, too but your personality doesn¡¯t really match your look,¡± he said. Annoyed, she rolled her eyes at him. This, to Jason, looked adorable. He chuckled. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s a gallery open for the first viewing today. Are you free? Do you want to go see it with me?¡± She shook her head without considering it. ¡°No.¡± He was slightly disappointed, having been rejected. Nevertheless, it did not stop him from continuing to persuade her. ¡°Are you sure? I heard the art gallery is exhibiting many famous paintings that were once lost in the world. It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the real pieces!¡± Corinne still shook her head. ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I should be heading home.¡± After all, Grandma Holden cooked soup for her and was waiting for her to go back to drink it. Jason raised his hand to look at the time on his watch. It was not even four in the evening yet.¡± Going back home so soon? So you¡¯re a good girl after all!¡± Corinne merely ignored him because there were iing messages on her phone. The notification beeped a few times. They were from Aaron. [Aaron: Boss, I found Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s works again!] [Aaron: I heard those three masterpieces were never exhibited to the public before ever since Nellie Nymphaea passed away.] [Aaron: Sparrow, Night Cat, and The Pink mingo!] The messages captured her attention, and without fall, she quickly straightened. [Where are those paintings now?] she texted. Aaron¡¯s reply was instant. [They¡¯re exhibiting in a private art gallery, but the owner of the art gallery only invited families and close friends. I can¡¯t get an invitation. Boss, why don¡¯t¡­you try to ask if Mister Jeremy is invited to the exhibition?] Corinne frowned and asked, [Who¡¯s the owner of the art gallery?] Aaron replied. (Jason Talbot, the eldest son of the Talbots. It was just recently that he returned here to work in the family business. I heard the paintings in the exhibition are his private collection, and the exhibition is only happening today.] Corinne gradually furrowed her eyebrows. She looked at the man sitting across from her. ¡°Jason Talbot?¡± This was the first time Jason heard Corinne calling his name. He smiled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, ¡°Did you just invite me to see an art exhibition?¡± He nodded. ¡°Well, yes.¡± She blinked and said, ¡°Is it toote for me to change my mind and ept?¡± It was a surprise for him, but he nheless smiled. ¡°Of course not! Though, why the sudden change of mind?¡± ¡°I just realize there¡¯s nothing for me to do if I go home, so I said to myself, ¡®Why don¡¯t I go to the art gallery with you and admired those paintings?¡± she exined. ¡°Sure, shall we?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Therefore, Corinne left the coffee shop with Jason and got into his car. Somewhere no one was noticing, a shlight and a click sound from the camera appeared in a sh. After Jason started the car and drove off, an orange sports car followed them. ¡°Tail them.¡± The one driving the sports car was called Felix, Sunny¡¯s minion. ¡°Sir,¡± he said, baffled by Sunny¡¯s command, ¡°why are we following Mister Jason?¡± Sunny stretched his hand out and smacked Felix from the passenger¡¯s side. ¡°Idiot! Why do you think I¡¯m following Jason? I¡¯m after the woman in his car!¡± It was a piece of bad news to Felix. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re in love with Mister Jason¡¯s woman!¡± Sunny knocked Felix¡¯s head again. ¡°Bullsh*t! Do you think I¡¯d like that ugly woman? I¡¯m not blind!¡± Felix scratched his head in confusion. ¡®That woman isn¡¯t ugly at all, though,¡¯ he thought. When he and Sunny stalked the pair, he noted how beautiful the woman was: pure and cute, just like a little fairy. Sunny furrowed his eyebrows and leaned back on the seat. With a serious expression, he crossed his arms at his chest. ¡°That ugly woman is Jeremy¡¯s wife, the one he married recently!¡± That information only worried Felix even more. ¡°Uhh¡­ Sir, it¡¯s even worse if you¡¯re in love with Mister Jeremy¡¯s woman!¡± Ugh! If Felix was not driving, Sunny would have swung his leg and kicked Felix¡¯s head to see if he had a brain at all. ¡°Cut that sh*t! I¡¯m trying to reveal that ugly woman¡¯s true colors! I want to show Jeremy what kind of bad person she is and help Rosie be with Jeremy!¡± Sunny exined. Felix was helpless. ¡°Sir, Miss Rosie wasn¡¯t allowed to be with Mister Jeremy because of what happened in the past between the two families. It has nothing to do with other people¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m not allowing the man Rosie likes to be with another woman! Stop talking and drive faster! Don¡¯t lose them!¡± blustered Sunny. Sunny could not be bothered to argue with Felix. He took out his phone, selected the photo where Corinne got into Jason¡¯s car, and sent it to Jeremy. 10 minutes passed, and there was no reply from Jeremy. Sunny was anxious, but he did not dare to call Jeremy. Thus, he called another person. ¡°Francine? It¡¯s me, Sunny.¡± Francine picked up the call curiously. ¡°Oh, hi, Sunny. What¡¯s up? Why did you call me?¡± ¡°Francine, I spotted your sister-inw is having an affair,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m following her and her lover now!¡± Francine was shocked by what Sunny said. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Corinne is in another man¡¯s car right now. I think they¡¯re going to a hotel! I¡¯m following behind them, but someone from your family should be here to witness the truth. Can youe over now? ¡°Sunny asked. ¡°Sunny, are you serious about this? What an awful person Corinne is! How dare she do something like this to my brother? And my grandma was starting to be fond of her, too¡­ Argh! I¡¯m so angry!¡± hissed Francine. The conversation continued with Francine telling Sunny how Corinne pushed her head into the toilet bowl and how Corinne acted nice and obedient when her grandma was around. She even included how Corinne tried to sabotage her rtionship with her grandma and so on¡­ Those incidents infuriated Sunny so much that he gritted his teeth vehemently. ¡°That fox is good at acting. Let¡¯s show the world what kind of person Corinne really is!¡± Finally, Francie found someone who agreed with her. She was thrilled! ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll definitely go over to help you!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll send you the locationter!¡± Sunny thought for a bit and added, ¡°It¡¯s going to be better if you bring your grandmother with you. That¡¯ll put Corinne¡¯s name on the wall of shame forever!¡± Francine nodded seriously. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m going to persuade her now!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Hanging up, Sunny had a sinister smile on his face. ¡®Corinne, you better watch out. This is the day you¡¯re handed your death sentence!¡¯ he mused to himself. Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Corinne and Jason arrived at an artistic building. He passed the car key to the valet for the valet to park his car. Later, he led Corinne into his art gallery like a gentleman. The orange sports car was parked somewhere, not too far from the art gallery. The people in the car were looking over. ¡°Sir, I think they¡¯re just here to see the art exhibition,¡± Felix tried reasoning. ¡°They¡¯re not having an affair as you think. The rtionship between our family and Holdens is already bad. It¡¯s just going. to make things worse if you continue to stalk Mister Jeremy¡¯s newlywed wife!¡± Sunny thought otherwise. ¡°You know nothing! There¡¯s something fishy about them going to the art exhibition alone!¡± After that, he got out of the car and wanted to continue stalking Corinne in the art gallery, but the staff at the entrance stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. You¡¯ll need to have the invitation card to enter.¡± Sunny frowned unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m a Rivera. My family has been close to the Talbots for many years. Why can¡¯t I go in?¡± After that, the staff went to check on the guest list with his colleague. ¡°We only have Mister Lucas Rivera on the guest list from the Riveras. This gentleman isn¡¯t on the list.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Sunny could hear them mumbling, so he cleared his throat. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t free today, so I¡¯m attending on his behalf.¡± The staff thought for a while and said, ¡°Let him in, then.¡± ¡°Wee, Mister Sunny.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± He raised his brows and walked right into the art gallery. While Corinne was inside the art gallery, she looked at The Pink mingo, and her mind drifted away. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re solely interested in the paintings from Nellie Nymphaea and not the other world- famous paintings,¡± Jason¡¯s voice gently rang from behind her. He went to greet his friends before he went back to find Corinne. She looked at him. ¡°Yes. I like her paintings.¡± Out of curiosity, he asked, ¡°Why do you like Nellie Nymphaea so much? Her works are very niche and not that popr in the mainstream.¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s my¡­idol!¡± Her feelings were mixed when she got to admire her mother¡¯s earlier works. She nearly revealed that Nellie was her mother. Jason chuckled. ¡°I see. I had the honor of meeting your idol before.¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze wavered as she stared at Jason. ¡°You saw her before? When was it?¡± Jason nodded. ¡°I saw her when I was still a child. My father bought these three paintings from her at that time too, and he then gave these three paintings to me.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°What kind of person do you think she is?¡± Jason recalled whatever he could and said, ¡°She¡¯s a very pretty woman. Gentle, and yet indifferent. She had her unique views on things. A proud and aloof person, just like how her works were never drawn to attract the majority.¡± He was right. The way Jason described her mother was the same as she remembered. Her mother was a proud and aloof person. However, her mother always treated her and the others in the family with gentleness and tenderness. She asked, ¡°Jason, are you selling those three paintings?¡± Undoubtedly, Jason knew what she was thinking. ¡°You want to buy them?¡± She nodded. Jason smiled. ¡°Unfortunately, every piece in this gallery means a lot to me. They¡¯re not up for sale.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®This is going to be hard. How should I convince him to sell them to me?¡¯ Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Suddenly, Jason bent down and got close to Corinne¡¯s ear. He whispered, ¡°But, if you like them, I can give them to you¡­.as proposal gifts for your hand in marriage.¡± Corinne grimaced and shot him an annoyed stare. She was going to ignore his joke, but as she tried to think of a way to get Jason to sell those paintings to her, an ominous feeling rose in her chest. She frowned, and her expression was looking terrible, too. Jason noticed Corinne was feeling unwell and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± There was sweating out of her forehead, and her lips had turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­not feeling quite well.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jason looked worried. ¡°Did you catch a cold because of the low temperature in the art gallery?¡± ¡°M-Maybe.¡± She gritted her teeth ufortably. She even started to shiver. Jason took off his jacket to put it on her. He said softly, ¡°Let me bring you to the lounge so you can rest. There¡¯s no air-conditioner there, so the temperature is slightly warmer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Corinne had a hard time standing firmly. In the end, she had to ept Jason¡¯s support just so she could walk to the lounge. Meanwhile, Sunny, sneakily hiding, recorded everything with his phone. He snorted. ¡°Tsk! It¡¯s broad daylight, and they¡¯re heading toward the empty lounge by themselves. If that¡¯s not something, I don¡¯t know what is!¡± With evidence at hand, he quickly shared the location of the art gallery with Francine. Corinne and Jason arrived in the lounge, and her face had gotten paler by the minute. Not only was she shivering, but her teeth even ttered slightly too. Jason brought a ss of hot water for her. ¡°Are you feeling better? Should I send you to the hospital?¡± It was so ufortable for her that she had to hug her stomach. Despite the pain, to rest for a while. Don¡¯t worry about me. Go and be with your friends.¡± He refused, of course, and sat beside her. The worry in his eyes was not fake. ¡°Are you afraid of the hospital?¡± Corinne was caught off-guard by this, but she did not deny it. No one liked to have their mind read. It was true that she did not like the hospital. When she was young, her mother brought her to the hospital to get treated, but when she woke up, her mother was gone. She had to be alone in the hospital for seven days, and each day was a nightmare for her. Not longter, her father showed up and told her that her mother had passed away. He took her home with him after she was discharged from the hospital. ¡®Hit the nail on the head, then,¡¯ Jason thought. Instead of asking on that matter, he said, ¡°My personal doctor will be here soon. Why don¡¯t you lie down and take some rest? I¡¯ll wake you up when the doctor arrives.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The pain rendered Corinne in a feeble state, so she did not reject the offer. She did as she was told and went to lie on the bed in the lounge. She curled up into a ball with the thought that it could soothe some of the stomach pain she was feeling. Jason¡¯s jacket was still on her body. Nevertheless, Jason asked for a nket to put on her. Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Francine, you silly girl. Why did you bring me to this art gallery? You know that I¡¯m not a fan of those paintings. I was in the middle of cooking soup for Corinne.¡° Francine, walking into the art gallery with Pam, said with hidden intent, ¡°Grandma, your favorite granddaughter-inw is in there too!¡±, Pam was stunned as she looked at Francine with disbelief. ¡°Are you saying Corinne is here too?¡± Francine smiled cynically and nodded. The staff of the art gallery recognized Pam and did not stop her from going in. Instead, they weed her with the highest respect. After Francine brought Pam to reunite with Sunny, both of them started to rush toward the lounge with Pam in the hope to catch Corinne having an affair. The staff of the art gallery tried to stop Sunny. s, the staff failed. With a kick on the door, they entered the lounge. Coincidentally, Corinne was in Jason¡¯s arms looking very weak¡­ In the beginning, Pam was still curious about how Francine and Sunny acted. When she saw the situation in the room, she was shocked. ¡°Corinne! W-What are you doing?¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 At that moment, Corinne raised her head and, spotting Pam, was stunned. Despite feeling weak, she feebly greeted, ¡°Grandma? Why are you here¡­?¡± Before Pam could say anything. Francine stepped forward with her arms on her waist and scolded, ¡°Corinne Carew! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself? The Holdens would never allow a sl*t like you to be part of the family!¡± Sunny looked pleased with the result and joined in, saying, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re caught red-handed! Stop pretending!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. At that moment, she did not have the energy to argue with them. Unlike the others who barged into the lounge, Jason stood quietly and watched them before turning his attention back to Corinne. She looked pale, still. He was amazed by the rtionship between her and the people who barged in. Gradually, he connected all the dots. After he helped Corinne to sit steadily, he got up and smiled. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t know you were coming. Why didn¡¯t you send someone to notify me in advance? If I knew it earlier, I¡¯d be at the door to wee you.¡± Francine cut in again and snorted with disdain. ¡°You *sshole! How are we going to catch you two red- handed if we informed you ahead? Besides, my grandma doesn¡¯t need to be weed by people like you!¡± Jason remained smiling and gave Francine a nce, but he ignored her. He tried to exin to Pam peacefully, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Corinne is resting here because she felt sick. She wanted to go to the bathroom, and she nearly fell due to how weak she was. I was just helping her when you guys came in.¡± Sunny sneered sarcastically, ¡°Oh, how nice of you. Do you really think we¡¯re going to believe what you said? It¡¯s just an excuse. What else can a man and a woman do when they stay in the room by themselves?¡± Jason¡¯s charming eyes red at Sunny pointedly. Even though he had a smile on his face, it felt more like he was unhappy with what he just heard. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re here too, Mister Sunny? I don¡¯t. recall you being invited to this art exhibition.¡± Sunny was embarrassed when he remembered he cheated his way in. ¡°Ahem! I attended on my brother¡¯s behalf.¡± Jason scoffed, ¡°Is that so?¡± Just then, Rosie walked into the lounge. She had no idea what was happening. ¡°Sunny, here your are! I¡¯ve been looking for you. Why did you ask me toe here in a hurry? What¡¯s going on?¡± When she got the call from Sunny, she was having afternoon tea with her best friends. Knowing it was about Corinne¡¯s affair, she rushed over swiftly to take a look. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Sunny pointed at Corinne, who was still sitting on the bed. ¡°Rosie, look. I caught her red-handed. She¡¯s not only a thief, but she¡¯s having an affair too!¡± Rosie looked over and saw Corinne on the bed with a nket over her body. She then saw Jason standing beside Corinne. A surprised, disappointed expression appeared on her face. ¡°Corinne¡­ How could you¡­? Oh my god! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d do such a thing!¡± Corinne looked back at Rosie and did not say anything. The sick feeling that gued her caused her face to look pale. To the others, she looked like she was worried because she got caught having an affair. Rosie sighed with a broken heart. She walked over to Pam who had been keeping quiet the entire time and reached out her hand to hold Pam¡¯s hand. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please stay calm. Since this has happened, there¡¯s nothing we can do to change it. We¡¯ll just have to wait for Jeremy to find out and see what his decision is.¡± Pam had a serious expression on her face. She did not care about what Rosie said and also evaded Rosie¡¯s hold. Her sharp yet aged eyes continued to look at Corinne. Deep in her heart, she refused to believe what Sunny and Francine said. ¡°Corinne, tell me what happened. I want to listen to your side of the story.¡± The dumbstruck Rosie pulled back her hand awkwardly. The pain in Corinne¡¯s stomach got even worse, and she gasped. Her expression looked determined when she raised her head to look back at Pam. ¡°Grandma, I came here to look at the paintings, but I felt sick-so I came here to rest. Mister Jason was being kind to help me when I nearly fell.¡± No doubt, Corinne¡¯s face andplexion did match that of a sick person¡¯s. Pam¡¯s gaze softened. She asked with worry, ¡°Feeling sick? How?¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 When Francine knew her grandmother, Pam, was going to believe what Corinne said, she quickly cut in. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t listen to her! Don¡¯t let her lie to you again. If she was sick, why didn¡¯t she go to the hospital? Why did she instead stay in this room with another man? Our family would never allow such a shameless woman into the family. Corinne Carew is a bad person. She didn¡¯t just have an affair; she even stole Rosie¡¯s watch yesterday. Ask Rosie about it!¡± Rosie, pretending to be generous and forgiving, shook her head. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a watch, and it¡¯s not really that expensive. Though, what Corinne has done now¡­ It¡¯s unforgivable. She betrayed Jeremy.¡± Corinne¡¯s face was as white as a piece of paper. Still, she managed a smile as she continued to ignore Rosie and the others. Pulling the nket away from her, she tried to stand up. ¡°You may choose to not believe me, Grandma, but I¡¯d never do anything that would bring shame to the Holdens.¡± It was haunting for Pam to see Corinne trying to stand up with her pale face. She was going to ask Corinne to sit. However, Sunny got impatient and walked toward Corinne, grabbing her by the cor. ¡°Stop bbering, you demon! No one is going to believe what you said. It¡¯s better that you admit it and leave the Holdens before anyone kicks you out!¡± Jason came over and took Sunny¡¯s hand away. ¡°Let go of her! Can¡¯t you tell she¡¯s sick right now?¡± Sunny scoffed. ¡°Oh, my. Are you trying to protect her? Seriously, just admit that you guys have something going on!¡± Jason was not about to argue back because Sunny was still a kid to him. ¡°We have nothing to say because we¡¯re not having an affair! Mister Sunny, I suggest that you better watch what you¡¯re saying. There is a price to pay for making false usations.¡± Before this, Jason had been nothing but genial and all smiles. However, he finally had enough and squinted sternly while epassing a defensive vibe. This, no doubt, intimidated Sunny. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. He mumbled, ¡°Hmph! I wasn¡¯t making false usations! You two were hiding in here having an affair, and we caught you two red-handed!¡± This time, Jason did not care about what Sunny said. He turned around to look at Corinne while he grabbed her swaying body. ¡°Corinne, how are you feeling? Are you alright?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°What are you guys doing in here?¡± rang a mature, deep male voice from the door. It sounded very calm and peaceful, yet it sounded dangerously ominous as well. Startled, everyone turned to look back. Jeremy was standing tall and upright at the door of the lounge. His hands were in his pocket. His handsome face was straight and cold. There was another person behind him. It was Tommy. His face looked very serious too. Francine got all worked up when Jeremy showed up. She ran over to him. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re just in time! Corinne is having an affair with that man over there. We caught her red-handed!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Shut up!¡± Francine was scared witless by this. ¡®He must be really angry to find out Corinne cheated on him!¡¯ she thought and did not dare do anything else. After all, in her mind, Corinne could not possibly weasel her way out of this! Jeremy¡¯s eyes looked sinister as he saw Jason grabbing Corinne by her shoulders. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Rosie was sure this was the climax of this escting tension. She felt a sort of joy when she felt Corinne¡¯s misfortune approaching. ¡®This is karma for ruining my watch! Won¡¯t it be nice if I can actually say she deserves it?¡¯ Rosie pretended to sigh and approached Jeremy, attempting to console him by saying, ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t be angry. No one expected Corinne to betray you¡­¡± Jeremy nced at her for just a second before looking back at Corinne. He said coldly, ¡°Come here.¡± Despite all that happened, Corinne was very calm. She expressed her gratitude to Jason, who helped her, and slowly walked toward Jeremy as she was told. ¡°Mister¡­¡± Before she reached Jeremy, however, a dizzy feeling hit her, and she nearly fell again. Jeremy¡¯s long arms managed to catch her, and he pulled her to his form, furrowing his eyebrows as he did.¡± Is this what you got? Why is your body so weak?¡± The sick feeling overwhelmed her, and it did not help that Jeremy mocked her for being in such a state. If she had the slightest energy left, she would have punched him. ¡®Come on! I¡¯m not hoping that he¡¯d be worried about me, but can he at least show some sympathy?¡¯ she thought. Rosie, Sunny, and Francine were dumbstruck when they saw Jeremy embracing Corinne nervously. They had a feeling that Jeremy did not care that Corinne was cheating on him and was instead more worried about Corinne¡¯s well-being. After leaning on Jeremy¡¯s body for a while to rest, Corinne finally gathered enough energy to look up. She asked, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the thing I requested you buy?¡± This confused everyone. ¡®What thing?¡± Whatever it was, it made Jeremy flustered. The cold, mature man was never seen with that expression before. Within a second, he took out a sanitary pad from the pocket of his exquisite formal suit and passed it to Corinne. ¡°Thank you!¡± Once Corinne got her hand on the sanitary pad, she quickly left him to head toward the bathroom, albeit weakly. Jeremy gave Tommy a look. Immediately, Tommy turned around to apany Corinne. The atmosphere in the lounge suddenly took an awkward twist. Rosie, Sunny, and Francine were dumbstruck. The almighty, superior person in their mind would actually help a woman purchase a sanitary pad? Without a doubt, Pam knew there was no trust issue between Corinne and Jeremy. It was definitely not what Francine had told her. Therefore, she walked over and asked, ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s going on? You knew Corinne was here, too?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Yes, I do. She told me she came here for the art exhibition. When she was Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. feeling sick, she texted me toe pick her up.¡± The people were stunned, especially Sunny and Francine. Their faces reddened. ¡®What is going on? Did Corinne ask Jeremy toe here? Why would she tell Jeremy before she was going to cheat on him? What the hell is going on?!¡¯ they thought. Pam recalled Corinne¡¯s weak face and got worried. ¡°Jeremy, you should bring Corinne to the hospital to check since she¡¯s feeling sick.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. He reached for his be and pinched it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s normal for a woman to be sick for a few days every month. I¡¯ll bring her to the hospitalter.¡± It just struck Pam that Corinne is having her period. Corinne was feeling ufortable because of the menstrual pain! Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Having known there was no major problem with Corinne¡¯s body, Pam was finally able to rest her heart. On the other hand, it showed that Corinne was not pregnant. The old woman sighed regrettably. Her great-grandchild would have to wait until next month, at the earliest. Since things did not progress the way Sunny expected, he was not able to give up. He walked over and said, ¡°Jeremy, before you arrived, Corinne was lying in here with that man. No one knew what they were doing in here before we came. You should divorce that shameful woman!¡± Jeremy looked back at him. ¡°Why are you not in school? Why are you paying so much attention to my wife?¡± A chill crawled up Sunny¡¯s back. He gulped. ¡°I¡­I took a day off today!¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°To stalk my wife?¡± Sunny mumbled, ¡°I¡­I identally spotted her, so I decided to follow her. Then, I saw her meeting other men¡­¡± The expression on Jeremy¡¯s face remained unchanged. He squinted. ¡°Sunny Rivera, let me remind you. She¡¯s married to me and is my wife; she¡¯s not a prisoner. It¡¯s her choice to go anywhere and meet anyone. As her husband, I have total trust in her that she won¡¯t do anything outside of the boundary.¡± Unconvinced, Sunny raised his voice and argued, ¡°But she did do something outside of the boundary! She was lying on the bed with another man!¡± Francine chimed in as she got closer, ¡°Brother, Corinne really did-¡± Jeremy stared at her pointedly. ¡°Why are you fooling around with Sunny, bringing Grandma here while you¡¯re at it? Do you know how frail she is? What are you going to do if anything happens to her?¡± That look from Jeremy terrified Francine. ¡°Brother, I-¡± ¡°Take her back, now,¡± Jeremy ordered sternly. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Francine did not dare argue and did as told. The event took a turn, and it was not what Rosie expected. Despite that, she gave it a thought and pretended to be nice by consoling, ¡°Jeremy, Sunny and Francine are still kids. Though, they did this because they care too much about you.¡± ¡°Then, what about you?¡± Jeremy looked at Rosie coldly. Rosie¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Um¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s the same with me, too¡­¡± Jeremy was displeased. ¡°I get it that they¡¯re still young and adolescent. But don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the same, too.¡± Rosie frowned unhappily. ¡°But we did see Corinne sleeping on that bed¡­¡± ¡°She was just here for the art exhibition, and she rested in this room because she felt sick. Is there a problem with that?¡± Jeremy¡¯s voice was deep and calm. It portrayed his unwavering determination. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Rosie¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°Do you trust her that much? So much that you don¡¯t believe the thing we see with our own eyes?¡± Jeremy said, ¡°I have no reason to trust people who are bored with their lives over my wife.¡± Rosie was dumbstruck. No words were able to describe how shocked she was. This was not the first time she saw how Jeremy cared for Corinne, especially when they ate together the other day. At this moment, she experienced just how deeply Jeremy trusted Corinne. She had to hand it to Corinne; Corinne was a powerful enemy. The incident ended just like that. Francine brought Pam back home, and Rosie dragged Sunny away. There were only two men left in the lounge, exchanging looks with each other. The aura was a mystery. After a while, Jason shrugged elegantly and chuckled. ¡°Hey, Jeremy. It¡¯s been a long time since. we last met.¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Jeremy gave Jason a light response. ¡°When did youe back?¡± Jason walked to him with a cheerful smile. ¡°Over a week ago. I came back in a hurry and didn¡¯t have the time to look for you, Zeke, and the others!¡± Jeremy felt alright. ¡°No worries. We can do that when you¡¯re free.¡± Jason smiled again. ¡°Actually, we met each other when we were in Twilight the other day. You were too busy and upied at that time, so I didn¡¯t think it was appropriate for me to greet you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± There were no changes to Jeremy¡¯s expression, but a hint of coldness shed by his long eyes. They did see each other from a far distance when they were in Twilight. It was the day Corinne lost when she yed a game with other people in the Snow Room. The ¡®punishment¡¯ she received was to kiss a man, and the man she chose was, in fact, Jason. Jason said, ¡°I heard that you just got married. Too bad I missed the wedding.¡± Jeremy¡¯s lips curled into a small smile as he said, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem at all. My wife and I can throw a wedding dinner just for you one day.¡± This caught Jason off-guard, and it bbergasted him. ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll look forward to it!¡± Right then, Tommy rushed into the lounge. ¡°Sir, Miss Corinne doesn¡¯t look so well. Her nose started to bleed for no reason.¡± Jeremy furrowed his brow and left the lounge immediately to head to the bathroom. Jason. followed suit. The washing area in the bathroom was shared between the male and female bathrooms. Corinne was bending over at the sink to wash her nose. The ceramic bowl was wet with her blood diluted. by the water. Once she finished, she rubbed the tissue into two oblongs to stuff it into her nostrils in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The moment she turned around, Jeremy was standing behind her, looking at how silly and pitiful she was. His eyes were looking as if they were teasing her. She was still feeling very weak, and her eyes were dull. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m done. We can go now.¡± After that, she tried to walk over unsteadily. As she passed by Jeremy, she tried to hold herself together to leave the ce. Jeremy furrowed his eyebrow and turned around. It only took two steps from him-before he reached for her and hoisted her in his arms. It startled Corinne. ¡°Mister? What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Just look at how weak you are. We¡¯re going to the hospital,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go!¡± Corinne insisted. He looked down at her. The pale face and weak body tore his heart. Corine was so weak that she did not even have the energy to struggle. ¡°Be a good girl and listen to me. Before our marriage is over, your health is connected to me in all sorts of ways. I¡¯m not interested in bing a widower at such a young age.¡± ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s why.¡¯ Corinne frowned and stretched her lips into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mister, I¡¯ll still be very much alive when you¡¯re dead.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. It was quite relieving to see her still acting tough when she was weak. Jeremy teased, ¡°Then you¡¯re going to be a widow when I die.¡± Corinne smiled impishly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that nice? As your spouse, I¡¯m entitled to inherit your wealth, and I can get rid of having a husband at home!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression ttened, but he could not help but chuckle nheless. ¡°I guess I need to be careful to prevent you from killing me.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes and looked to the other side so she would not have to see his face. ¡®Oh well, I¡¯ll just let him carry me if that¡¯s what he wants,¡¯ she thought. The pain was so intolerable that she did not have the energy to struggle or even walk. She felt like she was a mermaid who exchanged her tail with the witch for feet. Every single step she took was like walking on shattered sses. The only difference was the painful part was her stomach instead of her feet. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Jason rushed over with a middle-aged man who was carrying a first-aid kit. ¡°My doctor has just arrived, Jeremy. How about you let him check on dear Corinne¡¯s condition?¡± ¡®Did he just call her ¡®dear¡¯? I¡¯m her husband, but I¡¯ve never even called her that before.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± Jeremy lifted Corinne into his arms and walked right past Jason. Jason knew that going to the hospital was thest thing that Corinne wanted, so he rushed up to them and intended to persuade Jeremy. However, Tommy turned around and stopped him. ¡°Mister Jason, I hope you won¡¯t worry too much about Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife. Mister Jeremy instructed me to call an ambnce, and it¡¯s already waiting outside.¡± ¡®Ambnce?¡¯ Jason narrowed his charming eyes and looked at Jeremy¡¯s rear figure as the man left with Corinne in his arms. Jason remained in pensive thought and said nothing. Corinne¡¯s expression became even uglier as shey on a stretcher in the ambnce. Her sour expression stemmed not from her worsening physical difort but because she felt a wave of mixed feelings. ¡°Gee, thanks, mister! I think I have the distinction of being the only woman in New Capital City sent to the hospital by ambnce just because I¡¯m having my period!¡± Jeremy sat beside her stretcher inside the ambnce and had to bend his legs while sitting because he was too tall. He even knocked his head against the roof of the vehicle from time to time. Jeremy, who was allowed in the ambnce as her family member, nced contemptuously at Corinne. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be unhappy about this. How old are you that you can¡¯t even remember your cycle?¡± He had a displeased tone that sounded like that of an adult scolding his child for being careless. Corinne frowned. There was an aggrieved expression on her pale face as she said annoyedly, ¡°Of- course I do! I just don¡¯t know why it¡¯s much earlier this month and hurts so much all of a sudden. I¡¯ve never had period pains before this¡­¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. Grown men like him neither knew much about nor understood anything about a woman¡¯s period. Corinne¡¯s face was as pale as a piece of paper, and one could see that she was in severe pain. Jeremy raised his hand to caress Corinne¡¯s sweaty forehead before going further upward to pat the top of her head. ¡°I guess you¡¯re not that big of a dummy since you did send me a message when you weren¡¯t feeling well. That alone deserves praise.¡± The man¡¯s condescending actions were akin to stroking a Corinne was startled when a big, warm, and rough palm was ced on her head. Somehow, she felt a little awkward. ¡®Pfft, who cares about your praise! I¡¯m only doing my job and role of your wife for three months!¡¯ Had it not been for the matter of her mother¡¯s paintings, she would not have attended Jason¡¯s art exhibition in the first ce. Besides, as soon as she decided on going there with Jason, the first thing she did was send a text to Jeremy just to report her itinerary to him. Her reason for doing so was because Jeremy told her that he would not allow her to do anything that would give other people the wrong impression. Jason was a man, and since he clearly expressed his interest in her, it was even more necessary for her to report it to him to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. As for Sunny, Corinne noticed that he had been following her from the very beginning, but she simply did not care about To her surprise, she did not expect that she would experience such pains in her body, nor did she expect that Sunny would go out of his way to get Francine and Pam to try and catch her¡¯ cheating¡¯. Two young nurses were secretly watching Jeremy inside the ambnce. ¡°Look at how handsome he is! And he treats his girlfriend super well too! He¡¯s such a perfect, hot boyfriend!¡± ¡°Her boyfriend called an ambnce for her as soon as he saw her having period pains! Mine just tells me to drink some warm water!¡± ¡°Mine can¡¯t even bother to tell me to drink warm water! Sigh!¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne had a puzzled expression as she looked at Jeremy. ¡®Hot boyfriend? More like a hot potato! I wish one of those two women could just take him away from me!¡¯ Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Inside the emergency room, the doctor on duty applied a bit of pressure on Corinne¡¯s lower abdomen, asked her if she felt anything locally, and told the nurse to fetch another doctor to feel her pulse. The elderly doctor frowned after being called over to check on Corinne. He turned to Jeremy, who was standing at one side, and asked, ¡°Has she been taking a lot of supplements recently?¡± The hours Jeremy spent at home could be counted on one hand, so he did not know much about Corinne¡¯s diet. Tommy stepped forward and said, ¡°Sir, I was told by the housekeeper that the olddy has recently been cooking all sorts of soup for Miss Corinne, and she¡¯s been eating that for all her meals too. Miss Corinne was even given some of the special millennia-old herbs that the olddy collected. Might this be the cause, perhaps?¡± The old doctor shook his head as soon as he heard that. ¡°You¡¯re young and healthy. Why are you taking all these supplements? You¡¯ll get heaty if you eat too much of them, and it¡¯ll only lead to endocrine disorders and early periods. Her nosebleeds and period pains are a sign that her body has been overloaded with the supplements!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression turned sullen. ¡°And how shall we treat her condition?¡± The old doctor lowered his head and wrote down a prescription. ¡°Easy! Just stop taking the supplements, and eat some of the painkillers I¡¯ve just prescribed. Remember to drink plenty of water when you get home, and eat as you normally would.¡± Tommy took the prescription and went to the dispensary to get the medicine. Corinne sat up from the hospital bed, stretched her feet, and reached out weakly for her shoes on the ground. When she finally slipped her feet in them, she bent down and stretched out her hands to put them on. Unfortunately, however, she was still unable toplete that action sessfully even after trying a few times. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at her condescendingly and asked with a half-smile, ¡°Do you need my help, buddy?¡± Corinne did not raise her head. ¡°No need. I can do it myself¡­¡± Despite her stubbornness, her hands were unable to execute even the slightest movement, and it was as if both hands had gone limp. Amid her struggle, a muscr yet slender hand stretched out, swatted her clumsy little hand away in disgust, then supported her foot and adjusted the shoe opening slightly before gently lifting the shoe heel so her foot could slip in fully. Then, he picked up another shoe and put it on for her. Corinne looked up in astonishment and saw the hair crown on Jeremy¡¯s head. ¡®Did he somehow realize he had a conscience? Why is he bending to help me put my shoes on all Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. of a sudden?¡¯ Tommy came back with the medicine and was stunned when he saw Jeremy helping someone else wear shoes. It was truly an astonishing sight! Jeremy¡¯s hands were firm, yet gentle and careful. He held Corinne¡¯s cold feet and put on her shoes for her. Her feet were palm-sized, and he wondered if it was her feet that were too small or If his hands were too big. His gaze turned sullen and he began to lecture her, ¡°Did you eat all those supplements just because Grandma told you to? What are you, a ¡®yes-woman¡¯?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°But she¡¯s doing it out of the goodness of her heart! How am I supposed to refuse when she put in so much effort to cook all that soup for me? It¡¯s not like you evere back home for dinner. If you did, we could share the soup so I don¡¯t have to finish it all by myself!¡± Jeremy looked up at her and narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Were you hoping that I¡¯d go home for dinner every day?¡± Corinne thought for a moment and then shook her head earnestly. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think you shoulde home. It¡¯ll be easier for me to deal with Grandma on my own. If you¡¯re at home, I¡¯d have to show affection to an old man like you, and just thinking about that makes me feel nauseous!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face sank, and he let go of her feet heavily. ¡°Get up and walk on your own!¡± Corinne was taken aback. ¡®Why is he so fierce all of a sudden? I¡¯m a sick woman right now!¡¯ After returning to the Holden family home, the old woman looked at Corinne with a guilty face. ¡°It was all my fault. I thought it¡¯d be good for you to eat more supplements, but I didn¡¯t know how. bad of an effect it would have on your periods!¡± Corinne leaned against the bed head, smiled, and shook her head to reassure the olddy. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Grandma.¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°Her face is pale, but she¡¯s still saying that she¡¯s fine!¡± Pam felt distressed and nudged her eldest grandson. ¡°Go and massage her belly, Jeremy. Men have higher body temperatures, so massaging her abdomen will help her relieve her period pains!¡± Jeremy frowned. Corinne¡¯s pale face turned stiff. She waved her hands dismissively and said, ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s not necessary! I¡¯ve already taken painkillers, Grandma. I feel much better now.¡± The olddy did not seem to think that was enough. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because you¡¯re feeling much better now that you have to let him rub your belly more. Maybe it¡¯ll stop hurtingpletely.¡± This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± Corinne did not know how to refuse, so she nced at Jeremy in a silent cry for help, hoping that he would say something. Jeremy looked at her awkward appearance and curled his lips slightly into a smile, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯ll get someone to bring her a hot water bottle so she can warm her stomach up.¡± The olddy, however, was still not happy. ¡°How can a hot water bottlepare with a massage by one¡¯s husband?¡± She was determined to make the two of them do what they could not bring. themselves to, and the two of them were finding it a little difficult to keep up their charade. Jeremy and Corinne both exchanged nces at each other, and they both seemed very reluctant. Keen-eyed as ever, Pam noticed that something was amiss and asked, ¡°Jeremy, Corinne, why are you two so reserved with each other? You don¡¯t even look intimate at all! It is possible that the two of you haven¡¯t done it yet?¡± Corinne was taken aback for a moment, but she smiled right away and said emphatically, ¡°We have! We did it loads of times already, Grandma!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, but his lips curled up slightly when he saw her saying such nonsense.¡± She¡¯s right. Loads of times.¡± The olddy frowned. ¡°Since you¡¯re already a married couple, there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about rubbing her belly. Why are you staring nkly, Jeremy? Hurry up and rub her belly!¡± Under her intense gaze, Jeremy walked over, sat beside Corinne, and leaned closer to her while. whispering into her ear, ¡°Sorry about this.¡± As he said that, his warm hand rubbed her painful lower abdomen. The abdomen was the softest and most vulnerable part of an animal. As an example, it was only in front of their closest and trustedpanions that cats and dogs would lie belly-up to show their eptance of saidpanion. That was the sole moment that they did not mind showing their weaknesses. Since the rtionship between her and Jeremy was at most only a step above acquaintances, Corinne¡¯s body tensed up instinctively in difort. The strong sense of shame quickly stained her pale face with a blush, but she still brought herself to smile at the olddy. She watched as her grandson rubbed her granddaughter-inw¡¯s stomach for some time, and finally, she asked, ¡°How does it feel, Corinne? Much better?¡± Corinne blushed and nodded. ¡°Yes! Definitely! Much better!¡± Pam smiled with satisfaction. ¡°I can see that your little face is a little rosier than before. Looks like it was very useful! Rub her stomach a little more, and don¡¯t go anywhere tonight! Stay with her at home tonight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I will,¡± Jeremy said with a half-smile. Pam gave a few more instructions and went out. As soon as the olddy went out, Corinne¡¯s tense nerves rxed, and the warm touch on her abdomen made her face turn red. ¡°Ahem! You don¡¯t need to rub my belly anymore. She¡¯s gone now.¡± Jeremy, however, continued to rub his palm on her lower abdomen and cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind continuing if it helps.¡± Corinne was embarrassed. ¡°No thanks.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why not? Are you shy?¡± Corinne frowned, stared at his handsome face, and said angrily, ¡°Ahem. I¡¯m not!¡± Jeremy looked at her mockingly, and nodded, ¡°I see. I guess you weren¡¯t shy either when dered so loudly to Grandma that we did it several times.¡± Corinne nearly died of embarrassment. ¡°Mister!¡± Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Jeremy¡¯s smile grew wider when he saw Corinne flustered with embarrassment. ¡°My friend, the key to ying the role of a good wife is to learn to call your husband by his first name. Do you think it makes sense for a wife to call her husband ¡®mister¡¯ all the time?¡± ¡°Call you by your name?¡± Corinne thought about his suggestion and had a look of disgust on her face. ¡°Ugh, forget about it! I¡¯ll probably get goosebumps if I do that!¡± There were only a handful of people in this world who were allowed to call him by his first name only, yet she was reluctant to do so. Jeremy¡¯s face darkened, and he pressed her abdomen a little harder. The extra pressure made her feel ufortable, so she frowned and said, ¡°Ah, not so hard! It hurts!¡± Her voice was weak due to her period pains, and the phrase ¡®not so hard¡¯ sounded very ambiguous and seductive in a big bedroom where only the two of them were there. They were both taken aback for a moment, and their After two seconds of silence, Jeremy smiled. ¡°How much gentler do you want your belly to his strength at once and began to caress her stomach with a feather -like touch. Corinne felt ticklish and was very sure that he was teasing her on purpose. Her face soured and she said petntly, ¡°Tch. I want your gentleness to be like the air, and the best way you can do that is to take your filthy paws off me and stay as far away from me as possible!¡± ¡®Filthy paws?¡¯ Jeremy cocked an eyebrow and know.¡± Corinne put her hand on the man¡¯s chest and pushed him away defensively. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous! I just feel hot¡­¡± ¡®Hot¡­¡¯ That word added anotheryer of meaning to the already ambiguous atmosphere. She had been feeling ufortable to begin with, and her face only turned red because he was teasing. her. She pursed her small plump lips uneasily and lowered her gaze. Her reddened eyes even seemed a little watery, almost like she was about to cry. It was one of those rare moments of pitifulness from that brash and headstrong Corinne. Jeremy narrowed his handsome eyes, and his throat suddenly felt a little dry as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡®Forget it. I won¡¯t bully her anymore.¡¯ He gazed down, retracted his hand, and handed her the cup of warm water that he ced on the bedside table. ¡°Drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± Corinne took it from him and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Jeremy got up and went to the bathroom. Corinne heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®He sure is acting a little weird today¡­¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ Back at the Holdens¡¯ estate, Francine sat in her small pink car and got angrier as she recalled the events of that day. She mmed her hands angrily on the steering wheel. Her failure to catch Corinne cheating led to her being severely scolded by her grandmother. She was in a foul mood and decided to get some air by going for a ride. At that moment, she did not dare to go home anymore after seeing her elder brother¡¯s car in the yard. She was afraid that he would end up reprimanding her. In her eyes, that ursed Corinne was the bane of her existence. Nothing good ever happened to her since Corinne married Jeremy. It reached a point where her grandmother-who usually doted on her all the time-slowly began to dislike her. She was told to learn from Corinne¡¯s example! ¡®What¡¯s there to learn from her? Does Grandma expect me to emte how poor Corinne is?¡¯ Francine was irritable when she suddenly spotted a short and portly man sneaking around at their door. ¡®Who could that be?¡¯ She got out of the car, observed the man for a while, and finally walked over to ask, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing in front of our house?¡± Chapter 65 Chapter 65 The startled Richard began exining himself in an awkward and flustered manner, ¡°Umm¡­ This is Mister Jeremy¡¯s home, right? I¡¯m here to look for his wife.¡± ¡®His wife? Does he mean Corinne?¡¯ The mere mention of Corinne made Francine annoyed. She looked at Richard with disgust and asked, ¡°What do you want from her?¡± Richard looked at Francine and noticed that she was covered with limited-edition luxury brands from head to toe. He took a guess and asked, ¡°Miss, did you just say that this is your house? Could you be¡­ Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife?¡± Francine frowned and realized he had no idea who her brother¡¯s wife was or what she even looked like. She did not correct the misunderstanding and asked, ¡°What if I am? Why are you looking for the missus?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Richard thought that he had found the person he was looking for and immediately shed an ingratiating smile. ¡°Missus Holden, I believe you¡¯d be very interested in learning about Mister Jeremy¡¯s affairs. I wonder if you have time for a chat?¡± ¡®My brother¡¯s affair?¡¯ Francine was puzzled and curious. She thought for a while and finally nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s chat somece else. I¡¯ll drive there and you can just follow me from behind.¡± Richard got into his car and followed Francine¡¯s pink sports car to a dessert shop. Once they were inside, Richard ced a few photos on the table and pushed them to Francine. The photos were nothing more than those of Jeremy and Corinne in the same shot. Francine was not remotely interested in that at all. ¡°Why are you showing me these photos?¡± Francine¡¯s calm reaction came as a surprise for Richard. ¡°Missus Holden, her name is Corinne Carew, and she¡¯s your husband¡¯s lover!¡± His remark left Francine in a daze. ¡°Lover?¡± She thought to herself, ¡®That¡¯s one big misunderstanding!¡¯ Richard said again, ¡°This woman seduced Mister Jeremy with her youth and beauty. There¡¯s no guarantee that it won¡¯t affect the rtionship between you and your husband. I can help you get rid of this little minx, but I hope that you can do me a favor once it¡¯s done.¡± Francine had just been fretting over how she should take revenge on Corinne, so her interest was understandably piqued. ¡°What do you need me to help you with?¡± Richard smiled. ¡°Nothing too serious, Missus Holden!¡± After hearing Richard exin his purpose, Francine felt that the problem would be quite easy to solve. ¡°Sure. ¡°If you can get rid of this Corinne b*tch and make sure that my broth-I mean, my husband, loathes her to death, I promise I¡¯ll get him to invest in Alpha Enterprises¡¯ new project that you mentioned.¡± When they were done negotiating the conditions, Richard blossomed with joy and said, ¡°You¡¯re very easy to get along with, Missus Holden! You¡¯ll hear my good news very soon! It¡¯ll only take a week for me to make Mister Jeremy hate Corinne!¡± After Richard left, Francine sat in the dessert shop for a while as she sipped her drink with a look of anticipation on her face. ¡®Oh, Corinne. Let¡¯s see if you can run away this time!¡± The next morning, Jeremy stayed at home for breakfast-something he did not usually do. Corinne received much care and concern at the dining table. Pam was afraid that Corinne¡¯s body had not recovered enough and that she could not use much of her strength, so she asked. Jeremy to feed her. She declined, of course, but the olddy insisted. Just as she was thinking about how someone as cold as him would never agree to lower himself to feed her, he smiled unpredictably and sliced her omelet into bite-sized pieces before feeding each piece to her. It was utterly disgusting, yet she was forced to bite the bullet and eat with a smile in front of Pam. All of a sudden, she was saved from that awkward situation by a phone call. She finally had a reason to leave the meeting, so she hurried back to her room to pick up the call. The caller was none other than the dean of the University of New Capital City. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 It had been a while since theyst met, and the dean exchanged a few pleasantries with Corinne before getting to the point. ¡°The graduation ceremony for your batch is next Monday, Corinne. As one of the school¡¯s special graduates, you should bring your parents to the graduation ceremony. The school hopes that you and your parents will be able to speak on stage and share your journey¡¯ toward achieving sess.¡± Corinne refused politely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have parents.¡± ¡°Nonsense! What do you mean you have no parents? It¡¯s written clearly on your file that both your father and stepmother are alive!¡± ¡°Sir, I-¡± Someone on the other end of the phone seemed to have called for the principal. He answered them right away and said hurriedly to Corinne, ¡°Please remember to bring your parents on Monday. Ande early, too!¡± The principal hung up right after. Corinne was miffed. She had parents, but their absence in her life meant that it was the same as not having them. After all, Marvin raised her by providing her with the bare minimum. As a father, he never attended any parent-teacher meeting, and it was even more unlikely that her stepmother Lilliana would attend with her. Nevertheless, the dean had always been proud of her as a student, and she did not want to let the principal down. After thinking about it some more, Corinne tried to call Marvin. ¡°Do you have time next Monday, Dad?¡± Marvin was enjoying a delightful breakfast with Lilliana and Sherlyn when he answered the phone. Next Monday? That¡¯s the day of a ceremony in which your sister will sign a contract with a newpany. It¡¯ll be broadcasted live! Lilliana and I need to dress well and show our support to your sister by attending the ceremony!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrows at the peculiar situation. ¡°Sherlyn¡¯s going to sign with a newpany? It looks like her career wasn¡¯t that much affected by previous negativity!¡± Marvin smiled happily. ¡°Yeah! The news from the trending searches the other day was actually a misunderstanding. The girl drinking wine with the old man in the video wasn¡¯t your sister but some small-time celebrity who had stic surgery in your sister¡¯s likeness! It was nothing but a smear.. campaign! Fortunately, Lilliana had a way to figure out the truth and release the rification news to clear your sister¡¯s name! And the heat resulting from that news prompted a big agency to persuade your sister into signing a contract with them!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡®Lilliana sure is a miracle maker! I didn¡¯t think she was capable of whitewashing Sherlyn¡¯s misdeeds so well!¡¯ Marvin then remembered Corinne¡¯s question. ¡°You just asked me if I have time on Monday, right? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Corinne pondered over the dean¡¯s request for a moment and eventually asked, ¡°My graduation ceremony is on Monday. The university wanted me to attend with my parents, so I¡¯d like to ask you if you¡¯re-¡± Marvin interrupted her before she could even finish asking her question. ¡°Corinne, your studies ] have been the one thing that has always put me at ease, so there¡¯s no need for me to attend. Your sister¡¯s contract-signing ceremony is much more important! After all, it¡¯s rted to her future career development!¡± She already expected that answer from him and smiled sarcastically. ¡°I understand. Bye, Dad.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. As soon as she hung up the phone, Sherlyn sent several messages to her in quick session. The first was, [What was that about? Did you ask Dad to go with you to your graduation ceremony?] Then came the next message. [It¡¯s such a shame for you, though. I¡¯m the more important daughter to him! It¡¯s useless for you to get good academic results because Dad doesn¡¯t care at all! Finally, she said, [By the way, I have some good news for you! I¡¯m about to sign with Holden Media! Holden Media is thergest film and television mediapany in the world! Its subsidiaries are all international superstars, and it won¡¯t be long before I be one too! Dad told me he¡¯s super proud of me, and he even bought me a bunch of presents to make me happy!] Then, Sherlyn sent another photo to show off severaltest models of designer bags. Corinne smiled wryly and sent a curt reply, [Congrattions!] Sherlyn felt as if her words did not have the intended impact after failing to elicit an envious response from Corinne, so she sent another message and said, [No matter how hard you try, you¡¯ll always be an illegitimate child who will always be shunned! Don¡¯t even dream of bing better than me! You¡¯re not worthy!] Corinne ignored Sherlyn¡¯s bragging and smugness. Her bigger concern was how to exin to the dean that her parents would not be apanying her on Monday¡­ At that moment, Jeremy opened the door and walked in. He rummaged through the closet and then took a suit jacket. ¡°Come here,¡± he ordered. Corinne frowned when she heard hismanding tone. ¡°And why should I?¡± Jeremy answered, ¡°Help me tie my tie.¡± Corinne was speechless. She would never acquiesce to serving him had she not promised to fulfill her role of acting as his dutiful wife! She got up, walked over, and chose an elegantly-patterned tie for him. She could only hook the tie. over his neck by standing on tiptoe because he was too tall, and the height difference made her actions a little clumsy and awkward. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Jeremy was half-smiling as he stared teasingly at her. When Corinne finally managed to tie a knot in the man¡¯s necktie, she looked up at him and suddenly remembered something. She asked, ¡°Are you free next Monday?¡± ¡°No,¡± the man answered immediately in an almost indifferent manner. Corinne pursed her lips and did not say anything further, but she did make a point to pull his tie askew before leaving. He lowered his gaze and straightened his tie. ¡°What about Monday? Is something on?¡± Corinne turned to look at Jeremy. After some thought, she realized that there was an issue with having him apany her to the graduation ceremony. Even if he had the time, in what capacity should he attend the graduation ceremony? A prominent. individual like him would inevitably attract unnecessary attention! ¡°Nothing. I was just asking!¡± She decided to give up on that idea. Jeremy did not ask any further questions as he walked up to her and raised his hand to lift her chin. He then asked condescendingly, ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± Corinne red at him angrily. ¡°Thanks for your concern, mister! I¡¯m fine now!¡± ¡°Good. Remember not to die at my house,¡± said Jeremy insipidly. He then lowered his hand from her chin, draped his suit jacket over his arms, and turned around to go out. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne brandished her fist at the man¡¯s tall figure. This man deserves a beating!¡¯ After Jeremy, Pam was the second person that came to mind, and Corinne knew that the olddy would agree to apany her to the ceremony if she asked. However, Pam was getting old, and the graduation ceremony was a long and arduous event. Corinne felt that it would not be good to trouble her. ¡®Forget it. I¡¯ll just go there on my own.¡± Monday soon came, and the dean stood on the podium in the university¡¯s auditorium to give his opening speech. Each department selected a top student to represent them, and each representative student would be apanied by their respective parents, all of whom had proud looks on their faces. However, Corinne was all alone in that row and looked a little out of ce. Inside the academic affairs department above the auditorium, the director frowned and said, ¡± Mister Jeremy, this is the seventh time that your sister has failed a course since she entered school. If this continues, she might have difficulty graduating!¡± Francine¡¯s family had been asked because she had underperformed in her studies. Jeremy sat on the sofa in the office and ced his hand on his forehead. He no longer wished to care about his younger sister as she was already beyond help. He nced down on a whim and saw Corinne standing on the stage. ¡°What¡¯s happening down there?¡± he asked. The academic affairs director came over and gazed down too. ¡°Oh, the seniors¡¯ graduation ceremony. Those on stage are the top students selected by each department. They¡¯re attending the graduation ceremony with their parents and giving their graduation speeches.¡± As he said that, he noticed that Corinne was alone on the stage. ¡°Hmm? Why is Corinne standing there alone? She¡¯s the top student during the national university entrance exams, and the dean values her most among all the top students. Why aren¡¯t her parents with her?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. He seemed to recall that she had asked him if he was free on Monday. Was it because of the graduation ceremony? The academic affairs director sighed again. ¡°Sigh. I can¡¯t believe her family didn¡¯t even cherish such an excellent child!¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrows and his lips twitched subtly. ¡°Does a husband count as family?¡± The academic affairs director was taken aback. ¡°What did you say?¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 On the ceremony stage, Ivanka Poplin, a top student in the University of New Capital City¡¯s music department, was delivering her graduation speech with her father standing right beside her. Both father and daughter were teary-eyed and filled with emotion for the four years of university life. ¡°Ivanka¡¯s father is so handsome! And he¡¯s so young too!¡± ¡°Ivanka is the most beautiful student on campus, so it¡¯s pretty obvious that she inherited her parents¡¯ good genes!¡± ¡°Whoa, Ivanka¡¯s father said he¡¯d donate three pianos to the school¡¯s music department! They¡¯re so rich!¡± ¡°I really envy Ivanka¡¯s life! She has such an amazing family background, her parents dote on her a lot, and she¡¯s both pretty and smart!¡± Ivanka delivered her graduation speech with her father and she went down the stage feeling pride as she listened to the praise and envy of her peers Backstage, she saw Corinne sitting quietly at the end for her turn to go on stage. ording to international practice, the person who went on stagest was generally the most important. Ivanka was incredibly unhappy with that arrangement, but she did not dare to protest when she heard that it was the dean who arranged it. After thinking for a while, Ivanka walked toward Corinne and asked an obvious question, ¡°Did youe on your own today?¡± Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡± Ivanka said sympathetically, ¡°I heard from my ssmates that you¡¯re an illegitimate daughter who was left in the countryside by your family, and you were only epted into a university in the city. because of your motivation and diligence! You must¡¯ve suffered a lot when you were abandoned at such a young age. Just thinking about it is miserable enough already! Guess it doesn¡¯te as a surprise then that you¡¯re such a hard worker, Corinne. Your parents never took care of you, so you can only rely on yourself! I¡¯m d I don¡¯t have to work as hard as you, and my parents dote on me very much. They¡¯ll give me whatever I ask for!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Really? Do you n on relying on them even after you graduate?¡± Ivanka felt choked all of a sudden and frowned unhappily. ¡°I merely wanted to show concern for you, Corinne. I meant you no harm when I said that, but you just had to respond with hurtful words! My father was right: there¡¯s always something about poor people that makes them hateful!¡± When the emcee at the front announced Corinne¡¯s name, she ignored Ivanka and walked past her to go on stage. Corinne first thanked her alma mater, then her lecturers, and proceeded to look back on her time in university before ending with a summary of her growth. She got on the stage sans makeup, yet her demeanor was calm and her smile was confident. Her graduation speech was captivating due to her great sense of humor. The lecturers and students in the audience burst intoughter, yet at the same time, they were teary-eyed too. It was much unlike the hypocritical appreciation speeches of the previous graduates, which were emotional only for the speech-giver. There were some whispers in the audience. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯d expect from top student Corinne. Her graduation speech really was touching!¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, Corinne might not have a good background like Ivanka does, but she¡¯s still a star student nheless!¡± ¡°I should point out that Corinne embodies the true nature of a star student because she hails from the math department. She¡¯s much prettier than Ivanka too!¡± ¡°No matter how pretty and smart she is, she¡¯s still an illegitimate daughter! Didn¡¯t you know that she came here by herself today because none of her parents were willing to apany her to attend her graduation?¡± ¡°I heard that she was born from an affair that her father had with another woman! Apples don¡¯t fall far from the tree, and I believe she¡¯s not that bad of a person in private!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ivanka, who had already returned to sit with the other students, pulled the arm of one of her peers and said hypocritically, ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t say that! Corinne has such a pitiful life! Even if she did do something she was ¡®forced to¡¯, it was because she had to survive!¡± Though she had a sympathetic look on her face, her heart was leaping for joy. Before Ivanka went to university, she had always been the center of attention wherever she went. That changed when she entered the same university as Corinne, and she was eventually relegated to Corinne¡¯s shadow after Corinne secured the top spot in the national university entrance examinations! At longst, she found out that Corinne could neverpare to her in two aspects: family and background. Those two aspects were something that Corinne could never shake off! Corinne¡¯s graduation speech was not over yet when the university auditorium suddenly became strangely quiet. After a few minutes of silence, everyone started whispering again. ¡°Look! The man who just stepped onto the stage is so handsome!¡± ¡°Goodness me! Who is that? I¡¯ve never seen someone so handsome in my life!¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 ¡°He¡¯s not just handsome. He has this super intimidating aura too. I bet he¡¯s the mysterious guest invited by the school.¡± Just as Corinne was going into the concluding remarks, she felt that something was not right with how everyone responded. It was almost as if they were all staring behind her. She turned around to find out what was happening and was takenpletely by surprise! ¡®Why is he here?!¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s thoughtful gaze nced swiftly across her as he walked forward. His tall body stood beside her, and he reached out to raise the microphone to mouth level. His low and maic voice resonated throughout the auditorium as he said, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m here as Corinne¡¯s family, and I¡¯d like to thank the University of New Capital City for all the care that has been given to Corinne. I don¡¯t have much time right now, so I¡¯ll keep things short. I¡¯m donating aboratory building to the university in Corinne¡¯s name as a token of appreciation for all that the university has done for Corinne.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Is he okay or something? The audience was in an uproar, and the university¡¯s top management was all shocked. Everyone was stunned to hear that a building had been gifted out of nowhere! ¡°Whoa! Guess you don¡¯t need to talk much if you¡¯re handsome. You can just donate a building!¡±, Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡¯s the most dashing man I¡¯ve ever seen, and he doesn¡¯t even bat an eye when he donates that building! Does anyone know who he is to Corinne?¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s family, so I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s her brother? But they don¡¯t look alike at all!¡± ¡°He¡¯s young, so he can¡¯t be her father, right?¡± The University of New Capital City¡¯s dean took the stage excitedly and said, ¡°Fellow students, let us thank Corinne and her family for their generous donation. How about we give them a round of apuse!¡± A thunderous apuse then ensued. Ivanka¡¯s face turned ugly, and she felt her pride being trampled on the ground. Corinne had stolen her spotlight again! By contrast, the three pianos that her father said he would donate earlier seemed to pale inparison! ¡®D*mn it! Corinne is supposed to be an illegitimate daughter whom nobody cares about! Who¡¯s that handsome and wealthy man who went on stage with her?¡¯ At that moment, there was a short break in between sses in the freshmen¡¯s hurried in and said, ¡°Something big happened, Francine! I heard that your brother donated a building to the school!¡± Francine, whose eyes were still red after being reprimanded by her brother because of her study Issues, was overjoyed when she heard the news. ¡°I knew my brother still cares for me even after scolding me! I¡¯m d he donated the building to the school so the teachers will be a bit ¡®nicer¡¯ to me during the exams!¡± The female ssmate corrected her awkwardly, ¡°Ummm¡­ He didn¡¯t donate the building because of you.¡± Francine waved her hand in disbelief. ¡°Don¡¯t y around with me. Who else would he donate it for? The female ssmate said regretfully, ¡°But I swear it¡¯s not for you. It¡¯s for one of the senior graduates named Corinne!¡± Francine stared at her ssmate in shock. ¡°Corinne? She¡¯s a student at the University of New Capital City?!¡± The female ssmate had an expression that seemed to say, ¡®How could you not know this?¡¯ She then exined, ¡°Corinne is a legend here in the university. She was the top scorer of her year in the national university entrance examination, and no one has ever surpassed her scores! I heard that she didn¡¯t actually apply to the University of New Capital City, but it was our dean who visited her and invited her here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Our senior, Chester Mansfield, is so in love with her, but he still hasn¡¯t managed to win her heart even after chasing her for three years!¡± While the previous bit of information merely made her angry, it was the subsequent one that shattered Francinepletely. She had a crush on senior Chester since forever, but he rejected her and told her that he already had someone he liked. Francine never thought that it would be Corinne! Her ssmate said again, ¡°I didn¡¯t think your brother had two younger sisters! Is Corinne your older sister, then? Why doesn¡¯t she have the Holden surname though?¡± Francine said in disgust, ¡°Corinne isn¡¯t my brother¡¯s sister!¡± That remark left her ssmate feeling puzzled. ¡°Then who is she? How did she get your brother to attend her graduation ceremony as her family member? To the point of donating a building in her name?¡± Francine gritted her teeth. ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 "She''s a b*tch!" Francine could not bring herself to reveal that Corinne was her brother''s wife. It was a privilege she would rather not give Corinne! Her ssmate felt a little awkward and did not know why Francine hated Corinne so much. "Well... Whatever it is, your family is super rich! It''s amazing how you can just make donations on a whim!" The Holdens have always kept a low profile, and although everyone in the school knew that Francine was a daughter of a wealthy family, they were unaware that her family was the Holdens-an elite upper- ss family. Furthermore, no one had any idea that her brother was Jeremy, the Holdens'' eldest son! Francine was not in the mood to hear that sort of ttery. "Is my brother still in school?" she asked. "He''s probably discussing the building donation in the dean''s office right now!" her ssmate answered. Francine got up, rushed out of the ssroom, and took out her cell phone angrily to call Richard. "Hey! Didn''t you say that you were going to make my broth-I mean, my husband, loathe Corinne? It''s already been a few days now. What have you been doing all this time?" Richard was just as helpless and began exining, "I''ll be honest with you, Missus Holden. I''ve been waiting at the Carew house for several days now, but I didn''t see Corinne at all! I don''t have a chance to do anything if I don''t see her! Where did that little minx go these past few days?" Francine thought about it and realized that Richard did not spot Corinne at the Carews because he was unaware of the truth. Corinne lived with the Holdens instead of her family, so having a stakeout outside her home would evidently prove fruitless. "I''ll send you Corinne''s location. Hurry up and get things done for me by today!" Richard was more than happy to hear that. "It''d be perfect if you can help me!" After ending the call, a gloomy trace of resentment appeared in Francine''s eyes. Ever since Corinne married into the family, neither Pam nor Jeremy spoiled her as much as before, and they even looked down on her all the time. Moreover, Francine''s ideal sister-inw was not a country bumpkin like Corinne but the Riveras'' daughter instead-who was the epitome of a gracefuldy! She had always been very kind to Francine too, and Francine would be more than willing to chase Corinne out of the Holdens simply for the sake of the Riveras'' daughter! ... Inside the dean''s office, Jeremy had been invited there to discuss the details of the building donation. Once everything had been wrapped up, the dean stood up and sent Jeremy out respectfully. Corinne stayed by Jeremy''s side from beginning to end, and she never imagined being able to witness the building donationing to fruition. After bidding the dean goodbye, she left with Jeremy too. The university corridors were rather quiet at that moment. Corinne turned her face and raised her head slightly to look at the tall and handsome Jeremy. After some hesitation, she finally asked, "Why did youe to the university today?" Jeremy was walking in gentle strides, and upon hearing her question, he gave her the side eye and said, "When you asked me if I was free on Monday, it was regarding your graduation ceremony, right?" Corinne did not deny it. "Yes."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. "Why didn''t you properly ask me at that time?" "I had second thoughts because it''s not worth bothering you over such trivial matters." Jeremy agreed and said insipidly, "To me, this event isn''t worth wasting my time over." Corinne was speechless. ''I knew it!'' Jeremy then added, "But for you, the graduation ceremony is one of the important moments in your life. You''re still my rightful wife, at least for now, so I don''t mind meeting even the most trivial of needs." Corinne''s lips twitched. "That doesn''t mean you need to donate a building just to show off your wealth." His thin lips curled up in a smirk. "Do you honestly think I did that for you? I just wanted to take this opportunity to show support for our country''s education and make some contributions to society. You just happen to be a convenient excuse for that." Corinne rolled her eyes and said, "Hehe, I see! You''re quite the patriotic man, mister!" He could have donated the building without putting it in her name if he wanted to. Moreover, it had also been agreed with the dean that the building would be named the Corinne Building once it wasplete. Such an ostentatious action would make it difficult for her to separate herself from him in the future! All of a sudden... "Corinne!" someone called out to her. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 As soon as Corinne heard someone calling her, she stopped walking and turned around. A handsome boy chased after her and was trying to catch his breath. He was a third-year student. Corinne asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Chester? Is there something you need from me?¡± The shy boy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and smiled sincerely as he said to her, ¡± Congrattions on your sessful graduation!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± Chester wanted to say something else, but he noticed the imposing man beside her and asked, ¡± Umm¡­ Who is he?¡± ¡°An uncle of mine!¡± Corinne answered without hesitation. Jeremy was speechless to hear that. As soon as Chester was told that Jeremy was one of Corinne¡¯s elders, he immediately bowed politely and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, sir!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes coldly. He had a gloomy gaze and ignored Chester¡¯s greeting. Chester did not seem bothered about Jeremy¡¯s presence and said to Corinne with a slight blush, ¡°I have something to talk to you about in private, Corinne. Will that be alright?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Wait here for me, Uncle!¡± she said, then followed Chester to a more secluded ce to chat. The two of them stood by the window in the corridor and talked. Chester then pulled off the second jacket button midway through the conversation and handed it to Corinne. She took it, looked at it, and smiled. Jeremy cocked an eyebrow when he saw that. Tommy has always been adept at understanding and deciphering unspoken expressions. As soon as he saw the puzzled expression on Jeremy¡¯s face, he immediately said without waiting for Jeremy to ask, ¡°Sir, in someics, the second button of a person¡¯s clothes symbolizes something close to the heart. That boy is probably saying that he¡¯s willing to give his heart to Corinne.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and was appalled that she decided to ept something with such a meaning. He vaguely remembered Corinne remarking that she liked well-behaved and obedient pretty boys who would call her ¡®mommy¡¯. He wondered if the kid talking to her was exactly that sort of boy. Jeremy¡¯s lip twitched, and he asked, ¡°Do all students experience puppy love?¡± Tommy replied awkwardly, ¡°Umm¡­ Sir, university students are already adults. It¡¯s not considered puppy love.¡± Jeremy lit a cigarette and watched the two people chatting not too far away. They were at an age where they were just beginning to discover love and rtionships. Even the tiniest of actions was enough to make them blush. Corinne stretched out her hand and touched the boy¡¯s head. Though there was no way to make out what she was saying, the smile on her face was rather obvious. Her height was barely the same as the boy, yet she patted his head like she was his elder sister.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Jeremy took a deep puff of his cigarette, exhaled, and stubbed out the remaining half of the cigarette before throwing it into the trash can. Jeremy said nothing even after they got in the car, and Corinne did not take the initiative to talk to him either. She merely lowered her head and fiddled with her phone to answer Aaron¡¯s messages. The car was just about to leave the campus when Francine suddenly appeared and stopped them. Francine opened the car door, got in, and said with a smile, ¡°Jeremy! Corinne! Can I get a ride home too?¡± Jeremy looked up and stared coldly at her. ¡°Are you nning on skipping your sses?¡± Francine cowered. ¡°What? No! I just don¡¯t have any ss this afternoon¡­¡± Jeremy ignored her and raised his chin to signal for his driver to drive. Francine sat next to Corinne in a rare show of cordialness. ¡°I never knew you were a student here at the University of New Capital City! Why haven¡¯t I seen you in school before!¡± Corinne looked at the stark change in Francine¡¯s attitude and smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t at school much because I was busy with my senior year internship ¡°I see!¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Francine thought for a while and said, ¡°Well, since today¡¯s your graduation ceremony, why don¡¯t we go and celebrate?¡± Corinne yawned. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. There¡¯s nothing to celebrate.¡± Nevertheless, Francine continued to cajole her and took her arm warmly. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been easy for you to go through four years of university, so that¡¯s a good enough reason to celebrate! I know a shopping mall with a lot of limited-edition new fashion styles. How about we go for a walk together?¡± Corinne gazed down at the way Francine was hooking her arm and raised her eyebrows strangely. ¡°You want me to go shopping with you right now?¡± Francine nodded eagerly. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s not like we have anything else to do if we go home early! Why don¡¯t youe shopping with me?¡± Though it was rare that Francine was kind to Corinne, it would nheless be a positive development because she would have less trouble if she could get along peacefully with everyone at the Holdens. With that thought in mind, Corinne pursed her lips slightly and said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go shopping.¡± Francine immediately beamed with a smile. She then turned around and said to Jeremy, ¡°We¡¯re going shopping, so why don¡¯t you follow us too?¡± Jeremy gazed down at the document in his hand and answered curtly, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time.¡± That was exactly the oue that Francine expected, so she smiled secretly again and said, ¡± Fine, then. Just have the driver send me and Corinne to Glee Shopping Center, at Eastbridge!¡± After the two girls got out of the car, Jeremy lowered the window, turned to look at Corinne, and advised softly, ¡°Don¡¯t stay out toote. Be home early.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Corinne nodded cooperatively. Jeremy sounded like he was lecturing a child, which Corinne chalked up to him being worried that she might lead his precious sister astray. Inside the mall, Francine winced and covered her stomach suddenly before they could cried out and said, ¡°My tummy isn¡¯t feeling too well, Corinne. I¡¯m going to the toilet!¡± Corinne looked around to help her find the restroom but then saw a sign on the door of the nearby restroom warning potential bathroom-goers that it was under repair. She frowned, and said, ¡°The bathroom on this floor is broken. Come on, let¡¯s go find another one upstairs!¡± Rather than leaving, Francine shook her head strongly and said, ¡°No! I won¡¯t be able to make it upstairs! I don¡¯t think the entire restroom is broken. I¡¯ll go in and use whichever one that¡¯s working. Wait here for me!¡± After ending her sentence, Francine hurriedly rushed into the under-maintenance bathroom. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned helplessly and followed her slowly. Francine did note out, even though Corinne had waited for a long time at the entrance. Worried that something might happen to Francine, Corinne decided to go in and look for her. However, everything around Corinne turned dark as soon as she walked in. Someone ced a sack over her head from behind, and the person struck her very hard on the back of the head, causing her to pass out on the spot. The toilet door opened, and Francine walked out leisurely with a triumphant smile on her face.¡± You fell into my trap this time, Corinne!¡¯ Inside suite 3201 of Holden International Hotel, Corinne was lying unconscious on the big bed. Francine crossed her arms as she stood by the bed and nced disdainfully at Corinne from above. The situation Corinne was in was simr to that of a fish waiting to be gutted on the chopping board. ¡°Make sure everything¡¯s done cleanly. I don¡¯t want this to be traced back to me!¡± reminded Francine. Richard patted his chest with confidence and said happily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Missus Holden. Everything after this has been arranged perfectly. Nothing will go wrong!¡± Francine nced at him arrogantly. ¡°You¡¯d better make sure that nothing goes wrong!¡± ¡°I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± After making his promise, Richard turned his head and told the blonde guy who was waiting at one side, ¡°Did you hear what Missus Holden said? Take good care of this woman for her. I don¡¯t think I need to repeat what you have to do when the police arrive, do I?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 The disgusting blonde man grinned to reveal his soiled teeth and smiled wretchedly. ¡°Rx, Richard! I know exactly what to do! Besides, I was jailed because I used to get involved with escort services!¡± The blonde guy was excited to see such a beautiful, delicious woman on the bed. He had just been released from jail the month before, and it had been years since hest touched a woman. Finding a job was already hard enough, and hisck of money meant that finding a woman was an almost impossible task! A few days ago, Richard-who was from his hometown-came to him and offered to pay him to sleep with a woman. It was such an amazing deal that he immediately agreed without hesitation. In fact, he was more than willing to sleep with such a beautiful woman for free, and he would not even mind going to jail for a couple of years because it was worth it! Francine felt nauseous when she saw how perverted that blonde guy was. Since Corinne pressed her head into the toilet and made her feel disgusted for several days, she was going to make Corinne feel disgusted for far longer! Richard nned on framing Corinne as an escort who was caught by the police while she was offering her services at a hotel. When that happened, Jeremy would definitely refuse to be associated with her. That was exactly what Francine wanted. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Once Jeremy no longer wanted anything to do with Corinne, Pam would simrly view her in a negative light as an unclean woman and would almost certainly chase her out of the family! Richard felt that it was almost time to proceed and said respectfully, ¡°Umm¡­ Missus Holden, the next phase of the n might be too much for your eyes to bear, so I think we should leave!¡± Francine did not want to stay there and witness such indecent acts, so she red at the unconscious Corinne onest time before turning around and walking out of the suite with Richard. At longst, the blonde guy had been left along with Corinne in the suite. He slurped his drool, rubbed his hands, and hurriedly took off his clothes to pounce on the girl on the bed. Francine returned hometer that evening. As soon as she entered the room, she saw Jeremy sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper with a serious look. A fleeting moment of guilt overcame her for a moment, and she asked, ¡°Why are you home so early today?¡± Jeremy nced askance at her and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you back home alone? Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± Francine had calmed down by then and said with a smile, ¡°Oh, she met an old friend in the mall and said she wanted to catch up with him, so she said I could go back home without her!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Old friend?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Francine nodded, and said purposefully, ¡°Her old friend is some guy with hair that¡¯s dyed blonde. The two of them seemed rather familiar with each other, but I have no idea what sort of rtionship they have!¡± Jeremy lowered his eyebrows, picked up the coffee on the coffee table, and took a big sip.¡¯ Catching up¡­with an old friend?¡¯ At that moment, Tommy barged right in and said, ¡°Sir! Something happened!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jeremy continued to sip his coffee without even the slightest change in expression. Tommy walked up to them and exined, ¡°A scandal involving illegal sex-for-money services has surfaced in Holden International Hotel. This has serious repercussions on the hotel¡¯s reputation. This afternoon, someone anonymously reported that someone hired an escort in suite 3201 of the hotel, and two suspects were arrested on the spot by the police!¡± As soon as Francine heard that, she secretly rejoiced because she knew that the job wasplete. ¡®That d*mned Corinne will be thrown out of the home soon! Bwahaha! She deserves it!¡¯ Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°And what did the police say?¡± Jeremy said while calmly reading the weekly financial report. Tommy replied, ¡°The police are still conducting their investigation and interrogating the suspects. There hasn¡¯t been any word yet.¡± Such things happen every day in countries all over the world, so nothing was surprising about what happened. It was not worth all the huge fuss, Jeremy sipped his coffee and ordered, ¡°Get the media to tone down on the reports while we wait for the results of the investigation. We¡¯ll respond to the public opinion based on the official announcement.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Tommy nodded, but his expression soon turned less calm than before. He had to put a lot of strain on himself to utter his next sentence and say, ¡°Sir, there are rumors that the name of the woman suspected of being an escort is¡­Corinne Carew.¡± Jeremy finally lifted his handsome face out of the financial weekly newspaper, with his gaze turning sharp all of a sudden. Tommy had a regretful look. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first when I heard the news, but the hotel¡¯s check- in records show that she checked into suite 3201 of Holden International Hotel this afternoon. She hasn¡¯t responded to any attempts to contact her even until now.¡± Jeremy was silent for a while as he narrowed his eyes and said coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s not jump to conclusions before we find out what¡¯s really going on. Our top priority should be to locate her.¡± ¡°Yeah! You must¡¯ve made a mistake, Tommy. How could she do such a thing!¡± Francine walked over and made a remark that would lead them to think of more things.. Just a minute ago, she received a text message from Richard announcing the good news, [Missus Holden, everything on my end is done. Don¡¯t forget what we agreed on earlier!] [Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll have your share once this is all done!] Francine replied, then smirked in secret. She opened her news app ording to n and clicked on the news in the social happenings section. [A certain Miss Carew and Mister Royse were arrested for allegedly offering escort services and soliciting such services in a suite of Holden International Hotel!] Then, she feigned surprise and said, ¡°Jeremy! Look! The woman mentioned in the news is wearing the same clothes as Corinne today, and the man next to her has blonde hair too. He looks just like the friend that Corinne met in the mall today!¡± After making that remark, she handed the phone over to Jeremy. Jeremy looked at Francine¡¯s cell phone screen. The faces of the two suspects in the apanying video were blurred, but the woman¡¯s clothes were indeed the same as Corinne¡¯s outfit that day. Francine covered his mouth in ¡®disbelief¡¯. ¡°No way! Jeremy, this woman can¡¯t be Corinne, right? Now I get why she was so reluctant to bring me along when she decided to catch up with her old friend. Turns out they were going to do¡­¡¯that¡¯! This is crossing the line.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s face turned cold, and his emotions were not obvious. At that moment, Pam-who had just got up from her nap in the room-walked out and asked, ¡± Jeremy, Francine, why are you two the only ones here? Where¡¯s Corinne? Call her toe down and have dinner together!¡± Jeremy was about to stop Francine from talking too much, but Francine could not hold back and ran over to her. ¡°There¡¯s been a situation, Grandma! The police have arrested her!¡± ¡°What! She was arrested?¡± Pam nearly copsed when she heard that, but luckily, a maid rushed there just in time to support her. ¡°What do you mean? What happened to Corinne?¡± Francine handed Pam her cell phone and showed the video from the news article. ¡°Look, Grandma! She was arrested for sex services this afternoon!¡± ¡®Sex services?¡¯ The olddy recognized the clothes that the woman in the news was wearing-it was no doubt the same outfit that Corinne wore when she went out earlier that morning. Her face. turned pale with shock. ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible! Corinne would never do that kind of thing!¡± Francine said angrily, ¡°Jeremy and I don¡¯t believe it either, but the truth is right in front of us!¡± Then, thendline at home rang all of a sudden. The butler, Bowen Hoover, knew that his employers had no time to answer the phone at that. moment, so he walked over to pick it up. Bowen was stunned to hear what had been said and immediately put the call on speaker. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Everyone listened as a very serious voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Hello, this is Eastbridge Police Station. May I ask if this is Corinne¡¯s home?¡± Bowen looked up and nced at Jeremy to seek his instructions. He only dared to reply when Jeremy nodded slightly. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± The policeman on the other end of the line said, ¡°If you¡¯re a family member of Corinne¡¯s, we ask that you pleasee to Eastbridge Police Station right now. We require your assistance to verify certain matters.¡± The call then ended. Pam could not bear what she just heard and slumped down on the sofa. Francine became even more frantic. ¡°Did you hear that, Grandma? The police station just called us! The woman arrested has to be Corinne! How could she bring herself to do such a thing? She¡¯s let you down even after all the care and love that you¡¯ve shown her!¡± Pam was heartbroken and found herself unable to ept it. Jeremy got up, grabbed his suit jacket from the sofa, and said to Francine in a serious tone, ¡°Stay at home with Grandma, and don¡¯t go anywhere!¡± However, Francine ran over to stop him. ¡°Jeremy! Stop concerning yourself with that vile woman anymore! Just leave her! All those shameless things that she did will only tarnish our family¡¯s name if you keep getting involved with her!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy frowned and reprimanded her. ¡°Get up and stop making a fuss!¡± Francine still insisted. ¡°Stop caring about Corinne anymore, Jeremy! She doesn¡¯t deserve it at all!¡± Just as the two of them were at a stalemate, a voice rang from above them. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back early today, mister! I¡¯m feeling a little hungry right now, Grandma. Isn¡¯t it about time for dinner?¡± Corinne¡¯s rxed andzy voice suddenly echoed throughout the home. Everyone was stunned. When they looked in the direction of the voice, they saw Corinne walking slowly down the stairs, seemingly having just woken up from a nap. Jeremy froze slightly upon seeing her, but his tense expression soon rxed, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. Pam then sat up with a look of surprise in her eyes. ¡°Corinne! You¡¯re at home?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Francine¡¯s expression turned stiff. ¡°You¡­ Why are you at home? Weren¡¯t you-¡± Corinne was a little sluggish as she covered her mouth and yawned. ¡°What¡¯s so strange about me being at home? Did you expect me to be somewhere else right now?¡± Francine was in aplete mess. Richard had sent her a message saying that the job had been done, so the question in her mind was why and how Corinne was there at their home. She pondered over it and immediately formted her conclusion. ¡°How could you escape from the police station, Corinne? It¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯ve been doing all that shameless stuff! Are you only going to be happy once you drag our name through the mud too?¡± Corinne tilted her head in confusion. ¡°The police station? Why would I be at the police station?¡± Francine snorted coldly. ¡°Enough with your act! Those scandalous things you did are all over social media now, and everyone here knows what happened! We just received a call from the police station too! You can¡¯t hide it anymore. Just be honest and admit it!¡± ¡°A scandal?¡± Corinne seemed somewhat surprised, but she walked to thendline calmly while saying, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Let me call them back and ask what¡¯s going on!¡± After saying that, Corinne picked up the phone and pressed the automatic callback button. ¡°Hello? Is this the police station? ¡°Yes, Corinne speaking. May I ask why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± Chapter 76 Chapter 76 With the call on speaker mode, the same police officer spoke through the phone, ¡°Corinne Carew, someone had taken your wallet and phone. They¡¯ve even used your name to book a room in a hotel. Pleasee to the station now to rify if the wallet and phone belong to you and check if there are any losses.¡± Corinne replied politely, ¡°Alright. I understand. Thank you very much, officer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± the officer replied. Corinne looked at Francine pointedly after she hung up the phone. ¡°Is that it? When is losing something a scandal? Francine, please enlighten me by telling me why you think the police are looking for me?¡± Francine was stunned. For a minute there, her brain stopped working. ¡®Why have things turned out differently from what¡¯s nned? The police were looking for Corinne because she lost something? she thought. ¡°Oh, Corinne. I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re fine! I¡¯m really d that you¡¯re fine! What a scare. I was nearly scared to death.¡± Pam patted her chest to relieve herself from the stress. Right after that, she turned to look at her troublemaking granddaughter and reprimanded her,¡± Francine, what¡¯s wrong with youtely? Why do you keep making trouble? Don¡¯t ever talk about these unvalidated things anymore in the future!¡± The unsatisfied Francine raised a finger and pointed at Corinne. ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t make it up! Even Tommy found out about the hotel Corinne checked in today! The woman in the news was her! Otherwise, how do you exin why she¡¯s wearing the same clothes as that escort?¡± Indeed, Corinne was wearing the same clothes as the escort. However, she was calm and did not panic. ¡°My clothes aren¡¯t limited edition. It¡¯s normal for someone else to be wearing the same thing. Though, why did you insist that I¡¯m the escort?¡± Francine snorted disdainfully. ¡°Am I the one insisting on it, or are you really the escort? The hotel had a record of your stay, and you¡¯re wearing the exact same clothes as that escort. How can there be so many coincidences in this world? Try to exin that!¡± Corinne put her hands out innocently. ¡°The officer exined it on the phone. Someone used my identity to open a room in the hotel. I lost my wallet and my phone after I went shopping with you. I can¡¯t find you and I can¡¯t contact you, so I came back by myself.¡± Francine smiled sarcastically. ¡°Corinne Carew, you¡¯re just lying to my face!¡± That exnation could only fool her grandmother, but not her. She saw Richard bringing Corinne to the hotel. How could things turn out the way Corinne said? Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Francine, you seem to be very certain that I was in the hotel. Tell me. Did you see me in the hotel? Were you at the hotel too?¡± Francine was beginning to feel guilty after hearing that. ¡°Why¡­ Why did I need to go to that hotel? I didn¡¯t go there at all!¡± She did see it with her own eyes, but she could not reveal it because that would mean she nned ¡°Hey, Corinne¡­ I¡¯m the one who spoiled Francine. Since she was a kid, she¡¯s always been a girl with a hot temper and a bad mouth. Please don¡¯t mind her words. I¡¯ll teach her a lesson for you!¡± Pam came over to ease the tension. Corinne was her favorite granddaughter-inw, and Francine was her favorite granddaughter. Both of them were her favorite people. She felt bad to see them arguing with each other. With disappointment, she smacked Francine and said, ¡°Francine, you were wrong on this matter. Apologize to Corinne now!¡± Of course, Francine was unwilling to do that. Things did not go as she nned, and her brain was in a mess. Without the evidence to prove Corinne was guilty, Francine could only listen to her grandmother and reluctantly mutter, ¡°Fine. I was wrong today. I admit it.¡± Corinne gave her a faint look and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t ept your apology.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Hearing this, Francine was irked. ¡°Corinne Carew, I¡¯ve apologized. What else do you want from me? Take it and leave!¡± ¡°Francine! Why are you being so rude to your brother¡¯s wife?¡± Pam scolded sternly. ¡°She¡¯s not my brother¡¯s wife!¡± rebuked Francine angrily. ¡°I refuse to admit that a country bumpkin is my brother¡¯s wife! Also, she¡¯s a sneaky wench who married my brother just because of money!¡± ¡°How dare you?! Stop that nonsense immediately!¡± Pam was so angry that she wanted to p her, but she could not bring herself to do it. Francine was, after all, her favorite granddaughter whom she had watched since she was a baby. Obviously, Francine knew her grandmother would not p her. She took it for granted and continued to scold Corinne, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. She is a country bumpkin!¡± Pam was so infuriated, ¡°You-¡± Corinne was afraid the anger would make Pam¡¯s body worse. Thus, she walked up to the old woman and smoothened her back. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll look past this, but I won¡¯t forgive her.¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 ¡°Corinne, my dear. For my sake, can you¡­¡± Pam still wondered if she could bring a truce to both. people¡­ Corinne stood firm. ¡°Grandma, this isn¡¯t the first time. Last time, she brought you to the art gallery. to catch me having an affair. This time, she insisted I was the escort and called me these dreadful names. I can¡¯t forgive someone who keeps insulting and wronging me. Besides, she never apologized to me sincerely. I hope you can understand this, Grandma.¡± Pam sighed helplessly. Of course, she could understand why Corinne was so upset. No girl would like to be involved in those scandals, and it was normal for Corinne to be so angry. Francine had indeed gone overboard in both incidents. ¡®Francine, this girl¡­ She¡¯s too spoiled. It¡¯s time to teach her some manners, but she¡¯s so weak¡­ Sigh! Nevermind. Corinne said she was going to let it pass,¡¯ Pam thought. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Francine knew her grandmother would never punish her. She raised an eyebrow at Corinne arrogantly and gloated. ¡®So what? | cussed you out, and Grandma isn¡¯t going to do anything about that!¡¯ ¡°Apologize sincerely, now!¡± came the booming voice of a man. It sounded in, but it reached every corner of the space and terrified people. The young master of the Holdens had spoken. The atmosphere took a steep turn. The butler and servants were all surprised. It was rare to see the young master act so sternly at the young miss. It looked like he was really angry at the young miss because of his wife¡­ Francine was stunned as she looked at Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, why are you not on my side, too? Corinne must¡¯ve said something to you, I know it!¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze was not muddled by anger; his eyes instead looked peaceful. ¡°It¡¯s only right for you. to apologize after you¡¯ve ndered her,¡± he replied. Corinne tilted her head to look at Jeremy as she felt a little touched. ¡®Oh, Mister is being fair. He¡¯s not helping his sister,¡¯ she thought. Francine¡¯s eyes turned red as she tried to retort, ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Jeremy gave her no room to back out and repeated, ¡°Apologize to her now!¡± Francine was scared of her brother more than she was scared of her grandmother. She dared to act capriciously at her grandma, but she did not dare to rebel against her brother. In the end, she gritted her teeth and bowed respectfully at Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Corinne looked at her and did not make any response. She turned to face Pam instead. Grandma, I¡¯m going to go to the station to pick up my belongings. Have your dinner first, and don¡¯t wait for rne.¡± Pam felt sorry for Corinne because she failed to teach her capricious granddaughter. ¡°Corinne, let me go with you.¡± Corinne gave it a thought. ¡°Uhm¡­sure. We can eat out after I take my belongings. Let me treat you A to a nice dinner!¡± Pam smiled kindly. ¡°Corinne, I should be the one treating you!¡± The duo held their hands together and left. No matter who was treating the dinner, it was a harmonious scene. Francine was so annoyed when she was ignored by Corinne after she apologized to Corinne.¡± Jeremy, just look at her! She ignored me after I apologized!¡± ¡°You¡¯re disallowed to have dinner tonight! Think about the mistake you made.¡± Jeremy red at her coldly and quickly followed his grandmother and Corinne. Francine gritted her teeth angrily. ¡®Why are Grandma and Jeremy helping Corinne instead of me? Argh! I wish I could kill her! Wait! I need to go to the station to see what happened! How did things turn out this way?¡¯ She remembered very clearly seeing Richard knocking Corinne out and bringing her to the hotel. He also locked Corinne in the suite with the disgusting blonde man¡­ How, then, did Corinnee back home first? Somewhere along the line, something had gone wrong. She needed to find out so she could finally convince the others Corinne was the escort! Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Thus, Francine drove her car and secretly followed them to the police station. At the police station. The officer returned Corinne¡¯s belongings to her and said, ¡°Kindly check if this wallet and phone. are yours. If they are, proceed to check inside to see if you lost anything else.¡± Corinne cooperated by opening her wallet to check and looking at her phone to see if the thief had used her phone. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right. These are my wallet and phone. Nothing is missing.¡± The police officer nodded solemnly. ¡°Please sign here, and you can take your belongings with you. Remember to be careful in the future. You won¡¯t be so lucky to get it back the next time you lost it! Corinne listened carefully and smiled politely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be careful in the future. Thank you, officer!¡± Pam apanied by her side like a kind, well-mannered olddy. She expressed her gratitude to the officer andplimented them for their effort and hard work. Jeremy¡¯s tall, muscr figure stood not too far away from them. He had just finished a call and put away his phone. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at how harmonious Corinne was with his grandmother. His gaze turned dark. It was a smooth process. After Corinne took back her lost belongings, she held Pam¡¯s arm and left the station while discussing with Pam where they should go for dinner. ¡°Grandma, what do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine with me! What do you feel like eating? We can go eat whatever you want!¡± Pam answered. Corinne thought about it and looked at Jeremy. ¡°Mister, what do you want to eat? I¡¯m treating it!¡± Jeremy raised his brows and smiled ambiguously. ¡°Are you really letting me pick the ce?¡± Corinne nodded generously. ¡°Try me!¡± Jeremy smiled teasingly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to Bunding Steakhouse. They serve good quality steak.¡± Bunding Steakhouse was a famous steakhouse in the city and was, more importantly, a very expensive restaurant. ¡®Mister is trying to rip me off. In his dreams!¡¯ Corinne thought. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She put away the smile on her face, ignored Jeremy who tried to rip her off, and looked at Pam. ¡°Grandma, can you eat spicy food? I know a ce that serves good Asian food. Do you want to try?¡± Pam smiled cheerfully. ¡°Yes! I like Asian food too. Let¡¯s go there, then!¡± Corinne smiled obediently. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go now!¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®She was the one who asked me to pick a ce, yet she¡¯s tantly ignoring me now. Where¡¯s the sincerity? Even if the restaurant is very expensive, does she really think I¡¯m going to let her treat me? Did she forget I¡¯m a gentleman? That silly girl!¡¯ When they were at the entrance, Francine suddenly rushed toward them. Pam was shocked when she saw Francine. ¡°Francine?¡± Jeremy looked angry as his eyebrows furrowed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to stay at home to think about what you did? Why are you here?¡± Naturally, Francine was not afraid of her grandmother because she knew she was her favorite. However, she was really scared of her brother. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Francine did not dare to tell them the reason why she came to the police station. She was afraid Jeremy and Pam would stop her. Therefore, she walked past them and entered the police station to ask the question that was troubling her. ¡°Mister officer, I¡¯d like to ask if there is a male and female being detained because they were conducting illegal activity in Holden International Hotel?¡± The officer looked at her and answered truthfully, ¡°Yes, there is. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Francine requested, ¡°Can I meet the woman who got detained? I think I know her!¡± It just did not make sense to her. Corinne should be the one who got detained, but how did Corinne go back home safe and sound? Thus, she had to make sure with her own eyes the detained woman was not Corinne. Otherwise, she just could not let it go! However, the police officer shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, the suspected femalewbreaker ran away during the arrest. My colleagues are still looking for her at this moment.¡± ¡®That¡¯s it! Of course she got away!¡¯ Francine thought. It all made sense to her. Her eyes sparkled brightly and said, ¡°I have a piece of information I want to report! I know where the woman is!¡± The officer was surprised. ¡°You do? This is a serious matter, and it¡¯s not something you should joke about.¡± Without further ado, she turned and went over to drag Corinne over to the officer. Corinne was standing by the side and quietly holding Pam¡¯s arm when Francine did that. After that, Francine reported persistently, ¡°Officer, this is the woman you¡¯re after! Take a good look and see if she resembles the woman who ran away!¡± It all happened too fast. When Pam finally reacted, she hissed, ¡°Francine! What are you doing?!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Francine insisted that she was not wrong. ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t panic. You¡¯ll know the truthter!¡± The officer was shocked while he checked out Corinne. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t there when the arrest happened, and I haven¡¯t yet seen the actual suspects¡­ But I do notice she does look like the woman my colleagues describe in their report. They¡¯re wearing the same clothing too. The height and figure match, too¡­¡± Francine smiled pleasingly and confidently. ¡°Officer, there¡¯s no reason to doubt. Arrest her immediately. I¡¯m sure the escort that ran away is this woman right here! She didn¡¯t just lose her belongings identally, but she¡¯s the one who created this illusion to clear her suspicion!¡± The police officer entered a deep thought. Jeremy strode over to look at his trouble-making sister and angrily growled, ¡°Haven¡¯t you caused enough trouble at home just now?¡± Still, Francine was very confident. ¡°Jeremy, trust me! This is the truth! I¡¯m just trying to show you who Corinne really is. Stop letting this sneaky woman deceive you!¡± The expression on Jeremy¡¯s face remained unchanged. He instructed faintly, ¡°Tommy, bring my sister home now!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Tommy responded and approached Francine. However, Francine quickly hid behind the officer. I don¡¯t want to go home! I¡¯m not going home until Corinne is arrested!¡± Jeremy gave Tommy a look to let Tommy know he was responsible for settling the incident Francine caused. He was not nning on staying for long. He ced his arm around Corinne¡¯s shoulder and wanted to bring her away from this ce. Nevertheless, the officer rushed over and stopped them from leaving. With a serious expression, he said, ¡°Sir, please wait. She¡¯s not allowed to leave yet.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Why can¡¯t she leave?¡± The officer continued to re at Corinne as his suspicion grew. ¡°Based on the current situation, Corinne Carew is obliged to stay here to cooperate with us. Due to thetest information we received, we need to verify if the information we received is true or not, so she¡¯s not allowed to leave yet.¡± As such, Francine was even more convinced. ¡°Jeremy, did you hear that? The officer said he needed to verify things. It proves that even the police think Corinne is suspicious!¡± Jeremy squinted and tilted his head to look at Corinne. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Corinne looked calm as she gave Jeremy a sarcastic smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you thinking I¡¯m suspicious, too?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. The corners of Jeremy¡¯s lips quirked upward. ¡°Suspicious of what? Suspecting you¡¯d sell yourself to a lousy man as your graduation present?¡± Corinne was startled at first, but she regained her senses and rolled her eyes. ¡®Can¡¯t he tell what situation I¡¯m in now? Why does he still have the luxury to tease me? Though, does that mean he¡¯s not doubting me?¡¯ She ignored Jeremy and looked at the officer. ¡°Sir, what do you need me to do to cooperate with the investigation?¡± The policeman sternly instructed, ¡°Please follow me.¡± ¡°Corinne¡­¡± Pam grabbed Corinne¡¯s arm worriedly. Corinne smiled back at Pam while feeling sorry. ¡°Sorry, Grandma, but I guess I can¡¯t bring you to dinner today.¡± Pam was shocked. ¡°Corinne, are you really¡­¡± Corinne said nothing and followed the officer to the interrogation room at the back. When she walked past Francine, Francine smiled as if she was victorious and gloated, ¡°Corinne Carew, do you think you can escape just because you went back home and pretended none of this happened? Justice has long arms. You can fool others, but you can never fool me!¡± Corinne stopped and looked at Francine calmly. ¡°Francine, why are you so sure I¡¯m the escort? do you have any evidence in your hand? Why don¡¯t you tell the officer?¡± A guilty feeling shed through Francine¡¯s face. She then snorted as if she was not affected by what Corinne said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it, and I don¡¯t have any evidence to prove it. It¡¯s my instinct telling me! Are you still trying to deny it? I¡¯d like to see the look on your face after the officer verifies what I¡¯ve said is the truth!¡± Corinne said nothing further. She lowered her head and followed the officer into the interrogation room. Since everything turned out the way she wanted, Francine was extremely happy. She said confidently, ¡°Jeremy, Grandma, just wait. You¡¯re about to see the real Corinne Carew!¡± After experiencing two continuous shocking incidents in a day, Pam was not feeling very well. to bring her to sit on the bench in the waiting area. After that, he went over to Jeremy and asked, ¡°Sir, do I need to call Chief Thomas to tell him about Miss Corinne?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face was stone cold. No one knew if he was happy or angry, nor could anyone tell what he was thinking. ¡°Sir?¡± Tommy thought Jeremy did not hear what he sald and called out to him again. Jeremy turned around and headed outside. He lit up a cigarette elegantly and said faintly, ¡°Let her be. If she did do something, she should bear the consequences. If she didn¡¯t, the police wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her here.¡± Tommy nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Francine was pleased to know her brother¡¯s attitude toward Corinne¡¯s situation. ¡®Good. Jeremy¡¯s not going to help her, too! She¡¯s finished!¡¯ 10 minutester, Corinne walked out of the interrogation room gracefully, all while the stern- looking officer spouted apologies to Corinne and even sent her to the front. Francine noticed something was off and quickly went over. ¡°Sir, how did it go? She¡¯s the escort from Holden International Hotel, isn¡¯t she?¡± The officer shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve gone through everything, and Miss Corinne Carew is unrted to the information you reported.¡± ¡°What? Unrted?!¡± Francine was unsatisfied with the answer. She questioned, ¡°Did you guys really check and verify everything? She¡¯s the escort! How is she unrted to the case? Did she bribe you in the interrogation room?¡± The officer was angry about being wrongly assumed to be engaging in bribery without any reason. ¡°Miss, I can tell you responsibly that my colleagues have arrested the suspicious woman,¡± he sternly dered. ¡°Miss Corinne Carew¡¯s identification card was unfortunately used by the criminals to book a hotel room. Coincidentally, she wore the same clothes as the suspicious woman, but that¡¯s all there is.¡± Francine was unconvinced and waited to reason with the officer again. All of a sudden, however, the sound of the police car¡¯s siren red outside the station. Francine frowned and red at the suspicious woman. Suddenly, she reacted by shaking her head vehemently. ¡°No! That¡¯s not her! She¡¯s not the escort!¡± Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Francine turned around to point her finger at Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s you! It¡¯s one of your tricks again! You must¡¯ve found this woman to take the me!¡± Corinne spread her arms innocently. ¡°Francine, are you only going to be satisfied when I¡¯m the escort as you¡¯d hope?¡± Francine replied unhappily, ¡°What do you mean, as I¡¯d hope? You are the escort!¡± All of a sudden, a swift smacknded on Francine¡¯s cheek, and it made a crisp sound. Pam panted, having pped her granddaughter in rage. ¡°Are you not finished, Francine !? After the scene you caused at home, here you are in the police station, causing another scene! Corinne is your sister-inw! Why do you keep on humiliating her like this?!¡± ¡°Grandma, did you just p me?¡± The bbergasted Francine raised a hand to lightly cover her burning cheek. She whimpered, ¡°You never hit me since I was a child, yet you pped me because of Corinne?¡± Pam¡¯s heart went soft when she saw tears dropping from her granddaughter¡¯s eyes. Nevertheless, Francine had crossed the line. Through gritted teeth, she reprimanded strictly, ¡± should¡¯ve pped you earlier! You wouldn¡¯t have behaved like a spoiled girl if I had taught you well. Apologize to Corinne now and seek her forgiveness!¡± ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not wrong! Why should I apologize?!¡± Francine had a meltdown and shouted like a crazy woman. ¡°She¡¯s the escort! I¡¯m telling the truth! It¡¯s her! Corinne Carew sold sex services at the hotel!¡± Amid her rantings, she bolted toward Corinne, wrapped her fingers around Corinne¡¯s neck aggressively, and shook her vehemently. ¡°Just admit it! Admit that you were the escort at the hotel, you shameless, disgraceful woman!¡± Corinne was unable to say anything when Francine kept on shaking her. The police officers in the station quickly surrounded them. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? This is the police station. Stop what you¡¯re doing immediately!¡± Pam was so anxious that she nearly passed out. ¡°Francine, stop it!¡± Jeremy just finished his cigarette and entered the station, just in time to catch his grandmother from falling. With a cold re, he ordered Francine, ¡°Let go of her!¡± Francine had always been intimidated by her brother from a young age. This time, she shrugged off the fear and blustered, ¡°Brother, you can¡¯t have this woman be your wife!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± Terrified by his demeanor, Francine immediately let go of Corinne. Jeremy passed Pam to Tommy. He strode and lifted Corinne¡¯s face to check the red marks on her neck. ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± he hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to avoid her hands?¡± Displeased, Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Mister, this is typical victim condemnation! She attacked me, so why are you not ming her for attacking me? You¡¯re even ming me for not avoiding her attack? The Holdens are a bunch of unreasonable people!¡± Jeremy¡¯s tensed nerve was relieved because of Corinne¡¯s reply. He pinched her cheek. ¡°Look at you and that sharp tongue.¡± Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°Hmph! I just got choked and here you are, pinching my cheek! Like I said, you Holdens are a bunch of unreasonable people!¡± Jeremy let out augh, his calloused hand rubbing her head. After that, he looked to the side to re daggers at Francine. ¡°You!¡± he growled. ¡°Get back home, now!¡± Francine could tell her brother was infuriated. She tried to ease his anger as she feebly whimpered, ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± However, Jeremy did not bother to look at her anymore. Instead, he continued to examine the red marks on Corinne¡¯s fair neck. He felt pained as though the pain was his. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Not as painful as when you pinched my face!¡± Jeremy¡¯s lips quirked up a little upon hearing this. ¡°Be more attentive next time.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips stretched thin as she decided to ignore him. The way Jeremy treated Corinne was jaw-dropping to Francine. He was never ever so patient and tolerant of other women. It only added fuel to the me in Francine¡¯s heart as she shot Corinne a deadly look. Corinne managed to escape again this time. ¡®You better watch out! I¡¯m not going to go easy on you the next time!¡¯ Francine hissed to herself. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Tommy helped Pam to walk outside, and Francine followed after them. Suddenly, two police officers escorted an obese middle-aged man into the station. The man saw Francine and rushed toward her like she was his savior. He grabbed her clothes with his cuffed hands. ¡°Missus Holden! Missus Holden! Oh, it¡¯s so nice to see you here! Please save me, Missus Holden!¡± The man was none other than Richard Channing. Francine panicked and avoided eye contact with him. ¡°Ahem! What are you talking about? You have the wrong person! I¡­I¡¯m not Missus Holden¡­ -I don¡¯t even know you!¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Richard was stupefied by Francine¡¯s sudden switch. ¡°Missus Holden, how could you turn your back on me? You¡¯re the reason I got caught!¡± ¡°You have the wrong person! I-I have no idea who you are! Let go of me, and stay away from me!¡± The disgusted Francine tried to stop Richard from grabbing her clothes. She scolded the officers, ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Bring this criminal in now! Why are you letting him talk nonsense here? Don¡¯t you see him scaring me?¡± After that, Francine quickly walked to the front and tried to pull Pam away. ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s go. There are too many dangerous people here!¡± Richard fumed as he got dragged away by the police officers. He struggled and shouted, ¡°Missus Holden, you¡¯re dumping me after you used me, pretending not to know me?! Fine! Don¡¯t me me for doing this. You forced me into this!¡± With that, Richard turned to look at the policemen. ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to make a report. It¡¯s her! She¡¯s the one who asked me to do it! She¡¯s the mastermind!¡± The sudden action had everyone fixated their eyes on Francine. ¡°Grandma, that guy is a lunatic. Let¡¯s go now!¡± Francine pretended to be calm, and all she could think of was leaving the ce. However, Pam thought something was off and did not follow Francine. She turned around to ask the officer, ¡°Sir, what crime did this manmit?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, this man is arrested because we caught him installing a camera in a hotel to spy on others. It¡¯s an invasion of privacy,¡± answered one of the police officers on the case. At first, Richard was trying to please ¡®Missus Holden¡¯ so he could get investment funds from Mister Jeremy. Thus, he nned by setting up Corinne as an escort. For his own pleasure, however, he decided to install a mini camera in the room to film Corinne being assailed by the man, intending to save it for his personal ¡®downtime¡¯. Before he could record anything, fortunately, the police barged into the room and arrested him. With a solemn face, Pam looked at Richard and thought deeply. After a while, she turned her head to look at her granddaughter. ¡°Francine, do you or do you not know this man?¡± Francine¡¯s gaze wavered as she shook her head vehemently. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know him! Don¡¯t listen to him. He¡¯s probably crazy or something¡­ He¡¯s got the wrong person!¡± The rage in Richard rose again when Francine insisted she did not know him. He knew that if he went down, he would bring her with him. ¡°Missus Holden, I¡¯m surprised as a distinguished person, your face didn¡¯t turn red after the lies you¡¯ve told! Weren¡¯t you the one who shared Corinne¡¯s location with me today? You helped me knock her out and brought her to Holden International Hotel so I can set her up as an escort!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Francine¡¯s face flushed white as she panicked. ¡°You-You liar! I didn¡¯t do that!¡± After the previous two rounds of stimted incidents, Pam¡¯s heart had grown stronger and had the ability to withstand further irritation. She pressed her chest and took a deep breath. She asked Richard with a solemn voice, ¡°Why do you call her Missus Holden?¡± Hearing this, Richard was baffled. ¡°Isn¡¯t she Mister Holden¡¯s wife? I met her at the door of Holdens estate. She told was Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife and wanted to help her think of a way to ruin Mister Jeremy¡¯s lover, Corinne Carew!¡± Francine quickly denied this. ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± Pam closed her eyes. She never expected her favorite granddaughter to have the audacity to do such a thing. It was too much for her to handle. If Tommy was not holding onto her, she would have fallen. ¡°Who is my lover again?¡± Jeremy asked with his deep voice. He walked over. His mature, sharp, and handsome face stood out outstandingly among the officers. The vibe he epassed was remarkable too. Richard was shocked. ¡°M-Mister Jeremy, you¡­you¡¯re here too!¡± ¡°Who did you say is my lover?¡±Jeremy asked again. Subsequently, Corinne stepped out from behind Jeremy and stood next to him. She looked tiny when compared with the tall man. A yawn escaped her. After many episodes throughout the day, she felt drowsy. Richard¡¯s eyes popped. ¡°Corinne¡­why are you here, too? Aren¡¯t you already¡­¡± Corinne tilted her head slightly onto Jeremy¡¯s arm. As she raised her eyebrowszily, she asked, I¡¯m what? Being arrested for being an escort?¡± Jeremy lowered his head to look at Corinne using his arm like a pillow. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 The interaction between both Corinne and Jeremy suggested they were in a rtionship. It did. not look like a sweet and loving rtionship, but somehow, people could easily be convinced they were in one. ¡®Did Mister Jeremy save her?¡¯ Richard thought with a face of disbelief. He guessed, ¡°Did manage to move up thedder from being just his mistress?¡± you Corinne raised her hand proudly and looked at the man beside him. ¡°Mister, do you hear him calling me your mistress? What are you going to do about that?¡± The way sheined like a little kid was too extremely adorable. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at her while his lips curved up. He raised his head and red at Richard from a condescending angle. ¡°Who¡¯s the mistress? Say it again.¡± Richard shrugged nervously. ¡°Err¡­her. Is she not?¡± Tommy approached and said strictly, ¡°Excuse me, Miss Corinne is my employer¡¯s legally married wife. The only Missus Holden.¡± What?! Richard got the scare of his life. That meant¡­ Everything he saw, such as when Corinne and Mister Jeremy hugged in the car, and when Corinne ate with Mister Jeremy¡­ All this time, they were already a legally married couple, and he thought she was merely his lover! ¡®I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m dead wrong!¡± he fearfully told himself. He was done for. Not only did he offend the real Missus Holden, but he even tried to act superior by firing Corinne from Alpha Enterprises. No one would have guessed this country bumpkin could be the wife of Mister Jeremy, a man from a first-tier family! Richard thought he would be arrested for a maximum of ten days to half a month for the crime he committed. However, knowing that he offended Mister Jeremy and his wife, it would be a miracle if he ever had his freedom again. If the officers did not grab him from both sides, he would have fallen on his knees already. ¡°Mister Jeremy, Missus Holden, I¡¯m sorry. I really am sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know! I didn¡¯t know about this! ¡°Please forgive me for the things I did¡­ Please let me go! ¡°It¡¯s her! This woman pretended to be Missus Holden! She¡¯s the one who incited me to set up the real Missus Holden!¡± Richard tried to save himself by bringing Francine into the picture again. Francine panicked. ¡°Shut up, Richard Channing! Don¡¯t make nderous charges!¡± Since Richard knew Francine was not the real Missus Holden, he was no longer afraid of her. ¡°Why do you know my full name when you im the things I¡¯ve said were fake? No one has called my name since I got here! Also, I still have the record of you calling and sharing the location with me!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Hearing this, Francine was terrified. ¡°I¡­ You¡­fabricated fake evidence! You want to frame me!¡± The officer who questioned Corinne walked over and looked at Francine with a serious face. ¡°No wonder you insisted Miss Corinne is the escort in the hotel. You were one of the people who nned this, thinking we¡¯d never arrest the wrong person¡­ Someone who wore the same clothing as Miss Corinne!¡± There was no sign of blood on Francine¡¯s face. She continued to shake her head in denial. ¡°No! I¡ªI didn¡¯t! It¡¯s nonsense! I¡¯m innocent!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how true that is after we look into you.¡± The officer approached her and was about to bring her in for questioning. However, Francine refused to cooperate and pushed the officer away. ¡°Get off me! Who do you think you are? Why should I let you question me? Jeremy, Grandma, save me!¡± Jeremy squeezed his brows together. He moved his lips and was about to say something, but¡­ ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t save her!¡± Pam finally understood the whole thing and was extremely upset with Francine. She pointed at Francine disappointedly. ¡°Let the police do their job and check everything she did. I want to know what kind of person my granddaughter is so I¡¯ll know how badly I spoiled her!¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Francine was brought into the interrogation room by the officer for questioning, whichsted more than 20 minutes. When the officer left the room, Tommy went over to ask about the details on behalf of the Holdens. He returned to Jeremy and Pam to report the information he received. ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, the police concluded their investigation. Miss Francine colluded with a middle-aged man called Richard Channing to set up Miss Corinne today. The police had found evidence of them contacting each other using their phones. Miss Francine agreed to bring Miss Corinne out of the house to the shopping mall, where they¡¯dter team up to knock out Miss Corinne, bring her to the hotel, and set her up like an escort while setting up a man to assault her. ¡°Miss Corinne happened to have lost her wallet and phone, and a woman who wore the same clothing as Miss Corinne found her lost wallet and phone. Thus, Richard Channing got the wrong person. He put a bag over the woman¡¯s head, knocked her out, and brought her to the hotel. Fortunately, the n ended there. ¡°The man who paid for this service didn¡¯t touch the woman. The woman the police arrested is also not an escort. Nheless¡­ Miss Francine is in administrative detention for fifteen days because she¡¯s committed a crime.¡± The result was too much for Pam to handle. Finally, she passed out. Jeremy extended his hand to catch her and sternly instructed Tommy, ¡°Call an ambnce!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Tommy hurried and took his phone out to call. Suddenly, Corinne said faintly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it. I already called an ambnce just now, and it should be here by now.¡± At that very moment, a group of paramedics arrived with a stretcher. They ced Pam onto the stretcher and put an oxygen mask over her face before getting back into the ambnce and rushing to the hospital. Under instruction from Jeremy, Tommy went along with the ambnce. Soon, the police station returned to its original quiet and solemn state. Jeremy looked at Corinne with narrowed eyes. ¡®Did she predict everything? Is that why she called an ambnce in advance?¡¯ Corinne felt Jeremy¡¯s cold, investigative look on her. However, she ignored this and walked over to the officer, saying politely, ¡°Sir, am I allowed to go in and talk with Francine for a while?¡± The officer was baffled. ¡°You¡¯re willing to talk to her after how she tried to hurt you?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°She¡¯s my husband¡¯s sister. I¡¯ll still have to see her when she¡¯s released, so why not go in and have a chat with her to clear the air now? I still hope we can get along peacefully in the future.¡± ¡°Youngdy, you are very positive and open-minded.¡± The officer had a good she had been cooperative with them since the beginning. Thus, he agreed with her request. ¡°Alright. Go in, but not for too long.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± Corinne replied. In the interrogation room. Once Francine saw Corinne enter, she stood up angrily and barked, ¡°Corinne Carew! You wench! You did this to me! This is all part of your scheme!¡± As a spoiled daughter from a rich family, Francine had never been interrogated, and she was terribly distraught and irritated. The officer cuffed her hand to the table when she refused to cooperate with the interrogation. Otherwise, she would be on top of Corinne and bite her. Corinne sat peacefully across from her. Shezily picked at her ear with her finger due to how noisy Francine was. ¡°No, this is your scheme. I was just beating you at your game.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Francine was so angry that she did not know how to argue. With gritted teeth, she said, ¡°You¡¯re still a disgusting, hideous two-faced woman, acting pure and naive with Jeremy and my grandmother when you plotted so many things behind them!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°So I¡¯m a pure woman and a bad one too? I have thousands of different faces. Good people see my good side, and bad people see my bad side. Miss Francine, why don¡¯t you. think of the things you did before running your mouth at me like this?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. This youngdy had the face of an angel yet was able tough so menacingly like a devil, taking revenge on those who tried to hurt her. A chill crept up Francine¡¯s back. ¡°Devil! Y-You¡¯re a devil!¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°It¡¯s up to you how you treat me if I¡¯m a devil or not. I warned you before, though. I told you to not mess with me, but you refused to listen.¡± At this point, Francine epted she had lost, yet she did not understand one thing. ¡°So how did you do it? You¡¯re the one Richard brought to the hotel! I saw it all!¡± Corinne leaned backzily and chuckled. ¡°My teacher used to tell me something. When a girl is out in the world on her own, she should understand one theory: One should never intend to harm. others but should always guard against the harm others might do to her. It was rare for you to be so nice to me and begged me to go shopping with you. There has to be something suspicious when a change that big happened, and I¡¯m not that naive to think that you¡¯ve suddenly changed your mind about me. As for the details of how I did it, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d reveal to you.¡± As a matter of fact, Corinne did have little hope for Francine. She hoped that she could get along peacefully with Francine for the next three months. After all, it was better to have one less trouble. However, her subordinate, Aaron, had discovered Richard had been waiting at the gate of the Holdens¡¯ estate for a few days. Thus, he ordered people to spy on Richard. Aaron¡¯s men discovered Richard and Francine had contacted each other, and he reported his finding right on time. The events that happened were under their control, and Corinne beat Francine at her game. The woman who dressed like Corinne was arranged by Arron to rece Corinne. At first, for the sake of Pam, Corinne tried to give Francine a chance. As long as Francine stopped at any given time, she would never sink this low. s, Francine did not stop. She insisted onbeling Corinne as an escort. This was her own doing, and she deserved whatever consequences that awaited her. Francine gave her an angry stare. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to becent, Corinne Carew! My brother will never like a double-faced woman like you!¡± Corinne yawned. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll never like a boring old man like your brother.¡± ¡°What? You don¡¯t like my brother?¡± Francine was stunned. She thought about it and rolled her eyes immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! If you don¡¯t like him, why did you agree to marry him? You¡¯re so fake!¡± ¡°Did you really think I wanted to marry him?¡± Corinne snorted ¡®Maybe your brother is the most eligible bachelor to many women, but not to me. I admit Mister got the looks, but his face is always stone-cold. It could be half a day gone without hearing him speak one word out of his mouth. It¡¯s better to ce a statue in the house as a decoration rather than spending the rest of my life with a proud, cold, and quiet man like him. Francine doubted that her ears were hearing the wrong thing. She was rmed. ¡°You¡­ You dare to say those things about my brother? Aren¡¯t you afraid he is going to divorce you?¡± Corinne put her palms together like she was praying ¡°That¡¯d be a dreame true! Once he divorces me, I¡¯ll thank god and everyone in this world, donate money to charity, and clean my body. and my spirit.¡± Francine could not believe her ears as she looked at Corinne. The most amazing thing was she did not think Corinne was lying. There is a woman who doesn¡¯t like Jeremy? My brother has a remarkable appearance and a model-like body. He¡¯s from a distinguished family and has abundant wealth! How could Corinne have the nerve to dislike him?! At that very moment, Jeremy heard everything as his tall body stood outside the door of the interrogation room. He looked gloomy. His lips were pressed into a line, showing just how annoyed he was. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Corinne looked at Francine as her carefree demeanor dropped, revealing a more serious behavior. It was time to talk business. ¡°The only reason I came in to tell you all of this is that I want to let you know you don¡¯t have to do all this just to kick me out of the house. When the timees, I¡¯ll leave on my own. Even when you want me to stay a second longer, I won¡¯t.¡± Francine was stunned. She asked curiously, ¡°When the timees? What do you mean?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t know? The reason your brother married me is that he wanted to dden your grandfather, preventing his health from worsening. Three months from now, when your grandfather¡¯s health is stabilized, our marriage will end. At that time, my job is done. You can let whoever you want be your sister-inw.¡± Francine frowned as she found it hard to believe. ¡°Why should I believe you¡¯ll leave when the time comes? Don¡¯t try to fool me. I¡¯ve seen all types of women; they¡¯re always on the lookout for new ideas to be with my brother!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Miss Francine, is there a problem with your brain, or am I not being clear enough to you? I don¡¯t care how good your brother is-he¡¯s not my type! On the contrary, I wish to be away from him as much as possible! I hope these three months will end as soon as possible!¡± Francine looked at Corinne dubiously and entered into a deep thought. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s lying. Does she truly have no feelings for Jeremy?¡± ¡°Oh! If you don¡¯t wish to see your brother and I have a hard time separating, it¡¯s better you don¡¯t tell your grandma about the three-month period. I¡¯m sure you understand her more than me. She¡¯s veryContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. eager to see me pregnant. If she knows your brother and I are just a fake couple, she¡¯d do anything to intervene. Kapish?¡± Once those were said, she got up and was ready to leave. The only reason she told Francine everything was that she did not want her causing trouble again once she was released. She did not want to entertain Francine; it was a waste of time. At this moment, Francine was about to have a meltdown. If Corinne never wanted to stay in the family, then she had been doing all these things for nothing. She even caused herself to be detained. What had she done? ¡°Corinne!¡± Francine called out. Corinne stopped walking and looked back. ¡°What?¡± With an arrogant face, Francine snorted. ¡°I¡¯m going to believe what you said, I won¡¯t fight you in these three months. Tell them to let me out now!¡± Corinne curled her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what you did today is a crime. ording to thew, administrative detention is your punishment. Be a good girl. It¡¯s just fifteen days. It¡¯ll be over very soon.¡± Francine was unhappy. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here for fifteen days! Let me out! I want to go out! Jeremy can get me out of here! Tell him to get me out of here!¡± Corinne ignored her, pushed open the door, and walked out. When Corinne left the interrogation room, Jeremy was on the other side of the hallway talking to an elderly officer near the window. She was too far from them and could not hear their conversation. Based on the uniform of the elder police officer, he could be the Chief of Police. Apart from that, however, he showed a very humble attitude toward Jeremy as he exined something. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯m really sorry. My subordinate treated your wife as a suspect and interrogated her. They nearly arrested her! We are responsible for this, nheless. ¡°Those officers have just graduated and got transferred here not long ago. They don¡¯t have much experience in dealing with cases. I hope you can forgive them.¡± Jeremy said faintly, ¡°My forgiveness isn¡¯t that important. What¡¯s most important is my wife¡¯s feelings. Luckily for them, my wife is a forgiving person.¡± Knowing Jeremy did not have the intention to me the officers, the chief was relieved. ¡°Yes. Missus Holden is a reasonable and caring person. Nheless, I¡¯ll have those officers apologize to herter.¡± Jeremy did not say anything else. Suddenly, a phone rang. The Chief of Police excused himself and walked to the side to answer his phone. Corinne walked over and said sarcastically, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you trying to get someone to get your sister out of here?¡± Jeremy nced at her and said faintly, ¡°You think too much. I trust the police to give Francine the punishment she deserved.¡± Corinne was shocked to hear that. ¡°She¡¯s your sister. Are you going to leave her here?¡± With a stone-cold face, Jeremy replied, ¡°She¡¯s an adult now, not a kid. She should be able to face. the consequences ofmitting a crime. Otherwise, she¡¯ll never learn.¡± Corinne nodded satisfyingly. ¡°That¡¯s great! You¡¯re not like the foolish parent who spoils his kids after all!¡± She stretched her back and turned to leave the station. When she was outside, she realized there was a man walking very closely behind her. She stopped and turned around, only to find Jeremy behind her. ¡°Mister, are you not going to the hospital to visit Grandma?¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Jeremy looked at Corinne. ¡°Grandma is fine now. Tommy has sent her home.¡± Corinne nodded reassuringly. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s good to know she¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll get going, then. Bye, Mister!¡± She thus continued walking. A few stepster, she stopped again to look back and asked curiously, ¡°Mister, why are you following me?¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were treating?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips stretched into a forced smile. ¡°I said I was going to treat Grandma and let you tag along. Now that she can¡¯t go, it¡¯s not happening.¡± ¡®Hmph! Let me tag along, huh? Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he sneered. ¡°Then let me treat. you. We still need to eat, don¡¯t we?¡± Corinne was not interested and waved her hand dismissively. ¡°You go ahead. I have a date!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°With who?¡± Corinne furrowed her eyebrows unhappily. ¡°Do I really need to tell you?¡± Jeremy red at her coldly. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡®He¡¯s too controlling! How am I going to put up with him?¡¯ Corinne grumbled mentally. Luckily, they were only going to be married for a short term. She could never put up with him if this continued in the long run! She spread her hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s my graduation party. My ssmate just texted me and invited me for a small get-together. It¡¯s a party all night long.¡± Her answer was very clear, and there was nothing wrong with her attitude. Albeit, she was not asking for his permission. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Jeremy lowered his head to light a cigarette. ¡°Basically, you won¡¯t be seeing your university mates anymore after graduation. Do you need to go to these useless parties?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going! Who said the party should benefit you? We were ssmates, and we¡¯re going to be corporate ves in the future. Parting ways to live our lives and never have the chance to party like this anymore¡­ I want to have a good farewell with them.¡± She could not tell what Jeremy was feeling from looking into his dark pupils. After two seconds of silence, he said, ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll send you there.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I can catch a taxi-¡± Before she even finished, she was thrown into the car like a little bunny. Sometimes, she really thought Jeremy was a weird person. He was always this superior person, and worse still, he liked to stuff his nose into her business! Corinne¡¯s destination was Happy Party Ground. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said faintly before getting out of the car. She then walked into the party ground by herself. The ck Mercedes-Benz did not drive away, merely staying parked where it was. The driver looked to the back and asked, ¡°Sir, are you going home now or heading somewhere else?¡±. Jeremy did not answer, and the driver dared not repeat himself. He stared at the door to thepound with his dark, deep eyes. All of a sudden, Zeke called. ¡°Hey, Jeremy, where are you? Do you want to go for a drink at Twilight?¡± Zeke asked. ¡°Let¡¯s drink somewhere else,¡± Jeremy said. ¡°Sure. Where?¡± Zeke replied. ¡°Happy Party Ground,¡± Jeremy answered. ¡°What?! Where?!¡± The bbergasted Zeke paused for a few seconds, thinking his ears tricked him. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 A party ground was a ce students loved to gather. As such, that sort of ce was unsuitable and also childish to a handful of sessful businessmen and rich kids. Zeke looked around bitterly at the gaudy, garish decorations on the party ground. He voiced his dissatisfaction, ¡°Jeremy, when did you be so childlike,ing to this ce where only kids. like to y?¡± Jeremy sat on the ufortable sofa of the private room and nced back at Zeke. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay here, we can go wherever you want.¡± Zeke shrugged. ¡°Forget about it. We¡¯re here already.¡± Gerald walked over to give Jeremy a ss of whisky. He then cheered elegantly with Jeremy. Ast he drank the whisky, he looked at Zeke. ¡°We¡¯re either at the pub or the club. It¡¯s too boring. This ce is refreshing, I¡¯d say, and it looks nice enough!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Zeke smiled and went over to sit with them. They cheered. ¡°Let today be the day we reminisce about our good old days as students!¡± Zeke said. To be honest, they never came to this low-ss ce, even when they were students. Gerald took another sip and said, ¡°I think the room opposite has a whole bunch of university students gathering. They look like they¡¯re having a good time.¡± Zeke looked out and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s graduation season now. I think they¡¯re having theirst party before they part ways. Geez, graduation¡­ The season to fall in love!¡± Gerald raised an eyebrow. ¡°I only knew graduation is the time of breakups. When did it be the season of falling in love?¡± Zeke smiled. ¡°I bet you have no idea. They break up because they need to separate and go to different cities for their careers. Those who stay in the same city would cherish each other! ¡°Lots of people decide to confess their love during the graduation period. Many boys will choose. to confess on graduation day to the girls they liked. If the girl epts, it¡¯s a match. If not, they can avoid the unnecessary embarrassment because they won¡¯t be seeing each other often on campus. Gerald nced at him and teased, ¡°Why do you know this so well? Did you confess to someone during our graduation day?¡± ¡°D*mn you! Do you think I need to confess my love to someone?¡± Zeke smirked proudly. ¡°When was I ever desperate for a woman?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and swirled his ss while entering deep thought. ¡®Graduation? Confess?¡¯ Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He remembered this morning at University of New Capital City, a boy called Corinne over to give. her a ¡®meaningful¡¯ button. Both of them chatted happily for quite some time. ¡®The silly girl looks pretty. It¡¯s not weird if someone confesses to her,¡¯ he thought. The whisky he was holding was already cold with ice in the ss, yet the temperature of the ss seemed to have decreased, and the whisky was much colder than before. Zeke raised his ss andmented, ¡°To be honest, I missed those study days of ours. We were so carefree at that time¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Suddenly, Jeremy put down his ss and got up to leave the room. Zeke was stunned as he exchanged looks with Gerald. He asked, ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s wrong? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to answer a call. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Jeremy replied faintly. ¡°Alright!¡± Zeke did not think too much and cheered with Gerald. Both of them continued to talk. Jeremy answered a call from Tommy. He felt reassured, knowing his grandmother had eaten and gone to bed. After he finished talking on the phone, he was not in a hurry to go back to his room. Instead, he looked at the door opposite his room meaningfully. The sound instion in this ce was not very good. He could hear young adults singing popr songs at the top of their lungs from the other rooms. Most of the time, they were not in tune. Suddenly, a boy pushed the door open to answer a call. He forgot to close the door. Through the half-opened door, Jeremy saw Corinne sitting inside. She leaned close-possibly because she could barely hear due to the noise-to a boy who seemed to be saying something. They were so close to each other that their faces were about to touch.¡± All of a sudden, a girl came over and closed the door. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 With the door closed, it left a lot to the imagination. Jeremy lowered his head to light up a cigar. He leaned back on the wall and puffed out the smoke. The smoke lingered around his face. In the private room. The electronic dance music and the disco light created a party ambiance that was lively and noisy. ¡°Corinne, what do you y on doing now that you¡¯ve graduated?¡¯ Despite sitting very close to each other, Chester needed to shout for the person next to him to hear what he said. Hearing the question clearly, Corinne sat up straight and half yelled as she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. But why are you here? You¡¯re not graduating this year. Chester pursed his lips shyly. ¡°Umm¡­ A few of my best friends graduated today. They invited me over.¡± Corinne nodded to show that she understood. Truthfully, Chester came because of her. With Corinne having graduated, it would not be easy to see her. He had secretly fallen in love with her for three years. Since he first saw Corinne in his first year, his feelings for her never changed. This morning, he took out his courage and confessed his love to her, only for her to turn him down. Despite that, he was not about to give up. As long as Corinne was single, he had a chance! Chester took two sses of cocktails and gave one to Corinne. ¡°Corinne, let¡¯s raise a toast! Not matter what you do, I¡¯ll work harder and see you as my role model!¡± She epted the pretty-looking cocktail and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to see me as your role. model. All you need to do is study hard for yourself. Keep it up!¡± Their sses clinked and created a light, crisp sound. However, the sound was drowned in the noisy electronic dance music. Corinne smiled with the cocktail ss in her hand. Before she could taste the sweet and tasty cocktail, however, arge bony hand appeared out of nowhere and took her ss. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink when you¡¯re outside, missy.¡± Corinne looked up and saw Jeremy¡¯s serious-looking face right in front of her. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He saw her dissatisfaction and disgust just by looking at her face. Nheless, he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you home.¡± He was not too loud, yet his voice was deep and vigorous enough to reach her ears through the noisy environment around her. ¡®Bring me home? But I¡¯ve only been here for less than half an hour¡¯ she thought. Corinne found it hard to understand. ¡°Do you know what time it is? Mister, didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯d bete because today is my ssmate¡¯s get-together party?¡± Jeremy squeezed his eyebrows. ¡°Is that a valid reason for you to drink alcohol as you. Huh?¡± like here? Corinne was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s too controlling! I know what I¡¯m doing, and I know how much I can drink. What¡¯s wrong with me drinking one cocktail with my friend when I¡¯m in the mood? she thought. Chester stood there as he was dumbstruck. He saw this powerful man this morning. I think he¡¯s Corinne¡¯s rtive.¡± Hence, he quickly stood up and exined, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you worry! This cocktail has a low level of alcohol content, and it¡¯s not enough to get someone drunk. Even if Corinne has too much to drink, I can send her home!¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°You will send her home?¡± Chester nodded responsibly, ¡°Yes! So don¡¯t worry. You can go back and leave Corinne with me!¡± A weird smile appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡°Leave her with you? What¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡± Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Jeremy¡¯s question had Chester feeling awkward. ¡°Umm¡­I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Corinne¡¯s junior.¡± Jeremy looked down at him and said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d be at ease, knowing I¡¯d leave Corinne with a junior who has feelings for her?¡± Chester¡¯s face turned red. He frowned. Being a young adult, he was angry when someone suspected his character. ¡°I admit I like Corinne, but I¡¯m not a thug. I¡¯ll never do anything to her. I respect her very much!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, raised the cocktail he took away from Corinne, and swirled it. The corners of his mouth were lifted. ¡°My, oh, my. You¡¯re so brave to confess your love to her when I¡¯m standing here.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Chester¡¯s cheek became even rosier. Obviously, he felt embarrassed. Seeing the embarrassing situation her ssmate was in, Corinne furrowed her brow and stood up. ¡°Mister, I promise I won¡¯t drink anymore. Can you please leave if there¡¯s nothing else?¡± Jeremy looked at her with his dark pupils. ¡°Kicking me out?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not kicking you out; I¡¯m asking you to leave. Please leave. You¡¯re going to scare my ssmates!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡®Scare her ssmates? Who does she think I am? Am I that scary? he thought. At that point, someone turned down the music in the room. Subsequently, a group of girls rushed out excitedly. ¡°Wow! You were the one who donated a building to our university, weren¡¯t you?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Corinne! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Corinne, hurry and introduce him to us. Who is this handsome guy?¡± Thedies were very excited to see a handsome man in the room. They nearly drooled, too. Jeremy raised his brow and smiled teasingly. ¡°I¡¯d say, your ssmates aren¡¯t scared of me.¡± Corinne was speechless. Finally, she understood what it meant when people said a weak teammate did oneself more harm than a strong enemy. One of the girls was too passionate. ¡°Mister Handsome, why don¡¯t you stay and y with us? We should take this opportunity to thank you for your huge contribution to the university!¡± Obviously, this girl had ulterior motives. However, the others were d about her proposals and agreed with the passionate girl. All of the girls were hoping this handsome man could stay. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Stay and have fun together!¡± Jeremy looked at Corinne¡¯s speechless expression with his narrowed eyes. He curled his lips and said faintly, ¡°I better not. Have fun. I was onlying over to check on her.¡± His rough hand was ced on top of Corinne¡¯s head. He patted her head like she was his little pet, acting like he was a responsible family member. As a matter of fact, he was actually pressuring Corinne frowned unhappily and stared at him. Meanwhile, all of the girls were looking at her with envy. They would be so happy to have such at handsome man rub their heads. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. Jeremy said, ¡°Alright. Have fun with your friends. I¡¯ll be in the room across the hallway. Come find me when you¡¯re finished.¡± He bent his body slightly, flicked away the scattered hair beside her cheek, and closed in to whisper, ¡°Miss Corinne, don¡¯t forget who you are now. It¡¯s not an appropriate action for you, my wife, to get so close to other men.¡± It was not a reminder but a warning instead. Most importantly, Corinne did not remember being too close to other men. The dissatisfaction. swallowed her, but she did not have the ce to vent it. Jeremy stood straight and looked around. As a mature gentleman, he said to everyone, ¡°Have loads of fun! Corinne will settle the bill today. It¡¯s on her.¡± Corinne¡¯s ssmates were first stunned. Not a secondter, however, they burst into cheers. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 ¡°Whoa, really?¡± ¡°Thanks, Corinne!¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks! You¡¯re too generous!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked at Jeremy in equal parts surprise and anger. ¡®D*mn him! What in the world is wrong with him? He expects me to treat everyone here today? It¡¯smon practice to go Dutch when ites to gatherings between students, and there are more than a hundred students here today. Does he have any idea how much this will cost?¡± A little smirk appeared on Jeremy¡¯s lips when he saw Corinne¡¯s face scrunching in shock. He retracted his hand from her head, put it in his trouser pocket, and turned around gracefully to head out. After he left, all the other students were in awe of Corinne¡¯s grand gesture. The girls surrounded her and asked who her handsome family member was, and Corinne brushed them off with a simple response. By contrast, none of the male students dared to approach her. After all, a family member of their university¡¯s most beautiful woman was in the private room just opposite, and as much as they wanted to talk to her, they were nheless a little afraid of doing so. After finally dealing with her inquisitive female students, Corinne sat down angrily, took out her cell phone, and sent Jeremy a message toin. [Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re an evil person, mister?] Half a minuteter, the man answered curtly, [Me? Evil?]Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne gritted her teeth. [What did youe here for no reason earlier? Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?] After a while, Jeremy replied, [I¡¯m leaving my mark on you to avoid a certain little kid from getting too close to you.] Corinne snorted, and replied sarcastically. [Oh! I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re aware of how repulsive you are to people!] In the opposite room, Jeremy lowered his gaze and read the scathing message sent by Corinne. His handsome eyebrows sank slightly, and he typed a reply before hitting send. [Do you find me repulsive though?] Corinne immediately responded with an animated gif, which depicted a chubby little girl puffing herself up, putting her hands on her hips, and stomping her feet with her eyes wide open. The apanying text in the picture was ¡®I hate you¡¯. The gif was rather simr to Corinne when she was unhappy. ¡°Why are you smiling at your phone? You¡¯re always serious, so I can¡¯t help but be curious about what it is that could make you smile,¡± Zeke joked and leaned over to take a peek. Jeremy calmly locked his phone screen and looked coldly at him. ¡°Did I smile?¡± Zeke nodded. ¡°You bet! Ask Gerald if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank a little and he turned to look at Gerald, who merely sipped his wine and stayed out of the conversation. Instead, he gestured to the front with his chin and said, ¡°There¡¯s a poker table over there. How about we give it one round?¡± Zeke smiled and said, ¡°Sure! It¡¯s been ages since Ist yed poker! There are only three of us, though. We still need another yer!¡± ¡°Rosie and Sunny will be here in a while.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± When Ivanka noticed that the students were all focusing on Corinne, she was upset because felt that she had been robbed of the spotlight as one of the most beautiful girls from the university. She stared at Corinne in envy, and a sudden idea elicited a sinister smile from her. She picked up her guitar case and walked over. With a bright friendly smile, she said to Corinne, ¡°I heard that you know how to y the guitar. I¡¯m nning on performing an original song to celebrate our graduation and bid farewell to our fellow graduates, and I¡¯d like you to apany me.¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Corinne, who was sipping juice from a ss with a straw, cocked her eyebrow and stared at Ivanka. ¡°Can¡¯t you y and sing yourposition?¡± The charming Ivanka smiled gracefully in response and said, ¡°I can, of course, but it¡¯s a little dull to be singing all by myself. Everyone¡¯s hoping to see me sing and dance at the same time!¡± After saying that, she turned around and asked the students around her, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, everyone?¡± A few of the male students around her nodded eagerly at the idea of a beautiful youngdy singing and dancing. ¡°Yeah! We haven¡¯t seen Ivanka dance yet!¡± ¡°I heard that she studied ballet before, so she must be super graceful when she dances!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for us to meet again in the future once today¡¯s graduation party is over. Watching Ivanka¡¯s performance would be the best closing toplete our four-year journey here at university!¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m looking forward to her performance too!¡± Ivanka knew that she would receive support from all the guys. She looked at Corinne with a smile.¡± Can¡¯t you see how enthusiastic they are about the idea? How about we coborate on a performance?¡± Corinne sipped her juice absent-mindedly. ¡°They¡¯re enthusiastic about watching your performance, not me ying music. Must I be the one who ys the apaniment?¡± Ivanka had an aggrieved expression when she was rejected. ¡°Hmm¡­ Are you that reluctant to help me? By right, you shouldn¡¯t be fussing over something as trivial as being my apaniment when you¡¯ve already made such a grand gesture of treating everyone today!¡± ¡®Me? Fussy just because I¡¯m not helping her with the apaniment?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s lips twitched slightly. ¡°Ivanka, if I remember correctly, you¡¯re from the music department. There¡¯s a bunch of people from the same department who are at the gathering today. How difficult is it for you to find someone who can y the guitar? Why does it have to be me? You and I don¡¯t know each. other well, now do we?¡± Ivanka was at a loss for words. ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­because¡­¡± At that moment, several gorgeous girls walked to the front row and said in a genuine tone, ¡°Because the two of you are the most beautiful girls on campus! It¡¯ll be more wonderful than anything if the two of you perform together!¡± ¡°Yeah, Corinne. You should perform with Ivanka! Just treat it as fulfilling the wishes of the graduates!¡± ¡°Our time at university hase to an end, and witnessing two of our most beautiful students performing together at the final moments will make our time here a story worth remembering !¡± Those girls were ali in Ivanka¡¯s clique, and as soon as they came to urge lend their support, the other students also followed suit. Corinne suddenly became the center of attention as all the students looked eagerly at her. She was toozy to get up from her seat, and she was not interested in performing in front of so many people. However, she yed the guitar once on stage during her sophomore year, and it would not be convincing if she somehow said she did not know how to y. Everyone¡¯s enthusiasm was making it difficult for her to avoid! ¡°Fine.¡± Corinne got up, took the guitar case from Ivanka, and said bluntly, ¡°I¡¯m not a professional, and I can¡¯t y well, so I hope none of you take offense.¡± ¡°Why would we be!¡± ¡°Yup! We won¡¯t!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°You¡¯re just being modest!¡± Ivanka smirked smugly after achieving her goal. The private rooms in that party ground were veryrge, as they were specially designed forrge group gatherings. Each room was divided into upper and lower floors. The first floor was mainly some entertainment facilities, such as karaoke boxes, billiard tables, poker tables, board games, game consoles, and the like. The one above was a more rxed area that housed a study, a film room, and other ces where one could chat quietly. There was also a beautifully furnished terrace that had a wonderful atmosphere. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 There were two artificial cherry trees and some green nts on the terrace, and in the middle of the cherry trees was a small stage for guests to y and sing. The sound instion on the floor where all the students were was not that good, and the environment was noisy. Even if they turned off any music, the noise from the room next door could still prate through the walls. The students therefore suggested that Ivanka and Corinne¡¯s performance be held on the terrace upstairs. As soon as they went upstairs, Ivanka handed the score to Corinne with a bright smile and said, ¡± Here, Corinne. This is my original piece. I trust you¡¯ll be able to y it!¡± Corinne took it and looked at the score. It was undoubtedly a well-written piece, but it was hardly a simple one. Those whocked the basic skills would never be able to y it smoothly. When Ivanka saw Corinne staring at the score, she smiled smugly and pretended to show concern for her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Corinne? Is it too difficult for you?¡± Corinne looked up at her, then lowered her gaze to look at the score. Finally, she sighed and said,¡± It¡¯s a bit difficult, but I¡¯ll give it a try and try my best to help you out.¡± Ivanka smiled on the surface but snorted in secret. As far as Corinne¡¯s amateur skills are concerned, I wonder where she got the confidence to say that she¡¯ll try her best. She¡¯s overestimating herself!¡± Ivanka had devoted a year to writing that piece, which had been incorporated with all the skills she had learned throughout her life. If she had difficulty ying it well, then an amateur like Corinne would certainly be terrible at it! In any case, that had been Ivanka¡¯s n all along-she wanted to see Corinne make a fool of herself in public! Corinne had availed herself of her ¡®top student¡¯ character to outshine Ivanka for four full years, so Ivanka wanted to reim that glory by destroying everyone¡¯s good impression of Corinne on herst day! That would let all the students know that Corinne¡¯s title of a ¡®top student¡¯ was nothing but a mere gimmick, and in truth, she had always been inferior to Ivanka in terms of charm! 10 minutester, Ivanka led Corinne to the small stage on the terrace as they prepared for their performance in front of the students. Corinne found afortable ce to sit down, ced the score on the sheet music stand, and took out the instrument to y the apaniment. As soon as she opened the guitar case that Ivanka gave her, however, her expression froze and she had a frown. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. When Ivanka saw that Corinne was not ready, she turned around and asked concernedly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Need more time to get ready?¡± Corinne looked up at her and said regretfully, ¡°Come and see for yourself.¡± Ivanka walked over, nced at the situation, and feigned surprise. ¡°Oh! My bad! I seem to have ced the ukulele in the guitar case by mistake!¡° At this time, the students are a little impatient. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they starting their performance?¡± ¡°Yeah! We¡¯ve been waiting a long time already!¡± ¡°String instruments are pretty much the same, right? Well, whatever it is, just start ying!¡± came a nonsensical statement from one of the students. Ivanka, however, used it to her advantage and said, ¡°He¡¯s right. A score meant for guitars can also be yed with a ukulele Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow, and she was sure that Ivanka gave her the wrong instrument on purpose after seeing her goading expression Ivanka then deliberately asked, ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t know how to y the ukulele?¡± Corinne did not answer. Ivanka hurriedly expressed her apology with a shocked face and said. ¡°Oh no This is my fault! I thought that an all-round top student like you should at least know how to y a few instruments. Guess I was wrong!¡± Ivanka¡¯s clique started to chime in from below as they folded their arms one after another and began to taunt them ¡°You should just leave the stage if you don¡¯t know how to y the ukulele, Corinne! It¡¯d be better for you to let Ivanka y and sing all by herself. At least you won¡¯t ruin the score that the music department¡¯s best student went to such great lengths to write¡± ¡°Yeah! Come down and stop wasting our time! We want to see Ivanka perform!¡± ¡°Really now, I thought the legendary all-round top student knows everything! Guess it¡¯s all fake?¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°Get off the stage if you can¡¯t y, Corinne. Let Ivanka handle the performance alone!¡± ¡°Yeah, get off! Everyone¡¯s been waiting long, so don¡¯t waste your time anymore!¡± Ivanka finally felt that she had sessfully reimed the spotlight from Corinne and was very proud as a result. However, she made sure to show her empathetic side and sympathized with Corinne. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t pressure you anymore. Why don¡¯t you go down for now? I¡¯|| handle the performance myself.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Corinne nodded and agreed readily. She could not be bothered to y for Ivanka anyway. As soon as she put down the ukulele and stepped off the stage, she heard Ivanka¡¯s group making comments again from the front row. ¡°Tch! What¡¯s so great about her when she can¡¯t even y the ukulele?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s from that good a family, I wonder if her academic performance is as ster as the rumors say? Being rich makes it so much easier for them to hype her up as an all-round top student!¡± ¡°Her? From a good family? When one of our teachers sent me to clean the file room, I happened to come across Corinne¡¯s student file! She¡¯s from the countryside, and she used to be very poor before she went to university! In fact, she had to rely on schrships just to attend school!¡± ¡°What? A poor student? Why would her family have so much money to donate a building to the school today?¡± ¡°Do you honestly think that¡¯s her family? I¡¯m guessing that she relied on her good looks to get herself adopted by a rich man from the city! Isn¡¯t it normal for poor girls to lower themselves just for money?¡± ¡°Raised? Are you saying that the handsome man from earlier took Corinne in and raised her?¡± ¡°Well, duh! Did you expect someone so young to be her biological father? Pfft! He might seem to have taken her in out of the kindness of his heart, but God knows what sort of shady rtionship he has with her!¡± ¡°By the way! I also heard rumors in school that Corinne was called to the dean¡¯s office pretty often, and she tends to stay there for an hour at least! I¡¯m starting to suspect that she might be having an affair with the dean! Why else would he treat her so nicely and even allow her to make her appearance at the graduation ceremony?¡± ¡°No way! Our dean is old enough to be her grandfather!¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be possible? He¡¯s a man, after all¡­¡± The more they talked, the more exaggerated their remarks dark as she walked toward those gossiping girls. ¡°What did you just say about the dean?¡± As soon as they saw Corinneing to meet them, the girls felt a little guilty and began panicking. ¡°Tch. Why are you asking us when you heard us loud and clear?¡± Corinne stared at them coldly and remarked, ¡°The dean is someone who has spent his life teaching and educating generations and generations of students. Who are you to make such uncultured remarks about a respected man like him?¡± One of the girls folded her arms, raised her chin, and said disapprovingly, ¡°Hmph. We can say whatever we want to say. This is and of free speech!¡± ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Why were you so riled up when we talked about the dean? We were right, weren¡¯t we?¡± Corinne frowned, grabbed the shirt cor of one of the girls, and said, ¡°How about you say that again if you have the guts?¡± The girl was taken aback. She tried and failed to break away from Corinne¡¯s grip, but she made sure not to show any weakness. ¡°Are you going to hit me, Corinne? You¡¯ll only give everyone the impression that you¡¯re angry because we were right!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes slightly and let go of the girl. ¡°I won¡¯t hit you, but I want you to apologize in front of all the students for what you said about the dean!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The girl adjusted her cor while rolling her eyes and saying, ¡°You want us to apologize? Sure! But prove to us that you¡¯re an all-round student and not just someone that the dean boasts about!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrows. ¡°And how do you want me to prove it?¡± The girl smiled. ¡°If you can y the ukulele well, then we¡¯ll believe that you don¡¯t have any improper rtionship with the dean and are an all-round top student!¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Before Corinne could say anything, the girls next to her got all excited. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t y?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t, then stop pretending to be an all-round student!¡± ¡°Since you can¡¯t even y the ukulele, it¡¯s obvious that your reputation as an all-round top student was hyped up by the dean. Who¡¯s going to believe you if you say that you don¡¯t have any special rtionship with the dean?¡± Corinne has never imed to be a so-called ¡®all-round top student¡¯. It was only because the dean was fond of her and praised her achievements constantly that such a reputation came to stick. Furthermore, she was often called to the office by the dean for about an hour, and the reason was that the dean enjoyed math, and she happened to be the top student in the math department. Whenever the dean had any mathematical problem, he would seek her out to discuss mathematical forms and humbly ask her for advice regardless of his status as her elder. It was a simple routine borne of a healthy rtionship, yet it warped into something so ghastly when mentioned by all of those people! The dean appreciated her academic ability, and he was one of the rare people whom she could feelfortable with during her time as a student. She thus respected him very much, and she would never tolerate bing the reason that her name was tarnished. When Corinne thought of all that, she agreed to the girls¡¯ request. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll y the ukulele, then!¡± As soon as she made that remark, the people around immediatelyughed. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself if you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just walk off the stage because you didn¡¯t know how to y? None of us will believe you now that you say you¡¯ll go up there and perform. Hahaha!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°When I say ¡®y a piece¡¯, I mean ying a piece of music! Everyone has Don¡¯t expect to get away with just making random noise!¡± At that moment, on the balcony opposite the private room, Sunny sat on the terrace out of boredom because he was too young to be allowed to drink and y poker with Jeremy and Zeke. He did not expect to have run into Corinne there, much less in a situation where she was surrounded by her peers while they all tried to find fault with her. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that the annoying girl, Corinne?¡± Sunny held a bottle of sparkling water in his hand and looked intently at the other side. His littleckey, Felix, leaned over and stretched out his head a little. ¡°Oh, yeah! That does seem like Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Sunny smacked him on the head! ¡°Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife, my foot! She¡¯s not his wife! She¡¯s not worthy at all! The only person who can be his wife is my sister!¡± Sunny corrected angrily. ¡°Yes, sir! My mistake¡­¡± Felix rubbed his head aggrievedly and sighed helplessly. Sunny stared at Corinne and curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Those people are all her friends! Heh, guess a lot of people hate her apart from me! This just proves that there¡¯s something wrong with Corinne¡¯s character!¡± Felix did not quite agree with his statement. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the one who has a problem. Those girls are deliberately making things difficult for h-ahh!¡± Before he could finish, Sunny kicked his rear. Sunny snorted. ¡°Which side are you on? If I say she¡¯s got a problem, then she¡¯s got a problem!¡± Felix nearly cried from the unfair treatment that Sunny gave him. ¡°Okay, okay! Whatever you say, sir!¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Sunny said arrogantly. ¡°Now hurry and get Jeremy toe up here with the others. I want everyone to see that woman make a fool of herself! I don¡¯t believe that this woman from God-knows-where can y the ukulele!¡± Felix felt that it was a bad idea to do something like that, but he was afraid to give his opinion. again out of fear that Sunny would hit him a third time. There was nothing else he could do except nod and head downstairs. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Ivanka¡¯s close friends continue to attack Corinne. ¡°Sure! If you can y a song today and win apuse from all the students present here, consider it your victory! We won¡¯t just apologize¡­ We¡¯ll even do whatever you ask us to do!¡± Corinne had a calm look as she replied, ¡°Deal.¡± The girl who seemed to be the leader added, ¡°But if you can¡¯t y the piece well and you don¡¯t get the unanimous approval of our ssmates, you¡¯ll have to crawl out of this ce while we take a video and post it on the school forum! Still game for it?¡± Corinne frowned slightly then remained silent for a brief moment as if to think about it. At longst, she said, ¡°Deal!¡± The girl smiled in contempt and said, ¡°What are you waiting for, then? Remember not to be a sore loser!¡± Corinne turned around, went on stage, and took the ukulele from Ivanka. Ivanka faked a kind expression and pretended to show concern for her. ¡°You should back out of the challenge. Girls like us value our reputation a lot, and it won¡¯t look good on you if you have to crawl out of here!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°How do you know I¡¯ll have to crawl out when I haven¡¯t yed it yet?¡± Ivanka made a veiledment, ¡°The ukulele isn¡¯t as easy to learn as the guitar, and the fingering is super difficult! I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll make a fool of yourself.¡± ¡°I appreciate your advice.¡± Corinne went straight to business without much ado. She lowered her head calmly and tuned the ukulele before looking up and raising her head at Ivanka. ¡°You were going to sing and dance, right? Aren¡¯t you ready to begin?¡± Ivanka let out an almost inaudible snort. She was never sincere in persuading Corinne to back out of the challenge, so she was very much eager to see how that overconfident country girl could make a fool of herself. After advising Corinne insincerely again, Ivanka stood nonchntly in the center of the small stage and adjusted the microphone. She then pretended to get ready for her performance. However, she was never serious about performing a song-and-dance, because she expected Corinne not to be able to y anything at all. Since Corinne was unable to apany her, she would have to y the ukulele and sing by herself again! With everyone looking eagerly and anticipatingly at everyone, Corinne finally plucked the strings. The sound that was produced was not so much a piece of music as it was a jarring mishmash of noise! Corinne fiddled with the ukulele strings at random, and the sound produced was anything but music! The students in the audience had disgusted expressions as a result. ¡°Goodness! I thought Corinne knew how to y!¡± ¡°Where did she get the confidence to perform when she¡¯s ying like that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just randomly plucking the strings! It sounds horrible!¡± ¡°Ivanka¡¯s ukulele will be ruined!¡± ¡°I think so, too!¡± Ivanka and her friendsughed to themselves. Seeing Corinne make a fool of herself was their goal. That way, everyone¡¯s impression of her would sour, and no one would think of her as the legendary all- round top student anymore. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. To make things worse, they would take a video of her crawling on the ground in a bit! At that moment, several people were standing on the terrace opposite them, all of whom were handsome or beautiful in their own way. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Sunnyughed out loud. ¡°Did you see that, Jeremy? Corinne¡¯s butchering her performance! How embarrassing!¡± Rosie, too, had a smile on her face and contempt in her eyes. She reveled in the misery Corinne must have felt as she watched her bungle the piece. ¡®It shouldn¡¯te as a surprise at all. A country bumpkin like her will never know the meaning of elegance, music, or art!¡¯ While it was not surprising for those who came out of poverty to put in the necessary effort in cultural subjects and be top students, they would certainly struggle to hone true artistic cultivation. Gerald looked on nonchntly with no particr emotion showing on his face. Zeke shook his head and sighed, then raised his arm to hook it over Jeremy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Looks like your new wife ain¡¯t got rhythm!¡± Jeremy had a pensive stare as he narrowed his eyes while the corners of his thin lips twitched. ¡°Is that so?¡± Zeke raised an eyebrow. ¡®What do you mean, is that so? What¡¯s there to doubt when she¡¯s ying like that?¡¯ In an instant, the jarring noiseing from the opposite suddenly morphed into a pleasant melody. Zeke was taken aback and turned his head to look over. He initially expected a different person to have taken over from Corinne, but it turned out that it was still Corinne ying the ukulele! Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Corinne had been stringing everyone along, so to speak! An insipid expression appeared on her face. and the chaotic plucking had since be orderly. The tune she yed was none other than that of the guitar score Ivanka gave her at the beginning. In the audience, the disgusted expressions of the students changed from disgust to doubt, then to admiration and intoxication. Ivanka and her group of friends were stunned. They never expected that Corinne would be able to y so well. The situation had changed drastically, and it was on such asions that one must not lose one¡¯s momentum. Several of the girls from Ivanka¡¯s group began to cheer her on. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, Ivanka! You can sing, too!¡± ¡°Yeah! Use your voice to drown out Corinne!¡± ¡°Remember to dance!¡± After being reminded by the girls, Ivanka snapped out of her daze and followed the beat as she sang the lyrics and danced along. She sang to the best of her ability as she tried to draw the attention of the students away from Corinne and to herself, which she seeded in doing as some of her ssmates were already looking at her. Ivanka began to dance even more animatedly as a result. Unexpectedly, Corinne¡¯s tempo gradually picked up, and her fingering skills were unlike someone who had just touched the ukulele for the first time. It might even be on par with professional ukulele yers! The tempo continued to increase without going out of tune or missing a beat, which could only be achieved with top-notch skills. Ivanka¡¯s singing and dancing evidently could not keep up with the tune, but she refused to admit defeat and tried to speed up her song and dance. However, the quickened singing made it difficult for her to control her breathing, especially since she was dancing too. By ident, she became dizzy, and her entire person copsed uncontrobly on the stage, making for an embarrassing and humorous spectacle. There was an uproar in the audience when Ivanka fell. ¡°How can a misstep happen when it¡¯s her own song? It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s not familiar with it.¡± ¡°Ivanka sounds a bit out of breath too, but Corinne ys the ukulele really well!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Corinne lives up to her name as an all-round top student. She¡¯s not from the music department, but she can y the ukulele amazingly well!¡± Corinne did not continue ying once Ivanka fell, She nced at Ivanka, who was struggling very hard to get up, and said to the audience, ¡°Ivanka¡¯s music is written in a more modern style. It can be yed on a ukulele, but it doesn¡¯t sound that nice. Why don¡¯t I y another piece that sounds better on the ukulele?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°Go ahead! We¡¯re all ears.¡± Corinne nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be ying the instrumental version of ¡®Somewhere Over the Rainbow¡¯ as a farewell of sorts to my fellow graduates. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me if I make any mistakes.¡± She plucked the strings softly to produce a delicate and poignant tune that revealed her young spirit and strength of character. The melody tugged on one¡¯s heartstrings, and thebination of firmness and gentleness allowed every single note to fall into ce. At the end of the piece, everyone there was silent. None of them recovered from the undtions of the piece¡¯s heart-rendering conceptualization. The first sounds of apuse came from the opposite terrace. Corinne turned her head to look and her mind immediately went nk. ¡®Is that¡­ Jeremy?¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s slender figure stood there as he pped his hands with intrigue. He neither pped too slowly nor too quickly, but it was very crisp and powerful. There was a faint smile on the man¡¯s ridiculously handsome face, and the expression on his face, seemed to contain just as much admiration as ridicule. ¡®When did he start standing there? How long had he been watching me? Even his friends are also there! Were they all watching me, too?¡¯ Notable among them was Sunny, who had an inexplicably dazed look moments before he snapped out of his senses and red at her viciously. ¡°Not bad! You yed well!¡± Zeke smiled enthusiastically and began to lead the apuse. His pping jolted those students who were still mesmerized by the performance, and within seconds, the thunderous sound of apuse resonated throughout the terrace. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°Corinne has proven that she¡¯s an all-round top student! She can even y the ukulele better than some of the music department¡¯s students!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fully convinced in her ability now, and I¡¯ll never question her again!¡± ¡°Me, too! I now understand why she¡¯s known as an all-round top student! It¡¯s no surprise that the dean appreciates her that much!¡± At the end of the performance, all the students there praised her repeatedly, and not a single one of them was not apuding enthusiastically. Ivanka and her friends, however, had ugly expressions on their faces. Corinne gently put down the ukulele, walked up to the stage, and looked at them. ¡°Now go up on stage and apologize in front of everyone for what you said to the dean.¡± The girl who took the lead in provoking her had a face full of disbelief. ¡°H-How can you y the ukulele so well when you¡¯re not from the music department?¡± Corinne said curtly, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I happen to have picked it up before.¡± The girl gritted her teeth angrily when she heard that flippant remark. ¡°That¡¯s what you call ¡®no big deal¡¯? You just yed it better than- ¡°Better than who?¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow. The girl immediately stopped talking and felt frustrated because she did not want to say anything to praise Corinne. Seeing that the other party did not speak, Corinne said again, ¡°I yed the ukulele, and you saw the students acknowledge my ying. It¡¯s time for you girls to keep your word and apologize to the dean in front of everyone!¡± The girls exchanged nces,ined to each other, and hesitated as if they were unwilling to stick to the agreement. ¡°Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and apologize to Corinne and the dean!¡± ¡°Yeah! You were the ones who made a challenge, and now you¡¯re bing a sore loser?¡± ¡°Get up there and apologize!¡± The girls were ashamed to hear all that nder from the students and reluctantly got on to the stage. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. We apologize to Corinne and the dean for making such irresponsible remarks. What we said was pure nonsense, and we¡¯re in the wrong. Please forgive us.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. A discussion soon ensued, and all the students began talking about the girls¡¯ despicable behavior. Corinne had achieved her goal, so she turned around and left the ce. She even dug her ears a little because she felt that it was too noisy there. It had never been her intention to go to the gathering because she had ns to go to the Since she was already there, she decided to just attend the gathering and avoid being under Jeremy¡¯s suspicion. However, she was not prepared for the ruckus that would ur at what was supposed to be a boring reunion! Just as Corinne walked out of the private room, she heard someone calling her from behind again. ¡°Corinne! Stop!¡± Corinne stopped walking and looked back. Ivanka chased her aggressively with her ukulele in her arms and said, ¡°Are you just going to leave after damaging my ukulele? You need topensate me before you leave!¡± ¡°Damaged? It was fine when I yed it earlier.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and she lowered her eyes to nce at the ukulele Ivanka was holding. Nothing seemed damaged, though. Ivanka shoved the ukulele in her face and said, ¡°Look carefully! You must¡¯ve intentionally left these scratches on the ukulele when you yed it! Are you aware that my ukulele is an antique, and it¡¯s very expensive?¡± At that moment, Ivanka no longer had the hypocritical and smug face she disyed in front of her ssmates. She ditched that charade and stopped pretending, and in ce of it was a jealous and unhappy expression. Corinne looked down and saw that there were indeed a lot of scratches on the ukulele, so she frowned and asked, ¡°How much do you want me to pay?¡± Ivanka feigned courteousness again and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re both fellow graduates, I won¡¯t ask for more than fifteen thousand from you.¡± Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Corinne snickered. ¡°Fifteen thousand? As your fellow graduate, do you think I¡¯m that easy to get taken advantage of?¡± Ivanka snorted sarcastically. ¡°But I thought your family was rich, Corinne. If you can donate a building to the school, why can¡¯t you pay for a ukulele?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°What if I don¡¯t pay?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t¡­¡± Ivanka red at her and threatened harshly, ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for involving the police! This ukulele has your fingerprints on it, and everyone saw you ying it earlier! You won¡¯t be able to escape!¡± Corinne shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Ivanka was obviously upset after failing to get the limelight earlier and was merely there to cause more trouble. It was a very unssy act. ¡°Go ahead and call the police, then! Once they¡¯re here, they can check if your ukulele is an antique, determine if it¡¯s worth that much, and decide whether your behavior falls under extortion.¡± Ivanka was stunned for a moment, and she had a flustered expression on her face. She did not expect her threats to have no effect at all, so she scolded her angrily, ¡°Corinne, you cunning b*tch!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Am I the cunning one? Or are you just trying to frame me for no good reason?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! You need topensate me for the scratches on my ukulele, and you need to do it by today! Don¡¯t even think about leaving if you don¡¯t pay me!¡± Ivanka failed to win an argument against Corinne, so she started to block Corinne from leaving. ¡®Since I¡¯ve failed to let Corinne make a fool of herself, I might as well have her pay me some money right now! My goal is to make sure she doesn¡¯t leave this ce so smugly!¡¯ Ivanka was determined to give Corinne a hard time. Indeed, she was the one who scratched the ukulele just to frame Corinne, and although her ukulele was not an antique instrument, it was still very expensive! She could not let Corinne get away just like that. Otherwise, the damage she inflicted on her ukulele would be for naught! As a result, she refused to rest until Corinne gave her the money. Corinne had a good temper, but there were limits to how far she could endure such unreasonable behavior. Unable to bear it any longer, she clenched her fists and was about to strike Ivanka. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± All of a sudden, a man¡¯s sonorous and elegant voice interrupted the dispute between the two girls. Thinking that it was some busybody passerby who wanted to meddle in someone else¡¯s business, Ivanka turned her head angrily and was about to scold the person when she was stunned by what she saw. The person who walked over was an extraordinarily handsome man. He was tall and slender, and his facial features were nothing short of attractive. The suit he wore was a luxury brand, which lent a suave yet yful air to him. Ivanka blushed when she saw the handsome guy and immediately got rid of the arrogance she earlier had. She lowered her gaze in a delicate yet submissive manner and exined to him, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry that we disturbed you, but I¡¯m only this anxious because she broke my antique ukulele. and wanted to leave withoutpensating me¡­¡± ¡°Really? Destroying other people¡¯s property and wanting to leave withoutpensating them? How terrible!¡± Corinne calmly watched as Zeke walked toward them. She recognized him as Jeremy¡¯s friend, but she could not understand the motives behind his actions. ¡®Why is he butting in?¡± Zeke walked up to Ivanka and asked pitifully, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? Let me see.¡± ¡°Sir, look! These scratches you see are all her doing!¡± Ivanka blushed, handed her ukulele to the handsome guy to see, and used Corinne while she was at it. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She believed that such a handsome man must have shown concern for her because he took a fancy to her. In her mind, it proved that she was more beautiful than Corinne and was also more attractive to men! Zeke looked at the ukulele and clicked his tongue regretfully. ¡°The scratches are quite bad. Such a shame that had to happen to a good ukulele.¡± When a handsome man with a unique character stood beside Ivanka, she regained her confidence right away. After a moment¡¯s thought, she acted like a pitiful little girl and began to cry again. ¡°Sir! You have to help me! My ukulele is an antique, but she broke it on purpose and refuses topensate¡­ Chapter 100 Chapter 100 ¡°Don¡¯t cry. You won¡¯t look pretty anymore if your tears smudge your makeup.¡± Zeke gracefully took out a handkerchief from the inner breast pocket of his jacket and wiped Ivanka¡¯s tears skillfully and gently. Ivanka¡¯s heart throbbed like mad when a handsome, noble man showed such concern for her. She felt even more convinced of her attractiveness. ¡®He must be the Prince Charming who came to save me!¡¯ she gushed inwardly. She moved a little closer to Zeke¡¯s arms and said in a coquettish manner, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m fine now. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to hear that.¡± Zeke pursed his lips and gently ced the handkerchief in her hand.¡± I heard someone ying the ukulele from the next room. It was such a marvelous tune. Was it you who yed it?¡± Ivanka¡¯s expression froze, and she did not know how to answer that. By telling the truth, she would only give that d*mn Corinne another chance to shine in front of her Prince Charming. After thinking about it, Ivanka deliberately gave him a vague reply, ¡°Sir, the tune you just heard was yed on this ukulele, but it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s now damaged.¡± ¡°Tsk! The person who broke this ukulele is such a despicable person.¡± Zeke frowned slightly and finally raised his gaze to look at Corinne. ¡°Why¡¯d you break her ukulele, sis?¡± ¡®Sis? I¡¯m not your sis!¡¯ Corinne cocked an eyebrow and looked at Zeke with disgust. As if Jeremy was not weird enough, his friend was just as weird, too! Perhaps birds of a feather do flock. together after all. Ivanka was stunned at that moment, and her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Sir, what did you just¡­call her?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sis, I called her ¡®sis¡¯. Is something the matter?¡± Zeke smiled. His handsome eyes narrowed into a crescent shape, and there were hints of yfulness in them. Ivanka¡¯s expression turned ugly in disbelief. ¡°She¡­ How is she your sis?¡± Zeke smiled and said matter-of-factly, ¡°She¡¯s the woman of one of my sworn brothers, so of course she¡¯s my sis.¡± ¡°A sworn brother¡¯s woman?!¡± Ivanka was shocked. She looked at Zeke, then at Corinne, and was unwilling to ept reality. ¡®Why does this wretch Corinne have anything to do with my Prince Charming? It¡¯s so annoying!¡¯ With a smile on his face, Zeke turned to look at the man standing at the door of the room not far away. ¡°Stop watching and get over here. Your little cutie damaged this other girl¡¯s ukulele!¡± Upon hearing what Zeke said, Corinne turned her head and saw Jeremy walking calmly over with his hands in his trouser pockets. Corinne frowned and felt a little more annoyed when she saw Jeremy. Zeke took the ukulele from Ivanka¡¯s arms, handed it to Jeremy, and said with a smile, ¡°See those. scratches? Your little cutie did this, apparently.¡± Jeremy¡¯s downcast eyes nced calmly at the instrument as he reached out to take it. Then, out of the blue, he mmed it forcefully against the wall. A loud shatter was heard, and the ukulele¡¯s pieces fell on the floor as only the instrument¡¯s neck remained in his hand. He then tossed the neck in the distance like a piece of trash. Ivanka came back to her senses and yelled in shock, ¡°My ukulele!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he ordered in a cold voice, ¡°Compensate her, Tommy.¡± Tommy nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Jeremy could not care less about everything else that was happening and turned to look at Corinne. He narrowed his cold eyes slightly and asked, ¡°Is the gathering over?¡± Corinne was speechless after seeing Jeremy obliterate throwing the ukulele. Her lips twitched, and she could only answer drily, ¡°Yeah¡­ We can go home now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± The man raised his arms and gently hooked them over Corinne¡¯s shoulders before leading her to turn around and leave. They had not walked far yet when Corinne thought of something and stopped suddenly. She turned around and said, ¡°Mister Tommy, pleasepensate her for the ukulele at its original price. Your boss won¡¯t reimburse you if you pay her anything more than that.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Tommy¡¯s lips twitched, and he could only nod. ¡°Understood, Miss Corinne.¡± After leaving Tommy with those instructions, Corinne walked out of the party ground with Jeremy. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 The man¡¯s rear figure was tall and slender, and as the petite girl followed him obediently, one could see the stark contrast of a visually adorable height difference. Ivanka squatted on the ground and wept. It was such a shame that her ukulele was destroyed in such a manner. She thought that crying like this would get the pity of the handsome man who wiped her tears earlier, but no one came to her aid even after she had been crying for some time! As soon as she looked up, she saw only the Prince Charming¡¯s handsome back. ¡®Argh! Why is that handsome guy leaving, too?! Doesn¡¯t he care that I¡¯m in such a miserable state?¡¯ Ivanka hurriedly got up and chased after him. ¡°Sir, please wait¡­¡± Zeke stopped, smiled, and nced askance at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is something the matter?¡± Ivanka was nk and felt a little awkward. ¡®Am I seeing things? My Prince Charming is obviously smiling, but he seems so much more indifferent than before.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Sir, I¡¯m here to return your handkerchief. Thank you for your concern earlier¡­¡± Ivanka handed over the handkerchief shyly and waited quietly for the Prince Charming to ask for her number. However, Zeke just smirked and did not take the handkerchief back from her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can have it.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ivanka¡¯s cheeks turned red, and her little heart was beating exceptionally quickly. ¡®I can have it? The material made from this handkerchief is so luxurious to the touch! What could he possibly be trying to imply by gifting it to me? Just as Ivanka was secretly fantasizing about how the rtionship between the two would soon. develop, Zeke answered softly, ¡°It disgusts me now that it¡¯s stained with the tears of a hypocrite.¡± Ivanka was stunned. ¡®Hypocrite? Is he talking about me?¡¯ Ivanka felt a little guilty and exined hurriedly, ¡°Sir, you must¡¯ve misunderstood something. I¡¯m not a hypocrite¡­¡± Zeke smiled. ¡°No, you say? You weren¡¯t the one who yed the ukulele earlier, yet you didn¡¯t deny. it when I asked who the performer was. You also scratched the ukulele yourself just so you could frame someone else, and now you¡¯re pretending to be all sad and miserable in front of me. There¡¯s only one word to describe such a character, and that¡¯s ¡®hypocritical¡±.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ivanka felt helpless after being exposed like that and did not know how to argue her way out of it. She thought that he was her Prince Charming, but it turned out that it was all mere wishful thinking on her part. After Zeke left, Tommy walked up to Ivanka and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve checked. Your ukulele is worth less than three thousand dors. Please give me your ount number so I can make the transfer.¡± Ivanka held back her anger, gritted her teeth, and said to Tommy, ¡°Who told you my ukulele is only less than three thousand? It costs fifteen thousand! Don¡¯t think you can get away with paying one cent less!¡± show us Tommy said nkly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you insist that we pay fifteen thousand, we ask that you the receipt or purchase record as proof. If not, we¡¯ll have to go through legal procedures.¡± Ivanka flinched as soon as she heard the phrase ¡®legal procedure¡¯. Getting involved in awsuit just after graduating was thest thing she wanted. She decided to just ept the money since the ukulele was already damaged. Reluctant, she gritted her teeth and revealed her bank ount number truthfully. In her eyes, Corinne was the cause of all her bad luck that day, and she pinned all the me on her. ¡®This world isn¡¯t big enough for the two of us!¡¯ Inside the car, Corinne lowered her head and scrolled through her phone. Jeremy spoke in a deep and cold voice that had hints of sarcasm, ¡°You y the ukulele very well, Corinne!¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 ¡°You tter me,¡± Corinne responded absent-mindedly without raising her head. Jeremy rested his forehead on one hand and nced at her from the side. ¡°Have you learned it before?¡± His question was an inquisitive one because it defiedmon sense that Corinne could y the ukulele so well. Although he had chosen her to be his missus purely by chance, he had sent someone to investigate her background after that chance meeting. Although the Carews were regarded as a middle-ss family, Corinne was an illegitimate daughter who did not receive much in the way of care. She was sent to the countryside to be raised by rtives since she was young, and the worrying environment of her upbringing meant she hardly had any means to learn any musical instruments. Yet, that piece she yed at the gathering earlier was simply beyond the reach of anyone without a solid foundation of seven or eight years. She was so full of contradictions that he could not help but wonder if there was more to her than what he could see. Corinne ignored the man¡¯s scrutinizing gaze and looked at the party bill on her cell phone. She had just paid for the expense of the gathering, and she was left with around 40 bucks in her ount. The culprit who was the cause of her poverty was none other than the man sitting next to her, and he still had the gall to make sarcastic remarks such as teasing her for ying the ukulele so well! Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. She got angrier the more she thought about it, and she snorted before saying, ¡°We¡¯re not a real married couple, mister! Whether or not I leamed it before has nothing to do with you! We¡¯ll be going our separate ways after three months, so why are you being so nosy?¡± Jeremy frowned at her petnt response. ¡°Didn¡¯t I justpensate that other girl for her ukulele on your behalf? Why are you giving me that attitude?¡± ¡®What¡¯s wrong with my attitude, you say? You should be d I didn¡¯t tell you to mind your own d* I mn business!¡¯ Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You were the one who threw that ukulele on the wall and smashed it to pieces. Do you expect someone else topensate her for that?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank, and it was the first time he experienced the ungratefulness of someone else. Corinne snorted again and said, ¡°And besides, if it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have to spend all my -living expenses on treating all those students today!¡± When all was said and done, it turned out that she was unhappy precisely because of that one incident. Jeremy cocked his brows and smiled slightly. ¡°I thought you were happy to gather with your fellow students? Are you that pissed just because you ended up treating everyone?¡± ¡°Attending a gathering doesn¡¯t mean having to treat everyone! Do you think any random person has the financial ability to spend money as you do?¡± Corinne frowned unhappily. ¡°This gathering isn¡¯t a small one between two or three people either. When ites to such huge gatherings, it¡¯s common practice to pay for one¡¯s own meals! You¡¯re the reason I lost an entire month¡¯s sry!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. Ever since the two reached a consensus on cooperation, Corinne had always been patient in front of him, evidently seeking stability and avoiding conflicts as much as possible. It was rare to see her losing her patience and being so angry. The aggrieved expression she had after losing money was adorable, and her cute little lips were pouting so strongly that it was beginning to look like a duck¡¯s bill. ¡°I¡¯ll reimburse you,¡± Jeremy said nonchntly. ¡°Really?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes lit up. She had already opened up her QR code and entered the exact amount, cents and all. Jeremy was speechless. Her fingers moved very nimbly, and she showed no hesitation in asking him to return the money! In Corinne¡¯s opinion, there was no necessity for her to be polite when requesting him to return the money, because she never even wanted to spend it in the first ce! He deliberately teased her by dering in his capacity as her family member that she was going to treat everyone there. The unknowing students took it seriously because they did not know the truth. If she left without treating them, it would seem like she was trying to leave without paying the bill. If she did foot the expenses, she would end up with no money! Though there were still some funds at Aaron¡¯s ce, the money must be saved to buy her mother¡¯s paintings instead of being spent on a whim! Jeremy chuckled, took out his cell phone, and scanned her payment code. As soon as the money arrived, Corinne felt much better. Her scrunched-up little face immediately became less tense, and she became chattier. ¡°Did you know that your behavior today made my ssmates think that you took me in and raised me like a father?¡± ¡®Took her in? Raised her like a father?¡¯ Jeremy frowned. ¡°Do I look that old?¡± Corinne shook his head. ¡°Not really. They¡¯re implying that I¡¯m a sugar baby to you because you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re old enough to be my real parent.¡± Jeremy lowered his gaze and frowned slightly when he heard that she seemed to have suffered. some humiliation at the party earlier. Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Why would you y the ukulele for them, then?¡± Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°You think I wanted to y for them? Some of the girls used me of having an affair with the dean, which caused a misunderstanding among the students. The culprits will only apologize if I y the ukulele, so I had to put on a good performance! I respect the dean very much, so it¡¯s important to me that his name isn¡¯t tarnished.¡± After hearing that, Jeremy turned to gaze intently at her before leaning closer all of a sudden.¡± Why didn¡¯t you rify to them about me?¡± Corinne was startled when his handsome face, which looked attractive from every angle, leaned over so suddenly. Her breathing stopped, and she wondered to herself, ¡®What is he doing?!¡¯ ¡°Ahem! rify what, exactly?¡± Jeremy¡¯s charmingly enigmatic eyes seemed to drag people deep into the depths of an abyss. He lowered his body even more as he said, ¡°rify that I¡¯m not some sugar daddy but your husband instead.¡± The word ¡®husband¡¯ made Corinne¡¯s heart skip a beat when it resonated just outside her ear. When she finally snapped back to her senses, Corinne immediately rolled her eyes in disgust. ¡°I¡¯d rather not! I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to know that I got married at such a young age. I¡¯d still want to have a proper marriage with someone I genuinely like in the future!¡± Hearing her say that she wanted to have a proper marriage with someone¡¯ she ¡®genuinely liked¡¯, Jeremy¡¯s face remained unchanged, but a thinyer of gloom seemed to shroud him as he said. with a teasing sneer, ¡°Is that so? I¡¯d be curious to see if anyone would be brave enough to marry someone like you in the future.¡± Feeling as though she had been underestimated, Corinne raised an eyebrow unhappily and retorted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? What do you mean ¡®someone like me¡±?¡± Jeremy stared at her with a bottomless gaze and said in an unclear tone, ¡°You¡¯re an assertive woman who grabs a random stranger from the street and kisses him. What kind of woman does that make you?¡± Corinne puffed up her cheeks. ¡°I told you. It was an ident-¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The driver braked suddenly, and inertia caused one of them to lean back while the other leaned forward. Since they were both facing each other, their lips came into brief contact. Jeremy¡¯s pupils contracted, and he straightened his posture up to move further away from her. Sorry about that.¡± He did not mean to kiss her. Corinne blushed and frowned. She wanted to get angry at him, but she just could not do so for some reason. It was even more awkward for her because she had just emphasized that she grabbed him ¡®by ident¡¯ and kissed him during their first encounter. By contrast, the brief kiss they just had was also an ident because he obviously did not do it on purpose. As a result, she could not keep harping on the fact that kissing him the first time was an ident because that would sound more awkward and preposterous. As a result, she had no choice but to just forget about what happened. She thus kept quiet and raised her hand to push Jeremy away. After wiping her mouth vigorously with her arm, she turned her face away and lowered the car window to let the wind in. She then looked at the streetscape outside as if nothing had happened. Her side profile was exquisite, her eyshes were thick and curly, and she had a bit of baby fat too. The evening wind blew the hair on her forehead, and her ears were still blushing because of the ident earlier. Jeremy was lost in thought for a moment when he saw Corinne like that. The car stopped, and the driver got out of the car to check on the situation beforeing back to exin the situation. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s been a collision up ahead which caused this traffic jam. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to pass through this road anytime soon.¡± Traffic jams were unavoidable, and the bane of those who were on the road. Jeremy was massaging the top of his nose bridge when he heard the sound of someone opening. the door and getting out of the car. I He turned around and saw that Corinne had just gotten off. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a train station up ahead. I¡¯ll take the train back,¡± Corinne replied and left. Getting stuck in a traffic jam with Jeremy was an ordeal that she would prefer not to go through. Jeremy lowered his eyebrows, remained silent for two seconds, then got up and got out of the car. Tommy, who was still sitting in the front passenger seat, got out of the car too. He was about to chase after them when he heard his boss give an order without even turning back to look, ¡°You don¡¯t need to follow me. You can clock off work now.¡± Tommy had no choice but to heed his advice. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± As he watched Jeremy follow Corinne, he was a little worried about what might happen because Jeremy never took the train before. Moreover, what was he to make of Jeremy¡¯s actions toward Corinne? The road conditions near the train station entrance were terrible, and the traffic congestion was just as severe. A multi-purpose vehicle was stuck in traffic, and inside the vehicle were Sherlyn and her parents, who had just finished the contract signing ceremony and were on the way home after a joyous meal with the manager of the newpany. On that day, the film and televisionpany under Holden Group had officially signed her, and aside from providing her with a high-end vehicle, they also promised her tremendous amounts of her with a high-end vehicle, they also resources! Sherlyn was confident in her future and felt that she was on track to bing an international superstar. The only thing that was killing her mood right then was the traffic jam. She poked her head out of the car window to look at the road in front, and it was then that she saw Corinne and a tall man crossing the road. ¡°Dad, Mom! Look, isn¡¯t that Corinne? Why is she with a man when it¡¯s already sote?¡± Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Sherlyn¡¯s shocked tone prompted Marvin and Lilliana to look out of the car window together. Lilliana rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Look, Marvin! That is Corinne! Is that man her partner? Corinne¡¯s a young woman, and it¡¯s already veryte. Why is she wandering around outside with a man? That¡¯s not very good, is it?¡± Marvin frowned in displeasure, firstly because of how inappropriate it was for his daughter Corinne to be alone with a man at such ate hour, and secondly because he saw Corinne walking into the train station entrance with that man. From his angle, all they could see was the man¡¯s back profile and not his face. However, Marvin, Lilliana, and Sherlyn had only one word for that man-poor. Sherlyn sighed and pretended to be worried for them as she said, ¡°Dad, why did Corinne get a boyfriend who goes around using the train? She¡¯s not showing any improvement over the men that Mom introduced to her before. Those men all have houses and cars!¡± Lilliana joined in with her daughter and sighed aggrievedly. ¡°Leave her be. What¡¯s most important is that she likes him. That young man is tall, and I suppose he¡¯s quite handsome too, but the main issue is if he¡¯s poor. It won¡¯t be good if he doesn¡¯t have a house and wants to be a live-in son-in-w after he gets married to her.¡± ¡°Good looks are useless! I don¡¯t have money to spare to support a live-in son-inw, and it¡¯ll only be embarrassing for us!¡± Marvin snorted angrily and resented the fact that Corinne did not seem to show a desire to improve herself. He had been feeling proud after apanying his eldest daughter Sherlyn to sign a contract with a big company and clinking sses with her manager, but seeing his youngest daughter¡¯s unbing antics and disgraceful behavior made him feel disappointed and unable to count on her at all. Sherlyn and her mother Lilliana looked at each other and smiled with glee. In their hearts, Corinne was only worthy of dating poor guys who took the train! N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Inside the train station, Jeremy stood behind Corinne and lowered his head slightly while. observing her buying tickets from the automatic ticket vending machine. Once she bought her ticket, she turned around and left without even looking at him. After Jeremy stood in front of the machine and clicked the screen a few times, his handsome eyebrows frowned slightly. Though that was his first time setting foot in such a ce, he was not that dumb as to be clueless about how to operate the automatic ticket vending machine. The main problem was his unfamiliarity with the train lines-he did not know which station to buy a ticket to. As he tilted his head to look around, Corinne¡¯s figure seemed to have disappeared as she had already slipped away. The person queuing behind him was getting impatient and urged him, ¡°Hey! Have you bought a ticket yet? How long are you going to take?¡± As soon as Jeremy turned around, his cold and threatening aura scared the middle-ageddy behind him into keeping her mouth shut. She then made the conscious decision to line up elsewhere. Jeremy did not want to waste everyone else¡¯s ¡°Which line and station should I buy the ticket to?¡± Tommy was speechless. He did not know either because he never took the train! ¡°One moment, sir. I¡¯ll find it right away!¡± Jeremy sighed with a sullen expression, and there was impatience and irritability in his cold eyes. At that moment, the sound of giggles came from behind. He turned his head, looked over in the direction of theughter, and saw Corinne leaningzily on the stone pir behind him. She watched him andughed as she asked, ¡°Is this your first time at a train station?¡± Jeremy was expressionless and did not answer her. Corinne cocked her eyebrows and said with a smile, ¡°Well¡­ Since you¡¯ve reimbursed the bill I paid for the student party, I¡¯ll pay for your train ride! Let¡¯s go!¡± After saying that, she threw the ticket at him like a dart. Jeremy raised his hand to catch it and nced at the ticket sandwiched between his long fingers. His handsome eyes narrowed as he thought to himself, ¡®She bought my ticket too? So she made the conscious decision to hide there just so she could see me make a fool of myself! Tch!¡¯ Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Jeremy was not angry, though. He curled his lips into a slight smile and followed Corinne in. After a while, Tommy called back, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve found it! You should buy a ticket to-¡± ¡°It¡¯s been settled,¡± Jeremy replied, then hung up without waiting for Tommy to finish. Tommy was left in a daze on the other end of the line, and he did not know what to think after what happened. Corinne walked slowly as she led Jeremy to the waiting area, and she could not help butugh when she saw him hang up on Tommy. When the man heard her giggles, he stared at her coldly and asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Corinne smiled and said, ¡°I was wondering if rich people like you will end up forgetting how to live if you go bankrupt.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°You enjoy making fun of me?¡± Corinne could not bother to show him any courtesy and nodded honestly. ¡°Yeah! I just took a picture of you standing helplessly in front of the ticket vending machine. I¡¯m going to show it to Grandma once we¡¯re home!¡± Blue veins protruded on Jeremy¡¯s forehead. ¡°Corinne!¡± Corinne took out her cell phone, clicked on the photo, and held it up to his face to taunt him.¡± Look! You were hrious! I didn¡¯t think someone like you would one day end up being in that kind of situation! Hahaha-!¡± At that moment, a boy on a skateboard rushed over. ¡°Be careful!¡± Before Corinne had time to react, she narrowly escaped being hit before being pulled into his warm and firm embrace. The boy lost his bnce a little on the skateboard and turned around before slipping away without stopping to ask if she was fine. Jeremy lowered his handsome gaze to the girl in his arms. She had been full of herself just moments earlier, so he could not help but tease her, ¡°Did you enjoy making fun of me so much that you can¡¯t even bother to watch where you¡¯re going?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Fine. I admit, I was careless!¡¯ Jeremy then said, ¡°Don¡¯t y with your cell phone while walking. Walk on the other side.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne put away her phone, obediently shifted positions to his other side, and expressed her gratitude to him. ¡°Thanks, but I still won¡¯t delete the photos!¡± Jeremy snorted coldly, nced at her, and did not seem to care much about the photo. He had a cold complexion, but there was a warmth in the depths of his gaze, and he was smiling faintly too. Plenty of seats were avable on the train because not a lot of people took itte at night. Corinne. and Jeremy chose the cleanest seats and sat there. Jeremy stood out a little inside the train due to his handsomeness, more so because he was wearing a high-quality branded suit. His aura was so strong that everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to him, and he became the focus of those in the carriage. Women looked at him yearningly from time to time, and a few men could not help but do a double take at him too.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy either did not seem to notice their gazes, or he turned a blind eye to them. He sat there like royalty, almost as if there was no one else around him. More passengers got off after a few stops, and the train was almost empty. Quiet atmospheres such as that would inevitably lead to awkwardness, and Corinne had no way to get rid of that awkwardness because her cell phone was out of battery. When she turned her head, she noticed that Jeremy was looking at her quietly, but she did not know what was going on in his mind. Being stared at made her feel a little awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss something, mister!¡± Corinne brought up a suggestion. Jeremy nonchntly cocked his handsome eyebrow and said, ¡°Sure. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Corinne shut her eyes momentarily as though tired. The exhausted expression made her endearing face look stern. She said, ¡°Mister, I hope we¡¯ll have more trust for each other. You don¡¯t have to be so guarded and fear I¡¯d cheat on you. Please give me some space! I told you I¡¯d never have an affair before the three months are over. Just trust me on that!¡± Jeremy looked at her unblinkingly. ¡°You thought I was worried about you?¡± Corinne looked up, tilted her head, and looked at him with her widened eyes. ¡°What else could it be? You wouldn¡¯t have gone to the party ground that¡¯s not even to your liking, and you wouldn¡¯t havee into the room to check on mine and embarrass my ssmate if you weren¡¯t worried about me!¡± Jeremey said faintly, ¡°Miss Carew, please remember about our partnership. Inevitably, I hold partial responsibility for your safety during these three months. I¡¯m not suspecting you, but the things that have me worrying are those male ssmates around you. Can¡¯t you tell they have ulterior motives toward you?¡± Corinne did not think it was a problem. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid; of course I can tell! But I can take care of myself, and I won¡¯t let them do anything to me.¡± Jeremy snorted. ¡°You won¡¯t let them do anything to you, you say? Didn¡¯t you raise the ss and want to drink it when they cheered with you?¡± ¡°Err¡­ It was just a ss of cocktail!¡± Corinne furrowed her eyebrows and seriously thought Jeremy was making a big fuss about it. She knew her alcohol tolerance. She was just going to take a sip and was never going to drink much. ¡°Just a ss, huh?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face looked solemn. He lectured her, ¡°How do you know they didn¡¯t put anything into that ss? As a girl, you shouldn¡¯t drink anything anyone gave to you at that sort of ce. You can never tell who¡¯s a bad person by his appearance. How old are you? Do I need to remind you about this?¡± Corinne was stunned after receiving a lecture from Jeremy. ¡®I know Mister attended my graduation as my guardian, but isn¡¯t he too immersed in this role?¡¯ she thought. She had only seen such parenting lecturing from drama series. She had lost her only active parent ever since her mother was gone, and none cared for her. Her father was basically non-existent, too. He never cared how she was doing, only worried that she would bring disgrace to the family. It had been a long time since someone lectured her like this. ¡®It¡¯s so weird!¡¯ she thought. When she regained her senses, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mister, what about the alcohol you gave me? I can¡¯t drink that either?¡± Jeremy was startled and went silent for two seconds. Then, he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Am I the same as others?¡± Corinne smirked sarcastically. ¡°Yep, you are different. You don¡¯t look like a person who¡¯s desperate for women or is inclined into tricking them. Most importantly¡­you¡¯re not into women like me and thus won¡¯t care about tricking me. Am I right?¡± Jeremy kept silent for a while before he smiled. ¡°You do know your stuff, Miss Carew.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so weird¡­¡± scoffed Corinne as she rolled her eyes. ¡°You were just teasing how no one would dare marry me in the future¡­ Now, you¡¯re worried someone is going to drug me.¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow, ring at her sardonically. ¡°This is a big world, and you can¡¯t even begin to comprehend everything out there. There are bound to be weirdos with strange fetishes.¡± Corinne¡¯s pursed lips stretched into a small sarcastic smile. ¡°Heh¡­ Thank you¡­.for caring so much about me, Mister. I should thank your ancestors¡­too¡­¡± Her voice slowly died down, and it was not long until Jeremy noticed how silent she was. Followingly, his shoulder felt heavy when Corinne¡¯s head rested on his shoulder. Corinne closed her eyes and fell asleep with steady breathing. She has been feeling sleepy. She barely had time to rest, and she was just too tired¡­ Jeremy turned to look at the girl who dared to use his shoulder as a pillow. This was the first time anyone had done that. His eyebrows were furrowed, but his expression was unreadable. Despite that, he did not dare to move her. When Corinne woke up, she realized she was sleepingfortably on the bed in the Holdens¡¯ estate. The sky was still dark. How did shee back home? She scratched her head and could not recall how she had gotten from the train station to the Holdens¡¯ estate.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Despite having lost a section of her memory, Corinne did not bother too much about it. It only bothered her that she still had not changed out of her clothes after having been outside, and she had not even showered. The feeling diforted her. Thus, she groggily got up from the bed and took out a set of clean clothes from the wardrobe. She pushed open the bathroom door and entered- There was steam in the bathroom, and the water was running. The bathroom was warm too. ¡®Did I turn on the water for the bathtub when I came back and forgot to turn it off?¡¯ she thought. She curiously entered to check the bathtub when all of a sudden, the visual of a naked man with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and a muscr frame greeted her eyes. The bathing man turned to look back when he heard shuffling behind him. At that moment, they made eye contact. One¡¯s eyes were vicious and sharp, and the other¡¯s were surprised and ashamed. With the sight snapping her entirely out of her drowsiness, she gasped and quickly turned to her back. ¡°Mister! W-Why didn¡¯t you lock the door before you started?!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face looked sullen as he said sarcastically, ¡°Miss Carew. Last I checked, this is my room. Why should I lock the door when I¡¯m having a bath in my own ce? I should be the one asking why you didn¡¯t knock before you came in!¡± Corinne was embarrassed and angry. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t really stay here often and I already got used to that. How would I know you¡¯re in here taking a bath?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m having my bath, and you barged in here. I¡¯m not angry, but why are you shouting at me?¡± Jeremy asked. Corinne was at a loss for words, knowing Jeremy did make a good point. ¡°Miss Carew, are you going to leave, or do you want to join me for a bath?¡± Jeremy asked. ¡®D*mn him!¡¯ Corinne scoffed and quickly left the bathroom. She even mmed the door to make sure the door was tightly shut. The refreshing, aromatic smell of the shower gel made her turn red as the forbidden image of Jeremy reappeared in her eyes. All she wanted to do was to throw it out of her mind! Amid her flustered state, she suddenly remembered something. She vaguely remembered how she fell asleep on the train. Jeremy did not wake her up reached the train station but carried her back home instead. when they She felt even more embarrassed when she recalled this.. ¡®D*mn it!¡¯ she cursed. She had to wake up early in the morning because of the graduation. Too much had happened she was today. First, Francine tried to set her up, and she had to go to the police station to prove innocent. After that, she went to the party with her ssmates and got forced to y the ukulele¡­ She was that deep in sleep because she was that tired. Nheless, it was kind of Jeremy that he did not leave her alone on the train. After all, he was known to be a self-centered man who would not care about anything. Just then, Jeremy walked out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. He smelled¡­very nice. Corinne took a deep breath and entered the bathroom silently to avoid the awkward situation. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. When she finished her shower, Jeremy had fallen asleep on the couch. Since Pam was at home, they did not dare to sleep in different rooms. Thus, this was the only choice. ¡®He¡¯s asleep.¡¯ Corinne was relieved and went back to the bed. The next day. When Corinne woke up, she did not see Jeremy in the room. It did not bother her as she felt more rxed without him there. As she left the room, she saw a maid carrying down a suitcase. Curious, Corinne walked over and asked the maid, ¡°Whose luggage is this?¡± Chapter 108 Chapter 108 The maid stopped and answered, ¡°Madam Pam is leaving, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡®Grandma is leaving?¡¯ thought Corinne. She began fearing for the worst, worried that what Francine did yesterday had scarred Pam. Just then, she heard her calling her name softly. ¡°Corinne.¡± She looked up and saw Pam walking over slowly to her. ¡°Grandma, I heard that you¡¯re leaving,¡± Corinne said. Pam smiled kindly and sighed helplessly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I need to go back to your grandfather. That stubborn old man refused to listen, even after he had just had his operation. He doesn¡¯t follow the doctor¡¯s orders when I¡¯m not around, so I need to go back and keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Once Corinne knew that was the reason why Pam had to go back, she knew better than to ask her to stay longer. ¡°Grandma, you have to look after yourself too. Have a safe journey home. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡± Pam nodded and held Corinne¡¯s hand softly. ¡°Corinne, I know you¡¯ve been through a lot after you married Jeremy. Francine had gone too far. Don¡¯t worry. When she¡¯s released, I¡¯ll send someone to pick her up and send her to let her grandfather so he¡¯ll lecture her. I won¡¯t let her stay here anymore and cause more trouble for you two.¡± It was rare to have an olddy, who loved her granddaughter so much, to acknowledge her granddaughter had been mean to another person. Corinne was touched by Pam¡¯s thoughtfulness. ¡°Thank you for being so understanding.¡± ¡°Oh, and Corinne? After I leave, you and Jeremy have to keep on working hard, too!¡± ¡®Work hard?¡¯ Corinne was baffled by this. When she saw the meaningful smile on Pam¡¯s face, she quickly realized what she was implying. She thus blushed. Nheless, she forced a smile. ¡°Oh, aha¡­ Don¡¯t worry, we will!¡± Pam was thrilled to hear this. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be waiting for the good news!¡± Corinne replied, ¡°Okay¡­¡± Pam was bound to be disappointed because there was never going to be good news from her and Jeremy. The next time Pam would return, her contract with Jeremy would probably draw -to a close, and she would have to leave. ¨C Jeremy had instructed Tommy to send Pam to the airport. Pam had been kind to Corinne the whole time she was with them, so Corinne decided to go to the airport together and send her off. When she bid her farewell to Pam and left the airport, Tommy passed her a job application form in the car. ¡°Miss Carew. Sir has asked me to arrange a job for you because he knows you¡¯ll need to look for a job since you¡¯ve graduated,¡± Tommy said. Surprised, Corinne raised an eyebrow and looked at the form. ¡°So what kind of job do you intend to give me?¡± Tommy started the car engine and answered, ¡°Miss Carew, please fill out this form first. I¡¯ll let the human resource department arrange a suitable job for you based on your preference.¡± It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work in Holden Group. However, Corinne was not that interested in it. The thought that she could be freed from Jeremy¡¯s control during the three months struck her all of a sudden. ¡®Why don¡¯t I follow his arrangement and make use of the time, though?¡¯ she thought. She ced the form on the seat and said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to fill it. I don¡¯t care what job it is, as long as the pay is high enough!¡± Tommy admitted he admired Corinne for being so direct. His lips stretched and said, ¡°Err¡­ Alright. I¡¯ll bring you to get started after I arrange everything.¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s go do it now. There¡¯s nothing for me to do when I go back anyway!¡± Corinne insisted. ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Thus, Tommy drove the car to head toward a subsidiary under Holden Group. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 When Tommy parked the car, he received a call. His face immediately looked solemn. ¡°I¡¯ll be there right away!¡± He hung up the phone and said apologetically, ¡°Miss Carew, I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I can¡¯t go in with you. Please head inside and look for Mister Feldman. Tell him I sent you, and he¡¯ll arrange your job for you.¡± Corinne nodded and showed an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture before getting out of the car. Tommy drove off quickly at a fast speed. Corinne watched as the car disappeared. She raised her browzily and wondered what this supposed urgent matter was about. ¡®Did something happen to Mister?¡¯ The subsidiarypany under Holden Group was an entertainment agency. Corinne walked into the lobby and informed the front desk of her reason for being there. The receptionist took a look at her and called Mister Feldman to verify. ¡°Miss Carew, please follow me.¡± The receptionist then led Corinne to Mister Feldman¡¯s office. ¡°Miss Carew, Mister Feldman is having a meeting with a celebrity. Please wait outside, and you may head in once they¡¯re done,¡± said the receptionist. Corinne nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The receptionist went back to her desk, leaving Corinne to wait outside. Not too far away, two girls were waiting for their coffees in the pantry and were gossiping. ¡°Hey, do you know ourpany has signed Sherlyn Carew?¡± ¡°Of course! She¡¯s one of the most talked-about female celebrities!¡± ¡°Yes, and she¡¯s trending all because of her scandal. After a series of rifications to whitewash the scandal, she¡¯s being talked about again. I have no idea why thepany would sign her when her reputation is tarnished!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if her reputation is bad. Either way, she¡¯s trending, and her market value has multiplied because of the scandal and her rification. Who cares about reputation nowadays? Any celebrity who can earn money is a good one!¡± ¡°Having said that, Sherlyn Carew just came over, and she¡¯s in Mister Feldman¡¯s office now. I wonder what they¡¯re discussing.¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± The two girls took their coffee and went back to their desks. Corinne overheard it all and realized there was a problem. She narrowed her eyes and thought deeply. ¡®So, the celebrity inside the office now is Sherlyn,¡¯ she thought. Just yesterday, she saw Lilliana and Sherlyn posting on their social media ounts to boast about how Sherlyn had signed with the entertainment agency under Holden Group. They were thrilled, to say the least. Nevertheless, it was very strange from Corinne¡¯s point of view. From the video, she had no doubt it was Sherlyn on thep of a man who was obviously a sugar daddy. However, the scandal was overturned by stating the woman had a simr face to Sherlyn. It was taken that the woman was an influencer who had undergone stic surgery to look like Sherlyn. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Not only did Sherlyn obtain extensive publicity, but she also whitewashed herself. It looked like a reasonable whitewash operation. The amount of manpower and money to handle this scandal was enormous. With the money avable in Lilliana and Sherlyn¡¯s hands, it was just impossible to achieve it. Lilliana must have done something dirty to have Sherlyn back on the market again. Just then, the door to the office opened. Sherlyn, who had makeup and was dressed nicely, walked out of the office with a bright smile on her face. The moment she saw Corinne standing outside the door, however, the bright smile on her face froze. Immediately, she frowned. ¡°Corinne Carew? Why are you here?!¡± Sherlyn blustered. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°I am going to work here.¡± ¡°Work here? Aren¡¯t you working as a nanny with a rich employer?¡± Sherlyn asked. ¡°My employer seldomes back home, and there¡¯s nothing much to do there. I thought I¡¯d do a part- time job to earn more money,¡± Corinne exined. Sherlyn examined Corinne contemptuously. She sneered when she saw how dreadful Corinne looked just to make more money. ¡°Geez, you need a part-time job to make money? Guess your rich employer isn¡¯t paying you a lot.¡± Corinne nodded, ¡°It¡¯s not a lot.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sherlyn? Why are you standing at the door? Aren¡¯t you going to take your magazine cover?¡± a kind middle-aged man¡¯s voice came out of the office. Sherlyn looked back and smiled shyly at the middle-aged man. ¡°Mister Feldman, I was just about to leave, but someone is blocking the door.¡± ¡°Blocking the door? Let me see who dares to block your way.¡± Mister Feldman walked out to take a look. He put on a look like he was about to scold his foolish subordinate. The moment he saw Corinne, however, he was stunned. Throughout his many years in the entertainment business, he had seen a lot of beautiful women, and he would rarely be astounded by another¡¯s beauty. It was rare to see such a beautiful woman with a bare face in the entertainment business nowadays. Mister Feldman regained his senses and asked, ¡°You are¡­¡± With a faint expression, Corinne introduced herself politely, ¡°Mister Feldman, I¡¯m Corinne Carew. Someone asked me toe see you. He said you¡¯ll arrange a job for me.¡± Mister Felman was stunned. ¡°Corinne Carew? Oh, that¡¯s you! Come right in!¡± Tommy called him minutes ago and asked him to arrange a respected job for a girl called Corinne Carew. Although Tommy did not reveal much about Corinne¡¯s information, Mister Felman was smart enough to know Corinne must have been unique enough for Tommy to personally call him to make arrangements. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne entered the office with Mister Feldman. Sherlyn, having been left out outside the door, gritted her teeth unhappily. ¡®D*mn it! side and scold her!¡¯ she thought. To her surprise, Mister Feldman looked at Corinne as if he had never seen a beautiful woman before. He even politely weed her into his office and left Sherlyn outside! ¡°What the hell was that?¡¯ Sherlyn cursed unhappily. Thus, she did not leave and went back into Mister Feldman¡¯s office in displeasure. She wanted to see what Corinne was going to work as in thispany. ¡°Miss Carew, what kind of job are you interested in?¡± Mister Feldman asked politely as he sat behind his desk. Corinne replied, ¡°Anything. As long as the pay is high!¡± Mister Feldman looked at her and gave it a thought. ¡°Well. Would you consider being a celebrity? You have the looks for it. If you¡¯re willing to debut as a celebrity, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to have a bright future ¡®A celebrity? Corinne furrowed her brows and answered, ¡°Not interested. Do you have other jobs?¡± She intended to work here just to spend her time. After three months, she would resign and skedaddle out of Holden Group. When Sherlyn heard Mister Feldman had the thought of signing Carew, she felt threatened. Although she hated Corinne and refused to admit she was beautiful, she still had to face reality. and prevent Corinne from being a threat to her If Corinne signs with thepany and debuts, she might take my spotlight and offers that could¡¯ve been mine! No! I can¡¯t let that happen she thought to herself. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 With that thought in Sherlyn¡¯s mind, she quickly went in and interrupted their conversation. ¡°Mister Feldman, is she looking for a job? Why don¡¯t you let her work with me? The position for my assistant is vacant.¡± Mister Feldman looked troubled with that suggestion. ¡°Uhh, well¡­¡± Considering Tommy was the one who sent Corinne to him, he did not think it was suitable to let Corinne work as an assistant for a celebrity, a job that required Corinne to take care of another person. ¡°Sherlyn, I know you mean well, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. Miss Carew here is-¡± ¡°How much is the sry as an assistant?¡± interjected Corinne. Mister Feldman was baffled by this, weirded out by her demeanor. ¡®How is she not interested in being a morous celebrity and is instead interested in being the assistant to a celebrity?¡± Sherlyn nced at Corinne and said proudly, ¡°You can get around four hundred fifty to six hundred dors per month if you work as my assistant. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to treat you badly.¡± As soon as Corinne knew the amount, she leaned back on the chair uninterestedly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do it. The pay is too low.¡± She could tell what Sherlyn was worried about. Sherlyn frowned. ¡°You think that¡¯s too little? How much do you want?¡± Corinne yawnedzily and said, ¡°A thousand five hundred dors.¡± It seemed like a joke to Sherlyn. She rolled her eyes and sneered, ¡°A thousand five hundred dors? You expect to be paid that much to work as an assistant? You must be joking.¡± Corinne ignored her and looked at Mister Feldman. ¡°Mister Feldman, did you offer to sign me as a celebrity? The sry must be very substantial, right?¡± Mister Feldman smiled when Corinne seemed to be interested in bing a celebrity. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re not only earning your basics but are also getting themission.¡± Corinne looked intrigued. ¡°Sounds nice. In that case, I-¡± ¡°Fine, one thousand five hundred it is!¡± Sherlyn interrupted nervously. ¡°You cane and work as my assistant!¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. ¡°Then, can I get one month¡¯s advance sry now?¡± Sherlyn¡¯s face soured as she growled, ¡°Corinne Carew, don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Corinne ignored her again and looked back at Mister Feldman. ¡°I¡¯ve made up my mind. I think it¡¯s quite nice being a celebrity¡­¡± ¡°Fine! Sure, you can get an advance!¡± Sherlyn yielded with her gritted teeth. Corinne chuckled and said, ¡°Thank you. Please transfer it to my bank now!¡± With a pit of fire in her stomach, Sherlyn suppressed her rage, forced a smile on her face, and transferred the money to Corinne¡¯s bank ount. Meanwhile, she began thinking of many ways to trouble Corinne. Mister Feldman did not understand what was going on between the two girls. He did not want to get involved, but he was really hoping to sign Corinne as a celebrity. ¡®Miss Carew, are you sure you want to be a celebrity¡¯s assistant? It¡¯s going to be tough. Why don¡¯t you give being a celebrity another thought?¡± He tried to persuade her. Corinne, having received her advanced sry from Sherlyn, smiled in satisfaction and lifted her head to politely reject the offer. ¡°Mister Feldman, thank you for the offer, but I don¡¯t have the talent to be a celebrity. Being a celebrity¡¯s assistant is an easier job for me.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Mister Feldman sighed regretfully. ¡°Alright, then.¡± ¡®What a waste. Had she decided to be a celebrity, she would¡¯ve been a superstar!¡¯ he thought. After that, Sherlyn quickly grabbed Corinne to leave thepany. She was afraid Corinne would change her mind. In the car¡­ Since Corinne had received her pay, she immediately entered working mode as Sherlyn¡¯s assistant and passed her a bottle of soda water. ¡°Hey, Sherlyn, why are you so nervous? Here. Drink this and rx!¡± Sherlyn was not in the mood because she felt like Corinne just scammed her. She stared at Corinne in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous! What do you know? Don¡¯t use your limited knowledge to conjecture my feelings!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not nervous? Why were you in a hurry to pull me away from thepany, then? Aren¡¯t you afraid Mister Feldman is going to sign me?¡± Corinne provoked. ¡°Corinne Carew! Do you think you¡¯re that amazing just because Mister Feldman wanted to sign you? You¡¯re not going to get any exposure with your look and talent, even if you have an agency! I was afraid you¡¯d bring shame to the family with that country bumpkin vibe!¡± Sherlyn scolded. Corinne raised her brow. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Sherlyn gave Corinne a look. Just as she was about to scold Corinne again, the ringing of her phone stopped her. It was a video call from their father, Marvin. Sherlyn rolled her eyes and waved the phone at Corinne haughtily, showing off. ¡°Look at this. Daddy is calling me! I bet you hardly receive any calls from him at all. It just shows he never cares. about you!¡± Corinne smiled nonchntly. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to pick up, your daddy dearest is going to hang up.¡± Sherlyn snorted. She answered the call and put it on speaker mode, intending for Corinne to hear their conversation. Marvin and Lilliana were on the other side of the call. Both of them looked at their favorite celebrity daughter happily. ¡°Sherlyn, how¡¯s work today?¡± asked Marvin, concerned. ¡°Have your eaten?¡± Sherlyn pouted and cutely replied, ¡°No, not yet, Daddy. I¡¯m so busy with work that I don¡¯t have the time to eat.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Marvin frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not good. No matter how busy you are, you have to eat. You need to take care of your body!¡± Lilliana chimed in, agreeing, ¡°Your daddy is right. If you don¡¯t have the time, drink some milk. Your daddy and I are going to be heartbroken if you starve and end up sick!¡± Sherlyn scrunched her face pitifully and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any appetite, Daddy. I only feel like eating the meatballs you make.¡± Marvin replied, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem! I can make it for you when youe back.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s going to be veryte when I finish with work. You¡¯ll be sleeping by then¡­¡± muttered Sherlyn. ¡°It¡¯s fine. No matter howte it is going to be, I¡¯ll wake up and make it for you!¡± Marvin assured. ¡°Thanks, Daddy! I know you love me the most!¡± Sherlyn replied. ¡°Alright. We¡¯re not going to disturb you anymore. Get off work early. I¡¯ll make the meatball for you! ¡°Marvin reminded. Just as Marvin was about to hang up, Sherlyn stopped him. ¡°Daddy, wait! Look who it is!¡± All of a sudden, Sherlyn pointed the camera at Corinne. The moment Marvin saw his disappointing youngest daughter, he frowned. ¡°Corinne? Why are you in Sherlyn¡¯s car?¡± Corinne smiled and was going to answer, but Sherlyn did not give her the chance and pointed the camera back at herself. ¡°Daddy, when I was discussing with Mister Feldman in the office, Corinne came to interview for a job. I asked her to be my assistant. We should keep the goodies in the field, right?¡± ¡°I see. Sherlyn, turn the camera on to your sister. I have something to tell her,¡± Marvin requested. Sherlyn did as she was told. Marvin looked at his youngest daughter and sternly advised, ¡°Corinne, you have to work hard for your sister, seeing how nice she is to let you be her assistant. It¡¯s better than being someone else¡¯s nanny. Rather than taking care of someone else, why don¡¯t you take care of your sister instead? At least Aunt Lilliana and I will be at ease!¡± Corinne¡¯s gentle smile of obedience turned to a sardonic smirk. ¡°Alright. I will be grateful that Sherlyn is willing to hire me as her assistant.¡± After the video call ended, Sherlyn felt superior. She said excitedly, ¡°Did you see that? I¡¯m still Daddy¡¯s favorite daughter. No matter what mistake I made, he¡¯ll always forgive me and love me. You? No matter how talented, hardworking, or how you try to please him, he¡¯s not going to care about you!¡± Corinne closed her eyes and rested, unbothered by what Sherlyn said. Sherlyn was not satisfied with her reaction and added, ¡°Corinne Carew! No one in this world is going to love you!¡± Corinne squeezed the water bottle in her hand tightly. ¡°So what? Should I die just because no one loves me?¡± Sherlyn smirked and retorted, ¡°No one cares if you live or die, and no one will feel sad if you die! You graduated from a reputable university, but so what? In the end, you¡¯re still here working as my assistant. I advise you to stay put and behave nicely, or I¡¯m going to ask Daddy to kick you out of the house!¡± Corinne did not even care to open her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re wee to do anything you want. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The nonchnt attitude from Corinne angered Sherlyn even more as she stared at Corinne angrily. ¡®Nevermind. I have all the time in the world to torment her slowly!¡¯ she thought. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 During the shooting for the magazine cover in the afternoon, Sherlyn started her act. She made many requests with Corinne. Either she asked Corinne to buy something for her or asked her to fetch her stuff. She repeated this countless times to torment Corinne. However, Corinne had long expected this from Sherlyn. She was not surprised at all and calmly acted. She had fast legs and treated Sherlyn¡¯s torment as a way to train her body. In fact, the pay was not the reason for her to agree to be Sherlyn¡¯s assistant. She wanted to see how Sherlyn and Lilliana managed to switch up the situation. ording to her understanding and assumption, she believed Sherlyn and Lilliana had done something pretty dirty to achieve their purpose. It would be easier to investigate if she could remain with Sherlyn all the time. The sky had darkened by the time shooting was wrapped up. Corinne did not have the intention to get in Sherlyn¡¯s car and was going to hail a cab to head back to the Holdens¡¯ estate. However¡­ ¡°Corinne Carew, where do you think you¡¯re going? Did I permit you to leave?¡± Sherlyn called out mockingly. It seemed like she had not tormented Corinne enough for the day and did not want to let her off just yet. Corinne looked back and said faintly, ¡°Look at the time. It¡¯s about time for me to get off work.¡± Sherlyn disagreed and said, ¡°Who said you¡¯re getting off work? As a celebrity assistant, your working hours aren¡¯t fixed. You¡¯re only allowed to get off work when the celebrity you¡¯re responsible to take care of finishes her work!¡± Corinne raised her browzily. ¡°So you have other work in your schedule?¡± Sherlyn flicked her hair and said proudly, ¡°I don¡¯t have any work, but I need to attend a party hosted by the upper-ss society. You have to take care of me! I¡¯m nice enough to bring you to experience it, too.¡± ¡°A party hosted by the upper-ss society? Totally not interested in it!¡¯ Corinne thought. However, it was weird that Sherlyn was invited to attend the party for the upper-ss society. After all, Sherlyn was a lesser-known celebrity that got involved in a scandal recently. Corinne narrowed her eyes and gave it a thought. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go.¡± Sherlyn smiled as if her n was going smoothly. ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ve prepared the attire for you. Go change into it now!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Alright,¡± Corinne nodded and got in the car to change. Sherlyn looked at Corinne with a cynical smile on her face. It was a huge party that night. Rumor had it that many from the upper-ss society in the country. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 After Corinne changed into her prepared attire, Sherlyn nearly burst outughing. The dress she prepared for Corinne was an ugly-looking floral dress, and it looked as though it came straight out of a shop in the countryside. She med Corinne for having a pretty face and was anguished that her bare face looked so clean, pure, and perfect even with no makeup on. If she did not ruin Corinne''s look, she was afraid Corinne would steal her spotlight, not to mention catch any rich people''s attention. It was what happened with Mister Feldman at his office. He could not take his eyes off Corinne at all! Sherlyn hated Corinne''s face ever since they were kids, and having seen Corinne dressed up like a country bumpkinforted her a little. Sheplimented sarcastically, "Not bad! I picked this for you. You''re going to wear this and go to the party with me!" Corinne looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Thanks. It''s quite pretty." The makeup artist had a hard time suppressing herughter. She whispered into Sherlyn''s ear and sneered, "Sherlyn, she thinks she looks good in it!" Sherlyn smiled sarcastically. "She grew up in the country, so that''s her fashion taste. Jessy, put makeup on her¡ªsomething unttering but not too much. Otherwise, it''s going to be embarrassing for me to have her beside me." "Don''t worry, Sherlyn. I know what to do!" Jessy smiled evilly and started putting makeup on Corinne to worsen her appearance. To please Sherlyn, she styled Corinne with two braids, drew freckles, and applied more blush to Corinne''s face. With those additional factors, Corinne looked even more hrious and unsophisticated. Sherlyn took a look at it and was very satisfied with the result. At this moment, Corinne looked exactly like someone from the countryside. No man wouldy his eyes on her!N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ... The Lunar Century Manor was the most high-end urban manor situated within New Capital City. Those who could host a party were important people with high ranks, influence, and great power in the country. Money could not buy the millionaire a chance to host an event here, and regr folks would never have the chance to be invited to this ce. Waitresses dressed in their uniforms stood outside the entrance to wee every prestigious guest with smiles. Sherlyn had dressed up in a ck couture gown from a brandedbel. She walked right up morously in her high heels and passed the waitress her invitation card. "Wee, Miss Carew. Please enjoy your night." The waitress smiled and raised her arm to lead the way for Sherlyn. However, she stopped Corinne who was following behind her. "Ma''am, you''re not allowed to enter." As Corinne got stopped, she raised her brow and exined, "I''m here with thedy in the front." The waitress was doubtful of Corinne''s words, mainly because of her unsophisticated style. Obviously, she was not convinced. "I''m sorry. This isn''t a ce where you can sneak in. Please leave, or I''ll get security!" Once Sherlyn had enough pleasure from this, she raised her chin proudly and said sympathetically, "It''s alright, let her in. She''s my assistant, and she needs to take care of me." The waitress was stunned as she looked back at Sherlyn and continued to examine Corinne doubtfully. ''Miss Carew dresses so elegantly. Why did she bring such an ugly assistant with her?'' the waitress thought. "Ah... I see!" the waitress smiled at Sherlyn apologetically. Nheless, she still treated Corinne rudely. "Since you''re with Miss Carew, you''re allowed to go in!" Corinne nced at the waitress faintly and followed Sherlyn into the venue calmly. ... The banquet hall was designed withvish and grand decorations, and a world-renowned pianist was ying the piano. The decoration all around the banquet hall exuded the aura of extravagance and luxury that could only be enjoyed by the nobles. This was the first time for Sherlyn to be in the legendary Lunar Century Manor. She had heard many things about this ce, but she never got a chance to sneak in and look. The day finally arrived, fortunately, and the Lunar Century Manor''s extravagance exceeded her imagination. She was once cast in a drama as a young miss from a rich family to attend a party. The production team would rent a banquet hall from a high-end hotel to film the scene. However, it could not evenpare to a genuine high-end banquet hall. As she regained her senses from the shock, she realized her reaction was too overwhelming. Thus, she quickly looked rxed as if she had gotten used to attending the party here. When she realized Corinne was also dumbstruck and zoning out, she smiled sarcastically. She crossed her arms and sneered, "Look at how silly you are. It''s too shocking for you, isn''t it? If you didn''te here with me, you''d never have the chance in your life to experience a high-end ce like this!" Corinne smiled and did not reply. Her memory brought her back to when Jeremy forced her here to get married. She was justmenting how she lost three months of freedom after that day. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Suddenly, Sherlyn saw someone she knew among the guests. Her eyes widened as she said, "Corinne, go find a ce and stay there. I''m going to talk to a friend. Remember-don''t touch anything. You can''t afford to pay if you broke it!" Corinne nodded and said faintly, "Yes, I understand." After that, Sherlyn took a ss of red wine and sashayed toward an elegant middle-aged man. She greeted and raised her ss with him. The middle-aged man was happy to see her there. His eyes looked passionate as they chatted in good spirits. Back where Corinne was standing, she took a ss of juice from the buffet table and took a sip to hydrate her throat. Narrowing her eyes, she monitored every movement Sherlyn made. ''It''s weird that Sherlyn knows someone from here, and they look very close to each other. Something''s going on between them. She must''ve gotten the invitation card to attend this party here from that middle- aged man, too. The middle-aged man must be the reason why Sherlyn could whitewash her image. He must''ve supported and funded her. Based on how she and Lilliana''s high-profile behavior, they would''ve used him if they knew him in the past and wouldn''t wait until now. That means they only got to know him now. But how?'' Just when Corinne was submerged in her thoughts, she heard snarkyments aimed her way. "Look at that girl! Her fashion sense is a disaster!" "Oh my god. Who let her in? She''s ruining Lunar Century Manor''s high-end quality with that outfit!" "I agree! What was she thinking, wearing that outfit? And those unsophisticated braids!" "Come on! Let''s go meet her. I wonder who she is!" Soon, a group of pretty girls dressed invish gowns surrounded Corinne. "Hey there, who are you here with?" "We''re regrs that often attend parties here. Howe we''ve never seen you before?" Corinne was pulled back to reality. She raised her brow as she looked at them before she turned to walk away, not wanting to entertain them. The rich girls felt offended by Corinne''s action and went after her angrily. "Hey, we asked you something!" Corinne looked calm. "What was the question?" "We''re asking if you have the invitation card to be here." "No," Corinne answered.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "Then how did you sneak in here?" "By walking in here," Corinne said. "Then do you know who is hosting this party?" one of the girls asked. "I don''t." Corinne did not pay attention to the girls and took a piece of cake from the dessert table. She could be bothered to deal with those girls who had nothing better to do. The rich girls concluded that all Corinne wanted to do was eat and drink. "So you snuck in here to get a free meal!" "No wonder. Your outfit is so ugly!" "Are you going to see yourself out, or do we have to get security to send you out?" Corinne remained calm and continued indulging in the cake. "I''m not leaving." "You''re not leaving? It''s not up to you!" "Hey! This girl snuck in here!" "Where''s security? Hurry over now!" "What''s wrong? What are you girls shouting at?" a deep male voice sounded from behind the girls. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Caught off-guard by the voice, the wealthy girls turned to look back, and their haughty expressions immediately simmered down. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mister Sunny!¡± ¡°Mister Sunny, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Hi, Mister Sunny!¡± Corinne looked over, too. The person they were calling was Sunny, who went to the art gallery with Francine to catch her having a nonexistent affair. He was wearing a white tuxedo looking like a young noble with his handsome face and slim tall frame. He came over and frowned in disgust. ¡°Why are you girls shouting? It¡¯s so noisy!¡± One of the rich girls stepped forward and pointed at Corinne. ¡°Mister Sunny, we didn¡¯t do it on purpose. This girl here wore an ugly outfit and snuck in here to get a free meal. We were just asking her to leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Riveras¡¯ manor is a high-ss ce. How could we allow such a person toe in here and degrade it?¡± ¡°Mister Sunny, you¡¯re here just in time. Ask the security to kick her out!¡± Sunny lifted his chin and looked at them contemptuously. ¡°Who told you you¡¯re not allowed here in the manor just because her outfit is ugly? Everyone has the freedom to wear whatever they want. You girls shouldn¡¯t be busybodies!¡± The rich girls were stunned. They thought they were on the right side because they did it for the better good of the manor. Instead of gettingplimented by Sunny as they expected, however, they got scolded. ¡°B-But she really did sneak in here¡­¡± ¡°Yeah! She didn¡¯t have an invitation card!¡± Their whines fell on deaf ears as Sunny said, ¡°If she was able toe in here, it meant she has the right to do so. Do you think the security team in the manor are a bunch of useless people who¡¯d let anyone in?¡± ¡°I¡­ We¡¯re sorry, we didn¡¯t think it through.¡± ¡°Yes. We have no right to be stuffing our noses in the manor¡¯s operation¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Mister Sunny. Please forgive us.¡± The girls left after Sunny rebuked them heavily. Sunny snorted before turning to look at the bullied woman. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re fine now. You don¡¯t have to worry about them. They¡¯re just snobbish and vain people.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Sunny replied nonchntly and walked away. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. ¡®Why does she sound so familiar?¡¯ he thought. He stopped and looked back again. This time, he recognized her. ¡°Corinne? Is that you?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Hi!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Immediately, Sunny frowned in disgust. ¡°Why the heck are you wearing that?¡± Corinne replied, ¡°Because I want to. I¡¯m free to wear anything I want. That¡¯s what you said.¡± Sunny snorted unhappily. ¡°If I knew it was you, I would¡¯ve let them kick you out!¡± Corinneughed and thought he had an interesting personality. He was not trying to strike up a conversation with her nor showing his status when he helped her dispel the girls harassing her. It was just purely because he was a kind person to help a person in need. Yet, he immediately changed his attitude when he found out who she was. The reason why Sunny disliked her greatly was that Jeremy used to be in a rtionship with his sister. Thus, Corinne was, to him, his sister¡¯s love rival and wanted to help his sister get rid of her. At the end of the day, though, Sunny was not a bad person. Just then, Sunny asked, ¡°Did youe here with Jeremy?¡± The moment Corinne heard that name, she got frustrated and furrowed her brow. ¡°Is he here, too?¡± Sunny was baffled. ¡°If you didn¡¯te here with Jeremy, how did youe in? Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Corinne then answered Sunny, albeit trying to be yfully proud, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± Sunny shot her an angry stare. ¡°Hmph! Fine. I don¡¯t have the time to waste on you, either. I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson sooner orter!¡± He quickly walked away as if he had something urgent on his te. Corinne looked around to search for Sherlyn but could not find her. Sherlyn and the middle-aged man had gone somewhere she could not see. She tried searching for them but came out empty- handed. Instead, she saw a few boys around Sunny¡¯s age chasing after Sunny. ¡°I see Sunny! He¡¯s running to that side!¡± ¡°After him!¡± ¡°Stop running away like a coward, Sunny Rivera! Be a man!¡± Sunny rushed outside, but the boys managed to catch up to him and trapped him in the hallway. ¡°Are you not a man, Sunny Rivera? Are you going to deny that you lost?¡± Without a chance to escape, Sunny stood his ground vehemently, shooting them a stare. ¡°I did not! Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¦§ ¡°Then admit that you lost thepetition to us and own up to your side of your bargain!¡± Sunny refused toply. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose! You guys cheated!¡± The leader smiled roguishly. ¡°We never say cheating was disallowed when we first made the agreement.¡± He took out a paper with their bet written on it and waved at Sunny. ¡°It¡¯s written here clearly, and you¡¯ve signed it! We agreed topete in the game. You promised you¡¯d transfer the ownership of Lunar Century Manor to my family if you lost!¡± Sunny panicked. ¡°Yes, my family owns Lunar Century Manor, but I don¡¯t have the authority to transfer it¡­¡± The opposing boy¡¯s name was Yash, and he was a member of the Hoyts. He gave Sunny a contemptuous look and snorted. ¡°Then why did you gamble with it when you have no say in it? You said you have total control over everything in your family, didn¡¯t you? So you were just bluffing, after all!¡± Sunny¡¯s face blushed as he said angrily, ¡°You guys tricked me. I would¡¯ve never lost had you not done that!¡± ¡°Just admit that you lost! Stop looking for excuses!¡± Yash scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t have the say in this, do you? Fine. I¡¯m not going to make it difficult for you since our families know each other way back, so kneel and bark like a dog. I¡¯ll tear this paper in front of you and scratch it off if you do.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Are you going to do it or not? If not, I can bring this paper and go have a talk with your father or your brother. I¡¯m looking forward to finding out if all the men in your family are the same people who won¡¯t keep their end of the bargain!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Sunny panicked. He did not want his father or brother to be threatened by these jerks just because of the trouble he created. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll do it¡­¡± He took a deep breath and decided to raise a white g-but he immediately perked up like a threatened porcupine with raised quills. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Sunny¡¯s fist mmed into Yash, who then pushed him to the wall. ¡°F*ck you! How dare you punch me? Hit him! Hit him until he begs for mercy!¡± When one of the boys¡¯ fists mmed against his abdomen, he fell to the ground and grabbed at his stomach. The pain was so excruciating that he was sweating nonstop. Yashughed arrogantly. ¡°Bark and beg for mercy, and I will let you go!¡± Sunny curled up on the floor, but he stared at Yash stubbornly with gritted teeth. ¡°Never!¡± ¡°Refusing to obey, huh? Hit him! Hit him hard!¡± ¡°Ahh-!¡± Sunny shouted in pain. All of a sudden¡­ ¡°Let go of him,¡± rang a calm, distant female voice. Yash and the other boys stopped hitting Sunny and looked back. It was a woman who dressed like a country bumpkin. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 ¡°Where the hell did shee from? Oh my god! She¡¯s so ugly that it hurts my eyes!¡± ¡°Scram, you ugly girl! Stop butting in!¡± ¡°Go! Beat it!¡± Corinne, with her phone in hand as she recorded them, walked toward them and said, ¡°I¡¯ve recorded everything you did, and you guys havemitted a crime. Once I pass this video to the police and file for awsuit, you guys¡¯ll be sentenced to a light sentence, and there will be a record in your file even if you guys are still juveniles. ¡°You guys are from rich and reputable families. I don¡¯t think I need to mention how much this is going to affect your education, career, and future once you get a record in your file, right?¡± Yash and his friends looked dismayed and anxious. Obviously, Corinne struck a sensitive spot. Thus, they looked at each other warily, hesitating. ¡°You b*tch! It¡¯s none of your business! Get her phone!¡± Yash reprimanded. He refused to be threatened by a woman who came out of nowhere. Most importantly, the woman looked thin and weak. It would not take much effort to take her down. His friends let go of Sunny and went after Corinne to take her phone from her. Corinne did not panic. As she continued to record their behavior, she had the time to avoid getting caught by Yash and his friends. She moved so nimbly that she could squat to avoid an ambush from behind. It went out for a long period until the tall boys were worn out. All that, and they failed to even touch a strand of her hair. Sunny rested a while to recover before he forced himself to sit on the floor. He was dumbstruck to see how swiftly Corinne moved. ¡®Did she train before?¡¯ he thought. When Corinne believed she collected enough evidence, she put away her phone and smiled at the boys. As she leaped into the air, she raised her leg to perform a chain kick at the boys. Every one of the boys fell. Sunny¡¯s jaw ckened in shock, and he had difficulty believing Corinne would have such power in that small frame of hers. ¡®Done!¡¯ Corinne dusted her hands and walked toward the injured Sunny to pull him up on his feet.¡± How are you feeling? Do I need to call an ambnce for you?¡± Embarrassed, Sunny looked away awkwardly. ¡°N-No. I¡¯m fine!¡± Yash stood up while rubbing his painful abdomen. ¡°Are you even a man, Sunny Rivera?¡± he snapped. ¡°How dare you get a woman to rescue you?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Ashamed, Sunny stepped forward to exin himself, but Corinne beat him to it.. ¡°He didn¡¯t ask me to rescue him. I was just passing by, and I couldn¡¯t stand seeing you guys ganging up on him.¡± Yash gritted his teeth and was ashamed, especially knowing the fact that all of thembined could not even take her down. In the end, he decided to ignore Corinne and looked at Sunny. ¡°Sunny Rivera, I¡¯m not going to y with you anymore. If you¡¯re not going to bark like a dog, keep your end of your bargain! Fulfill it, and give me Lunar Century Manor! Don¡¯t force me to go look for your father or brother!¡± Sunny felt like he had a headache and furrowed his brows. With a helpless expression, he said, ¡°I¡­¡± Corinne tilted her head and asked him softly, ¡°What did you guyspete on?¡± Sunny said resentfully, ¡°A video game. I wasn¡¯t going to lose, but these losers cheated!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and thought about it. After that, she looked at Yash. ¡°Do you boys have the guts to have another go? If you win, he¡¯ll admit his losses and fulfill the end of his bargain. However, if you guys lose, the previous bet has to be written off.¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Yash adjusted his necktie and rejected Corinne¡¯s proposal. ¡°Psh! We won. Why should wepete again? I don¡¯t have the time.¡± Corinne did not panic either. She calmly took out her phone to y the video she took minutes ago. ¡°I recorded you guys where you guys ganged up to hit Sunny. If you don¡¯t agree topete one more time, I¡¯ll report this to the police. I¡¯d like to see if your parents would support you to obtain. ownership of Lunar Century Manor, or if they¡¯d beg us to close the case because they don¡¯t want you boys to have a bad record.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yash did not have a choice. He already tried once, and they could not defeat her. Heck, they could not even get close to her! ¡°Fine! Let¡¯spete one more time! You won¡¯t beat us in the game anyway!¡± Corinne stayed calm. ¡°Since there¡¯s no gaming room here, let¡¯s y a mobile game. What about ¡® Guardian of the King¡¯?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Yash smiled confidently after hearing Corinne pick the game. ¡°First thing first, I agree to compete, but I want to increase the bet!¡± Corinne asked, ¡°What?¡± Yash said, ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll hand over the paper and let you guys tear it up. But if we win, you have to delete the video in front of us, give me the ownership of Lunar Century Manor, and have Sunny bark like a dog in a live stream!¡± Corinne agreed instantly. ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± Sunny was shocked to hear this. ¡°Corinne! Who gives you the right to agree on my behalf? Do you think I¡¯m not embarrassed enough?¡± Corinne nced at him in disgust. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be worse than now.¡± Sunny was so ashamed that his face reddened in anger. ¡°Lunar Century Manor means a lot to my family,¡± he enunciated lowly. ¡°We¡¯ll never give it to someone else!¡± Corinne teased, ¡°Then why did you gamble with it?¡± Sunny was speechless. ¡°I¡­¡± He was starting to suspect if Corinne was here to help him, or if she was a spy Yash sent. Since everyone agreed topete once more, they tidied their appearance and went back into the banquet hall. They found a quiet area and sat on the couch. Yash had five people to form a team. Corinne and Sunny only had two people, so they would get random yers. There was a higher chance they would be paired with beginners, too. Sunny sat beside Corinne as he felt the pressure gaining on him. He leaned in on her and asked. How good are you at the game? What level are you now?¡± Corinne answered faintly, ¡°Not very good. I¡¯m a beginner.¡± Sunny was stunned and had a terrible look on his face. It looked uglier when he was crying. ¡°Oh my g*d! Why did you request a rematch, then?! Are you deliberately trying to make things worse for me?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. What if we¡¯re paired with an expert?¡± This, of course, did not console Sunny. ¡®Argh! This is so annoying!¡¯ he grumbled internally. The chance of having teamed up with experts was no higher than having food dropping from the sky. Although he was confident with his skills, he did not know how he was going to win the game. with Corinne pulling his leg. If the random yers he got to join the team were all beginner-level, he would surely lose again! How was he going to face his father and brother if he could not scratch off the previous bet? Not to mention, he had to bark like a dog on a live stream! ¡®F*cking heck! What the hell is Corinne thinking?¡¯ he scolded in his heart.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Yash and his friendsfortably sat on the couch, knowing they were going to win the game. He sneered at Sunny when he saw how sour he looked-like the sore loser he was. ¡°Sunny Rivera, I was going to be kind and let you go if you were willing to bark like a dog, but you made the wrong choice. You¡¯re going to lose Lunar Century Manor to me, but you¡¯re still going to bark like a dog-and this time on a live stream. You asked for this. Bear in mind I didn¡¯t push you into this!¡± Although Sunny was not confident, there was no turning back for him. The least he could do was act tough and rebuked with gritted teeth, ¡°The game hasn¡¯t started yet. We don¡¯t know for sure who¡¯s going to win!¡± Yash snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t cry when you bark during the live stream!¡± Sunny gave his everything. ¡°Stop talking crap and start the game!¡± Everyone took out their phone and opened the game. Since Yash and his friends had five people, they made a team themselves. Corinne and Sunny. waited for the system to pair them up with random yers. Soon, three yers joined and formed a team sessfully. The random yers¡¯ usernames were King Maple, Little Rain Drop, and Gadget Man. The game started. Sunny was not optimistic about his team members and the situation. He was tense, nervous, and had no confidence. It did not help that his hands were sweating. When he finally saw the three random yers¡¯ level, his eyes bugged out of their sockets as hope filled his eyes. He even rubbed his eyes to see if he was hallucinating. He was sure his eyes did not lie to him. The three random yers were highly skilled experts! ¡®Yes! Even God is on my side! I teamed up with highly skilled yers!¡¯ he eximed. Finally, he felt he had a chance in winning the game. He whispered to Corinne, ¡°I¡¯m so d*mn lucky! We teamed up with three yers that have maxed out the level! Corinne, all you have to do is. make sure that you won¡¯t be a burden, and we can win this! Stay in the back and listen to my instructions!¡± Corinne, however, ignored this and yed on her own terms. She bypassed her teammates and aimed straight for the enemies. ¡°Did you hear what I said? Go to the back!¡± Sunny was infuriated Corinne did not listen to him. Without much of a choice, he moved his character to follow Corinne, intending to protect her. However, he was dumbstruck after seeing how Corinne yed. [First blood!] [Double kill!] [Triple kill!] [Quadra kill!] [Penta kill!] With a ¡®Level 1¡¯bel on top of Corinne¡¯s character, she managed to kill five enemies right at the start of the game! ¡®S-She doesn¡¯t look like a level-one yer to me!¡± Once again, Sunny was dumbstruck as his eyes widened and his jaw ckened. Instantly, he saw a different side of Corinne, one that he never knew. However, this was not the time to be curious. As he confirmed Corinne was not going to be a burden, he was assured and concentrated on the game. From the beginning, Yash and his friends had been arrogant, but they grew worried when they saw the random yers on Sunny¡¯s team. At this moment, what was left in their hearts was anxiousness. They had no idea how to win the game when they had no way to fight back! In the end, Corinne and Sunny won the game. The game ended. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Yash smashed his phone to the floor angrily. Sunny was over the moon on his victory. Thus, he extended his hand. ¡°You lost! Give me that paper now!¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 ¡°You got lucky, Sunny!¡± Yash stood up, took out the betting contract from his pocket, and crumpled it into a ball before throwing it at him. Sunny caught the ball of paper, uncrumpled it to see if it was correct, and immediately tore it up. ¡°You would¡¯ve lost even if you didn¡¯t cheat. Why is it so hard for you to ept that? How about another game if you can¡¯t ept it? If you lose, you¡¯re going to call me ¡®daddy¡¯! Are you brave enough to take up that offer?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that much time to y with you!¡± Yash obviously did not dare to y anymore. His expression turned sullen, and he turned around to bring hispanions away in defeat. Sunny could finally hold his head high. On one side, Corinne leanedzily against the sofa, exited the game, opened her chat group [Old Driver¡¯s Club], and moved her finger to send a big reward to the group. [Good game. This is for you!] Aaron¡¯s avatar then popped up. [You asked us to join you in a game, but now that it¡¯s over, you¡¯re just going to give us some rewards to shoo us away?] Corinne replied, [What do you want?] [You!] Aaron sent a coquettish emoticon. Another profile picture of andscape shot popped up with the apanying username Caesar. [ It¡¯s been a while since youst came to thepany, boss.] [Yeah!] Aaron agreed. Corinne answered, [I¡¯ll find a time to go there in the next few days. Be good boys. okay?] N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. After persuading her subordinates, Corinne put away her phone, got up, and left. ¡°Corinne, wait!¡± Sunny called her to stop. Corinne stood there and said, ¡°Anything else, Mister Sunny?¡± Sunny got up, walked over, and looked at her with an awkward yet somewhat unfriendly gaze.¡± Ahem! Why did you help me when I treated you badly in the past?¡± Corinne said, ¡°Consider it a reward for helping me out earlier.¡± Sunny did not take her answer seriously. ¡°Tch! You¡¯re a sly girl, so I doubt they¡¯d be able to do anything to you even if I didn¡¯t help you at the time. In fact, I think you¡¯d be the one who¡¯ll teach them a lesson!¡± ¡°You tter me.¡± Corinne pursed her lips slightly. She nced at the bruises on the corners of his eyes and mouth, then cocked her eyebrow and said, ¡°I¡¯m curious, Mister Sunny. Why didn¡¯t you call your bodyguards to help you when you were beaten up on your own turf?¡± Sunny had a stubborn expression. ¡°If I did, they¡¯d tell my dad and brother. I don¡¯t want either of them to know about it.¡± Chap 121 Corinne raised her hand and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Put your ego aside when ites to your family. Your safety is more important than anything in times of danger, and there¡¯s no need to let yourself suffer just for the sake of your ego.¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes flickered and he frowned ufortably. ¡°You don¡¯t need to teach me how to live!¡± Corinne withdrew her hand and shrugged indifferently. ¡°Well, just pretend I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Seeing that Corinne was about to leave, Sunny quickly chased after her and said arrogantly, ¡°Hey, Corinne! I¡¯m willing to be friends with you since you¡¯ve helped me out today, and you¡¯re also a good gamer!¡± Corinne halted in her footsteps and looked at him. ¡°You want to be friends with me? Did you forget that I snatched your sister¡¯s man from her?¡± Sunny raised his chin. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that, of course, but I know that you and Jeremy aren¡¯t truly husband and wife.¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Did you see that?¡± Sunny said earnestly, ¡°I don¡¯t need to. I¡¯m confident that Jeremy will neither betray my sister nor sleep with you.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that so? Then why didn¡¯t your sister marry him? I would have nothing to do with either of them if that had been the case.¡± Sunny frowned worriedly and said, ¡°The two of them face a stumbling block in the form of conflict. between the older generations of both our families, but everything will be fine for them in the future. Now that you and I are friends, I¡¯m going to just remind you that you¡¯re just a tool. Jeremy was forced to marry you because of his grandfather, so please don¡¯t develop any feelings for him. unless you want to get hurt. The only person that Jeremy will marry is my sister.¡± Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Corinne could not help but recall Jeremy¡¯s attitude toward her. He made it abundantly clear that he could give her everything except his feelings during the three months of their agreement. That alone was proof that he only had feelings for Sunny¡¯s sister. Her expression turned dark, and she chuckled. ¡°Thank you for your reminder, but I¡¯m not interested in making friends with a kid.¡± She then walked away at a leisurely pace. Sunny was unhappy that his offer to make friends with her had been ruthlessly rejected, so he followed Corinne resentfully andshed out, ¡°Who are you calling a kid, Corinne? I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯m not!¡± Corinne ignored his pestering and allowed him to follow her out. She strolled slowly and began looking for Sherlyn in the banquet hall. After searching for some time, Sherlyn was still nowhere to be found, so she walked over to a swing chair made of rattan by the floor-to-ceiling window and sat there for a moment. Since the chair was facing the windows, she had the luxury of admiring Lunar Century Manor¡¯s most beautiful scenery when she looked out. The lush roses nted in the gardens and the beautiful fountain erected looked breathtakingly stunning under the moonlight. When she looked up, she saw the full moon bestowing its faint. glow on the sea of flowers in the garden. The ce was not just luxurious and high-end in terms of the money being poured into it, but it also was also tastefully designed through the conception of romantic artistry. Those qualities exined why famous families in the city were so eager to hold important banquets such as weddings there. Corinne never liked attending banquets, but she somehow liked it there and felt an indescribable sensation in her heart. ¡°Corinne! I¡¯m talking to you! Are you listening?¡± Sunny was prattling on and on beside her, saying things like ¡®I¡¯m being courteous by my willingness to make friends with you¡¯, ¡®Don¡¯t be ungrateful¡¯, or ¡®You need to make friends with me, or you¡¯re implying that you look down on me. The list went Corinne turned a deaf ear to his words and looked up at the round moon in the sky. She suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Sunny, you said that Lunar Century Manor has a special meaning to your family. What¡¯s that special meaning?¡± Although his request to be friends with her had not yet been approved, Sunny had unterally and proudly regarded Corinne as his friend. Since she was his friend, she did not hesitate to answer her questions.. ¡°This is the manor my father built for my sister. She likes lively ces, but there aren¡¯t many people around here usually, and it¡¯s pretty deserted. My father therefore decided to make an exception and allow people to hold banquets here just to keep the ce lively. Luna. That¡¯s my sister¡¯s name.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyeszily. ¡°Luna. That¡¯s a nice name. Is she the apple of Jeremy¡¯s eye?¡± Sunny answered, ¡°No! I have two older sisters. The one who has a rtionship with Jeremy is my second sister, Crescentia. My eldest sister is Luna, but she¡¯s not around anymore, unfortunately. Lunar Century Manor was built in her honor.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not around? Do you mean¡­she passed away?¡± Sunny shook his head and had a slightly lonely expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I had never met her before. I heard from other family members that she was lost when she was very young, so yeah¡­ She¡¯s probably gone now.¡± Corinne frowned slightly upon realizing her question touched on a sensitive topic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± Sunny¡¯s emotions changed rapidly, and his loneliness disappeared as he remarked sprightly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re my friend, after all!¡± Corinne was speechless. She did not recall agreeing to be friends with him just yet. At that moment, Felix-the Riveras¡¯ servant-hurried over and had a look of relief. ¡°Sir! You¡¯re here We found you atst!¡± Sunny turned around and looked petntly at Felix. Why are you looking for me?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Just as Felix was about to exin the situation, he looked up and saw the injury on Sunny¡¯s fac He therefore put that aside for the moment and said in horror, ¡°Sir! What happened to you? Ho did you get injured?¡± Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Sunny nonchntly rubbed the wound on the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just knocked into something by ident! So, what is it that you wanted to tell me again?¡± Felix said worriedly, ¡°Umm¡­ I was asked by Ma¡¯am to bring you home so you can do your homework. She said that the university entrance examination ising soon, and if you don¡¯t study hard enough, you¡¯ll be sent to a military camp to be disciplined.¡± Sunny frowned when he heard thai. Corinne smirked and said, ¡°Hurry up and go home. You need to do your homework, or your momma¡¯s gonna spank your little bottom!¡± Sunny¡¯s face turned red after he had been thoroughly embarrassed in front of the friend he just. made. He said arrogantly, ¡°Hmph, stop teasing me! I¡¯m not a child, and my momma stopped spanking me long ago!¡± Felix looked at Corinne a little strangely and wondered why Sunny was in thepany of a certain ¡®Missus Holden¡¯ whom Sunny used to loathe. He was also surprised that Corinne was dressed so sharply that day! Nevertheless, he did not think too much about that because Sunny was injured. Even if Sunny refused to go to the hospital, it was important to bring him to see the family doctor at once. If something happened to Sunny, the entire family would pin the me on Felix! Felix dragged Sunny away right that instant. ¡°Let¡¯s go, sir! If we go back toote, your dad will spank you even if your mom won¡¯t!¡± Corinne could not hold in herugh, and Sunny could no longer maintain his calm expression. In his anger, he kicked Felix and said, ¡°You idiot! What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever getContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. spanked?!¡± Felix said aggrievedly, ¡°Oh, yes, yes! I guess my memory is failing me! You¡¯ve never been spanked!¡± Sunny was extremely annoyed. ¡°And stop pulling me! I can walk on my own!¡± Corinne enjoyed reveling in Sunny¡¯s misfortune of being dragged away begrudgingly by Felix. ¡°Corinne!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s shrill voice called out. Corinne turned her head when she heard her name being called and saw Sherlyn storming forward aggressively as if she was there to collect a debt. ¡°So you were here all this time?! I searched for you everywhere, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be sozy as toe all the way here just to sit on the swing!¡± -Corinne remained calm and said, ¡°I searched for you everywhere but couldn¡¯t find you either, so I got tired and decided to just sit here and rest for a while.¡± Sherlyn stared at her unhappily. ¡°Stand up right this instant!¡± Corinne got up without making a fuss. Sherlyn sat on the swing chair in a haughty manner and said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that my godfather is going to introduce a very important person to me soon. You¡¯ll have to be at my beck and call at all times!¡± ¡®Godfather?¡¯ Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡®That middle-aged man who had a gleeful conversation with her earlier?¡¯ The godfather Sherlyn mentioned was Goran Sheffield, a leading film director. He attended the banquet to use that as an opportunity to secure investments in his new movie, and it was he who gave Sherlyn the invitation letter. Goran also mentioned that he would introduce Sherlyn to several big-shot investors while they were there. If any of those people happened to fall in love with her, the opportunities she would get in the future would improve to a much higher level! Sherlyn felt a little nervous at the thought of possibly meeting one of those big shots. She thus decided to bring her assistant so it would make her look as if she had status. Fortunately for her, she did not need to worry about Corinne stealing her limelight because of those hideous clothes that Corinne was wearing. ¡°Did you hear what I said? Make sure you¡¯re alert when the timees. I¡¯m not the only one you¡¯ll need to serve. You also have to pour tea and water for that VIP. He happens to be a top figure in an upper-ss circle!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay, I get it. Who are you going to meet, though? Knowing the person¡¯s identity will help me prepare myself better.¡± Sherlyn answered rather proudly, ¡°Someone from a first-tier upper-ss family. It¡¯s Jeremy Holden, the Holdens¡¯ eldest son!¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Corinne frowned when she heard that name. ¡°Do I have to go there with you? Can¡¯t I choose to skip this?¡± Sherlyn saw Corinne¡¯s displeased expression andshed out sharply, ¡°Know where you stand, Corinne! You¡¯re my assistant now, so you have to do whatever I ask you to! You can¡¯t just take a one- thousand-and-five-hundred-dor sry and assume that you can pick and choose what I assign you to do!¡± Corinne massaged the top of her nose bridge. ¡°Fine.¡± The thought of meeting Jeremy again gave her a headache, but Sherlyn showed no intention of letting her off work just yet. ¡®I¡¯ll go. Jeremy might not necessarily notice me with this kind of clothes I¡¯m wearing today.¡¯ ¡°Sherlyn.¡± The middle-aged man from earlier walked over slowly and called out to her. He was none other than Sherlyn¡¯s so-called ¡®godfather¡¯. ¡°Sherlyn, Mister Jeremy and the others are upstairs. Let me bring you over to introduce you.¡± Sherlyn got up happily from the swing chair. ¡°Coming! Thanks, Goran!¡± Goran looked at his ¡®goddaughter¡¯ with a smile, but that smile disappeared when he noticed Corinne following her. ¡°Who¡¯s this, Sherlyn? And why is she dressed like that?¡± Sherlyn nced at Corinne in disdain, then turned to exin obediently, ¡°She¡¯s my assistant!¡± The elegant and gentlemanly Goran nced at Corinne with a disgusted, disparaging gaze. ¡°Why did you hire an assistant like that? It¡¯s unsightly for someone with her fashion sense to hang. around you all the time. I¡¯ll help you hire a more decent one next time!¡± Sherlyn shook her head. ¡°She grew up in the countryside, and I hired her when I saw that she had difficulty finding a job. It¡¯s really sad.¡± Goran was touched and immediatelyvished praise on her. ¡°You¡¯re such a kind soul.¡± Sherlyn smiled coquettishly and took Goran¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my assistant anymore, okay? Hurry up and bring me to meet Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring you there now.¡± A mocking expression appeared in Corinne¡¯s eyes as she watched Sherlyn¡¯s contrived performance and followed them. They left the lively banquet area and went up to a quiet and graceful tea room. Four distinguished men were chattingzily around an antique tea table, while a professional tea brewer was brewing some tea for them on the table. Goran led Sherlyn in and walked up to the men. He bowed at them and greeted them warmly,¡± Mister Jeremy, Mister Zeke, Mister Gerald, and Mister Jason! I didn¡¯t expect to get the honor of seeing all four of the four great families¡¯ eldest sons sitting here together!¡± Zeke sipped his tea leisurely from an antique porcin cup and raised his head to nce at them. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. He responded with a smile, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Goran! What masterpieces will you be releasing this time?¡± Goran waved his hands modestly and said, ¡°None so far! I have ns to make a new movie, but I haven¡¯t chosen the cast yet! I hope you don¡¯t me being a little shameless in asking whether any of you are interested in investing in the new movie!¡± Though he was acimed as a leading veteran artist in the industry, Goran still bowed in front of true capitalist blue-bloods. After all, he needed to show that he was humble enough if he wanted to attract investment for his films. Zeke said politely, ¡°You¡¯re too modest! Your past movies have raked in a box office revenue of more than ten million. I can¡¯t think of why you¡¯d have difficulty getting investors. The way I see it, you¡¯re just deliberately saving that investment opportunity for us so we can make money!¡± True, many people wanted to invest in his films, but many of those rich people wanted to interfere with his creations with the excuse of having invested some money into them. They would try to meddle with his decisions and cause needless trouble for him. By contrast, the richest young men in the business world were more generous, and most of them had a very carefree character. They generally did not interfere with the contents of his film and would not mind as much even if they lost money. Goran hurriedly shook his head and humbled himself, saying, ¡°I can neverpare to folks like you! What little money I earn from filming is just a drop in the bucket when ites to the four of you!¡± Zeke saw the woman next to Goran and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is this your new lead girl, Goran?¡± Goran took advantage of the opportunity to bring Sherlyn to the front and introduce her. ¡°This is my goddaughter, Sherlyn. She¡¯s a well-known celebrity and also the lead actress in my next movie.¡± Zeke smiled and praised him. ¡°You have a good eye, Mister Goran! The beauties you choose to be your lead actresses all have a unique aura and are exceptionally gorgeous!¡± Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Sherlyn was incredibly happy to receive such praise, but because she had not raised her head since coming in, she had no idea what the man who praised her looked like. Earlier, Goran advised her before they went in that she would be more likable to those young men if she showed an innocent and youthful attitude. Goran patted her on the shoulder and said to her, ¡°Sherlyn, this is Mister Zeke Callen. Say hi to him! ¡°Hello, Mister Zeke.¡± Sherlyn then raised her head slightly and smiled coquettishly. She was greeted by the sight of an extraordinarily -handsome young man. He seemed to be a somewhat frivolous character with dashing facial features and a debonair aura to him. He was so much more handsome than any actor she has ever worked with before! Goran continued to introduce her to the next person. ¡°Sherlyn, this is Mister Gerald Lemington, president of Lemington Group.¡± ¡°Hi there, Mister Gerald.¡± Gerald nodded and sipped his tea. ¡°This man over here is the host of today¡¯s banquet, Mister Jason Talbot.¡± ¡°Hello, Mister Jason.¡± Jason smiled in return. As Goran introduced the men to Sherlyn, she looked at each one of them with ever-growing amazement in her eyes. ¡®Oh, God! These men aren¡¯t just rich and powerful-each person is even more handsome than thest!¡± Finally, Goran led Sherlyn to Jeremy, who was sitting in the middle. He spoke a little more formally than before as he introduced, ¡°This is Mister Jeremy, president of Holden Group. Holden Group is in charge of thepany you just signed for, which makes him your immediate superior.¡± ¡°Hi, Mister Jeremy.¡± She finally reached the man she wanted to meet the most. When Sherlyn looked up excitedly, her pupils trembled, and she was in awe of what she saw. ¡®Is this the same Jeremy whom I nearly married? He¡¯s¡­divine!¡¯ He had a cold and arrogant aura, a charismatic character, and features as delicate as a sculpture. set in stone. Had he not blinked, she would never have believed that he was a real human being. Jeremy did not even look at them and had an indifferent look on his face as he turned and chatted with Gerald. Goran and Sherlyn were a little embarrassed when they were given the cold treatment. Zeke smiled and said, ¡°Please have a seat and tell us all about the theme of your new movie.¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­thank you very much, Mister Zeke.¡± Goran beckoned Sherlyn to sit with him, and Sherlyn¡¯s little assistant obediently followed them as they went over. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne kept her head down throughout like a servant in front of a king. She seemed to keep to herself out of apparent fear that she would be overstepping her ce by looking around, but in truth, she was simply afraid of being noticed by those men. After all, it was not just Jeremy who knew her-all the other men there have seen her before too. She did not want any of them to recognize her! Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Goran sat down and began to introduce his new movie concept in an attempt to attract the four distinguishedpany presidents to invest in him. Meanwhile, Sherlyn sat meekly beside him and stared absent-mindedly at Jeremy. She became. overwhelmed with emotions the more she looked at that handsome man, and that surge of emotions inevitably made her feel even more regretful. It was not too long ago that she nearly got married to Jeremy. The entourage that the Holdens. sent to pick up the bride had stepped into the door of their home, but for some reason, shel missed out on the opportunity and everything failed. The exorbitant dowry that the Holdens gave to her family was still kept safe in her home. She imagined how she could have been Missus Holden if she was married off to the Holdens by mistake. Then, she could rightfully sit beside Jeremy while being looked up to and envied by all. women. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only As she fantasized about what could have been, she knocked over the cup of tea that the tea brewer had poured for her, and the tea dripped onto her dress. ¡°Crap!¡± Sherlyn stood up in shock and hurriedly cleaned up the tea on the high-end evening dress she borrowed from a luxury brand. ¡°Are you alright, Sherlyn? Did you scald yourself?¡± Goran asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Sherlyn felt embarrassed due to her gaffe and immediately ordered her assistant, Corinne! Take some tissues out of my bag and give them to me!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne, who was in the room by virtue of her position as Sherlyn¡¯s assistant, had been holding Sherlyn¡¯s bag dutifully the entire time. She replied to Sherlyn in an extremely soft tone and then lowered her head to rummage through the bag for a tissue. When she finally found it, shel handed it over to Sherlyn. Though she seemed to be doing her duties diligently, she was, in fact, cursing at Sherlyn mentally.¡¯ I can¡¯t believe Sherlyn called me by my name right in front of them! I hope Mister didn¡¯t hear it!¡± Corinne was d that her name was not particrly unique as there were many spelling variations to her name, as well as several other names that sounded simr. She hoped that it would not necessarily attract their attention. Meanwhile, Sherlyn was so worried about her luxury dress that she did not notice the four men. looking up simultaneously as soon as she called out Corinne¡¯s name. They all zoned their attention on her assistant who had kept her head down since she entered the room. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the name Corinne sound familiar, Jeremy?¡± Zeke teased with a smile. The girl sported twin braids and wore a calico dress. The stern gaze that Jeremy directed at her was so strong that it could almost burn a hole through her body. Though Corinne could sense his chilling gaze, she lowered her head silently, not wanting to acknowledge Jeremy¡¯s existence there even though he already noticed her presence. After all, she did not want more people to know about her rtionship with Jeremy, especially not the Carews. She would never hear the end of it if any one of them knew. Sherlyn finally cleaned up her dress and raised her head. Just as she was about to apologize for her carelessness earlier, she found that the four men at the table were all staring at Corinne. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Sherlyn was a little displeased. She dressed Corinne up like a country bumpkin, but the girl somehow still turned heads! ¡®Being a vixen runs in her veins! How annoying!¡¯ Sherlyn forced a smile and interrupted, ¡°May I ask why all four of you are looking at my assistant like that? Is her fashion senseughable?¡± Jeremy shifted his cold gaze to Sherlyn and narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°She¡¯s your assistant?¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 "Yes, yes she is!" Sherlyn replied sweetly, her heart throbbing. ''Oh, God! Mister Jeremy just talked to me! His voice is so maic, and it sounds so good... But it''s pissing me off that he only talked to me because he wanted to ask about Corinne!'' Hearing Sherlyn''s affirmative response, Jeremy''s expression sank. He glowered as he looked at Corinne unhappily. Zeke turned around and nced at his good friend with intrigue. Although he did not know what was going on between the couple, he could never miss the opportunity to tease his friend''s wife. A wicked smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "So, do you know how to brew tea?" Corinne shook her head without looking up. Sherlyn frowned and felt very upset that these handsome upper-ss men were all paying attention to Corinne. She interrupted with a smile, "Mister Zeke, my assistant is from the countryside, and you can tell by the clothes on her body that she doesn''t have any taste. She can''t possibly understand something as cultured as brewing specialty tea!"Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Zeke smiled nonchntly. "It doesn''t matter whether or not she does. Just let her brew us some tea! We''ve grown tired of watching the professionals brew our tea, and it''d be so much more interesting for a in girl to do it!" "Ah, well..." Sherlyn was befuddled. Corinne had been dressed up in the ugliest way possible, and her makeup was done hideously as well. What could be so attractive about her that made these men stare at her non-stop? Sherlyn could not refuse anymore after Zeke made such a specific request. She had no choice but to smile and turn to look at Corinne before shooting her a gloomy re. "Don''t just stand there now that Mister Zeke has given you such courtesy. Go up there and learn how to make tea for them!" Although Corinne did not want to go, she had no choice but to do so. With a sigh, she walked obediently to take the ce of the tea brewer, who duly stepped aside for her. Corinne knew in her heart that Zeke intentionally made that request to give her a hard time, which proved that they did recognize her after all. She remained calm, brewed tea ording to standard practice, and casually made a pot of tea with the equipment avable. She then poured out four cups and served them to the four men sitting at the tea table. Thest cup was served to Jeremy, who was sitting in the middle. Throughout the entire time, she kept her head down and did not look at any of them. After all, theck of eye contact precluded the need for verbalmunication, and that could prevent Sherlyn from finding out that they knew each other. Just as she was about to serve thest cup of tea to Jeremy, she was stopped halfway by the man''s big hand before she couldplete her action. The man seemed to be raising his hand to take the teacup from her, but his rough fingertips were pressing so tightly on her fingertips that the two of them were struggling against each other on the small teacup. Corinne could not withdraw her hand from the teacup at all. "Lift your face." The man''s voice was unusually calm, but it was very stern nheless. Corinne did not heed his instruction to look up, and in her annoyance, she vied with him to get him to release his grip. Letting Sherlyn find out that they knew each other was thest thing that Corinne wanted. Knowing Sherlyn''s temperament, she would definitely act up after finding out that Corinne knew those men. Sherlyn felt jealous and defensive when she saw Jeremy staring at Corinne in such a manner and touching her hand. Sensing that something was wrong, Sherlyn could not take it anymore and asked suspiciously, "Why are you staring at my assistant so intently, Mister Jeremy? Do you know her?" Jeremy looked at Corinne and opened his lips as if to say something. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°Of course not!¡± answered Corinne before Jeremy could. ¡°Why would I know someone as important as Mister Jeremy? I¡¯m not fit to know him at all!¡± At the same time, she withdrew her hand with all her strength. Unfortunately, she tilted the teacup by ident and spilled half the cup because she pulled her hand back too forcefully. The back of the man¡¯s hand turned red after being scalded. ¡°Gah! Corinne! What are you doing? How hard is it to serve tea?!¡± Sherlyn screamed, pushed Corinne away, and ran over to show concern for Jeremy¡¯s burn. ¡°Does it hurt, Mister Jeremy? I¡¯m sorry that my assistant is such an idiot. I¡¯ll teach her a lesson.ter!¡± Jeremy withdrew his hand coldly and did not let Sherlyn touch him. He shook off the remaining tea on his hand gently, took the tissue handed over by the waiter, and wiped his hands slowly. As he did all that, his gloomy gaze was fixed on Corinne the entire time, and he did not even frown. when he got scalded. He remained silent for two seconds before saying pensively, ¡°She does need to be taught a lesson.¡± Sherlyn froze after her gesture was rebuffed, so to make herself less embarrassed, she turned her head and scolded, ¡°Why are you just standing there, Corinne? Hurry up and kneel! You need to apologize to Mister Jeremy!¡± Corinne merely bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Jeremy. I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Jeremy ignored her, and there was a distinctck of emotion on his cold and handsome face. Nevertheless, he sent chills down her spine. The other three men on the tea table simply sat still and enjoyed the show. They watched quietly while drinking their tea and immersed themselves in their thoughts. The atmosphere became stifling, and Goran felt a little at a loss. Jeremy was someone that should never be offended at all costs, yet the situation had turned gravely sour! He frowned and gave Sherlyn a wink. Sherlyn immediately understood what he meant, and after thinking about it, she waved at Corinne in disgust. ¡°That¡¯ll be enough. Mister Jeremy won¡¯t hold it against a country girl like you! Seeing as you¡¯ve been so clumsy, I¡¯d rather you not stand here anymore and stay away from the table instead. Get out, and don¡¯t ruin Mister Jeremy¡¯s mood with your presence!¡± It went without saying that she had no desire to protect Corinne. In fact, she wished that Corinne would offend Jeremy and get taught a stern lesson by him! Unfortunately, Corinne was her assistant, so whatever actions Corinne did would reflect on her as the employer, and it would leave asting bad impression on Jeremy. If he wanted to hold a grudge, Corinne¡¯s mistakes would implicate her, too. Keeping things calm and peaceful was undoubtedly the best way forward. Besides, Sherlyn also hated Corinne¡¯s eyesore of a presence in the room. She was wearing such ugly and unssy clothes, yet she still managed to attract more attention and steal Sherlyn¡¯s limelight! Corinne could not be happier when Sherlyn told her to leave. She nodded, turned around, and walked away at once. She finally got her wish to stay away from all those people! The tea room for VIPs was veryrge, and except for Jeremy and a few waiters who were in charge of serving the guests, there was no one else in the room. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Corinne spotted a mahogany sofa in the distance. There was no one there, and it appeared to be a nice and quiet ce. She walked over, sat on the sofa, and lowered her head to her phone to kill time with some games. As she was busy ying, a slender, handsome hand handed her a ss of orange juice all of a sudden. Corinne froze slightly and looked up to see Jason ncing at her with a smile on his handsomely sexy face. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Corinne,¡± greeted the man. Corinne¡¯s first thought was to turn and look at Jeremy. That was when she realized that he was sipping tea leisurely without looking in her direction. Meanwhile, Sherlyn and Goran were still chatting away happily and ttering Jeremy. The two of them synchronized with each other and were practically finishing each other¡¯s sentences as if she was not within earshot of them. In truth, she could hear them very clearly from where she was. Corinne turned around and nodded earnestly at Jason but did not ept the ss of orange juice he offered. ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t feel like drinking that right now.¡± Jason smiled without feeling a hint of awkwardness and bent over gracefully to put the orange juice on the coffee table in front of Corinne. He then took his seat right beside her. When Corinne realized that Jason had sat down, she nced sideways at him and frowned slightly. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re here?¡± Jason smiled and said, ¡°No reason in particr. I¡¯m just not that interested in film investments, so I thought I¡¯d find a nice quiet ce here.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, make yourselffortable.¡± Corinne lowered her eyes and continued to y her game as if no one else was around. Jason was speechless. Although he had experienced her arrogance first-hand, he still felt a little ufortable when he treated her that coldly. He was a desirable man, and no woman ever ignored him since he was young. It was therefore a rather refreshing experience when Corinne was cold toward him. He narrowed his sexy eyes at Corinne with intrigue thoughtfully for a moment before asking, ¡°Am I overthinking it, or are you and Jeremy unlike normal couples?¡± Corinne froze as she was ying her game and looked up at him. ¡°What are the standards by. which you measure how ¡®normal¡¯ a couple is?¡± The glee in Jason¡¯s eyes grew stronger, and he answered carefully, ¡°At the very least, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s supposed to be like how you two are acting right now. It¡¯s like you¡¯re both strangers with no sense of intimacy at all.¡± Corinne curled her lips in a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s just how we are as a couple. Single people like you will never understand.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The smile on Jason¡¯s lips froze to reveal the calmness and elegance engraved in him. At the same time, he could help from being taken aback by the girl in front of him. She had a very sharp tongue, and she could leave one speechless as soon as she opened her mouth. A sudden thought urred to Corinne, and she raised her chin to gesture at Goran. ¡°By the way, do you know who that man is? Is he amazing?¡± Jason looked over and nodded slightly. ¡°Goran¡¯s a well-known director here in the country. He¡¯s very arrogant when ites to his abilities, and every movie he makes has to be on a grand scale with an investment of tens of millions. Then again, he is very talented. The movies he makes are usually all blockbusters.¡± Corinne then asked, ¡°Then, do you know anything about his personal life?¡± ¡°Not really. All I¡¯ve heard is that his wife and children are living abroad.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks for letting me know.¡± Corinne then lowered her head once more and continued her game. As for Sherlyn¡¯s ¡®godfather¡¯, even the slightest information on him was enough. She could always let Aaron investigate further. It was probably not by chance that someone of Sherlyn¡¯s subpar professional ability could rub shoulders with a well-known director like Goran who ced extremely high standards on his work. It was likely that Lilliana and Sherlyn had done shady deeds for the sake of achieving fame and fortune. Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Jason sipped his tea pensively and remained silent for a while before asking Corinne, ¡°Why would the dignified Missus Holden take up a job as an assistant for a celebrity? Doesn¡¯t Jeremy give you any money to spend?¡± Corinne yed her game absent-mindedly and replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s a hobby. Money¡¯s not the issue here.¡± Jason¡¯s sexy face turned serious. ¡°I asked you this out of concern, Corinne. You can always tell me face any problems. I might be able to help you.¡± if you ¡®Help me?¡¯ Jason seemed to enjoy striking up a conversation with her using the excuse of ¡®I can help you if you face any problems¡¯. Corinne raised an eyebrow as a sly look shed across her eyes. She quit the game, put away her phone, then raised her head and looked earnestly at Jason. As she blinked her bright beautiful eyes, she asked, ¡°Will you really help me if I¡¯m in trouble, Jason the Kind Samaritan? Don¡¯t just talk.¡± ¡®Jason the Kind Samaritan?¡¯ Jason was speechless at the unexpected long nickname. ¡°Of course. As long as it¡¯s within my ability.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely within your ability.¡± ¡°What is it, then?¡± Corinne had a slight smirk and answered him without much ado, ¡°Do you still remember the three paintings of Nellie Nymphaea I saw in your gallery the other day? How about selling those three paintings to me?¡± The smile on Jason¡¯s face froze. He had nned on tricking her out of curiosity, but she was the one who turned the tables on him. ¡®She¡¯s an interesting one.¡¯ Jason chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about whether or not I¡¯m willing to sell. The question is, are you sure an assistant like you has the money to buy those three paintings from me?¡± Corinne had a determined look in her eyes. ¡°I can get the money as long as you¡¯re willing to sell it to me.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jason cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Where are you going to get the money from? Are you going to ask your husband for it? Are you confident he¡¯ll give it to you? And besides, why would he be willing to you be someone else¡¯s assistant if he does give you money?¡± let Corinne could tell that he was trying to test her rtionship with Jeremy. He seemed to be a little too curious for his good. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about where my moneyes from,¡± replied Corinne. ¡°You just need to tell me if you¡¯re willing to sell the painting.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not for sale.¡± Jason¡¯s unhesitant reply made her expression darken, and she could not hide her disappointment. Those works were painted when her mother was still young, and Corinne desperately wanted them for her collection. However, there was nothing she could do about it if he did not want to sell. It was not like she could rob them from him. ¡°I can give it to you for free, though, ¡± Jason suddenly added nonchntly. Corinne was happy for a brief moment before wariness settled in her system. ¡°What¡¯s your condition?¡± Jason had a look of admiration and could not help butugh out loud. Corinne might look naive, but she was in fact smart and quick-witted. She was hardly the kind of woman who could be coaxed with just a couple of words. Jason lifted the teacup in his hand and shook it lightly before saying with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s easy. Just have a drink with me, and I¡¯ll give you those three paintings. Does that sound good?¡± He was a troublemaker at heart under his smiling guise. Corinne frowned. ¡°Not now. Another day.¡± Jason smiled and asked knowingly, ¡°Why not? Is it because your husband is here?¡± ¡®Duh! It¡¯s precisely because Jeremy is here!¡¯ Although Corinne and Jeremy were not a real couple, Jeremy remained very concerned about the way she carried herself in front of others and would not allow her to do anything that even remotely suggested she was cheating on him within the three months. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 If Corinne shared a drink with another man, It would be equivalent to walking blindfolded into Jeremy¡¯s minefield. The consequences would be disastrous, so the n could not be executed. After giving it some thought, Corinne tried to bargain with Jason. ¡°How about another time? I¡¯ll drink as many cups with you as you want.¡± Jason was unmoved. ¡°No can do. It¡¯s either now or never. Time waits for no man¡­or woman.¡± ¡®D*mn him!¡¯ Corinne felt a little embarrassed and turned to look at Jeremy. He was still drinking tea while facing the other side and was not paying attention to her at all. She looked back at Jason and eventually confirmed with him. ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯ll give me Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s works for free as long as I drink with you, correct?¡± Jason smiled and nodded without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll have them sent with you immediately if you can do it.¡± Corinne turned around and looked at the tea table again. Jeremy was still asnguid as ever as he faced the other side. He seemed to show no interest in looking at her. She might not be discovered if she could get it over with it quickly. Corinne pulled out all the stops to get her mother¡¯s three paintings and picked up the ss of orange juice on the coffee table. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll drink with you.¡± Jason froze for a moment and was surprised she agreed to his request. ¡®Does she want those three paintings that much, even at the expense of agreeing to my unreasonable request? Who is Nellie Nymphaea to her?¡± When Jason saw the determination in Corinne¡¯s dainty face to go all out for the painting, his eyes flickered slightly as a half-smile appeared on his face. His interest was piqued, and he took the teacup in his hand and slowly moved toward the cup of juice in her hand. Their cups touched lightly, and their bodies leaned forward too as they got closer and closer locked on each other, they were about to toast when all of a sudden- ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m not afraid¡­ To take a stand, to take a stand¡­ It¡¯s been a ride¡­ Everybody¡­. Her cell phone rang, and the ringtone startled everyone. Corinne instinctively withdrew the hand that held the orange juice and looked down at the phone. The caller ID that was disyed turned out to be Jeremy. ¡®Did he see me?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Corinne¡¯s blood ran cold, and when she turned around to look, she saw none other than the man¡¯s sullen gaze. Her ringtone had been too loud, and everyone in the tea room looked at her too, including Sherlyn. However, Sherlyn did not know who it was that called her, so she shot her a re. She probably did not like Corinne¡¯s ugly ringtone and felt that it was embarrassing. Jeremy¡¯s face was cold and stern, and he put his phone to his ear while staring threateningly at her. Her only option was to answer it. Corinne frowned and answered it bravely. ¡°Come here.¡± His voice on the other end of the line was calm-terrifyingly so. If she replied or went there, Sherlyn would surely know that Jeremy was calling her. Sherlyn would then know that they knew each other, thus revealing their rtionship. The entire Carew family would find out too if Sherlyn found out, and Corinne¡¯s days would no longer be peaceful if that were to happen. She calmed down, turned around, and said to Jason, ¡°Please excuse me. I need to answer the phone.¡± Then, Corinne put down the orange juice in her hand and got up to walk out of the room. After leaving, she walked a little further before replying, ¡°I¡¯m not going there! If there¡¯s anything you want to say, pleasee out of the tea room!¡± Chapter 132 Chapter 132 The atmosphere in the tea room returned to normal once Corinne went out, but Goran was a little unhappy because he was interrupted in the middle of his speech. He ignored what happened with that churlish assistant and turned to continue introducing his movie script to Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald. Sherlyn dutifully leaned over to pour tea for the three presidents, and she took the opportunity to get closer when she poured a cup for Jeremy. All of a sudden, he stood up coldly and said, ¡°Excuse me.¡± When Jeremy went out of the tea room and looked around, his face soured when he saw no trace of Corinne. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. There was a separate toilet for VIPS at the entrance of the tea room that catered to all genders, and the restroom door opened suddenly with Corinne poking her head out from inside. ¡°I¡¯m here, Mister,¡± she said, then ducked her head back in and left the door open for him. Jeremy narrowed his eyes, strode over, and walked into the restroom. He then closed the restroom door shut with a snap. Jeremy was much taller than Corinne was, and she had to raise her head slightly to look at on her face as she asked, ¡°If you have anything to say, do it here.¡± He gazed down at her, and a hint of sarcasm shed across his narrow eyes. ¡°You were pretending not to know me earlier?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I think our social status is miles apart from each other, and there¡¯s no need to let the public know that we know each other.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°No¡­need?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Mister, I know that you only married me to make your elders happy, so you can rest assured that I¡¯ll sync with you and act like a couple in front of your family. But this isn¡¯t the Holden home, and none of the Holdens are present, so I don¡¯t see a need to act it out. That means we don¡¯t need to recognize each other.¡± Jeremy stared at her coldly and chuckled sullenly. ¡°Are you embarrassed by my identity? Or do you think that I¡¯m not worthy of you and you feel disgusted if other people know about my connection to you?¡± Corinne frowned and said calmly, ¡°Your identity won¡¯t embarrass anyone. On the contrary, it¡¯ll elevate the status of whoever that¡¯s associated with you. I don¡¯t need that, though, and I don¡¯t want too many people to know that I¡¯m in a rtionship with you. I hope you¡¯ll take into ount my cooperation in dealing with your family members to do me this favor and hide our short-lived rtionship from people who don¡¯t need to know.¡± There was no obvious ernotion on Jeremy¡¯s face, and he was silent for two seconds. He then replied in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say then since you¡¯re so insistent.¡± Corinne breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± She could feel much more at ease in the future as long as there was a consensus on that point. The man suddenly raised her chin abruptly and asked aggressively, ¡°Now, exin to me what you did in the tea room earlier?¡± Corinne was taken aback for a moment and was forced to look into his abyss-like eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°What did you do in the tea room before you came out?¡± Corinne felt a little guilty as she replied, ¡°I was drinking orange juice!¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrows sarcastically. ¡°Drinking orange juice? Did you have to drink with a man?¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡®Sigh. He saw me after all¡­¡¯ Without waiting for Corinne to give a reason to exin, the man leaned over and approached her for a while with a stern, oppressive tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t I forbid you from drinking anything other people offer you? Did you forget what I said?¡± There was such a disparity in height that Corinne was forced to tilt her neck upward ufortably. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I remember¡­¡± Jeremy lifted her small face forcibly again, with his fingers pinching her cheeks gently and the web between his index finger and thumb propping her chin up. He held her condescendingly and said, ¡°And you still did it?¡± Corinne exined ufortably. ¡°Mister, it¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± The man¡¯s face was calm as usual, but there was a bit of sullen annoyance in his expression. ¡°How do you think I should feel when my wife is drinking with another man in front of me?¡± Corinne was helpless. She knew she had been wrong and could only say concisely to him, ¡°That¡¯s because he has something I want!¡± Jeremy¡¯s hands rxed slightly. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Despite her reluctance to let him in on more details about herself, she was unable to exin her situation clearly unless she told him everything. Corinne could only tell the truth and say, ¡°Mister Jason has three paintings in his gallery that I want. He refused to sell them to me, but he said that he¡¯d give them to me if I drink with him.¡± Jeremy frowned and let go of her. ¡°You can let me know which paintings you want. There¡¯s no need for you to drink under duress.¡± Corinne lowered her eyes and said inly, ¡°We¡¯re not a real couple, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to bother you, let alone owe you.¡± Jeremy looked at her indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not a debt. As I said, I can give you everything except my feelings as long as you be Missus Holden for three months.¡± Corinne raised her head, and she looked at him with clear eyes as she said, ¡°A rtionship between two people essentially starts with owing something to each other. Whether it¡¯s favors or money, what¡¯s given must be returned, and what¡¯s owed must be repaid. It¡¯s a two-way street, and that¡¯s how rtionships start to beplicated and muddy. Once that happens, it¡¯ll be difficult to sever ties amiably, so I just try to avoid it.¡± Jeremy frowned slightly. ¡°You seem to be eagerly looking forward to the day that you can finally leave.¡± Other women were eager to have a rtionship with him, but she seemed to want nothing to do with him. Corinne smiled slightly and blinked her bright eyes. She was unhappy because her chin was a little sore from being pinched by him, but a vengeful idea came to mind. She tiptoed and hooked the R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only man¡¯s neck provocatively, asking, ¡°What would you prefer, then? Do you want me to depend on you? Aren¡¯t you more afraid that I¡¯d rely on you?¡± Jeremy did not avoid her and merely lowered his handsome gaze and watched quietly as she pretended. Her appearance at this moment was hardly good-looking, and she was dressed in a ratherughable manner. The makeup on her face made her skin a little yellow, and there were dense freckles all over too. The cherry on the cake was her twin braids. Yet, her eyes are pure and as breathtaking as ever despite her hideous makeup. Her curved eyshes were also somewhat reminiscent of the moon in the sky. Though her words were irritating, the lips that spoke them looked tantalizingly delicious. His eyes darkened, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. When Corinne realized that her retaliatory act of hooking her arms over his neck did not seem to have the intended effect of making him feel disgusted, she felt that something was amiss and frowned in surprise. ¡°¡­Mister?¡± As she looked into his eyes, she saw embers of passion burning within those pupils. Corinne was startled and felt inexplicably awkward, which led her to instinctively withdraw herself and move away. However, the man¡¯s big hands grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, with her body nearly striking his chest and getting even closer to him than before. The man stared intently at her stunned, then bashful, expression. His gaze subsequently became more abstruse. Their breathing was getting erratic after they were too close to each other. Meanwhile, their gazes somehow seemed to be linked by a chain, as if there was a ma between them that pulled them closer, drawing them nearer to each other Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m not afraid¡­ To take a stand, to take a stand¡­ It¡¯s been a ride¡­ Everybody¡­¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses when her phone suddenly rang, and the suggestive atmosphere between her and Jeremy disappeared in a second. As she faced the man¡¯s long dark eyes, she backed away ufortably and took out her cell phone to look at the caller ID. It turned out to be Sherlyn. Before she could answer the phone, Sherlyn¡¯s voice sounded outside the restroom, and there was a knock on the restroom door. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there, Corinne. I heard your horrendous ringtoneing from inside! Come out of here right now! Stop cking off, hiding in the restroom!¡± Corinne frowned, looked up at the man, and shrugged her shoulders while saying, ¡°Did you hear that? Sherlyn¡¯s looking for me. I need to go out.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy looked down at her and did not react. Corinne moved off him, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°Wait here, and don¡¯t go out after me. If she sees us inside the same restroom, exining things will be impossible.¡± As soon as she said that, she turned around and prepared to go out when his hand that was still on her waist pulled her closer instead. She mmed back into the man¡¯s arms, and her back hit his chest. Jeremy lowered his body, leaned close to her ear, and warned in a stern voice, ¡°Don¡¯t drink with other men.¡± Corinne¡¯s mind was nk for a moment as she replied, ¡°Understood.¡± Even if she did not see the man¡¯s expression at that moment, she could still feel the strong possessive desireing from him. However, that possessiveness stemmed out of his pet peeve and not because he desired her in other ways. She understood that point well, but she still felt an inexplicable irritation in her heart. The situation could be likened to the surface of ake that reverted to calmness after someone casually threw a stone into it and caused ripples to form on the water¡¯s surface. Though there were no longer any disturbances in the water, the stone that fell into the water sank to the bottom. of theke and would stay there forever. Corinne walked out of the restroom. Sherlyn folded her arms proudly and scolded impatiently, ¡°You¡¯re such a cker, Corinne! I can¡¯t believe you hid in the restroom under the pretext of making a phone call! I don¡¯t pay you toze around, you know!¡± Corinne yawned tiredly. ¡°It¡¯s already half past ten. No matter how high you¡¯re paying me, I think it¡¯s about time I get off work.¡± Sherlyn snorted in disdain and shot back angrily, ¡°Where did you get the decency to tell me you¡¯re signing off work? I haven¡¯t even taken you to apologize for scalding Mister Jeremy¡¯s hand with the hot tea you spilled! Don¡¯t you have any idea how serious the consequences will be if you offend him? It¡¯ll be your fault if he refuses to invest in my new movie today!¡± Corinne had a nonchnt expression. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized to him, and if I need to take further responsibility, I can bear the cost of buying him an ointment to treat his burns. Whatever happens after that has nothing to do with me. I told you that I didn¡¯t want to go with you, but you insisted. and even ordered me to pour tea for them.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Sherlyn was momentarily at a loss for words. I Corinne stretched her arms and waist. ¡°If that¡¯s all, I¡¯m getting off work today! See ya!¡± She walked away leisurely and went downstairs, not nning on returning to the tea room either because it was absolutely pointless. ¡°Did I say you could leave work? Come back here, Corinne! Stop right there, you hear me?!¡± Sherlyn red at her and stomped. Corinne merely ignored her and went downstairs without looking back. Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily. Had she not been prevented from leaving because she had to wait for Goran, she would have caught up with that little wench and given her an earful. Corinne was just an unruly girl who grew up in the countryside without a mother¡¯s love and care! As Sherlyn stared fiercely at Corinne¡¯s back and muttered a few profanities, she turned around and wanted to head back to the tea room when she happened to see Jeremy striding out gracefully from the restroom. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Sherlyn was startled by the sight of Jeremy. ¡®What in the world is going on? Why did Jeremye out as soon as that b*tch Corinne left? Were they both in there earlier?!¡± As soon as she realized that possibility, Sherlyn had an incredulous look and immediately became. wary soon after. Jeremy had been looking at Corinne rather strangely when she was pouring tea for them earlier, and Corinne was a little vixen good at seducing men. Perhaps Corinne had spilled. that tea on purpose just to attract his attention and hook up with him. Havinge to that conclusion, Sherlyn felt an unbearable pain in her heart and she wanted to get to the bottom of what happened. A charming smile appeared across her face as she walked. toward Jeremy. She asked innocuously and curiously, ¡°Mister Jeremy, my assistant just came out of that restroom. Why did youe out right after her? Did the two of you share the same restroom earlier?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Your assistant?¡± Jeremy nced at Sherlyn coldly and gave her an icy three-word answer. ¡°Didn¡¯t see her.¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t see her?¡¯ The man¡¯s attitude was very indifferent, which scared Sherlyn a little but red her too. He probably went in to use the restroom when she was talking to Corinne earlier, and it was normal for men to use the restroom quicker than women. In hindsight, a person of Jeremy¡¯s identity could not possibly share a restroom with that country bumpkin Corinne. At this point, Sherlyn was sure she was overthinking it. She immediately showed a charming smile again and shyly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry my assistant scalded you earlier. I feel really bad about that, so I was wondering if you could leave your phone number with me. I¡¯d be happy to treat you to a meal some other day as a token of apology.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Jeremy replied. He walked past her coldly and strode away without. turning back. ¡°But Mister Jeremy¡­¡± Sherlyn looked disappointed and reluctant to let him leave, so she chased after him and said, ¡°Wait, Mister Jeremy! I insist¡­¡± Despite her best efforts in trying to persuade. him to wait up, he did not stop at all. He did not even bother to turn around and look at her. When Sherlyn sensed that he was averse to having anyone approach him, Sherlyn did not dare to follow anymore and decided to give the matter a rest for now. In the future, she would try and seek other opportunities to get closer to him. She stood rooted to the ground as she admired the man¡¯s tall, handsome, mature, and elegant. rear figure, and the expression on her face was that of obsessive yearning. Jeremy lived up to his name as the progeny of a first-tier family in terms of imposingness and charm. Moreover, handsomeness, wealth, and power were not the only qualities he had. Above all, he was magnanimous in that he did not hold a grudge against her even though his hands had been scalded. He was just a little indifferent to outsiders though, but that was further proof that he was not a yboy. Women who were lucky enough to be the apple of his eye would definitely be treated with extreme gentleness and spoiled like a princess. It was such a pity that a perfect man like him was married. When Sherlyn thought of how Jeremy had married someone else, her heart seemed to bleed for him, and the regret that she felt was practically strong enough to kill her. After all, Sherlyn had been so close to bing Jeremy¡¯s wife Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Jeremy went back to the tea room and sat for a while longer. Goran was still going on with the script of his new movies. All the while, he had been talking to himself because the rest of the four people were talking to each other. Until the very end, none of them actually paid attention to Goran. I guess I¡¯m not getting any investment funds from these four people today¡­ Goran thought. He looked at the time helplessly. It was gettingte if he continued to hold on to them he might. irritate them even more. Without a choice, he got up, used a glorified excuse to bid goodbye to them together with Sherlyn, and left the room. When there were no outsiders in the room, Zeke joked amusingly, ¡°Hey, Jeremy. Where¡¯s your wife?¡± Jason was also curious. ¡°Yeah, Jeremy. Where is Corinne?¡± ¡®Corinne? When is Jason so close with Corinne?¡¯ Jeremy thought. He raised his brow and looked at the man. ¡°Do you have something to do with her?¡± With an appealing face, Zeke asked, ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just curious why she wants to work as a celebrity assistant. Come on, Jeremy. She¡¯s your wife. Why are you letting her work?¡± Jeremy took a sip of his tea nonchntly. ¡°She likes to experience a different life, and she¡¯s free to do anything she wants to. I won¡¯t interfere with it.¡± Zeke pretended to sound surprised. ¡°Geez, Jeremy, I only know now that you¡¯re such a caring and considerate guy!¡± Jeremy gave him a cold re. ¡°F*ck you.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Jeremy, I was just joking with Corinne just now. I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d take it so seriously and drink with me. You won¡¯t mind, don¡¯t you?¡± Jeremy looked at Jason for a few seconds and gave him a one-sided smile. ¡°I won¡¯t. She¡¯s still young and has no sense of propriety. I can understand that.¡± Jason¡¯s smile froze. ¡®Is he implying that I¡¯m like a child who has no sense of propriety?¡± The ambiance took a sudden turn. Zeke and Gerald exchanged looks with each other while. wondering why there seemed to be tension between Jeremy and Jason. The four of them have known each other since their childhood, and it would be a shame if Jeremy and Jason fall out because of a woman. Zeke decided to interfere and said nonchntly, ¡°Hey, Jason. Today is the first day you officially took over your family business. I think the part is about to end. What about you take us out for a drink?¡± Jason chuckled. ¡°Sure. You guys pick the ce and I¡¯ll have it arranged.¡± Zeke smiled and nudged Jeremy¡¯s arm. ¡°Jeremy, where should we go?¡± Jeremy looked indifferent. After another sip of tea, he answered, ¡°You guys go ahead. I have something on my te.¡± Zeke frowned. ¡°Hey, Jason just got back. It¡¯s been a long time since all four of us could gather like this, Jeremy. Don¡¯t be a buzzkill.¡± ¡°I really have something to do. I¡¯m treating next time, but I can¡¯t join today,¡± Jeremy said. He softly put down the porcin teacup with his fingers and stood up to grab his zer from the mahogany coat rack to ce it on his arm. After turning his back on the others elegantly, he waved at them with his back facing them and left the room. ¡°Bye.¡± Zeke sighed helplessly andined, ¡°Tsk! There he goes. He has no time for his friends after he got himself a wife!¡± Jason looked at Jeremy leaving and smiled helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Maybe he does have something to do.¡± Gerald got up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I still have some good booze left in Twilight. You guys are in luck. Jason hurriedly said, ¡°Yo, Gerald. I said I¡¯m treating today!¡± Zeke cackled. ¡°I don¡¯t care who¡¯s paying; I¡¯m only responsible for drinking!¡± In the car. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°I asked you to arrange a job for her. Is that how you do it?¡± His tone sounded t, but his irritation still peaked through. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 A chill ran up Tommy¡¯s spine. He looked to the back of the car and exined innocently, ¡°Sir, I had to deal with an urgent matter at thepany, so I didn¡¯t apany Miss Corinne to the subsidiarypany. I did call Mister Feldman before I left, and he said Miss Corinne was the one who insisted on bing an assistant.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he said nothing. Tommy could not tell what Jeremy was feeling. as his expression looked dead calm. Tommy carefully continued, ¡°I¡¯ll arrange a much lighter job for Miss Corinne tomorrow.¡± Still, Jeremy remained indifferent. He said, ¡°Ignore her. If this is the job she chose, then let her be.¡± Yes,¡± Tommy replied. ¡°Go take a look in Jason¡¯s art gallery if there are three paintings by Nellie Nymphaea. Buy them. She wants them,¡± Jeremy instructed. Tommy nodded and made a mental note of this. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get to it. ¡°Oh, right¡­ Sir, Miss Anya¡¯s treatment is about to end. I estimate she¡¯s going toe back next month.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. He closed his eyes and pinched his be. ¡°Okay.¡± Tommy was relieved that Jeremy did not scold him. After a while, he only dared to look to the front when Jeremy had nothing else to say to him. Right then, he noticed something. ¡°Sir, look over there. Isn¡¯t that Miss Corinne?¡± Tommy pointed out. Jeremy opened his eyes and looked out the window. It was the woman herself, Corinne-eating a kebab by the roadside alone. ¡®What time is it? Is she only having her dinner now?¡¯ Jeremy thought. Tommy gave the driver a signal to stop the car by the roadside. With some assumptions popping into his head, he said, ¡°Sir. The name of the celebrity Miss Corinne is working for is Sherlyn Carew. She¡¯s known for how demanding she could be with her requests and using her privilege to get her way. I think Miss Corinne must¡¯ve suffered badly being Sherlyn¡¯s assistant. Miss Corinne probably. didn¡¯t have the time to eat at all.¡± Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows and said coldly, ¡°Have here to the car.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Tommy nodded and opened the door to get out. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. He went over to speak with Corinne, but he returned empty-handed secondster. He bent slightly to the window and said, ¡°Sir, Miss Corinne sald she¡¯s not finished and that you should ¡®go do whatever you want¡¯. You don¡¯t have to care about her¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth. After a moment of silence, he decided to go get Corinne himself. The woman was drinking a can of orange carbonated drink when Jeremy walked toward her. Finally, he stopped and stood there to look at her from a condescending angle. If he was not a handsome man, he would have looked like a debt collector instead. Corinne raised her hand and shouted, ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to order two more kebabs, please!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat,¡± Jeremy said coldly. Corinne was surprised and lifted her head as if she heard a joke. She smiled. ¡°Mister, you think too much. That¡¯s for me. I¡¯m not full yet!¡± Jeremy was speechless. His presence was too strong to go unnoticed. He managed to turn the ambiance around the street cart into an awkward pause just by standing silently. The other patrons stared at him in shock. It was a rare, weird scene to see a man with a supreme temperament, fully suited in branded outfits, in such a local and down-to-earth street cart. Corinne¡¯s appetite was affected by this, and she said with disgust, ¡°Mister, if you¡¯re not going to eat, you can go back to the car. Otherwise, sit and eat with me. Don¡¯t stand there like a statue and disrupt everyone¡¯s appetite!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression soured even more at this point. Meanwhile, Tommy looked at Corinne with admiration. He had worked for Jeremy for over 10 years, yet this was the first time anyone dared to speak to Jeremy in that tone. Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Gloomily, Jeremy kicked over a chair to sit and gave Corinne a cold re. Corinne merely carried on with her meal as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. As she ate, however, an idea urred to her. She brought the kebab near Jeremy¡¯s lips and, raising her eyebrows, giggled. ¡°Try it.¡± Her sudden attention toward him caught Jeremy off-guard, yet he could not deny he felt slightly intrigued. He opened his mouth slowly- Corinne pulled back her hand and stuffed the kebab into her mouth. She chuckled, her mouth full. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t want to eat?¡± The shade of Jeremy¡¯s expression got darker. He narrowed his eyes sharply. ¡°You tricked me?¡± Corinne pursed her lips and took out one potato fry for him from the te. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m not going. to tease you anymore. Males and females shouldn¡¯t drink using the same ss. It¡¯s inappropriate for us to eat the same kebab, and it¡¯s unhygienic too. I¡¯ll give you a new one. Try it. It¡¯s very nice.¡± After thest experience, Jeremy did not trust her easily. He looked at her with guard up and finally took it from her hand once he knew she was really giving the food to her. This time, Corinne made no attempt at trickery, genuinely wanting Jeremy to try. At that moment, Tommy rushed over and stopped Jeremy when he saw him taking what Corinne gave him. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t eat this dirty street food!¡± Corinne nced at Tommy faintly in disagreement. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll get sick eating it.¡± Tommy¡¯s mouth twitched. He did not care what sort of things Corinne put into her mouth, but Jeremy had never eaten food from the street before. What if he contracted a stomach ache? ¡°Sir¡­¡± Jeremy merely waved his hand, asking Tommy to stand aside and leave them. Without a choice, he did what he was told and fell silent, all while worrying to himself. Jeremy looked at the way Corinne ate and tried to bite the kebab she gave him. His movement was decent and elegant as he bit slowly. Just then, Corinne brought her little face up close and looked at him with widened eyes. ¡°Well? It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± -Jeremy nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°See, I¡¯m not lying to you!¡± Corinne felt satisfied, having introduced a new food to Jeremy. She tilted her head andughed. ¡°But you look like someone who has just tried street food. Are you. aware that the way you ate was like a well-mannered damsel? There are different table manners when you eat on the street. You gotta take big bites just like me!¡± ¡®Well-mannered damsel? This brat dares to call me that!¡¯ he grunted internally. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. His expression soured after being called that. Staring at how unscrupulous Corinne ate her kebab, however, Jeremy suddenly felt something different. The way Corinne indulged her food unscrupulously gave Jeremy a feeling that she was positive, cheerful, and spirited. He could not possibly be angry at her. Corinne was different from the other pretentious women who acted gentle, delicate, and spiritless. ¡°Corinne, here are the two kebabs you ordered!¡± The female street cart owner came over with the kebabs Corinne ordered. When she saw Jeremy, her eyes brightened up. ¡°Gosh! Thisd is more handsome than thest one! Corinne, you¡¯re a lucky girl. All the guys. around you are so handsome!¡± Corinne smiled brightly. ¡°He¡¯s not too bad!¡± The owner went back to take a can of carbonated drink over from the refrigerator. ¡°Hey handsome, since it¡¯s your first time here, this drink is on me. If you think our kebab is tasty, remember to bring Corinne here more often!¡± Jeremy looked at the carbonated drink. He was not used to this sort ofmunication and people giving him something without a reason. As he was about to tell the owner he did not want it, Corinne smilingly replied on his behalf, ¡°Thank you. We¡¯lle here more often!¡± The owner smiled and went back to her cart. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Jeremy narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you close with the owner?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. We always came here for supper in the past.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°We?¡± ¡°Yea¡­ My friends and I!¡± Corinne answered. Suddenly, he remembered the owner saying he was more handsome than thest guy Corinne brought here before. Did that mean Corinne always brought guys over too? Who were they? Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Friends? Your ex?¡± Corinne nodded honestly. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m ashamed to tell you this, but I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend before, so I don¡¯t have exes. I came here with my ssmates and some friends I grew up with.¡± Jeremy¡¯s dark eyes sank. ¡°ssmate? The one who gave you his button?¡± ¡°No, not him,¡± Corinne answered without thinking about it, but secondster, realization dawned on her. ¡°Wait! How did you know someone gave me a button before?¡± Jeremy snorted with a stone-cold expression. ¡°Unfortunately, I was around to witness it.¡± Corinne thought back and remembered Jeremy and her walking together on her graduation day. They bumped junior ssmate in the hallway, and her junior had asked if he could talk to her. ¡°Yea. He was nearby to see it, alright,¡¯ she thought. ¡°He¡¯s my junior. We don¡¯t really contact each other on normal days. He gave me the button to commemorate our friendship. I even wondered when button-gifting became a trend, but I epted it because it wasn¡¯t an expensive gift.¡± Light returned in Jeremy¡¯s eyes. He raised his brow. ¡°So you don¡¯t know what that means?¡± Corinne blinked in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s a meaning behind it? I don¡¯t know. Wait. Let me check!¡± As she said that, she grabbed her phone and was going to search for it on the Inte. Jeremy stopped her by holding her hand and phone. ¡°It¡¯s not that important; you don¡¯t have to look it up. Come on, finish up, and let¡¯s go home.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Alright.¡± Jeremy¡¯s odd behavior confused Corinne. Nevertheless, she did not think too much about it and started to finish her food. With her food finished, she burped with satisfaction and felt stuffed. She was starving the whole day after having endured Sherlyn¡¯s torment, so it did not dawn on her that she ate too much. Her stomach was so full and round that she could barely stand. Just as she grabbed the edge of the table to stand, Jeremy extended his hand to her like a gentleman. Dumbstruck, Corinne looked up and saw Jeremy looking at her with a helpless expression. She hesitated and knew it was going to be hard standing up by herself. Thus, she epted Jeremy¡¯s kind gesture and grabbed his hand to stand up. Corinne thanked him and wanted to withdraw her hand, but Jeremy did not let go and walked toward the car while still holding her hand. Flustered, Corinne said, ¡°Mister, wait! I haven¡¯t paid yet!¡± Jeremy gave a signal to Tommy and had him pay for them. Butterflies fluttered in Corinne¡¯s stomach as Jeremy continued to hold her hand. His calloused, strong hand epassed her palm but without hurting her. His strength was just enough that she could not pull back. ¡°Look! That man is so handsome. He came to pick up his girlfriend!¡± ¡°Her boyfriend is so handsome, gentle, and caring! I have no idea what to say except I envy her!¡± Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Corinne blushed upon hearing what others around them were saying. It was easy to be misunderstood that they were a couple because they were holding hands. However, they did not walk alongside each other. Instead, Jeremy walked ahead of her while she reluctantly followed. Rather than being seen as a couple, she thought they looked like a father and a disobedient daughter. Still, Corinne felt it was not nice to be misunderstood, especially when there was nothing between them and they were just cooperating to y pretend. Thus, she tried to withdraw her hand to clear the air. By the time she moved her arm, she noticed they had gotten to the car. Jeremy let go of her hand and opened the door for her. ¡°Get in,¡± rang his voice, deep in his chest. Corinne did not stall and bent to get into the car. Jeremy used his hand to cover the top part of the car, protecting Corinne from knocking her head. It was a very gentlemanly and lofty act. Corinne was startled. ¡®He¡¯s always so cold at times, but he¡¯s actually a gentleman.¡± The car drove off. Corinneid back on the seatzily and said, ¡°Thank you, Mister.¡± Jeremy was sitting upright, looking at his phone. Hearing this, he raised his brow and looked at her. ¡°Thank me? For what?¡± With a sincere expression, Corinne said, ¡°For treating me to supper!¡± She was going to pay herself, but Jeremy was holding her hand and refused to let go. He even ordered Tommy to pay for the bill. Jeremy stopped looking at her. He did not think it was a big deal, so he did not say anything. ¡°Mister, give me your hand! I want to look at it,¡± said Corinne, sounding rather demanding. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. She even extended her hand and moved her index finger in a beckoning gesture. Jeremy looked at her again. ¡°What do you want?¡± Corinne took out a burn-aid cream and waved it, sternly saying, ¡°I bought this when I passed back. a chemist. I identally burnt you just now, so I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± declined Jeremy coldly, his expression t. It was not even burnt; his skin merely reddened. He had long forgotten about it and would have forgottenpletely had it not been brought up. Corinne grabbed his hand despite Jeremy¡¯sck of cooperation. She pulled it for examination and saw the back of his hand was still reddish. She furrowed her brow. After she squeezed out a drop of the cream, she applied it to the back of his palm with her finger. She was being soft and careful. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to spill the tea on your hand. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jeremy was startled. He stopped struggling and let her apply the cream to his hand. In the meantime, he watched her carefully. Somehow, a warm feeling blossomed in his heart, having known Corinne cared so much about the injury he disregarded. As his lips curled up, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a rare moment for you to apologize voluntarily.¡± ¡°I know I owe you an apology because I hurt you,¡± reasoned Corinne, ¡°and I know it hurts a lot to have hot water poured on you. You have to apply burn aid cream to soothe it.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°How do you know that? Were you burned before?¡± Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The pain from getting scalded was more unbearable than other injuries. It was the type of pain. that was not abrupt but a slow burn instead. The burning sensation would remain that it was possible to ignore. Corinne nodded. ¡°I had to do everything myself when I lived in the countryside. That meant chopping the wood, making the fire, and boiling water. At first, I didn¡¯t know how to do it and ended up burning myself. It was so painful that I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at this. Unknowingly, his eyes looked worried. ¡°When did you start doing all that?¡± Corinne answered faintly, ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± Very often, she refused to talk about her childhood. If she identally brought it up, she would stop the topic immediately. Jeremy ced his hand on top of her head and patted her like a little pet. ¡°Did you have a bad childhood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Corinne did not like to have other people feeling pity for her. She pushed away his hand with disgust and said seriously, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know anything about my family, but I think I have to tell you anyway: my family is very greedy. If they know about you and me, I¡¯m not the only one in trouble. It¡¯ll bring a lot of unnecessary trouble to you too, and I believe you won¡¯t want that to happen. Thus, I hope you can work with me and try to avoid letting them know about us.¡± The terrible smell from the burn-aid cream entered his nostril and affected his mood. He narrowed his eyes darkly. ¡°Is someone in your family bullying you? If you need it, I can-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± interjected Corinne, shaking her head persistently. ¡°I can handle my family matters, and I don¡¯t think we need to do anything extra for each other. Our rtionship is going to end in three months¡¯ time, and we¡¯ll go back to treating each other as strangers like we just met. Our ties end then.¡± At that moment, Jeremy¡¯s eyes looked cold and sinister. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡®How much is she looking forward to that day that she brings it up so often? Treating each other as strangers when the time is up¡­ Does she truly hope that she never knew me?¡¯ he thought. Jeremy furrowed his brow, took back his hand indifferently, and said in a deep voice, ¡°Miss Corinne, you thought too much. I don¡¯t have the time to meddle with your family affairs.¡± Corinne pursed her lips and rolled her eyes at him. She put the cap back on the burn-aid cream and passed it to him. ¡°Here, take this cream. Remember to apply it twice a day. It¡¯ll recover after a week.¡± Jeremy¡¯s gloomy expression remained as he made no moves to take the cream. As a result, Corinne had to forcefully shove the cream into his pocket. After that, none of them talked. The car reached the Holdens estate. They got down and went back to their own room. Without Pam around, they did not have to pretend to be a loving couple and sleep in the same. room. Jeremy slept in the study while Corinne went back to the room herself. That night, Corinne slept deeply while Jeremy smoked for the entire night in the study. The next morning, Corinne woke up to her ringtone. Groggily she reached for her phone and put it next to her ear. Instantly, her father¡¯s voice boomed from the other end of the phone. ¡°Corinne Carew! Look at what you did!¡± Corinne, still disoriented having just woken up, groggily answered, ¡°What did I do?¡± Marvin shouted angrily, ¡°What did you do? What did you do?! You ruined your sister¡¯s new movie! Get back home, now! I think you have gone crazy!¡± She did not ask further and replied calmly, ¡°Alright. I got it. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The call was hung up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes to wake herself up. It did not take a genius to know what happened. Sherlyn must have gone back home toin about her to Marvin while also adding more spices to it. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Corinne headed back to the Carews¡¯ residence. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m home,¡± Corinne said faintly. Right then, her stepmother, Lilliana ran over and stopped her at the door caringly. ¡°Corinne, you shouldn¡¯t go in now. Your father is mad at you.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow and asked faintly, ¡°Aunt Lilliana, what is going on? Why is he mad at me?¡± Lilliana deliberately raised her voice and answered, ¡°He knows about how you offended the investors who were going to invest in Sherlyn¡¯s new movie. It¡¯s best if you leave now; this is for your own good. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll hit you because he can¡¯t control his anger!¡± Smiling, Corinne quietly watched as Lilliana acted. ¡®If this old woman really cares about me, she could¡¯ve called me in advance and told me not toe home. Why does she have to say this sh*t before I enter the house?¡± s, Marvin bought her act every time. ¡°Is Corinne back? boomed Marvin¡¯s voice, evidently in rage. ¡°Ask her to get the hell in here now!¡± Lilliana stopped blocking Corinne from entering and went running to Marvin. ¡°Marvin, don¡¯t be angry. It happened. Even if you kill her now, it¡¯s not like you can make up for Sherlyn¡¯s loss.¡± Those words only fueled Marvin¡¯s anger. While he was initially empty-handed, he then spotted a broom at the side and took it. ¡°If I don¡¯t beat that brat today, I don¡¯t know how to vent out my anger. And I don¡¯t know how to make it out for the misery you and Sherlyn had to suffer!¡± Corinne walked into the living room from the door. There, she saw Marvin who wanted to beat her with the broom, Lilliana who pretentiously tried to stop Marvin but all she did was make it worse, and Sherlyn who was sitting on the couch crying with her hands covering her face. She cried so hard that her shoulders trembled pitifully. Marvin¡¯s anger spiked when he saw Corinne. ¡°You ungrateful piece of sh*t! Come here!¡± he roared. ¡°Kneel, apologize, and ept your punishment!¡± Corinne did not panic. Instead, she looked at her father peacefully. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you want to beat me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand, you say?¡± Marvin was so angry that he raised his voice. ¡°Answer me! Did Sherlyn take you in as her assistant because you were looking for a job? Did she pay you good money?¡± Corinne furrowed her brow and felt troubled. ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Marvin questioned her angrily, ¡°And how do you intend to repay her?¡± With a hardworking spirit, she answered, ¡°I¡¯ll work my ¡°ss off to repay her for giving me the job!¡± Marvin stared at her. ¡°Work your ¡®ss off? Did you do that? She finally signed with a newpany and Goran Sheffield is offering her a role in his new movie! She asked you to go with her to a meeting and asked you to pour a cup of tea, but you spilled the tea and burned the movie investor¡¯s hand! What were you thinking?!¡± ¡°I admit I did that,¡± confessed Corinne. ¡°but it wasn¡¯t on purpose.¡± Marvin lifted the broom and pointed one end at her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s settled just because. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. you didn¡¯t do it on purpose? Because of your mistake, the movie doesn¡¯t have any investors, and they can¡¯t shoot it! That is Goran Sheffield¡¯s new movie! Any celebrity that can take part in his movie will be an international superstar! ¡°Do you know you¡¯ve ruined your sister¡¯s career? She¡¯s the only one who has a bright future ahead. of her in this family, to have that chance to step up thedder, and you ruined it!¡± ¡°Corinne, you¡­. truly messed it up this time,¡± said Lilliana, her voice cracking as she began sobbing. I know you¡¯re jealous because Sherlyn is more talented than you, but you¡­ You shouldn¡¯t ruin her career because of that!¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Sherlyn raised her tear-stained face and said miserably, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ve been good to you. I made you my assistant and even prepaid a month¡¯s sry to you. Ask if other assistants are paid that much!¡± She, too, began to sob loudly. ¡°Why did you ruin my career?!¡± Lilliana hurried over to console her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Sherlyn. Your father and I know you¡¯re very upset now. Corinne ruined your career because she¡¯s jealous of you, but we¡¯re a family. Why don¡¯t you forgive her and believe she didn¡¯t do it on purpose?¡± It only made Marvin feel even worse. The more he looked at Corinne, the angrier he felt. ¡°Take a good look! Look at how nicely Lilliana treats you! She¡¯s still trying to convince Sherlyn to forgive you! But what about you?!¡± Corinne stretched her mouth and smiled sarcastically. At the moment, Marvin really dreaded using the broom to beat Corinne, but something must have. changed his mind as he decided against it. In the end, he threw away the broom and said angrily, I¡¯m not going to beat you today. Pack up your things and go back to the countryside. Don¡¯te here ever again! I¡¯m going topensate Sherlyn by giving her your dowry and money!¡± By the time Marvin finished, Corinne could see Lilliana and Sherlyn exchanging looks with each. other with sinister grins. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Frankly, Goran was never going to get the funds from Jeremy and the others, even if she did not. identally spill the tea onto Jeremy. Sherlyn was well aware of that, but she used this to chase Corinne back to the countryside and have Corinne lose her right to inherit part of the family¡¯s wealth. All along, Sherlyn and Lillian¡¯s motive was to make sure Corinne would not get part of the wealth. Corinne never thought of receiving anything from the family. Plus, she never thought that wealth was worth anything to her. Despite that, she did not want to let Sherlyn and Lilliana get what they wanted. It did not matter that Lilliana and Sherlyn treated her badly, even since she was a kid. They event ruined her mother¡¯s reputation by making out stories about her, and none of those stories sounded remotely nice whatsoever. Lillliana was the one who made up stories telling others that Corinne¡¯s mother was the mistress in the rtionship. Corinne could never forgive them. Corinne thought for a while and looked at Marvin. ¡°Dad, what if I can recover Sherlyn¡¯s losses? Can I stay?¡± Marvin was dumbstruck. ¡°What did you say? Did you say you can recover her losses?¡± Lilliana looked at her sardonically as if Corinne was a joke. Sherlyn snorted in disdain. ¡°How easily those words escape you, Corinne. How are you going to recover my losses? Can you take out the money to invest in Goran Sheffield¡¯s new movie?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the money.¡± Sherlyn continued to reprimand, ¡°Then how are you going to recover my losses? Mom, Dad, why do you still have the mood to tease me?¡± Marvin frowned and looked annoyed. Corinne said, ¡°I don¡¯t have money, but I know someone wealthy enough to recover your losses, in a way.¡± Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Of course, Sherlyn thought Corinne was bluffing. She rolled her eyes and sneered, ¡°Who is it, then? Tell us his name.¡± Corinne answered faintly. ¡°The president of Newmoon Group, Xante Yatco.¡± ¡°Newmoon Group?¡± Surprised, Sherlyn unconsciously exchanged looks with her mother in disbelief. Marvin asked curiously, ¡°Are you referring to Newmoon Group, established three years ago but is developing rapidly and almost at the same level as the four major groups?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, the one and only.¡± Marvin continued, ¡°I heard the president is a youngdy.¡± Corinne nodded again. ¡°Yes. A beautiful youngdy, at that.¡± Sherlyn sighed inment. ¡°Corinne, stop lying. How on earth do you know the president of Newmoon Group? I think you¡¯re just fooling us to avoid taking responsibility!¡± After hearing that, Marvin¡¯s expression looked serious again. He questioned, ¡°Corinne, do you know the president of Newmoon Group? How do you know her? Tell us.¡± Corinne exined honestly, ¡°I happened to find her phone on the road and returned it to her. I heard there was an important document on the phone and that it¡¯d be a nightmare if she lost it. Out of gratitude, she wanted to offer me something as a reward, but I didn¡¯t ept it at the time. She thus told me that if I¡¯m ever in trouble or need any help, I can look for her. She even gave me her name card,¡± She reached into her pocket to take out the name card. Before she could show it to Marvin, Lilliana quickly snatched it from her with greed shing in her eyes. The quality of the name card was solid. The letters were very exquisite with a thinyer of silver alongside the edges of the name card. The high-ss quality suggested it was not a name card from just anyone. Xante¡¯s name was printed on the name card, along with her contact number. Still, Lilliana was dubious when she saw it. ¡°Corinne, this name card doesn¡¯t prove anything. Unless you call this person, we¡¯ll have a hard time believing in you.¡± Sherlyn agreed with what her mother said. ¡°That¡¯s right. How do we know if this phone number is even hers? Heck, we don¡¯t even know if this is a real number.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Marvin, too, agreed with them. ¡°Corinne, call this number now. Let¡¯s see if this number really belongs to Miss Xante.¡± Corinne frowned helplessly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call the number.¡± Under the watchful gazes of her father, stepmother, and Sherlyn, she took out her phone and called the number stated on the name card. ¡°Hello. Is this Miss Xante? I¡¯m Corinne Carew.¡± The call connected to the other end. Marvin and Lilliana red at Corinne while she asked if the person on the other end was interested in investing in a movie. At the same moment, Sherlyn frowned with disgust and rolled her eyes. All in all, she still thought. Corinne was faking it. She did not trust Corinne could truly talk and negotiate with a big shot like. the president of Newmoon Group. Suddenly, Corinne passed the phone to her. ¡°Sherlyn, Miss Xante wants to talk to you. She¡¯d like to ask about the movie.¡± Sherlyn was dumbstruck. Even so, she was ready to expose Corinne with a sarcastic look on her face. She spoke, ¡°Hello?¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 ¡°Hello, Miss Sherlyn.¡± The gentle, humble voice of a woman came from the other end of the phone. She sounded calm, elegant, and well-spoken. Everything about her voice suggested that she was a young, sessfuldy. A nervous feeling struck Sherlyn, and she changed her tone as she meekly answered a few questions about the movie. After a while, Sherlyn nodded and smiled, bidding the woman a kind farewell before hanging up. Marvin and Lilliana asked eagerly at the same time, ¡°How did it go, Sherlyn? What did she say?¡± Sherlyn looked surprised and ted. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, Miss Xante said she needs to consider investing in the movie, but herpany has a new product and they¡¯re looking for an ambassador. She asked if I¡¯m interested in being their ambassador!¡± Marvin smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good news!¡± Lilliana smiled, too. ¡°The products from Newmoon Group have a good reputation and are very popr in the country. If you can be their ambassador, your poprity is going to reach the next level, and so will your value!¡± Sherlyn looked visibly proud of having an influential person choose her. ¡°Miss Xante asked me to send her our house address. She¡¯s going to send a car to the house to pick me up so we can talk. about it at herpany.¡± Lilliana was so happy that her lower jaw ckened. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Go get ready! The car is going to be here soon!¡± Sherlyn nodded and hurried to go back to her room to put makeup on and changed her clothes. However, Corinne stopped her from leaving and extended her phone. ¡°Sherlyn, my phone.¡± Sherlyn frowned and gave the phone back to Corinne proudly. ¡°Fine. Send the address to Miss Xante now!¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow ¡°Does this mean I¡¯ve recovered your losses?¡± agreed to Sherlyn rolled her eyes. ¡°What? Are you asking me for your credit? Miss Xante hasn¡¯t. invest in the movie. She only said she was going to ask me to be her ambassador. You¡¯re only. forgiven when Miss Xante invests in the movie!¡± After that, she went around Corinne to go upstairs to make up. Corinne sighed and looked at Marvin. ¡°Daddy, do I need to pack my things and go back to the countryside?¡± At that moment, Marvin was delighted with the good news. Corinne¡¯s presence did not seem that annoying anymore. His attitude thus changed. ¡°Good girl. You can stay, consider it a reward for your good deed.¡± M A cunning glint shed in her eyes as she smiled. ¡°Thank you for your munificence.¡± Marvinmanded, ¡°Go with your sister to Newmoon Group. With your presence, Miss Xante will give more benefits to her. You have to be careful this time; don¡¯t screw it up!¡± Corinne nodded obediently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will be careful.¡± Lilliana smilingly stood beside Marvin, but she was not as happy as she looked. Secretly, she gave Corinne a fierce re. ¡®D*mn it! We nearly chased this brat back to the countryside! She got lucky to avoid it again this time! Anyway, she got Sherlyn a spot to be an ambassador, so we didn¡¯t lose this fight.¡¯ 20 minutester, someone pressed on the doorbell. At this moment, Sherlyn had makeup and put on a lovely dress. She sat on the couch proudly and ordered Corinne to open the door. Corinne did what she was told and opened the door, revealing Aaron in a suit and leather shoes.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Aaron curled a corner of his lip and said softly, ¡°Hi, boss. Long time no see. I missed you!¡± Before Corinne could react, Sherlyn¡¯s voice came behind her. ¡°Who is that?¡± Aaron removed the friendly smile on his face and answered politely, ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the vice president of Newmoon Group, Aaron Rhode.¡± The moment Sherlyn saw a handsome guy standing at the door, she was rooted on the spot. It hit her even harder knowing that the hot guy was the vice president of Newmoon Group. Passionately, she pushed Corinne to the side and went up. ¡°Goodness! How could they trouble the vice president to pick me up?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Aaron smiled faintly. ¡°We have to offer the best hospitality to the one who helped Miss Xante and her sister.¡± Sherlyn¡¯s expression faltered. It was not her intention to have Corinne mentioned, but it was not a choice for her. After all, Corinne was the one who found Miss Xante¡¯s phone and was also the one who connected Miss Xante and her. Therefore, she pulled Corinne and held her arm, acting as though they were close. ¡°I heard my sister found Miss Xante¡¯s phone and returned it to her. We don¡¯t dare to take credit for it because our family always believes we shouldn¡¯t pocket the money we pick up. Our parents have taught us to be good people since we were kids. We¡¯re just doing what we¡¯re taught.¡± At that time, Marvin and Lilliana were walking out to take a look and overheard what Sherlyn said. Aaron looked at them and curled his lips topliment, ¡°Yes. I can see your parents are good people. That¡¯s why they¡¯re able to raise two righteous girls.¡± Marvin felt a surge of pride in him upon hearing this, but he pretended to be humble. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too kind!¡± ¡°Sir, pleasee in. Let me make you a cup of tea, invited Lilliana, all the while scanning the man greedily. She reckoned this young man would be a good match with Sherlyn, seeing as he was handsome. and also Newmoon Group¡¯s vice president. At this moment, her mind raced as she tried to think of ways to push her daughter with him topatibility. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but, Miss Xante is still waiting for us in thepany,¡± declined Aaron politely. ¡°Miss Sherlyn, Miss Corinne, shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, sure.¡± Sherlyn smiled and nodded. There was not a moment she wanted to waste. She quickly followed Aaron, strutting in her high heels. Corinne yawned tediously and followed them. The car Aaron came in was a vintage limousine. Sherlyn had often sat in many different types of luxury cars, but this was the first time she was inside a rare vintage limousine. She was so excited that she wanted to take a selfie and post on her social media ount to brag about it. However, Aaron was in the car, and it would make her look like she came out of the woodwork if she took a selfie. Thus, she sneakily took a short video and posted it to her social media ount. The short video started from the back of the driver with the car logo on the steering wheel and some retro interiors of the car. Her caption read. [On the way to work. Starting my day full of vitality and energy!] In the blink of an eye, people started to like her post andmented on it. [Oh my stars! That¡¯s a vintage car, Sherlyn! Is that yours?] [Oh my god! How could people be willing to drive that vintage car to the road? You¡¯re burning money by taking it out for a drive! Sherlyn, you¡¯re dope¡¯] [I¡¯m so jealous! I wanted to take a ride in it too!] Sherlyn indulged thepliment and jealousy she received from thements. Her vanity received enormous satisfaction. After that, she put away her phone and tilted her head to look at Corinne. Corinne was leaning back on the leather seat, closing her eyes with her head nting, resting. The way she rxed was exactly how people looked when they were riding in their own car-not even a hint of dignity. Little did Sherlyn know, however, that the vintage limousine was indeed Corinne¡¯s Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Even the driver and Aaron worked for Corinne. Sherlyn looked at Corinne contemptuously and rolled her eyes. If she had not picked up Xante¡¯s phone, she would never have had to bring along her country-bumpkin sister to Newmoon Group. To her, Corinne¡¯s mere presence would degrade her. After a while, the car stopped in front of the Newmoon Group building. Aaron got down. It came naturally for him to walk to the side where Corinne was sitting and opened the door for her. ¡°If you¡¯d please, Miss Carew.¡± Corinne got out of the car expressionlessly as though she was used to it, much to Sherlyn¡¯s chagrin. Then again, she told herself that Aaron only opened the door for Corinne because it was nearer to him, and he was not giving Corinne any special treatment. She could not ept being treated less than Corinne, so she did not get down from her end and moved to where Corinne sat. Before she could get down from the car, however, Aaron closed the door without warning. In the end, she had to open the door herself. Followingly, Aaron brought them into the building. They entered the lift and arrived at the office of the president. He opened the door without informing anyone and knocked twice on the door. Calmly, he said, ¡°Miss Xante, Miss Sherlyn and Miss Corinne are here.¡± Ady in a fitted suit sat behind the table in the gigantic office, reading a document. Her curled hair was slightly over her shoulder, tied into a low ponytail. Her fringe was tucked behind her ear, A pair of gold-framed sses graced her fair, enchanting face. Even though she looked poised, a strong aura of femininity and maturity emanated from her. Aaron¡¯s task was done after picking up Sherlyn and Corinne. He walked to the couch at the side. and sat to watch what was going to happen next. Raising her head from studying the document, Xante¡¯s gold-framed sses reflected the light. Immediately, her vision was fixated on Corinne. Noticing the situation, Sherlyn stepped forward and deliberately stood in front of Corinne, sporting a bright smile on her face. ¡°Hello, Miss Xante. I¡¯m Sherlyn Carew. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Hello, Miss Sherlyn. You mentioned you are interested in being the ambassador for our new product when we talked on the phone, yes?¡± Sherlyn answered, ¡°Yes, I am. It¡¯s my honor to coborate with Newmoon Group.¡± Xante curled her lips into a in smile. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll ask someone to bring you to take a look at our new product. You need to get to know the product before you be the ambassador.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± At that moment, Sherlyn felt like she was not being taken seriously. They had just arrived and were Chap 14 asked to leave before being asked to sit! Moreover, Xante was not as friendly as she was on the phone. The secretary came in and requested Sherlyn to study the products with her. Sherlyn followed the secretary to the door and realized Corinne did not follow her and even sat. Hey Corinne, what are you waiting for?¡± she called out, displeased. ¡°Come on!¡± Xante answered instead, ¡°No, Miss Corinne needs to stay. I like to speak to her.¡± Sherlyn was dumbstruck and felt hesitant. ¡°Umm¡­ Miss Xante, she¡¯s my sister and my assistant. I¡¯m not used to her not being around me.¡± Xante¡¯s expression did not change but her tone sounded cold. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My staff will take care of you on behalf of your assistant.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Well¡­ Alright. There was nothing much Sherlyn could say. Curiously, she wondered what Xante was going to say to Corinne, yet there was no reason for her to stay and listen. ¡®Probably Miss Xante is just going to express her gratitude to Corinne for returning her phone. again. Hmph! What else can she speak to that country bumpkin?¡¯ she sneered. No matter how displeased she was, she could only go with the secretary. When there was no outsider in the office, Xante quickly got on her feet, walked over to where Corinne was sitting, and massaged her shoulders. ¡°Boss, you finally made time to visit thepany!¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Corinne¡¯s eyes were half-opened as she enjoyed Xante¡¯s massage. She said faintly, ¡°A wolf¡¯s been on my casetely, and something troublesome always came up. I don¡¯t have my freedom.¡± Xante narrowed her keen eyes from behind the gold-framed sses. ¡°By wolf, do you mean the young master from the Holdens?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Jeremy¡¯s face popped into Corinne¡¯s mind. She furrowed her brow and answered annoyedly. Lately, she did not talk to Xante about what happened to her, yet she was not surprised why Xanter knew about it. It must have been Aaron and his big mouth. Aaron brought Corinne some snacks and adjusted his pants so he could squat and massage her leg. His face looked like he was eager to hear more gossip. ¡°How¡¯s your marriage life? How¡¯s the intimacy?¡± At that moment, Corinne was about to open a pack of chips, and her face blushed having heard that. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Screw you!¡± Aaron cackled and continued to massage her leg, but he did not dare to gossip anymore. Xante reached out for a folder on the table and passed it to Corinne. ¡°Boss, this is thetest. financial report. Take a look at it.¡± Corinne epted the folder, opened it, and read ten lines at a nce. Subsequently, she nodded to show she was pleased with the result. ¡°Very good. Thepany did better than thest quarter.¡± She then gave some advice to Xante for improvement based on the data from the financial report. Aaron listened, too. Swiftly after, he stood up and whined, ¡°Hey boss, why did you want to work as Sherlyn¡¯s assistant instead of managing the group? Aren¡¯t you being too trifled with matters that aren¡¯t as important?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t worry about the group because you two handle it very well. Plus, I¡¯m not going to be her assistant for long. Corinne put on a serious face and asked, ¡°Do you have anything on the man I asked you to check yesterday?¡± Aaron nodded. ¡°Goran Sheffield is a very popr director in the country, having hailed from Ant City and graduated as an art student from a small town. Before he was famous, he mostly worked behind the scenes. He knew his current wife, Yuri Sheffield when they worked together. With funding from her wife¡¯s rich family, he sessfully directed his first art films and won the award. for best director. After that, his fame rocketed. ¡°More importantly, however, he was in a secret rtionship with your stepmother Lilliana before. he got famous. They stayed together for more than two years and broke off because Lilliana was with another guy. ¡°I also found something. Not long ago, Lilliana went to a private hospital to do paternity testing. She bribed the hospital dean with fifteen thousand dors to fabricate a paternity test report. She requested the hospital to change the result of the paternity test from unrted to the biological father and daughter rtionship. The alleged child and father on the paternity test were Goran. and Sherlyn.¡± At this point, Corinne smirked. ¡®No wonder Mister Goran looks after Sherlyn so much when her acting sucks, and he¡¯s supposed to be a prideful man, too. He thinks Sherlyn is his biological daughter. Hmph! This is the type of thing Lilliana would do: cheating on Daddy and letting her ex-boyfriend be the father of his daughter,¡¯ she thought. With everything clear, it was easier from that moment onward. Xante went to brew a cup of coffee herself and brought it over for Corinne. ¡°Boss, we received an order for a building design. The client specifically asked for your design. Should I ept it?¡± Corinne epted the coffee and took a sip while asking nonchntly, ¡°And what order is that?¡± Xante pushed up her sses and answered honestly, ¡°It¡¯s to design a new office building for Holden Group.¡± Corinne was at a loss for words. The coffee in her mouth did not taste as good as it was the moment she heard Jeremy¡¯sst name. Followingly, Xante continued with the details, saying, ¡°Due to the city expansion project, the city center is shifting to the north side. The current building for Holden Group is situated in the middle. of the current city center. When the city center is shifted, the building will be outside of the new city center, so Holden Group is preparing to build a new office building at the new city center.¡± Chapter 149 Chapter 149 ¡°Holden Group was the one who engaged with us. Their president, Mister Jeremy that you know, liked our office building design. He was the one who requested the architect of this building to design Holden Group¡¯s new office building. We all know who the architect is, right? Moon?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Moon was the name she used during work. Not even hesitating, she rejected this knowing it was a project rted to Jeremy. ¡°Nope! Not going to ept it.¡± ¡°Boss, Holden Group has offered a lot of money for the project!¡± Aaron used his fingers to show the numbers ¡®one¡¯ and ¡®five¡±. ¡®A hundred and fifty million dors?! Corinne nearly choked on her coffee. ¡®Mister is a big spender Newmoon Group was established just recently about three years ago and was in the expanding phase. Although their market value kept on increasing, their cash flow was limited. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡®A hundred and fifty million¡­¡± It was a figure Corinne had a hard time rejecting. Aaron and Xante exchanged looks with each other and knew their boss was tempted by the money. Aaron thus seized the chance and said, ¡°It¡¯s your call if you¡¯re going to ept the job or not. We¡¯re not at the stage where we need to discuss the details of the contract.¡± After much thinking, Corinne changed her mind. Tll ept it.¡± Only an idiot would refuse to earn that amount of money. Aaron smiled. ¡°Great. Mister Jeremy ising overter, so you two can meet and work out the details yourself!¡± Corinne, drinking her coffee and mulling over things, quickly perked up upon digesting Aaron¡¯s words. She then turned to him. ¡°What? Who¡¯sing, you say?¡± Aaron giggled like a high school girl. ¡°Boss, your husband ising.¡± Xante shoved the annoying Aaron away and quickly exined, ¡°Boss, he said he likes our building¡¯s design and requested to have a tour of our building today. He even said he¡¯d like to meet the architect of this building, Moon.¡± Corinne furrowed her brows vehemently and said, ¡°He can take whatever tour he wants here, but I¡¯m not going to meet him.¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Aaron grew curious by Corinne¡¯s reaction, much like a curious cat. ¡°Why? If he knows his wife is the architect for this building, he¡¯ll surely think differently of you. Heck, he might even fall deeply in love with you!¡± That did not change anything for Corinne. She replied faintly, ¡°We¡¯re cutting ties after the three months are up. The same goes for you guys. Other than work-rted matters, you¡¯re not allowed to interact with him personally. Don¡¯t ever let him know the rtionship between me, you guys, and Newmoon Group.¡± Aaron was confused. ¡°Don¡¯t be so cruel. What if you two suddenly developed feelings for each other within the three months-¡± ¡°No!¡± Corinne cut him off sternly. She then asked, ¡°When is heing?¡± Xante looked at her watch. ¡°Right about now. I think he should be here soon.¡± With that said, the secretary knocked on the door and informed, ¡°Miss Xante, Mister Aaron. Mister Jeremy from Holden Group is here.¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Corinne panicked and jumped off the chair. ¡°Aaron, go out and stall him. I¡¯ll find a chance to sneak out Don¡¯t let him know I¡¯m here! ¡°Right away!¡± Aaron quickly put away his foolish smile and walked out to handle it. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne followed him to the door and peeked out to monitor the situation through the small gap. There, she saw Jeremy getting out of the lift and Tommy following him. Aaron approached them with a professional smile. ¡°Wee, Mister Jeremy.¡± Jeremy nodded faintly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Aaron professionally turned his body sideways to lead the way. ¡°Miss Xante mentioned to me you¡¯re interested in our building¡¯s design. Shall I bring you for a tour to look at the interior design?¡± Jeremy raised his hand and rejected politely, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I went to a few floors before coming up here and have understood it. I wish to meet with Miss Xante and the architect, Moon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Miss Xante is in the middle of a meeting,¡± apologized Aaron. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a while before her meeting ends. Why don¡¯t we go to the rooftop? The design is different from the others, and you can see the whole city from there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± replied Jeremy, his expression unchanging. ¡°I can wait in the reception room.¡± No matter what Aaron said, Jeremy just would not budge. He knew it would look odd if he continued to look for an excuse to bring Jeremy else. In fact, he might have felt suspicious. Hence, he nced at the office and felt helpless. Politely, he said to Jeremy, ¡°Alright, then. Please follow me.¡± Corinne furrowed her brow vehemently as Aaron brought Jeremy to the reception room. She had nowhere to run. The reception room was located between Xante¡¯s office, the lift, and the stairs. Moreover, the four walls of the room were made out of ss. If she walked over, Jeremy would most likely spot her. However, it was inappropriate for Xante to meet Jeremy in the reception room, especially when they were dealing with a client that offered to pay 150 million dors. It would be rude not to invite him to discuss the details in the president¡¯s office. Xante suggested, ¡°Boss, how about you hide inside the small lounge behind? He looks like he¡¯s in a hurry. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to stay for too long.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the only option I have.¡± She snatched two packs of the snacks Aaron gave her and hid inside the small lounge behind the office. After that, Xante requested the secretary to bring Jeremy into her office. ¡®Mister Jeremy. Please sit,¡± greeted Xante. Jeremy sat down elegantly, and the secretary served him a cup of coffee. Both of them mingled for a while before starting with business-rted matters. Keenly, Jeremy nced around Xante¡¯s office and asked, ¡°Miss Xante, where is Moon, the chief architect of your group?¡± Xante smiled regretfully. ¡°My apologies, Mister Jeremy, but Moon isn¡¯t in the office today. You can tell me your thoughts and requirements for the building, and I¡¯ll convey them to her on your behalf. Once the draft ispleted, I¡¯ll have it sent to you as soon as possible.¡± Jeremy picked up the coffee from the table leisurely. His brow was raised. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m not getting the chance to meet with the architect for the price I paid?¡± Xante pushed her sses and continued to smile professionally. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mean that, but Moon is really noting in today.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that so? Why did I hear that she¡¯s here today?¡± Xante looked troubled, but it was just for a second. ¡°Pardon? Who did you hear that from?¡± After another sip of coffee, Jeremy answered, ¡°Your receptionists were saying that Moone in today when I was downstairs. They said it was rare for her to finallye to the office.¡± Xante was stumped to hear this. ¡®D*mn it!¡¯ Even though Corinne was the founder of Newmoon Group, the employers in the group only knew her as Moon, a contracted architect. The receptionists must have seen Corinne when she came in with Sherlyn. Every time they were free, they would start to gossip. Xante felt helpless. ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard that, I can¡¯t hide it from you anymore. Moon dide in today, but she¡¯s not free to meet with you now. I hope you can forgive her.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Give me a reason.¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 ¡°Moon has her reasons for that, and I am in no position to divulge anything,¡± said Xante. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Jeremy chuckled coldly. ¡°Seems to me that Newmoon Group isn¡¯t sincere in epting Holden Group¡¯s project. No pressure, then.¡± As he said that, he ced down the coffee cup and stood up immediately after. Meanwhile, Corinne could hear the entire conversation from inside the lounge. Jeremy sounded Incredibly dissatisfied, and she knew that his patience was always limited. If he left, then they would stand to lose the 150-million-dor project! As Corinne was frantically finding a way to handle it, she saw a pile of equipment in the corner of the lounge. Aaron was the one who had bought them, and there seemed to be something like a gas mask in the pile. ¡°Mister Jeremy, please wait!¡± Jeremy, who had walked to the door of the office, stopped when he heard the voice and slowly turned around to look over. His charming eyes narrowed when he saw who it was. Xante turned her head to look in the direction of the voice and was stunned by what she saw. ¡°Why is our boss¡­dressed like that?¡¯ Corinne had changed into Xante¡¯s clothes in the lounge, and she walked out of the lounge with a gas mask on her face. She went straight to Jeremy and changed her voice by raising it several pitches higher, saying.¡± You wanted to meet me, didn¡¯t you, Mister Jeremy? I¡¯m Moon.¡± Jeremy frowned slightly and looked at her skeptically. Tommy had a dumbfounded look when he saw her. ¡®Why did Moon arm herself with that sort of protective equipment? Is she trying to imply that Mister Jeremy is noxious or something? Corinne exined self-consciously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ve been having severe skin allergies recently, and my face is breaking out like crazy. I wouldn¡¯t want to be an eyesore, so I can. only meet people in this gab. This is why Miss Xante mentioned that it¡¯s not convenient for me to meet clients. I hope you don¡¯t mind me dressing like this while discussing work matters with you.¡± Jeremy nodded slightly and said curtly, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Your fashion sense is of no interest to me.¡± Corinne bowed politely. ¡°I¡¯m very thankful for your understanding, Mister Jeremy.¡± Xante then walked over with a smile and said, ¡°Since Moon has decided to be present with us. would you be happy to sit back down now, Mister Jeremy? What happened earlier was clearly a misunderstanding. Do allow us to show our utmost sincerity to you!¡± Jeremy sat back down again, with Corinne sitting between him and Xante. Jeremy went straight to the point and asked directly, ¡°Miss Moon, I¡¯m curious as to the source of your inspiration for the Crescent Building.¡± 2.2 The Crescent Building was actually round, but the color of the ss on the outer wall created a three- dimensional crescent shape that made the whole building appear crescent-shaped to the naked eye. It retained that shape even when seen from all directions and angles. It was a very beautiful building that left an unforgettable impression in the minds of those whoid eyes on it. Corinne exined, ¡°The moon fascinates me, and the new moon-which represents the beginning of everything and symbolizes the future-takes the shape of a crescent too¡­¡± Jeremy watched as she talked eloquently about her creative inspiration and felt a subtle feeling in his heart that led him to look at her in a more appreciative and inquisitive light. After she finished speaking, he pondered over what she said and asked, ¡°Have we met somewhere before, Miss Moon?¡± Corinne became flustered right away and immediately denied it. ¡°Of course not. I would¡¯ve remembered meeting such a handsome and charming man as yourself, Mister Jeremy!¡± Jeremy stared at the eyes behind her gas mask and felt that it was very familiar somehow. His gaze left Corinne feeling increasingly nervous, and she immediately interrupted him, ¡°May I ask if you have any thoughts on the architectural design of the new office building?¡± Jeremy regained his senses and said in a deep voice, ¡°I won¡¯t propose anything so as to allow you free artistic rein, but the design mustn¡¯t be too unconventional.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Thank you very much for putting trust in me, Mister Jeremy. I hope our cooperation will be a smooth and fruitful one.¡± The conversation hade to an end, and Jeremy got up to leave after looking at his watch. Corinne heaved a sigh of relief. Xante got up to see off their big client, but as soon as she opened the office door, she saw Sherlyn raising her hand as if to knock on it. Sherlyn¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Jeremy. ¡°Why are you here, Mister Jeremy?¡± As soon as Jeremy saw Sherlyn, however, his first thought was to raise his eyes and see if Corinne was behind her. When he saw that Corinne was nowhere to be seen, he asked in a cold voice, What are you doing here?¡± Sherlyn replied softly, ¡°Newmoon Group wanted me to endorse their new product, so I left to get an introduction of that product. Mister Xante here held my assistant in the office to exin some things to her, so I¡¯m here to look for her!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes sharply. ¡®Corinne¡¯s here? Chapter 152 Chapter 152 The smile on Sherlyn¡¯s face froze when Jeremy did not even react to her enthusiastic exnation. His expression was stern and indifferent, which came off as intimidating. Sherlyn did not try to force a conversation with him, so she eased some of her embarrassment by turning to ask Xante. ¡°Where is my assistant, Miss Xante? I need her to carry something for me!¡± Xante seemed to have a bad feeling about how the situation was developing, but she adjusted her gold- rimmed sses calmly and said lightly, ¡°Your assistant has just left, Miss Sherlyn.¡± Sherlyn frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡°She left?! Where the hell did she go? How dare she run off without even waiting for me toe back!¡± Xante smiled politely and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m not privy to that, I¡¯m afraid.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Sherlyn was already pissed that Corinne was requested to speak in a private discussion, and that anger only escted when Corinne just left without saying a word. She immediately took out her cell phone and called Corinne to question her. Xante wanted to stop her from doing so, but it was too little toote. Soon, Corinne¡¯s head-pounding ringtone began to re from inside the office. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m not afraid¡­ To take a stand, to take a stand¡­ It¡¯s been a ride¡­ Everybody¡­¡± Sherlyn was taken aback and asked strangely, ¡°My assistant¡¯s cell phone is ringing from inside your office, Miss Xante. She¡¯s still in there, isn¡¯t she?¡± Xante¡¯s expression fluctuated a little, but she covered it up with a professional smile. ¡°Your assistant has left, Miss Sherlyn, but it sounds like she forgot to bring her cell phone with her.¡± Jeremy had an enigmatic expression as he remembered Moon the architect from earlier-behind that gas mask was a pair of familiar eyes. He seemed to realize something as his pupils contracted slightly. He then turned and headed back into the office so he could confirm his suspicions. Upon seeing that, Xante moved forward to block the door and looked up at the client who was about one head taller than her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mister Jeremy? Did you forget something?¡± Jeremy had a solemn gaze as he said coldly, ¡°I have another idea regarding the Holden Building¡¯s design n, and I¡¯d like to speak to Moon about it. Xante adjusted her gold-rimmed sses and said with a smile, ¡°Let me know your idea, and I¡¯ll convey your request verbatim to her.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Moon is inside across the door, so why is there a need for you to be my messenger? You seem wary of me going in there again. Are you trying to cover something up?¡± A stern expression shed through Xante¡¯s eyes and she smiled again. ¡°Please don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Mister Jeremy. What can I possibly be hiding from you? Moon is our group¡¯s premier architect, and you¡¯re well aware that she¡¯s currently suffering from some severe allergies. Her doctor has told her to rest more and avoid overworking. If she copses, she won¡¯t be able toplete your project, Mister Jeremy, and the sole factor that makes our Newmoon Group stand Chante 152 out from others will be lost too! As a boss who shows empathy to their employees, my only hope is that Moon will be able to get as much rest as possible, and that means refraining from bothering her when it can be helped.¡± Jeremy was unmoved, and his posture suggested that he was still insistent to go in. ¡°I¡¯m only going to head in there to speak briefly with Moon, and I won¡¯t disturb her for too long. Please move aside, Miss Xante.¡± The impatience in his eyes was boiling over, and it took every fiber of being in him not to break the door down. Xante frowned and stood firm in blocking the door. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I hope you¡¯ll-¡± During that stalemate, Corinne¡¯s crisp voice came from the far end. ¡°I¡¯m here, Sherlyn!¡± As soon as Corinne¡¯s voice was heard, Jeremy and Xante-who were both in a stalemate-looked over at the same time. Corinne walked leisurely from the corridor on the left side of the office and even covered her mouth to yawn. Aaron, the vice president of Newmoon Group, was walking by her side. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Aaron was a handsome man, while Corinne was a beautiful woman, and they made for a rather attractive pair. A look of gloom and envy shed across Sherlyn¡¯s eyes when she saw Corinne walking side-by- side with Aaron, Newmoon Group¡¯s vice president. She was forced to be friendly to Corinne in front of three big shots, but she still asked in a rather insinuative tone, ¡°Where did you run off to, Corinne?¡± Corinne came over and replied earnestly, ¡°I went to look for the restroom but couldn¡¯t find it. I bumped into Mister Aaron here and asked him to lead me there.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sherlyn red gloomily at Corinne, then turned to Aaron before saying politely, ¡°Mister Aaron, I¡¯m really sorry that my assistant caused you trouble.¡± Aaron curled his lips into a smile. ¡°It was no trouble at all. I just happened to be on my way to the restroom too, so I might as well help her out.¡± Sherlyn smiled dryly, and she was quite displeased that Corinne was able to run into Aaron all by herself. Corinne asked obediently again, ¡°You¡¯re back already, Sherlyn? Did you already get an idea of the new product?¡± Sherlyn could not be bothered to answer Corinne¡¯s question and thought to herself, ¡®Why is a puny assistant asking so many questions ?! She then turned and looked at Xante with a smile. ¡°Miss Xante, I¡¯ve already understood the product. May I ask when we¡¯ll be able to sign the contract?¡± Xante¡¯s expression had returned to normal, and she said in a professional tone, ¡°This cooperation must be finalized with the agency. A celebrity cannot sign a contract by themselves.¡± Sherlyn smiled. ¡°Not a problem! My manager wille overter in the afternoon to discuss the details with you!¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Sure. You may ask for Mister Luke when you bring your manager over in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Sure thing, thank you!¡± Sherlyn was d to have secured the same. time, she made a point to ask, ¡°Oh, about my new movie¡­¡± Xante¡¯s lips twitched. I¡¯ll consider investing in the new movie if the response to your ambassadorial advertisement is positive.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Xante, I promise I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Sherlyn exuded confidence as she made that vow. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your affairs right now and return with my managerter in the afternoon. Xante responded with a soft grunt and did not show too much politeness to her. Sherlyn turned around and nced at Corinne in disgust. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Corinne said, ¡°Wait! I need to get my phone. I left it there!¡± ¡°Go get it then.¡± Sherlyn¡¯s patient-sounding words masked her impatience. Had there not been. anyone else around, she would have scolded Corinne for being azy donkey who did naught at her job. Corinne walked right past Jeremy without even bothering to look at him. She went around him, pushed open the door of the president¡¯s office, and strutted right in. She walked to the sofa inside the office¡¯s lounge, grabbed her cell phone, and put it in her pocket. On the sofa at one side, ¡®Moon¡¯ wore a gas mask and sat there with aptop while typing busily, as if recording something down. Outside the door, Jeremy¡¯s tall body stood there and he nced coldly into the office. When he saw ¡®Moon¡¯ and Corinne appearing in the same ce at the same time, his eyebrows furrowed, and the gloominess in his eyes dissipated gradually. Xante turned to look at Jeremy and said with a smile, ¡°It appears that Moon hasn¡¯t taken her rest yet. I won¡¯t stop you if you wish to speak to her, Mister Jeremy.¡± Jeremy nced back coldly and said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary anymore.¡± Following hisment, he immediately turned around and brought Tommy away. Upon seeing that Jeremy had left, Sherlyn bid goodbye to Xante and Aaron respectfully, then urged Corinne to walk faster just so they could catch up with Jeremy and take the same elevator with him. As soon as the elevator closed after Corinne and Sherlyn went in, Xante frowned worriedly and asked Aaron, ¡°What happened? How did Corinne manage to escape?¡± Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Aaron sighed helplessly and said, ¡°She crawled out of the office window and came in through the restroom window. It¡¯s that simple.¡± Xante frowned even more. ¡°But this is the thirtieth floor!¡± Aaron shrugged and said, ¡°My rock-climbing gear is still in the lounge, and it just so happened toe in handy. It¡¯s not difficult for her at all, considering the kind of skills she has.¡± Xante took off her gold-rimmed sses and massaged her eyebrows. ¡°And who¡¯s that in the office?¡± ¡°Your secretary. The boss told her to put on the mask, change into her clothes, and just sit there to act like she¡¯s busy.¡± ¡°¡­ How very smart!¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°Why do you think the boss is so averse to Jeremy discovering that she¡¯s Moon?¡± Xante nced at him and reminded, ¡°She has her reasons. It¡¯s not our ce to make any guesses.¡± Aaron stroked his chin and thought for a while. ¡°I can hardly believe that Jeremy isn¡¯t attracted to her at all. I¡¯m going to test him!¡± Xante had a look of disgust. ¡°What do you mean, test him? Don¡¯t cause trouble and make our boss angry!¡± ¡°Rx, will you? You¡¯ll hear my good news soon!¡± Aaron waved his hand with a smile and rushed to the elevator. Inside the slowly descending elevator, Jeremy asked, ¡°Have you had lunch yet?¡± His voice was deep and maic, and it was capable of making a person flustered when it resonated through the sealed space. Sherlyn, who was standing next to her, was overwhelmed by his ttery. Her cheeks turned red as she replied shyly, ¡°Not yet. Have you?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was dull and distant, making it hard to tell who he was talking to. the elevator, there was only Jeremy¡¯s secretary and her assistant Corinne. Sherlyn merely assumed that Jeremy was asking her. However, he did not immediately respond to her, and it felt to her that he was being distant. Sherlyn thought for a while, then took the initiative to say, ¡°How about you let me treat you to lunch if you haven¡¯t eaten yet? Consider it an apology on behalf of my assistant after she scalded youst night.¡± He did not respond right away either, and he nced at Corinne, who was standing at the corner of the elevator. She swiped her phone with a nonchnt expression on her face and did not even bother raising her head. Jeremy¡¯s eyes were gloomy, and after a moment of thought, he answered, ¡°Sure.¡± Sherlyn was overwhelmed with emotions the moment he agreed to her invitation. Things could not have gone any better for Sherlyn when Jeremy agreed to have lunch with her. After all, his willingness showed that he had a good impression of her. There would be no reason for him to agree otherwise! At that moment, Corinne looked up and said rather consciously, ¡°Can I request some time off for the rest of the day? I¡¯m a little tired, and I feel like going home to rest.¡± Sherlyn had just been thinking about how Corinne¡¯s presence would be such a nuisance, so she could not be happier when Corinne wanted to leave. She agreed without the slightest hesitation, Okay. You can go home and rest. I¡¯ll let you have time off for the remainder of the day.¡± Corinne had long anticipated such a result and was not at all surprised when it turned out the way. she predicted. She nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Thank you!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡®That d*mn girl is making it very clear that she doesn¡¯t want to have lunch with me!¡¯ ¡°Wasn¡¯t Miss Corinne going to make it up to me for scalding my hand? Why isn¡¯t the offendering along?¡± Sherlyn was stunned, embarrassed, and dumbfounded. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Mister Jeremy, my assistant wants to go home and rest, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to force her. I¡¯ll make amends to you on her behalf¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Jeremy sneered. ¡°There doesn¡¯t appear to be any sincerity at all in making amends, so just forget about the lunch then.¡± Sherlyn panicked. ¡°No! I¡¯m sincere! I swear!¡± As she said that, she pulled Corinne over again, and lectured, ¡°Corinne, you scalded Mister Jeremy yesterday, and you should take responsibility for that! You need toe with us for lunch and give him a proper apology! You still have time to go home and rest after your meal!¡± Corinne frowned and pursed her lips reluctantly. ¡°Fine!¡± Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Jeremy narrowed his handsome eyes at Corinne and had a subtle smirk on the corners of his lips. ¡ª The elevator doors opened, and Jeremy strode out with his hands in his trouser pockets. Tommy followed closely behind. Sherlyn dragged Corinne out and chased after them for fear that Jeremy would leave and forget. that they were supposed to have lunch. ¡°Miss Carew! Please wait!¡± After hearing someone calling her all of a sudden, Sherlyn stopped and turned her head to see that Aaron-vice president of Newmoon Group-had rushed out of the elevator on the other side and looked at her with a smile on her face. Sherlyn turned around confidently and asked with a smile, ¡°Mister Aaron! Why did you take the effort to come all the way down and look for me? Is it about the ambassadorship? Is there anything else you need to exin?¡± Aaron nced at her only briefly and looked directly over her at Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m not here for you. I was looking for that Miss Carew.¡± The expression on Sherlyn¡¯s face froze, and she forced a smile while saying, ¡°Oh¡­ Why are you still standing there, Corinne? Mister Aaron wishes to speak with you!¡± She had a gloomy look when she turned around and called Corinne. Corinne came over with a puzzled expression and looked at Aaron warily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mister Aaron?¡± Aaron suddenly stepped forward and walked toward her with a suggestive smile on his face.¡± There were too many employees upstairs earlier, so I didn¡¯t have the nerve to ask, but¡­ May I ask if you have a boyfriend?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®What in tarnation is this guy doing?¡¯ Without waiting for Corinne to answer, Aaron fervently added, ¡°Can you give me a chance to win your heart if you don¡¯t?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched and looked at Aaron as if he had some kind of mental illness. ¡®Did you take. the wrong medicine or something?¡± Before Aaron finished, he said again, ¡°To be honest, I fell in love with you at first sight, and I hope you¡¯ll give me a chance to get to know you better!¡± Beside them, Sherlyn was stunned speechless, and she was so angry that her insides were burning as she was gnashing her teeth. ¡®F*cking hell! Why is it always Corinne? How can a useless assistant be a vice president¡¯s love at first sight?!¡¯ R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Corinne frowned slightly and forced a dry smile while saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk somece else, Mister Aaron.¡± She walked past him right away and went into the distance. Aaron smirked subtly as he turned around and followed Corinne a little further away. However, he could clearly sense a cold gaze staring at the two of them from afar. After walking far enough, Corinne asked him, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Aaron?¡± Rather than answering her in a proper manner, he deliberately raised his voice and said, ¡°Thank you for giving me a chance! Here¡¯s my business card. My personal number is on it. I¡¯ll be waiting. anxiously for your callter!¡± After saying that, he stuffed his business card into Corinne¡¯s hands, then opened his arms and hugged her forcibly. He then ran off after hugging her and got on the elevator, leaving Corinne in a daze. ¡®Did he suddenly get some kind of mental illness?¡¯ Corinne thought to herself. She had a befuddled look as she turned around, and that was when she came into contact with Jeremy¡¯s dark eyes. His expression was unreadable, and he was staring at her coldly. Aaron¡¯s confession led Sherlyn to roll her eyes angrily and grit her teeth. However, sheforted herself with having invited Jeremy for a meal together and immediately put a smile on her face as she turned and asked in a soft voice, ¡°What shall we have for lunchter, Mister Jeremy? Chapter 156 Chapter 156 ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡± Jeremy¡¯s cold tone suggested a clear disinterest in having lunch, though he did not refuse outright. Sherlyn did not think much of the man¡¯s cold attitude and was so beside herself with excitement that she was able to have lunch with a man of Jeremy¡¯s status. ¡°Let¡¯s go to The Wild Bites. They serve some really good food there!¡± The Wild Bites was one of the best high-end restaurants in the city, and the price was very expensive too. Sherlyn would never be willing to have a meal there if she was not treating a big shot like Jeremy to a meal. Jeremy acknowledged her decision expressionlessly and turned to walk toward the lobby entrance. As Sherlyn followed Jeremy, she turned around and called out angrily to Corinne, ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t waste any more time! Do you expect Mister Jeremy to wait for you?¡± Corinne frowned helplessly and hastened her footsteps to follow up. Since Aaron had picked them up when they came and Corinne did not drive over, it was logical for them to take Jeremy¡¯s car to the restaurant together. Sherlyn could not have been happier to ride in Jeremy¡¯s luxury car. When his special assistant walked over and opened the rear door of the luxury Mercedes-Benz, Jeremy did not get in just yet and stood to one side as if he was waiting for someone to go in first. The sight of that made Sherlyn¡¯s heart throb and she could not help but make assumptions based on his actions. She walked over gracefully and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get in the car?¡± Jeremy nced at her, and said faintly, ¡°After you.¡± Sherlyn¡¯s heart began beating wildly and she was ovee with a burst of joy. She had not been. reading too much into his gesture after all, because it was his intention all along to wait for her to get into the car first. Jeremy was such a gentleman to her! Cold-hearted men like him clearly did. not show their gentlemanly side to every woman, yet he was willing to make way for her to get in the car first. That could only mean one thing-Jeremy was somewhat attracted to her! ¡°Thank you, Mister Jeremy!¡± Sherlyn epted the man¡¯s kindness with a coquettish smile and got into the car before quietly waiting for him to sit next to her. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. To her surprise, Jeremy did not get in at all and turned his head to look at Corinne who was waiting at one side. When he saw her standing still, he lowered his gaze and said coldly, ¡°Get in the car.¡± His tone resembled that of a parent admonishing a child. Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°Okay¡­¡± After Corinne got into the car, Jeremy finally bent down and got in too. Sherlyn thought that she could sit next to Jeremy, but her excitement and anticipation all came for naught and she was utterly displeased with that development. Her anger continued to intensify as she looked at Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Corinne sitting between them, but since she could not lose her temper right there, she relieved her anger by secretly reaching out to pinch the flesh just behind Corinne¡¯s waist and twist it hard to relieve her anger. Corinne was not prepared for that at all, and she hissed while wincing in pain. Her first instinct was to dodge and lean to the other side, but In doing so, she ended up bumping right into Jeremy¡¯s chest. He raised his arm to support her shoulder and lowered his eyes to ask in a low voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne immediately realized what had happened and wanted to avoid him like the gue, but he continued to hold her shoulder firmly. ¡®What is he doing? Let go, d*mn it! Didn¡¯t we agree that we¡¯ll pretend not to know each other in front of Sherlyn?¡± Sherlyn was even more upset when she saw Corinne getting so close to Jeremy. She gritted her teeth and reminded with a smirk, ¡°What are you doing, Corinne? Don¡¯t take up so much space on Mister Jeremy¡¯s side! Move over here!¡± Corinne nced at the hypocritical instigator, Sherlyn, and then looked up at Jeremy to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Jeremy. I felt a sharp pain earlier, and I didn¡¯t mean to do that¡­¡± As she spoke, she even winked at him to try and remind him not to forget his promise to her. Jeremy remained silent for about two seconds and finally raised his hand to let go of her shoulder. Corinne immediately moved back to her original position and unconsciously rubbed the pinched area on her lower back. Every movement of hers was captured by Jeremy¡¯s sharp vision, and he narrowed his eyes as he watched her calmly. Once Corinne sat back properly, Sherlyn no longer dared to pull any tricks on her for fear that it would have the unintended result of causing Corinne to take the opportunity to lean on Jeremy. Sherlyn was beyond angry. ¡®You¡¯re such a shameless little b*tch, Corinne! You take every single chance to get close to men!¡± The Wild Bites, the restaurant that Sherlyn chose, was situated in the city center and was only a 10- minute drive away. When they walked into the restaurant, the server led them to their table. Sherlyn stood up gracefully once more and said, ¡°Go ahead and order, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ll be right back after I go to the restroom,¡± Jeremy nodded casually, and his indifferent eyes barely nced at her for a second. Sherlyn then turned to Corinne and said, ¡°Come and keep mepany, Corinne!¡± Her request to Corinne was merely an excuse to avoid allowing Corinne to seduce Jeremy in her absence. Corinne nodded indifferently and got up to follow her. Inside the restroom, Sherlyn looked in the mirror and touched up on her makeup, and through the reflection in the mirror, she stared in disgust at Corinne who was standing at one side while carrying her bag. She sarcastically remarked, ¡°You can dream on if you think that Mister Jeremy will be attracted to a country bumpkin like you just because Newmoon Group¡¯s Mister Aaron was blind enough to fall for you!¡± Corinne had a bored look on her face, and her lips twitched as she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that at all.¡± Sherlyn closed her makeup powder case and turned her head to warn fiercely. ¡°You¡¯d better! | advise you to be a little more aware of your actions!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne, however, felt that Sherlyn was being unreasonable and raised her eyebrows. ¡°What are you trying to say, Sherlyn? When have I not been aware of my actions?¡± Sherlyn took out her lipstick from her makeup bag, twisted it open, and applied some on her lips. She then snorted coldly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that Mister Jeremy has a sour expression whenever he sees you? I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because he¡¯s still super angry after being scalded yesterday!¡± Corinne felt helpless. ¡°I asked for some time off today so I don¡¯t need to have lunch with him, but you insisted that Ie!¡± Sherlyn stared at her in disdain and said angrily, ¡°I only asked you toe so you can show your sincerity and apologize to Mister Jeremy, but that doesn¡¯t mean he wants to see you all the time! You just need to hide in here and pretend that you can¡¯t join us because you have diarrhea. You¡¯re only allowed toe out of here when I call you. Having you ruin Mister Jeremy¡¯s appetite is thest thing I¡¯d want!¡± Upon hearing that, Corinne made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture in agreement and said, ¡°Sure! Not a problem!¡± She could not have been happier when she got the chance to stay away from Jeremy. Had Sherlyn not asked her to tag along, she would be midway through her nap at home by then! After Sherlyn was done touching up her makeup, she grabbed her branded bag from Corinne and stuffed the makeup bag into it. Before she left, she threatened her, ¡°Do as you¡¯re told, and stay put in here. Don¡¯t you dare go back to the table, or else!¡± Corinne nodded earnestly. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± After Sherlyn left, Corinne walked out of the restroom too. Although she was not interested in going back to the table and interfering with Jeremy and Sherlyn¡¯s lunch, she did not want to stay in the restroom and bear with the smell either. She went to a quiet stairwell to call Aaron and ask what his ¡®confession¡¯ was all about, Aaron picked up the phone within seconds. ¡°Do you miss me so soon?¡± ¡°Miss you?¡± Corinne¡¯s lip twitched briefly as she said that. Before she could continue her sentence and say the phrase ¡®as if¡¯, she heard a man asking, ¡°Who are you on the phone with?¡± It was none other than Jeremy, and Corinne was startled by his question. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 As soon as Corinne snapped back to her senses, she turned around to discover that Jeremy had appeared behind her at some point and was staring at her gloomily. Corinne felt an inexplicably strong chill down her spine, and she subconsciously ended the call. ¡°Just a friend!¡± she replied curtly and ced the cell phone back into her pocket. Jeremy raised his hand and spread hisrge palm in front of her. ¡°Give me the phone.¡± He was acting like a high school principal who was doing his rounds and wanted to confiscate a student¡¯s cell phone. Corinne froze for a moment and frowned unhappily. She felt that he was making a mountain out of a molehill, but she did not want to argue with him there. After giving his request a bit of thought, she took out her phone and handed it to him. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Jeremy took the phone and tried to swipe it open, but as soon as he saw that the screen was locked, he said coldly. ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± Corinne refused. ¡°This concerns my privacy, and I have the right not to tell you.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why do you look guilty?¡± Corinne responded confidently, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± He raised the phone in his hand menacingly and said in a more serious tone, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no reason for you not to tell me what the password is.¡± Corinne thought to herself, ¡®How in the world can someone act that natural when demanding to look at another person¡¯s cell phone? He¡¯s so unpredictable! Does he think he¡¯s some dictator or something? She could not stand his domineering attitude any longer and nced up at him with a stubborn gaze. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s jaw tensed up, and there was not much patience left in his eyes. It was rare for him to encounter individuals whom he had little control over, especially when it came to women. Despite that, the little girl in front of him did not seem to take him seriously at all. Though she sometimes appeared docile and obedient, the only reason she did so was to avoid. trouble. Furthermore, she was also toozy to deal with the situation. Most of the time, her eyes were vapid and vacuous,cking any obedience, fear, or concern for him! However, it was precisely because she frequentlypromised and cooperated to avoid a heated exchange that her sudden refusal appeared out of the ordinary. ¡®What is she hiding in her phone? Why is she so afraid of me looking at it?¡¯ Her increased refusal made him even more curious to know who she was calling so secretly. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time, Corinne. What¡¯s the password?¡± Jeremy¡¯s big hand forced her to look. up, and he almost seemned to be threatening her. Despite being forced to look up, Corinne did not give in. Though she was being threatened by him, she smirked tauntingly and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess? I¡¯ll tell you if you¡¯ve got it right! The blue veins on Jeremy¡¯s forehead were starting to bulge out. I really wish I could just strangle this dmn girl to death right now! Out of the blue, her phone rang at that moment Aaron had called her back. Startled. Corinne immediately reached out to grab the phone, but the man lifted his arm high and prevented her from reaching it no matter how hard she tried Corinne frowned and said, ¡°Give me my phone back, Mister!¡± Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Jeremy merely nced coldly at Corinne. As he held her cell phone up high, he slid his long thumb across the screen and epted the call before putting it on speaker. Aaron spoke gently from the other end of the line and said, ¡°Why did you hang up on me all of a sudden when you called me earlier?¡± Corinne was speechless. Jeremy stared at the guilty-looking Corinne. ¡°Is this the friend you spoke of?¡± Corinne did not respond to him. ¡®We¡¯re friends and he¡¯s my subordinate, but it¡¯s just not that convenient to tell you!¡± Luckily for her, she did not save Aaron¡¯s number, or Xante¡¯s for that matter. She had long.mitted them to memory, and as long as Aaron did not let anything slip about their rtionship, Jeremy would be none the wiser as to her long-standing friendship with Aaron. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Miss Corinne? Where are you? Should Ie and look for your right now?¡± Aaron asked earnestly and enthusiastically once again. Jeremy¡¯s handsome eyes narrowed and he slowly retracted his raised arm to lower the cell phone to face level. He then said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s already married. His tone was very t, but it was thunderously strong andden with a possessive intent that so perfectly emphasized his supremacy. Aaron then asked in a surprised voice, ¡°What?! Who are you?¡± Jeremy gave a cold, three-word reply, ¡°I¡¯m her husband.¡± Aaron remained silent for a moment and his tone sounded very hurt as he said, ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! I won¡¯t believe it! Where¡¯s Miss Corinne? I want to hear her say it-¡± Before he could continue to ramble on, Jeremy pressed the ¡®end call¡¯ icon and did not want to listen to it anymore. He lowered his face and threw the phone back harshly to Corinne. He smirked and said. sarcastically, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this impatient. Were you that eager to call him back?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! What Mister Aaron said to me in the lobby of Newmoon Group was super weird, and I didn¡¯t understand what he meant by that. I only called him back to ask if there was some kind of misunderstanding¡­¡± Jeremy pursed his lips and said with a sneer, ¡°He just told you in public that he fell in love with your at first sight. Is that so difficult to understand? Do you still need to call back to confirm that? Am I supposed to believe that you simply want to ascertain what he meant by that? You¡¯re better off being honest with me and telling me if you wish to take things to the next level with him. Or perhaps you¡¯d prefer to do one better and get into a rtionship with him right away?¡± Corinne felt suffocated. ¡°I¡¯m not. I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s big and rough hand squeezed her jaw tightly and forced her to look up at him again. How many times do I need to remind you that you¡¯re my wife right now, and you¡¯re not allowed to have any private interactions with other men!¡± Corinne felt ufortable with her face grabbed like this, and she could not break free from his strong grip either. She frowned annoyedly and said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, Mister. I¡¯m not that kind of person! And besides, we¡¯re not even true husband and wife. By forcefully demanding to check my cell phone and answering a call without my permission, you have seriously vited my right to privacy! Even ifN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. we¡¯re a real couple, we¡¯d get divorced sooner orter if you¡¯re always so suspicious about every little thing!¡± Jeremy kept quiet. Corinne felt that her jaw was about to be crushed by him. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils trembled, and he frowned before letting go of her. Corinne rubbed her sore jaw and felt that she should not take any argument with him too far. After all, there were more than two months left before her deal with him would end, and there was no way for her to hide from him during that period because she had to face him every single day. Furthermore, Sherlyn was still waiting for him to have lunch together, and she might notice that something was amiss if Corinne did not calm Jeremy down and have him go back to the table for lunch. ¡°Forget it. I admit that I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry!¡± She lowered her little face andpromised resentfully. Jeremy was startled for a moment, but when he saw her aggrieved appearance, his anger reduced by half in an instant. ¡°Good. Now where were you wrong?¡± Corinne curled her lips and said, ¡°I was wrong for making that call. I should¡¯ve waited three months because by then, I won¡¯t be Missus Holden anymore, and you have no control over what I do anymore.¡± Barely moments after Jeremy started to cheer up again, his expression swiftly darkened. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Corinne went on to say, ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve never believed in me at all! You asked Tommy to make arrangements for my job just so you could keep me in a ce that you can control. That way, you can always know what I¡¯m doing and whether I cheated on you, right?¡± Jeremy stared at her with a dark and gloomy gaze. For the time being at least, he was nomittal over her remark. ¡°I¡¯m just a passer by who will exist for only three months in your magnificent life, Mister. Please don¡¯t try to control me! If you don¡¯t believe in me, I can always swear to you!¡± After saying that, Corinne raised her hand firmly and vowed, ¡°I, Corinne, swear to God almighty, that I¡¯ll never do anything out of line and cheat on Mister Jeremy Holden. May lightning strike me and kill me if I go back on my promise!¡± After swearing categorically, she ced her hand down and headed for the direction of the door. Just as she put her hand on the doorknob and opened it, Jeremy¡¯s big palm pushed it shut from behind. ¡°Did I say you could leave?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®What else does he want from me now that I¡¯ve sworn to uphold my promise to him?¡¯ She said angrily, ¡°Aren¡¯t we don¡¯t yet? Don¡¯t be such a jealous little wimp!¡± ¡®Jealous little¡­wimp? Jeremy frowned coldly as if he heard the most ridiculous and inane sentence ever. He then leaned close to her ear and chuckled softly. ¡°Me? Jealous? Do you think I¡¯ll get jealous because of you? In my eyes, you¡¯re just a kid who¡¯s still wet behind the ears!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a big grown man to me!¡± Corinne yelled out in anger, but she soon realized that it sounded wanted to take it back. s, there were no take-backs when it came to one¡¯s words. If all else failed, she just had to retreat. She pulled the door hard and tried to run, but his hand was firmly pressed against the metal door and she could not pull it open. She felt a warm and ticklish breath behind her ear, and Jeremy¡¯s deep voice resonated in her ear canal as his lips nearly touched her ear. ¡°Hmm? What did you just say?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Corinne wanted to leave the stairwell as quickly as she could, but she was unable to open the door at all. Her shoulders were then held by the man again, and her body was forcibly turned around so she was facing him. At that moment, the girl¡¯s face was flushed with embarrassment due to the slip of her tongue. Her eyes flickered, and she could not bring herself to look directly at the man in front of her. Jeremy¡¯s gaze fell on her shy little face, and he saw her slender and thick eyshes fluttering slightly. Her facial features were as beautiful as a painting, and her face was like a flower about to bloom. It should not havee as a surprise that there were plenty of men who wanted to hit on her. After all, she was quite charming. She earlier said that there were two months and seven days left, and the fact that she remembered so clearly was an indication that she had been keeping track of time religiously. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡®Since when have my emotions be so easily influenced by her? I can¡¯t stand to see her in contact with other men, and I feel unhappy-restless, even-simply because other men seemed to favor her.¡± She used him of saying that he wanted to control her, but if that were truly the case, he did not need to lock her up at all because he could know her whereabouts at any time with the snap of a finger. He arranged a job for her because he knew that she did not want to idle her days away. Instead of letting her be subject to hardship by other people, it would be better for her to endure hardship. under him. ¡®This d*mned girl misconstrued my kindness as malice!¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened even more when he thought of how he would lose the right to control her in another two months and seven days. She would then be able to have a rtionship with other men and be intimate with them. ¡®Out of the question he thought to himself. Corinne could not break free after he pressed her against the door, making her feel both flustered and angry After waiting for a long time for the man to say something, she became a little impatient and said with a frown, ¡°If you have something to say to me, could you at least get your hands off me? I¡¯m leaving if you have nothing else to s-mgh!¡¯¡± The man leaned over suddenly, and he parted her thin lips with his tongue while dominating her mouth with his lips. Corinne¡¯s mind went nk, and she widened her eyes to confirm whether that was actually happening. Jeremy¡¯s handsome face was millimeters away from hers, and he was kissing her forcefully and aggressively. ¡®What¡¯s going on? When Corinne finally came to her senses, she felt offended and annoyed. She raised her hands and pushed against the man¡¯s chest, but rather than seed in pushing him away, he began to kiss her ever more passionately as he wrapped one hand around her waist while sping the back of her head with his other hand. He was skilled at kissing, and his charm was truly top-notch. Slowly but surely, she became a little muddle-headed and reciprocated uneasily as her small hands clutched his suitpels. Sometimeter, their lips finally parted ways, and they stared briefly at each other. Both of them were panting slightly, and their breaths were all tangled together. Jeremy saw how she looked as frightened as a deer in headlights and felt rather amused by how pitiful she looked. A slight smile appeared on his face, and his big hand rubbed her hair in a bullying manner as he said in a stern voice, ¡°Don¡¯t call other men.¡± Corinne blushed, and it was hard to tell whether she was blushing from anger or shame. She took a step back to avoid being touched and raised her arm to wipe her mouth. Her tone was resentful as she said, ¡°I get it, okay? You didn¡¯t need to do that to warn me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not allowed to call other men once the three months are up,¡± Jeremy added, and his tone was inexplicably gentle then. Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she looked at him in surprise. ¡°Why not?¡± The man looked closely at her blushing face and leaned over again while saying in a low voice.¡± Because¡­¡± At this time, Tommy¡¯s stern voice was heard outside the stairwell door. ¡°You can¡¯t go in there, Miss Sherlyn!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s voice was soon heard too. ¡°Are you standing in front of that door because Mister Jeremy is inside this stairwell? The food has been served, so why is Mister Jeremy alone in the stairwell instead ofing back to the table for lunch? The food is going to go cold!¡± Tommy replied, ¡°You should go back to the table now, Miss Sherlyn. Mister Jeremy will join you soon.¡± Sherlyn refused to listen to his advice. ¡°What could he be doing in the stairwell? Stop standing in my way! I want to go in there and see him!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but he doesn¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± ¡°And how do you know that he doesn¡¯t want to see me? You¡¯re just a secretary, so who gave you the right to speak on behalf of him? Why would he refuse to see me if he agreed to have lunch. with me? Move aside! I¡¯m going in to check on Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡°Miss Sherlyn, please¡­¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Sherlyn seemed suspicious after sensing there was movement on the other side of the door, and she was adamant about forcing her way in. Corinne realized that something was wrong, and her first instinct was to run downstairs. After all, it would be a pain to exin it to Sherlyn if she was caught with Jeremy. As soon as Corinne took one step, however, Jeremy grabbed her wrist again and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Corinne turned around helplessly and stared at Jeremy with an unhappy frown. ¡°Don¡¯t forget your promise that you won¡¯t let my sister know about our rtionship!¡± Jeremy did not let go of Corinne, but the door of the stairwell was already pushed open by Sherlyn. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Since Corinne could not pull Jeremy¡¯s big hand off of her, she raised her other hand in a hurry and mmed the door shut. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Tommy was using his body to block the door to the stairwell, but Sherlyn turned violent and tried to push the door open with the use of the small gap. The more she was prevented from entering, the more she felt that something about the entire situation was amiss. She had to go in and see what Jeremy was doing inside, and whether he was alone or if there was someone in there with him. Tommy could not stand Sherlyn¡¯s antics any longer and warned her angrily, ¡°Miss Sherlyn, I hope you don¡¯t me me for having to take action if you continue to try and force yourself through the door!¡± Sherlyn did not take Tommy¡¯s threat seriously at all. From her point of view, Jeremy¡¯s secretary was just a lowly role like that of her assistant. Since she never took her assistant seriously, it stood to reason that she viewed Jeremy¡¯s secretary in a simrly condescending light. ¡°Who are you to show your authority to me when you¡¯re just a secretary? Once I make Jeremy mine, the first thing I¡¯ll do is get him to fire you!¡± ¡°Try it, then! If you dare toy a finger on me, I¡¯ll start yelling that you¡¯re molesting me!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Tommy had nothing to say when faced with Sherlyn¡¯s shamelessness. There was no point in reasoning with an unreasonable woman like her. When Sherlyn realized that her threat was working on Tommy, she immediately had the idea of deliberately rubbing her body against Tommy and pushing her chest out to force him to retreat. Tommy could not avoid her and felt extremely uneasy over what was happening. He had no way of dealing with such a dirty trick, and he could not bring himself to hit her either. As Tommy was trying to avoid her, she seized the opportunity to push the door and force in. After entering, she was stunned by what she saw. Jeremy¡¯s tall body was leaningzily against the wall of the stairwell, and his majestic expression seemed a little bored and fatigued. He had a freshly lit cigarette between his slender fingers, which he brought to his mouth to take a puff before exhaling a thin wisp of smoke. Sherlyn was extremely captivated by the man¡¯s mature and handsome side profile as he smoked, and it took her a while to recover from her mesmerized expression and say, why are you here all alone? Won¡¯t youe back to the table for lunch?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrows and nced calmly at her. ¡°I have a nicotine addiction.¡± Mister Jeremy, Sherlyn smiled, ¡°I see¡­ Well, doe and have lunch once you¡¯re done with that cigarette. Otherwise, the food will go cold.¡± Jeremy flicked the ash from his cigarette and said indifferently, ¡°You can go back on your own.¡± Chap 15, Even his small action of flicking the cigarette ash was so handsome that it made one¡¯s heart quiver. Sherlyn tried not to show the nympho side of her and said with a gentle, considerate expression, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can wait for you and we can go back together. I wouldn¡¯t want to eat before you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you eating first,¡± the man said coldly. Sherlyn thought that Jeremy was worried about her getting hungry, so she shook her head shyly and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet, though! I can always wait for you!¡± An irritable expression appeared briefly in Jeremy¡¯s eyes, and he frowned before stubbing out the remaining half of the cigarette. His body then straightened and he strode toward the door, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our table, then.¡± Sherlyn was stunned, and she felt her heart thump wildly. ¡®Oh, God! Mister Jeremy is willing to stop smoking just so I won¡¯t get hungry!! She had been so preupied with making such wild assumptions that she paid little attention to everything else, and the angle at which she stood precluded her from seeing the fresh palm print on the left side of Jeremy¡¯s face. After Sherlyn followed Jeremy out of the stairwell, Tommy closed the door of the stairwell. At that moment, Corinne was sitting on the flight of stairs one floor below, and her palms were burning with pain. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 In her moment of desperation, Corinne pped the man in the face just so she could escape. As soon as she heard that everyone had left, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, her phone rang once more, and it was yet another call from Aaron. Corinne frowned as she answered it. Aaron¡¯s voice sounded dramatic as if he had been possessed by the spirit of a dead actor. ¡°Miss Corinne! Is that you? A man told me that you¡¯re married, but I won¡¯t believe anything he says! Tell me it isn¡¯t true, Miss Corinne, I¡ª* ¡°Give that charade of yours a break!¡± Corinne interrupted angrily. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Aaron soon reverted to his usual tone. With a smile, he asked, ¡°How¡¯s it going, boss?¡± ¡°How¡¯s what going?¡± ¡°Did you and Jeremy get closer? Was he jealous earlier?¡± Corinne finally understood what Aaron was up to and warned him sternly, ¡°Please don¡¯t do such pointless things again in the future! As I¡¯ve said before, Jeremy¡¯s rtionship with mests only three months, and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Despite emphatically making that remark, her heart had sunk into the depths of utter turmoil. She could not forget what Jeremy did to her earlier, at least not so soon. Nevertheless, it was not the first time the two of them have kissed. The first time was when she grabbed him and gave him a peck to spite the disgusting man her stepmother had arranged for her to meet. The second time was in Twilight¡¯s Snow Room. She yed a game with some yboys to save Annie from them. When she lost, she was punished to kiss someone of the opposite gender whom she knew. Jeremy forbade her from kissing anyone else lest it gave everyone the impression that she had cucked him, so he decided to kiss her instead. The third time was earlier at the stairwell, and there was neither any ident nor any external interference. He just somehow decided to kiss her for no reason. He made it abundantly clear in the past that he would not hesitate to give her anything as long as it did not involve feelings. ¡®Who does he think I am when he kissed me on a whim without involving any feelings? D*mn him!¡¯ Corinne then wiped her mouth in disgust and felt annoyed. On the other end of the line, Aaron clicked his tongue and said, ¡°You know, I think Jeremy isn¡¯t too bad, actually. He might be a bit older, but that doesn¡¯t stop him from being handsome! Besides, he has a high IQ and is incredibly influential too. Plus, he doesn¡¯t have any scandals like some of those other rich men, so why don¡¯t you turn this sham marriage into a real one and-¡± Corinne could not stand to listen to Aaron¡¯s ramblings anymore. ¡°Enough with that nonsense! He has someone he likes, and I¡¯m not interested in getting involved!¡± Aaron was taken aback for a moment and immediately became upset. ¡°D*mn. So, he¡¯s a scumbag! Corinne¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Whether he¡¯s a scumbag or not is none of our concern! I have another two months and seven days left, and it¡¯ll pass soon enough. He and I will be strangers by the end of that. And by the way, you called at just the right time! I have something I need you to help me. with.¡± Aaron became serious when it came to business matters. ¡°Understood. Let me know how I can help.¡± Corinne then exined her arrangements to him. Aaron epted his duties and said, ¡°Understood, boss! I¡¯ll get it done soon.¡± As soon as the call ended, Corinne barely had any time to catch her breath when Sherlyn¡¯s call came in. When she answered, Sherlyn¡¯s sharp and hostile voice yelled, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Corinne? Why is your phone unreachable during working hours?!¡± Corinne rubbed her temples wearily. Her lips twitched and she said, ¡°A friend of mine called, so we chatted for a while. What is it? Is there anything you need me to do?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sherlyn roared resentfully. ¡°Who told you to answer personal calls during working hours? Get your butt over here right this instant, Corinne!¡± Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Corinne had no idea what was it that stoked Sherlyn¡¯s rage, but she answered curtly and hung up before going back to their table. There were few patrons in such a high-end restaurant, and the table Sherlyn reserved was next to the floor-to-ceiling windows where one could enjoy the river view outside while dining. It was an expensive seat, but one with the lowest minimum spend. She had to grit her teeth when doing so because it was all for the sake of leaving a good impression in front of Jeremy and pretending as if she had the financial means to do so. On normal asions, she would never be willing to spend all that money to reserve that table, and she was particrly angry because she had spent a huge surn on the table and even ordered the most expensive dish, only to have the man leave without eating a single bite! At that moment, Corinne walked over from a distance and saw Sherlyn sulking by the window. She folded her arms across her chest in resentment and seemed to be in a ring rage. Corinne was the only one at the table, and Jeremy was nowhere to be seen. In fact, Corinne had already expected that oue since Sherlyn would never talk to her in such a tone in front of Jeremy. ¡°Why did you call me toe back here, Sherlyn?¡± When Sherlyn heard her voice, she immediately turned around and red she asked, ¡± Did you do it on purpose, Corinne?¡± Corinne looked puzzled. ¡°Do what on purpose?¡± ¡°Ignore my calls on purpose!¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°Mister Jeremy thought that you weren¡¯t sincere in apologizing to him because you weren¡¯t with us at the table, so he left without eating a single!¡± Corinne frowned helplessly. ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t you instruct me to pretend as if I had diarrhea because you didn¡¯t want me around?¡± Sherlyn¡¯s face froze, but she showed not a single ounce of restraint despite knowing that it had been her mistake. Instead, her attitude worsened after her contradiction had been pointed out, and she raised her finger angrily to shout at Corinne. ¡°When Mister Jeremy expressed his unhappiness, I immediately decided to call you toe back. He left in anger because I couldn¡¯t get through to you! If you answered my call at the time and came back to apologize to him, he wouldn¡¯t have left in the first ce! This is all your fault, Corinne! Bad luck follows you wherever you go!¡± Corinne was speechless and her lips twitched. ¡®I can¡¯t believe she med me when she was the one who couldn¡¯t get him to stay! Sherlyn was already unhappy after spending a lot of money to reserve a table at The Wild Bites. and she became even more upset when she saw Corinne standing in front of her with an ¡®it¡¯s-none- of-my- business¡¯ attitude. She then added, ¡°I don¡¯t care! If you can¡¯t get Mister Jeremy to have a meal with me today, I¡¯ll fine you the price of this meal!¡± Corinne spread her palms helplessly. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any money.¡± Sherlyn red at Corinne in disgust and loathed thetter for having the unsightly attitude of a poor person. However, it was Corinne¡¯s poorness that bolstered Sherlyn¡¯s sense of superiority. and she said in disdain, ¡°No money, you say? How about you return the sry I advanced to you?¡± Although Sherlyn knew that Corinne was a country bumpkin who had no money, she had already incurred a huge loss for the meal, and she demanded the return of Corinne¡¯s sry because that would at least allow her to make up for the loss she suffered. Corinne, however, shook her head in apparent refusal. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to deduct my sry when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Her refusal made Sherlyn even angrier. ¡°You have the nerve to say you did nothing wrong? You scalded Mister Jeremy, and he left earlier because of you! If you still think you didn¡¯t do anything. wrong, why don¡¯t you give Dad a call and ask for his opinion?¡± Corinne lowered her head and there was a hint of cunning in her eyes, but she put on a frightened look and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call Dad. I¡¯ll think of a way¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sherlyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Tch! Do you honestly think you cane up with a way? Don¡¯t try to pull any funny business. Return your sry to me right now!¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Corinne took out her cell phone and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy probably hasn¡¯t gone far. I¡¯ll call his secretary and see if I can ask him toe back.¡± Sherlyn was taken aback for a moment, and her guard was up What? Why would you have his secretary¡¯s number?¡± Corinne had a calm expression as she casually said, ¡°Oh, I happened to meet his secretary when I I went out of the restroom, so I chatted with him for a while and asked if he could leave his phone with me.¡± ¡°Why did you ask him for his number for no good reason? Are you going to try and seduce him again?¡± Sherlyn remarked bitterly and sarcastically 1 Corinne shook his head earnestly wasn¡¯t going to seduce anyone it¡¯s just Fm your assistant now and since you¡¯re paying me such a high sry, it¡¯s only right for me to do my job I thought of I son sol ed him for his contact information in some resources for your work Dad also told ho there ar could me this morning to be more grateful to you and help as much as I can with your work.¡± Sherlyn stared at Connne suspiciously before snorting coldly with disdain. ¡°Good to know that you¡¯re more aware now! What are you waiting for, then? Give his secretary a call! I¡¯m curious to see if you can get Mister Jerectly toe back here?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Til try my best Corinne lowered her eyes, turned around, and dialed the number The call was soon connected and Tommy said respectfully. ¡°What¡¯s the matter Miss Corinne 7 Corne then asked politely Mister Tommy could you tell Mister Jeremy that I was wrong to do what I did and d like him toe back here and have lunch? Tommy was not ustomed to hearing Connne speak to him in such a polite manner, and he was stunned for a moment. He then replied. Tm sorry Miss Corinne, but Mister Jeremy is heading back to thepany for a meeting right now and Im afraid he wont be able to have lunch I Conne sighed regretfully see Sherlyn stared at Corinne and tried to eavesdrop on the conversation, not hear the person on the other end of the line Connne thought for a while and then said ¡°W he be free tonight, then? Id like to show my sincerity by personally cooking for him as a show of apology Can you ask him if he¡¯ll give me another chance? Tommy hesitated ¡°Umm Okay hold on for a bit. Let me ask him Corinne nodded Sure, go ahead¡± The ck Mercedes Benz was driving at a constant speed on the road, and Tommy turned his head from the front passenger seat to look at Jeremy sitting behind. A palm print that resulted from a p could vaguely be seen on the man¡¯s cheek, and his handsome face was as cold as ever. There was a gloominess in his expression, and he leaned his head back on the chair while closing his eyes to rest. As always, his thoughts remained an enigma. There was one thing Tommy could be sure of though-Jeremy was in a particrly bad mood at that moment. Tommy said cautiously. ¡°Sir, Miss Corinne just called to ask if you¡¯d be interested to have dinner together with her. She said that she was wrong for doing what she did to you earlier, and she wanted to apologize to you by cooking a meal for you. She asks whether you¡¯d have time tonight.¡± After hearing her name and recalling the p she gave him, Jeremy frowned in annoyance and did not even bother opening his eyes. He merely opened his lips and said coldly, ¡°No.¡± Tommy had no choice but to turn and answer the phone. ¡°Miss Corinne, he says he¡¯s=¡± The man in the rear passenger seat nced up all of a sudden and said in a deep voice, ¡°Ask her for the time and ce.¡± Tommy¡¯s words were interrupted, and he paused briefly before saying, Right!¡± After discussing the time and ce with Corinne on the phone, Tommy hung up the phone and turned his head to report to Jeremy. ¡°Sir, she said that dinner will be at eight o¡¯clock tonight in room eight-o- eight of the Moonlight Hotel.¡± Jeremy¡¯s handsome eyes narrowed slightly. ¡®She invited me¡­to have dinner in a hotel?¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Elsewhere¡­ After Corinne set a time and ce with Tommy, she hung up the phone and pulled the chair to sit. She was famished, and she really needed to eat. The ce Corinne told Tommy about was actually set by Sherlyn. When Corinne was on the phone with Tommy, Sherlyn came over and ced her ear next to the phone to listen. Once she knew Jeremy agreed to the dinner invitation, she quickly told Corinne to set the dinner in the hotel. Corinne did not have a problem with that, so she told Tommy ording to what Sherlyn said. Corinne had just picked up the cutleries to eat when Sherlyn grabbed them. ¡°Stand up! Who gave you permission to sit and eat?¡± Corinne¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Sherlyn, I¡¯ve fixed the problem. I should be able to eat something.¡± Sherlyn gave her a disdainful look. ¡°What problem did you fix? Mister Jeremy didn¡¯te back to eat lunch with me, did he? Although you¡¯ve arranged for dinner to happen, you didn¡¯tpensate for the loss I spent on this meal!¡± Corinne looked at the table full of food and said, ¡°But you¡¯ve ordered the food. I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t finish it by yourself.¡± Sherlyn did not care. ¡°I can bring them all home if I can¡¯t finish them. It¡¯s not going to be your turn to eat them. Do you think you¡¯re worthy to eat expensive dishes from The Wild Bites? Do you even know how to savor these gourmets? The Wild Bites will think you degraded them if they know their food is going to be eaten by a country bumpkin!¡± Corinne sneered coldly and stood up. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll get going.¡± With an angry stare, Sherlyn growled, ¡°Go? Where?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken the rest of the day off. Didn¡¯t you agree to it? I¡¯m going back home to rest now!¡± ¡°That was then, and now I¡¯m disallowing you. Corinne Carew, you¡­ Stop right there! Corinne Carew!¡± Sherlyn was so infuriated that she was about to go stop Corinne from leaving when Corinne did not stop as shemanded. At that moment, however, her phone rang. It was her mother. She did not have the time to care about Corinne. ¡°Hello? Mom¡­¡± On the other side of the phone, Lilliana asked anxiously, ¡°Sherlyn, how did your ambassador deal with Newmoon Group go?¡± While staring in the direction where Corinne left, Sherlyn answered, ¡°It¡¯s almost a done deal, but I have another problem now. Mom,e to The Wild Bites. I ordered a whole table of food, and I can¡¯t finish them alone!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°The Wild Bites? Why are you eating in such an expensive ce?¡± ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s all Corinne¡¯s fault! Come here, and I¡¯ll tell you about it. Don¡¯t let Daddy know!¡± Sherlyn exined. ¡°Alright, wait for me. I¡¯ming now!¡± Lilliana said. 20 minutester, Lilliana arrived at The Wild Bites. ¡°Sherlyn, what happened? Tell me now!¡± she asked anxiously straight after she sat. For the next couple of minutes, Sherlyn told her mother everything that happened from when she met Jeremy, to the dinner date she would have with Jeremy in the hotel on this very night. The ecstatic Lilliana gave her support to her daughter. ¡°You did a good job setting the meeting ce in the hotel! This is your chance to be Mister Jeremy¡¯s woman!¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Despite everything. Sherlyn was a little ufortable. ¡°Mom, I do like Mister Jeremy, but he¡¯s a married man. That¡¯s why I hesitate a little. What if Lilliana, however, did not think that was a problem. ¡°So what if he¡¯s married? Remember how I stole your father from his wife, and look how far I came. If his wife can¡¯t keep her man, then shame on her. Everyone has the chance to fight! Sherlyn, listen to me. It¡¯s better to be Mister Jeremy¡¯s mistress than marry an ordinary man. You have a whole life in the future, and there¡¯s a chance for you to be his wife in the future, too!¡± It sounded like solid advice, but Sherlyn was genuinely faltering. ¡°But he¡¯s a cold and proud person. I don¡¯t really dare to go near him¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the young master of the first-tier family, a man who has had power over everything since he was a child. It¡¯s normal to have that kind of personality. Don¡¯t worry. After we finished eating, I¡¯m going to bring you to buy something good!¡± Lilliana tried to convince her daughter. ¡°What is it?¡± Sherlyn asked. ¡°You¡¯ll knowter!¡± said Lilliana, intending to keep her idea a secret until they finished their meal. Despite her mother being mysterious. Sherlyn trusted her. Her mother was always a person with many tricks up her sleeve, and she reckoned her mother must have thought of a good idea for her After both of them finished eating in The Wild Bites, Lilliana brought Sherlyn to the market. Even with a hat and a pair of sunsses on, Sherlyn was unable to cover how disgusted she felt. It was not a ce suitable for a celebrity like her. ¡°Mom, why did you bring me here?¡± Lilliana smiled cynically. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to cook for Mister Jeremy tonight? You have to buy the ingredients now.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°You know I don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± grunted Sherlyn. Tll just order some food and pretend I cook them!¡± Lilliana pulled her daughter to a quiet corner and lectured her softly. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything! I¡¯m going to buy a special mushroom called cordyceps. It¡¯s going to taste delicious when cooked with fennel. Most importantly, those two ingredients can enhance aphrodisiac activity in men. Once Mister Jeremy eats them, he¡¯s not going to be able to hold himself. I¡¯ll go to the hotel and cook for you tonight. After tonight, you¡¯re going to be Mister Jeremy¡¯s woman!¡± Sherlyn¡¯s cheeks turned rosy red as she excitedly looked at the vegetable and cordyceps in the bag, thinking her mother was a genius toe up with this idea. At the same time, Corinne took a taxi to go back to the Holdens¡¯ estate. When she was about to enter, a white can drove up to her. The driver rolled down the window and waved at her. ¡°Hey, Miss. Do you know which one is the Holdens¡¯ estate?¡± Corinne stood still and looked at the fat driver with sunsses. ¡°Why are you looking for the Holdens¡¯ estate?¡± The driver giggled sillily. ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver what they ordered from me, but they didn¡¯t give me a detailed address. I only know it¡¯s somewhere around here, but I don¡¯t know which one.¡± Corinne raised her brow alertly. ¡°And what thing is this that you want to deliver?¡± *Just some groceries, vegetables, and fruits. They¡¯re at the back of my car,¡± the driver exined. cheerfully and used his thumb to point to the back. Corinne looked over the back of the car¡­ Suddenly, the back door of the van opened, and a man with his face covered by a mask appeared and used a spray mist to spray on Corinne¡¯s face. Instantly, Corinne passed out. Before she fell to the ground, she was pulled into the car by the man. He closed the door, and the van drove away quickly to flee the scene. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 It was 8 p.m., and Jeremy arrived at Moonlight Hotel. When he got to the front desk, the receptionist gave him a key card to Room 808 and stated the female customer had arranged it earlier. Arriving at Room 808, Jeremy used the key card to enter. It was a suite with avish interior design. He spotted no one in the room, but he could make out the sound of water running in the bathroom. He walked past the bathroom and nced into it with his dark eyes. There, he could see the silhouette of a woman having a shower through the engraved ss door. His pupils shrunk. He pursed his lips while his subconscious told him to look away. It was then he noticed there were six steaming hot dishes with one soup on the dining table. Did the little rascal cook these for him? He once heard about the butler mentioning how Corinne would sometimes make some snacks for herself to eat at home. Could the brat, who looked spoiled, know how to cook after all? Jeremy narrowed his eyes and saw a note beside the te. [Dearest Mister Jeremy, please feel free to dig in if you¡¯re here. Don¡¯t wait for me. The food tastes. better when it¡¯s hot. I¡¯m going to take a shower to freshen up after the cooking I did just now. Dearest? Jeremy raised his brow. Unknowingly, his lips curled up. What a rare asion it was. Corinne never cared about her look or manner when she was with him, yet she cared about getting rid of the smell from the cooking when she invited him to dinner. She even had the dinner set up at the room table. What was she thinking? A smirk appeared on his face as he pulled the chair and sat elegantly. Using the cutleries set up nicely, he reached for the dishes and tried them. They tasted fine-nothing too spectacr but nothing terrible either. These dishes could neverpare to the food he had a professional chef prepare for him every day. It was the thought that counted, however, and these dishes did have a distinct taste to them. After tasting some of the food, he put down the cutleries and pinched his be. He looked exhausted, and it looked as though was caught in ambivalence. Since his early years, he had been busy with his family business. He had no time to engage in a rtionship and was always an indifferent person, so he never had any interest in any woman. Corinne appeared in his life roughly 20 days ago. At first, he only wanted to find a woman to help. him meet his grandfather¡¯s wishes, yet he kept thinking of her amid his busy schedule. Her smile, the way she frowned when she was angry, and how she managed to irritate him every time¡­.. These traits of hers warmed his heart. He withdrew a tissue and wiped his mouth. The affectionate kiss from this afternoon reappeared. in his mind, and so did the thing she said angrily. ¡°But you are still a man!¡± He admitted he was distraught at that moment, and he just could not help himself. Maybe he should reconsider his rtionship with the little rascal. Just then, the bathroom door opened. Sherlyn walked out with a towel wrapped around her body Even though she knew Jeremy was there, she pretended to look surprised and abashed while grabbing her towel tightly N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Oh! Mister Jeremy, you¡¯re here. I didn¡¯t know that 1-1 forgot to take my clothes into the bathroom just now¡­¡± Jeremy furrowed his brow. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Sherlyn was stunned. ¡°Umm¡­ I was the one who invited you to have dinner here. Who else can it be?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes as his gaze burned. ¡°Corinne. Where is your assistant?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re asking about her¡­ Mister Jeremy, I¡¯m so sorry. My assistant used to live in the country. She has a weird personality and iscking experience. I hold great responsibility too when she identally spilled tea on you yesterday. I shouldn¡¯t have hired such a lousy person to be my assistant. I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡¯ll fire herter!¡± She then slowly walked toward him, carefully swinging her hips seductively as though unintended. but she tripped over. Her towel fell and so did she, yet she managed to pose in a very sexy position. ¡°Ah!¡± she whimpered. ¡°Mister Jeremy, please, can youe and help me stand? My leg hurts¡­¡± Jeremy got up on his feet and walked toward the naked Sherlyn¡­ Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Jeremy''s footsteps were closing in, and Sherlyn''s heart pounded heavily with the sound of the footsteps. ''He''sing, the man of my dreams. My future ising to hold me in his arms" Nevertheless, her hope perished. Jeremy walked past her without batting an eye her way as he headed straight to the door. He did not even bother to look down.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Sherlyn froze. She extended her hand out and cried out with pity, "M-Mister Jeremy? Mister Jeremy? Why are you leaving? Where are you going? Don''t go, Mister Jeremy! My leg hurts... Help me." Jeremy did not bother and swiftly left. Sherlyn stood up and wanted to chase after him, yet she was naked and was at an inconvenience. It was not going to help even if she went to get her clothes. ''What happened? This can''t be happening!'' she screamed mentally. Lilliana had added both ingredients to each dish. She told her that it would only take a little time to take effect on men. The cutlery on the table was not in its original position, which meant Jeremy had eaten. Why was he still so apathetic to her when he saw her body? How did he not react? Jeremy walked out of the lift, glowering. His stormy face epassed a terrifying coldness. A few minutes ago, he was thinking about reconsidering his rtionship with Corinne and wanted to have a talk with her. All that, and Corinne used her sweet words to invite him to meet in the hotel. As it turned out, she was preparing for him to meet with a woman who had ill intentions for him! ''Heh. How generous of her! She doesn''t even care if her husband, me, would cheat on her after falling into another woman''s seduction! That little rascal! Has she even thought of me as her husband at all?'' He balled his fists so tightly that his veins protruded. Suddenly, his phone vibrated, indicating an iing call. It was from an unknown number. Aloofly, he epted the call and ced the phone next to his ear. "Jeremy Holden! Aren''t you worried your wife is not back at home yet? Why didn''t you even call her?" Jeremy stopped walking and asked, "Who are you?" "You don''t have don''t know who I am. I have your wife!" Jeremy sneered with his sullen eyes. "Is that so? Keep her, then. You can do whatever you want. with her." The kidnapper nearly choked on his saliva. "Jeremy Holden, what''s wrong with you?! She''s your wife!" It did not startle Jeremy. "I can always change wives." With that, he hung up the phone without any hesitation. Meanwhile, on the other end of the call... The kidnapper was in a deserted warehouse out in the wild. The kidnapper spat on the floor angrily when Jeremy hung up on him, then looked back at Corinne, who was tied down to the chair. "F*ck! I thought you were important enough to Jeremy Holden. I didn''t know you were so useless!" The conversation was on speaker mode, so Corinne could hear their conversation loud and clear. Jeremy''s choice of words, as well as his tone, were terrifyingly indifferent. Corinne closed her eyes. She was unsurprised by the oue, but she was somehow disappointed. Her lips curled into a sarcastic smile. As a matter of fact, she thought Jeremy would pay the ransom to save her. After all, he did say he would give her anything except his heart. How ironic it was that she believed in what he said. She was just a tool to him. Her life was not important to him at all until he was not willing to waste any time with her. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 With her mouth taped, Corinne widened her eyes and made noises to attract the man¡¯s attention, wanting to speak to him. The kidnapper, the fat man, deliberated on this before reaching out and pulling off the tape on her mouth. He initially taped her mouth out of fear that Corinne would scream for the whole city to hear. Since they were in the wilderness, however, shouting was not going to help her. Once the tape was ripped off of Corinne¡¯s mouth, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Since your know it¡¯s useless to threaten Jeremy, why don¡¯t you let me go?¡± The fat kidnapper snorted. ¡°Let you go? What about the work I did today? Little missy, you are quite beautiful. Why don¡¯t we have some fun together?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Fun? Sure! But you have to let me go first. I don¡¯t like being manhandled when I¡¯m bound.¡± This must have been their first time having such a cooperative hostage that the fat kidnapper and his companions were stunned as they exchanged looks with each other. The fat kidnapper narrowed his eyes alertly. ¡°Little missy, don¡¯t you even dare think about doing something!¡± Corinne blinked innocently. ¡°What can I do when this is your territory? Do you think a weak girl like me can run away when strong men such as yourselves are watching me? You didn¡¯t think highly of me, but you underestimate yourself.¡± The fat kidnapper smiled evilly. ¡°Of course there¡¯s no way for like to force myself onto women! It¡¯s more exciting that way!¡± Corinne sighed, and her expression faltered. ¡°But the ropes are affecting me. Hear me out: I used to work in a special job when I was studying to earn more money. I¡¯m good at serving people, if you catch my drift. I guarantee you¡¯ll experience the most exciting, exhrating time of your life.¡± The men cackled upon hearing her words. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re an expert, are you? Where did you work before?¡± ¡°I worked part-time in Twilight before.¡± ¡°Twilight? That¡¯s a high-ss bar, and it¡¯s very famous in New Capital City! I want to see how escorts in high-ss bars treat their customers! Go and untie her!¡± eximed the fat kidnapper. One of the guys gulped and hurried over to untie Corinne. Corinne stood up and loosened her muscles. After that, she looked up and smiled sexily. ¡°Where should we have fun?¡± The fat kidnapper pointed at a ce contemptuously. ¡°Here!¡± Corinne grew flustered. ¡°Here? With them watching?¡± The fat kidnapper smiled sciously. ¡°They¡¯re not just going to watch. They¡¯re going to join in the fun!¡± Corinne covered her mouth as though surprised by what she heard. After that, however, she giggled. ¡°Oh, but the more, the merrier. It¡¯s more satisfying that way!¡± The kidnappers were dumbstruck. ¡°This woman looks so pure, but she¡¯s a wild one all along!¡± ¡°Good! Good! I like the wild one!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get started now. I can¡¯t wait!¡± Corinne flicked her hair sexily and slowly undid a button as she walked toward the rotund kidnapper, who was drooling. He even thought Corinne was taking too long to take off her clothes and anxiously went up. trying to help her take off her clothes. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. All of a sudden, Corinne raised her leg and harshly kicked the fat man¡¯s abdomen, sending him tumbling back and vomiting. The other men¡¯s smiles faltered at the sight. The fat kidnapper held his stomach as he wheezed. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble, you b*tch! Kill her! Kill her!¡± With ferocious expressions, the rest of the kidnappers swung their punches at Corinne. Corinne did not panic. She took her time and took down the kidnappers one by one as they tried to hit her. In the end, all of the kidnappersy on the ground grunting in pain with fractured bones, unable to get up. Finally, she stepped on the fat kidnapper¡¯s stomach and rxed her wrist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I probably didn¡¯t exin myself properly. Twilight is a regr bar, and they never offer extra services! I worked as a part- time martial art coach and was responsible for training the guards working in the bar. I taught them to use their fists and legs to fight thugs like you!¡± The kidnappers looked at her with fear as if she was a devil. They were afraid Corinne would hit them again, fearing they would actually die in her hands. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 At this point, Corinne was tired. Thus, she gave the fat kidnapper ast kick and prepared to leave. However, the sound of iron screeching could be heard when the iron door of the warehouse opened from the outside. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Someone wasing in! It was a man about 1.75 meters tall with his hair dyed silver. He also sported a blue diamond stud on his left earlobe. Corinne looked at the man and took a few steps back warily as she studied the man. The kidnappers could not get up as some of them sustained fractured bones. When they saw the silver-haired man, however, they acted as though their savior hade. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Right on time, boss. Don¡¯t let that b*tch escape!¡± Corinne finally got a good look at the silver-haired man¡¯s face as he walked closer. The man¡¯s facial features looked perfect, but he had a scar on the left side of his cheek. That changed his character and assumed a cruel characteristic on him. The silver-haired man lifted his foot and stepped harshly on the fat kidnapper. ¡°You can¡¯t even take care of a woman? You useless piece of sh*t!¡± The fat kidnapper suffered tremendous pain, so much so that his eyeballs could pop out of their sockets. He passed out in pain. Right then, Corinne realized this silver-haired man was the mastermind who curated the kidnapping. She furrowed her brow and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± If this man could treat his own subordinate so brutally, it just showed he was not an easy person to deal with. The silver-haired man looked at Corinne like amb waiting to be ughtered. He sneered, ¡°You¡¯re not fit to know who I am.¡± Corinne did not panic. ¡°Then are you thinking of having fun with me like they did, too?¡± The silver-haired man examined her and looked disgusted. ¡°Every woman that yed with Jeremy Holden is disgusting.¡± Suddenly, he took out a pistol from his back and aimed it at Corinne¡¯s head. Corinne¡¯s pupils shrunk, but her calm disposition did not waver. ¡°We have no animosity between us. Even if I¡¯m useless to you, it doesn¡¯t mean you have to kill me.¡± The silver-haired man smiled cruelly, revealing his canine tooth that resembled the pointy tooth of a vampire. ¡°A useless hostage is better dead to avoid any trouble in the future.¡± After that, he was going to pull the trigger when all of a sudden, his phone rang. The silver-haired man stopped and took out his phone. No one knew what the caller said except for the silver-haired man, who had a frown on his face.¡± What? What¡¯s the situation now? I¡¯ll go there immediately.¡± After he finished talking on the phone, Corinne was nowhere to be seen. One of his subordinates pointed at the window of the warehouse. ¡°Boss, that b*tch just jumped out from that window!¡±, The silver-haired man red ferociously at the window and gritted his teeth, revealing his white, pointy canine tooth. Whatever. He had no time to spend on that woman, but she would be dead the next time they would meet. At that moment, a helicopter was flying in the sky. Tommy, in the cockpit, raised his voice as he tried to talk over the noise from the propellers. ¡°Sir, ording to thest ce the surveince spotted the van, the people who kidnapped Miss Corinne should be hiding in the deserted warehouse below us!¡± Jeremy looked serious. ¡°Land now!¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Corinne escaped from the warehouse and wandered in the wild alone without her phone. Her kidnappers must have thrown it away when they took her. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only It was pitch-ck, and the clouds obstructed any sliver of moonlight from reaching thend, making it difficult to tell the direction. Corinne thus tried to find a ce to hide until daylight woulde to find a way back. This ce was even worse than an actual jungle. She could have found a cave in one, but this wastnd had nowhere she could go to take shelter. Other than bramble weed, there was not even a tree that she could take cover in! Raindrops started to fall from the sky. Without a ce to take cover, she could only let the rain fall on her. All of a sudden, she heard footsteps from behind her, as well as a shlight beam moving at random. Only the aplices of the kidnappers were out here in the wild. Corinne held her breath and crawled into the bush to hide. The footsteps sounded as though they were getting closer as a tall man standing about a meter away shone his shlight on her, its beam awfully bright. ¡°Come out!¡± rang the man¡¯s voice, cold and threatening. Corinne knew the man must have discovered her hiding ce. Thus, she grabbed a fistful of mud in her hand and, leaping out, flung the mud at the man¡¯s face in an attempt to blur his vision. Knowing she could not defeat the silver-haired man because he was armed with a pistol, she had to obstruct his vision before she could attempt to run. However, the man¡¯s reaction was faster as he side-stepped, avoiding the mud, and grabbed her hand tightly. Realizing her n had failed, Corinne struggled to break free and swung her free hand to attack- ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± came the man¡¯s voice, calm and enduring. They were so close to each other that Corinne could hear the voice very clearly. This familiar sound¡­startled her. Subsequently, she was pulled into a warm hug as two strong arms epassed her. He ced his hand on the back of Corinne¡¯s head and rubbed her head to console her. ¡°There, there. It¡¯s fine now.¡± Corinne¡¯s tense nerves eased off at this moment. ¡°Mister, why are you¡­¡± ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Jeremy did not seem to be his usual calm self. His deep voice hinted he was slightly nervous as he carefully pushed her away with both of his hands on her shoulders. Under the limited light from the shlight, he used his eagle-sharp eyes to check for any injuries. Corinne shook her head and blinked in disbelief. Why was Jeremy here? He told the kidnappers to do anything they wanted to her, did he not? He did not even bother asking for the ransom amount and hung up the phone in evident annoyance. The rain grew heavier.. Jeremy¡¯s nervous gaze looked less tense when he did not see any obvious injury on Corinne¡¯s body. He took off his coat and put it over her, covering her from the rain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte,¡± he muttered apologetically. Corinne stood quietly and looked at the man in front of her. She was not used to the way Jeremy was treating her. As a matter of fact, he was notte and was instead rather swift. It was less than half an hour after the fat kidnapper called him threateningly. Even if he rushed here driving from the city, it would have taken him at least two hours to drive. It was amazing that he could reach here within half an hour. How did he do it? ¡°Sir!¡± Tommy ran over, panting and quickly opening the umbre to shield Jeremy from the rain. He was relieved to see Corinne in Jeremy¡¯s arms as well. ¡°Thank goodness. You found Miss Corinne! Miss Corinne, are you alright?¡± Corinne shook her head faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Tommy was relieved. If anything happened to Corinne, he was dead sure Jeremy would be pissed. After what happened today, Tommy could tell Jeremy¡¯s feelings for Corinne had gone past how he should feel for a contracted wife. Jeremy cared about Corinne-and very much so. ¡°Sir, a storm is picking up, and the helicopter can¡¯t fly in such weather. I¡¯ve arranged for the nearest car to pick us up, and it¡¯s here. Why don¡¯t you and Miss Corinne get in the car?¡± That answered Corinne¡¯s question. ¡®That exined why they arrived so fast. They came here in a helicopter.¡¯ Jeremy responded and gave hismand, ¡°Stay here until the police arrive. Make sure all the kidnappers are captured. Don¡¯t let any of them go. ¡°Sir, yes, sir!¡± Tommy nodded. ¡°Understood!¡± After that, Jeremy carried Corinne and strode toward the car in front of them, all while Tommy escorted them with the umbre. The flustered Corinne struggled to get down from Jeremy¡¯s arms. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m not hurt. I can walk by myself¡­¡± However, Jeremy tightened his arms to hold her still. He looked down and warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you move again, I¡¯m going to throw you into the ditch.¡± Corinne did not dare to move anymore. She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. ¡®How is it that this man can¡¯t be nice to me for more than three seconds?¡± Jeremy put Corinne safely on the front passenger seat and even helped her to fasten the seat belt. Because of that, their faces were dangerously close to one another. Corinne was not used to that and tried to buckle her seatbelt herself. She reached for the safety belt and pulled it to her, but she did not know what came together was Jeremy¡¯s body too. Jeremy¡¯s body faltered, having been pulled down as Corinne tugged at the belt. His chin ended up resting on her corbone. He turned his head to the side and identally, his lips grazed her fair neck. His pupils shrunk, and his throat felt dry. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed before he quickly let go and straightened himself. Due to the intimate contact that sent a jolt of electricity within Corinne, she had shivers all over .her body. She turned her head to the side sheepishly and blinked off her embarrassment. Straightening himself, Jeremy stood beside the door and red at her from a condescending angle, his gaze burning with ardor. The little rascal looked¡­awfully seductive. As he closed the door for her, he untightened his necktie in annoyance, walked to the driver¡¯s seat, and got into the car. The rain continued to pour heavily as the car drove on the road in the wilderness, the wipers swiping left and right continuously. Neither of them said anything, and the ambiance was awkward. Finally, Corinne cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t care about me and told the kidnappers to do anything that they want with me? Have you found your way to your consciousness and decided to rescue me?¡± Jeremy nced at her faintly. ¡°You heard everything?¡± Corinne looked out the window and used her hand to support her chin. ¡°Yes. I heard everything,¡± she grunted, ¡°and I think you¡¯re a jerk, too!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Jeremy looked at the road in front of him and exined, ¡°If I showed that I was eager to rescue you, those people wouldn¡¯t let their guard down with you. They¡¯d even use the cruelest method to torture you in an attempt to provoke me. ¡°Plus, I have to deal with this discreetly and not alert anyone. What if there are more people thinking of kidnapping you to threaten me in the future? You won¡¯t have any peace, even if our rtionship ends.¡± ¡®Hm¡­ He¡¯s got a point, though.¡¯ Corinne thought. ¡®Jeremy¡¯s identity is very special. It¡¯s only natural that many would try to look for his weakness to threaten him.¡± She curled her lips sarcastically, looked over to Jeremy¡¯s side, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°So you know you¡¯re going to bring a lot of trouble to my life.¡± She cheekily raised her eyebrows as she spoke, her red lips revealing her pearly white teeth. Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯s face looked tense. His eyes turned red, and his throat went dry in thirst. With just one look at her, a strange sensation ran through his body hotly, and the heat rushed through every part of his body. It was not a weird feeling, and all adult men knew what it meant. He stepped on the brake without any warning, sending Corinne lurching forward. Thankfully, her seatbelt pulled her back. She furrowed her brow and looked at Jeremy curiously. ¡°Mister, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Get down,¡± Jeremy demanded coldly. Corinne was dumbstruck, clueless as to what was happening. ¡°What? It¡¯s raining! What did I do to you?¡± Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Jeremy stared straight ahead and demanded, ¡°Get down, and go sit at the back!¡± Corinne was infuriated. She did not remember saying anything inappropriate, and she did not understand why Jeremy would be enraged all of a sudden. What an absurd person he was! If whatever she said was going to provoke him, she would stay out of his way! ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll get down! It¡¯s quieter in the back too, and I don¡¯t have to look at his face!¡¯ Corinne thought angrily. She unfastened the seat and reached for the door, not forgetting to shoot Jeremy a pointed look. However, it was then she noticed the blue veins on Jeremy¡¯s hand visible as he grabbed the steering wheel tightly like he was tortured. With furrowed eyebrows, she asked, ¡°Mister, are you alright?¡± Jeremy did not answer her question and insteadmanded, ¡°Get down, now!¡± At this moment, Corinne felt that something was amiss. She closed the door which she opened and turned to face Jeremy. ¡°Mister if you¡¯re not feeling well, it¡¯s better you don¡¯t drive. It¡¯s going to be dangerous,¡± she advised. ¡°I can drive.¡± Suddenly, Jeremy turned to face her. His eyes looked zed over and had an abnormal type of redness in them. Corinne was confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on with you-mph!¡± Before she finished her sentence, Jeremy pulled her by the cor and ced hisrge hand on the back of her head, kissing her like his life depended on it. The shell-shocked Corinne¡¯s eyes widened as she tried to push him away. ¡®What is he doing? Is he crazy? The car stopped in the middle of the road!¡¯ she thought. Their kiss deepened, but even then, Jeremy thought it was not enough. He wanted more. Corinne was so angry that she chomped down on his lip. As the pain snapped Jeremy out of his trance, he stopped and pushed her away with the remaining weak self-restraint he had, using his thumb to wipe away the blood from the corner of his lip. Panting, he warned, ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to spiral out of control and do that to you again, go sit at the back now!¡± His face, body temperature, and condition were abnormal. Suddenly, Corinne realized something, and she was no longer bothered to be angry about the way Jeremy forced his lips onto hers. She grabbed his wrist to feel his pulse. Furrowing her eyebrows, she asked, ¡°What did you eat tonight?¡± ¡®Why is she checking my pulse?¡¯ Jeremy tried to suppress his desire that was running amok and looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°What do you think?¡± A thought appeared in Corinne¡¯s mind. ¡°Did you go to Moonlight Hotel to meet with Sherlyn?¡± Even when Jeremy¡¯s mind nearly crumbled, he was still infuriated when Corinne mentioned the hotel. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who invited me to the hotel and said you were going to cook for me as an apology?¡± he sneered. Corinne used her hand to support her forehead and finally understood what was happening. Sherlyn must have drugged him, and it was taking effect! All Sherlyn had been thinking of every day was getting her hands on a powerful, rich man. Both she and her mother would do anything to fulfill that goal. The thing Corinne did not understand was why Jeremy would eat liked Sherlyn. Moreover, he was an alert person too. What she did not know, however, was that Jeremy had no idea dishes. That was the only reason why he was willing to try them. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Corinne continued to check his pulse and said, ¡°Tell me. What did you eat?¡± To solve the problem, she had to figure out what was causing it. Jeremy was under the impression that Corinne might have medicinal knowledge with the way she interrogated him. The moment he looked at her red lips, however, the warm feeling rushed up his chest again. He looked to the side coldly and said, his voice hoarse, ¡°A dish with a kind of mushroom and vegetable cooked together.¡± Bingo! The symptoms matched. The mushroom must have been cordyceps, a type of mushroom not many knew of. Corinne once read from a medical book that cordyceps had an aphrodisiac effect. If eaten alone, It could spice up the sex life for a couple. However, if it was eaten with fennel, the effect would. greatly increase, and men could hardly control themselves. The worst part about this was there was no cure. The only way to clear the toxin was to have sexual intercourse. With the conclusion derived, Corinne let go of Jeremy¡¯s wrist to avoid physical contact that might trigger his desire. ¡°Umm¡­ Mister, I think you¡¯re poisoned by that mushroom, and it¡¯s taking effect on you now.¡± Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Jeremy desperately tried to quell the foreign sensation in his body and responded deeply. He had already figured it out. Corinne looked at him sympathetically as she raised her brow. ¡°Are you able to drive? Maybe I should do it instead.¡± ¡°No.¡± He started the car engine and grabbed the steering wheel. ¡°Go sit at the back!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Knowing the true reason why Jeremy asked her to move to the back, she was no longer. angry. However, she did not go to the back by getting down as it was pouring heavily outside. She leaped to the back straight from the front passenger seat. As soon as she was at the back, Jeremy quickly raised the partition ss to separate the front. and back so they were in different spaces. Despite that, they were still in the same car, with only the partition block separating them. They could still hear each other¡¯s breaths. Corinne felt conflicted. She knew Jeremy was trying to control himself, and she could not possibly pretend to not know it. The downpour intensified, causing the road to pool with shallow water and making it unsafe to continue driving. Thus, Jeremy drove to a motel in the suburb. The front desk receptionist informed them there was only one vacant room left. It was an awkward moment for Corinne. If this happened on a normal day, she would not have minded being with Jeremy in the same room. It was not like they had never done that before back. home. Corinne would sleep on the bed, and Jeremy would take the sofa. They would easily leave each other alone then. Today was different. Jeremy identally ate something, and his libido skyrocketed because of it. What if he could not control himself? While Corinne was hesitating, Jeremy said, ¡°We¡¯ll take it.¡± Her head snapped toward him as she gazed at him warily. Jeremy¡¯s expression looked dark though without expression. He epted the key card desk and pulled Corinne with him to take the lift. Since the lift was a closed space, Corinne¡¯s guard heightened. Jeremy¡¯s pants were audible, and if anything, it served as a warning to Corinne. She looked to the side, thinking of inspecting his condition, but she realized Jeremy had been staring at her. Their eyes met. She knew what he was enduring, and he knew what she was being guarded against. Both of their thoughts were visible in their eyes. Corinne blinked sheepishly and quickly looked away. Once they entered the room, Jeremy headed straight to the bathroom and closed the door. This eased Corinne¡¯s worried mind. She inhaled softly and sat down to think of a solution. When she was in the car, she did not exactly tell Jeremy the whole thing. If she remembered correctly, the medical book she read stated that cordyceps and fennel should not be eaten together because they would create a toxin. The only way to expel the toxin was by having sexual intercourse or there would be serious implications. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Based on the consumed dosage, the person could suffer paralysis in the lower bodypared to those who consumed less. That heavier consumption would result in death with blood overflowing the body. No one except Jeremy knew how much he consumed. Sherlyn was utterly despicable to have employed such a method. If she gave Jeremy Viagra instead of the cordyceps and fennel, he would just need to endure it and let it pass. Sherlyn was forcing Jeremy to sleep with her just to save himself, all so she could be his mistress. s, Sherlyn would never think Jeremy would not stay in the hotel until the effect had taken its toll on him. That was the part where she failed. Having thought of this, Corinne knew time was of the essence, and she should search on the inte to see if there was any way to help Jeremy expel the toxin. She reached into her pocket and only then realized the kidnappers threw her phone away. Luckily, she had Jeremy¡¯s coat with her, and his phone was in the pocket. She used his phone to search for whatever information she could find, but she had no luck. Out of the blue, she identally opened his recent call history. An idea popped into her mind as she quickly searched for Sunny¡¯s contact number and called him Chapter 176 Chapter 176 The call got through and, within moments, was connected. ¡°Hello?¡± said Sunny, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m doing my homework. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± said Corinne. ¡°Corinne?¡± blurted Sunny, his voice raised in surprise. He quickly cleared his throat and talked proudly, ¡°Corinne, why are you calling me with Jeremy¡¯s phone?¡± ¡°Is your sister at home?¡± she asked. This baffled Sunny. ¡°Why? Why are you looking for her?¡± Corinne knew she should not talk with Sunny about Jeremy¡¯s condition because he was still a child. ¡°Umm¡­ Jeremy needs her badly now. Can you ask if she¡¯s free toe?¡± Sunny thought something was wrong. ¡°She¡¯s not in the country now. It¡¯s probably going to be a while longer before shees back. Why does Jeremy want to look for my sister? Why doesn¡¯t he call her directly?¡± Sunny¡¯s sister could never help out Jeremy in time, not when she was out of the country! ¡°Nothing. Bye!¡± This evidently displeased Sunny. ¡°Hey, you! Wait, answer my question-¡± There was no time for Corinne to exin in detail, so she swiftly ended the call. Her n was to invite the apple of Jeremy¡¯s eye and let them have an enjoyable night, all while solving the toxin problem at the same time. It was killing two birds with one stone! That would have been the case if Sunny¡¯s sister was not out of the country. Corinne sighed helplessly. Just then, Jeremy¡¯s phone vibrated again. She thought Sunny had called back, but looking at the screen, she realized it was a call from Zeke. Her first reaction was to call Jeremy out of the bathroom to pick up the phone, but the moment she opened her mouth, she remembered theplication Jeremy was in and quickly closed her mouth. After some thought, she answered the call on Jeremy¡¯s behalf in case it was an urgent call. ¡°Hey, Jeremy, where are you?¡± As usual, Zeke sounded yful, and it did not sound like he had an urgent matter. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Corinne said faintly. Zeke grinned. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s you! Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the shower right now, and he can¡¯t answer the phone,¡± Corinne answered honestly. After two seconds of silence, Zeke chuckled. ¡°Oh, I get it. I¡¯m sorry for disturbing you two.¡± Corinne was stunned for a good few seconds before realization dawned on her what Zeke meant. Her face blushed. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t hang up yet!¡± Zeke nearly hung up. ¡°Huh? Is there something you want to tell me?¡± Corinne looked out the window and at the rain. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Does Jeremy have ex-girlfriends?¡± It never urred to Zeke that this would be the question Corinne would ask at this time. He chuckled. ¡°Why? Are you trying to get some information about Jeremy¡¯s past rtionships from me?¡± Innocently, Corinne said, ¡°No. I mean, can you help me to contact one of his ex-girlfriends toe and talk to him?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At this moment, Zeke was actually in a club sipping a ss of red wine. When he heard the request, he nearly choked. ¡°Cough, cough! What? You want to find Jeremy¡¯s ex-girlfriend to go there and talk to him? Geez, three people? Corinne, you guys¡­are into such hardcore stuff?¡± At first, Corinne did not understand what Zeke meant, but her brain immediately processed it and realized what Zeke was talking about. Her expression darkened, and her lips twitched. ¡°No! He¡¯s in a very particr situation right now. He needs a woman toe and-¡± Before she could finish, a big hand reached over from behind and took the phone away. Dumbstruck, Corinne turned around and saw Jeremy standing behind her. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Jeremy looked like he just finished his shower and had changed into the white robe. With his damp hair, he looked rxed and at ease, but his expression showed the exact opposite-it was dark and sullen, just like a devil. ¡°Err¡­ When did youe out, Mister?¡± Jeremy was calmer after taking a cold shower. When he left the bathroom, however, he saw Corinne talking on the phone near the window. He looked down at the screen and noticed the call was still connected, so he pressed the red button and ended the call. He looked up from the screen and red at Corinne. ¡°What are you trying to do, looking for my ex- girlfriend?¡± Corinne did not avoid the question and exined honestly, ¡°Your condition calls for reinforcement to help you settle, so I¡­¡± ¡°So you called people to help me look for a woman?¡± Jeremy sounded angry. Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t find any. Why don¡¯t you contact your ex-girlfriend and see if she¡¯s willing to rekindle with you?¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze darkened as the corners of his lips quirked. ¡°Miss Corinne, it looks like you really enjoy sharing your husband with another woman.¡± This morning, she even helped another woman to invite him to the hotel and had the woman poison him! Had he not left any sooner, what would have happened if the effect started earlier? s, it did not matter to her at all. Corinne scoffed and felt helpless. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. I¡¯m just trying to help you solve your problem.¡± ¡°An emergency?¡± Jeremy squinted and smiled, but his grin looked forced and not at all natural as he sneered, ¡°If you¡¯re so keen on helping others, why don¡¯t you do it and help me, your husband?¡± Corinne was stunned and furrowed her brow sheepishly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not your cup of tea¡­¡± Jeremy walked up to her and lifted her chin roughly. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty like I¡¯m in a desert. Do you think I¡¯d care if you¡¯re my cup of tea?¡± This startled Corinne, and she was aware of the danger. Her instinct told her to back up as her mind reeled. ¡°Really? If you don¡¯t mind, I can go to the board downstairs and see if there are any flyers. I heard it¡¯s very easy to call for a service nowadays¡­¡± How was it possible that she still thought of getting an escort of sorts for him? The anger in Jeremy¡¯s body had infused with his desire. The fire grew even hotter as his body temperature rose. ¡®How eager can she be? It looks like she genuinely doesn¡¯t mind if I sleep with another woman¡­ Heh.¡¯ Just as Corinne was trying to make a run for it, Jeremy grabbed her hand. He then pulled both of her hands to her back and mped them with just one hand. Pulling her hands down a little with a bit of force, her body was lifted a little, so she had no choice. but to lift her head and look at him. Corinne could not possibly overpower him, much less make a run for it. ¡°Mister, what are you doing? Let me go now!¡± Jeremy pushed her against the wall and raised one toned leg to press against the wall, between Corinne¡¯s knees. If she could struggle before, she could no longer break free at this moment. He lowered his head and brought his face close to hers. His heavy breathing fanned her scrunched face. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why should I look for other women when I have my wife here with me? Besides, those women aren¡¯t clean. Am I right, Miss Corinne?¡± Corinne frowned and looked to the side to avoid Jeremy¡¯s face which was dangerously close to hers. If he got any closer, their lips would meet. Jeremy was unhappy with that. His free hand grabbed her chin and forced him to turn his way, and he looked at her from a condescending angle. ¡°Are you so afraid that I¡¯ll sleep with you? So eager to push me to another woman? Huh?¡± The brat managed to trigger the desire he had just suppressed with a cold shower, and his body. heat red up again. He wanted nothing more than to bite this brat and devour her without spitting out any of her bones! Jeremy did not want to endure it anymore. His cold eyes burned passionately, fervently. Things were about to get out of control. Corinne gasped a full breath of cold air and said, ¡°Mister, please get ahold of yourself! Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m not your type!¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Jeremy¡¯s eyes reddened with desire as he stared at Corinne as though she was his prey. ¡°What if I tell you you¡¯re my type now?¡± Thunder boomed across the sky at that second. What started as mere rain quickly turned into a downpour as the winds picked up. Mystified, Corinne stared at Jeremy in bewilderment. After a while, she chuckled. ¡°Did you hear that? Even God doesn¡¯t believe in you; God knows you want to trick me into sleeping with you and want to strike you down with lightning.¡± Tricking her into sleeping with him¡­.? Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened, and the bluish veins on his forehead protruded. Corinne sighed. ¡°You¡¯re hallucinating because of the toxin. I can understand the toxin is the reason why you want to sleep with any women you see right now.¡± She could understand, she said? ¡°Corinne Carew! What kind of person do you think I am?¡± snarled Jeremy, his gaze prative as his breath fanned her face. It smelled oddly nice, however,ced with the scent of good-quality tobo. Corinne frowned and looked determined as if she was not going to let Jeremy do anything to her.¡± You are a man, one that¡¯s losing control of himself because of the desire in his body taking over his mind!¡± ¡°Exactly! You¡¯re d*mn right!¡± Jeremy sneered with gritted teeth. Judging by the way he was panting and how his chest was heaving, he was losing control. He lowered his head and pressed his lips onto Corinne¡¯s. Her eyes widened as she began to struggle against the man, strong as he was. Shaking her head, she bit him. Her struggle paid off as she managed to free her hands from his grip, and Jeremy backed off panting. The shock remained in her system as she looked up with fear. Jeremy had turned his back on her. He grasped his fists tightly and walked toward the door, his footsteps sounding heavy as he did. Despite the wave of relief she felt, Corinne warily called out to him, ¡°Cough! W-Where are you going?¡± Jeremy did not look back as he hoarsely answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep in the car. Stay here. Wake up at seven tomorrow morning and look for me downstairs.¡± It was an odd sensation he was feeling as though millions of ants were crawling in his body. He could very well lose control if he did not get away from Corinne. In truth, he never thought of forcing Corinne to sleep with him to solve the problem. He would not have lost his mind if he did not see her calling people to look for a woman to sleep with him when he just got out of the bathroom. He had to spend several minutes in the shower just to help regte his thoughts and desires, but this brat ruined everything. Corinne was stunned. She furrowed her brows and was in a dilemma as she looked at Jeremy¡¯s back. ¡®He doesn¡¯t know this situation isn¡¯t going to just go away if he endures it. If he doesn¡¯t sleep with anyone, the best he¡¯ll get out of this is paralysis in the lower body¡­¡± Thinking back to the days she spent with Jeremy-over 20 days-they have had a rather peaceful time. Discounting the few asions of him being overbearing, he treated her quite well. He was even willing to spend a fortune to bid on a painting for her. The weather was terrible outside; it was raining cats and dogs. Even if there was a woman willing to offer her body, she was in no way reaching here in time! Either Corinne decided to keep out of this and watch an innocent, healthy man end up paralyzed or dead¡­or she could offer to help him out and sleep with him. It was a difficult step for someone who never had intimacy at such a level. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Nheless, the reason Jeremy was poisoned was because of Sherlyn. Undeniably, Corinne yed a part in that, too. Moreover, he also rushed over as soon as he could to rescue her when he knew she was kidnapped. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 If Corinne decided to do nothing to help Jeremy in his predicament, it would no doubt haunt her in the future knowing she could have helped him but did not. Making up her mind, she took a deep breath. ¡°Wait, Mister! I¡¯ll help you!¡± Jeremy stopped walking as his heart pounded heavily. His mind and his desire were fighting each other like a vampire with thest humanity remaining in him when faced with human blood. He clung to thest strand of rationality from running over to Corinne. He narrowed his eyes sharply like a predator. ¡°Why?¡± Corinne walked over and turned to face Jeremy before hesitantly undid his bathrobe. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. Think of it as humanitarian aid. Besides, you¡¯re not that bad looking, and you have a good body too. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m at a disadvantage if I help you, so let¡¯s do this.¡± Every word she said pinpointed every reason for Jeremy to get angry. There was no emotion in her words, and all that was left was morality. Jeremy suppressed his desire and asked, ¡°If the man standing in front of you isn¡¯t me now but another man in the same situation, are you going to be so kind and generous to help him?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°If he¡¯s a good guy, I will.¡± Jeremy would have let this go, but her exnation served only to infuriate him. ¡®That means I¡¯m not special since she¡¯s going to be kind enough to take off her clothes for other men too!¡¯ He wrapped his arm around Corinne¡¯s waist with the intent to punish her while he looked at her from high above. ¡°Fine. Since you¡¯re so benevolent, I¡¯ll ept your offer.¡± Corinne wanted to say something else, but Jeremy passionately seized her lips with his which stopped her from talking. Lifting her off her feet, he then tossed her onto the bed and pressed his toned body against her. As he used his calloused hand to remove the strands of hair on her face, he asked, ¡°Any thoughts of backing out?¡± Corinne was dazed after the kiss. She closed her eyes and refused to face him. She said. stubbornly, ¡°I won¡¯t regret doing something benevolent.¡± It sparked the desire in Jeremy¡¯s eyes into fire. He smiled sarcastically. ¡°Fine. Even if you regret it now, I¡¯m not going to let you go. Don¡¯t cryter, oh merciful Corinne.¡± Corinne panicked. As a matter of fact, she realized she was slowly falling into it, but she pretended that she was reacting in this way only because she was trying to save Jeremy, ignoring other feelings that appeared during this moment. It would be easier for her to deal with her rtionship with Jeremy in the future. It would be less difficult to keep their rtionship as cooperative partners; they could end it anytime they want. It was a night of highs and lows. When Corinne woke up, the sun was already up in the sky, shining brightly. She tried to sit up, but everything was hurting so much that it felt as though she was beaten up. Realizing she was the only one on the bed, she reached for a bathrobe and put it on before she got off the bed, intending to go to the bathroom. However, she quickly noticed that the door was half- opened as voices were heard in the hallway. It was Tommy¡¯s voice. She walked over to take a look. ¡°Sir, the kidnappers are put behind bars, but their leader refused to admit those are his subordinates and even prepared an alibi to prove he wasn¡¯t there. There were no traces that he had contacted those people too. The police couldn¡¯t do anything, so they let him go.¡± ¡°Find that guy and bring him to me,¡± Jeremymanded. ¡°Understood!¡± Jeremy pushed the door and walked into the room where he saw Corinne groggily standing near the door. His brow furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re awake?All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Corinne looked at Jeremy, blinked sheepishly, and mumbled in response sleepily. Jeremy had changed into a new set of formal wear. Tommy must have brought it to him. Corinne thought for a while and said, ¡°Um¡­ My clothes are unwearable. Can you please have someone bring me a new set of clothes?¡± Jeremy nced at the torn clothes on the floor. He narrowed his eyes as he recalled he nearly tore the little rascal into pieces. It was a satisfying night that he would remember forever. He raised his hand to pass a shopping bag to her that he just brought in. ¡°Tommy bought these in the shopping mall. The size may not fit you, but put these on for now. You can change into your clothes after we get home.¡± Corinne epted it. ¡°Thank you.¡± She went into the bathroom to freshen up and put on the clothes. It was a dress that straightforward men would like. The size was one size too big, but she luckily could still wear R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only them. After she had put on the clothes, she came out and saw Jeremy smoking on the balcony. Facing his back, she said, ¡°Mister, I have something to do, so I¡¯ll get going.¡± Jeremy looked back and nced at her unhappily. He exhaled the smoke and said, albeit sounding rathermanding, ¡°Come here.¡± ¡®What¡¯s this for?¡¯ Corinne walked toward him reluctantly and stopped a few steps away from him to maintain some distance. ¡°What can I do for you, Mister?¡± Jeremy turned and leaned on the rail while putting off his cigarette. ¡°Why are you still calling me Mister?¡± Corinne was confused by this. ¡°Well, what else should I call you if not that?¡± Jeremy narrowed his long eyes. ¡°What do you think? What should a woman call her husband?¡± Corinne blushed and pursed her lips embarrassingly. ¡°Mister, can you stop teasing me? I helped you solve your problemst night¡­ Also, it¡¯s not funny!¡± ¡®She thinks I¡¯m teasing her? Jeremy sneered. ¡°But of course, oh benevolent one. I surely can¡¯t treat you badly.¡± Corinne did not know what he meant by that, but she was not looking for any repayment. She was -not forced to do itst night nor was she foolish. Although she felt a little helpless, her mind was clear and she voluntarily did the deed. She did it because she wanted to save him, not because she was sacrificing her body to him with the intention to exchange for something. Suddenly, Jeremy straightened himself and approached her. With his calloused long grabbed her chin, lowered himself, and kissed her lips. Corinne was stunned. Instinctively, she backed up, but Jeremy put his hand around her waist and pulled her toward him. Afterst night¡¯s intimate act, she was not scared of Jeremy¡¯s actions. She just did not understand She had no choice but to let Jeremy kiss her. After he let her go, she pouted and furrowed her brow. ¡°Mister, is there still some toxin in your body?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression faltered at this, and the gentleness in his eyes disappeared immediately. ¡®What the hell is wrong with this brat? She¡¯s normally very smart and attentive, but why is she so daft now? This brat doesn¡¯t know what romance is! When they checked out, the front desk told them there were red stains on the bed sheets that could not be removed, so they needed to pay the fee for it. Red stains that were unremovable¡­ Others would think she was on her period and identally stained the bed sheets. However, Jeremy and Corinne knew exactly what the red stains were. Corinne looked down shyly. Even her ears were burning red hot. Jeremy¡¯s lips curled into a little smile when he saw how flustered Corinne was. He took out his wallet and grabbed a pile of cash and put it on the counter. ¡°Keep the change.¡± After he put away his wallet, he ced his hand on Corinne¡¯s shoulder and walked out with her to the car. Corinne regained her bearings when they got in the car. She rolled down the window to get some fresh air. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Jeremy turned his head and asked Corinne, ¡°Where would you like to go now?¡± She answered, ¡°My home, please. Thanks.¡± Jeremy started the car and drove into traffic as he said in a t tone, ¡°Quit your job as an assistant. I asked Tommy to arrange a job for you because I wanted you to have a means of killing time, not to let you be at someone else¡¯s beck and call.¡± Corinne turned to look at the man, and she had a pensive expression on her face. In her role as the dignified ¡®Missus Holden¡¯, working as an assistant to some small-time celebrity would only affect Jeremy¡¯s reputation. Going by that reasoning, she epted his request and said, ¡°I still have some things to wrap up, but I¡¯ll quit the job as soon as I¡¯m done.¡± Jeremy did not say a word and sent her back to her house. After getting out of the car, Corinne suddenly thought of something and leaned against the car window. ¡°Could you lend me some money, Mister? The kidnappers threw my phone away yesterday, and I don¡¯t have any cash on me right now.¡± Jeremy stared at her, took out his phone, and tossed it to her. ¡°The payment pin code is my birthday.¡± Corinne caught his cell phone, looked up at him in surprise, and asked, ¡°Umm¡­ When¡¯s your birthday again?¡± Jeremy shot her a cold look, turned his head to look in front of him, then raised the window and mmed his foot on the gas pedal as he drove off. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched, and she had no choice but to check it online. It was the seventeenth of September, which was not too long away. ¡®Is he trying to hint at me for a birthday present? Sherlyn and Lilliana were the only ones at the Carew family home as Marvin had gone out for some morning exercise. Sherlyn came home earlier that morning, and she was throwing a fit in the living room as she comined, ¡°Mom, you said that the recipe will make men unable to control their desires in front of women, right? But there was no reaction from Mister Jeremy when he saw me yesterday, and he didn¡¯t even help me when I fell naked! It was so embarrassing!¡± Lilliana frowned and remarked in confusion, ¡°But that can¡¯t be possible! It worked when I tried it on your father! If Jeremy eats that and doesn¡¯t sleep with you at least once, his body will experiencesting aftereffects, and he¡¯s lucky if all he suffers is some paralysis. In a worst-case scenario, he¡¯ll die from engorgement! The book states that a man¡¯s instinctive desires will cause them to be overwhelmed by passion, which leaves them no choice but to find a way to release it!¡± As she spoke, she reached for the bookshelf and took out the book ¡®Quick Ways to Win Men¡¯s Hearts¡¯ that she had secretly hidden there. She turned to the page that detailed thebination of cordyceps and fennel, only to find that there was a footnote in the brackets at the bottom, which stated that cordyceps ¡®works only when the man who consumed it is in the presence of a woman that he is attracted to. It is the dopamine produced by the body that triggers the toxin to take effect. It is therefore ineffective when in the presence of other people¡¯. Meanwhile, the fennel yed a mere supporting role once the toxins of the cordyceps took effect.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sherlyn felt even more ashamed after knowing the real reason. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t Mister Jeremy find. me attractive? Does he think I¡¯m not good-looking? I have a good figure, good skin, and I¡¯m super talented too¡­¡± At that moment, the two of them heard someone opening the door with a key, and they immediately stopped their discussion thinking Marvin had returned. However, it turned out to be Corinne. Sherlyn immediately had a petnt expression and said, ¡°Where did you get the nerve toe. back here, Corinne? Since you took the sry I paid you without even working, I want you to return everything to me right now!¡± Corinne walked over and pped Sherlyn without the slightest hesitation. Sherlyn was shocked by what happened and covered her face in shock. ¡°You¡¯re crazy! How dare you hit me!¡± Lilliana became frantic when she saw what had happened. ¡°Corinne, you b*tch! Why did you p Sherlyn?¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Corinne wiped her hands slowly after taking tissue from the tissue box on the table. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I hit you when the two of you have been up to no good?¡± Had it not been for their underhanded means, she would not have lost her virginity the night before! When Lillianna saw that Corinne was acting uncharacteristically odd, she gritted her teeth with hatred and said, ¡°I knew you were just pretending to be a good girl in front of your father! You¡¯re showing your true colors now that he¡¯s not around!¡± Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°I could say the same for you, Aunt Lilliana. Your gentleness and obedience in front of my dad were all just a farce too, wasn¡¯t it? Do you need me to spell out what sort of horrendous behavior you did behind his back?¡± Lilliana felt choked by that, and she gritted her teeth before scolding angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t you darepare yourself to me. You¡¯re just a b*stard child!¡± Sherlyn sided with her mother and scolded, ¡°My mom is right, Corinne! You¡¯re a motherless b* stard child! I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson on behalf of your shameless mother!¡± As she cursed, she charged forward and raised her hand to p Corinne. Rather than dodging, Corinne grabbed Sherlyn¡¯s wrist firmly and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me a lesson! Why don¡¯t you look in the mirror and ask yourself how you managed to secure the contract with Holden Group¡¯s entertainment agency? I dare you to say it out loud.¡± Sherlyn was taken aback for a moment, and she was unable to withdraw her hand despite her best attempts to do so. She raised her chin arrogantly and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m talented, and the higher-ups just had to sign me after I captured their eye!¡± Corinne flung off Sherlyn¡¯s hand and said with a half-smile, ¡°I think it¡¯s because your godfather is the better person, right? By the way, does Dad know that you¡¯ve acknowledged that man as your godfather?¡± Sherlyn stood firm, stared at Corinne, and snorted in disdain. ¡°Is it wrong for me to have at godfather? I did it all for the sake of getting a better job and bringing honor to our family! And besides, my godfather and I have a pure father-daughter rtionship. It doesn¡¯t scare me if Dad finds out!¡± Sherlyn had never been afraid of that at all. If she were, she would not have shown off to Corinne that the godfather in question was a great director and would have kept that a secret. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne nodded. ¡°Sure, I believe that your rtionship with him is purely father and daughter, but I doubt that his rtionship with Aunt Lilliana is just as pure!¡± Sherlyn suddenly felt guilty, because she did not expect Corinne to know that much. She then quickly turned her head and looked at her mother Lilliana, who was rather calm as she said, ¡°What do you mean by that, Corinne? Sherlyn has been appreciated by all her seniors at work, and it¡¯s normal for her to be recognized as a goddaughter by them! What does this have anything to do with me?¡± Corinne looked at Lilliana and raised an eyebrow. ¡°As far as I know, Goran had a first love before he became famous, and the two of them lived together for several years. That so-called first love happened to be named Lilliana Reece, too! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too big of a coincidence that his first love shares the same name as you?¡± Lilliana¡¯s expression fluctuated dramatically. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Corinne then added, ¡°You¡¯re a charming woman, Aunt Lilliana, and there has to be a reason your old lover is willing to help your daughter even though you¡¯ve broken up with him so many years ago. He even acknowledges Sherlyn as his goddaughter now! Could it be¡­ that Sherlyn is Goran¡¯s daughter?¡± Lilliana pointed angrily at Corinne and said, ¡°Stop making false usations, Corinne! What do you know? What evidence do you have for saying that?¡± Corinne spread her palms. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡± Lilliana knew that a country girl like Corinne could never find any evidence, so she had a rxed expression and folded her arms confidently. ¡°I¡¯d watch your words if I were you. If you keep making wild usations without showing any evidence, I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell Dad and let him find the evidence.¡± Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Lillianaughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t use your father to threaten me! Do you think I¡¯m scared of telling you the truth? Who cares if I cheated on him? What¡¯s it to you if he isn¡¯t Sherlyn¡¯s father? Do you think your father will believe you if you tell him without any proof? Don¡¯t you know how much your father loves us? He believes everything we say, and even if he gets angry at us, he¡¯ll be fine after we butter him up a bit! If you tell him something without providing any evidence, he¡¯ll only think you¡¯re trying to drive a wedge between us! Save yourself the trouble!¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Corinne smiled, turned her head, and shouted toward the door, ¡°Did you hear that, Dad? Aunt Lilliana just admitted she cheated on you!¡± Both Lilliana and Sherlyn were taken aback by Corinne¡¯s remark and looked at the door in shock. The door of the house was kicked open, and Marvin walked in with a long face as he roared and cursed, ¡°F*cking shameless b*tch!¡± When Sherlyn saw what had happened, she hurried over to try to persuade her father, safe in the knowledge that he loved her most. ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t get angry! What Mom said earlier isn¡¯t true¡­¡± Marvin, however, pushed her viciously to the ground and cursed in disgust. ¡°Get the f*ck away from me! You¡¯re probably not even my daughter! You kept talking about having a father-daughter rtionship with your godfather, right? Go live with him, then! Don¡¯t call me ¡®Dad¡¯!¡± Sherlyn panicked, ¡°But Dad, I¡­¡± Marvin stopped talking to Sherlyn and rushed briskly toward Lilliana before giving her a tight p. ¡± F*cking b*tch! I fed you and gave you money, but you still cheated on me!¡± Lilliana fell miserably to the ground, and by the time she came back to her senses, she cried and shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t! Marvin, I swear I didn¡¯t cheat on you! I only said that out of anger! It was Corinne who made me lose my cool!¡± Marvin no longer believed her and scoffed in disdain. ¡°Anger, you say? Are you going to tell me that you and Goran weren¡¯t lovers in the past?¡± Lilliana immediately tried to formte a response. She knew it would not be convincing if she did not admit it, so she put on an aggrieved look and confessed tearfully, ¡°We were. I admit that we were, but that was long before I met you! There¡¯s nothing going on between us now!¡± ¡°So you say, but why would he recognize Sherlyn as his goddaughter for no reason? I think Sherlyn is actually his daughter!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°She¡¯s not! I swear I only said that to Corinne out of spite. Sherlyn is your daughter! If you don¡¯t believe me, we can go to the hospital for a paternity test! Corinne is just jealous that you¡¯re being so nice to me and Sherlyn, so she¡¯s trying to drive a wedge between us! Marvin, if you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯d rather just kill myself right now!¡± As she said that, Lilliana suddenly got up, rushed to the wall of the house, and hit her head hard before falling to the ground. Marvin was taken aback and immediately ran over to check on her situation. ¡°Lilliana, you¡­¡± Blood oozed out of the wound on Lilliana¡¯s head as she said weakly, ¡°Marvin, you have to trust me. I didn¡¯t cheat on you. Sherlyn is your child¡­¡± When Marvin saw her willingness to use death as a means of proving her innocence, he could not help but feel a little shaken. ¡°Would you dare to ask Sherlyn to take a paternity test?¡± Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Lilliana leaned into Marvin¡¯s arms and coughed twice. ¡°I am an honest woman, and I¡¯m not afraid of some test! Let¡¯s do it right now, Marvin! There¡¯s no point in me living anymore if we don¡¯t clear things up today and¡­¡± Before she finished, her eyes closed halfway, and she seemed to be in a state of half- unconscious pain. ¡°Mom! Mom?! Are you okay?!¡± Sherlyn rushed over, knelt beside Lilliana, and shook the unconscious woman¡¯s body anxiously. ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t scare me! Don¡¯t leave me¡­ Hic! Hic!¡± Marvin panicked, too. ¡°Lilliana! Lilliana! Wake up¡­¡± Lilliana closed her eyespletely and pretended to lose consciousness. Sherlyn was not too worried because she could tell Lilliana was simply pretending. To y along. with her mother, she cried and feigned resentment. ¡°What else will it take for you to believe Mom? Corinne came back to provoke us on purpose! Didn¡¯t you notice that we¡¯re always at odds with each other every time shees home? If something happens to Mom today, I don¡¯t want to live anymore either¡­¡± Marvin felt confused. He looked at his eldest daughter who was crying violently, and at his younger daughter who stood indifferently to one side. The scale in his heart began tilting toward the more pitiful looking of the two, which was Sherlyn. He thenshed out angrily at Corinne, ¡°Why are you just standing there, Corinne? Hurry up and call an ambnce! Are you only going to be satisfied if something serious happens to Lilliana?¡± Corinne¡¯s heart was filled with cold disdain, and she found the entire charade ratherughable too. Lilliana was a woman of many tricks, and it was no surprise that she would be so confident in Marvin¡¯s love for her and her daughter. It had been conclusively proven that Marvin¡¯s heart ached for the two of them as long as they shed tears. Though Lilliana and Sherlyn were stained with evil and malice, Marvin always remembered what little good things they did. In the end, he would forgive them, believe in them, and dote on them again. As for Corinne, who was thrown into the countryside at a young age, he remained strict with her and did not allow any shorings. If she so much asmitted a small error, all her past kind deeds would be forgotten and she would be bashed for her mistakes. After all, those who were spoiled and doted on had nothing to fear. Corinne did not say a word and immediately called an ambnce. When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor said that Lilliana¡¯s just had a minor scratch on her head. It was nothing serious, and a little disinfection of the wound was all that was required. Lilliana feigned difort and kept saying that she felt incredibly dizzy and nauseous. Sherlyn insisted that her mother was seriously injured and demanded that she be hospitalized for observation. The doctor exined that a slight concussion and some nausea were to be expected of a patient that had just hit their head, but he was helpless when they insisted that Lilliana be hospitalized. All he could do was make the necessary arrangements to grant them their request. Seeing as Lilliana was constantly crying in pain, Marvin was worried about her injury and so asked. the doctor to arrange a ward for observation. Inside the ward, Lilliana was given an anti-inmmatory and pain-relieving drip as she slumbered into a deep sleep. Marvin sat on one side and ced his hand nervously on his wife¡¯s head, fearing that it might be the end of her. Sherlyn smiled triumphantly when she saw that things between her parents were almost back to what it once was in the past. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Then, she turned her head again, looked at Corinne, and snorted coldly as she used angrily,¡± Today was supposed to be a good day, Corinne! If you hadn¡¯te back, me, Mom, and Dad would all be having breakfast happily at home! We¡¯re all at the hospital the moment you return, and Mom has to be put on a drip and hospitalized too! What do you intend to achieve?¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Corinne had an indifferent expression as she said, ¡°I remember the doctor saying that she only has. a minor scratch and doesn¡¯t need to be hospitalized. Aren¡¯t you the ones who insist on staying. here?¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily and pointed at her. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to argue¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet! Lilliana needs to rest now!¡± Marvin turned his head and red irritably at Corinne. ¡°You have no purpose being here, so it¡¯s best that you leave. We wouldn¡¯t want Lilliana waking up and getting angry again when she sees you here!¡± Sherlyn had a triumphant smile on her face when her father sided with her and chased Corinne away. You think you can snatch the love and trust Dad has toward us, Corinne? Well, keep dreaming! She looked victoriously at Corinne and mouthed the words, ¡°You deserve it!¡± Corinne was not at all bothered by Sherlyn¡¯s arrogant attitude, nor did she n on doing as her father told her. She looked at Marvin calmly and reminded him, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to do a paternity test with Sherlyn? We just so happen to be in the hospital right now, and I¡¯d like to see the results before leaving.¡± Marvin¡¯s face soured suddenly, and he frowned. ¡°How dare you mention the paternity test? If you hadn¡¯t been the cause of today¡¯s incident, Lilliana wouldn¡¯t be lying in a hospital bed right now!¡± Sherlyn seized the opportunity and said in a rage, ¡°Do you see that, Dad? Corinne just wants to see. our whole world burn!¡± At that moment, Lilliana slowly opened her eyes and woke up. She said in a weak voice, ¡°Corinne is right, Marvin¡­¡± Marvin immediately turned to his wife when he heard her voice. He supported her by her shoulders and asked concernedly, ¡°Lilliana! You¡¯re awake! Do you feel better now?¡± Lilliana¡¯s eyes were red, and she pretended to be strong as she said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Marvin. Corinne¡¯s reminder came just in time. Since we¡¯re all in the hospital right now, you should get a paternity test with Sherlyn!¡± Marvin was feeling distressed at the moment and did not doubt her at all. He then said with a look. of shame on his face, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that anymore, Lilliana. There¡¯s no need to do a paternity test. I believe you¡­¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Lilliana, however, interrupted him and strained to speak, ¡°Don¡¯t persuade me against it, Marvin. I know that Sherlyn and I are very important to you, and that¡¯s precisely why all your doubts about us should bepletely removed. I don¡¯t want there to be any sort of estrangement between us in the future! Just treat it as a means of clearing my name in front of Corinne¡­¡± Marvin felt even more distressed and remorseful when he saw how considerate and aggrieved she was. Hemented the fact that he had even doubted such a good wife in the first ce. Lilliana then told Sherlyn, ¡°Listen to your mother and bring your father to get the paternity test done. We need to get the result soonest, if possible.¡± Sherlyn understood what her mother meant and nodded in agreement. However, she said worriedly, ¡°But¡­ Will you be alright by yourself if Dad and I are gone?¡± Lilliana forced a smile and said, ¡°Corinne will be staying here, right? She can take care of me.¡± Sherlyn nced at Corinne and snorted, ¡°Her? It¡¯s a miracle she didn¡¯t harm you, Mom! How can you expect her to take care of you?!¡± Lilliana has always been good at acting like a kind person in front of Marvin, and she reprimanded. her daughter sternly. ¡°Don¡¯t say that about your sister, Sherlyn! We¡¯re in a hospital right now, so it¡¯s not like Corinne can do anything to me.¡± In the end, Marvin agreed to do a paternity test under Lilliana¡¯s insistence. Before leaving, Marvin did not forget to warn Corinne, ¡°Take good care of your aunt here. I won¡¯t forgive you if something happens to her when Ie back!¡± Corinne nodded obediently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I understand.¡± Not long after Sherlyn and Marvin got out of the ward, Lilliana sat up and startedughing. maniacally, and her energy was in stark contrast to her weak mien as a patient earlier. ¡°Cat got your tongue, Corinne? Did you think I¡¯d be afraid of a paternity test?¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Corinne looked at Lilliana and frowned. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Lillianaughed like a madwoman. ¡°Did you think I¡¯m that stupid not to know whose child I¡¯m carrying? You made a huge mistake if you think you could use that against me, Corinne! The truth is, Sherlyn is Marvin¡¯s daughter! Hahahahaha!¡± Corinne frowned slightly as if a little annoyed. ¡°But how? Why would Goran be willing to acknowledge another man¡¯s daughter like she was his own?¡± Lilliana¡¯s eyes flickered when Goran was mentioned, and she nced disdainfully at her. ¡°That¡¯s something a little b*tch like you don¡¯t deserve to know! Not that it matters, anyway. Your father is going to scold you to death once the results are out! Both Sherlyn and I will get more love and pity from your father after that!¡± The door of the ward was then pushed open violently, and Goran walked in with a sour expression. ¡°It was all a lie then, Lilliana. Sherlyn isn¡¯t my daughter at all!¡± When Lilliana saw her old lover, Goran, she was stunned for a moment, and her face turned pale. Goren, why are you here?¡± Goran snorted coldly in disgust. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send me a message saying that you got injured and wanted me to visit you? You have no idea how worried I was about you on the journey here!¡± Lilliana shook her head in a panic. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t! When did I send you a message? Wait¡­ My phone¡­ Where¡¯s my phone?¡± She checked her pockets for her phone as she tried to exin, and that was when she realized that she had lost her cell phone at some point in time. As she was getting more anxious, Corinne stepped forward and handed the phone back to her. She had an obedient look on her face as she said, ¡°It fell when you were rushed to the hospital, so f picked it up and kept it safe for you. You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Lilliana was taken aback for a moment as she suddenly realized, ¡°You! You¡¯re the one who sent the message to Goran?!¡± Corinne smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s not worth mentioning at all.¡± Lilliana gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡­¡± Goran said sarcastically, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I trusted a devious woman like you when you said that you had silently given birth to my daughter!¡± Lilliana hurriedly exined, ¡°Listen to me, Goran. Sherlyn, she¡­¡± At that moment, Sherlyn and Marvin returned after their DNA samples had been taken for the paternity test. They opened the door of the ward and walked in immediately. When Sherlyn saw Goran in the ward, she said in surprise, ¡°Godfather? Why are you here?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Marvin¡¯s face turned ugly as he red unhappily at Lilliana, who was on the hospital bed. ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Lilliana swallowed back the exnation that was meant for Goran and said to Marvin with a guilty expression, ¡°He, umm¡­ He¡­ He¡­¡± Goran was angry after realizing that he had been deceived by Lilliana, but since he was a public figure with a reputation to protect, he avoided letting others have the chance to use anypromising information against him. A fake smile appeared on his face and he spoke in as natural a manner as possible, ¡°Mister Marvin, right? I heard that the mother of my goddaughter was injured, so I came to visit her.¡± Since Goran used to be Lilliana¡¯s lover, Marvin was hostile toward him and grinned coldly as he said, ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry. I¡¯m perfectly capable of caring for my wife and daughter.¡± Goran smiled coldly and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother you then.¡± He then turned and opened the door to leave. Sherlyn felt that something was not quite right about Goran¡¯s expression, so she chased after him. right away. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 ¡°Godfather, there was a little misunderstanding in our family today, and my father¡¯s temper isn¡¯t at its best because he¡¯s in a bad mood. Please don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Goran stopped, looked at Sherlyn contemptuously, and no longer had the tender loving care he once had for her in the past when she said, ¡°You worry too much, Sherlyn. Why would I be offended by your father? You should go back and be with your parents, and don¡¯t call me ¡® godfather¡¯ anymore.¡± Sherlyn was shocked to hear that. ¡°Does this mean you don¡¯t want me anymore?¡± Goran said coldly, ¡°Our rtionship was built on a sham. This isn¡¯t a question of whether I want you or not. Please move aside. I have another appointment to attend.¡± Sherlyn had the feeling that everything she built was crumbling in front of her, and she cautiously asked, ¡°Then, what about my role¡­?¡± Goran smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some of your previous works, and your acting skills are trash. I¡¯ll never use actresses like you in my works. Find someone else to trick!¡± Sherlyn became anxious and grabbed Goran¡¯s clothes tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave! You promised to give me the role! How can you go back on your word?¡± Goran pushed her away mercilessly. ¡°If your mother hadn¡¯t lied to me at the beginning by saying. that you were the daughter she gave birth to behind my back, I would never have agreed to give you that role! I only did it to make it up for not being in your life! Now that I know that you¡¯re Marvin¡¯s biological daughter, there¡¯s no point in youing to me again!¡± Sherlyn could never be willing to let such a useful ¡®godfather¡¯ slip past her fingers like that! Ever since her debut, Goran¡¯s movie was the biggest lead role that she had ever secured, and the promotional materials were going around on social media too! Knowing she would be removed from a role, she could never be able to face anyone in the entertainment circle anymore! The more she thought about it, the more difficult it was for her to ept what was happening. She turned around to make sure there was no one there, and she switched up her expression to plop down on her knees. She sped Goran¡¯s trouser legs and cried, ¡°But I am your daughter! I really am! My mother just pretended to say those words to calm her husband! We did a paternity test before, didn¡¯t we? Have you forgotten?¡± Goran frowned, looked at his surroundings, and felt shaken because he was afraid of being seen by everyone else. ¡°Get up! It¡¯s unbing of you to kneel here!¡± Sherlyn could not control herself any longer. ¡°But you¡¯re my real father! I won¡¯t get up unless you ept me as your daughter!¡± Goran had no choice but to say, ¡°Okay, okay. Get up, Sherlyn! We can talk this out nicely and-¡± ¡°Goran!¡± A woman¡¯s roar suddenly sounded in the hospital corridor. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Goran¡¯s body froze when he heard the voice, and his face turned pale when he turned and saw who it was. ¡°Darling! Why are you in the country?¡± Goran¡¯s wife stood in front of him and pointed angrily at his face. ¡°Well, well! You fathered a daughter behind my back, and she¡¯s all grown up now, too! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d keep it hidden for so long!¡± ¡°Darling, it¡¯s not like that! Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense¡­¡± Goran panicked and shook his head like a rattle. Goran¡¯s fear of his wife was an open secret in the circle. His first famous works were produced with the support and help of his wife and her family. In the subsequent years, his finances remained in the hands of his wife, so he did not dare to do anything behind her back. Upon seeing the sudden development, Sherlyn felt that something was wrong and immediately stood up to try and flee. ¡°Stop right there, b*tch!¡± Goran¡¯s wife yelled sternly. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Goran¡¯s wife charged toward Sherlyn, looked at thetter¡¯s heavy makeup, then raised her hand and pped her across the face. ¡°You shameless little b*tch! What were you doing grabbing my husband earlier?¡± Sherlyn¡¯s usual arrogant, high-and-mighty attitude disappeared in an instant, and she covered her face guiltily. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Passersby were starting to gather and watch when they heard themotion. Goran was afraid of making the headlines, so he hurried forward and grabbed his wife. ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital, darling, and there are a lot of people here! Let¡¯s talk about it at home!¡± Goran¡¯s wife jerked her hand from his grip. ¡°Why should I be afraid of shame if you¡¯re not ashamed to have an affair?¡± ¡°Darling, please¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the prenuptial agreement we had when we got married! It clearly states that you will have to divorce me unequivocally if you were caught having an extra-marital affair and that all assets will be stripped of you. What else do you have to say now that you have a grown-up daughter?¡± Goran waved his hands and exined, ¡°Honey, I didn¡¯t have an affair! She¡¯s not my daughter! I just treated her as my goddaughter!¡± Goran¡¯s wife snorted coldly and mmed a paternity test report in his face. ¡°How do you exin this, then?¡± The color drained from Goran¡¯s face when he saw that report. It was the same one that Lilliana brought him and Sherlyn to do! ¡°Darling, you¡­.. How did you get this?¡± ¡°Hmph! You shouldn¡¯t have done these bad deeds in the first ce if you¡¯re scared of being found out! You have a daughter who¡¯s all grown up now, and you even made her your movie¡¯s lead. actress! What are you trying to do? Make her homewrecker-mother your legal wife?¡± ¡°Darling¡­ I¡­¡± At that moment, Corinne leaned against the door frame of the ward and leisurely watched the scene unfold outside. When she sensed that things were almosting to a head, she turned around and went back into the ward, saying, ¡°Dad, Aunt Lilliana¡­ I think Sherlyn¡¯s in trouble. She¡¯s bawling her eyes out after being pped by a woman!¡± ¡°What?¡± The sickly look on Lilliana¡¯s face disappeared in an instant, and she quickly sat up. Marvin was worried and anxious when he heard what Corinne said. However, he began to question if Lilliana was indeed as unwell as she earlier imed when he saw Lilliana inadvertently expose herself in a rather healthy state. N Lilliana then realized that she nearly exposed her true condition and immediately pretended to be dizzy again as she supported her forehead weakly. ¡°Marvin, could you help me up and bring me to see who¡¯s bullying our daughter?¡± ¡°Hey, take it easy! Be careful!¡± Marvin snapped out of his senses and did not overthink things. anymore. He helped her get out of bed, and they both went out to see what happened to Sherlyn. In the hospital corridor, Sherlyn¡¯s hair was being yanked by Goran¡¯s wife, and the spectacle. attracted a used their cell phones to take videos, and no one stepped forward to stop her. Goran was powerless to stop his angry wife, so he merely stepped to one side and covered his hands for fear of being recognized by other people. Upon seeing that, Lilliana yelled angrily, ¡°Who are you, and why are you yanking my daughter¡¯s hair? Let go of my daughter!¡± Marvin, who was helping Lilliana, was just as angry when he saw his precious daughter being treated in such a manner. ¡°How dare you beat people up in a hospital? Let go of my daughter right away, or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sherlyn had tears all over her face as she looked at her parents, and she pleaded for help as if she had come across a life-saving grace. ¡°Dad! Mom! Save me¡­¡± When Goran¡¯s wife heard the couple¡¯s voice, she turned to look at Lilliana and shoved Sherlyn to one side. ¡°So you¡¯re the mother of that b*stard child!¡± Lilliana frowned and felt a little guilty at that moment. ¡°Who are you? What right do you have to curse at me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Goran¡¯s wife! You shameless b*tch! You have a husband of your own and a family, so why are you out seducing other people¡¯s husbands? How shameless can you be?¡± As soon as Lilliana heard that the woman was Goran¡¯s wife, her confidence immediately diminished, and she apologized with a smile, ¡°Ah! So you¡¯re Mister Goran¡¯s wife! You must¡¯ve had. a misunderstanding! There are plenty of people here, so why don¡¯t we go inside the ward and have a chat?¡± Goran¡¯s wife had gonepletely mad, and she could care less that plenty of people were there. She took out the paternity test, threw it to Lilliana, and said, ¡°Misunderstanding? Didn¡¯t you do this paternity test for my husband and your daughter? The test results show that they¡¯re biologically rted, and you have the gall to say that I misunderstood?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Marvin was shocked as he grabbed the identification report and looked at it. His face. turned green with anger, and he pushed Lilliana away while ring at her, demanding, ¡°What the hell is going on, Lilliana?¡± Lilliana did not bother much about Marvin, and she merely shook her head vigorously at Goran¡¯s wife. ¡°No, no! My daughter isn¡¯t your husband! She¡¯s the daughter of my husband! Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t misunderstand!¡± Goran¡¯s wife was not amenable to reason. ¡°You have the paternity test in front of you. How do you still have the decency to argue?¡± Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Lilliana knew that Goran¡¯s wife had a strong background and could not be offended that easily. If she was genuinely under the impression that Sherlyn was Goran¡¯s daughter, Sherlyn¡¯s future would. be completely ruined! With those considerations in mind, Lilliana had no choice but to tell the truth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had it forged. I wanted to use that to help my daughter gain Mister Goran¡¯s favor. They aren¡¯t rted by blood, and I found someone to forge the paternity test. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the agency who handled it.¡± Goran had a look of disgust on his face. ¡°Lilliana, you¡¯re absolutely¡­¡± Marvin¡¯s eyes widened as well. ¡°Lilliana, you¡¯repletely¡­¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The two old men spoke at almost the same time, and they were simrly disgusted by Lilliana¡¯s shameless behavior. Goran¡¯s wife could tell that Lilliana was not lying, and she began to believe it because it exined the logic of their behavior too. Since she had calmed down slightly, Goran took advantage of the situation to bring her away. The ashamed Marvin removed his hands from her and prepared to leave. ¡°Marvin! Where are you going?¡± Lilliana tugged on him nervously when she saw that he was about. to leave. Marvin said in disgust, ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be around the two of you anymore. Prepare yourself, Lilliana, because I¡¯m going to serve the divorce papers to you tomorrow!¡± Lilliana was shocked by the words ¡®divorce papers; that was the first time Marvin had ever brought that subject up. At that point, a nurse came over and said, ¡°Hello, the paternity test you just did has been expedited, and the results are now here!¡± Lilliana hurriedly took the report from the nurse, looked at it, then quickly handed it to Marvin and coaxed him, ¡°Look, Marvin, the results are out! You are Sherlyn¡¯s biological father! You can¡¯t divorce me!¡± Marvin threw the report away coldly without even looking at it. ¡°How would I know if this was forged too?¡± ¡°Marvin? Marvin?!¡± Despite Lilliana¡¯s fervent yells, Marvin left without even bothering to look back. With the way things were developing, Sherlyn-whose hair was disheveled after she got beat up by Goran¡¯s wife-copsed suddenly on the ground. ¡°What should we do now, Mom? My godfather doesn¡¯t want me anymore, and Dad wants to divorce you because he doesn¡¯t trust either of us. What should we do¡­?¡± Lilliana knelt and cried with her daughter. She gritted her teeth and said grudgingly, ¡°There has to be a way, Sherlyn! I won¡¯t divorce your father¡­¡± From a distance, Corinne looked at the heartless mother and daughter with an insipid grin on the corner of her lips. ¡°It¡¯s such a joy to see these two women reaping the consequences of their actions atst!¡± Aaron appeared next to Corinne and reveled in Sherlyn and Lillian¡¯s breakdown. Corinne turned around and yawned as she walked with him. She was very tired, her back was sore, and she suddenly remembered that her fatigue was due to a certain activity she did with a certain mister the previous night. She could not help but blush and massage the center of her eyebrows. The previous afternoon, she made arrangements for Aaron to send Lilliana¡¯s forged paternity test to Goran¡¯s wife through priority airmail, who immediately lost her temper upon seeing it and flew back home overnight. Following Corinne¡¯s instructions, Aaron led Goran¡¯s wife to the hospital, and the result ended up being extremely gratifying. Aaron followed Corinne respectfully and said, ¡°I also found out something about you, boss.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows. ¡°What is it?¡± Aaron handed the report in his hand to Corinne and said with aplicated look on his face, ¡°I always had the feeling that Marvin¡¯s attitude toward you is unlike that of a biological father, so I took the initiative to request that a test be done on your hair. The result shows¡­that you and Marvin aren¡¯t rted by blood.¡± Corinne looked at the report that Aaron handed her and stopped in her tracks due to bewilderment. ¡®If I¡¯m not Marvin¡¯s daughter, then who¡¯s my father?¡¯ Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Sherlyn and Lilliana then went back to the ward to get their belongings because they wanted to go. home as soon as possible to try and coax Marvin. As soon as they walked in, they saw Corinne sitting lazily on a chair in the ward. Her eyes were closed, apparently since she was having a very pleasant nap, and that was enough to rile up the desperate mother and daughter. Sherlyn stepped forward to try and push Corinne, but Corinne stopped her wrist before she could do anything. Corinne grasped her wrist tight and opened her eyes wearily. ¡°Why did you try to sneak up and attack me as soon as you entered the ward?¡± Sherlyn withdrew her hand unhappily and said in a sharp voice, ¡°You¡¯re responsible for everything. that happened today, Corinne.¡± Lilliana agreed bitterly. ¡°Yes, it must¡¯ve been the work of this little b*tch!¡± Corinne tilted her head in confusion. ¡°How so? What did I do? Everything that happened to the two of you today is by your own choice, was it not?¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily and was about to p Corinne when a short, polite knock was heard twice on the door. Sherlyn and Lilliana turned around at the same time and saw Aaron-the vice president of Newmoon Group-standing at the door of the unclosed ward. One of his arms had been gracefully raised as if he had just knocked on the door. Sherlyn¡¯s expression changed immediately, and she smiled in a gentle, polite manner. ¡°Oh! Mister Aaron! Why are you here?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. There was a cold and sarcastic smile on Aaron¡¯s lips. ¡°Your assistant told me that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡®My assistant? Isn¡¯t Corinne my assistant? Does Corinne and Mister Aaron have a private rtionship? All of a sudden, Sherlyn remembered the time Aaron confessed to Corinne that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. ¡®Did Corinne already agree to date him?¡¯ With all those thoughts floating around in her head, her heart immediately went mad with jealousy as she asked tentatively, ¡°So, are you here for¡­¡± Aaron finished her sentence. ¡°You, Miss Sherlyn. I¡¯m here for you.¡± As soon as Sherlyn heard this, she immediately regained a bit of her confidence and shot Corinne a dark re before saying triumphantly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re looking for me regarding the endorsement? Not to worry, Mister Aaron, I¡¯ll fully cooperate with any request that Newmoon Group asks of me!¡± Aaron walked in and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m very happy to hear that, Miss Sherlyn. This is the endorsement contract you signed with ourpany yesterday, and we¡¯re now requesting to terminate the contract. Sign here, please.¡± He then handed the contract termination agreement to Sherlyn. The smile on Sherlyn¡¯s face froze, and her expression changed. ¡°Thepany is terminating my contract? I don¡¯t understand, Mister Aaron. Why is the contract going to be terminated when we just signed it less than a day ago?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the news that¡¯s trending online? Your scandals are now topping the trending searches, and you¡¯ve been rated as a poor and hical celebrity. Our endorsement contract clearly stiptes that the person whom we have selected for the endorsement must maintain. their reputation, and the artist will be solely responsible for any consequences resulting from their scandals. Our company has the right to propose an unconditional termination of the contract.¡± ¡®Scandal?¡¯ Sherlyn was dumbfounded, and she immediately took out her phone to check. Her face turned ugly as she saw the most popr hashtags. [#WifebeatsSherlynCarewup] [#HomewreckerSherlynCarew] [#Sherlynisahomewrecker] When Sherlyn clicked on all of them, it brought her to several short videos taken by passersby earlier, though the faces of Goran and his wife in the video had been blurred. It was clear that Goran used his ties to remove himself and his wife from the asion, but he could not care less. about what the rumors would do to Sherlyn! Chapter 191 Chapter 191 The truth of the matter, however, was vastly unlike that which was portrayed by the trending. searches. Sherlyn was furious because she used to be the one giving out orders to rile public perception against certain people, and she felt unjust that it somehow became her turn to be ndered. ¡°Mister Aaron, the trending searches aren¡¯t true! Please believe me¡­¡± she hastily tried to exin. Aaron, however, was unmoved and said in a professional manner, ¡°The problem now is not whether I believe you, Miss Sherlyn, but whether or not the public believes you. If you do not agree. to a peaceful termination of the contract, we can proceed with the legal procedures too. However, I should remind you that thepensation you would have to pay for losing the case. would be much, much higher.¡± Sherlyn was at a loss. She knew she could not win against Newmoon Group in thewsuit, and she eventually decided topromise. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll sign the termination agreement¡­¡± Just like that, Sherlyn signed the agreement to terminate the contract. Lilliana watched from the sidelines and felt sorry for her daughter. It would be difficult for Sherlyn. to bounce back in the future after her fortunes took a steep dive due to the loss of both the lead role in Goran¡¯s film and the ambassadorial endorsement role in Newmoon Group. Aaron epted the contract with satisfaction and nced subtly at Corinne, who nodded imperceptibly. Aaron understood her gesture at once and turned to leave. Since Sherlyn had borne the brunt of anger from someone she could not offend, she decided to vent her anger on Corinne. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m now officially announcing that I¡¯m firing you! You are to return the advance sry to me right now.¡± Corinne could not be happier. ¡°Okay.¡± She took out her cell phone to scan the code from Sherlyn¡¯s banking app, but Sherlyn frowned unhappily when she saw the amount. ¡°Why is it only seven hundred and fifty? I paid you a one- thousand-and-five-hundred-dor advance!¡± Corinne replied, ¡°The workload I¡¯ve been given in the past few days is far greater than the normal workload, and you¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m kind enough to return half.¡± Sherlyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Where did you get the nerve to take half your sry when you¡¯ve only just worked a few days? You think too highly of yourself!¡± Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m not a famous person, but most people can¡¯t afford to hire me. Since we¡¯re sisters, you can consider that price a family discount.¡± Sherlynughed. ¡°You think this is some sort of super difficult job? You¡¯re just an assistant, and under normal circumstances, I can hire three people to serve me at the same time with the money I¡¯m paying you. Why are you even trying to argue with me?!¡± ¡°Is that so? Judging from how notorious you¡¯ve be, are you sure anyone is willing to be your assistant?¡± ¡°Some nerve you have to say that, Corinne! You have no right looking down on me, even if I¡¯ve fallen from grace for now! Corinne got up, stretched her body a little, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong I don¡¯t mean to look down on you at all. You¡¯re not even worth being looked down on in my opinion. Sherlyn exploded in a rage, ¡°How dare you¡­¡± Lilliana, being the oldest and more experienced of the three, was rather sensible, and she came. over to persuade Sherlyn ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sherlyn Let¡¯s go home and try to persuade our dad We¡¯ll have lots of time to deal with this little b*tch in the future Corinne ignored them as she yawnedzily and left the ward While waiting for the elevator, she casually donated to charity the 750 dors she withheld from Sherlyn. Though she needed money, she did not want what came out of Sherlyn¡¯s pocket. She only did that because she could not let Sherlyn push her around for those few days without paying the price. It would be better to teach Sherlyn a lesson so she would not provoke her again. The elevator door soon opened, and out came Tommy, who looked respectfully at her and said, ¡± I¡¯ve been tasked to pick you up, ma¡¯am.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Corinne frowned when she saw Tommy. ¡°How does he know I¡¯m in the hospital?¡± Jeremy had clearly sent her to the Carews that morning, so she wondered if he had sent someone to follow her. Tommy exined, ¡°Because you¡¯re using his cell phone. He can use that to locate your whereabouts.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Corinne looked at his cell phone in her hand and felt a little ufortable that she had been monitored remotely. Tommy then said, ¡°He knew that you called an ambnce, but because he couldn¡¯t get out of an important meeting that thepany had today, he told me toe over and find out what happened to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was my stepmother that got a little hurt. ¡°Great to hear that, ma¡¯am.¡± Corinne felt ufortable when she heard him call her ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯. She recalled how he referred to her as ¡®Miss Corinne¡¯ in the past, and she was clueless as to why he changed his way of addressing her. She did not bother to delve too much into it and so asked softly, ¡°Did Jeremy tell you where he wanted me sent to?¡± Tommy said, ¡°Nowhere in particr. His orders were to have me send you home safely and securely.¡± The kidnapping incident from the previous night made Jeremy very vignt, it seemed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Corinne nodded and jumped at the chance to save on taking a taxi. She was terribly exhausted, and all she wanted to do was head home and catch up on some sleep. As the car drove on the road, Corinne rested her chin and spaced out as she looked at the passing. scenery outside the car window. Her emotions were a mess at that moment. It was too big of a revtion when Aaron found out that Marvin was not her father. ¡®If I¡¯m not Marvin¡¯s daughter, and my surname isn¡¯t Carew, what¡¯s my true surname? Who is my biological father? Why did he abandon my mother and me? Why did Marvin bring me into his home, then? Why would he take in a child who isn¡¯t rted to him? It¡¯s clear that Marvin didn¡¯t want to raise me, or he wouldn¡¯t have sent me to the countryside not long after bringing me home.¡± Those questions formed a lingering mystery in her mind. When the car arrived at the Holdens¡¯ estate, Corinne had already fallen asleep in the car. Tommy woke her up slowly. ¡°Wake up, ma¡¯am. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Corinne rubbed her eyes and looked out the window to make sure that she had arrived at the Chan Holden estate before unfastening her seat belt and getting out of the car. Tommy rushed out and shouted, ¡°Wait, ma¡¯am!¡± Corinne stopped walking, turned around with a sleepy gaze, and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Tommy walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk. ¡°Mister Jeremy has something for you. Could you pleasee over and see if they¡¯re what you¡¯ve been looking for?¡± ¡®What could it be? Corinne raised her eyebrows curiously and walked over to take a look. There, she saw three exquisitely packaged picture frames in the rearpartment, which were none. other than her mother¡¯s three posthumous paintings that Jason owned! Tommy exined, ¡°Mister Jeremy bought them and requested them to be given to you. Are they the three paintings that you wanted?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne was stunned. She snapped back from her surprise and said, ¡°Yes! They are! How did he get it, though? Didn¡¯t Jason say that these aren¡¯t for sale?¡± Tommy said, ¡°Mister Jason is a longtime friend of Mister Jeremy, and many of the Talbots¡¯ businesses are highly dependent on cooperation with the Holdens. They would have to show a bit more deference to the Holdens¡± ¡®I see, Corinne thought She touched the painting fondly and felt very emotional deep in her heart. It was almost as if she was feeling the warmth of her long lost mother. ¡®So that¡¯s what Jeremy meant when he said this morning that he wouldn¡¯t treat me badly!¡¯ Chapter 193 Chapter 193 A bit of reciprocity was not bad at all, and fortunately for Corinne, she was given the paintings that she wanted. ¡°Well, say thanks to your boss for me!¡± Corinne then rang the doorbell and asked the butler to send someone out to help her bring in the three paintings. Tommy received a message on his phone, and he nced down to read it before raising his head. to look at Corinne. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Jeremy wanted me to ask you if there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to eat tonight.¡± Corinne was taken aback. ¡°He¡¯sing back for dinner tonight?¡± Tommy nodded. ¡°I believe so.¡± Corinne frowned unhappily, wondering why he chose to return when Pam was no longer watching over the two of them all the time. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not picky!¡± ¡°I see¡­ Alright then!¡± Tommy followed Jeremy¡¯s instructions to watch Corinne enter the house safely before driving off. At that moment in Holden Group, Jeremy-who had just ended his meeting-leanedzily on his seat while massaging his brows wearily. His female secretary knocked on the door to inform him, ¡°Sir, Mister Sunny Rivera came some time ago. He wants to see you, and he¡¯s been waiting in the reception room for an hour now.¡± Jeremy nced at her insipidly. ¡°Let him in.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The female secretary brought Sunny to the door of Jeremy¡¯s office. Sunny strode into the office and began to observe Jeremy nervously as if looking for some clues.¡± Are you okay, Jeremy? What happenedst night?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy was reviewing a file from a folder that he had spread open, and as soon as he heard that, he raised his eyebrows and nced at him. ¡°Did you think something happened to me?¡± Sunny frowned angrily and said, ¡°How would I know? Corinne called mest using your phone and said that you needed my sister¡¯s help with something. I told her that my sister is abroad, and she hung up without saying anything when I asked her about it! Why did you need my sister¡¯s help. yesterday?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face soured when he recalled the way Corinne tried so desperately to find a woman for him the previous night. ¡°How did she know about your sister?¡± Sunny had a ¡®duh¡¯ look on his face as he said, ¡°I told her. I reminded her not to get any ideas about you because you¡¯ll only be my sister¡¯s man.¡± Jeremy frowned, shot Sunny a cold look, and warned sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense in front of her again.¡± Sunny was still stubborn. ¡°But I¡¯m not wrong! Did you forget that my sister has been waiting for you all this time? You and her are-¡± ¡°Hey, hey! Sunny¡¯s here, too! Is it summer vacation already? Well,e and join us for some fun, then!¡± Zeke strutted in leisurely and inadvertently interrupted Sunny¡¯s words. As soon as Sunny heard the word ¡®fun¡¯, he immediately got excited andpletely forgot about. the conflicted feelings he had. His handsome eyes widened as he asked eagerly. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Zeke smiled brightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I went to Castle Horse Ranch! My little. Hurricane probably misses me a lot by now! The weather¡¯s been pretty good recently too, so I¡¯m thinking of going there for two days!¡± Hurricane was the name that Zeke gave to his horse. Sunny¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Horseback riding? Count me in!¡± Zeke smiled, then raised his chin at Jeremy who was sitting behind the desk. ¡°Youing. Jeremy?¡± Jeremy looked down at the document and said without even looking up. ¡°You guys go ahead. I don¡¯t have the time.¡± Zeke clicked his tongue. ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t have time? Tomorrow¡¯s a weekend, and you don¡¯t have toe to thepany during the weekend, do you? By the way, you should invite your wife, too. Since the two of you haven¡¯t gone on a honeymoon yet, it¡¯ll be the perfect chance. to bring her out and have some fun!¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 I won¡¯tst long anyway, so there¡¯s no need for a honeymoon! He¡¯ll be going on a honeymoon with my sister in the future, anyway.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand a thing at all!¡± Zeke had a sly look as he raised his eyebrows to look at his brooding friend on the office chair. ¡°So. Are you going. Jeremy?¡± Jeremy flipped to another page of the document and said while reading it, ¡°She¡¯s tired today, so we won¡¯t be going over today. I¡¯ll bring her along and meet up with you guys early tomorrow. morning Zeke snapped his fingers and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled, then!¡± He then gracefully ced his hands into his pockets and turned to leave. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. When he saw Sunny standing still, Zeke paused and raised his hand to pat the young man on the shoulder. ¡°What are you still doing here. Sunny? Come with me to the ranch!¡± Sunny was eager to follow him, but he had a bit of a frustrated expression and hesitated for a moment before asking. ¡°Can you call my brother and talk about it? I¡¯m worried he won¡¯t let me go. Zeke chuckled and teased. ¡°How old are you? Why are you still so afraid of your brother?¡± Sunny had a helpless expression. ¡°You know my brother! He¡¯s inhumane and much stricter than. my father.. ¡°Fine I¡¯ll call Lucaster and help intercede for you!¡± ¡°Thanks! Brother Zeke, if you can convince my brother to let me go horseback riding, I¡¯ll treat you to a whole roastedmb when I get to the ranch!¡± Later that evening in the Holdens¡¯ estate, Corinne woke up hungry after sleeping all afternoon, so she went to the kitchen to cook herself some instant mac and cheese There are quite a few servants in the household, but Bowen was the only one who was slightly. more respectful to Corinne By contrast, most of the others sided with Francine and were thus hostile to her. Everyone generally ignored the presence of the youngdy whom Jeremy married. in a hurry, especially since Jeremy rarely came back to spend the night after getting married to her. Therefore, none of the servants in the family took Corinne seriously when Pam left, and no one would take the trouble of making dinner for her if Jeremy did not return. Corinne did not mind that too much, though. She never regarded herself as a member of the Holdens anyway, so she did not really care about the servants¡¯ attitude toward her. Having gotten used to relying on herself to eat and drink since she was a child, she had no problems making food to her taste whenever she got hungry. When Jeremy came back, he saw her all alone in the kitchen, with neither the servants nor the butler around her. His eyes darkened slightly, and he walked to the kitchen door to ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Corinne was grating some cheese when she was startled by Jeremy¡¯s voice. She turned around to look at him and said, ¡°Mister! You¡¯re back! I¡¯m cooking some mac and cheese now. Would you like. some?¡± She was wearing a in apron, the straps of which were tied into a bow shape at the back. The rather tight manner in which the knot was tied made her waist look much thinner and easier to grasp. Jeremy¡¯s eyes became luminous, and his throat felt a little dry. He narrowed his eyes and saw that she was preparing some food on the chopping board, so he nodded and said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t mind. trying some.¡± Corinne thought that he would reject it in disgust, but when she heard him say that he was open to trying it, she curled her lips secretly and said, ¡°Then how about you wait in the dining hall? It¡¯ll be done in ten minutes!¡± Jeremy did not answer her but instead turned around and put down everything he was holding. He then took off his suit jacket, threw it on the sofa, and went back to the kitchen. He had an insipid look on his face as he slowly rolled up the cuffs of his sleeve and asked her in at monotonous voice, ¡°Anything I can do to help?¡± how Corinne raised her head and blinked her eyes at him. She was a little surprised that a pampered man like him would offer to ask for help. After thinking about his offer, she said, ¡°In that case, about you take two strips of bacon and chop them up into small, thin pieces?¡± Jeremy answered with a grunt and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the bacon?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your home? Don¡¯t you know where the bacon is?¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrows and said, ¡®Do you think I¡¯ll go around checking all the foodstuff in the kitchen when I don¡¯t have anything better to do?¡± Corinneughed dryly. ¡°The bacon is in the second lowest drawer of the refrigerator. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Jeremy had a straight face as he turned around and went to get the bacon from the refrigerator Inside the kitchen, the two of them silently did the respective tasks without talking to each other. Jeremy¡¯s gaze was constantly transfixed on the petite girl beside him as he chopped the bacon The mac and cheese with crispy bacon were finished in mere minutes, and Corinne said to Jeremy, ¡°You can bring the bowls to the dining table now I¡¯ll head to the bathroom for a bitt Jeremy had no objection as he picked up the two bowls and walked out of the kitchen. At that moment, Bowen the butler came in from the outside and was terrified to see Jeremy bringing the bowls to the table He looked all around and saw that no servants were wailing on duty. They had sneaked off somewhere and neglected their duties just because Jeremy was not there! All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Sir! When did you return? Please allow me to help you! You shan¡¯t be allowed to do these things! Jeremy nced at Bowen but did not hand over the bowls to him. He ced them down on the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down before asking in a deep voice, ¡°Are you saying that t shouldn¡¯t be allowed to do these things, but my missus can be left to her own devices?¡± Bowen was taken aback and immediately understood what Jeremy was implying. He exined shamefully. I¡¯m very sorry, sir. I have failed in my duties. Thad just gone to the yard to water your grandfather¡¯s orchids, and I didn¡¯t know that the young ma¡¯am had woken up and wanted to have dinner. The servants at home are resentful because of what happened to your sister, so¡­¡± Jeremy lowered his eyes and rebuttoned his cuffs. If they¡¯re resentful, I can rece them with those who aren¡¯t. ¡°His tone was calm, but there was an intimidating boldness about him that sent chills down one¡¯s spine Bowen did not dare to intercede for the servants because he could see that the young master was genuinely angry and not just giving him empty threats. Corinne came back from the bathroom to see Bowen, so she asked politely. ¡°Would you like some mac and cheese, Bowen? There¡¯s still some in the pot!¡± Bowen was ttered and quickly waved his hands. ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, but I¡¯m not hungry! I, uhh¡­ I still have some things to do, so please enjoy the meal with Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ll send someone to clean up the dishester.¡± After saying that, Bowen excused himself, went to look for thezy servants, and gave earful. them an Corinne sat down and saw a takeout box of barbecue on the table, and it was from her favorite roadside shack too! Her eyes then lit up. She asked in disbelief, ¡°Did you buy this?¡± Jeremy was expressionless. ¡®Tommy bought some when he passed by the shack.¡± Corinne believed him and took some to eat. The man cocked his eyebrows. ¡°Did I say you could eat that?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You can eat the mac and cheese I made, and I¡¯ll eat the barbecue you bought This is an equivalent exchange of resources! It is neither a loss nor a debt!¡± Jeremy snorted coldly, but a smile shed across the corner of his lips as he picked up the fork and lowered his head to taste the mac and cheese she made It was quite delicious. ¡°Did you go to the hospital today?¡± the man asked suddenly. Corinne nodded while eating her barbecued meat ¡°Yeah, my stepmother got injured Tommy must ve told you too, right?¡± Jeremy then asked, ¡°Did you get yourself checked too?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°Why should I? I¡¯m fine ¡± Jeremy stirred the macaroni in his bowl and pointed out, ¡°Last night was your first time, after all You should ve checked if I hurt you due to my loss of control¡± Corinne¡¯s face turned red,and she nearly choked on her mouthful of meat. ¡°Aack! Cough, cough. cough Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Jeremy drew out a piece of tissue and passed it to Corinne. Heter then lectured her helplessly and strictly like he was her parent. ¡°Slow down. No one is going to take the food from you.¡± It took Corinne a hard time to bite and swallow the meat in her mouth. She epted the tissue, wiped her mouth, and looked to the side embarrassingly so she did not need to look at him. Mister, can you stop talking aboutst night?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrows, and his eyes were teasing her. ¡°Is Miss Corinne feeling shy?¡± Corinne¡¯s mouth twitched and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not shy! I just find it unbearable to recall!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Unbearable to recall? Jeremy¡¯s eyes looked sullen as he stared at her for two seconds before curling the corner of his lips and teasing her. ¡°Oh,e on, you sacrificed your body just to save someone¡¯s life and have done a good deed! It should be very memorable for you.¡± It sounded some and awkward that Corinne¡¯s cheeks blushed like a red rose, and her wavering embarrassingly. eyes were ¡®He¡¯s teasing me! What a heartless man! I wouldn¡¯t have done that¡­. if his life wasn¡¯t in danger!¡¯ she thought. She felt so abashed that her face scrunched up, and the redness even reached her ears. She was so shy that she did not have the appetite to finish the noodles she cooked. Jeremy curled up his lips and stopped teasing her. He said seriously. ¡°Do you have anything on your schedule tomorrow? If you have nothing, then go to Castle Horse Ranch with me.¡± As the topic changed, Corinne finally had the courage to look at him. She frowned curiously.¡± Castle Horse Ranch? Do I have to go?¡± Jeremy could tell she was reluctant to go by the look on her face. ¡°Is there something you need to do tomorrow?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, but I don¡¯t feel like going out.¡± Jeremy said in a deep voice, ¡°Then you¡¯reing with me. All you do is sleep if you stay at home.¡± ¡°What the heck? He¡¯s not asking me but informing me! Ugh! Forget about it. I have to cooperate with him during our contract period! Corinne thought. She sighed. ¡°Mister, is it time for me to act with you?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is acting the one thing in your brain now?¡± Corinne lowered her head to continue eating her noodle and sneered sarcastically. Then why did you ask me to go with you? Or are you nning to make us a real couple and go on a date with me?¡± ¡®Date? She sure knows how to pick her words, Jeremy thought. Jeremy remained cool, picked up the ss of water, and drank the water calmly. ¡°Haven¡¯t we done what a real couple should do?¡± Corinne choked upon hearing that. ¡°Ack! Y-You mentioned that again!¡± No matter how bold she was, her skin was not as thick as the old man¡¯s skin. It was not long ago. since the blush on her face dissipated, but hearing his words once more made her face redden like a monkey¡¯s butt. Jeremy looked nervous when Corinne choked herself. He thus neared and patted her back in fear that the food was stuck in her throat. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say it anymore. Get up early tomorrow morning. I¡¯m bringing you out to have fun.¡± ¡®He¡¯s bringing me out to have fun?¡± Corinne was dumbstruck and wondered if her ears were ying with her. ¡®What a weirdo!! ¡°Alright. I hear you!¡± After her quick response, she continued enjoying her noodles and stopped talking with him. The thought that Jeremy could once more bring up what happenedst night haunted her. ¡®Huh! Man¡­ she thought. After finishing her noodles, Corinne went back to the room. Jeremy went to the study to work, and when he was finished, it waste at night. As he returned to the room to rest, he discovered the bedroom door was locked. That little rascal had some nerve, locking him outside! The blue veins on Jeremy¡¯s forehead popped out, He could actually get the keys from the butler. Then again, he gave up that thought after thinking for a while. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Jeremy reckoned Corinne was asleep, and she would surely wake if he entered, which was unnecessary. He pinched his be and went back to rest in the study with a gloomy face. The next morning Corinne woke up early and freshened up. Groggily, she put on her clothes and went downstairs with Jeremy as they left the house. In the car, she tilted her head to the side and started sleeping again, especially when she thought there was nothing she and Jeremy could talk about. It took them more than two hours to reach Castle Horse Ranch. As soon as she got out of the car, someone came running and leaping at her, ¡°Co-rin-ne!* Corinne¡¯s drowsiness vanished when Annie glomped on her tightly. *Corinne! I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I missed you so much!¡± Corinne smiled helplessly. ¡°Yeah¡­ It has been a long time!¡± Annie wrapped her arms around Corinne¡¯s neck as though wanting to glue herself to her. Jeremy looked at Annie with a displeased expression and said sternly, ¡°Go away. Don¡¯t crush her.¡± Annie was always scared of her uncle, so she quickly let go. She pursed her lips unhappily and Jeremy nced at her faintly and ignored her question. He asked her back in return, ¡°Why are you here? Who did youe with?¡± Annie answered, ¡°I saw Zeke posting on his social media that he¡¯s going to have a vacation here. I remember my pony is here too, so I decided to join you guys!¡± Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows. ¡®Does your mother know about this?¡± Annie guiltily looked away from him. Instead, she looked at Corinne and asked, ¡°Corinne, why do you look so tired? Did you sleep well?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I woke up too early and didn¡¯t get enough sleep.¡± Annie pursed her lips and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my uncle? He should¡¯ve let you sleep knowing you¡¯ll have to get up early toe here!¡± Jeremy and Corinne were dumbstruck. Did Annie just imagine something by herself? ¡°Let¡¯s go and ride the horse. It¡¯s going to wake you up!¡± beamed Annie and pulled Corinne¡¯s hand to run into the horse ranch. Jeremy pinched his be and slowly behind them. In the horse ranch¡­ Rosie, Sunny, Zeke, Gerald, and Jason were sitting in the outdoor resting area, drinking and chatting under the parasol. Rosie had put on her equestrian clothing. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Annie was running toward them as she waved excitedly. ¡°Hey, they¡¯re here! Uncle Jeremy and Corinne are here!¡± Hearing that, Zeke and the others looked over and saw Annie walking toward them with Corinne. Jeremy was not too far behind them as he walked slowly and steadily, Jason smiled at Corinne. Rosie was wearing an expensive set of equestrian clothing. Her wavy hair was tied into a ponytail to avoid the wind blowing and ruining her hairstyle, and her eyelids were dusted with light makeup. She looked at Corinne from top to bottom. When she realized Corinne was wearing a regr t- shirt and a pair of jeans, she felt superior and sympathized with Corinne. From her perspective, she did not see how well Jeremy cared about Corinne; he would not have allowed her to wear such a simple attire otherwise. When Sunny saw Corinne, his clear and handsome eyes erged brightly. At the same time, his eyebrows furrowed as something crossed his mind: Zeke stood up and smiled. ¡°Jeremy, too bad you two weren¡¯t herest night. Sunny treated us to a nice BBQ meal.¡± Naturally, Jeremy walked toward Corinne and stood beside her. ¡°We¡¯re not toote. He can treat us again today.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Zeke looked at Sunny and teased him. ¡°Hey, Sunny, did you hear that? Jeremy is asking you to treat us again.¡± Sunny looked so focused staring at Corinne that he was startled when he heard Zeke calling him. Sheepishly, he said, ¡°Um¡­ My brother suspended my car, and I spent all of my money onst night¡¯s dinner. I don¡¯t have any money left on me, so I can¡¯t treat tonight¡­¡± Jeremy looked indifferent and raised his chin. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s on her tonight.¡± Who? When Corinne realized Jeremy was talking about her, her cheeks puffed like balloons as she furrowed her eyebrows. So weird! Why should she treat them to dinner? She did not know them nor was she close to them. Most importantly, Jeremy was the one who insisted on bringing her here. Everyone had their eyes on Corinne, who was going to buy them dinner tonight. Corinne had no intention of that, however, and proceeded to say. ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­¡± Jeremy grabbed her shoulder and pulled her toward him before she could finish her sentence. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, ¡°Miss Corinne, you have my wallet, and you know the pin number of my card. You¡¯re the one treating, but I¡¯m the one paying.¡± Hearing this, her eyebrows rxed, and her mood instantly brightened. She smiled at the others.¡± No problem. It¡¯s on me tonight!¡± The amused Zeke said, ¡°Well then, we¡¯re not going to go easy on you!¡± Corinne giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on me! Just order anything you want to eat. Hopefully, all of can burn a big hole in my pocket!¡± Zeke pped his hands spiritedly. ¡°Do you guys hear that? Just order anything you want, especially the expensive stuff!¡± Jeremy narrowed her eyes as he looked at Corinne. This brat turned into a different person. immediately after she knew he was the one paying-so terrible, yet so adorable. you ¡°Miss Corinne, do you think you¡¯re being too much, letting them order anything because I¡¯m the one paying?¡± Jeremy asked. Corinne rolled her eyes at him and grumbled, ¡°Hey, you wanted to treat them, not dinner, you should be generous. If you¡¯re going to be so stingy, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t treat them at all.¡± Stingy? Jeremy sneered, ¡°If you¡¯re so generous, why don¡¯t you use your money to pay?¡± Corinne said sarcastically, ¡°My money doesn¡¯te from the tree, and I¡¯d rather spend it on something that means something to me and not treat a bunch of people that I don¡¯t know to dinner. Besides, I¡¯ve slept with you, haven¡¯t I? Do you want me to give you money?¡± Immediately after that, her face blushed red. ¡®D*mn it! I slipped up! When she realized what slipped out of her mouth, she looked to the side shyly. Jeremy was stunned for two seconds, and he ended upughing. cing his hand on her head, he rubbed her soft hair. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Miss Corinne. You can keep your money and use it when you like it, and you can use my money any way you want it. Is that good enough?¡± Corinne was relieved when Jeremy did not take the chance and teased her. Most importantly, she felt proud after sessfully scamming Jeremy. She curled up her lips into a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister. I won¡¯t feel shy spending your money!¡± Jeremy curled up his lips slightly and looked at her gently. Not too far away, Rosie felt bitter as she watched Jeremy and Corinne standing closely, whispering to each other. She had never seen Jeremy leaning down to listen while talking to a woman. It was a side of Jeremy that she had never seen before¡­and it was not the Jeremy she knew! Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, an idea popped into her mind. stering a pretentious smile on her face, she walked toward the pair. ¡°Hey, Corinne, you¡¯re here. Is this the first time you ride a horse?¡± Corinne looked at Rosie. Due to the watch incident previously, Rosie did not leave a good impression in her memory. ¡°No, I rode a few times before.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Rosie continued to smile, but deep down, she thought Corinne was lying. She did not believe Corinne, who lived in the countryside previously, had the chance to ride a horse. ¡°That¡¯s even better. We can race togetherter! Chapter 199 Chapter 199 The impatient Annie walked up to Corinne and said, ¡°Hey, Corinne, let¡¯s get you to change to your equestrian clothing!¡± ¡°Equestrian clothing?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any.¡± Annie was surprised by this. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any? I brought a spare one with me, so you can wear mine! Though, I don¡¯t have an extra pair of boots.¡± ¡°I have a spare pair.¡± Rosie smiled gently. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if it fits her.¡± Corinne said, ¡°My shoe size is 5.5.¡± Rosie said, ¡°I¡¯m wearing 7.5. It¡¯s slightly bigger, but you can give it a try.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Alright. Thank you.¡± Rosie¡¯s smile brightened. ¡°We¡¯re friends. You don¡¯t have to be so polite!¡± As such, the three girls headed to the changing room. In the changing room¡­ Corinne put on the equestrian clothing Annie gave her. It was a red color suit, and the unique fitting of the equestrian clothing fully embraced her curvy figure. The shape of her face looked exquisite with her hair tied in a messy bun, giving the equestrian clothing added a little spice of femininity to her, too. Annie was dumbstruck. ¡°Wow, Corinne, you look so good in this outfit!¡± Corinne, on the other hand, did not think much of it. ¡°Really? It¡¯s your clothing that looks good, not me.¡± Annie was so in love with Corinne¡¯s look that her eyes could have turned out into two hearts, true to the emoji fashion. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s you that¡¯s good-looking, and the clothing looks good because of you! If I¡¯m a man, I¡¯m going to steal you from Uncle Jeremy and not let him have you!¡± Corinne¡¯s jaw ckened at thement, demonstrating how speechless she was. At that moment, Rosie walked over with a pair of boots. ¡°Corinne, try these boots. It¡¯s new, and I haven¡¯t worn it before¡­¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Corinne heard her voice and looked in her direction. Rosie was dumbstruck when she saw Corinne. Normally, a woman would be more harsh and strict when she judged another woman¡¯s outlook. At this moment, Corinne looked nothingpared to when she just arrived at the horse ranch. She looked charming, having put on the equestrian clothing and her hair tied up in a bun. She looked so perfect and beautiful that Rosie felt ashamed of herself. Having heard Rosie bring the pair of boots over, Corinne went over to try them, but sure enough, the boots were too big for her. 7.7 She took them off and gave them back to Rosie. ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s too big for me. I¡¯m just going to wear my sports shoes.¡± Rosie smiled helplessly. ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s that.¡± Since Corinne had changed, she and Annie left the changing room first. Rosie told them she needed to use the washroom and told them not to wait for her. At the outdoor resting area, Jeremy was talking with Zeke and the others under the parasol. Zeke was the first to see Corinne walking out of the changing room. He was stunned by her new look and nudged at Jeremy, tilting his chin in her direction. Jeremy looked up, nced over faintly, and felt like an arrow had pierced right through his heart. He felt like Corinne was shining with splendor as she stood in the red equestrian clothing. He knew how beautiful Corinne was, yet she somehow surprised him again. She looked more mature and feminine in the equestrian clothing aspared to how she usually looked when she wore her casual clothing. One sentence to sum it up-she looked extremely beautiful. Just then, a terrible scream came out of the changing room. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 The scream startled everyone. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Did something happen in the changing room?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s Rosie¡¯s voice!¡± Corinne and Annie heard it, too. They exchanged looks with each other in surprise and shook their heads, showing how baffled they both were. After all, they did not notice anything weird about Rosie when they left the changing room. Thus, all of them rushed to the changing room to check out what happened. In the room, Rosie looked in pain as she sat on the bench with sweat all over her forehead. She looked so hurt that she began to turn pale. Everyone saw how tormented she looked. Sunny approached and asked, ¡°Rosie, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Zeke stood in front of her and asked softly, ¡°Rosie, did something happen?¡± Rosie looked up and said in a trembling voice, ¡°My my leg¡­¡± What was wrong with her leg? As she said that, everyone looked over at her leg. She was only wearing one of the boots, and her free foot was outstretched as if she was enduring severe pain. ¡°My legs were sweating, so I thought of changing to a new pair of boots before I go out. But when I changed, something in the boot pierced into my foot. It hurts so bad¡­¡± Rosie exined to them as she endured the pain. Hearing this, Sunny quickly squatted to check her foot. ¡°There is something pierced into her foot. I think it looks like a nail. What should I do?¡± By this time, Zeke showed the serious side of him and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s a doctor on standby in the horse ranch. I¡¯m going to ask the staff to inform him.¡± Sunny consoled, ¡°Rosie, bear for just a while longer. The doctor will be here to treat your wound. soon.¡± Rosie nodded as tears brimmed in her eyes. On the far side, Annie thought something was weird. She pulled Corinne¡¯s hand and whispered into Corinne¡¯s ear. ¡°Hey, Corinne. Isn¡¯t that the pair of boots you tried on just now? Why is there a nail inside?¡± Corinne merely looked at Rosie silently, narrowing her eyes. The doctor came as soon as possible and examined Rosie¡¯s foot. After that, he took out a pair of forceps from his medical aid box and quickly grasped the nail out of Rosie¡¯s foot. Subsequently, he sanitized the wound and wrapped the wound with a bandage. During the process, Rosie was in tremendous pain and her tears wet her face, all while Sunny let her grab his arm tightly as she braced herself. Once he was done, the doctor advised, ¡°Alright, Miss Rosie, I¡¯ve taken the nail out. Remember to not let your foote in contact with any water to avoid infection.¡± Rosie felt like she had experienced a tormented process and said to Sunny with a weakened voice, ¡°Sunny, it still hurts. Can you ask the doctor to prescribe some painkillers for me?¡± It broke Sunny¡¯s heart to see how agonized Rosie was. Sympathetic and provoked, he frowned and questioned the doctor, ¡°What the hell is wrong with the horse ranch? How did the nail fall into a customer¡¯s boots in the changing room?¡± The doctor exined innocently, ¡°Umm¡­ Mister Sunny, the nail doesn¡¯t belong to the horse ranch. Also, it was an ear stud that pierced into Miss Rosie¡¯s foot. We don¡¯t have any female employees working in the horse ranch, so the ear stud isn¡¯t from any of our employees.¡± The doctor took out the ear stud for them to see to prove the establishment was innocent. It was a diamond ear stud. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Sunny stared at the ear stud, and his anger disappeared immediately. Helplessly, he looked back at Rosie. ¡°Rosie, I think you dropped your ear stud into the boot. You have to be more careful next time.¡± Rosie looked at the ear stud on the doctor¡¯s hand and shook her head sheepishly. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t my ear stud. I never wear this kind of ear stud¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying this ear stud isn¡¯t yours?¡± Suddenly, Sunny became alert. ¡°Did someone put it into your boot? Is someone here trying to hurt you?¡± Everyone was surprised when they heard that. They had known each other since they were kids, and their families went way back. None of them would use this method to hurt their friends. Rosie was stunned when she heard that. After a while, she realized something and looked at Corinne, who was standing in between Jeremy and Annie, in disbelief. ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t do anything to you. Why did you do this to me?¡± shemented. Everyone was dumbstruck by what they heard as they nced at Corinne in surprise. Corinne was the only one they just knew, an outsider whom they barely got to know. At that time, Corinne was yawning out of boredom. Hearing the usation hurled at her, she looked at Rosiezily. ¡°Huh? Are you talking to me?¡± Rosie felt hurt and angry. Her eyes reddened when Corinne¡¯s attitude was still so ignorant. She said, ¡°You¡¯re the only one who touched my boots when I gave them to you to try out. Who else could it be if it wasn¡¯t you? ¡°Corinne, I was kind enough to lend the boots to you, so what was I supposed to do that they didn¡¯t fit you? Why do you have to hurt me for it? Do you know I¡¯m a ballet dancer? How am I going to dance again if there¡¯s a repercussion from the wound?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne looked back calmly and raised her brow. I have nothing to do with the thing you used me of. It¡¯s just a small ear stud. You¡¯re not made out of paper, and your foot isn¡¯t going to break. just because an ear stud is pierced into it.¡± Rosie bit her lip and looked even more upset. Her voice quivered as if she was about to burst into tears. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know how badly it hurts because it didn¡¯t happen to you! ¡°Corinne, I know we had a misunderstanding because of the watch, but it¡¯s in the past, isn¡¯t it? Do you have to take revenge on me so cruelly?¡± Corinne furrowed her brow like she heard an unfunny joke. ¡°Take revenge? Miss Rosie, are you paranoid? ¡°When I threw your watch into the soup in the restaurant, I thought the misunderstanding between us was cleared. I¡¯m azy person, so I don¡¯t have the time to look back into that boring matter for a second time.¡± Rosie was stunned. She did not expect Corinne to be such an honest and straightforward person. Then again, it was a good thing. The more rude and ignorant Corinne was, the more the others. would think she was a rude, evil, low-quality, and vengeful person. It could help to make the others. lean toward Rosie and know who the victim was in this case. With that thought in her mind, Rosie took a deep breath, suppressed her discountenance, and put on a smile as if she was generous enough to move forward easily. ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to deny it so quickly; I don¡¯t have any intention of asking you topensate me. All you need to do is admit that you did it. We can talk it out, that¡¯s all. For Jeremy¡¯s sake, we can still be friends.¡± Corinne furrowed her eyebrows as if she was looking at a fly. ¡°Pardon me, Miss Rosie, but we were never friends, and we¡¯ll never be. It¡¯s unnecessary for us to be friends just because of someone. Most importantly, why should I admit something that I didn¡¯t do?¡± Of course, Rosie never wanted to be friends with Corinne-she merely said it aloud to make herself look good. Corinne¡¯s attitude was just what Rosie expected, especially when she looked like a poor victim who initiated a truce yet was rejected mercilessly by Corinne. With tears in her eyes, she looked at Jeremy, who said nothing from the start, with a helpless, irritated expression. ¡°Jeremy, did you see her attitude? You, me, Zeke, and the others have been friends for a long time. We all know each other very well. Do you think I¡¯d use her without any reason?¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Obviously, Rosie was hoping Jeremy would take her side and aid her. Zeke and the others looked at Jeremy and wondered how he would handle the contradiction between his wife and a friend. No one could tell what he was feeling as he did not portray any obvious expression on his face. He said in a deep voice, ¡°Yes. I know you¡¯d never use anyone without any reason.¡± With that being said, it showed Jeremy was on Rosie¡¯s side. Corinne felt disheartened hearing that. She looked down and stretched her mouth into a sarcastic smile. No one was on her side, and it would not be a surprise if no one here believed in her. Over the period she cooperated with Jeremy, they had been through a lot. Heck, they even slept together. It was just¡­ disheartening when the man she sacrificed her body to save took the other person¡¯s side without thinking about it. Trust was the hardest thing to gain in this world. Everyone gazed at Corinne as if they had their own interpretation of the incident. Some of them. questioned if she truly did it, while some believed what Rosie said. Rosie lived for the moment. A hint of glee shed through her eyes briefly, but she remained rooted in her victim facade. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m thankful you believe in me. Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know how to describe how sad and wronged I feel now. Ä¿ Annie, on the other hand, stood out and said, ¡°You¡¯re a bad man, Uncle Jeremy! I trust Corinne!¡± She quickly added persistently, ¡°Rosie, you can¡¯t just use anyone without any evidence. I was there when you gave the boots to Corinne to try on, and I didn¡¯t see her putting an ear stud into your boots. After she tried it on, she immediately took it off and gave it back to you. I saw everything!¡± It did not surprise Rosie when Annie took Corinne¡¯s side. She sighed helplessly and said earnestly,¡± Annie, you¡¯re too naive. If someone had the intention to do bad things, she would avoid having others see her do it. And you also saw Corinne was the only one who touched my boots. Nothing happened to her when she wore them, but why was there an ear stud in the boot when I wore it? No one else touched them in that period. Isn¡¯t the culprit of this incident obvious enough?¡± Annie snorted. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Corinne put the ear stud into your boots. She didn¡¯t wear any ear studs today. If you put it that way, maybe you¡¯re the one who put the ear stud in!¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes shed. She paused for a while and said innocently, ¡°Annie, how can you use me of that? Why would I want to hurt myself by putting the ear stud in?¡± Annie rolled her eyes. ¡°How the heck do I know what you were thinking? When you lost your watch the other time, you and Sunny used Corinne without any evidence, too!¡± Sunny frowned. He wanted to fight back, but after a slight hesitation, he decided against it. Rosie was at a loss for words. Since Annie was Jeremy¡¯s niece, she knew better than to offend her. Thus, she decided to stop arguing with Annie and looked at Jeremy. She sighed and pretended topromise. ¡°Nevermind, Jeremy. I¡¯m not actually asking for anything from Corinne; I¡¯m just seeking justice. Tell Corinne to apologize to me, and we can turn over a new leaf. I don¡¯t want this incident to affect our friendship.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Annie was displeased. ¡°Why should Corinne apologize to you? She didn¡¯t-¡± Before Annie could finish, arge, heavy hand was ced on her shoulder. Jeremy pushed her to the back and stopped her from continuing. He took a step closer and looked at Rosie aloofly. ¡°You want justice, you say? Who is going to give my wife her justice?¡± Rosie was stunned. ¡°Jeremy¡­ What are you talking about? Are you suspecting me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suspecting nobody,¡± said Jeremy with an indifferent expression. He was not angry, but he disyed his dominance. ¡°My wife isn¡¯t the type who¡¯d harm others without benefiting herself.¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Reeling in shock, Corinne blinked her bright eyes at Jeremy. ¡®He believes me?¡¯ Rosie¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ¡°But Jeremy, didn¡¯t you say you believe that I wouldn¡¯t use Corinne without a reason? Why are you saying this now?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained neutral ¡°Yes, I believe you wouldn¡¯t use her without a reason, so why don¡¯t you tell us why you do it anyway and use my wife?¡± As it turned out, Jeremy was not on her side after all despite saying otherwise. Moreover, he was certain Rosie did it to herself with his question. Rosie started to panic and yed the victim¡¯s card. ¡°Jeremy, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years! You know me. How could you suspect me?¡± Jeremy did not react to this, however, as he said, ¡°Time isn¡¯t the standard to test everything. Although I just know my wife, we trust each other, and we won¡¯t suspect each other just because someone tried to instigate our rtionship.¡± Rosie was stunned. Her eyes reddened as something bitter welled up within her. ¡°Jeremy! What do you mean, instigating your rtionship? You surely can¡¯t think of me in that way. We¡¯ve been friends for ages now. Jeremy started to look impatient. ¡°Rosie, if you¡¯re not going to say the reason, stop using my wife Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind seeing you in court.¡± He turned his back to Rosie calmly and asked Corinne softly, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The question struck Corinne as she had been zoning out. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, a little.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to have our breakfast.¡± With everyone watching them, Jeremy held her hand naturally and led her out of the changing. room. Annie followed after them with a smile and whined, ¡°Boy, was I mad at you back there, Uncle Jeremy! Why didn¡¯t you state your intention? I thought you didn¡¯t trust Corinne!¡± Jeremy gave her a cold nce, ¡°So I¡¯m not your bad Uncle Jeremy anymore?¡± Annie chuckled. ¡°No, no. I was just being silly! You two have a strong rtionship. You won¡¯t doubt. each other just because of a silly matter!¡± Corinne was speechless as she stretched her lips. ¡®What the heck? A strong rtionship?¡± After Jeremy and Corinne left, Zeke and the others were ready to leave too. They were just watching by the sideline and did not have the intention to take anyone¡¯s side. However, Rosie burned with anger as she watched Jeremy and Corinne leave while holding hands. Jeremy actually warned that he would sue her because of the country bumpkin Corinne! If Jeremy suspected her already, there was no way she would let Corinne leave so easily! She gritted her teeth reluctantly and thought deeply. Suddenly, she shouted, ¡°Jeremy, wait!¡± Jeremy stopped walking and looked back a little. ¡°What else do you want to say?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. With a sullen expression, Rosie said angrily, ¡°If you bring her out now, everyone will think I used her of hurting me! It puts me in a difficult situation, and I¡¯m unwilling to have others think of me like this!¡± ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± Jeremy asked. ¡°If you believe in her and she insists she didn¡¯t do it, let her prove to me that this ear stud isn¡¯t hers! Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Jeremy replied instantly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to prove anything to you.¡± Rosie felt incredulous hearing this. ¡°Jeremy, what has gotten into you? You¡¯re not this kind of guy! It isn¡¯t too long since you two are married, and you¡¯re allowing her to blind you from the truth?¡± Jeremy ignored her and turned, intending to lead Corinne out. However, Corinne pulled her hand out from Jeremy¡¯s hand and turned to face Rosie. ¡°If I can prove that ear stud isn¡¯t mine, are you going to apologize to me?¡± Rosie was stunned for a while before earnestly saying, ¡°I will apologize to you if you can prove the ear stud isn¡¯t yours.¡± Corinne raised her brow. ¡°That¡¯s not enough. If I can prove it, you have to pay for everyone¡¯s expenses today. Surely an apology won¡¯t be enough after you tried to use someone without any reason. At first, Rosie thought Corinne was going to make her suffer. When she knew all she needed to do was pay for everyone¡¯s expenses for the day, she scorned Corinne mentally. This was probably the most serious punishment Corinne could think of, but this was nothing for Rosie because she came from a wealthy family. Most importantly, she did not think Corinne was able to prove anything. It was certainly difficult for anyone to prove they were innocent, especially when they were not the ones who did it. There was no surveince camera in the changing room, so Rosie was all too curious to see how Corinne was going to prove herself innocent. Rosie thus nodded confidently, ¡°Alright. I agree with that.¡± Jeremy turned and looked at Corinne with a straight face, but his eyes betrayed him. He was, in fact, piqued and wondering how Corinne would pull that off. Zeke and the others also stopped walking and continued to enjoy the show. Corinne approached Rosie and stretched out her hand. ¡°Where¡¯s the ear stud that pierced into your sole? Give it to me.¡± Rosie hesitated and asked the doctor to give Corinne the ear stud. Corinne epted it and wore the ear stub on her ear lobe in front of everyone. Rosie chuckled, puzzled as to what Corinne was trying to prove. ¡°The ear stud looks good on you. It suits you very nicely.¡± She was notplimenting Corinne sincerely, of course. She was implying that the ear stud was hers. Nevertheless, Corinne did not panic and said, ¡°Miss Rosie, can you take a look at my ear? Is it swollen?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Dubiously, Rosie looked closely and discovered¡­Corinne¡¯s ear was indeed swelling. It was just a few seconds since Corinne put on the ear stud, yet her ear turned swollen and reddened. The area near the ear stud had turned purple as if it was poisoned. The symptoms looked very serious. What happened? Corinne, unable to withstand the burning sensation, quickly took off the ear stud from her ear. There were rashes on her hand that were in contact with the ear stud. Same as her ear, her hand was turning purple, too. ¡°I¡¯ve been allergic to silver since I was a kid. My skin would turn red and purple and have an allergic reaction if I touch anything made out of silver. Normally, this kind of ear stud is made out of silver, so I can say with confidence this ear stud isn¡¯t mine.¡± Corinne handed the ear stud back to the doctor and scratched her irritated hand. Rosie never expected to have things turn out this way. Her expression froze. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Miss Rosie,¡± said Corinne, ¡°you can apologize to me now.¡± Up until this point, Rosie looked extremely flustered and could not say anything to defend herself. If she refused to apologize, it would make her look bad. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Thus, Rosie smiled gently and said nicely, ¡°I am truly sorry, Corinne. It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier that you¡¯re allergic to silver? If you¡¯d said it earlier, this wouldn¡¯t happen.¡± Corinne raised her brow and replied, ¡°Miss Rosie, do you know you nearly made me a criminal just. because you misunderstood me? Are you trying to me me for not proving my innocence earlier? Rosie smiled sheepishly. ¡°Uhh¡­ Corinne, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Miss Rosie, I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying to say. Just don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re paying for all of our expenses today.¡± Despite the bitterness she felt, Rosie could only nod ¡®understandingly. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, Corinne. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m willing to ept the punishment. Everything is on me today. Think of it as my compensation to you.¡± Just as Corinne wanted to say something, someone pulled her. Jeremy¡¯s face appeared right in front of her and gave her a fright. He leaned over to examine her ear and grabbed her hand to look at her swollen palm. With a sullen face, he asked the doctor, ¡°Where¡¯s the antiallergic agent?¡± It frightened the doctor. ¡°Er¡­ Mister Jeremy, I don¡¯t have those with me. I need to go get it from my office!¡± ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Jeremy asked impatiently. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The doctor rushed out with his medical aid box. After that, Jeremy lifted Corinne in his arms as he strode out of the changing room, uncaring if she would allow him. Annie regained her senses and ran after them. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, wait for me!¡± By then, Zeke smiled cynically and nudged Gerald¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey, Gerald, do you think Jeremy has fallen in love?¡± Gerald¡¯s aloof expression was still attached as he said, ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± Zeke eximed, ¡°I mean, you have experience in this! Weren¡¯t you mesmerized by the young miss. from the Hoppers?¡± The question must have touched a nerve since Gerald¡¯s stone-cold expression darkened. ¡°Shut the f*ck up.¡± He walked out, leaving the others behind him. Zeke shrugged. ¡°Jason, look at him. He panicked!¡± Jason smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who ignited his bomb!¡± Only Rosie and Sunny were left in the changing room after everyone else had left. ¡°Rosie, let me take you back to the room to take a rest.¡± ¡°Sunny, I think we¡¯ve underestimated her,¡± said Rosie, realizing her n had fallen apart horribly.¡± She¡¯s not as simple as she looks. She¡¯s way stronger than we imagined!¡± Sunny furrowed his eyebrows as he grumbled, ¡°You don¡¯t believe in Corinne? Did you see how her ear was after wearing the ear stud?¡± Rosie sighed sarcastically. ¡°I have no idea how she did it. Maybe she used some tricks just to prove her innocence. It¡¯s not weird if she got some weird tricks up her sleeve since she used to live in the countryside.¡± Sunny did not agree to this. ¡°I think you¡¯re overthinking it. Corinne would never hurt you intentionally. She¡¯s not that kind of person.¡± Rosie was stunned by what Sunny had said. ¡°Sunny..what did you say?¡± All this while, Sunny loathed Corinne, so much so that he hated her more than Rosie hated her. She found it hard to believe Sunny was speaking for Corinne. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. With sheer determination in his eyes, he said, ¡°Corinne is my friend now, and I believe in her.¡± Rosie was shocked. ¡°Friend? Sunny¡­ When did you two be friends? Why didn¡¯t I know about this?¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 For the next couple of minutes, Sunny told Rosie how Corinne saved him at Lunar Century Manor. Still, Rosie could not understand Sunny¡¯s new sentiment toward Corinne. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re betraying me because Corinne won a game for you?¡± Sunny shook his head. ¡°Of course I won¡¯t betray you. I just think Corinne isn¡¯t a bad person after all ¡°Sunny, you¡¯ve disappointed me.¡± Rosie stood up and limped her way out of the room. Sunny furrowed his eyebrows and remained rooted, his mind torn by the conflicted thoughts about the situation. Under the parasol. Corinne was forced to sit on Jeremy¡¯sp while he applied antiallergic cream to her skin. Meanwhile, the anxious-looking doctor stood by, his body slightly slouching with a bottle of medicine in his hand. Jeremy¡¯s slender, calloused fingers were holding a medical cotton swab. He dipped into the antiallergic cream and applied it on Corinne¡¯s purplish earlobe. After that, he grabbed her hand. and applied the cream to the rashes on her palm. It tickled her slightly, and she instinctively wanted to pull her hand back when Jeremy said sternly, Don¡¯t move.¡± Corinne reluctantly relented. Jeremy meant well and did it for her good. If she insisted on rejecting him, it would look like she was taking good for evil. In fact, she could not reject him either. Jeremy was so strong that he was grasping her tightly, and she could not even struggle. Without a choice, she endured the ticklish feeling and allowed. Jeremy to apply the cream to her palm. After that, he took the antiallergic medicine from the doctor and brought it in front of her while holding another ss of water with his other hand. Corinne frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take the medicine. The rashes will disappear after two days.¡± Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows and said sternly, ¡°Be a good girl.¡± Never in Corinne¡¯s life had someone been this domineering to her, and she hated this. Angrily, she took the pills, popped them into her mouth, and drank a mouthful of water to flush the medicines down her throat. Jeremy finally let her go afterward. The horse ranch had prepared a simple breakfast for them. The famished Corinne quickly sat on the chair and was about to take a bowl of soup, but arge hand grabbed the bowl from her before she could even hold it. She glowered at Jeremy when he took away the bowl of soup. Just as she was going to argue with him, however, he scooped a spoonful of soup and blew it cool before bringing it to her lips. Corinne was stunned. Her lips twitched. ¡°Mister, my hand is only irritated, not broken.¡± Jeremy disregarded this and said, ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Corinne¡¯s skin crawled at the gesture. ¡°Mister, I can eat by myself!¡± ¡°There¡¯s antiallergic cream on your hand, and you¡¯re going to smudge it if you eat by yourself!¡± She fell speechless. Her negotiation failed! ¡®Fine!¡¯ she grumbled internally. If she was not that hungry, she would have never sumbed and allowed Jeremy to feed her. Helplessly, she opened her mouth and ate the soup Jeremy fed her. Subsequently, Jeremy fed her one spoon after another patiently. Annie was enjoying the show as she eximed, ¡°Oh my god! Is he my Uncle Jeremy? He¡¯s helping Corinne eat just because her hand has an allergic reaction!¡± Corinne was already feeling off-put from the start, and hearing Anie¡¯s words only worsened her mood and she found it difficult to swallow the soup. Annie got close to Corinne and looked at her admiringly. ¡°Corinne, you turned this fool of a man into a caring husband! How did you do it? Teach me!¡± A caring husband? Corinne furrowed her brow and looked at the stern-looking man. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡®Hmph¡­ He¡¯s not caring at all!¡¯ she thought. Since Corinne was too shy to open her mouth to continue to let Jeremy feed her, he furrowed his eyebrows and gave Annie a cold re. ¡°Have you eaten your breakfast?¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Annie giggled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve eaten. You don¡¯t have to worry about me!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes in displeasure. ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± Annie was dumbstruck before a chuckle escaped her. ¡°Oh, I get it! I¡¯m going to stay out of the way and not be a third-wheeler. Bye! I¡¯m going to go see if my little pony has grown!¡± Once Annie ran off, a spoonful of soup was brought to Corinne¡¯s lips. She looked down at the soup, then back at Jeremy with a frown. ¡°Mister, do we need to act like a loving couple in front of Annie?¡± She thought he was acting? Jeremy¡¯s eyes turned cold, and the gentleness that rarely appeared in his eyes froze. ¡°Just drink your soup.¡± Corinne was baffled. Nheless, she parted her lips and drank the soup while internally whining,¡± He¡¯s such a moody man!¡± As she was drinking the soup, she heard Jeremy call her name sternly, ¡°Corinne.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Corinne looked at him, waiting for him to say what was on his mind. Jeremy gazed into her eyes solemnly. After being silent for one minute, he said, ¡°Remember this: ¡®you don¡¯t have to prove anything to anyone in the future, especially if such methods involve hurting yourself.¡± Corinne was puzzled by this. ¡°What about when others try to frame me? Can¡¯t I prove myself innocent?¡± Jeremy said, ¡°No matter what situation you are in, I¡¯ll believe in you unconditionally. You don¡¯t have to prove you¡¯re innocent to anyone else. To me, you¡¯re always innocent. Do you understand?¡± This struck Corinne hard, and her heart pounded like a drum. ¡®Why is he saying this like he¡¯s promising me something? How sudden.¡± Another spoon of soup was brought to her lips, but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Jeremy did not force her to finish the soup since she was full. He instead brought the spoon to his lips and drank the soup. Corinne¡¯s eyes widened at the sight, and her face turned red. Sharing the same soup and spoon¡­ It was a very intimate thing that only a couple would do. As a matter of fact, Jeremy was a person who cared about hygiene and cleanliness. How could he ept sharing the same food and spoon with her? Corinne felt perplexed. ¡°Mister, you¡¯re making me confused, and I¡¯m not used to how you¡¯re acting today.¡± It did not affect Jeremy as he continued to finish the rest of used to it so it won¡¯t be a problem for you in the future.¡± Corinne stretched her lips and smiled awkwardly. ¡°The future? Our contract is going to end two months from now. I¡¯ll have to get rid of the bad habit when we break up¡­¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Then let¡¯s not break up,¡± replied Jeremy calmly as though stating something ordinary. Corinne was dumbstruck. ¡®Did he just imply we don¡¯t have to break up? What does he mean by that?¡¯ All of a sudden, Sunny appeared with a serious look on his face. ¡°Corinne Carew,e here. There¡¯s something I want to say to you!¡± Before Corinne could react, Jeremy beat her to it. You can say what you want here.¡± Sunny frowned and felt under pressure with Jeremy present. ¡°Jeremy, I wish to speak to Corinne alone¡­¡± Corinne got on her feet and said, ¡°Mister, I¡¯m just going to go with him for a while.¡± Displeased, Jeremymanded coldly, ¡°Sit down, Corinne knew how possessive he was. She thought deeply and went over to whisper in his ear. Hey, I¡¯m just going to listen to what he has to say and tell youter.¡± Instantly, the coldness in his eyes disappeared, and he stopped insisting and allowed Corinne to go with Sunny. Corinne did not think much of this and followed Sunny. As they arrived in the woods near the horse ranch, Corinne asked, ¡°Alright, what do you want to tell me? Just say it.¡± Suddenly, Sunny ced one of his hands on the tree for support and kept Corinne in between him and the tree. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Corinne was startled by Sunny¡¯s behavior, but she folded her arms and looked at Sunny contemptuously. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Mister Sunny? What do you think you¡¯re trying to do?¡± Sunny blushed as he tried to muster the courage to say something that seemed to be difficult. Having a youthful spirit and a determined expression, he finally got with it. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ll be pursuing you!¡± That did not startle Corinne as she remained calm. In a bored manner, she examined him from top. to bottom as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you an adult?¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sunny raised his chin proudly. ¡°I¡¯m going to be eighteen years old in six months!¡± Corinne yawnedzily. ¡°Come find me only when you¡¯re an adult.¡± She then turned to leave. Obviously, this topic was not interesting enough for her to continue. However, Sunny used his arms to stop her from leaving. With a stern expression, he said solemnly, ¡°Corinne, please leave Jeremy alone, and give him back to my sister. You can be with me if you like rich guys. I¡¯m the same. My family has enough money to satisfy you.¡± Since Corinne could not get away, she leaned on the treezily and looked at the silly teenager in front of her with a smile. ¡°Be with you, a boy whose brother could suspend his card at will? What can I get from you if I¡¯m with you? A son?¡± Sunny was flustered to hear this, but there was nothing he could say about that because it was the truth. He snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid; you¡¯re just a few years older than me! After I have control over my finances, I can give you lots of money!¡± At that moment, Corinne felt like she was looking at a silly boy giving her a promise as if it was nothing important. She pushed Sunny¡¯s hand away. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I don¡¯t have the time to wait for you to grow up. We¡¯re not a good match.¡± She thus walked away, no longer being stopped. However, Sunny did not cave in as he insisted, ¡°Corinne Carew, I don¡¯t care! You can¡¯t be with Jeremy. He¡¯s meant to be with my sister!¡± Sunny¡¯s ultimate motive was revealed. He wanted to remove obstacles to Jeremy for his sister. However, he had no idea Corinne was not a rival to her sister. Her rtionship with Jeremy was something nned, and they would separate when the term was up. As she thought of that, she remembered what Jeremy said to her. ¡®Let¡¯s not break up.¡¯ He said it so rxedly and¡­peculiarly, too. Before this, Jeremy mentioned more than once that he had no interest in her and that he could give her everything except his love. Obviously, he was not hoping to develop any feelings for her during their coboration, so what did he mean when he said he did not want to break up? Men-what fickle human beings! Corinne stopped and remained quiet for two seconds. She then spoke calmly, ¡°You think too much. Jeremy isn¡¯t mine, and I don¡¯t have to give him back to your sister. If you have the time to worry about this, why don¡¯t you use the time wisely to finish your homework?¡± Sunny frowned and said angrily, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look down on me! And I finished my homework!¡± ¡°Then just go and have fun somewhere else!¡± Corinne could not bother to waste her time with him. and left. Still, Sunny continued to follow her and nagged. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to pursue you from today onward. Just wait and see how I¡¯m going to make you fall in love with me!¡± Corinne looked back with a smile. ¡°You really want to date me? Why don¡¯t you get into a prestigious university? I have no interest in brainless men; it¡¯s a concern of mine that it¡¯ll affect my kids¡¯ intelligence.¡± She pointed at her temple as if she scorned Sunny¡¯s intelligence. Sunny felt out of breath in rage. ¡°What are you implying. Corinne Carew!? I¡¯m very smart!¡± Corinne ignored him and walked away, humming a tune as she did. Sunny stood still as he balled his fists tightly, his face contorting in displeasure. ¡®Hmph! What¡¯s so difficult about getting into a prestigious university? Corinne Carew, just wait!¡¯ When Corinne returned, Jeremy was chatting with Zeke and the others under the parasol. Frankly speaking, she was reluctant to go over there. After all, Zeke had a bad mouth, and she could foresee him making fun of her and Jeremy. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 s, Jeremy spotted Corinne from afar, and she would have a difficult time exining herself to him if she did not go to him. Corinne sighed and walked toward him nheless. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m back.¡± Jeremy had a cup of coffee in his hand, and he brought it to his lips and took a sip. ¡°What did you guys talk about?¡± Corinne shook her head in a bored manner. ¡°Nothing, just trivial things. Nothing worth mentioning.¡± Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows. It struck him to find out Corinne was just entertaining him when she said she was going to tell him everything when she returned to him. Zeke smiled and patted the chair next to him, saying, ¡°Corinne,e sit and chat with us!¡± Corinne nced at Zeke and was reluctant to chat with him. She knew he was going to make fun of her. At that moment, Annie ran over and said, ¡°Corinne! Corinne! Come. I¡¯m going to bring you to pick a horse, and we¡¯ll have a little race when it¡¯s not as hot. It¡¯s going to be very hot during the afternoon! Corinne looked at Annie, then at Jeremy to get his permission. ¡°Mister, can I go?¡± Although she was never an obedient person, Jeremy was the one who brought her here today, so she knew she had to act like they were a married couple. The script called for her to ask for his permission. She could only go when Jeremy allowed her. Jeremy was displeased when Corinne did not tell him in detail what she and Sunny talked about, but hearing Corinne asking his permission soothed him slightly. He looked at her affectionately, like a guardian would, and nodded, saying, ¡°Go have fun.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Corinne smiled and ran off with Annie to head to the horse pen to pick a horse. Jeremy drank his coffee as he watched Corinne walk away. Even minutester, his gaze remained in the direction she took off. ¡°I think you¡¯re bing more loving nowadays, Jeremy. What¡¯s wrong? Did your wife manage to tame you well?¡± teased Zeke. Jeremy shot him a cold re. ¡°Do you have an issue with it?¡± Zeke shrugged. ¡®No. I¡¯m just curious what kind of magic your wife possesses to have been able to take you down.¡± With an Indifferent expression, he stared at him warningly. ¡®It¡¯s better not to be curious about. someone else¡¯s wife.¡± Gerald said, ¡°What he needs is a woman that can knock him out!¡± Zeke crossed his legs and said, ¡°Gerald, don¡¯t do others what you wouldn¡¯t have them do to you. Don¡¯t curse me just because a woman once did that to you!¡± Gerald¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Jason stood up and smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not just sit around. Let¡¯s go riding! And how about a little competition to spice it up?¡± Zeke leaned back on the chair and said, ¡°Go ahead. It¡¯s too hot!¡± Jason smiled helplessly. ¡°Come on. You¡¯re the organizer, and you¡¯re not going to participate? You¡¯re a man. Why are you afraid of the sun?¡± Gerald sneered ¡°He¡¯s a sissy, don¡¯t you know that?¡± Zeke eximed, ¡°Hey, why are you scolding me?!¡± There were more than a hundred horses in the horse pen. Corinne set her eyes on a white horse with a ck dot on its forehead with one look. As shel All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. walked to the horse to bring it out, a voice rang. ¡°You can¡¯t handle that horse. It¡¯s better for you to change to another horse now!¡± It was Rosie¡¯s voice. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Hearing the voice, Corinne looked back and spotted Rosie looking at her from afar with a brown horse. Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Is your foot all good now?¡± Annie had gone to another horse pen to get her horse, so no one else was around. Thus, Rosie did. not have to pretend to be nice to Corinne. Instead, she was hostile. ¡°Of course not, but that little injury isn¡¯t going to affect me riding!¡± When it happened, Rosie had screamed so loudly that others thought her leg was badly damaged. because of the little ear stud, yet she could stand so steadily with the horse. It was obvious that she was pretending in the changing room. Corinne smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good, then.¡± She did not want to talk to Rosie or look at her, so she walked toward the horse she picked. Despite that, Rosie did not let her go easily and said sarcastically, ¡°You better stay away from the horse. Even if you can bring it out, you¡¯re not going to be able to ride it.¡± That made Corinne pause. She could tell Rosie did not say that just to criticize her. Looking at the horse, she then turned to look at Rosie. ¡°Why? What makes you say that?¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes were full of contempt as she said proudly, ¡°That horse belongs to someone else, and it knows its owner. Other than its owner, no one has ever gotten to ride it.¡± Corinne perked up at this. ¡°Who¡¯s its owner?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to know it. If you¡¯re smart, you should go choose another horse. Don¡¯t act. tough and frighten other people¡¯s horses!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. The hatred Rosie had for Corinne was clear without any pretense, though Corinne found it better in this way. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your kind advice, but can I ask you one more question?¡± Rosie furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Corinne disdainfully. ¡°What?¡± Corinne asked, ¡°Do you dislike me because you like Jeremy?¡± *Jeremy, Zeke, and I have known each other since we were kids, and our families are close with each other,¡± Rosie answered honestly as if she was not hiding anything. ¡°Our rtionship is pure, but I don¡¯t expect a country bumpkin like you to understand that.¡± Corinne did not mind the sarcasm Rosie threw at her and instead asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t like Jeremy, why do you hate me that much? I know you framed me today, as well as the time at the restaurant with the watch. Didn¡¯t you do it so Jeremy will dislike me?¡± Rosie snorted remorselessly. ¡°If you want to know so badly, it doesn¡¯t hurt for me to tell you the reason. ¡°Jeremy is my best friend¡¯s man, and I can¡¯t just stand by the side and do nothing when a woman from the countryside steals him away and hurts her.¡± At that moment, Corinne finally understood. ¡°So your best friend is Sunny¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure his sister must be a very good person since all of you love her and protect her so much.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± said Rosie proudly as the topic shifted to talking about her best friend. ¡°Anya is the nicest woman in this world! She¡¯s from a reputable family, gentle and kind, and always the best in ss. A country bumpkin like you can neverpete with her!¡± Corinne curled her lips nonchntly. ¡°Is that so?¡± Rosie hated how nonchnt Corinne looked as if nothing could hurt her. She ground her teeth unhappily. ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about Anya, I don¡¯t mind saying something else. Jeremy loved Anya dearly when they were together, but they were forced to break up because of some contradictions between their families. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can take this chance and be Jeremy¡¯s wife!¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Corinne lowered her eyebrows and sighed in irritation. "You might not believe me if I say this, but I''m not interested in Jeremy at all! I don''t even want to be Missus Holden! You''re only wasting your time and effort if you try to pull these little shenanigans with me!" Rosie was taken aback and looked at her with a bit of doubt. "You''re not interested, you say? Then would you dare to swear that nothing ever happened between yourself and Jeremy, or that you don''t have any feelings for him at all?" Corinne was silent. Making that promise was something she could not do because something did happen between herself and Jeremy¡ªsomething...she could not bring herself to think about! However, the circumstances that led to that event werepletely beyond her control, and other people would never understand why it was so. Even if she did exin the situation, no one would believe that her mindset then was simply focused on helping him since it was in her capacity to do so. In consideration of those factors, she felt that keeping that a secret forever was the best course of action. As soon as the three-month cooperation period was over, she would leave the Holdens and disappearpletely from Jeremy''s side. Her then actions could sufficiently prove to everyone that she was not interested in Jeremy or what the Holdens could do for her. Swearing was unnecessary. When Rosie saw Corinne''s prolonged silence, she sneered, "What''s wrong? Why are you so afraid of swearing, huh? Ironically, you can''t even do such a simple act when you im to be uninterested in Jeremy or being his wife! I find it hard to believe that poor people like you are willing to leave behind a life of wealth after finally having a taste of the good life!" Corinne could not be bothered to talk to her and felt that there was no point. At that moment, Annie led her horse and came over. "Have you taken your pick of the horses yet, Corinne?" As soon as she finished asking her question, she frowned when she saw Rosie standing there. "Rosie? I thought your foot was injured. How are you able to ride a horse? Or could it be that you were just pretending to be in pain?" Rosie was polite to Annie and immediately switched to a gentle and kind expression. "I feel much better after getting a rest, Annie. It''s not often that we''re all gathered here together, so I''ve decided to soldier on since I don''t want to miss out on the chance to ride horses with everyone!" Annie rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "Tch! It''s not like anyone''s interested to ride a horse with you!" She ignored Rosie and led her horse toward Corinne. "So, have you decided? We''ll lead our horses out if you have one!" Corinne nodded and pointed at her horse of choice. "I have. It''s that one!" She did not change her mind and chose the same white horse with a ck spot on its forehead. Rosie frowned and stared at Corinne in shock. ''She must be very overconfident if she chose that same horse again!'' Annie shook her head as well when she saw Corinne''s choice. "But that horse is stubborn, Corinne! A lot of people were thrown off its back before, and some even ended up breaking their bones. You should choose another one for the sake of your safety!" The horse was undoubtedly a very temperamental one if Annie could make such a remark about it. The horse was unyielding, vtile, and fiercely loyal, yet Corinne had taken a liking to it. Rosie''s lips had a mocking sneer, and after some thought, she changed her tone and said, "Why don''t you let Corinne try riding that horse since she''s so insistent on picking it? Who knows, she might be able to tame that fierce horse!" Since Corinne chose that horse, she could only have herself to me if she fell to her death.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Annie frowned. ¡°But¡­¡± Corinne was already leading the horse out. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m about to give it a try.¡± Annie¡¯s worry remained rooted. ¡°Do you want to rethink your decision, Corinne? This horse is really difficult!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°No thanks. I just know that this horse clicks with me.¡± ¡°Okay. You must be careful when you ride itter, though!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Corinne assured. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Rosie led the horse and followed the two of them as she stared at Corinne¡¯s rear figure with disdain. ¡®Clicks with you, huh? You¡¯re going to be thrown off its backter, you overconfident country girl!¡¯ In reality, Rosie¡¯s feet did not hurt at all, and she was merely pretending to limp just to synchronize with the charade she put on earlier. Sunny rode a chestnut-colored horse over to look for them. As soon as he saw the white horse that Corinne was holding, he was startled at first and frowned right away. ¡°You brought Moonshine out?¡± ¡®Moonshine? Why would such a handsome horse have such an adorable name?¡¯ Corinne wondered. She raised her hand and caressed Moonshine¡¯s mane. ¡°Why? Am I not allowed to ride it?¡± Sunny jumped off his horse, put on a proud attitude, and told her in a magnanimous manner, ¡°It¡¯s not so much whether you can ride as it is whether you¡¯ll survive riding it! Moonshine is my sister¡¯s horse, and it only allows my sister to ride it. Anyone else who dares to sit on its back will be thrown off!¡± Corinne froze slightly. ¡®This is the horse of Sunny¡¯s sister?¡¯ ¡°Which sister?¡± Sunny said, ¡°My eldest. I heard from my brother that this was a pony my dad gave her for her third birthday, and the ck round spot on its forehead looks like a moon, which is why my sister gave it that name. Then, when she disappeared, Moonshine never let anyone ride it again. ¡°You need to listen to me when I say that you should switch Moonshine for another horse. There¡¯s always a risk of disability if a girl like you falls off a horse!¡± Corinne turned her head to look at the white horse beside her, but she did not think that it was as fierce as everyone described. Besides, the name Moonshine sounded inexplicably familiar. ¡°Moonshine,¡± she tried calling out to it. The white horse seemed to react a bit as it looked at her and tilted its head before moving closer and nudging itself against Corinne¡¯s head. As soon as Sunny saw that, his guard was up and he immediately pulled Corinne away. ¡°Be careful! Didn¡¯t you see that? It¡¯s starting to get irritable! You¡¯ll be thrown off if you ride it!¡± Corinne was not frightened at all, and she calmly stretched out her hand to touch Moonshine¡¯s face and soothe its emotions. Rosie walked up to Sunny and said to him, ¡°That¡¯s what I told Corinne earlier, but she still insists on choosing Moonshine. Just leave her be!¡± Sunny¡¯s eyebrows were knit in a tight frown. ¡°But that¡¯s very dangerous, Rosie! You know how fierce Moonshine is! Corinne will die if things go south!¡± Rosie had a helpless expression. ¡°She can¡¯t be persuaded. otherwise¡­¡± A loud neigh was heard all of a sudden, and Sunny immediately turned around to see that Corinne had gotten on Moonshine¡¯s back and whipped the rein. ¡°Go, Moonshine!¡± Moonshine seemed rather excitable, and its front feet lifted off the ground as it jumped up and soared into the air. Had Corinne not held the reins tightly as she sat on its back, she would very likely have fallen off on the spot! Chapter 213 Chapter 213 It was an extremely dangerous scene! In the distance, Jeremy-who was riding on a horse while preparing for a race with Zeke and the others- turned around when he heard the neigh andid eyes on the heart-stopping spectacle. His pupils shrank, and he immediately rode his ck, pure- breed horse over. After Moonshine raised its head and neighed excitedly, it ced its front feet firmly on the ground as it galloped happily across the racecourse with Corinne on its back. It was neither averse to having her ride on it, nor did it show any sign of kicking her off. Sunny-who was about to go over and save her was dumbfounded by that scene and halted his horse immediately. ¡®Is this really happening? How is Corinne riding Moonshine so safely and steadily?¡¯ ¡®How is that possible?¡¯ Rosie had a look of disbelief on her face, too. She had been looking forward to seeing Corinne fall off the horse and make a fool of herself, and when neither of that happened, she felt disappointed and angry. ¡®How is Corinne able to control that stubborn horse when it won¡¯t even let Anya ride it?¡¯ Annie was in awe as she looked at Corinne with even more admiration. ¡®Whoa! That¡¯s Corinne for you! If she¡¯s able to tame such a fierce horse so quickly, then Uncle Jeremy won¡¯t be a problem for her!¡¯ After the brief scare had passed and Corinne was confirmed safe as well as in control of the situation, Jeremy¡¯s tight-knit frown rxed gradually and he pulled his reins to slow his horse down. He narrowed his eyes slightly, and there was a hint of admiration as he gazed at the girl riding a galloping horse in the distance. ¡®I wonder, is there nothing she can¡¯t handle in this world?¡¯ ¡°Moonshine! Halt¡­¡± After a fewps on the track, Corinne pulled the reins to slow Moonshine down so she could rest. Moonshine slowed down obediently as well and began to trot leisurely. Corinne stroked its mane. ¡°Do you miss your owner a lot?¡± Horses could not speak, of course, but Moonshine made some grunts that seemed to give Corinne a positive response. ¡°Corinne ! Corinne !¡± Annie chased after Corinne so that her horse could walk side-by-side at the same speed. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Corinne! I didn¡¯t think you could tame such a stubborn horse! I¡¯m admiring you more by the second!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched, and she shook her head. ¡°It has a good personality, though it is fiercely loyal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re awesome! No one else can ride it!¡± Corinne was speechless. Rosie and Sunny had finallye over too. Sunny looked at Corinne with a bright-eyed yet haughty expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so capable, Corinne. Tell me, how did you get my sister¡¯s horse to listen to you?¡± Corinne replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special. I just rode it because I felt connected to it by fate.¡± Rosie could not stand Corinne¡¯s self-praise. ¡®Tch. Where did she get the cheek to say that she¡¯s ¡®connected¡¯ to it ¡®by fate¡¯? What kind of fate could a poor girl who grew up in the countryside have with such a noble pure-bred horse? If Jeremy hadn¡¯t brought her along to the ranch, she might¡¯ve never had the chance toe in contact with such an expensive pure ¨C bred horse in her entire life!¡¯ Rosie snorted. ¡°How about we race then, since you can tame Moonshine so well?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow and looked at Rosie. She then nced mockingly at Rosie¡¯s injured foot and said, ¡°Is your foot alright? Will you me me if something untoward happens?¡± Rosie curled her lips stiffly and forced an awkward smile. ¡± Everything that happened in the past was a misunderstanding, and I¡¯ve already apologized to you, too. Is it that hard for you not to hold a grudge?¡± Rosie made no secret of her dislike for Corinne when no one was around, but she pretended to be kind to her whenever she All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. and Corinne were in front of others. Corinne almost felt bad to expose her charade in light of the effort that Rosie had put into the acting. Corinne shrugged and smiled slightly. ¡°Just kidding! We can race if you want. I have no objection.¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Sunny has always enjoyedpetitive games and took the initiative to join in. ¡°How about all four of us race against each other? The starting point will be here, and the finish line will be the edge of the woods up ahead. Whoever reaches the finish line first is the winner! Is that good?¡± Annie raised her hand. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m in!¡± Since everyone agreed to the race, they positioned themselves behind the starting line and ensured that there was sufficient space between them as they prepared to race from their respective tracks. ¡°Corinne.¡± A man¡¯s deep voice sounded suddenly from behind. them. Corinne and Moonshine were about to begin the race, but she turned her head as soon as she heard someone calling her and saw Jeremying over on a shiny ck horse. He stopped some distance away and looked earnestly at her. His elegant and professional equestrian outfit made him look incredibly majestic and handsome. As he rode on the horse, he did not look like a prince at all but more like a handsome king in his prime who ruled everything under the sun. Corinne was stunned for a moment and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mister?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± His tone was calm, and itpelled one to do as told despite not sounding like an order. Corinne frowned at his inexplicable behavior and urged Moonshine toward Jeremy to see what he wanted from her. Annie, Sunny, and Rosie turned around and each had their thoughts as they looked at the situation. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne¡¯s horse faced Jeremy¡¯s horse as they stopped there, and she asked, ¡°Is something wrong, Mister? I was about to race with them.¡± As they sat face to face on the backs of their horses, there was a distance of about arm¡¯s length from them. Jeremy was not satisfied with the distance, so he pulled the reins of his horse so it would move forward so the two horses. were leaning side by side with each other. That way, the distance between himself and Corinne was much shorter. He nced at the considerably reduced swelling on her ears and lowered his eyes to her hands, which were holding the rein. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Corinne was at a loss as to what his intentions were, but she let go of the reins anyway and stretched out her hand toward him. He turned her small hand over to look at the palm, and his tense expression rxed slightly when he saw that the allergy- induced rash had healed. ¡°Mister?¡± Corinne frowned and felt a little impatient for some. reason. Jeremy nced at her, knowing that she was eager to start the race. He stretched out his long arms, took out an unopened bottle of mineral water from his saddle, then unscrewed it and handed it to her. ¡°Drink some water before you continue having fun with them. ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ Corinne was startled, and she frowned severely because she had expected him to say something important. She happened to be a little thirsty too, so she did as she was told and took a few sips of water before handing it back to him. ¡°Thanks, Mister. Can I start the race with them now?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After getting his approval, she led the horse away without ncing back at him again. ¡®Did he call me over just to tell me to drink water? When did he be such a nag?¡¯ Jeremy nced silently at Corinne¡¯s slender rear figure bouncing on the horse¡¯s back, and he pensively raised the mineral water bottle in his hand to take a sip before screwing the cap back on. ¡°Such a chivalrous man you are, Jeremy! That was kind of you to send water over to your little wifey!¡± Zeke teased as he stopped his horse by Jeremy¡¯s side. Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened coldly, and he nced askance at Zeke, who hade over with Gerald and Jason. Zeke picked up a bottle of mineral water in his hand and imitated Jeremy¡¯s stern tone earlier as he said to his other pal nearby him, ¡°Drink some water before you continue having fun with us. My heart breaks when I see how dry your lips are.¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Gerald felt disgusted at Zeke¡¯s gesture. Jeremy remained expressionless as he calmly raised the whip in his hand and whipped firmly on the rump of Zeke¡¯s horse. The next moment, the horse dashed away in a frenzy and dragged him along. Zeke had to pull the reins of his frightened horse as he shouted from a distance, ¡°Jeremy! I was just trying to lighten the mood! You¡¯ve gone too far when you did that! Wow¡­woo¡­ Jeremy put away his whip and acted as if he did not do anything. Jason chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Gerald, Jeremy, shall we continue our race over there?¡± Gerald nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Jeremy grunted lightly in acknowledgment, but his gaze unconsciously turned to Corinne as he saw that her race had already begun. Moonshine galloped toward the woods with her on its back, leaving the three others well behind her. Jeremy, Gerald, and Jason went to the equestrian field to race and kill time. After a while, Zeke came back on his horse and joined them whileining about what happened earlier. More than an hour had passed, but Corinne, Annie, Sunny, and Rosie never came back from their race. Although the ranch spanned arge area, the only ces where one could race horses were the grasnd and woods. Even if they went for two or three more races, they should already be on the way back by then. After all, the horses would still get tired even if the riders were not. Jeremy rode his horse over an obstacle on the equestrian track, but he felt somewhat uneasy and frowned as a result. By then, the figures of a few people on horses appeared not far away and beganing closer. They were back, but there were only three horses and three people. It was only when they got closer that Jeremy could Corinne was nowhere to be seen. Jeremy¡¯s sharp gaze scanned across the three of them, and he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± Annie raised her head, and her face was pale as she cried and trembled, ¡°Uncle, she¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s calm pupils contracted. ¡°What happened to her?¡± Annie could control herself from bawling her eyes out. ¡°She won first ce when we were racing earlier, and since we were all tired, we decided to dismount and rest for a while under the shade of a woods. When we decided that it was about time for us toe back, Corinne got on Moonshine, but Moonshine suddenly became agitated for some reason and ran away with her on its back! We got on our horses as quickly as we could and chased after her, but Moonshine ran too fast, and we couldn¡¯t catch up no matter how hard we tried! We searched and searched until we found Moonshine, who was standing calmly near the edge of a cliff. But Corinne¡­ She¡­ She¡¯s gone¡­ We think she might¡¯ve fallen off¡­¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Sunny¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly, and his face was sullen with self-me. He had a tight frown on his face and his handsome eyes were bloodshot as he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jeremy¡­ Rosie was the oldest of the three and was therefore rtively calm. She stepped forward with regret on her face, and sighed deeply, ¡°Jeremy, Sunny and I persuaded Corinne not to ride. that fierce horse today, but she didn¡¯t listen to us at all and overestimated her abilities in controlling it. Then, this happened¡­¡± Jeremy was in no mood to listen to their superfluous remarks and flicked the reins of his horse with a sullen expression as he turned and directed it to jump over the fence of the equestrian track. The horse then galloped toward the cliff and brought him along with it. It was a matter of utmost urgency because there was a human life at stake. Zeke, Gerald, and Jason got on their horses and chased after Jeremy to check on the situation. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 At the edge of the cliff, Moonshine the white horse lingered in the area as it whined. A torn corner of red cloth was dangling on the edge of the cliff, clearly from the equestrian suit that Corinne was wearing. Jeremy pulled his horse to a stop, jumped down firmly, and walked quickly to the edge of the cliff. His sharp gaze looked far down until the bottom, but the end was not in sight. The arrhythmic, rapid cking of horse hooves galloping from behind could be heard, and they too came to a stop soon enough. Zeke, Gerald, and Jason had caught up to him. The three of them got off their horses, looked at the ominous scene on the edge of the cliff, and nced at each other in silence. Zeke put away his usual cynical tone and stepped forward in grief to pat Jeremy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My condolences, Jeremy.¡± Jeremy was silent and had a solemn expression. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Condolences? Why the hell are you offering your condolences? ¡®Jeremy turned around, looked solemnly at Zeke, and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll go down to have a look. The three of you can go and get a rescue team toe over right this instant!¡± After finishing his words, he turned around and took out a climbing rope from the saddle of his ck horse. He swung it up in the air and tossed out the end so he could hook it over a big tree on the cliff¡¯s edge. Then, he tied the rope to his body and descended to look for Corinne. As soon as Gerald saw that, he reached out to grab Jeremy¡¯s arm and persuaded him, ¡°Calm down, Jeremy.¡± Zeke came over to stop Jeremy as well. ¡°We don¡¯t know what sort of terrain is down there, Jeremy. You can¡¯t go down!¡± Jason walked slowly to the edge of the cliff, leaned over, and picked up the dangling piece of red cloth. ¡°Shame. Corinne is still young¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression became gloomy and he broke away from Gerald¡¯s grip. ¡°Off you go. I thought I already told you three to call a rescue team?¡± ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± Annie, Sunny, and Rosie had ridden their horses over, but before they could even get close, they saw Jeremy jumping off from the edge of the cliff where he stood. Rosie¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she shouted, ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t-¡± Annie was startled, too. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Jeremy!¡± Sunny anxiously kicked his horse with his spurs to let the horse rush forward faster. Meanwhile, Jeremy¡¯s figure disappeared from the edge of the cliff. As soon as Annie reached the edge of the cliff, she jumped off her horse, ran forward, and looked down the cliff as she burst into despair. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think Uncle Jeremy would jump to his death for the woman he loves!¡± Sunny was initially feeling anxious, but as soon as he saw Annie¡¯s dumb reaction, he frowned and reminded her angrily, ¡°He tied himself to a rope before going down! He¡¯s not going to be that stupid to jump down to his death for the sake of love! Annie¡¯s body twitched as she stopped crying. She blinked nkly, looked around, and saw the rope tied to the big tree. That was when she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re right! Hic, hic¡­ I hope Uncle Jeremy will be able to rescue Corinne. I really hope she¡¯ll be safe¡­ Sob, sob¡­¡± Sunny took out a pack of tissues from his pocket and threw it to her in disgust. ¡°Blow your nose. You look disgusting!¡± Annie rolled his eyes at him, took out some tissue, and cried, ¡® I¡¯m disgusted by you! Hic, hic, hic¡­¡± Beside them, Rosie was stunned silent as she stood on the edge of the cliff in a daze. She never expected Jeremy to descend to the bottom of the cliff and risk his life just to look for Corinne. ¡®Is Corinne that important to him? Is he willing to give up his life for Corinne? What about Anya, then?¡¯ The bottom of the cliff was dark, damp, and overgrown with weeds. The rope on Jeremy¡¯s body was not long enough, and there was a long way to go before he would reach the bottom of the cliff. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Jeremy kicked the stone cliff face and propelled his body back as he untied the rope andnded firmly on the ground. The movement startled a colony of bats. As he stood up and patted the thorny weeds that clung to his clothes, his sharp eyes began scanning the surroundings. The environment at the bottom of the cliff was particrly harsh, and the situation looked rather bleak. No traces of Corinne could be found. Whether she was dead or alive, he was adamant about finding her at all costs. He frowned, pushed asideyers of vegetation, and carefully searched for her. All of a sudden, a ck shadow pounced at him from behind. Jeremy was keenly aware of the movement, and he turned to give the figure a thumping kick. He then saw a brown bear howling as it bared its teeth and fell over. The brown bear seemed to be very hungry, and its eyes lit up when it saw Jeremy-a potential prey item. After a while, it got up and attacked him again. Nheless, his body was strong and agile, and it took him barely any effort as he knocked the brown bear to the ground with several kicks. For the moment at least, the danger had been temporarily averted. Jeremy had a bad feeling when the bear appeared, for he did not expect such a huge beast to be present there. ¡®Could Corinne have been eaten since she¡¯s nowhere to be found?¡¯ As that thought appeared in his mind, his eyes turned red, and he took out a miniature shotgun from his back waist. to aim at the brown bear¡¯s head. The brown bear seemed to be aware that its time was up, and it could only shiver since itcked the strength to escape. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot the bear, Mister!¡± Corinne¡¯s voice resonated through the gorge in an ethereal echo. Jeremy¡¯s pupils shrank, and he nced toward the source of the sound. There, he saw a dirty-faced Corinne standing not N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. far away with disheveled hair and tattered clothes. Though she looked miserable, she seemed to be somewhat energetic. Corinne stepped over some vegetation and walked toward Jeremy. ¡°Mister, you-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he hurried over, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her tightly. The conversation. was interrupted, and her head was pressed so firmly on his chest that she had difficulty breathing. Corinne struggled in his arms to look up as she said to him in a serious tone, ¡°That species of bear is a totally protected animal. Killing it is against thew!¡± Jeremy¡¯s tense muscles rxed slightly when he confirmed that she was fine. He looked down at her and then said in a lecturing tone, ¡°Protected animals can be killed if humans are attacked by them in the wild. Understand?¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°By the way, Mister, why did youe down here?¡± He frowned slightly and looked nkly at the little fool.¡± What do you think?¡± Corinneined with a look of disgust, ¡°I didn¡¯t fall. I was hanging on a crooked tree near the cliff waiting for someone to rescue me, and I tried calling you when I saw you tying a rope anding down, but you didn¡¯t hear me at all! I had no choice but to jump down to look for you, and I ended up tumbling to the ground!¡± Jeremy frowned, held her shoulders, and checked her body nervously. ¡°Did you sprain yourself?¡± Corinne waved her hands. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I just tore my clothes a little.¡± Jeremy stared at her. ¡°If you didn¡¯t fall, why did you jump off and risk spraining yourself when you saw mee down?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Corinne nearly blurted out her reason, but the moment she realized he might misunderstand her, she immediately held back what she wanted to say. Jeremy narrowed his long eyes and looked at her intimidatingly. ¡°Because of what? Say it.¡± His stare left her feeling a little awkward, and she turned her face away from him before snorting angrily, ¡°I jumped down for the same reason you did!¡± Jeremy was stunned for a moment and ended upughing. He calmed himself down, stared at her dirty little face, and covered her head with his big hand as he rubbed her tousled hair. ¡°At least you¡¯re smart enough to worry about your husband¡¯s life!¡± he said out of contentment. Corinne was speechless. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she smiled drily, no longer wanting to talk to Jeremy. She walked past him, bent down to look at the brown bear that was beaten to the ground, and observed it carefully. The brown bear had been beaten badly and had no strength to escape due to its injuries. When it saw a human being approaching, it bared its fangs in a bluff to intimidate its. enemy. Corinne rubbed her chin thoughtfully, looked at its pitiful appearance, and shook her head sympathetically. ¡°Tsk, tsk. It might look big, but it¡¯s not even an adult yet. It¡¯s trying to be fierce, but it looks a little cute instead.¡± Jeremy walked to her side, looked down coldly at the brown bear, and wondered if there was something wrong with her judgment because he could not see what was cute about that bear. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Mister, this species of bear doesn¡¯t usually live in such harsh. environments. I¡¯m guessing that it fell here by ident, and we¡¯re all in the same boat. Why should we kill it when we¡¯re both in a bad situation? Let¡¯s just let it leave.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Jeremy had no objection. He did not have any expression as he twirled the miniature silver shotgun in his hand before putting it away on his rear waist. Corinne turned around and looked at him in deep thought. He seemed to be a little too proficient with handling guns, which suggested that there might be more to his identity as the Holdens¡¯ son. ¡°Do you usually carry a gun with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually need to bring one myself.¡± Jeremy¡¯s tone was insipid. ¡°The ranch is close to the wilderness, and since birds and other animals would inevitably be around, I thought it¡¯d be best for me to bring it along just in case.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Corinne said as she casually moved a step away from him. Jeremy noticed her slight movements and narrowed his eyes. in displeasure. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do I scare you?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you. I¡¯m afraid that your gun will go off.¡± Jeremy raised his hand and flicked her forehead. ¡°Why don¡¯t you save your pettiness for some other situation?¡± Corinne frowned unhappily and touched her forehead, which felt a little sore after being flicked by Jeremy. ¡®What does he mean by that? Is he saying that I¡¯m petty? Tch!¡¯ ¡°What about the rope you tied around your body when you came down? You can have the guys up there pull us up one by one!¡± Corinne asked. Jeremy raised his chin slightly and motioned for her to look over. Corinne looked up in the direction that Jeremy was gesturing at and saw the rope fluttering in the wind dozens of meters above them. They could not even reach it if she stood on his shoulders! Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I think we should find a ce to rest for now. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll take for them to find us, and I think it¡¯ll be really cold here at night.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jeremy responded. Corinne walked in front of him and felt a sudden weight on her shoulder. She turned her head to look and saw that Jeremy had taken off his coat and ced it on her shoulders. It felt a little weird to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said politely. Jeremy kept quiet and walked beside her naturally. ¡°Ou¡­ Ou¡­¡± The two of them had not yet gotten far when they heard the brown bear howling like a weaning child. Corinne stopped, turned around, and raised her eyebrows. How about we bring it along? Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Jeremy looked at her. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Corinne nodded. Then, the man turned and tied up the brown bear with vines and carried it on his person as he followed Corinne step by N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. step. After walking for a long time, the two of them finally spotted a small cave at the bottom of this dark, damp valley where they could take temporary shelter. However, the vegetation at the cave entrance was rather dense and had to be cleared. Jeremy thus ced the bear aside, gracefully rolled up the cuffs of his shirt, and bent over to pull out the half-meter- high nts at the entrance of the cave. Corinne wanted to help him, but he swatted her hand away as soon as she reached out. He then gave her such a stern stare that she had no choice but to stand by and watch him fretfully. It was a rare sight to see an elegant man get down and dirty, and she felt that he was much more masculine than his usual well-dressed, working-day business look. She had been so engrossed in gazing at this handsome man that she forgot to pay attention to the surrounding environment. It was only when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her arm that she winced and frowned. ¡°Ack!¡± Corinne looked down and saw that a yellowish-green, marble-patterned snake had appeared out of nowhere and bit her arm. She wasted no time in grabbing the snake¡¯s body, yanking it away, and turning around to throw it into the grass in the distance. Two deep, bloody bite marks were left on her arm. Corinne tried to remember what the snake looked like earlier and deduced that it was probably not venomous. Jeremy noticed that something was amiss, so he came over and asked her in a serious tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne wiped off the blood on her arm casually. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just got bitten by a little snake.¡± ¡®Did she just say that it¡¯s nothing even though she just got bitten by a snake? What is wrong with her?!¡± Jeremy frowned and grabbed her arm to check. When he looked at the two clear bite marks on her slender arm, his pupils contracted and his frown deepened. He then bent down, ced her mouth over the bite mark, and sucked out the venomced blood as hard as he could before spitting out a mouthful on the ground. Then, he hurriedly searched for something in the grass beside him and parted them open as he squatted to pull up a nt. Jeremy put the nt into his mouth, chewed, spat it out, and applied it all to the ce where she was bitten. He then tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and bandaged the wound together with the broadleaf ntain. Corinne did not speak throughout the entire process, and she obediently allowed him to do as he pleased. She merely frowned and looked intently at the man in slight disbelief. After Jeremy dressed her wound and bandaged it, he raised his eyes to look at her and saw the somewhat-unhappy frown on her face. ¡°Disgusted?¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses, shook her head, and applied pressure on the bandaged wound. ¡°I¡¯m just a little surprised that you¡¯re this experienced in dealing with snake bites. I never thought a well- taken-care-of man like you would be able to identify and use herbs for treating snakebite.¡± He had a calm expression on his face as he replied faintly, ¡± I¡¯ve been bitten by a snake before, and a girl told me that broadleaf ntain works against. most venomous snakes.¡± ¡°A girl told you?¡± Corinne frowned unconsciously when she heard the word ¡®girl¡¯ and she immediately cocked her eyebrow as she chuckled. ¡°You seem to have a past with lots of women.¡± Jeremy sensed something was amiss with her tone and nced faintly at her. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± Corinne was taken aback. She felt awkward for some unknown reason and turned around to look at the unlucky bear. A smile appeared on her face as she said, ¡°Why should I? I just think it¡¯s boring to be stuck here, so I wanted to tease you with a joke! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in an actual rtionship. It doesn¡¯t matter to me how many women you have a history with.¡± Jeremy¡¯splexion was subtle as he stared at her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not bothered by it?¡± Chapter 220 Corinne shrugged nonchntly. "Nope. Not a single bit. I can also share my history with you." Jeremy''s gaze sharpened. "What sort of history do you have? I remember you saying that you''ve been single all your life." Corinne nodded calmly. "That''s true, but that doesn''t stop me from liking lots of men.''All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Jeremy''splexion soured noticeably, and he smiled wryly as he said, "Is that so? Tell me, then-I''m all ears." Corinne did not notice the change in his expression as she was not looking at his face. She then began giving out names of domestic and foreign male stars she once admired. For an older man like Jeremy who hardly paid any attention to the entertainment industry, those male names felt just like individuals who were once in Corinne''s life, one way or another. Corinne was like one of those diehard fans as she said sentimentally, "The man I liked when I was eighteen was a singer, and I liked listening to him so much that I even imagined marrying him! His name is " ¡°Shut up!¡± Jeremy had a sullen expression as he interrupted her suddenly in a cold voice, which startled Corinne and the bear next to them. She turned her head, looked at the man in confusion, and asked, ¡°Why did you have to speak so loud? Didn¡¯t you want me to talk to you about them?¡± Jeremy¡¯s jaw was tense, and he shot her a cold look. Without saying another word, he went straight to pick up the unlucky brown bear and strode into the cave. The brown bear twitched in fright after being tossed into the corner of the cave. Corinne came in after him. The light in the cave was exceptionally dark, and although their cell phones did not have any signal, they could use the shlight function for lighting. Jeremy sat on the floor near the entrance of the cave, with one legying straight on the floor and his other leg bent so he could rest his arm on his knee. He took out the lighter and lit a cigarette in a somewhat nonchnt, masculine manner. He continued to smoke sullenly and did not say another word. Corinne felt baffled by how angry he became, even though they seemed to have had a decent chat earlier. It was her first time encountering such a moody person. Since he was not saying anything, she decided not to say anything as well. That way, they could not ignore each other. Corinne felt a little gloomy as she sat, leanedfortably against the wall of the cave, and waited silently for them to rescue her. Sometimeter, she fell asleep unknowingly. It was already dusk by the time she woke up, and she felt a little chilly even though she was wearing Jeremy¡¯s coat. At that moment, Jeremy was sittingzily beside her with his eyes closed as if he had fallen asleep too. Corinne felt a little thirsty and wanted to go out to find some water to drink, so she got up gently without waking Jeremy up and left the cave alone. Although the gorge was rather humid, there were no water sources such as streams or rivers, making it somewhat difficult to find a source of clean water. A tree then caught Corinne¡¯s attention, and her eyes lit up as she walked over like she had discovered some treasure. When she reached the tree, she confirmed that it was the exact species of the tree she had been hoping to see. Themon name of that tree was water tree due to the clean sap that flowed out when the trunk was cut open. The sap was clean water filtered naturally by the tree¡¯s vascr system, and it could be used as emergency drinking water when in the wild. Corinne immediately found a sharp-edged stone from the ground and cut a small piece of the water tree¡¯s trunk. Clean sap flowed out immediately, and Corinne washed her hands. before drinking some of the sap. Her thirst was quenched atst after she had her fill. As Corinne was about to return, she pondered over whether or not she should take some back for Jeremy and eventually decided that she should. Sure, he might be very moody, but he had gone down the cliff that day just to look for her, and she also shared¡­a few good memories with him on usual days. Chapter 221 ?Chapter 221 s, Corinnecked a vessel for which she could hold the water. Corinne nced around her, picked a fewrge reed leaves, and skillfully folded them into a simple small cup. Though the cup made of leaves did leak a little, she could still bring some to Jeremy as long as she walked fast enough. After filling the leaf cup to the brim, Corinne brought it back to the cave as quickly as she could. Inside, Jeremy was still in his original posture. His eyes were closed and had not woken up yet. Corinne brought the water to him, knelt, and patted his shoulder lightly. "Wake up, Mister! Drink some water!" Jeremy did not respond. Corinne patted him harder. "Mister? Wake up!" Still, he did not wake up. Corinne frowned and realized that something was gravely wrong. Based on what she knew of his character, he was an extremely vignt person with top- notch perceptiveness, so it was unlike him to sleep so soundly in a ce like the wilderness. In that case, there was only one possibility left-he was genuinely unconscious. ''Why would he be unconscious?'' Corinne wondered. ''Was it because the snake that bit me today was venomous after all? He didn''t rinse his mouth when he helped me suck out the blood earlier, too...'' Corinne''s heart skipped a beat as soon as that thought appeared in her mind. She ced the leaf cup carefully to one side, shook Jeremy''s shoulders with both hands, and called him,'' Mister? Mister?! Wake up!" However, nothing she did could wake Jeremy up. Corinne began to feel uneasy as she worried about what might happen to his body. Humans could survive weeks without food but only a few days without water, and water was especially important when one''s body was not in good condition. It was all the more important for him to drink water if his unconsciousness was due to the venom, as that would be necessary to metabolize the toxins. With that in mind, she brought the cup to Jeremy''s mouth so she could pour the water in, but her efforts were in vain and all the water spilled over from the corner of his lips. Continuing to attempt that would be an exercise in madness. She hesitated for about ten or so seconds, took a deep breath, and finally came to a firm decision. She raised the cup, took a big sip, and tilted the man''s handsome face up to try and pass him the water using her mouth. A life was at stake, and she no longer cared about the fact that such an act could be perceived as intimacy between two genders. At that moment, the man frowned and opened his eyes suddenly just as Corinne''s lips were about toe in contact with his. When Jeremy saw Corinne''s small face up close, his eyes froze, and he stared at her sharply. When Corinne saw that he had woken up so suddenly, she froze and swallowed the water in her mouth as she backed away from him. Feeling slightly relieved at least, she said, "Ahem! Mister, since you''re awake, you should drink some water. Here you go!" She handed him the remaining half cup of water in the leaf cup. ''Water?'' Jeremy nced at the water that Corinne had brought to him and narrowed his eyes. He immediately understood what her intentions were when she held his face up with puffed-out cheeks.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Jeremy closed his eyes again without another word. Corinne was puzzled when she saw that. "Mister?" ''What happened to him? Why did he faint again?! Is he going to pass out?'' Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Corinne grabbed Jeremy¡¯s arm firmly and shook him. ¡°Mister! Hey! Wake up! Don¡¯t scare me like that¡­¡± The man closed his eyes to calm himself and was silent for about a minute before he opened his mouth again. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you continue what you just did?¡± ¡®What I just did¡­? Corinne immediately understood what he meant, and her lips twitched as she looked at him with disdain. ¡°Tch, all men are like this! Don¡¯t try to take advantage of me!¡± Corinne was very upset when she realized he tried to trick her. She shoved the remaining ss of water to him and said angrily, ¡°Drink it yourself! I took a lot of effort to bring the water back for you, and it¡¯ll leak out if you don¡¯t drink it quicker!¡± Jeremy was not thirsty, but he decided to drink it nheless because it was rare for her to be so conscientious. He opened his handsome eyes, reached out to take the leaf cup handed to him, and raised his head to drink the water that remained inside. Then, he seemed to have a sudden realization as he stared at the empty cup made of reed leaves. His dark pupils contracted as he asked pensively, ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡± Corinne was hugging her knees as she sat to one side, and his question made her feel that he was trying to tease her again. She rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve lost your memory! It¡¯s hardly the time and ce for that.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained stern. ¡°What I mean by that is, have we met somewhere a very long time ago?¡± Corinne could hear the seriousness in his tone, which was unlike what she would have expected if he was trying to tease her. She then eyed him strangely and said, ¡°Probably not. I lived in a remote ce before I turned eighteen. I wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to meet a rich man like you.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes slightly and had aplicated expression. Ten years ago, he went to the countryside to inspect the poverty alleviation projects that thepany had nned for certain poverty¨Cstricken areas, but his enemies plotted against him and injured him severely while he was on the way to the site. In those dire circumstances, he hid in the forest of a small mountain vige and waited for his subordinates toe and get him. While waiting in the forest, he lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss, and the smell of blood lured in a venomous snake that bit him. He nearly died that day, but a little girl passed by and saved him. The girl was small¨Cperhaps about ten years old¨Cbut she was calm, mature, and methodical. She tied his arm with a hair tie to stop the toxin from spreading along his blood vessels. Then, she sucked out the venomous blood for him with her mouth and spat it out. Lastly, she found an herb in the surrounding grass and chewed it before applying it to his bite. The girl told him that the herb, known as broadleaf ntain, grew in areas that were known to harbor snakes and could remove the effectiveness of most snake venoms. After that, she took out her handkerchief and helped him bandage another wound on his body. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Since there were traces of snake venom left in his body, his eyes were blinded temporarily, and he could not see what her face looked like the entire time. For the next three days, the girl would visit him with a bun, and she poured a ss of water from her water bottle for him to drink too. She also folded a makeshift cup out of reed leaves to contain that water. On the day that her subordinates found him, the girl had note yet, and he did not have time to wait for her because he had to rush back to deal with something urgent. He therefore left one of his subordinates there to wait for her. He then left a string of beads¨Cwhich his mother gave himn as a lucky charm¨Cwith that subordinate and instructed him to give it to the girl who saved his life as a keepsake. The girl was also told that she could visit the Holdens¡® estate in the city and look. for him if she was in any trouble. Jeremy, on the other hand, took her makeshift leaf cup as his keepsake. Not longter, a girl came to the Holdens¡® estate to look for him with the string of beads. That was when he found out that the girl who saved him was the Riveras¡® second daughter, Anya, who happened to be recuperating in the summer resort in the countryside a few days prior. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Unfortunately, the leaf cup withered not long after, and the servants disposed of it when they cleaned his room. Jeremy was surprised that Corinne was able to fold such a cup. ¡°Someone¡¯sing, Mister!¡± Corinne¡¯s voice brought Jeremy back to his senses, and when he looked up, he saw the light of a shlight shining at the cave entrance, apanied by the sound of a helicopter propellering closer. Jeremy got up, took Corinne¡¯s hand, and went to the entrance of the cave to check on the situation. A helicopter hovered low over the gorge, and someone was shining a shlight all around as if to look for something. The search and rescue team must have arrived! Corinne raised her cell phone with the shlight function on and waved it toward the helicopter to direct their attention to where she and Jeremy were. The helicopter pilot saw the flickering light below and immediately flew over to make anding. The cabin door opened, and Zeke jumped out of the helicopter with Gerald. Jeremy! Corinne! Are you two okay? Are you injured?¡± Zeke came over quickly and shone the shlight from their head to their toes to check if they were fine. Corinne shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Jeremy red at Zeke coldly. ¡°Did you finally decide toe and find us after having dinner?¡± Gerald came over and exined, ¡°There was congestion on the road up the mountain when the rescue team arrived. We dispatched a helicopter to pick them up, but our helicopters were too big to fly down the valley, and Zeke had to borrow a small helicopter. All of that contributed to the dy.¡± Zeke nodded helplessly. ¡°Yeah! I searched all over the city until I finally found someone whom I could borrow this small helicopter from. None of us would get such a small, broken helicopter for fun!¡± Jeremy massaged the top of his nose bridge and said, ¡°Right. Let¡¯s talk when we¡¯re back up.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. He then took Corinne¡¯s shoulders, led her to the front, and allowed her to get on the helicopter first. At that moment, the bear¡¯s wailing was heard from the cave. When Corinne heard this, she turned around, looked at the cave entrance, and gazed at Jeremy. ¡°Mister¡­¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jeremy understood what she was referring to without needing to listen to her finish her sentence. He turned his head and said to Zeke, ¡°There¡¯s another one inside. Let the team bring it with us.¡± Zeke had a skeptical expression. ¡°Another one? Wasn¡¯t it just the two of you? Who else is there?¡± A few minutester, the rescue team brought an injured bear out of the cave. Zeke¡¯s lips twitched, and he said with a teasing smile, ¡°When did an iron¨Chanded killer like you be such a caring man? You¡¯ve even saved a wild beast!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was insipid. ¡°She likes it. Just bring it back and let her y with it for a few days before releasing it.¡± Zeke stared in amazement at the friend whom he had known for more than 20 years. He could not help but utter in admiration, ¡°Tsk, tsk! How considerate! You¡¯re the perfect husband everybody wants!¡± ¡°Screw you.¡± Jeremy shot him a cold look and stepped onto the helicopter. Zeke shrugged and followed suit. Once everyone boarded the helicopter, it flew up and away from the gorge. When they reached the cliff, Annie rushed over and hugged Corinne as soon as she saw thetter stepping out of the helicopter. In between sobs, she said, ¡°Corinne! I¡¯m so d nothing happened to you! I was scared to death! Hic¡­ Hic¡­¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Corinne was conflicted betweenughing and crying, and she could only pat Annie¡¯s back helplessly. ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s fine now!¡± Sunny walked over sullenly and asked anxiously, ¡°Ahem! You okay, Corinne?¡± Annie hugged Corinne so tightly and did not let go, so Corinne had no choice but to let Annie keep holding her. She looked up at Sunny and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Are you disappointed?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°Why would I be?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow and said, ¡°If I die, you wouldn¡¯t have to do anything to deal you¡¯re your sister¡¯s love rival, right?¡± Sunny snorted angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die! I just¡­¡± At that moment, the white horse Moonshine neighed excitedly and ran toward Corinne from the edge of the cliff. Everyone was on high alert because that fierce horse had thrown Corinne down earlier for no apparent reason and might attack Corinne again. Jeremy¡¯s pupils contracted, and he strode up to Corinne to protect the two girls who were hugging, Corinne and Annie. Zeke, Gerald, and Jason stepped forward to support too, and they stood in the way of the mad horse. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. When Moonshine got near and saw a crowd of people blocking its path, it decided to stop and pace back and forth while neighing anxiously. Upon seeing that, Corinne gently pushed the crying Annie away from her arms, squeezed through the people standing in front of her, and walked toward Moonshine. Jeremy grabbed her wrist and said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Corinne remained calm. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just let me have a look at it. It won¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Jeremy was unable to set his worries at ease, but when he saw her insistence, he thought for at moment and decided to follow her there instead of stopping her. Corinne walked up to Moonshine, raised her hand to caress its face, and said softly to it, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, okay? I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to me yourself.¡± Moonshine¡¯s restless mood settled and gently rubbed its head against Corinne¨Cas if to apologize -and uttered a sob¨Clike neigh. Corinne felt ticklish after its head rubbed against her, and a giggle escaped her. Jeremy lowered his guard a little, and an unwitting tenderness shed across his eyes. Annie walked over, wiped her tears, and sniffled. ¡°It¡¯s been here since you fell, and no matter how hard we try to chase it away, it won¡¯t even let us get close to it! I think it¡¯s showing remorse because it knows it did something wrong.¡± T Corinne turned and looked at Annie with a pensive gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not its fault. Someone did something to it.¡± Annie¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. ¡°Someone did something to it? Do you mean to say that someone used it to harm you?¡± It was already dark by then, and Corinne did not offer any exnation to Annie. She merely turned around and nced at everyone present there, until her attention was finally focused on Zeke¡¯s body. ¡°Hey, you! Lend me your shlight.¡± Zeke looked around him, and once he was sure that Corinne was talking to him, he walked over with a smile and teased her by twirling the shlight in his hand, ¡°My name isn¡¯t ¡®you¡®. Call me Zeke, and I¡¯ll lend it to you!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Sure, ¡®you¡®!¡± She snatched the shlight that Zeke was twirling. Zeke clicked his tongue. ¡°How rude!¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Corinne ignored Zeke and walked to Moonshine¡¯s side. Jeremy smirked slightly when he saw that the always talkative Zeke was a little deted by her actions. Corinne took off the saddle from Moonshine¡¯s body, handed it to Jeremy, and shone the shlight on the horse¡¯s body as she buried her fingers inside the horse¡¯s fur. Slowly but carefully, she searched for something on the horse¡¯s body. A small item reflected the light from the shlight. Corinne immediately moved the shlight closer and spotted a diamond¨Cstudded earring embedded in the horse¡¯s flesh after taking a closer look. That earring was the same as the one that was lodged in Rosie¡¯s foot during the day! Jeremy saw the earring too, and he narrowed his sharp eyes at once. Due to her allergy to silver, Corinne did not touch the earring and turned her head to tell the crowd. ¡°Come and take a look, everyone. This is why Moonshine suddenly lost control and went berserk today.¡± Everyone came closer out of curiosity, and their expressions changed from surprise to bewilderment once they had a closer look. They all turned to Rosie, who had earlier been pretending to care about Corinne, and had a skeptical look in her eyes. Sunny frowned and had an angry expression on his face. He could not ept what had happened and said, ¡°How could you do such a thing, Rosie?¡± Rosie feigned ignorance. ¡°Me? What did I do? What are you talking about, Sunny? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say!¡± Sunny raised his finger and pointed to the earring on the horse. ¡°Come and see for yourself! Why is the earring on Moonshine¡¯s body the same as the one that pricked your foot earlier this morning? Did you seize a moment when we weren¡¯t paying attention to put that earring under Moonshine¡¯s saddle? That way, Moonshine would feel pain when Corinne sat on it, which frightened it into going crazy and throwing Corinne off the cliff!¡± Rosie¡¯s face was pale, and she trembled as she said, ¡°It¡­ It wasn¡¯t me! You can¡¯t make that sort of usation about me. Even if that earring is the same as the one that pricked my foot in the morning, you can¡¯t automatically assume that I put it there!¡± Sunny was initially just angry and disappointed at the friend whom he had trusted and respected as an elder sister, but her attitude of refusing to admit that she had done something wrong made him feel disgusted by her. ¡°Who else could it be, then? Me? I¡¯m a guy, and my ears aren¡¯t pierced, so why would I carry an earring with me?¡± Rosie¡¯s expression soured, yet she refused to admit anything. In a panic, she was eager to absolve herself of being the suspect and began shooting her mouth off. ¡°I¡¯m not the only woman here, Sunny. Wasn¡¯t Annie us too?¡± Annie was incensed when she heard such an implication. ¡°What are you trying to imply, Rosie? Are you saying that I wanted to harm her? That¡¯s funny, because there¡¯s no reason for me to do that! Why should I kill her when I can¡¯t even love her enough?¡± Corinne was speechless. Annie¡¯s ¡®love¡® came a little too suddenly. Rosie did not dare to offend Annie because Jeremy was thetter¡¯s uncle, so she exined embarrassingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Annie. I just wanted Sunny not to use me of doing it¡­¡± Annie ced her hands over her chest in displeasure and said, ¡°Then who else could¡¯ve done it? Corinne is allergic to silver and can¡¯t even touch them. She doesn¡¯t have any tendency tomit self¨C abuse either, which rules her outpletely! Does that make me the suspect, then?¡± Rosie was at a loss for words. ¡°No, Annie¡­ I¡­¡± Things were getting even worse after her sad attempt at an exnation. Annie was thoroughly disgusted and said angrily, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to think that badly of you, but the way you framed me shows that you truly are a vicious woman!¡± She then turned to Jeremy and said, ¡°You should avoid such evil women in the future, Uncle! She wife!¡± has ulterior motives and is always thinking about ways to harm your Jeremy had an indifferent expression as he looked coldly at Rosie. He was sullen with anger as if he had been offended in the worst way possible. Rosie panicked and shook her head in horror. ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t me, Jeremy!¡±N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 A small ear stud would not be able to retain traces of fingerprints on its surface. Even if it did, it was already gone after it was on the horse¡¯s body for a long time. There was no surveince camera in the woods, so there was no evidence to prove Rosie was the culprit. Nheless, the truth was out in the air, and everyone knew it. Instead of replying to Rosie, Jeremy raised his hand and helped Corinne to adjust the jacket on her body. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. Let¡¯s head back to the hotel.¡± At Castle Horse Ranch Resort. The doctor rushed over to examine the snake bite wound on Corinne¡¯s arm, and he praised them for administering first¨Caid correctly. Although the snake was not poisonous, using broadleaf ntain to spread it over the bite acted as a good sanitizer to kill the germs and avoided infection. Jeremy was relieved to hear the doctor confirm that the snake was not poisonous. The doctor then advised Corinne to protect her snake bite wound from getting in contact with water before he asked permission from Jeremy to leave. After the doctor left, Corinne asked Annie to go to the kitchen to get some food wrap for her, and she wrapped it around her wound to protect it from water. With that done, she was ready to take her shower. She felt dirty after all the hassle that happened in the woods, and dust was all over her hair. It was going to be torturous for her if she did not take a shower to wash off all the dirt, not to mention she was probably going to have a hard time sleeping. From the moment Corinne wrapped up her wound with the food wrap, Jeremy knew what she wanted to do. Henguidly stood at the bathroom door as his tall body leaned on the wall. His arms were folded as he looked at her. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at Jeremy¡¯s words. She stretched her mouth into a sarcastic smile and replied sardonically, ¡°Thank you for your offer, but how can I possibly trouble you with this?¡± Jeremy leaned in closer and whispered softly into her ear, ¡°No trouble at all. It¡¯s my pleasure helping Miss Corinne with these little things.¡± Obviously, Corinne was not as thick¨Cskinned as Jeremy. She gritted her teeth and said with a weird smile, ¡°Ahaha! Thanks, but no thanks.¡± Jeremy¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider? I have a good pair of hands, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to make you feel veryfortable.¡± C¨CComfortable? Why did it sound so dirty? Corinne¡¯s face blushed red as she stared at him in embarrassment. ¡°Oh my god, Mister! You¡¯re so dirty!¡± Jeremy raised his brow and looked serious. ¡°Huh? I was talking about scrubbing your back for you. What are you thinking about?¡± Corinne¡¯s face was so red that it looked like an apple. ¡°You.¡± Fine. If she could not beat him, it was best to hide from him. She could enter the bathroom, close the door, and lock it! What was wrong with Jeremytely? Why did he start making ambiguous dirty jokes? Jeremy chuckled when he saw the red¨Cfaced Corinne rushing into the bathroom abashedly. He did not know when it started, but he enjoyed teasing the little rascal. He found it interesting to see her scrunched¨Cup face when she grew anxious. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. While that happened, Annie was in the suite too. She was shocked and enjoyed watching the couple flirting with each other. ¡°Gosh, Uncle Jeremy, I didn¡¯t know you were so passionate with a wild side to you. I was worried you were an asexual person!¡± The smile on his face disappeared immediately, and he returned to his calm, cool, and collected self. Giving his niece a fierce re, he said, ¡°Stay here and keep herpany. I need to go out for a bit.¡± Annie stood at attention. ¡°Yes, sir! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep herpany as you instructed!¡± Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Jeremy was satisfied with the response he got and left. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. AWG When Corinne came out of the bathroom with the towel drying her head, she noticed that Annie was the only one left. Unconsciously, she nced around to look for Jeremy. Annie came over and said, ¡°Hey, Corinne! Uncle Jeremy went out. He¡¯s probably going to take care of that awful Rosie for you.¡± Corinne was stunned as she furrowed her eyebrows. As Annie said, Rosie was indeed an awful woman. Forget being sneaky, deceitful, and good at disguises¨Cshe even dared to attempt murder! Nheless, Jeremy, Rosie, Zeke, and the others had known each other for a long time. She doubted Jeremy would fall out with his friend because of her, his three¨Cmonth contract wife. Besides, Rosie was best friends with Anya, the apple of Jeremy¡¯s eye. Even if he was angry at Rosie, he would not do anything serious to her for the sake of Anya. While Corinne mulled over her thoughts, Annie giggled and grabbed her hand. ¡°Corinne,e. I¡¯ll dry your hair for you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just let it dry naturally.¡± Corinne waved her off gently and used the towel to dry her damp hair. Annie frowned and shook her hand sternly. ¡°You cannot do that. It¡¯s very chilly up in the mountains, and you¡¯re going to get sick if you don¡¯t dry it before you go to sleep! Besides, Uncle Jeremy asked me to stay here with you. He¡¯s going to me me if he heard you sneeze when hees back!¡± Annie was good at imagining things, such as how she thought Corinne and Jeremy were a legitimately loving couple. Helpless, Corinne¡¯s lips pressed into a line. She expressed that she would do it on her own, but Annie pressed her to the chair vehemently and started to dry Corinne¡¯s hair. The hairdryer was Annie¡¯s personal belonging that she brought to the resort. It was not noisy, so they were able to continue with their conversation, ¡°Hey, Corinne. I saw you guys brought a bear back. Are you guys nning to grill it?¡± Grill it? Corinne was at a loss for words. The wind speed and temperature were just nice, so much so that Corinne narrowed her eyes comfortably and felt sleepy. She answeredzily, ¡°That¡¯s an endangered animal; you can¡¯t eat it. If I didn¡¯t stop Jeremy today, he would¡¯ve killed it. There are only a few left of that bear in this world and it¡¯ll be a pity if it bes extinct, so I thought that it is better to bring it back with us and hand it over to the authorities.¡± Annie was surprised. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so you!¡± 1 Puzzled, Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Uncle Jeremy didn¡¯t shoot the bear because it was you who stopped him. You probably don¡¯t know this, but he¡¯s a famous international hunter. Every year, he¡¯d go to a tropical country to train his hunting skills. He¡¯s never shown mercy to any wild animals, yet the bear gets to live because of I doubt Uncle Jeremy will listen if someone else spoke up for it.¡± you. Corinne raised her brow unnaturally. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Annie nodded vehemently. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re married to him for just a month, so you probably don¡¯t know much about him. Once you do, you¡¯ll know how cold¨Cblooded he is!¡± ¡°Is it nice to talk about your uncle that way? I can see he¡¯s very nice to you,¡± Corinne said. ¡°Of course he¡¯s nice to me; I¡¯m his niece! But he really is a ruthless, cruel, and mean person to outsiders. Many people are scared of him!¡± As a matter of fact, Corinne had heard about Jeremy¡¯s brutal reputation. That was why she was scared and tried to hide when she knew the man she grabbed on the street to kiss was Jeremy Holden. Of course, she had not actually seen the brutal side of him yet. She wondered if he was really that scary as everyone said. Just then, someone knocked at the door. Who could it be? Annie switched off the hairdryer and ran over to open the door. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 The door was opened, revealing Sunny standing outside with a proud face. Seeing him, Annie frowned in disgust. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for Corinne,¡± Sunny answered. ¡°And why are you looking for her? I think you¡¯re in the same gang as Rosie and don¡¯t mean well. We don¡¯t wee you!¡± Sunny red at her angrily. ¡°Move. I didn¡¯te here to look for you!¡± He pushed Annie away and walked into the room. When he saw Corinne¡¯s bandaged arm, his proud eyes looked regretful. ¡°Ahem! I heard a snake had bitten you.¡± Corinne sat on the chair with her legs crossed. ¡°You heard right.¡± Sunny sheepishly asked, ¡°Then¡­are you alright?¡± Corinne remained rxed with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The snake wasn¡¯t poisonous. I bet you¡¯re very disappointed.¡± Sunny furrowed his eyebrows vehemently. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not the evil person you probably think! am. I just want you to stay away from Jeremy, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want you to die for no good reason!¡± Annie walked over with her hands on her waist. ¡°You¡¯re such an interesting boy, Sunny! Who gives you the right to ask Corinne to stay away from my uncle? They¡¯re a legally married couple, and they have the right to sleep together. You have no right to stop them!¡± It infuriated Sunny very much that his face turned red. ¡°Hmph! Go away! I¡¯m not speaking to an idiot!¡± Annie stomped. ¡°Who are you calling an in An argument ensued swiftly. You¡¯re the idiot!¡± These two brats would always argue whenever they met. Corinne rubbed her temple helplessly. The argument went on, and Sunny lost. He said, ¡°I¡¯m a gentleman, and gentlemen do not fight with a lady!¡± After that, he turned and asked Corinne seriously, ¡°Hey, Corinne. Can I ask for a favor?¡± Surprised, Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, that¡¯s rare. Mister Sunny actually has a favor to ask from me.¡± In fact, Sunny found it hard to speak out about what he wanted to say. After much hesitation, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°After what happened today, Jeremy is very angry, and he¡¯s about to retract the investment he had made in Rosie¡¯s family business. Her family business hasn¡¯t been doing well for the past two years, and if they have a problem with their cash flow, her family business will enter bankruptcy¡­ ¡°So I¡¯m hoping you can talk to Jeremy and ask him to forgive Rosie. Give her a chance to change.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Corinne was dumbstruck. Her brain was processing, so she did not answer back. ¡®Mister is really going after Rosie?¡® she thought. Noting her silence, Sunny continued, ¡°Rosie is my sister¡¯s best friend. I know what she did today was wrong, but she did it for my sister, so I can¡¯t just stand by the side and do nothing.¡± Corinne stopped thinking and looked at Sunny calmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re looking for the wrong person. You should ask your sister to talk to Jeremy about this and not me, the victim in this case.¡± Sunny grew anxious when Corinne said that. ¡°No! I can¡¯t get my sister involved in this. She¡¯s too kind! If she knows Rosie had done such a thing for her, she¡¯ll be angry and me herself. It doesn¡¯t help that she¡¯s physically ailing, and I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s going to have a hard time sleeping if she knows about this¡­¡± Corinne was touched by what she saw. Sunny was typically a proud person, yet he looked so caring, gentle, and worried when he talked about his sister. It was difficult to have such a strong bond between siblings. Miss Anya Rivera, the apple of Jeremy¡¯s eye¡­ Her brother cared so deeply about her that he was worried that telling her the truth would affect her sleep. Meanwhile, her best friend was willing to help her get rid of her love rival by attempting murder. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Corinne bet Anya was a wonderful, perfect person to have so many people willingly protect her. She thought for a while and said to Sunny, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a solution. Your family is rich too, isn¡¯t it? Even if Jeremy pulls his investment from Rosie¡¯s family business, your family can invest and help your sister¡¯s best friend to get through this difficulty.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny looked embarrassed. ¡°I have no say in my family¡¯s financial decision yet¡­ My brother makes a clear distinction between public and private interests, and he never likes Rosie, so that¡¯s¡­not going to happen.¡± Feeling apologetic, Corinne said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do to help you.¡± Knowing her ce, she knew her words did not mean much to Jeremy, and she did not have the right to interfere with his financial decision. Even if Jeremy listened to her, she was not going to be the person to plead for Rosie. It was not her style to help someone who hurt her several times, nearly costing her life in the process. She was a firm believer that good would always be rewarded with good, and evil with evil. People who made mistakes had to bear the consequences of their actions. Sunny furrowed his brows vehemently and lowered his body as he took a step forward. ¡°Corinne, please, I beg you. Please, go talk to Jeremy¡­¡± Even so, that did not change Corinne¡¯s mind. She ced her arms on the chair handle, tilted her head, and used her hand to support her head. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Annie came quickly to protect her by shoving Sunny. ¡°Did you hear that? Corinne said she¡¯s tired, so you get out of here now. Stop disturbing her from resting!¡± Since Sunny was already in a bad mood, it engulfed him even more when Annie got herself involved. ¡°Annie Levine, I¡¯m talking to Corinne. Stay out of this! It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Annie stood her ground. ¡°How is it none of my business? Anything that has to do with Corinne has to do with me! This isn¡¯t the first time Rosie bullied Corinne. It makes sense for Jeremy to do something to her for payback. I even think the punishment is too light!¡± Sunny could never win a fight over her. He was so angry that the blue veins on his foreheads popped out. ¡°Go away! You have no say in this!¡± He tried to circle past Annie to continue to talk to Corinne, but Annie spread her arms to stop him. ¡°You¡¯re the one who should go away! This is my uncle and Corinne¡¯s room, and I have every right to say anything I want here!¡± ¡°Annie Levine! You¡­ You¡¯re a bummer!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Here I was wondering how you¡¯ll fight back. Bummer? That¡¯s all you can think of? Here, take this! Sunny Rivera, you¡¯re an idiot!¡± ¡°Annie Levine!¡± Thus, they broke out into another argument, which caused a headache for Corinne. She sighed. When they were not looking, she got up secretly and left the room to seek peace and quiet. ¡­ At the same time, in another room. ¡°Alright, Jeremy. I admit¡­I was the one who ced the ear stud in one of the boots. But I only did it to scare Corinne! I didn¡¯t know Moonshine would throw Corinne down the cliff¡­¡± The terrified Rosie quickly admitted her sin without arguing back once she knew Jeremy was going to retract his investment in her family business. Her family business had not been doing well for thest couple of years, and they were only able to continue with the support from Holden Group. If Jeremy pulled back his investment, her family business would be done for! In the past, Jeremy wavered and decided to invest in her family business because of Anya, but at this moment, he thought of pulling back his investment because of Corinne! Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Even after several minutes, Jeremy said nothing in response. Thus, Rosie whimpered, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re aware of the situation with my family business. If you withdraw your investment, my family business is done for!¡± Jeremy¡¯s tall, distant self stood on the balcony. Expressionlessly, he lit a cigarette and looked down at the distraught¨Clooking Rosie. ¡°Holden Group isn¡¯t a charity,¡± he remarked tly. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time your family business has been in a downfall. Every year, the investment Holden Group has in your family business has decreased. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on them because we¡¯ve been friends for many years. Today, however, you don¡¯t think of me as a friend, and I don¡¯t think Holden Group needs to help your family business anymore.¡± Rosie shook her head fearfully and tried to exin herself. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! How can you think that way? When did I do that? We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. You¡¯re an important friend in my life!¡± Jeremy red at her from the corner of his eyes and puffed out the smoke with a stone¨Ccold face. ¡°Is that so? If you¡¯re my friend, why do you keep hurting my wife?¡± Rosie looked embarrassed and guilty as charged, but her eyes showed resentment. ¡°Yes, we are friends, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any rtionship between me and Corinne. I admit I can¡¯t stand her arrogance, so I wanted to teach her a lesson¡­¡± Jeremy red at her coldly. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re in the position to teach my wife a lesson? If you treat her badly, it means you¡¯re going against me.¡± These ruthless, brutal words stunned Rosie.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Right after that, she lowered her head fearfully and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jeremy. I know I¡¯m wrong, and I¡¯ll never do that again. We¡¯re friends. Please, don¡¯t withdraw your investment.¡± ¡°You dare risk my wife¡¯s life and hurt her. Do you think I¡¯d still think of you as a friend, Miss Rosie?¡± ¡°Jeremy, are you¡­really going to fall out with me just because of Corinne? After all the years that we¡¯ve known each other¡­¡± Jeremy used his slender finger to flick away the ashes on the cigarette indifferently. ¡°Miss Rosie, you should be grateful that my wife is safe now. If she suffers even a fever, flu, or sneezes today, you and your family are going to pay a more serious consequence than me withdrawing my investment.¡± Rozie stilled in shock as chills crept up the back of her spine and froze her and her thoughts. She had never seen Jeremy act so brutally to his friends, including her. Miss Rosie. A very cold, distant, and indifferent way to address someone. It was not how a friend would call another friend. Jeremy meant what he said this time. rmed, Rosie continued to pull the ¡®friend¡® card. ¡°Jeremy, we¡¯ve known each other for so many years! Please don¡¯t do this to me¡­¡± Since Jeremy had said everything he wanted and told Rosie everything, he did not want to waste a second more with her. He put out the smoke and strode toward the door with big steps to leave the room. This room was Sunny¡¯s, but he walked out and left Jeremy and Rosie alone. It was inappropriate to have them stay together for such a long time since it would create misunderstandings. Rosie felt her heart crumbling in despair as she watched him walk away. She knew very well how determined Jeremy was. At this moment, it was certain Jeremy was going to withdraw his investment from her family business. Yet, there was something she could not ept and felt resentful of. Having that thought in mind, she gritted and yelled at Jeremy, ¡°Wait! I have something else to say!¡± Jeremy, however, steadily walked away and did not even look back. Hence, Rosie dashed up and spread her arms wide to stop Jeremy from leaving. She asked angrily, ¡°Jeremy! Onest question. Have you forgotten the promise you made to Anya? Or are you just like every other man fond of shiny new things and getting bored of the old? Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Having heard Anya¡¯s name in the conversation, Jeremy¡¯s indifferent expression finally faltered. After a long pause, he narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I won¡¯t forget that. I¡¯ll always fulfill the promise I made to her.¡± Rosie sneered, ¡°Jeremy, it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t think of me as your friend anymore, but I hope you¡¯ll remember everything Anya did for you. You can¡¯t disappoint Anya just because of Corinne. She¡¯s a good woman!¡± After that, Rosie turned around and opened the door to leave. This was when she noticed Corinne was at the door. Corinne was speechless. She thought she heard Jeremy and Rosie talking to each other. Thus, she wanted to rush past the room to avoid having someone think she was eavesdropping. Coincidentally, or maybe it was just bad luck, Rosie opened the door just as she walked slightly past the door. Thus, it looked like she was eavesdropping and did not have the chance to get away quickly enough. No matter how she would exin herself, she still looked like they caught her red¨Chanded. Corinne stretched her mouth and smiled awkwardly, waving her hand politely at Rosie and Jeremy who were inside the room. ¡°Hi. Would you believe me if I told you I just happened to pass by?¡± Jeremy and Rosie were speechless. Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows and gazed at her with his deep eyes.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Rosie regained her senses and curled up her lips as she looked at Corinne. Later, she deliberately looked back at Jeremy and said, ¡°Jeremy, I believe you¡¯ll make true of your word, and Anya will believe in you, too.¡± With that, she walked back to her room. Nheless, she paused when she reached Corinne¡¯s side, and with a tone only audible to them both, she muttered into her ear, ¡°Corinne, enjoy this while you still can. Anya ising back soon. When that happens, you¡¯ll finally find out who¡¯s the most important woman in Jeremy¡¯s heart.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes wavered, yet she remained calm. Why would she need to know who the most important woman in Jeremy¡¯s heart was? It was none of her business! Moreover, why would she need to trouble herself to anticipate Anya¡¯s return? By then, the contact between her and Jeremy was finished, and they should be on their separate ways. Rosie left. Jeremy approached Corinne and looked down at her slightly damp hair. He furrowed his eyebrows and said in a lecturing kind of tone, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going with that damp hair?¡± Corinne sighed helplessly. Annie was blow¨Cdrying her hair for her minutes ago until Sunny came. Thus, her hair remained slightly damp. ¡°Your niece and brother¨Cinw are arguing in our room. I came out to get some peace. I also think of going over to look at the poor bear.¡± Brother¨Cinw? If she was using this term to refer to Sunny, it meant she was aware of something. Yet, she did not care about that and talked about something less irrelevant. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Corinne, do you have anything you want to ask me?¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Corinne answered Indifferently, ¡°Nothing.¡± A dim,plicated light appeared in Jeremy¡¯s eyes, Both of them made eye contact, and the ambiance grew awkward, Suddenly, Jeremy frowned and looked to the side to cough, which raised Corinne¡¯s concern. ¡°Mister, are you sick?¡± Jeremy looked gloomy when he waved dismissively and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Corinne pressed her finger at Jeremy¡¯s wrist to feel his pulse, She furrowed her eyebrows. The cave they were in was wet, cold, and humid. Being a gentleman, Jeremy gave his jacket to her before they fell asleep in the cave. It only made sense that Jeremy caught a cold. ¡°Mister, you got a cold. Cover yourself with more nkets to sweat it out when you sleep tonight, and you¡¯ll be fine tomorrow.¡± ¡°You can tell just by feeling my pulse?¡± Jeremy looked at Corinne curiously. He recalled Corinne was certain he was poisoned after he mistakenly consumed the food Sherlyn cooked thest time just by feeling his pulse. Corinne nodded. ¡°A little.¡± Jeremy was impressed. ¡°You learned it before?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Not really. I grew up living in a convent in the countryside. Coincidentally, a nun there knew had a bit of medical knowledge, and she always helped the vigers examine their bodies when they were sick, so I learned a little when I was with her.¡± ¡°A convent?¡± Jeremy squeezed his brow. ¡°Why were you staying in that ce when you were little?¡± ¡°Well, my dad¡­¡± Corinne stopped mid¨Csentence and paused. She stopped because she recalled Aaron telling her that Marvin was not her biological father, and she had a hard time calling Marvin her father ever since. ¡°Well, my stepmom didn¡¯t want me living with them, so they sent me to the countryside to stay with a rtive. My cousin didn¡¯t like me either, so they sent me to another family. I was like a hot potato that got kicked around like a ser ball. No one wanted me, so eventually, everyone decided to donate some money and sent me to the convent in the vige. I¡¯ve lived with nuns since I was small,¡± Hearing Corinne tell him about her saddening childhood in a self¨Cdeprecating way made him feel bitter. His chest felt stuffy as he furrowed his eyebrows vehemently. He raised his big hand and stroked her hair like he was petting a little animal. ¡°You won¡¯t have to wander from ce to ce again in the future.¡± Corinne had gotten over it and spread her hand, showing her childhood did not affect her anymore. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m all grown up and independent now. I don¡¯t need anyone to take me in. ¨C No one but me has the right to tell me where I stay!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face became sullen. He pinched his be. That was not what he meant at all. Sometimes, he felt this little rascal did not have any emotional intelligence. ¡°Mister, go do your thing. I¡¯m going to go over there¡­¡± Corinne was going to wander by herself. Since she was feeling bored, she thought of going to see the brown bear. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere. Go back to the room and sleep!¡± Jeremy ordered, his voice sounding stern and deep. He reached for the back of her cor and pulled her back to the room by force. When they were back in the room, Annie and Sunny were no longer in the room. Maybe they decided to go fight outside somewhere. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Jeremy locked the room to avoid someone elseing to disturb them and went straight to the bathroom to take his shower. Corinney down on the bed. Since they were staying outside, she needed to pretend to be a real couple with Jeremy and not sleep in separate bedrooms. Thus, she needed to take possession of the bed first and let Jeremy sleep on the couch. It was a tiring day, and in just mere minutes, she dozed off. She had a long¨Cwinding dream. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Her dream took ce when she was a kid. Being sick in her dream, her mother brought her to the hospital. While she had her drip, her mother - having asked if she was hungry¨Ctold her she would be right back after buying her a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Before her mother left, she took a good look at Corinne when she was at the door, and her eyes were teary. Her mother¡¯s face was blurry in that dream. No matter how hard she tried, she could not see her mother¡¯s actual face. After that, Marvin came to the hospital and told her, ¡°I¡¯m your father. Remember that you¡¯re a Carew from now on. Do you understand? Now,e with me. I¡¯m bringing you home.¡± She was too young at that time to remember what herst name was. Did she have her mother¡¯sst name? All she could remember was her mother gently calling her nickname¨C¡®Moonie¡®. The day she knew her last name was Carew, her name became Luna Carew. When she lived in the convent, Mother Catharina said her name sounded too cold. ¡®Luna¡® meant the moon and also silver in alchemy. It was not good for her, especially since none of her family members wanted her. Thus, Mother Catharina made the decision to change her name to Corinne, saying that she was a beautiful maiden and that the name also symbolized a spear. Inbination, Mother Cathrina hoped Corinne would be a female warrior who possessed great beauty and strength. In addition, Mother Catharina warned her from giving her heart to someone else. She must know how to protect herself and avoid revealing her weakest core to anyone. From then onward, she was known as Corinne Carew. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. To her, Mother Catharina was the only person who gave her warmth that she barely received in her childhood. The dream was like a maze. No matter how fast she ran or searched, she could not find the exit. Sometimes, she would see Mother Catharina in the maze, and she would say to her with a sad face, ¡°Corinne, you need to be careful when you¡¯re alone in New Capital City. Don¡¯t trust anyone easily, especially men¡­¡± Sometimes, she would see her mother, who would smile gently at her and say, ¡°Moonie, I¡¯m going to buy a bowl of chicken noodle soup for you. I¡¯ll be right back¡­¡± She could see them, but she could never reach them. Mother Catharina disappeared. Her mother turned around and walked away, her pacing too quick. Corinne panicked and tried to chase after her mother, wanting to go with her. Just as she reached her, however, she found herself suddenly falling into an empty well The light above her gradually disappeared, and when she looked up, she realized someone was using a rock to cover the well. She realized she was in a pitch¨Cck environment. She yelled for help, but her voice could not reach the outside world. Then, something terrible happened. Water starteding out of the well, and the water level rose until it finally drowned her. She tried hard to climb up the well, yet it was all for naught. Drowned, suffocated, near¨Cdeath- Abruptly, Corinne woke up from her dream. The room was dark, warm, and quiet. Nothing happened. It was just a dream. Before Corinne could dwell on the relief she felt, she found herself tasting the faint taste of tobo vor in her mouth. That was weird. She never smoked, so why would there be tobo vor in her mouth? Corinne furrowed her brow. Finally, she realized two rough fingers were pinching her chin. Someone was biting her lip and somewhat chewing on them. With the moonlight outside the window, she finally got a clear view of the man¡¯s face in front of her. It was Jeremy. ¡®Mister¡­ is kissing me?!¡® she gasped internally. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 ¡°Mph¡­ Mister¡­! Mmm¡­¡± When Corinne finally regained her senses, her instinct kicked in as she shoved Jeremy away from her. She sat up panting and said unhappily, ¡°Mister! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jeremy did not reply. He turned around sleepily with his eyes closed and steady breathing. Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at this. ¡®Is he sleeping? Did he dream of his beloved woman and get horny, winding up kissing the wrong person in his dream?¡® she thought. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she wiped her mouth in disgust and irritation. ¡®Who allowed him to be in my bed?¡® They had an unspoken rule that one would sleep in the bed while the other would sleep on the couch. If Jeremy did not have a cold today, Corinne would have very well kicked him out of bed. Corinne grumbled with curses, and when she finally regained herposure, she gazed at Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡®He¡¯s so deeply asleep. Could his cold have worsened?¡® she thought. Since the light was not on, she could not exactly see Jeremy¡¯s expression. After much hesitation, she extended her hand to feel his temperature by cing her hand on his forehead. ¡®Good. He¡¯s not having a fever.¡® Jeremy did not have a nket and was sleeping quietly in his pajamas. His handsome face looked even more charming with the moonlight shining on his face. Due to the idental kiss they had seconds ago, Corinne felt disconcerted when she looked at him. She snorted and helped to put a nket on Jeremy¡¯s body. Feeling like one nket was not enough, however, so she got down and went to the wardrobe to take an extra nket and put it on him. She tucked the nket nicely for him as she hoped this could help him sweat. She was kind enough to give him the bed just because he was sick. As such, there was only one ce for her to sleep tonight, and that was the couch. When she turned around, she heard something drop to the floor. Looking back, she noticed the two nkets had fallen to the floor. Jeremy changed his posture and continued to sleep soundly. Corinne frowned. ¡®He¡¯s an adult, and an adult doesn¡¯t kick the nket away!¡® Without a choice, she picked up the nkets and put them back onto his body before she walked to the couch. However, it did not take long before she heard the sound of dropping again. She looked back, and as expected, the nkets were on the ground again. She would repeatedly drape the nkets over him, but every time, the nkets would drop immediately after she turned. It was too exhausting for her. She could not bear to leave him like that since Jeremy had a cold. If he slept without a nket, he would have a fever the following day! Corinne took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. For thest time, she put the nkets over Jeremy, got on the bed, and slept on top of him, using her hand to press down on the nkets so he could not kick the nkets away. Argh! She gave up and thought about spending the night sleeping like this. It was not like they were drunk or one of them was poisoned, so she believed nothing was going to happen. She thought of it as a way topensate Jeremy, a way to express her gratitude to him for rushing down the cliff to save her and not abandon her. What she did not notice, however, was that Jeremy¡¯s lips were curled into a small smile sneakily. On the second day. Corinne woke up when she had enough sleep. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, stretching her body. As she did so, Jeremy walked out of the bathroom and greeted, ¡°Miss Corinne, did you have a good sleep?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 For some reason, Corinne felt embarrassed and stopped mid¨Cstretch. She remembered how Jeremy sneak¨Cattacked her with a kiss and kept kicking the nkets off. ¡°Heh. Not so good,¡± she answered. ¡®He probably has no idea the things he didst night because he was sleeping so soundly,¡® she scoffed. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that so? When I woke up this morning, I saw you smiling in your sleep. I thought you must be having a good dream.¡± Corinne¡¯s face reddened. She grew shy as If he had read her mind. Frankly, she did have a nice dream in theter part of the night. Oddly enough, she managed to fall asleep quickly after she stopped Jeremy from kicking the nkets by sleeping on top of him. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. She dreamt of delicious food, cute little animals, and funny gag performances. It was an entirely different dream from the nightmare she had before. She was very happy in the second dream. ¡°Hey, Mister, did anyone tell you it¡¯s rude to stare at people when they¡¯re sleeping?¡± ¡°No.¡± Corinne stretched her lips. ¡°Well, now you know. Please maintain a distance when someone is sleeping, and don¡¯t pry.¡± Jeremy buttoned up his shirt calmly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to pry. I was looking at you for about one minute, and you were drooling. Your saliva reached your ear.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®F*ck! He¡¯s so annoying!¡® She gulped and unconsciously wiped away the saliva mark on her face. Jeremy decided to stop teasing her and said, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to get up. We can enjoy the morning, and we¡¯re leaving during the afternoon.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Corinne got down from the bed and entered the bathroom to freshen up her unhappy face and tousled hair. A soft glint shed past Jeremy¡¯s eyes when he saw her resentful expression. It seemed like a pretty nice life if he could wake up to see her drowsy face every morning. After Corinne was ready, she and Jeremy went to the restaurant in the resort to have their breakfast. Zeke and the others were there eating, too. Spotting her, Annie quickly waved her over. ¡°Corinne,e sit with me!¡± ¡± Corinne wanted to go, but she remembered she was ying husband¨Cand¨Cwife with Jeremy, and it did not seem nice for them to sit apart. Jeremy looked down at her and, as though reading her mind, stroked her hair with his big hand. As though he was a guardian, he said, ¡°Go.¡± Corinne was thrilled and quickly sat beside Annie. Jeremy watched until she sat down, and he went to his own seat and pulled his chair to sit elegantly. Annie giggled. ¡°Corinne, finish your meal quicker. We¡¯re going to fly a kite after we finish our breakfast.¡± Corinne took a sandwich and bit it. ¡°Kite? We¡¯re not riding anymore?¡± Annie rolled her eyes at Rosie, who sat at the far side, and pouted. ¡°After what happened yesterday, Zeke and the others won¡¯t allow us girls to ride anymore. Luckily, there are some kites here, and we can fly the kite to kill some time before we head back after lunch.¡± Corinne drank the milk and nodded. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s been quite a while since I flew a kite.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± remarked Annie. ¡°I remember thest time I yed was during my senior year in high school. I¡¯m not like a certain someone who hasn¡¯t graduated from his senior year yet.¡± Sunny¡¯s face darkened, and he growled, ¡°Hey, watch it, Annie Levine. I didn¡¯t bother you at all today. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Annie burst intoughter as she hugged her abdomen, her head raised inughter. ¡°Was I talking about you? I didn¡¯t mention anyone in particr. What makes you think I was talking about you?¡± Sunni¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°You¡­ Before they could start arguing. Corinne put a stop to it. ¡®Alright. Keep quiet and eat your breakfast. Don¡¯t speak when you¡¯re eating, or you might choke yourself.¡± Annie nodded obediently and listened to what Corinne said. Sunny, on the other hand, looked at Corinne and snorted proudly before he continued eating his omelet. Meanwhile, Rosie witnessed everything, and evil consumed her eyes. She had no idea what kind of tricks Corinne pulled to mesmerize Jeremy and control Annie, who had always been spoiled. Even Sunny was under her spell and listened to her. The situation was dangerous. Corinne looked pure and naive, but she was a far more powerful adversary than Rosie initially presumed. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The weather was good. The sky was cloudless, and the wind was neither too strong nor too weak; perfect for kite¨Cflying. Corinne held a swallow kite up high while Annie held the other end of the line and ran. Slowly, the kite rose to the sky. The kite flew up in the air, and the two girls got together to extend the string even more. It was evident how much fun they were having. Suddenly, Rosie came over with a butterfly kite and asked Annie with a gentle smile, ¡°Hey, Annie. Can you help me to put this kite up in the air too? I can¡¯t do it alone, and I¡¯m not good at it either.¡± Annie turned to shoot her a ferocious re as the smile on her face vanished. She rolled her eyes and said unhappily, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not free. Don¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy flying this kite with Corinne? Go figure it out yourself!¡± Rosie¡¯s face froze. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Corinne looked over while she was organizing the kite string. She raised her brow. ¡°Miss Rosie, if you don¡¯t mind, I can help you to hold the kite. You can run and put the kite in the air yourself.¡± Rosie looked at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re that nice to help me?¡± Corinne shrugged nonchntly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe in me.¡± Rosie revealed her true self to Corinne yesterday, so there was no reason for her to fake it anymore. She would rather put the kite up in the air than let Corinne help her. Hence, she walked away by herself. Annie was, of course, displeased. ¡°Corinne, why are you talking to her after how she tried to hurt you yesterday?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°I think she¡¯s up to something. If we don¡¯t go along with her, #t¡¯ll be harder to tell what she¡¯s trying to do.¡± Up to something? Annie looked at Corinne and asked, ¡°What? Hasn¡¯t she done enough?¡± Subsequently, Rosie went to a ce further away from Corinne and Annie. She pulled the kite and started to run. At first, the kite flew up a little, but it was not stable. A secondter, it dropped to the floor. Rosie did not give up and continued to run while dragging the kite and looking back. Suddenly, she tripped and fell to the ground, yelping in pain. She struggled to even get up. ¡°Help! Someone, help me! Anyone¡­¡± Sunny heard this, and he looked over. ¡°Jeremy, Zeke, I think something is happening over there.¡± Chapter 237 Chapter 237 With that, Zeke and the others quickly rode their horses to where Rosie was to take a look. Rosie sat on the grass. Since she wore short pants, her legs were full of scratches and blood. It was not long until the men arrived. Sunny was the first one to get down from the horse. He approached her and asked worriedly, ¡°Rosie, what happened to you?¡± With tears in her eyes, Rosie whimpered, ¡°Sunny¡­ I fell when I was trying to put the kite up in the air. I think I sprained my leg. It hurts so badly¡­¡± Sunny squatted to help her and examined the bloody wounds on her legs. He furrowed his brow. ¡°Why are you so careless?¡± Meanwhile, Annie watched what transpired and shot Rosie a look of disdain. ¡°You were right, Corinne. She is up to something bad,¡± she remarked. ¡°Hmph! How hard can it bet for her to get up after falling? Also, calling for help? What is she thinking of? Only an idiot like Sunny will believe her!¡± Corinne remained calm as she held the kite reel. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Being the organizer of this trip, Zeke got down from his horse and asked, ¡°Rosie, how are you feeling? Can you stand?¡± Rosie shook her head as tears started falling. ¡°Zeke, I¡¯m so stupid. I don¡¯t even know how to put the kite up in the air by myself¡­¡± Zeke frowned. ¡°Why were you ying by yourself?¡± Sunny¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he, too, asked, ¡°That¡¯s right. Why were you ying by yourself? Why didn¡¯t you ask someone to help you?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Rosie looked down and sighed helplessly. ¡°I went to Corinne and Annie to help me, but they ignored me. Maybe I offended Corinne after yesterday¡¯s misunderstanding, and Corinne disallowed Annie to help me. ¡°Sigh¡­ I envy how Corinne and Annie flew their kite together. If Luna was here, I wouldn¡¯t be so lonely, and I would have someone to fly the kite with.¡± Just a few words, yet she managed to tell everyone how Corinne and Annie boycotted her. Sunny looked regretful when Rosie mentioned his sister¡¯s name. After what happened yesterday, he doubted Rosie¡¯s ulterior motives. At this moment, all that was left in his heart was sympathy for Rosie. Rosie was his sister¡¯s best friend. If his sister knew Rosie was hurt, she would be very worried. Just then, Annie walked over with her hands on her waist. She happened to have heard everything Rosie said and thus retorted, ¡°She¡¯s lying, Uncle Jeremy. Corinne did offer to put the kite up with her, but Rosie rejected her and even gave her a fierce look!¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes reddened as she looked at Annie and said, with a voice sounding frail, ¡°Annie, I know you¡¯re a kind and pure girl. I also understand that you¡¯re trying to protect Corinne, but you can¡¯t defame me just because you want to protect her. You two ignored me just now. Otherwise, how do you exin why I¡¯m here all alone and in this situation?¡± Annie was disgusted with Rosie¡¯s ability to twist the truth.¡± Hmph! This isn¡¯t the first time you cried wolf. This is a big world with various unexinable mysteries, yet this is the first time I knew a woman who can tell a lie without feeling guilty about it!¡± ¡°Annie, I know I made a mistake yesterday, and I was wrong. But I didn¡¯t lie today,¡± Rosie sobbed vehemently while leaning on Sunny¡¯s shoulder as if someone framed her for doing something she did not. The sight of a tear¨Cridden Rosie, however, only amused Annie, and she turned and looked at Jeremy, who was still on his horse. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, you mustn¡¯t believe this woman. She¡¯s doing this on purpose as if she¡¯s not afraid of all the chaos she created and tried to defame Corinne!¡± Jeremy looked at Annie and at Corinne, who stood quietly not far from him. Finally, he red at Annie sharply. He raised his chin and said to Sunny, ¡°Help her get up on her quest. Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Sunny nodded and helped Rosie, who was leaning on his shoulder crying, to get up on her feet. Rosie stopped crying and struggled to stand with Sunny¡¯s help, but her right leg was in pain, and she just could not stand. Her face turned from pale to green, and her forehead was beaded with sweat. This was not something she could pull off with an act. Sunny pitied Rosie, seeing her suffer so much pain. ¡°Rosie, you could¡¯ve asked me to fly the kite with you if no one wanted to. Why do you have to act so tough?¡± Rosie endured the pain and said feebly, ¡°Sunny, you¡¯re a boy. You won¡¯t like to y with a kite; it¡¯s too childish. Besides, I don¡¯t think it was going to be that hard, so I thought of trying it myself. Heh¡­ I thought too highly of myself. I¡¯m just too stupid.¡± Sunny sighedpassionately and ced Rosie¡¯s arm on his shoulder. ¡°Alright, Rosie, stop ming yourself. I¡¯ll help you get up on the horse to get back to the resort so we can have the doctor examine your injury. It¡¯s not good if you hurt your bones. That¡¯s going to affect your performance.¡± Sunny requested Zeke toe over to help him. Both of them carried Rosie and let her ride the horse. Later, Sunny led the horse and walked quickly in the direction of the resort. Zeke and the others followed suit. It seemed like Rosie¡¯s condition was rather serious this time, and they hoped it would not be too detrimental. Jeremy remained in the same spot. As he was on the horse, he looked down at Corinne and Annie. ¡°You two, put the kite away. Don¡¯t fall.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so t here, so we¡¯re not going to fall,¡± mumbled the irked Annie. ¡°Ugh. Why does something bad always happen when Rosie is around? I just want to enjoy and rx by flying the kite. This is so disappointing!¡± Corinne passed the kite reel to Annie and patted her shoulder to console her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s pull the kite back. We can y again next time.¡± Annie nodded and sighed. ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Jeremy rode the horse to the front and stopped when he reached Corinne¡¯s side. ¡°Corinne,¡± he called out to her. ¡°Huh?¡± Corinne looked up. ¡°Are you calling me, Mister?¡± Jeremy leaned forward and extended his hand to her, saying, Give me your hand.¡± Baffled, Corinne became guarded. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°You can ride back together with me. You don¡¯t want to?¡± Corinne immediately shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to wait 11 for Annie and walk back with her.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. Annie, pulling the kite back, overheard this and quickly said with a smirk, ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to wait for me. I¡¯m thinking of having the kite up in the air for a while longer!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips stretched into a line. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± Annie waved her off. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to.¡± As she released her hand, the reel turned quickly, and the kite flew higher. All the work she did was for nothing. Finally, she had the reel under her control and chuckled. ¡°I think it¡¯s going to take a while for me to reel the string back. Corinne, you can go back with Uncle Jeremy.¡± Corinne knew Annie was creating a ¡®chance¡® for her and Jeremy to be together, but she could not tell her that they did not need this supposed ¡®alone time¡®. Helplessly, she said, ¡® Well, be careful. Don¡¯t let the string cut your hand.¡± Annie nodded happily. ¡°I know!¡± Thus, Corinne reached out to hold Jeremy¡¯srge, calloused hand reluctantly. Jeremy pulled her up, and she got on without any difficulty. Jeremy did not usher the horse to chase after the others. They rode slowly. Both of them sat on the same saddle, and Corinne sat in the front. That being said, she could feel Jeremy¡¯s toned chest against her back, and the sensation was¡­odd. ¡°Mister, are you in no hurry to go look at your old¨Ctime friend, Miss Rosie¡¯s injury?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor. Even if I¡¯m there, I can¡¯t treat her,¡± Jeremy answered. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne smiled awkwardly. ¡°You got a point!¡± Jeremy did not say anything else. Suddenly, Corinne asked, ¡°Mister, what¡¯s the name of your horse?¡± ¡°Moon Chaser.¡± Moon Chaser? Like, chasing the moon? Chapter 239 Chapter 239 There was a moon motif in Jeremy¡¯s horse¡¯s name. Was that moon referring to the apple of his eye, Luna Rivera? Chasing the moon, and chasing the apple of his eye¡­ Jeremy leaned forward to her ear and asked when he noticed Corinne was zoning out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne regained her senses and stroked the horse¡¯s mane. Nothing. This is a good horse.¡± ¡°You like to ride horses?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not bad,¡± Corinne replied. Suddenly, Jeremy ced his hand on her waist and whispered into her ear, ¡°You didn¡¯t have fun this time. We cane here by ourselves in the future.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡®Is he confused or something? There are only two months left in the contract, and there won¡¯t be any ¡® us¡® afterward.¡® He then grabbed her waist as though checking the quality of a product. He then teased, ¡°Why are you so thin when you always eat a lot?¡± Corinne was displeased to have heard this. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Jeremy chuckled. ¡°Eat more. It¡¯s nicer to touch if you¡¯re pier 730 fleshier.¡± Corinne blushed as she grabbed his hand. ¡°Hey, control yourself, and take your hand off!¡± ¡°Stop moving, or I¡¯ll show you know how I can¡¯t control myself.¡± Corinne was speechless. She knew riding on the same horse with him was never a good idea. In the resort. Rosie and the others were back in her room. Jeremy and Corinne arrivedte. There were a group of people by Rosie¡¯s bed, watching as the doctor examined her injury. All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Once the doctor finished examining her leg, he solemnly reported, ¡°You should bring her to the hospital for surgery. I don¡¯t have the appropriate equipment, so I can¡¯t give her a full examination. But based on my experiences, her ligament must have torn.¡± Her ligament was torn? Rosie was in so much pain that her face paled. Nheless, she feebly asked as she leaned on the headrest, ¡°My ligament is torn? Doctor, can I¡­still dance?¡± The doctor¡¯s expression grew troubled. ¡°Well, if you recuperate, you can surely do so. But perhaps you won¡¯t dance as flexibly as previously.¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m a professional ballet dancer! If I can¡¯t dance perfectly, what¡¯s the meaning for me to live?¡± ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t be upset,¡±forted Sunny. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the hospital first. Maybe it¡¯s not going to affect anything once. you recover.¡± Zeke, too, consoled her and went to contact the nearest hospital to have them send an ambnce over. Rosie looked very distraught as she wept to herself for a while and took out her phone to call someone. The person on the other end of the line answered. ¡°Hello, Luna. I don¡¯t think I can make it anymore,¡± she said weakly. ¡°If there¡¯s an afterlife, let¡¯s be best friends again. Take care of yourself¡­¡± As she hung up the phone, she passed out due to the pain. Shocked, Sunny held Rosie¡¯s shoulder and shook her vehemently. ¡°Rosie, what happened? Wake up! Doctor, check on her!¡± The doctor approached and opened Rosie¡¯s eyelid. ¡°She¡¯s fine. She passed out due to the pain, and she was too emotional. Still, it¡¯s best to send her to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Right then, Sunny¡¯s phone rang. One nce at the caller ID shocked him, but he quickly epted the call. ¡°Anya, I¡¯m with Rosie! Don¡¯t worry. She fell and hurt herself, and she¡¯s a bit emotional, but she¡¯s not in danger! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of her. Oh! Jeremy is here too. Okay Sunny turned and walked toward Jeremy with his phone. Jeremy, my sister is on the phone, and she wants to talk to you. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Jeremy did not hesitate as he took the phone from Sunny. He turned and walked out of the room to talk on the phone. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne looked back and watched as he walked out. She raised her brow while thinking of something. Zeke, who had gone out to contact the hospital, came in and informed everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the hospital is sending an ambnce over. Rosie will receive treatment soon.¡± Sunny looked worried as he gazed at the unconscious Rosie. ¡± Rosie, did you hear that? The ambnce is going to be here soon. It¡¯s going to be fine!¡± However, there was no reaction from Rosie. The doctor went over to check Rosie¡¯s condition and massaged her temple. Only then did she wake up with a grimace. Although she was awake, she looked weak and despairing as if she had lost her desire to live. ¡°My leg is done for. Why are you guys trying to save me? Just let me die¡­¡± ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t think like that,¡± consoled Sunny. ¡°You¡¯re my sister¡¯s best friend! She¡¯s going to be sad seeing you like this.¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes looked more spirited when Sunny mentioned his sister. She then sighed and said sarcastically, ¡°Luna is the only one who cares about me ¡± Sunny said with assurance, ¡°Rosie, everyone here cares about you. Am I right, Zeke?¡± Zeke nodded faintly and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, Rosie. Just rx and listen to the doctor. Get the right treatment for your leg. Once you recover, you can find the best physical therapist to improve your flexibility. We believe you¡¯ll still be the best ballet dancer.¡± Sunny nodded vehemently. ¡°Yes. Zeke is right!¡± Despite that, Rosie shook her head weakly. ¡°Zeke, you don¡¯t have tofort me. The doctor already said I¡¯m not going to get my flexibility back.¡± Zeke smiled bitterly. He had no idea what to say anymore since Rosie was in such a negative state of mind. Just then, Tommy knocked on the door and came in. ¡°Miss Rosie, after much consideration, my employer decided to temporarily put on hold his investment withdrawal. He¡¯ll make his final decision after the next quarterly financial report is released. Please focus on the recovery of your leg, and don¡¯t feel stressed about anything else.¡± Spirit returned to Rosie¡¯s sullen face after hearing the news. Really?¡± Tommy nodded seriously. ¡°Yes. My employer has passed his instruction.¡± Finally, Rosie feltforted and felt hopeful again. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she felt touched by the news. ¡°I know¡­ I know Jeremy still thinks of me as his friend. Tommy, please thank Jeremy on my behalf. Tell him, my family won¡¯t let him down when he receives the next quarterly financial report!¡± ¡°Okay. I will,¡± Tommy replied. After that, he turned to nce around the room. Finally, he gazed at Corinne, who had made herself less noticeable by standing in the corner. He approached her and said with respect, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please follow me. Mister Jeremy has instructed me to send you and Miss Annie back home.¡± Corinne looked at Tommy and asked calmly, ¡°What about him? ¡°He¡¯s still on the phone. He has to stay here to apany Miss Rosie at a person¡¯s request, but he¡¯ll return once Miss Rosie receives the necessary treatment. He said you don¡¯t have to wait for him.¡± Jeremy was still on the phone? Chapter 241 Chapter 241 ¡®Is he still talking on the phone with the apple of his eye?¡® Corinne knew who Jeremy had received instructions from, since there could not have been anyone else aside from Anya. Postponing the divestment from the Suttons for further observation was undoubtedly done out of courtesy toward her. It made sense and should note as a surprise. Corinne thought for a moment and said to Tommy, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but could you wait a moment for me, please?¡± ¡®Wait? For what?¡® Tommy looked puzzled. ¡°May I ask how long and what for, ma¡¯am?¡± Corinne had a calm look on her face as she replied, ¡°Until I settle things with Rosie.¡± Tommy was even more puzzled. He frowned and had a bad feeling, but as soon as he was about to ask in more detail, Corinne walked toward Rosie who was half¨Clying on the bed in an injured state. As soon as Corinne approached them, Sunny stood up defensively in front of Rosie to stop her from going any nearer. He asked her, ¡°What are you trying to do to Rosie?¡± Corinne had a gentle expression, and her tone was somewhat apologetic. ¡°Her sprain isn¡¯t my fault, but technically, I¡¯m somewhat responsible for it too. My pettiness in refusing to help her fly a kite caused her to fall and break her foot, so I should take responsibility for what happened.¡± Sunny¡¯s vignt expression eased a little after seeing Corinnee over to admit her mistake. He let his guard down right away and frowned, his feelings conflicting. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t need to me yourself for that. It¡¯s not like you were the sole cause.¡± Indeed, Corinne was hardly responsible for Rosie¡¯s fall, since he did notice that Corinne and Annie were flying a kite in the distance when the fall happened. Moreover, Rosie did do something horrendous to Corinne, so it was understandable for Corinne to show an unwillingness to help Rosie fly a kite. Rosie, however, cursed silently at Sunny for being such a dimwit when she heard him say that. After all, anyone with the slightest bit of IQ could tell that Corinne was up to no good, and the appropriate response would be to have one¡¯s guard up against her ulterior motives! As Rosie thought of that, she deliberately exaggerated the pain on her face and said sarcastically, ¡°Forget it, Corinne. You don¡¯t need to feel responsible for my injuries. It¡¯s your right not to help me fly a kite. I don¡¯t me you at all. I can only me myself for being unlucky¡­¡± Corinne walked past Sunny to the bed, looked at Rosie¡¯s agonized expression, and insisted, ¡°But I have to.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Rosie frowned and looked at Corinne defensively. A pitiful look of helplessness appeared on her face as she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Corinne looked at Rosie¡¯s injured foot and said, ¡°In my opinion, her foot injury isn¡¯t a torn ligament but a sprain that resulted in a misaligned bone. I happen to know a bit of bone¨Csetting techniques that would avoid the need for surgery. Would you like to try restoring your foot to its original state without going under the knife?¡± Rosie sobbed and looked at Corinne. ¡°Not a torn ligament? Stop talking nonsense, Corinne! Do you think the doctor¡¯s diagnosis is wrong? Do you honestly expect me to believe the words of ayman rather than a doctor? This is ridiculous!¡± Corinne did not exin much and took a few steps toward the end of the bed to reach out and touch Rosie¡¯s injured ankle. Rosie immediately moved her leg away to prevent Corinne from touching her, and that movement was painful enough that she was sweating from the agony. She warned weakly, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Come and stop her, Sunny!¡± Sunny snapped back to her senses and immediately came over to stop her. ¡°Rosie¡¯s already terrified. Why do you have to make her any more scared than she is now?¡± Corinne saved him before, and he still owed her a favor. As a result, he could understand Corinne¡¯s dislike toward Rosie, but he also had to protect Rosie because she was his sister¡¯s best friend. Corinne looked sternly at Sunny and said, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Sunny. I do know some bone¨Csetting techniques, and I can make your Rosie run and jump in just a minute! Can¡¯t you give me a chance to make it up to her?¡± Sunny was stunned, and an indescribable feeling thatpelled him to believe her appeared in him when he looked into Corinne¡¯s bright eyes. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually turned around to look at Rosie and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give Corinne a chance to help you? She might be able to do it!¡± Rosie was so angry when she heard that and almost fainted as a result. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not miserable enough right now?¡± Sunny had an embarrassed expression. ¡°Rosie, I just¡­¡± Corinne was running thin on patience, so she raised her hand to push Sunny. ¡°Quit talking nonsense and hold her down! I¡¯m going to do it now!¡± Sunny was pushed two steps forward, and he hesitated for a second before deciding to do as told. He listened to Corinne¡¯s words and pressed down Rosie¡¯s upper body and legs. Corinne then immediately went over and twisted Rosie¡¯s injured ankle. Rosie let out an ear¨Cpiercing, agonized shriek. Before the others coulde forward in time to stop Corinne, she held Rosie¡¯s ankle, twisted it twice, pushed hard, and was done. Everyone was frightened, and they immediately gathered around to check on Rosie¡¯s situation. Corinne stepped back calmly, took out a tissue, and wiped her hands with great care¨Cdown to every finger. Sunny helped Rosie up anxiously and asked eagerly, ¡°How do you feel? Any better?¡± Rosie nearly fainted from the pain, and she regained her senses immediately before bursting into tears. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t feel my foot! Will you be satisfied only after you make me disabled?!¡± ¡®She can¡¯t feel her foot?¡® Sunny panicked and red at Corinne with resentment. ¡°You lied to me, Corinne!¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Corinne ignored him, threw the paper towel that she had just used to wipe her hands, then took out a ck fuzzy thing from her pocket and tossed it over to Rosie! Rosie was busy crying when she felt something hit her and was stunned for a moment. As soon as she lowered her head and took a closer look, she screamed in horror and was so terrified that she jumped off the bed to hide behind Sunny. ¡°A mouse! Sunny, it¡¯s a mouse! Get rid of it! Aghh!¡± Sunny was startled not by the mouse but by Rosie, who had jumped up all of a sudden. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Sunny walked over, picked up the ck furry lump on the bed, and realized that it was a rather disgusting¨Clooking fake mouse. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Rosie! This is fake.¡± ¡®What kind of sick hobbies does Corinne have? I can¡¯t believe she carries this sort of thing with her, and she still has the mood to y pranks at such a time! Why would she use that to scare Rosie when Rosie¡¯s foot had gotten numb? Wait a minute¡­ Did Rosie just jump out of bed?!¡® Sunny snapped back to his senses and looked at Rosie in shock. ¡°Rosie! Your foot¡­ Is it alright now?¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Rosie¡¯s expression froze, and her mind went nk too. That was when she finally realized that she was standing perfectly fine without any help, and she even jumped up seemingly painlessly earlier! ¡®D*mn it! I jumped off the bed too swiftly because of that fake mouse, and there¡¯s no way I can keep the charade up anymore!¡® The embarrassment and guilty conscience on Rosie¡¯s face disappeared, and she immediately feigned a look of pleasant surprise as she smiled and said, ¡°Whoa¡­ My foot¡­ It¡¯s healed! This is amazing¡­¡± Though it was excruciatingly painful for Rosie when her ankle had been fiddled with by Corinne, she did not feel any pain at all after the twists and clicks were done. On the contrary, her foot felt quite good at the end of it. Needless to say, she still feigned unconsciousness on purpose because she could not stand to see Corinne receive praise or appreciation from anyone. s, she never expected that Corinne would have such an ace up her sleeve and would use a fake mouse to scare her. As a result, she lost herposure right then. Everyone looked at Corinne in amazement, and even the residential ranch doctor had a look of admiration toward Corinne. To try and restore her positive image in everyone¡¯s eyes, Rosie thought for a moment and decided to rush over to Corinne. She then Corinne excitedly and thanked loudly, ¡°You do know how to realign a person¡¯s bones, Corinne! You¡¯re so amazing! Thank you so much! I don¡¯t have to worry about my broken foot affecting my dancing anymore!¡± After saying thank you loudly, Rosie leaned on Corinne¡¯s shoulder again and whispered ruthlessly in a voice that only Corinne could hear, ¡°You got me good this time, Corinne.¡± Corinne smiled, leaned into her ear, and whispered back, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m more than capable of dealing with scheming women like you.¡± Rosie gritted her teeth angrily, and even the fake smile on her face stiffened. ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug, Corinne! Do you think you¡¯ve got things going for you if you can provoke Jeremy into divesting from the Suttons? A phone call from Anya is all it takes for Jeremy to change his mind immediately! It¡¯s obvious who¡¯s more important to Jeremy!¡± Corinne said insipidly. ¡°Yeah, I know. Your best friend is more important than anyone to him.¡± Rosie snorted. ¡°Good that you know your ce! That is why you should quit doing all these useless moves to try and seduce Jeremy because everything will be futile in the end! Jeremy only has Anya in his heart, and you can¡¯tpare to her at all!¡± Corinne did not seem to share her views. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s pulling all these ridiculous little. schemes, Rosie. I never had any interest in trying to best Anya for being the more important person in Jeremy¡¯s heart, but you¡¯re sparing no small effort to make Jeremy hate me, even to the extent of gambling on your career! You¡¯re lucky it was just a sprain. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be too high. a price for you to pay if your ligament was broken today?¡± Rosie smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind putting my career on the line for Anya¡¯s happiness, so what¡¯s it to you?¡± Corinne could not help but sigh. As wicked as Rosie was, her one redeeming factor was her fierce loyalty. Though Corinne did not know Anya personally, she had to admit that Anya was lucky to have made such a ¡®good¡® best friend who would willinglymit self¨Csacrifice for her sake. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 At that moment, Zeke walked over with a smile, looking at the two of them and saying, ¡°What are you two girls whispering about while you¡¯re hugging?¡± Only then did Rosie let go of Corinne, turned her face, and smiled gently at Zeke. ¡°Zeke, I was thanking Corinne for curing my foot, but I was so excited that I couldn¡¯t express it, so I just hugged her and didn¡¯t want to let go!¡± As she said this, Rosie looked at Corinne, pretending to be apologetic as she asked hypocritically, Corinne, I didn¡¯t scare you, did I?¡± ¡°No.¡± All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org. Corinne¡¯s expression was calm, and she raised her hand to pat the folds on her shoulders when Rosie hugged her as if a flynded on her shoulders. Zeke also looked at Corinne and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect my new kin to be so slick at such a young age. Who did you learn your neat skill from?¡± When Rosie heard how Zeke addressed Corinne so affectionately and even praised her, she felt very upset and gritted her teeth secretly. Without waiting for Corinne to answer, Rosie took the first step and eximed, ¡°Zeke, I didn¡¯t expect Corinne to be so capable from a young age. She must¡¯ve been trained in the countryside since she was a child! The children in the countryside have started to be responsible at a very young age and have solid life skills, quite different from us who were spoiled since childhood.¡± These words sounded like modest words that praised Corinne and humbled herself as an immature person, but in truth, she insinuated that Corinne was from the countryside. Rosie¡¯s simple words seemed to draw an insurmountable boundary between Corinne and their group, separating Corinne from the outside, mocking that she and they were not in the same ss at all. Corinne could detect the underlying message, and she slightly raised the corners of her lips uncaringly. Zeke¡¯s sly eyes darkened, and his tone was uncharacteristically cold, ¡°Rosie, since you¡¯re good now, there¡¯s no need for the ambnce to take you to the hospital then.¡± Zeke then took out his phone from his jacket pocket and tossed it to Rosie. ¡°The first number in the call log is the doctor I just contacted for you. Call the doctor yourself and exin your situation.¡± ¦§ Rosie took Zeke¡¯s cell phone and was stunned in embarrassment before she smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­ Well, okay, I should call and exin what happened. Of course, I couldn¡¯t bother the medical workers to make a trip for nothing!¡± After Zeke handed the phone to Rosie, his eyes did not linger on her. He turned his head to look at Corinne. His handsome smiling eyes creased once more, full of appreciation and curiosity. Because of what Rosie just said, there was no discrimination or ridicule toward Corinne. Zeke then walked to Corinne¡¯s side, ced his elbow lightly on the shoulder, and lightly flicked his thin wrist twice. ¡°To tell you the truth, I sprained my wrist before, and it hasn¡¯t healedpletely all these years. Since your husband and I are best friends, why don¡¯t you help me to treat it? What do you say, sister?¡± While Zeke cing his elbow on Corinne¡¯s shoulder might look intimate, it did not make people feel ambiguous at all. It was akin to a regr interaction between a brother and his sister. Corinne narrowed her eyes at Zeke, looked down at his arm on her shoulder, raised her eyebrows again, and looked at him. ¡°Are you sure you want me to help you?¡± As soon as Zeke saw the fierceness in Corinne¡¯s sharp little eyes, he quickly withdrew his arm and smiled wittily. ¡°Do you really want to help me cure it? Of course I¡¯m willing! If you want to take revenge on me, then I think it¡¯s okay!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re very smart and self¨Caware!¡± Zeke clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯d do well to be careful in being indifferent. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have Jeremy go home and press you on the bed¡­to spank your *ss!¡± When she heard the words ¡®press on the bed¡®, Corinne thought that Zeke, a slimy guy, was going to say some inappropriate words. s, being the little thin¨Cskinned girl she was, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Did Zeke¡­actually mentioned spanking?! Corinne frowned in disgust and pulled the corners of her mouth. ¡°¡­ Lame!¡± At this moment, Rosie had finished her call with the doctor and turned to see Zeke and Corinne standing together, talking andughing. They looked harmonious and genial, like old friends who had known each other for many years. This intensified her rejection of Corinne in her heart and her gaze hardened. Although Zeke was usually talkative and yful, he was not as casual with just anyone. In fact, Zeke disliked joking with most of those he deemed insignificant, instead opting for a vicious mouth and concise words. For Corinne to have made Zeke joke with her so enthusiastically¡­showed that Zeke truly regarded her like kin, a sister. This was not right! If Zeke regarded Corinne as a sister, who was Anya to him? Rosie¡¯s mind raced as she plotted ways to manipte Corinne and make everyone hate her when all of a sudden, light knocks were heard on the door of the suite. The sound drew everyone¡¯s attention. They saw a female staff of the racecourse standing at the door of the suite, wearing overalls with the words ¡®Castle Horse Ranch¡® printed on her uniform. The staff smiled and had a very respectful and polite attitude. She first bowed to the guests before she walked straight toward Rosie. The staff then handed the checkout slip in her hand to Rosie and said respectfully, ¡°Miss Rosie, this is all your expenses at the racecourse this time. Please pay the bill.¡± Rosie was stupefied by this and frowned unhappily. ¡°Who told you toe to me for payment?¡± The staff, a little confused, exined, ¡°Someone just told our front desk that you need to pay the bill now, Miss Rosie, and that¡¯s why we¡¯re here. If it isn¡¯t good timing now, Miss Rosie, it is also possible for us to instead look for you to settle upon checking out.¡± What? Someone notified the front desk and specifically requested for her to pay? Rosie found this a little odd, so she took the invoice slip from the staff member and looked at it, her eyebrows furrowed. *1800 dors? How is it this much?! Every time we came here, it was never this expensive!¡± The staff innocently exined, ¡°Miss Rosie, the 1800 dors includes not only the consumption this time but also advanced payments for a reservation.¡± ¡°Advanced payments for a reservation? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Yesterday, someone made a reservation in your name for three days at our Castle Horse Ranch next month. They also ordered three roasted wholembs and a lot of dishes, saying that you¡¯ll pay for them altogether today.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°What? Reserved for three days?¡± Rosie looked extremely shocked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know anything about this at all! Go back to whoever made this reservation; I didn¡¯t ask for any of this nor should I pay for it.¡± The staff was a little dazed. ¡°But the person promised you¡¯d settle the payments, so we already ordered three of the bestmbs from the local herdsmen overnight, as well as a lot of other expensive cooking ingredients and drinks in advance. Miss Rosie, if you unsubscribe now, we¡¯ll be very embarrassed¡­¡± Rosie was incensed. ¡°Who on earth asked you to make a reservation? They dare spend a lot of money here under my name?!¡± Corinne said, ¡°I made the reservation.¡± Chapter 246 Chapter 246 The stupefied Rosie stared at Corinne with a bit of contempt in her eyes. ¡°So it was you, Corinne! Are you doing this because you¡¯ll be here for three days in the next month and want to invite everyone over again?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s my treat.¡± Rosieughed sarcastically. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense, now does it? Why would you ask me to pay for what you¡¯re supposed to be ¡®treating¡®? That¡¯s odd.¡± Corinne remained calm and was undeterred. ¡°Miss Rosie, did you forget something? You promised yesterday that as long as I can prove that I didn¡¯t put that ear stud in your shoe, you¡¯d pay for all the expenses for everyone that day. What¡¯s wrong? Is Miss Rosie not willing to pay the bill now? Don¡¯t you want to fulfill what you promised?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Rosie was bbergasted by this. She forgot about that! However, when she promised to pay the bill, she estimated that the consumption of their group would be within a thousand dors at most. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. All of a sudden, it raked up to 1800 dors! This was not an easy sum for anyone, and she could even buy a limited edition designer bag with. that money! ¡°Corinne, I promised yesterday that I¡¯d pay for everyone¡¯s expenses for the day, but you booked the venue for next month, which obviously means it¡¯s separate. Those three days aren¡¯t supposed to be totaled to yesterday¡¯s expenses, so it shouldn¡¯t be counted in yesterday¡¯s ount, right?¡± Corinne did not answer Rosie directly but instead looked at the staff and said, ¡°Hi, may I ask if the things I ordered yesterday will be included in yesterday¡¯s consumption? Is there any problem?¡± The racecourse staff was respectful and truthfully replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. The order you booked yesterday, as well as the receipt and the amount entered into the ount, are all recorded in yesterday¡¯s ount, so it¡¯s reasonable to settle together now. There are no problems here.¡± Rosie looked utterly displeased at the staff¡¯s answer, and she stopped talking. Corinne pursed her lips and smiled at Rosie. ¡°I wanted to treat everyone to a big meal yesterday and have a good time, but because of what Miss Rosie had done yesterday, things happened one after another, which disallowed all of us from enjoying ourselves. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to sit and have a good meal all day, so I decided to book a three¨Cday charter for next month, thinking that I¡¯llpensate everyone at that time. If Miss Rosie isn¡¯t willing to pay for the bill, I¡¯ll do it myself now.¡± With that said, Corinne took out her mobile phone, ready to pay the bill. Of course, she was holding Jeremy¡¯s phone, and if she wanted to pay, she would use his ount bnce. She had no obligation to spend her money to please these people. Therefore, it was reasonable to spend the man¡¯s money to invite his friends to dinner and entertainment. Rosie froze, adjusted her stance, and smiled reluctantly. ¡°Oh, you misunderstood me, Corinne! Why would I not want to pay this little sum of money? You¡¯re right,,I¡¯m half responsible for making everyone unhappy this time. It¡¯s all my fault that I did something wrong in a moment of confusion yesterday, and I should invite everyone toe again next month aspensation! ¡°By then, Anya will probably be back too! We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so we can get together and catch up! Let me pay the bill now!¡± Although Rosie was willing to pay the bill, she deliberately mentioned Anya¡¯s impending return so as to secretly make Corinne feel bad. However, Corinne did not care at all, and there was even a light, carefree smile on her face.¡± Alright, then. We¡¯ll have Miss Rosie take care of our expenses.¡± Rosie moved to get her bag, took out a bank card from it, and handed it to the staff. ¡°Go and swipe the card. There is no password.¡± ¡°Understood, Miss Rosie.¡± The staff bowed and epted the card before exiting to settle the payments. At the same time, Rosie smiled brighter and pretended to be generous. ¡°It¡¯s honestly not that expensive, Corinne,¡± she remarked. ¡°It¡¯s only a few thousand, and for us who spend money like water, it¡¯s just a little sum! You¡¯re probably not used to this level of consumption, huh? That¡¯s why you think it¡¯s a waste of money, but it¡¯s really not!¡± The words seemed to be very polite, but indirectly, Corinne was ssified as the only poor fellow, the only alien. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 However, not only was Corinne not embarrassed, but she also nodded frankly. ¡°Well, I am not used to it. I rarely spend money on such insignificant leisure and entertainment. I¡¯m usually pretty frugal with my spending.¡± Rosie chuckled and looked at Corinne with the attitude of an aristocrat looking down on ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We just have different values, and you¡¯ll get used to it gradually. Rich and idle people like us usually have a lot of free time, and there¡¯s nothing we need to do by ourselves, so we like to y around and spend money everywhere, spend some money to have some fun.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression was brief. ¡°Oh, that sounds nice.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Corinne, you should stay with us to nurture and be immersed in this life from now on,¡± said Rosie, sounding tolerant and epting. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll have different views when you¡¯re with Jeremy, who was pampered since childhood, and it¡¯ll be difficult for you to live together!¡± Corinne raised his eyebrows. ¡°Is that so? Well, he should be educated in getting rid of his arrogance and extravagance!¡± She and Jeremy were not from the same world, and she never thought of assimting into his lifestyle, so why should she integrate into their odd values? It was very superficial! As soon as Corinne spoke, everyone was stunned for a moment. Then, Zeke could not help but p Gerald¡¯s shoulder as he let out a soft chuckle. What a girl. She had a personality! The others, too, looked at Corinne with different thoughts and opinions, but there was ayer of admiration in their eyes. At the very least, no other woman dared to say that about Jeremy except her! Corinne, however, did not realize that Jeremy had already returned by the time she spoke. Upon hearing her remarks, the man stopped and stood at the door of the room, his eyebrows furrowed and his long eyes narrowed as he looked at her quietly with an expression of mixed emotions. Arrogant? Extravagant? Did this little rascal just say that about her husband? Rosie was stunned for a moment, then smiled contemptuously when she came back to her senses. ¡°Corinne, you really know how to joke! You want Jeremy to change for you? That¡¯s impossible, I¡¯m afraid. You know Jeremy was raised in the pamperedps of the Holden family, so how could he easily change his lifestyle? In fact, he¡¯s so eligible that he doesn¡¯t need to make any changes!¡± Corinne did not think so and raised her eyebrowszily. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not kidding when I say I don¡¯t agree with your values. If you want ¡®change, you¡¯ll have to ask him to change it instead of asking me to be held by the distorted values of you rich kids, You¡¯re influenced by edification and twisted into a vain, arrogant person. I don¡¯t think there are any problems with my values, and I don¡¯t n to change them, thank you!¡± What? Distortion? Vanity? Arrogance? Rosie felt that Corinne¡¯s words had offended everyone in the room. She sighed peculiarly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. You¡¯re so stubborn! It looks like you¡¯re destined to find it difficult to agree with Jeremy¡¯s views. With all due respect, such a marriage without consistent views is generally difficult tost!¡± That did not matter to Corinne. After all, their rtionship was fake, and it would notst long. ¡°I don¡¯t need an outsider to judge whether my views are consistent with my wife¡¯s,¡± rang the man¡¯s deep and calm voice, not of anger but intimidation. Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Jeremy walked in slowly and tossed the phone back to Sunny. The man¡¯s eyes were fixated on Corinne. He walked up to her, and as if caring for his child, he raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. ¡°Even if we have different views, we can seek themon ground while reserving differences.¡± Corinne was startled. ¡®Seekingmon ground while reserving differences¡®? It sounded rather daunting to hear such words from the mouth of this cold¨Cblooded, indifferent man. After regaining her senses, Corinne¡¯s lips unconsciously twitched. Did he hear what she said. earlier? Was he angry? Rosie, too, was shocked to have heard how Jeremy described his rtionship with Corinne. It was hard for her to ept it, but she did not dare to show it. She could only exin with a sheepish smile, ¡°Jeremy, I was just joking with Corinne!¡± Jeremy slightly turned his slender body and stood beside Corinne in a serious manner, looking at Rosie darkly. ¡°Inappropriate jokes aren¡¯t funny.¡± Rosie¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°Uh¡­ Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry. I just thought that a girl who grew up in the countryside like Corinne has an easygoing, kind, and casual personality, and that¡¯s why I was kidding with her. Corinne, are you angry?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows. Rosie, in pretending to tter her, was actually criticizing her, and it was all about this. If she expressed anger, it would seem as though she was unsophisticated and unreasonable. Thinking of this, her lips quirked upward as she was about to respond when the man suddenly raised his arms and ced them on her shoulders, gently squeezing her shoulders with his big hands as if signaling her not to speak. Jeremy looked at Rosie expressionlessly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. My wife grew up in the countryside. Honesty, kindness, and informality are her virtues, but this can¡¯t be a reason for others to bully her for being honest.¡± Corinne blinked at this and turned her head to look at this man. Panicked, Rosie hastily exined, ¡°N¨CNo, wait, you misunderstood me, Jeremy! How could I possibly bully her? She cured my foot, and I¡¯m nothing but thankful to her! ¡°You should¡¯ve seen her, Jeremy. Corinne is so skilled that she cured my foot with her knowledge of chiropractic, and I got a little emotional. A girl like Corinne who grew up in the countryside has a lot of skills. She¡¯s not as squeamish as me, who doesn¡¯t know anything. Of course, I suggested that she get rid of those rural values and get closer to the values of our circle out of good intentions so that she and you will have fewer conflicts in the future!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself,¡± Jeremy said these four words coldly without a trace of affection. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Then, the man looked at the petite girl beside him and slightly raised the corners of his lips. ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t need to make any changes; it is I who should ept her influence on me and change. my luxurious lifestyle. Isn¡¯t that right, my beloved Missus Holden?¡± Corinne looked at Jeremy nkly. Why was this guy talking to her in such a reproachful tone? She felt a little ufortable about it. The smile on Rosie¡¯s facepletely froze, and it felt as though her eyes were full of thousands of sharp thorns. Whatever it was, she wanted to redirect it all to that lowlife Corinne! Jeremy gently caressed Corinne¡¯s round cheeks with his long fingers, and his tone softened slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell Tommy to take you home? Why are you still here to meddle in other people¡¯s business?¡± Corinne came back to her senses in a daze and slightly lowered her gaze. ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll get going now.¡± With that said, she turned around and removed herself from the man¡¯s arms. ¡°Mister Tommy, we can go.¡± Tommy came back to his senses at this moment, and he subconsciously nced at the young master¡¯s face before he then responded to Corinne, ¡°¡­ Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Jeremy, who was treated indifferently by the little rascal, frowned slightly, narrowed his long eyes slightly, and his face gradually soured. Suddenly, Corinne stopped, and the man¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 What was this? Did this little rascal just recall bidding him farewell? Corinne turned and smiled at Rosie. ¡°Sorry to make you spend a grand, Miss Rosie, and I almost forgot to say goodbye to you, too.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face sank. Rosie was stunned for a moment, feeling that Corinne¡¯s words had an ominous undertone to them, but she could only respond with a smile as all eyes were on them. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too polite, Corinne!¡± Corinne smiled, walked toward her, and returned Rosie¡¯s ¡®warm¡® hug before she whispered in her ear, ¡°I just forgot to rify with Miss Rosie that I never urged Jeremy to divest, and I didn¡¯t even know that he invested in your family. You just provoked me, is all. ¡°If I ever wanted to seek revenge, I¡¯ll do it myself, and I¡¯ll never punish you by provoking your friendship with Jeremy. If I do it myself, it¡¯ll be worse than what he would¡¯ve done. I don¡¯t cause trouble, but I¡¯m not afraid of it either. ¡°If you dare to challenge me again, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Rosie felt a chill down her spine, and fear immediately rose in her heart. When she regained her senses, she felt dissatisfied again. She ground her teeth secretly, and the smile on her face froze with anger, but she could not possibly retaliate with everyone around them. At this moment, she understood that Corinne deliberately reserved the venue for three days next month, not at all topensate everyone but simply to screw her! Although she acted like 1800 dors was just a small amount, it still hurt her to spend it like this. She could have bought a quality designer bag, yet it all went for naught! Corinne, this little b*tch, was too brazen! N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. So much for not having Jeremy to do it if she wanted to seek revenge¡­and she dare threaten to r if she dared to provoke her again? ki Tch. She overestimated herself. Rosie admitted that Corinne was skilled, but she was far from being able to deal with a nobledy like her! She was the daughter of a famous family; money, connections, and power were all born with her. How could a country bumpkin like Corinne retaliate against her if she wanted to? Their family might have been in a downturn these years, but a skinny camel was always bigger than a horse, and even a single hair of hers was a hundred times more precious than a vige girl like Corinne! It would not be long. As soon as Anya would return, Jeremy would change his mind and lose interest in Corinne! At that moment, Corinne would lose Jeremy¨Cher nominal husband¨Cand his protection. By then, she would no longer be the prideful tiger she pretended to be, no doubt! The reality would make her understand that she, Corinne, was nothing but sh*t! After talking with Rosie, Corinne strolled past Jeremy and left the suite without looking back. Jeremy¡¯s expression was indescribable. Did that little rascal really ignore him?! Zeke leaned over and put his hand on Jeremy¡¯s shoulder. He clicked his tongue mischievously.¡± Jeremy, your wife is ignoring you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows sank. He pped Zeke¡¯s arm off in disgust and turned around to leave, but Sunny came over and stood in front of him, asking in a serious tone, ¡°Jeremy, what did my sister tell you on the phone? Did she say when she¡¯lle back?¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Jeremy nced at Sunny. He stared at Corinne, whose back faced them as she stood outside the suite door not too far away, and merely replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Sunny sighed despondently. ¡°My sister always said that she¡¯ll be back soon, but she hasn¡¯te back after so long! These days when my sister isn¡¯t at home, no one looks after me and instead belittles me¡­.especially my brother. When he sees me, he criticizes me and bullies me all day long!¡± ¡°If you want to know when she¡¯ll return, call her yourself and ask.¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s better for Anya to rest and to recuperate abroad, and I don¡¯t want to put pressure on her.¡± Jeremy closed his eyes, his gaze indifferent. ¡°Since Rosie¡¯s foot is fine, you should look after her. on your sister¡¯s behalf and send her home safely.¡± Sunny nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, I understand. Jeremy, where are you going?¡± Jeremy was walking away as he replied, ¡°I have something to do at home, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Seeing that Jeremy was about to leave, Rosie chased after him a few steps and called out,¡± Jeremy! Wait, Jeremy!¡± H She wanted to stop Jeremy, not wanting him to go with that country bumpkin Corinne. s, he did not stop nor look back as he walked away with steady steps. Rosie secretly clenched her fists as a sh of reluctance crossed her eyes. Sunny frowned sadly and muttered, ¡°Since you¡¯re okay now, why don¡¯t you call my sister and tell her you¡¯re alright, Rosie? Tell her not to worry about you abroad!¡± Rosie came back to her senses and nodded helplessly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that, Sunny. I¡¯ll call Anya to talk about it.¡± When Corinne came out of the hotel lobby dragging her suitcase, Tommy had already driven the car the hotel entrance. Annie, too, had packed her luggage and came out with Corinne. The two girls handed their suitcases to Tommy and had him put them in the trunk, and Annie then walked over and opened the backseat door to get in the car. To her surprise, someone else was already inside. The man was leaningzily on the back of the leather chair with aptop ced on his long legs wrapped in cks. He was concentrating on reviewing emails. Annie was baffled. ¡°Huh? Uncle Jeremy, Tommy told me that you had something to do and thus wouldn¡¯t be leaving with us. Didn¡¯t you also ask him to send Corinne and me home first?¡± Jeremy nced at her from the corner of his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll be heading back with you.¡± The man¡¯s deep gaze lightly swept over Annie, paused for a few seconds on Corinne behind her, and turned back to continue looking at theputer. ¡°Oh!¡± Annie quickly took a step back and gestured toward Corinne so she would enter first, cordially inviting her ¡®elder¡® to have her seat sensibly. ¡°Here, Corinne, get in the car!¡± However, Corinne shook her head and replied, ¡°You go first.¡± ¡°No, you first, dear aunt. You can sit in the middle next to Uncle Jeremy!¡± ¡°No. I want to sit by the window so that I can breathe when I get motion sickness.¡± ¡°Oh! Oh, I get it. Alright, then!¡± Annie nodded, then got into the car understandingly, and left the seat by the window to Corinne. Jeremy¡¯s eyes fell on theptop screen that had dimmed gloomily. Motion sickness? She was fine when she came, and he did not see her having any motion sickness. This was clearly an excuse for her not wanting to sit next to him! Nheless, the car drove along the winding mountain road. Annie felt rather regretful sitting in the middle because the atmosphere in the car was¡­painfully awkward. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Both her uncle and Corinne did not even exchange words. Jeremy seemed to be the more agitated party because for some reason, an ominous aura emanated from him¡­and no one even provoked him! Annie sighed inwardly. She should have gone around to Jeremy¡¯s side and got in the car so that he could sit next to Corinne. Why did she have to sit in the middle?! s, it was toote for regrets. Corinne wore earphones the whole time, closed her eyes, and rested her mind, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the world. Throughout the two¨Chour drive, she and Jeremy did not say a word. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Only Annie would speak a few words with Tommy from time to ease the awkward, cold atmosphere. The car arrived at the Levine family mansion, and because Annie was sitting in the middle, Corinne consciously got out of the car to make way for her. Annie got out of the car and asked Corinne and Jeremy if they wanted to head inside for a moment and sit. Both of them declined the invitation unanimously. The difference was only that Jeremy refused directly, and Corinne was a little more hesitant. Annie had no choice but to reluctantly say goodbye to Corinne before she obediently walked back into her home. Corinne got into the car again, still seated near the window as she put on her earphones and continued to close her eyes and rest. The man finally spoke and asked her in a calm tone, ¡°What are you listening to?¡± Corinne closed her eyes and simply answered, ¡°A song. ¡°What song is it?¡± ¡°A pop song.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened, his jaw tightened, and he stopped talking. Corinne did not open his eyes to look at him either, At the Holdens¡® estate. After arriving home, Corinne went straight back to the room, went into the bathroom to take a shower, changed into home clothes, and prepared to take a good night¡¯s sleep. The past two days have been very unpleasant, and she was very tired. When she came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, Jeremy was sitting on the rattan chair outside the balcony of the room smoking a cigarette. The smoke lingered and drifted with the wind, adding a bit of soft beauty to the man¡¯s cold and handsome side face. Hearing the opening of the bathroom door, Jeremy turned his head and nced over. Seeing that Corinne was about to go to bed, the man frowned with dignity and said in a deep voice, ¡°Dry your hair before going to bed.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Corinne stopped herself from climbing onto the bed and obediently responded as she got up and went back to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of a hair dryer was hearding from the bathroom. Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. The little rascal obediently obeyed his words, but why did that make him feel even more unhappy? Half an hourter, Corinne dried her hair and came out, ready to go to bed again- ¡°Come here. Pour me a ss of water,¡± rang the man¡¯s voice again. This time, it sounded rather commanding. Corinne frowned irritably, took a deep breath, then got up and poured a ss of water for him. She ced the ss on the table in front of him before she silently turned away. Before she could leave, however, the man¡¯s rough hand pulled her back by the wrist. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Due to inertia and the man¡¯s strength, Corinne was forced to sit on the man¡¯s muscr thigh, his arms wrapped around her waist¨Cpreventing her from leaving. She looked at the man, dissatisfied. ¡°Mister, what can I do for you?¡± Jeremy narrowed his narrow, long handsome eyes, and he slowly exhaled a thin puff of smoke toward the girl¡¯s small face aloofly. ¡°Corinne, what¡¯s up with your attitude?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m just being obedient to you. Isn¡¯t my attitude good enough? Are you expecting me, even after I gave you a ss of water, to kneel and give you another ss?¡± Chapter 252 Chapter 252 The inthe scale tone was not friendly at all. She was not in a good mood, no doubt. What happened to Conones besitys ebrows work slightly ¡°Okay, but what are you throwing at me?¡± Soome speed beer bands Mister, I¡¯m not throwing a temper tantrum. I just think that when no present, we don¡¯t need to act as a husband and wife, nor do we need to cultivate a rtionship then and women are different, and we should consciously keep a distance.¡± sher all Anys, Jeremy¡¯s true love, wasing back, and it seemned that the man had not moved on from her, 199 Conne was not interested in meddling in other people¡¯s affairs. Even if she was misunderstood as mokest, she would never actually stoop to being one. So metance, Sunny and Rosie saw her as such, so they would trouble her repeatedly, sely what tapered that fateful night a few days ago, she had to give him a little hand because to fret owned. She would ease that memory and seal it forever as if it never happened. when she did not need to act, she had to keep a distance from the man so that she wwnwarded and have a clear conscience They were just paying pretend, never truly as a genuine spouse to one another. Men and women wses offerent, so she needed to keep a distance These few words made Jeremy¡¯s gloomy eyes even darker. Was the little rascal still thinking he was just ying his role nonchntly? Konly she could pay attention and feel, she would truly know what he thought of hert Yes you distance, you say? The man curled his lips coldly. ¡°Alright. In that case, Miss Corinne, please head out and don¡¯t sleep in my room. After all, men and women are different, aren¡¯t they?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Ocf I¡¯m going? Come nodded, pushed away bis arms that were wrapped around her waist, and quickly rolled or indeed, she headed out and slept in the quest room alone, Did the fere rascal actually leave? The blue veins on Jeremy¡¯s forehead bulged. He stubbed out the cigarette butt, picked up the ss of water on the table heavily, and drank it down in one gulp. His face sank as he lit another cigarety and took a deep breath before he exhaled the thick puff of cigarette smoke irritatedly. Wor the hell was that rascal doing? Suddenly, the sound of a phone vibrating caught the man¡¯s attention. Jeremy took a breath of smoke, narrowed his eyes, and looked over¡­ it was the mobile phone on the bedside table that was vibrating. It was his mobile phone, which was given to the little rascal a few days ago. Jeremy stubbed out the cigarette, got up, went to pick up the phone, and answered the call. It was Annie calling. ¡°Uncle, have you and Aunt Corinne gotten home yet?¡± ¡°Mh.¡± ¡°Then¡­is she beside you now?¡± Thinking of the little rascal¡¯s nonsensical behavior, Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. ¡°She¡¯s asleep. What do you want from her?¡± After making sure that Corinne would not hear her Annie was relieved andfortably spoke without being hushed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine with Aunt Corinne! I just want to ask you, my uncle¡­is something wrong between you both? It was so tense in the car, so what¡¯s the deal?¡± Jeremy frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in the affairs of adults.¡± Annie snorted, undismayed. ¡°Uncle, in terms of age, I¡¯m half a year older then Aunt Corinne, okay? Besides, I¡¯ve been married once. You are much richer! Uncle, tell me what¡¯s going on. Maybe I can help you look better into the situation!¡± Jeremy pinched his be and said impatiently, ¡°It¡¯s okay. She lost her temper for no reason. ¡°That¡¯s not true! We girls will never get angry for no reason!¡± Annie immediately objected. ¡°It¡¯s even more impossible for a wise goddess like Aunt Corinne, so there must be a reason!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you think is the reason?¡± Annie thought for a while. ¡°Let me think about it¡­ ¡°Uncle, have you ever confessed your love to Aunt Corinne?¡± Jeremy fell silent. Annie sighed helplessly. ¡°I knew it! Uncle, a straight steely man like you will definitely not confess your love formally, but if you don¡¯t, how will Aunt Corinne know that you like her?¡± Like her? Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Jeremy cleared his throat after being told off by his niece. ¡°If you can easily see something, why do you need to say it formally?¡± Annie said affirmatively, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s very necessary! We girls hate ambiguous rtionships the most! If you don¡¯t express your intentions but still make intimate gestures to others, girls will feel that it¡¯s irresponsible teasing and feel as if we¡¯re not respected, so of course we¡¯ll be angry!¡± Jeremy hesitated slightly. ¡°She¡¯s already angry. What should I do?¡± Annie was stunned. Was Jeremy¡­actually asking her for a solution? This was a first; her all¨Cpowerful uncle had never done this before, and she felt a sense of importance. ¡°Duh, you have to make up for it as much as possible! Pick a suitable time, formally express your heart to the other party, let her know that she¡¯s the one you¡¯re dead set on, and give her enough sense of security! Pay attention! There must be a sense of ceremony! Let me emphasize this, there must be a sense of ceremony! There must be a sense of ceremony! No girl can refuse a ceremonial confession from a handsome guy! ¡°You¡¯re right to ce your trust in me, Uncle. Also, I think you should-¡± Annie was still babbling away on the other end of the phone when Jeremy hung up the phone. The man took off his shirt irritably, walked into the bathroom, and took a cold shower. Jeremy came out of the bedroom and asked a maid passing by, ¡°Which room is she in?¡± The maid replied respectfully, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am went to the guest room on the south side of the third floor. She told us to bring food in just now, so she¡¯s probably finished and gone to bed at this moment.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jeremy went up to the third floor and found the guest room as the maid said. The man turned the doorknob, but it did not move. She locked the door. Who was the little rascal guarding herself against? The answer was self¨Cevident. Jeremy ordered with a sullen face, ¡°Go get the key.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± When Jeremy opened the door and entered the guest room, Corinne was indeed asleep. She had a slight frown even as she slept, and he wondered if she dreamed of something unpleasant. The man sat on the side of the bed, pointed at the center of her eyebrows with his long fingers, rubbed gently, and smoothed the wrinkles between the girl¡¯s eyebrows. Perhaps sensing someone close by, Corinne opened her eyes and woke up. No doubt was she startled to see Jeremy at her bedside. Just as she was about to ask him why he came in, Jeremy bent down and lifted her¨Cstill wrapped in the quilt¨Cand walked out with her in his arms, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going on a business trip early tomorrow morning, and I¡¯ll be back next weekend. Corinne blinked. Did this mane to tell her this? He could have just said it! Why the need to lift her? The man carried her back to his bedroom, ced her safely on the bed, and then said, ¡°When Ie back, let¡¯s have a good chat and talk about our rtionship.¡± Corinne was actually very sleepy, but because of his words, she was so surprised that she sobered a little. ¡°Sleep now. Sweet dreams.¡± The man did not let her speak as he adjusted the quilt on her, then turned and left the room. Corinne was stunned for a long time, and it took a while before she could finally sleep. As he said, Jeremy indeed had left for his business trip and had not returned for the past few days. Because of this, Corinne had the space to do things of her own. She got rid of the bodyguard Jeremy arranged for her, went to Newmoon Group to find Xante and Aaron for a few days, and dealt with some urgent work that only she couldplete. In this way, a week passed quickly. At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon on the weekend, Annie called her. ¡°Aunt Corinne, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at home.¡± ¡°Today is Uncle Jeremy¡¯s birthday! What gift did you prepare for him?¡± Corinne, who was watching the television, was startled. ¡°¡­ I forgot. I wasn¡¯t prepared.¡± ¡°What?! You can¡¯t be not ready for it! There¡¯s still time, so let¡¯s go shopping and buy gifts for him!¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 After hanging up the phone, Corinnezily leaned on the sofa and continued to watch the television as she ate her potato chips. 20 minutester, Annie hastily arrived at the Holdens estate and dragged her into the car, insisting on taking her shopping to buy Jeremy a birthday present. Corinne felt helpless. Why did she need to buy Jeremy a birthday present? She was just an extra, ying the role of his wife with zero pay, yet all of a sudden, she had to give him a gift? No matter how she looked at it, this felt unreasonable. Downtown Commercial Street. In a famous designer store in VK Mall, Annie sat in front of a ss counter, carefully selecting the dazzling array of delicate essories. ¡°Aunt Corinne, what kind of gift do you think Uncle Jeremy will like more?¡± Corinne stood aside and tried on a pair of sunsses disinterestedly and replied casually while looking in the mirror, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Annie frowned and turned to look at her, showing a troubled expression. ¡°Aunt Corinne, aren¡¯t you curious about my uncle at all? Don¡¯t you observe his preferences?¡± Corinne¡¯s slender fingers hooked down the sunsses on her face, and she raised her eyebrows.¡± Why should I observe his preferences? What kind of rare animal is your uncle? Will studying him win the Nobel Prize in Science?¡± Annie was stunned. She had never met a woman who had such a sassy attitude toward her uncle. ¡°As expected of you, Aunt Corinne. It¡¯s this kind of indifference that makes people want to conquer you; no wonder Uncle Jeremy can¡¯t stop wanting you!¡± ¡®Can¡¯t stop¡®? The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. When did Mister even want her? Annie just liked to assume the bigger picture! ¡°Aunt Corinne, if you¡¯re toozy to choose a gift, just buy a piece of clothing for Uncle Jeremy. Anyway, as long as you chose and bought it, he¡¯ll surely like it! Oh, that reminds me of a very stylish men¡¯s clothing brand. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you there!¡± As soon as Corinne took off the sunsses and put them back, she was dragged away by Annie and into a designer¨Cbrand men¡¯s clothing store. ¡°Aunt Corinne, what do you think of Uncle¡¯s suit?¡± Looking at the finely tailored high¨Cend men¡¯s clothes, Corinne was not impressed at all. She shook her head and said, ¡°I think the clothes in his house are simr to these styles, and there are too many to wear. He has no shortage of clothes, so he doesn¡¯t need to buy the same style again.¡± ¡°Well, Uncle Jeremy definitely has no shortage of clothes to wear, but if you give him the gift, the feeling must be different! Aunt Corinne, it¡¯s your husband¡¯s birthday, and as his wife, you can¡¯t be empty handed, right?¡± Annie¡¯s words reminded Corinne that she was ying the role of Jeremy¡¯s wife, so she still needed to do some superficial work. Well, she should give him a birthday gift casually so as not to be caught by the Holden family! Corinne frowned and suddenly nced at the billboard that said ¡®Clearance Discount¡® in the men¡¯s clothing store opposite for 30 dors each. Her eyes lit up, and she walked over to pick up a white T¨Cshirt from the discount area. ¡°This one, then!¡± Following her, Annie stared at the rather childish¨Clooking white T¨Cshirt in Corinne¡¯s hand, and the corners of her lips twitched. The design of the T¨Cshirt was very simple andmon, but there was an endearing little milk cat printed on it, which was way too cute. ¡°Aunt Corinne, isn¡¯t this¡­too cute? It¡¯s not suitable for a mature man of my uncle¡¯s age, now is it?¡± Corinne disagreed. ¡°Your uncle dresses too lifelessly, always in suits and leather shoes, looking. like a serious veteran cadre. This one can just change his style and add some affinity to him!¡± Annie muttered, ¡°But this one is, too¡­¡± Corinne did not care whether or not the clothes suited Jeremy¡¯s taste. Anyway, she reciprocated with a gift. Whether he liked it or not was his business! ¡°Miss, please wrap this up for me!¡± ¡°Okay. Please head to the front cashier to make your payment.¡± Corinne took out 50 dors from her pocket and bought the discounted T¨Cshirt. She deliberately did not use her mobile phone to pay and took out the cash on her to make payment. After all, she was using Jeremy¡¯s phone at the moment, and that would mean the amount would be deducted from his card if she used the phone to pay. It would be somewhat hical to use his money to buy a gift meant for him, so Corinne made an exception and used her own money. Receiving the change from the cashier, Corinne slenderly flicked the banknotes with her delicate fingers and said to Annie, ¡°The presents are bought! Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you to a coffee!¡± Annie felt ashamed. It was hard to imagine what kind of expression Jeremy would have when he saw the gift Aunt Corinne bought for him. UU Cafe. ¡°Aunt Corinne, I realized that you are very different from other women!¡± remarked Annie as she drank her coffee. Corinne sucked a tapioca pearl with the straw in her mouth, chewed slowly, and said casually, ¡°Is that so? What¡¯s different?¡± Annie looked at her in amazement. ¡°Other women would seize every opportunity to spend their money to please Uncle Jeremy, but you merely bought him a 30¨Cdor t¨Cshirt! How is it that you¡¯re able to make him care about you? It¡¯s just too wicked!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Mister Jeremy¡­cared about her? Did he? Corinneughed dryly. ¡°30 dors is also a present. It¡¯s the thought that counts!¡± Annie looked puzzled again. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t we all be thinking about how to win our boyfriend¡¯s heart? If you fool him like this, won¡¯t you be afraid that he¡¯ll change his mind?¡± Corinne raised her eyes. Her carefree gaze turned steely as she looked at Annie and spoke to her. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 ¡°In this world, two things can never be grasped. One is time, and the other is a human¡¯s heart. If the other person¡¯s heart is no longer with you, no matter what you do to please them, their heart will never be yours. Why, then, should you spend so much energy doing something so futile? It¡¯s better to do a good job in your own business, improve yourself, and let yourself be the one who holds the initiative.¡± Annie was caught off¨Cguard, and the confusion in her eyes was reced with admiration. ¡°Aunt Corinne, what you said is so philosophical! I want to learn from you! Don¡¯t fret about men anymore and just focus on your career!¡± Corinne pinched her be, fearing that Annie would get the wrong idea and thus patiently exined, ¡°That¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s good to fall in love and enrich your emotional life, but remember to never surrender yourself easily, let alone entrust your future to a man, wronging yourself to please a man. Understand?¡± Annie nodded, feeling wholly inspired. ¡°Yes, I understand! Thank you for your advice, Aunt Corinne!¡± Corinne did not know if Annie truly understood, so she could only stop talking, lowered her head, and continued to sip her coffee. ¡®What could I advise on? I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship myself, and I was just talking nonsense based on my feelings. ¡®Annie, on the other hand, is an easily impressed girl. I hope my words can give her a little more to think about so that she won¡¯t fall in love so quickly after meeting a man with sweet nothings.¡® All of a sudden, her phone rang. Corinne took out her phone and looked at it and realized it was Jeremy¡¯s new number. Well, it was he who gave her the phone in her hand as well as its SIM card, while he went ahead and got a new number for himself. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. After answering the call, the man¡¯s deep voice rang through the device. ¡°Where are you?¡± Corinne sipped coffee and replied, ¡°Mister, I¡¯m in a shopping mall in the city center.¡± ¡°With who?¡± ¡°Annie.¡± The man said, ¡°Give me a specific location, and I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡± Corinne blinked. ¡°Mister, are you back from your business trip?¡± ¡°Well, I just got off the ne.¡± ¡°Mister, you don¡¯t need to send someone to pick me up. Annie is driving, so she¡¯ll take me home.¡± Jeremy was silent for two seconds before he replied, ¡°In that case, both of youe to Lunar Century Manor after shopping. I have something to tell you.¡± Lunar Century Manor? Could it be that the man was going to hold a birthday party for himself? Thinking of meeting his rtives and friends again, Corinne frowned. ¡°Can I not go-¡± ¡°No!¡± The man seemed to have predicted her intentions and interrupted her almost seamlessly.¡± You muste. I want to see you.¡± ¦° Corinne fell silent, but for some reason, her heart skipped a beat. Did Jeremy just say that he wanted to see her? Why did this man, who was always so calm andposed, say so urgently that he wanted to see her? She remembered that he had told her before he went on his business trip that he would have a good talk with her when he came back regarding their rtionship. What did Jeremy want to talk about? What about their rtionship that needed to be discussed? He was acting strange. Could it be that he wanted to¡­ Annie suddenly got close to the phone and said loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle! I¡¯ll bring Corinne to you! As soon as Corinne hung up the phone at work, Annie was on her toes again. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve finished gift¨Cbuying, you should also buy yourself beautiful clothes, Aunt Corinne! When hees back from a business trip, you two will be more in love than newlyweds, so you have to dress up to see him!¡± A short separation would make them more in love than a newlywed? Corinne was dumbfounded. By the way, why do you carry a camera with you?¡± Annie just took out a professional video camera from her bag and directed it at Corinne. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s for a vlog,¡± she replied with an impish smile. ¡°I¡¯m recording my daily life and will be posting it on VeeTube!¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Do you need such professional equipment for video blogging?¡± ¡°Well, it has a better resolution!¡± ¦§ Annie had already predicted what was going to happen today, so she specially prepared the camera in advance. She wanted to record the important moment of Uncle Jeremy confessing to Corinne as a souvenir and as ckmail toward Jeremy when she needed it! Hahaha! Met with Annie¡¯s enthusiastic persistence, Corinne went to a women¡¯s clothing store to try on a cream¨C white dress. To match the dress, the sales assistant ced a simple yet exquisite diamond hairpin on her hair. Annie held up the camera and stared at Corinne nkly, ¡°Corinne, you look so beautiful!¡± Corinne felt that it was a bit pretentious to dress like this and wanted to take it off. s, Annie disallowed all attempts, After paying the bill quickly, Annie pulled Corinne away from the shopping mall and drove to Lunar Century Manor Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Lunar Century Manor. Hastily, Annie gave her car keys to the valet to park her car so she could film Corinne with her phone. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to take a video of yourself to record your daily vlog?¡± Corinne felt rather helpless. ¡°Why do you keep filming me instead?¡± Annie giggled. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too pretty, and I just can¡¯t help myself!¡± She wanted to film Corinne getting out of the car, when she would then see Jeremy, and the entire process when Jeremy would confess to her. She wanted to make it into a short film that would impress everyone when she would post it on her social media ount, wanting everyone to be jealous of them. Corinne was at a loss for words at Annie¡¯s behavior. She massaged her be to ease the tension she felt before she decided to ignore Annie and walked into the manor by herself. To enter the manor, people were required to walk past an arch embellished with Moonstones. After she walked past it, a breeze blew at her, carrying a rather fragrant smell. Corinne¡¯s pupils trembled. The view in the manor stunned her. Lunar Century Manor looked different every time she came. At this moment, it was filled with pink tulips that were not there before. They were everywhere, and the flowers swayed as the wind blew them and matched the color of the sunset. ¡°Corinne, why did you stop?¡± Annie came after her and was too shocked by the view she saw. ¡°Oh, my god! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Jeremy truly knew how to impress a girl, especially after he found a girl that he truly liked. Every girl in this world would find this view impressive and enchanting. Corinne snapped out of her trance and narrowed her beautiful¨Clooking eyes. It was not tulip season, and Lunar Century Manor used to nt plenty of roses and green nts. Obviously, these tulips were cultivated in the greenhouse. It must have been difficult to have them moved here without ruining them for such arge quantity. Among the flowers, there was a walking path that allowed people to walk through the flowers. Corinne thought about it and walked along the path and had herself surrounded by the flowers. Ecstatic, Annie shot many scenes of the flowers before chasing after Corinne and continued to film her. She could barely wait for the grand finale when her uncle would appear! Being a smart girl, Corinne knew something special was about to happen when she saw this scene ¡­ and it seemed like she was the main character. Since she and Annie got down from the car, there was no one else except for the valet. It was obvious that someone had cleared the venue. As she walked along the pathway, she saw a man standing at the end¡­ It was none other than Jeremy. He stood with his back facing her, dressed in a finely crafted formal suit that perfectly embodied his perfect figure. When he heard footstepsing from behind, he slowly turned around. His face looked as handsome as before. Being roughly less than three feet apart, their eyes met. Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she wondered if that was because she had drunk too much coffee. Jeremy could tell Corinne was nervous. He curled his thin lips and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The dumbstruck Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± At that moment, she noticed a giant pink¨Ccolored gift box between her and Jeremy. It was roughly about the height of an average human¡¯s height with a big ribbon on top¡­ Was it a present? Did Jeremy prepare that for her? If that was the case, Corinne realized it was going to be very embarrassing if she gave Jeremy the T¨Cshirt she bought for just seven dors. Jeremy¡¯s gaze softened meaningfully as he walked toward her. Corinne had a gut feeling that Jeremy¡­was about to confess to her. Her heart pounded rapidly, and her mind was in a mess. How was she supposed to react to this sudden change of emotion?! Out of the blue, the gift box burst open.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Paper confetti flew and scattered on the floor as a thin, well¨Cdressed young woman jumped out of the box with colorful butterflies. The sight was surreal and magical. The girl ran toward Jeremy excitedly and buried herself in a hug fondly. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m finally back! Thank you for preparing this for me; I like it so much. It¡¯s so touching!¡± Corinne froze at the sight as her expression dulled. Suddenly, the butterflies she felt earlier¡­felt like a joke. Anya hade back. Every pink tulip in Lunar Century Manor was blooming for her. The reason Jeremy had asked her to come here was most likely to inform her that the apple of his eye had returned. Thus, she had to behave when she was acting as his wife to avoid causing misunderstandings with the girl he loved dearly. That must be it. She understood. For a moment there, she truly believed this day was all about her. She thought Jeremy was going t¨® confess his love to her. Hrious. The man told her that he could provide her with anything except for love, did he not? His heart only belonged to the girl he loved dearly. Just like the meaning of the tulip, perfect and deep love. A butterfly flew over and lingered around Corinne as though reminding her that she was a third- wheeler here and that she should leave. Not too far away, Annie was stupefied. She was still holding her phone to film the moment Jeremy was supposed to confess his love to Corinne. She frowned vehemently. What¡­the heck was that? What was Jeremy doing? Why did Anya choose toe back on this particr day? Wait. Where did Corinne go? At this second, Annie realized Corinne was nowhere to be found. She moved her phone around and still could not spot Corinne. her w She quickly searched for her number and called it. s, what only greeted fier was a cold message from the service provided. ¡°The number you have dialed is unavable. Please try again¡­¡± Corinne was gone. Night fell. At the embankment of the Yonder River in the city center¡­ This was the busiest area of the New Capital City with numerous skyscrapers. The night views. were spectacr, especially on this particr night. The Century Bank Tower had arge LED advertising panel on the exterior building. Someone. rented the space to put his confession out publicly on repeat. [I love you, An] The same was done with the building next to it, though the wording was different. [Wee back, My Princess An!] Expensive blue fireworks were released into the sky, and they went out for a very long time. There were also drone performances where it was lined up into a heart with an arrow shooting right through the heart. Many people such as young couples strolling down the Yonder River, tourists, and some passersby who saw this were jealous and curious as they watched the extravagant confession. The only thing they felt was amazed. ¡°Oh, wow! I wonder which VIP is confessing his love to his girlfriend.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so sweet!¡± ¡°Sweet, yeah, but I can smell the smell of money burning!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I heard a mysterious VIP had bought all of the pink tulips cultivated in the greenhouse and had them shipped here to nt in Lunar Century Manor. I bet he¡¯s decorated the venue to confess to his loved one.¡± ¡°Lunar Century Manor? The confession is made to someone called Princess An. Could it be Anya Rivera? Is she back?¡± ¡°Who is Anya Rivera?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know who she is? That¡¯s the second daughter of the Riveras. She¡¯s the luckiest girl! Her grandfather is a world¨Crenowned scientist, and her grandmother is a princess from another country. Her father is a world champion, and her mother is an award¨Cwinning best actress. Her elder brother is always in the top three of the world¡¯s richest men, and her younger brother is the school hunk. She¡¯s got everything since she was born!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. She¡¯s very pretty, too!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not weird if a man is willing to splurge arge amount of money to confess his love to her, then. I mean, she¡¯s got everything that she wanted from a young age. It¡¯s going to be hard to please her!¡± Corinne sat on the bench of the bund of the Yonder River, enjoying a can of soft drink while looking up in the sky to enjoy the drone performances, blue fireworks, and the cheesy confession on the exterior building. Her eyes looked cold and distant while the corner of her lips quirked upward. What an expensive way to confess one¡¯s love for someone. Jeremy certainly put in a lot of effort to please the girl he loved dearly. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 On the other side of the sky, a bright full moon hung in the sky as if the lively confessions had nothing to do with it. Corinne took out her phone and took a photo of the moon to post it to her social media. [The moon is so beautiful tonight.] Just a few seconds after it was posted, a friend with the nickname An liked the post. She even commented on the post, [Yeah. I think so, too.] Corinne never recalled having an acquaintance with that name in her ount, so she clicked the profile. It was a girl smiling peacefully and cheerfully at the camera. She continued to look at the post the girl posted. From there, she concluded that this was Anya Rivera and her social media ount. It was only then Corinne realized she was using Jeremy¡¯s phone, and the social media ount logged into the phone was Jeremy¡¯s. She actually posted to Jeremy¡¯s social media ount Instead of hers. She did not think twice when she posted that and did not notice that was not her ount. ¡®Ugh, forget it. I posted it anyway. It¡¯s just a photo of a moon, no big deal,¡® she thought. Followingly, she closed the social media app to make a call, and the other end answered instantly. She instructed faintly, ¡°Hey, Aaron. Come pick me up at Yonder River.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± After she hung up, she got up and threw the can of soft drink to the rubbish before crossing the street to the opposite side to wait for Aaron to pick her up. As she was walking, she saw a blind elderly man who seemed to be stopped by an SUV car. The elderly man had a white cane in his hand. She watched as he helplessly used the white cane to survey the road ahead of him. He navigated to the left and the cane touched an obstacle, and even as he turned to the right, he realized there was another obstacle. He frowned vehemently as he had no idea where to go, so he extended his hand, wanting to see what it was that was blocking the path. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Corinne took a look and realized the SUV had parked at the tactile paving. It was very hical to park at a ce like this! Corinne went over and said, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a car parked on the tactile paving blocking your way. The owner isn¡¯t in the car now, and there¡¯s no way to move it. Why don¡¯t you tell me which way you¡¯re heading? I can assist you.¡± Unexpectedly, the blind elderly man was a hot¨Ctempered person. Once he knew the obstacle that was blocking him was a car, he mmed his cane against the car, causing the ss window of the car to shatter. Shocked, Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she never expected to witness this. This elderly man is ferocious!¡® she thought. After the blind elderly man finished smashing the car, he knocked his white cane on the ground and said angrily, ¡°Hmph! What kind of ill¨Cmannered person parks on the tactile paving? This¡¯ll teach ¡®em a longsting lesson to not park like that!¡± Despite it being wrong to smash someone else¡¯s car, the blind elderly man was not entirely wrong either. Of course, a misdemeanor was a misdemeanor. Corinne consoled helplessly, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t get so worked up. Maybe the car owner was in a rush and didn¡¯t realize their error.¡± Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Corinne¡¯s words did notfort the blind elderly man, s. ¡°Even if they have urgent matters to attend to, it¡¯s still wrong to park the car on the tactile paving. Nowadays, people are only concerned with their own conveniences and refuse to think if their actions will trouble others!¡± The blind elderly man did have a point. Corinne sighed and wanted to assist the blind elderly man to walk past the SUV when all of a sudden, someone shrieked, ¡°Hey! What did you guys do?!¡± Corinne looked in the direction of the voice and spotted a young girl with purple hair running toward them angrily, holding a selfie stick. The girl saw the shattered window and immediately snapped crassly, ¡°What the f*ck? The heck, you two! Why did you smash my car?¡± Corinne had seen this purple¨Chaired girl when she sat at the embankment of Yonder River, and she figured the girl was an influencer. The purple¨Chaired girl used thevish confessions at Yonder River as a way to attract viewers by broadcasting them live. She was asking for gifts while chatting with her viewers in a babyish voice. The blind elderly man was infuriated when he heard the girl¡¯s foul words and stopped. Although he could not see, his ears were very sensitive. He thus turned to where he believed the influencer was and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re the owner of this car?¡± * The girl folded her arms at her chest and answered, ¡°Yes. I just bought this SUV, and the price will scare the hell out of you. Seventy¨Cfive thousand dors! And don¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t you who did it. saw what you did from there. You better pay me for the damage you did!¡± The blind elderly man was not afraid. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. I¡¯m teaching you a lesson about parking on tactile paving. No matter how expensive the car is, it should be smashed when it¡¯s parked on tactile parking!¡± However, the girl believed in her innocence and thus retaliated. ¡°It¡¯s my car. I¡¯ll park anywhere I want to. Who cares whether it¡¯s tactile paving or not? I don¡¯t even know what tactile paving, is! Is this road yours? Who gave you authority over it?¡± The blind elderly man did not expect the influencer to be so unreasonable. He got so worked up that he began panting. ¡°Is this how¡­your parents raised you? Is this how they teach you to treat others?!¡± Worrying about the elderly man¡¯s physical and emotional state, Corinne grabbed the blind elderly man¡¯s arm and stroked his back to help soothe his breathing. After that, she said to the influencer, ¡°Please calm down. Regardless of what¡¯s happened, you shouldn¡¯t park here. It¡¯s illegal.¡± The girl scoffed. ¡°Illegal?! don¡¯t see any traffic police here issuing a ticket to me. Who do you think you are? Who gives you the right to criticize me?¡± The elderly man could not endure it anymore. He knew Corinne was a kind girl, so he pulled her behind him to avoid getting her involved. He raised his white cane and said to the brash influencer, ¡°Move your car now, and I¡¯ll let it rest. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, what?¡± The girl held her chin up and rolled her eyes. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re scaring? I¡¯m not moving it! F*ck you, blind old man!¡± This sparked the blind elderly man¡¯s anger. He raised the white cane and wanted to hit the bad- mannered girl with it. ¡°Your parents fail to teach you how to be a decent human. I¡¯m going to do the job for them!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It happened too suddenly, and Corinne failed to stop the blind elderly man. The girl could see the white cane reaching for her and easily sidestepped it before viciously pushing the old man to the ground, ¡°Trying to hit me? Do you know who I am? I¡¯m a popr influencer with over three hundred thousand followers! You have no right to hit me!¡± After witnessing what happened, Corinne hurried over and squatted to help the old man. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± Luckily, the old man was not hurt. He was however shocked and had trouble breathing. At first, Corinne did not want to get involved in any trouble as she was just passing by, but she could not endure it anymore, knowing how terrible the girl was. She could not face her teacher who had taught her well if she just walked away. She thus looked at the purple¨Chaired girl. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Move your car now!¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°I¡¯m not moving it! What are you going to do?¡± The purple¨Chaired girl scanned Corinne arrogantly. It was then she realized Corinne was¡­very beautiful, and that only made her angrier. Nevertheless, she reckoned Corinne was not her match as she looked weak and timid. All of a sudden, she came out with an idea. She unlocked the phone on her selfie stick and went live, switching up so swiftly and portraying herself as an innocent victim while sheined to her viewers. ¡°Someone, please help me! I¡¯m in danger! This old man and this girl here smashed my car without any reason, and now, this old man is lying on the ground, trying to scam me. You guys, look at how they¡¯re trying to bully me! Hic, hic¡­¡± She deliberately lowered the selfie stick so the angle was at a ce where the viewers could not see her car was blocking the tactile paving. Corinne remained silent while the influencer refused to admit she was wrong. Anyhow, she helped the blind elderly man up and brought him to some ce further and told him to stay still so he would not get hurt if she fought with the influencer. After that, she turned around and headed back to where the influencer was. It was torturous for Corinne to continue hearing how the influencer misled her viewers by confounding right and wrong. She thus grabbed the selfie stick from the influencer, broke it into two, and threw them far away along with the influencer¡¯s phone. ¡°Ah! My phone! My selfie stick!¡± This infuriated the influencer, so she rolled up her sleeves and cursed, ¡°You got some nerves throwing my phone, you b*tch. You¡¯re dead! I¡¯m going to beat you!¡± Immediately, she was not the pitiful girl she was when she was broadcasting herself. She waved her palm at Corinne, wanting to p her face¡­but Corinne easily grabbed the influencer¡¯s wrist and twisted it back. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Agh!¡± the purple¨Chaired girl whimpered. ¡°Help me¡­¡® Corinne raised her brow. ¡°You want to beat me? You got a lot of training to do before you can even touch me!¡± Despite being in pain, the influencer did not sumb. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m a popr influencer. I have many followers that will protect me! I¡¯m going to make you regret doing this to me!¡± Corinne was not scared. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re an influencer or whatever. You need to learn how to be a decent human being first! Do you know how much trouble you¡¯ve caused to blind people and visually impaired people by parking on the tactile paving? Not to mention, pushing an old man who can¡¯t see to the floor?! Do you think your followers will ¡®follow¡® you if they know what kind of person you truly are?¡± The influencer knew she could not beat Corinne, and what she said was the truth. ¡°I¡­¡± Corinne, having run out of patience, questioned the influencer coldly, ¡°I¡¯m asking you onest time. Are you going to move the car or not?¡± move! I¡¯ll move it! Let me go. I¡¯ll go move it right away¡­¡± The influencer sumbed so Corinne would let her go. As she walked toward her car, however, she kept on thinking about how to get her revenge. Suddenly, she saw the broken selfie stick, and her eyes reddened. She bent down to pick it up and viciously pointed the sharp end at the blind elderly man to hurt him. ¡°You blind old man! This is for smashing my car!¡± It startled Corinne as she dashed toward the blind elderly man to kick the crazy The influencer fell down but quickly got up. With her face contorted uglily, she came running with another attempt to attack Corinne and the elderly blind man with the broken selfie stick. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Corinne quickly readied herself as the purple¨Chaired girl tried to attack them again. Her instincts kicked in, and she spread her arms to protect the blind elderly man behind her and was prepared to kick the girl again. All of a sudden, a group of men dressed in ck appeared, surrounding Corinne and the blind elderly man. Two of the men quickly captured the crazy girl. Startled, the purple¨Chaired influencer struggled while shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°Who are you people? Why are you capturing me?! Let me go!¡± The leader of the men shot the girl a cold re before he turned to head toward his men. Respectfully, he bowed to the blind elderly man and said worriedly, ¡°Sir, we finally found you. Are you alright? Why did youe out alone? The young master sent us out looking for you. He¡¯s worried sick.¡± The blind elderly man snorted. ¡°He has me locked up in the house every day. I just want to take a walk outside.¡± The man felt helpless. ¡°He¡¯s doing it for your good, especially now that your vision is impaired. He¡¯s afraid you¡¯ll hurt yourself.¡± The elderly man stood up straight with a stone¨Ccold face and acted like a naughty, persistent kid. He said, ¡°Never had I heard of a grandchild restricting his grandfather. It can only be the other way around!¡± The leader did not know what to do with the man. He took out his phone and reported back to his employer. ¡°Sir, we found him. Yes. He¡¯s at the bank of Yonder River. Yes!¡± Within a short while, an expensive limousine arrived and parked beside the road. The leader of the guards saw the limousine and ran toward it. As he bent his body, he opened the door for a tall man to get out of the car slowly and elegantly. The man stood up straight like a young handsome duke from the olden days. He wore an expensive, exquisite grayish formal suit. He walked steadily and in a very regal manner. The onlookers who stopped to watch what was happening were stunned. This was a perfectly young, handsome, surreal man that they could only see on television! The man walked toward the elderly man. Every step he took was right on beat with the heartbeat of those young teenage girls. He epassed a naturally born type of charm and majesty. ¡°Grandpa, if you continue to run off without telling me, don¡¯t me me for sending you into a fully guarded retirement home.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. His voice sounded very gentle, yet his tone was threatening. The elderly man turned his dull eyes toward his grandson. Despite his impaired vision, he looked very prestigious too, especially when he knocked his white can on the ground. ¡°I dare you.¡± The man in the grayish formal suit looked indifferently. With a smile, he respectfully replied, ¡°As my word.¡± you said, I¡¯m very much like you. You know I¡¯m a man of Although the elderly man was reluctant to yield to his grandson, he knew better than to make him mad¨C mainly because his grandson had the same personality he had, and he had to think about the consequences. There was nothing he disliked more than to live in a fully guarded retirement house. He cleared his throat and deliberately changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯re right on time. A crazy woman parked her car on the tactile paving, and she pushed me. Luckily, this girl here bravely protected me. You must thank her on my behalf!¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 The man looked up at Corinne, who stood beside his grandfather. She had a calm and indifferent expression on her face, a huge contrast when onepared her expression with the shocked expressions on the onlookers¡® faces. It seemed like she was in her own world. As a matter of fact, she did not look remotely shocked when she saw the man¡¯s outstanding appearance. Truth be told, Corinne thought of leaving when she knew the elderly man¡¯s family arrived, but she could not find a way out due to the men in ck still surrounding them. The man nodded politely at Corinne. ¡°Hello.¡± Corinne nodded back. ¡°Hello.¡± She was no exception from the other girls when it came to judging a man¡¯s appearance. It was normal that she, too, thought the man in front of him looked very handsome, but at the same time, he looked dangerous. She had a feeling that despite his smile, the man was not genuinely happy or of any sort. In contrast to his handsome and friendly face, she felt like the man could turn out to be a cruel man that she should not get involved with. Far different from Jeremy, Corinne reckoned. Jeremy did not look friendly. From top to bottom, he emitted a dangerous vibe that warned others to steer clear. The man in front of her, on the other hand, looked gentle, yet his attitude felt so indifferent and distant. Nheless, he was still very charming and seductive. The man then said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± replied Corinne. Such a simple conversation that both Corinne and the man acted indifferently. Coincidentally, neither of them had the intention to continue talking. The elderly man was annoyed with his grandchild when he heard their conversation. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Anxiously, he decided to take matters into his own hand as he asked cheerfully, ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl? Do you have a boyfriend? What do you think of my eldest grandson? He¡¯s over thirty years old and hasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± The man pinched his be and smiled bitterly at Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. The old man is being foolish and says whatever¡¯s in his mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± Corinne smiled understandingly, but she did not want to tell them her name either. Thus, she said, ¡°Sir, since your grandson is here, I¡¯ll get going. I have something else to do.¡± After she bid farewell politely, she requested the men dressed in ck to move away and walked away neither haughtily nor humbly. The elderly man was disappointed when he knew Corinne had left. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked his grandson. Is she pretty?¡± The man raised his brow as he saw Corinne walking away. ¡°Very pretty.¡± The elderly man shorted and said disappointedly, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ask for her number? l¡¯even took the intiative to hook you up with her!¡± Grandpa, you dont have to worry about my love life.¡± You don¡¯t want me to worry? Bring back a wife, then! When I was your age, your dad was already in school. Look at you¡­ The blind elderly man was not going to give up easily. Grandpa, I know you¡¯re tired. I¡¯m going to have them send you home.¡± Tm not thred. Who told you I¡¯m tired?¡± Men, send my grandfather home.¡± Yes, sit the man¡¯s subordinates obeyed. Corinne had not gone too far before the leader of the men in ck came to look for her. Miss, my employer has prepared this check for you as a gratitude for saving his grandfather. You¡¯re free to write down any amount you want.¡± Corinne nced over at the check faintly and scoffed. ¡°A check with a maximum limit of seven hundred fifty thousand dors, and he asked me to write down any amount I desire?¡± The leader was stunned. Is she saying this is too little?¡® he thought. When the leader regained his senses, Corinne had walked down the stairs and got into Aaron¡¯s pink sports car. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Just as Aaron¡¯s car drove off, another ck car arrived and parked where Aaron did. Sunny got off in a hurry and quickly ran toward the handsome man in a grayish formal suit. ¡®Lucas, is everything alright?¡± he asked tentatively. ¡°Did you find Grandpa?¡± As it turned out, the man was Sunny¡¯s brother, Lucas. The man had just coaxed his grandfather into the ear to go home. He nced at Sunny when he heard his disappointing brother panting. He did not answer his question and instead asked, ¡± Where did you come from?¡± Sunny would typically act haughtily like other rich kids, but he was a different person when he was with Lucas. He was well¨Cbehaved and lowered his head as if the mice had seen a cat. ¡°Lucas, I¡­came from Century Lunar Manor¡­¡± Lucas¡® expression hardened. ¡°The term is starting soon, and you still have the time to y around? You¡¯re repeating for the third time this time. Are you refusing to let other people take away your school hunk¡® title?¡± Sunny was embarrassed and felt his brother was being very sarcastic. The girls in the school dubbed him the ¡®school hunk because he was very good¨Clooking, but because he could not pass his test to go to the university and had to repeat his high school year, he continued to be the school hunk in his school for consecutive years. Being the school hunk was an honorable thing, but it was the opposite for him.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°I¡¯ll study harder this time. Anyway, there¡¯s a special asion today¡­¡± Lucas snorted. ¡°And which day doesn¡¯t have a special asion on your calendar?¡± Sunny looked innocent. ¡°I¡¯m being real this time, Lucas. Don¡¯t you know? Anya is back! Jeremy decorated Lunar Century Manor with pink tulips, and it was so romantic. I went to witness her happiest moment!¡± ¡®Anya is back?¡® Lucas was surprised. Secondster, he narrowed his eyes and figured something was wrong. He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Jeremy is married now. Why did shee back and look for him?¡± Sunny had always been very protective of Anya, so he looked up and answered, ¡°Lucas, the only reason he married his current wife is because of his grandfather. He has no feelings for his wife. And you know it, too. Anya can¡¯t live without Jeremy. Thest time you guys stopped her from being together with Jeremy, she tried tomit suicide¡­¡± Lucas¡® long eyes looked worried. He pinched his be. Every family had their own problem. Just then, one of the men dressed in ck came over to ask, ¡°Sir, what should we do with the influencer?¡± ¡°Influencer, is it?¡± Lucas took out his vibrating phone and looked at the news. His expression remained calm as he said, ¡°Ban her, and never let her have any opportunity to ¡®influence¡® others. Have her and the car she parked over the tactile paying vanish from this city forever.¡± His subordinate nodded. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The man then left. Not long after, another came. This time, it was the leader who went to chase after Corinne, and he came back with the check she refused. ¡°Sir, that girl didn¡¯t ept the check and has left.¡± Lucas was typing on his phone when he heard that. His finger paused, and he looked up with at smile of surprise. ¡°A girl with integrity. Good. The leader, Edmund ud, shook his head embarrassingly. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I think what she meant was¡­she thinks the reward is too little.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at the check Edmund was holding in his hand. He recalled how dignified and humble she was. If the girl really thought it was too little, she would not leave so easily. There were still some girls that were different from the others that deserved people to respect them. Sunny looked at the check curiously. ¡°Who is it? Seven hundred fifty thousand dors, and she thinks that¡¯s too little? If she doesn¡¯t want it, just give it to me.¡± As he said that, his hand reached out to the check. s, Lucas was quicker to take the check from Edmund and tear it into pieces. ¡°You have no right to use our family¡¯s money because you can¡¯t get into a university. Now,e back home with me to study!¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Sunny was so upset that he lowered his head so far down that it might touch the ground. He wanted to cry, but at this point, all his tears were dried. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Sky Mirror Residence was situated near Yonder River. There was only one unit per floor, and it was one of the most expensive ces to stay in the city center. On the 28th floor¡­ Upon entering the unit, Corinne plopped onto the couch as if she was a jellyfish. She was so tired that she wanted to stay there and not move. At that moment, a fluffy cream¨Ccolored¨Ca paste color of yellow¨Ccat jumped up at her. It nuzzled Corinne with its head, demanding cuddles. That was when Corinne was willing to sit up and cuddle the cat. The cat¡¯s name was Mia. Aaron took it in and raised it when he found it in the countryside. The cat was already eight years old. Mia was a plump cat, and at first nce, people might think Mia had been living the high life since it was a kitten. As a matter of fact, Mia was there when all Corinne, Xante, and Aaron had were leftover meals. It stayed in a humid, tiny basement with them before. Many yearster, Mia finally got to live in such afortable ce and had an endless supply of delicious cat food. Xante was warming the milk in the open kitchen. She looked at the living room. ¡°Boss, howe you got enough spare time toe back here today?¡± Corinne sat on the gigantic couch with her legs crossed and was feeling sleepy as she cuddled Mia. ¡°I¡¯m on leave today, so Ie back here to be with you guys.¡± Xante pushed up her gold¨Cframed sses and took out the warm milk from the kitchen. Caringly, she ced the milk on the coffee table in front of Corinne. ¡°Mister Jeremy is nice enough to let you go on leave?¡± Corinne closed her eyes tiringly and said tiredly, ¡°No. I think he¡¯s very busy today and won¡¯t have the time to look for me, so I took this chance and gave myself a day off. He won¡¯t know.¡± Truth be told, there was no particr reason. She just did not feel like going back to Holdens¡® estate today, and the feeling was very strong. Aaron, who went back to his room to take a shower, came out and sat on the single couch at the side and said, ¡°Boss, I¡¯m craving your chestnut cake!¡± Xante red at Aaron as if he was an annoying fly. ¡°Are you seriously asking Corinne to bake for you now? She hasn¡¯t been backtely, and now that she¡¯s back, she has to satisfy your dirty mouth?¡± On the other hand, Corinne did not mind. She let go of Mia and let it y with itself. ¡°I¡¯m toozy today. I¡¯ll bake it for you when I wake up tomorrow.¡± Aaron crossed his legs delightfully and shot Xante a provoking look. ¡°Did you hear that? That¡¯s the way she pampers me!¡± Xante scoffed and wanted so badly to p him. Nheless, she was not surprised that Corinne would somewhat agree. She would spoil Aaron like he was her son. When she was busy, however, she would instruct him like a free worker. All of them had gotten used to this way of getting along. The three of them knew each other during their teenage years, and all of them had miserable fates. They gathered during their difficulties and worked harder together to build their business. That was how they founded Newmoon Group. They did not have to live their life under someone else¡¯s roof anymore. Xante ignored Aaron altogether. She pushed up her sses and sat to report to Corinne, ¡°About the design for the new office building of Holden Group¡­ They had urged me a couple of times, and I came out with some excuses to stall them. When do you n oning out with a preliminary design for them?¡± Corinne picked up the warm milk and took a sip. ¡°Within three days. I¡¯ll send the draft to their boss email. After getting their feedback, I¡¯ll discuss the detailed exterior design of the building with them. I¡¯ll deal with them directly, so you won¡¯t have to worry about it in the future.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Alright, I get it.¡± Xante nodded. She was rest assured when Corinne had her own n. Aaron rested his chin on his hand and teased, ¡°Hey, boss, isn¡¯t the boss of Holden Group your husband? Why do you need tomunicate through email? Isn¡¯t it better tomunicate together when you two are in bed? You¡¯ll probably be surprised by it!¡± Her expression hardened instantly upon hearing Aaron¡¯s words. She red at Aaron and replied, clearly saying every word, ¡°Jeremy and I are only married for a short term, and we¡¯ll part ways once the period is up. Stop talking that nonsense!¡± Aaron was startled by this burst, and the same went with Xante. She was shocked by Corinne¡¯s sudden mood change. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 It appeared that Corinne was not in her best state. Aaron realized he had misspoken and had irked Corinne, so he quickly went over and apologized. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t do it again¡­ Actually, Corinne was just a little frustrated and did not mean tosh out at Aaron. Inevitably, she rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Stop acting cute. Have you tracked down any of Nellie¡¯s paintings in the market recently?¡± Aaron got serious and replied, ¡°No. Most of the paintings in the market are by artists from foreign countries. I haven¡¯t seen any paintings from local artists recently.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and looked solemn. ¡°Alright. Continue to monitor the market for me.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Ever since she knew she was not Marvin¡¯s biological daughter, she was more eager to find more clues about her mother. She wanted to know who she was. Who was her father? Why did he leave her and her mother? Why did her mother leave her in the hospital and never came back for her? Why did her mother allow a man that had nothing to do with her to take her in? What happened in the past? She was curious and eager to find out the answers to these questions. Xante noticed Corinne¡¯s sour expression. She thus raised her chin at Aaron and said, ¡°Hey, Aaron, go get us some supper. I think the boss is hungry.¡± Aaron frowned unhappily. ¡°What? I just had my shower! Why don¡¯t you go buy it?¡± Xante ignored him and continued, ¡°Oh, and get a box of donuts. The boss likes that.¡± Aaron snorted and consoled himself. ¡°Sigh! Poor me, being ordered around.¡± Although he sounded like he was reluctant, he quickly went back to his room to change and left the house after taking his car key. Once Aaron left, Xante looked at Corinne and asked, ¡°Boss, I actually heard something about what happened today.¡± Corinne regained her senses and looked at Xante. ¡°Huh? What did you hear?¡± ¡°I heard Miss Anya Rivera is back and that a man had decorated Lunar Century Manor with pink tulips to wee her. I also heard about the confessions on the LED panel of the Century Bank Tower, the blue fireworks, and the drone performances¡­ I saw them by ident when I was hanging myundry on the balcony.¡± Upon hearing that, Corinne looked out the window in the living room. It was indeed as Xante said; they could clearly see the confession on the Century Bank Tower. Their unit had the best view of the Yonder River that oversaw the entire Yonder River. Xante asked another question, ¡°Did Mister Jeremy do those because of Miss Anya?¡± Corinne nodded lightly. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all him.¡± ¡°What¡¯s their rtionship?¡± Xante asked again. ¡°I heard they were actually a couple but were forced to break up. I don¡¯t know about the details, though,¡± Corinne answered. ¡°Boss, I can feel that you¡¯re in a bad mood today.¡± A ray of light shed over Xante¡¯s sses. She said, ¡°Is it because you are¡­jealous?¡± ¡°Cough! Ack, ack¡­¡± Corinne choked on the milk she was drinking and began coughing so much that the veins in her eyes appeared.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Xante hurried over to take the ss of milk from Corinne and ced it back on the coffee table. She then drew out a piece of tissue and passed it to her before she helped soothe her back. After a while, Corinne finally stopped coughing. ¡°Xante, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m in a bad mood today.¡± Xante nodded and asked, ¡°Okay. Why?¡± When this topic was brought up, it seemed like fire was burning in Corinne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Because Jeremy was ridiculous. I was having a good day, and he suddenly had me witness them seeing each other again after a long time. Regardless of what really went on, I¡¯m still his legally married wife. That was very disrespectful.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Xante¡¯s lips stretched into a thin line. ¡°That¡­really is too much.¡± Corinne frowned unhappily. ¡°I know he wants me to know his beloved woman is back, or maybe he¡¯s thinking of reminding me to watch myself and avoid causing the apple of his eye any misunderstanding, but he could¡¯ve used actual words to do that. It was totally unnecessary to let me live in that moment.¡± Xante agreed by nodding. ¡°Yes. It was very rude of him to do that.¡± Corinne leaned back on the couch frustratedly. ¡°That¡¯s why I felt so annoyed and frustrated. How am I going to be his wife when I¡¯m stuck between them during the remainder of my contract period?¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Xante curled up her lips into a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t go back. Let them live happily ever after and just ignore them!¡± That was exactly the problem Corinne had been thinking of. ¡°I can¡¯t. The contract is for three months, and it¡¯s only been half a month. I must honor the contract. Besides, that old man isn¡¯t easy to deal with. If I ran away halfway, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d search the whole world just to know where I went. It¡¯s going to be even more troublesome then.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going back tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I only have one month and a half left. I have to bear with it, even when I don¡¯t want to.¡± Xante got up and went behind Corinne to massage her shoulders, feeling sorry for her. ¡°I feel so bad for you.¡± Corinne pursed her lips. Honestly speaking, being Jeremy¡¯s wife was even harder and more exhausting than engaging in hardbor. Ever since she moved into the Holdens¡® estate, her life had been so dramatic. Xante thought about it and asked another question, ¡°But¡­ As someone who has experience, I¡¯d like to ask one more question. Did you sleep with him during this period?¡± The redness on Corinne¡¯s cheeks remained after having her coughing fit. Although she refused to admit it, she was honest. ¡°Yes¡­ Just once.¡± ¡°Did you use protection?¡± Xante furrowed her eyebrows. Admittedly, that was not the answer she expected; she was just asking because she was being cautious. Protection? Corinne was stunned for a moment before saying guiltily, ¡°No It happened too suddenly, and it was a special situation. I didn¡¯t think too much about it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m that unlucky to hit the jackpot by doing it once, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. If you don¡¯t want to have anything to do with Mister Jeremy after your contract ends, it¡¯s better to use protection in the future,¡± reminded Xante kindly. Corinne¡¯s pupils looked cold. ¡°That was an ident, and it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Still, Xante looked worried. ¡°Then¡­do you like him?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Why would I like him? Because he¡¯s old? Because of his hot temper? Because he likes to bully me?¡± Xante was amused by Corinne¡¯s behavior; she looked rather cute in an arrogant way. She smiled. ¡°What I mean is, do you find him sexy?¡± Corinne did not think too much of this question. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do that he¡¯s sexy. He was lucky to be born with a handsome face and a fantastic body. How can I say that he¡¯s not sexy? He was born with it, and it has nothing to do with my feelings. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t find him sexy.¡± Xante cleared her throat. ¡°Of course, I think he¡¯s not too bad!¡± Suddenly, Corinne looked up at Xante. ¡°Huh? When did you change your taste to mature men? I remember you prefer younger guys.¡± Xante lifted her sses again and smiled suggestively. ¡°I don¡¯t mind a mature man. I don¡¯t restrict myself to just one type!¡± Corinne studied the look on Xante¡¯s face and started to sympathize with her ex¨Cboyfriends, whom Xante dumped after she got bored. Corinne shook her head, feeling sorry for the boys. ¡°Xante, you¡¯re not getting any younger. You should do more good deeds. Stop ying those guys and be more serious with your rtionship.¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Xante shrugged nonchntly. Her obsession was not important, and she did not want Corinne to worry about her. She continued with the previous topic. ¡°Oh! Aaron is good- looking too. He¡¯s nearly 6 feet, has broad shoulders, and a thin waist with eight¨Cpack abs. Do you think he¡¯s sexy?¡± Corinne was dumbstruck. Of course not! Aaron was a charming guy that could mesmerize many girls, but to her, he was the same guy he was when he was a kid. A silly guy. Xante continued to massage Corinne¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s the difference. You don¡¯t think every handsome man is sexy unless you have feelings for him.¡± ¡®What is Xante saying? Is she saying I have feelings for Jeremy? ¡®Corinne thought. She furrowed her eyebrows in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s because Aaron is too feminine, and he¡¯s not my cup of tea!¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. He¡¯s not my cup of tea either!¡± Just then, the door opened. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Aaron walked in leisurely. ¡°Did you two make me go out to buy supper just so you can talk smack about me behind my back?¡± Xante pushed up her sses. ¡°We¡¯re saying you have a good body. Is that bad¨Cmouthing you?¡± Aaron ced the supper he bought on the coffee table and took off his jacket to show the muscles he was proud of. ¡°It¡¯s true that I have a fabulous body. Here, I¡¯m going to show you guys some tonight. I spent two hours in the gym every day and nurtured my body with good¨Cquality protein powder. You¡¯re free to touch them!¡± ¡°Shoo!¡± hissed Xante. ¡°Don¡¯t make me and Corinne puke!¡± Aaron continued to show off his muscles. Corinne grabbed her chin and thought deeply. ¡°Xante, I think you¡¯re right. I only have one man and it was a nice experience, so I might have a false impression. Maybe I should try a few more topare so I know what I really like.¡± After that, she stood up and extended her hand out to feel Aaron¡¯s abs with his shirt on. ¡°What do you think?¡± Aaron shed a confident sexy Am I sexy?¡± smile. Corinne pulled her hand back and shook her head. ¡°Xante, you¡¯re right. It disgusts me to touch the man I have no feelings for.¡± The smile on Aaron¡¯s face froze. ¡°Boss! Are you insulting me?¡± Xante patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt it. She is insulting you!¡± Aaron snorted. ¡°You two evil women! You girls like to bully me so much!¡± The three of them joked and chatted while they ate their supper, and they then went back to their own room to rest afterward. However, Corinne found herself struggling to fall asleep- probably because of all that food. It was a rare moment that she woke up early the next morning. She headed to the kitchen to bake the chestnut cake she promised Aaronst night. She left a portion for Aaron and Xante in the kitchen and took away some. After that, she grabbed a taxi and headed back to the Holdens¡® estate. The person who answered the door for her today was neither Bowen the butler nor any of the maids. Instead, it was a girl in a silk nightgown. She opened the door, barefooted. It seemed like the girl was still groggy from sleep. She blinked her sleepy eyes and tilted her head as she asked, ¡°Who are you? Corinne recognized the girl from the photo she saw. It was Anya Rivera. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Anya was slightly shorter than Corinne. Her skin looked so fair that it looked like she was sick or suffered from malnutrition. She had shaped her eyebrows exquisitely to entuate her gentleness. There was a rouge mole between her brows, too. She had a beautiful pair of slightly droopy eyes, making her look like a carefree fawn innocent to the dangers of the world. She was very pretty but not the aggressive, invasive type of beauty. On the contrary, people would automatically think of protecting her. However, she was wearing a nightgown and opened the door barefooted¡­ It seemed like she must have spent the night here yesterday. As Corinne was aware of that, she curled her lips ironically. Luckily, she was smart enough to stay outsidest night, or it would have been embarrassing. That being said, how shameful can Jeremy be? Could he at least be kind enough to stay outside with his old love? Did he not know he was already married? N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Even though their marriage was built upon a mutual agreement that was forged, it was still very mean of him to bring another woman back into their home to stay overnight! Anya blinked herrge round eyes when she did not get any answer or response from Corinne. She asked again, ¡°Hi. Who are you looking for?¡± Corinne was not ignoring her; she just did not know how to answer Anya¡¯s question. She presumed Anya would not know her even if she told Anya her name. However, if she told Anya she was Jeremy¡¯s wife, it seemed like she was provoking her. She did not have the intention to create any conflicts with Anya, whom she had just met for the first time nor did she intend to steal Jeremy from Anya. After some thinking, she found a more subtle answer. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for anyone. I¡¯m staying here temporarily.¡± Anya widened her eyes like she discovered something new. ¡± You stay here?¡± At that moment, Bowen came running down the stairs with an anxious look. All of a sudden, he saw Corinne standing at the door. His eyes brightened as he strode toward them excitedly. ¡± Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re back!¡± Corinne looked at Bowen and nodded. Caringly, Bowen examined Corinne from top to bottom before he asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, where did you gost night? Why didn¡¯t youe back?¡± Corinne entered the house and nonchntly answered, ¡°I was at my friend¡¯s house and it was getting late, so I spent the night there.¡± Knowing Corinne was home safe and sound, Bowen was relieved. ¡°I see. Anyway, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡± The changes in Bowen¡¯s expression did not affect Corinne. Naturally, she passed the lunchbox in her hand to him and said, ¡°Bowen, this is the chestnut cake I brought back from my friend¡¯s house. Can you please get someone to put it in the freezer? I¡¯m going to eat it when I¡¯m hungry during the evening.¡± Bowen epted it respectfully. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Immediately, he called a maid over and passed the chestnut cake to her, telling her to put it into the fridge. He also gave her a hint to call Jeremy to inform him that Corinne had returned. The maid understood and nodded before leaving with the lunchbox. After that, Corinne walked toward the stairs to go upstairs to her room without caring about Anya. In fact, she had her te full. Designing the Holden Group¡¯s building was not an easy job. After dying it for many days, she finally found inspiration for the design. It was very pressing toe out with a draft design within three days, so she had to make use of her time wisely and get started with her work. However, someone called out to her softly after she took a few steps. ¡°Corinne.¡± Anya sounded gentle and soft. Corinne stopped walking and was surprised Anya knew her name. She looked back. ¡°Yes? Is there anything I can do for you?¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Anya¡¯srge doe eyes stared at Corinne as Anya slowly approached her. ¡°So you¡¯re Corinne!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Corinne.¡± ¡®What is that? Is she looking for a fight?¡® she thought. Being close to each other, Anya suddenly grabbed Corinne¡¯s hands intimately. With an apologetic expression, she said, ¡± I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it was you. I thought you were a guest Corinne was not used to having physical contact with the person she first met. Calmly, she withdrew her hands and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ve never met before, so it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t know me.¡± Nevertheless, Anya did not mind it and smiled purely. ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing Jeremy talking about you on the phone when I was away.¡± Corinne raised her brow. ¡°Is that so? What did he say about me?¡± She bet nothing good about her woulde out of Jeremy¡¯s mouth. Anya looked at her admiringly, and her smile looked so pure and sincere. ¡°Jeremy praised you all the time. He said you¡¯re a smart girl and not the type of girl who¡¯d think of ways to marry into a rich life. He also said you know your ce and are a girl with principles. You always keep a safe distance from him. Anyway, he kept on going about how nice you are.¡± That was quite a lot, which meant they probably called each other very often. From Corinne¡¯s point of view, she did not think Jeremy was praising her. She figured he was reporting his daily life to Anya and making sure she did not think he was developing feelings for Corinne. ¡®Hoho! I didn¡¯t know Jeremy was such a self¨Caware person. He has a very strong survival instinct,¡® mused Corinne. Corinne stretched her lips and said, ¡°Well, I should be thanking him for all thepliments.¡± ¡°Corinne, thank you for helping Jeremy to deal with his family during this period,¡± said Anya sincerely. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Corinne smiled helplessly. As a matter of fact, she was forced to do this. ¡°You¡¯re so nice. I have a feeling that we¡¯re going to be best friends.¡± Anya then grabbed Corinne¡¯s hands again as if regretting only knowing Corinne, and she blinked at her light- heartedly, trying to get on her good side. Anya was too passionate. Corinne was too embarrassed to withdraw her hands a second time, so she endured the difort. There was nothing wrong with Anya, but Corinne refused to be friends with the people from Jeremy¡¯s circle. When the contract period was over, Jeremy¨Cas well as those she knew that came with knowing him¨C would have nothing to do with her. ¡°Jeremy! You¡¯re back!¡± Suddenly, Anya let go of Corinne¡¯s hand and ran over to the door happily. Corinne turned back and saw Jeremy. He had juste in from the door, looking rather anxious. Oddly, he still had the formal suit he was wearing yesterday on him. The wind had tousled his hair with a few strands standing up. It made him look less stern, more genial than his usual mature and calm look. His focus remained on Corinne the moment he walked into the house. His long, narrow eyes were bloodshot. It looked as though he had grown stubbles on both sides of his cheeks. He looked much different than how he used to look. He looked rugged, exhausted, unkempt, and dangerous. Moreover, he looked¡­haggard, which his strong, cool face never once showed before. Overnight, it looked as though Jeremy slimmed down a lot. Corinne could not help and wonder if he had overindulgedst night¡­ She narrowed her eyes and thought, ¡®They haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. I bet they couldn¡¯t control themselves and held each other in their arms throughout the night, especially with how passionately Jeremy confessed his love to her.¡® Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Anya tugged at the hem of Jeremy¡¯s shirt and said softly, Jeremy, I¡¯ve introduced myself to Corinne. You were right about her after all! She¡¯s a nice girl, and I like her too!¡± Finally, Jeremy¡¯s gaze shifted from Corinne as he then looked down at Anya. He said, ¡°Go change your clothes. I¡¯ll ask Tommy to send you back. Your family misses you.¡± Anya was rather reluctant, but she nodded obediently. ¡°Okay. Well, I¡¯ll head home now.¡± Jeremy responded and looked up again, frowning when he realized Corinne was no longer there. Corinne headed upstairs while Jeremy spoke to Anya. It was no fun being the third wheel. The moment she entered the room, she could sense that someone had moved the items. The room was Jeremy¡¯s, and she had been staying in this room to y a good role as Jeremy¡¯s wife ever since she moved in. Jeremy did note back very often. Even when he did, he would sleep on the couch after taking his shower. Never had he truly moved the items in the room. When the maid did the cleaning, they never dared to move any of the items. At this moment, many items on the shelves and table had shifted ces. Even themp on the bedside table was moved from the left to the right. Corinne was used to sleeping on the left side. cing themp on the left side was convenient for her to switch it on when she got up at night. It was very obvious that themp was moved to the right. The bedsheets and pillows were very neatly organized without a crease. It seemed like the maid had just tidied it this morning. Did Jeremy and Anya sleep in this roomst night? Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Well, there was nothing wrong with that. Where else would he sleep when he brought his beloved woman back to his house? Corinne frowned in disgust. She thought the room was not clean anymore, and she would rather sleep in the guest room. The moment she opened the door once more, a tall man stood outside the room. She was shadowed by his tall, aloof body. Instinctively, she backed up a step and looked up at him. It was more obvious to see how exhausted he was in such proximity. The veins in his eyes showed he did not have a good night¡¯s sleepst night. How deeply in love were they with each other? Jeremy was always a calm person with much self¨C restraint. It was nearly impossible for him to lose control of himself and allow himself to indulge so much unless he loved Anya that much. Corinne¡¯s eyes sank. ¡°Mister, you look very tired today. You can have the bedroom. I¡¯ll go to the guest room.¡± She then attempted to walk past Jeremy to head out. Nevertheless, Jeremy calmly stepped forward and stopped Corinne from leaving. He asked fiercely, ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± His tone was calm and deep, but it sounded very stressful and suppressive. ¡°I was at my friend¡¯s house,¡± Corinne answered honestly. Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his handsome eyes sternly. ¡°Who gives you the permission to stay out all night?¡± Corinne frowned in dissatisfaction. ¡®What is he talking about? I¡¯m a grown¨Cup, not a kid. What¡¯s wrong with spending the night over at my friend¡¯s house? Besides, what am I going to do if I returned, anyway? What if I saw something I shouldn¡¯t see or heard something that I¡¯m not supposed to hear? That¡¯s going to be very embarrassing for all of us!¡® Chapter 271 Chapter 271 ¡°I chatted with my friends untiltest night, so I decided to just stay over at their ce.¡± Jeremy bent down and approached Corinne. ¡°What sort of friend? Are they guys or girls? What are their names? Where do they live?¡± His barrage of questions offended Corinne, and she could not help but explode in a rage. ¡°Am I not allowed to have friends? Or do you mean to tell me that I¡¯m not allowed to have any privacy when I¡¯m with you? Must I tell you everything in detail? How is this any different from being in prison?¡± Jeremy froze slightly, and he narrowed his eyes quietly as he looked at her unhappy, dissatisfied little face. He smiled rather than got angry at her, and his thin lips pursed slightly as nearly half his fatigue disappeared in an instant. She seemed to be rather energetic still and had the strength to argue with him. He stared at her in silence for a while, but instead of arguing with her, he asked in a sneering voice, ¡°Where¡¯s your phone? You could¡¯ve called me to inform me if you wanted to stay overnight at a friend¡¯s house, right?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. At the mention of her phone, Corinne lost some of her confidence and spread her hands open helplessly. ¡°Sorry. About your cell phone¡­ I¡­ I lost itst night, and I don¡¯t know where I could¡¯ve dropped it. I¡¯ll buy a new one of the same model topensate you.¡± It probably fell out during a physical conflict with the female inte celebrity the previous day, and she only found out about it when she took a taxi that morning. Luckily for her, however, she managed to have cash with her. Jeremy snorted softly, raised his hand, and took out the very cell phone from his jacket pocket. He held it up in front of her with his long fingers and tapped it against her forehead. ¡± You¡¯re going to lose your brain one day if you keep losing your stuff all the time.¡± Corinne blinked unexpectedly, took the phone, and looked at it to confirm that it was the same one she had dropped by mistake. She raised her head in surprise and asked curiously, What¡¯s going on, Mister? Why is it with you?¡± The man answered concisely, ¡°Someone found it up by the river and handed it over to the police, who then returned it to its owner.¡± ¡®I see!¡® Corinne nodded and said thankfully, ¡°I¡¯m so d someone found it! I was worried that someone might steal the phone. I can¡¯t afford to pay you the huge amount of money that¡¯s tied to your bank card,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°Corinne,¡± Jeremy called her name all of a sudden. ¡°Yes?¡± Corinne raised her head naturally and waited for him to continue his sentence, but her heart skipped a beat when she saw his bottomless ck eyes. Jeremy looked at her intently and said to her in a deep voice, It¡¯s never my intention to imprison you, so you don¡¯t need to be that guarded in front of me.¡± Corinne was startled. His attitude might be stern, but his tone was incredibly gentle as he added, ¡°You can have privacy, you can have little secrets that you¡¯re free to keep from me, and you can have your own social circle, but never, ever, decide not toe back home without informing me. What if something happens to you?¡± As he spoke, his big rough hands caressed her face as his bony long fingers gently brushed against her delicate cheeks like he just unearthed a long¨Clost treasure that he could not bear to part with. He answered her earlierints without ignoring her feelings, and he even gave her a very specific answer and attitude. His unpredictable and ambiguous attitude made Corinne very puzzled; he sounded like he was reproaching her while persuading her with solid reasoning at the same time. ¡®Is he too tired? So much so that he¡¯s getting confused?¡® Jeremy lowered his gaze and stared at Corinne¡¯s small and beautiful face. He looked at her starting from her eyebrows, then to her nose, and finally to that sharp tongue of hers. It had been a week since he saw her, and though he did not feel much when he missed her, he could get by with a lit cigarette and meditating with his eyes closed. It was only when Jeremy touched her in real life that he realized there was an uncontroble burning desire within him. He could not wait for even a second longer as he raised her little face and kissed her ravishingly. Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Jeremy hooked his arm behind Corinne as he sped her waist and stretched forward. Their bodies came into close contact through their clothes, and both sides were tightly attached. Their breaths were intertwined, and their lips were about to meet. The sudden close distance made Corinne palpitate and irked her considerably. ¡®What is he trying to do? Anya just left!¡® Had she not seen Anya there in a nightdress and knowing that he and Anya had just spent a night of passion together, she might have felt that he was being kind, considerate, and perhaps even developing feelings for her. However, it was clear to her that he had spent the entire night with Anya, so she was very unhappy that he still had the energy to tease her like that. ¡®Tch! Men!¡® Corinne regained her senses, tilted her head to avoid his kiss, and nearly twisted her neck as a result. She put her hands on the man¡¯s chest, pushed him back, and consciously stepped back a little to keep a distance from him. I get what you¡¯re trying to say, Mister. I¡¯ll remember to keep you informed wherever I go next time. You don¡¯t need to do this just to reinforce that advice on me!¡± Jeremy straightened up, and as soon as he heard Corinne¡¯s heartless words, his handsome eyes narrowed and his passion- filled heart turned cold. ¡®This woman can¡¯t read the d*mn room!¡® ¡°You get what I¡¯m trying to say? What is it that I¡¯m trying to say?¡± Jeremy red at Corinne with a touch of helplessness, uneasiness, and unsatiated desire. ¡°Everything.¡± Corinne nced at him and did not want to make too harsh a statement. He said more than once that he could give her everything except his feelings, so there was no point for her to read too much into his actions and think he had feelings for her. She gave his words some careful thought and came to the reason that he was worried about her life because his main concern was his future with Anya. Once the three months were over, Jeremy would be nothing more than a divorced man if she survived until the divorce. He would not feel affected much if he talks about marrying again. However, if someone who is nothing more than a tool for him runs into some trouble and dies, then he could be considered a widower, and his marriage to Anya¨Cthe love of his life- might result in her being viewed as Corinne¡¯s recement. Many families felt taboo about that, and that would certainly be truer when it came to wealthy families like the Riveras. Since Anya was favored by her family as the apple of their eye, they would probably never agree to let her be someone else¡¯s recement! With enough family conflicts between the Holdens and the Riveras, there was no point in adding yet another one. Jeremy was simply trying to avoid such troublesome things from happening, and there was no need to spell such things out loud if one already understood it clearly. After all, it would be pointless to exin it in crystal¨Cclear detail.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne thought for a while, then looked at Jeremy seriously and said in a negotiating tone, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t bring Miss Anya back here to spend the night again, Mister.¡± Jeremy was stunned at first and raised his handsome eyebrows to stare inquisitively at her. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡®Is she jealous?¡® he wondered. Corinne shrugged calmly. ¡°You do have other ces outside, right? If there aren¡¯t any nearby ones, you can still choose from lots of different hotels! I don¡¯t care if you sleep with her anywhere outside of the house, but it¡¯ll be difficult for me to keep acting as Missus Holden if you bring her back all the time! There are plenty of people in the household, so am I supposed to be offended or just ignore you in front of the butler and the other servants? It¡¯s not like I have any say over what you do anyway. Once word gets out to the elders, they¡¯ll discover that your marriage with me is fake, and you¡¯re the one who will end up being in trouble!¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Jeremy repeated one particr sentence coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t care if I sleep with her anywhere outside of the house?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In that instant, Jeremy¡¯s face turned as dark as ink and as cold as the depths of an icy pond. His lips twitched as he let out an unnerving chuckle from the bottom of his throat. Corinne got ready to go to the guest room after finishing her words. She patted Jeremy on the shoulder like he was a friend and said in a teasingly ¡®concerned¡® tone, ¡°You were exhaustedst night, weren¡¯t you? Make sure you have a good rest. Don¡¯t overexert your body even though you snagged yourself a beauty!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°What did you think I was up tost night?¡± ¡®I know what I did! Where did you get the nerve to put words in my mouth?¡® Corinne curled her lips. ¡°Mister, what I¡¯m trying to say is that excessive indulgence can cause premature aging even though you¡¯re still strong and energetic now. You need to learn how to control yourself for the sake of your long¨Cterm happiness!¡± she said, then walked past the man and strolled to the guest room alone. Unfortunately, Jeremy grabbed her by her back cor as soon as she walked out of the room. Next, Jeremy picked her up like a ragdoll and brought her into the bathroom, the door of which he mmed shut and locked. Corinne was thrown into the bathtub by the man in a rather harsh manner, and he turned on the shower to ssh water all over her body. Because she was unprepared for what happened, she coughed twice after being drenched in the water and frantically leaned on the edge of the bathtub. ¡°What are you doing, Mister?!¡± Jeremy stood by the bathtub and looked condescendingly at her. ¡°Your brain seems to be clogged with dirt, so I think it¡¯s about right that I wash it with water.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one with something wrong in your brain!¡± Corinne muttered angrily. She grasped the edge of the bathtub and stood up from the slippery bathtub to try and get out. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Her slippers were not non¨Cslip, and it was only natural that she would slip by ident and was about to fall face¨Cfirst onto the hard floor! She thought that she would hurt herself badly, but she ended up being grasped by Jeremy. The posture was rather awkward, and she wanted to get off him as soon as possible after she stabilized herself. However, he did not give her the chance to do so and held her lower body in his big hands. He turned around while still holding her, and then ced her right on the bathroom sink. Corinne¡¯s body was too wet, and since she slipped down when she was put down on the sink, she instinctively hooked Jeremy¡¯s neck but let go as soon as she sat firmly. She wanted to get down from the sink and leave the bathroom as soon as possible, but his arms were propped on both sides of her body, locking her in between. Even his body was standing between her legs against the sink and her waist, preventing her from escaping his shackles. His posture and their intimate distance were embarrassing. The clothes on Corinne¡¯s body, which were drenched with water, clung tightly to her skin and highlighted her slender and exquisite figure, leaving little to the imagination. She was a little ashamed and angry as she said, ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Jeremy leaned over, approached her, and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you suspect me of being too sexually indulgentst night? How about I show you what true indulgence looks like from me?¡± Corinne was startled and a little scared. ¡°I¡­ I was joking! Can¡¯t a grown man like you take a joke?¡± The man locked her two restless little hands to the top of her head, pinched her pointed chin, and raised her as he said in a charming, hoarse voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t take a joke. I¡¯m too serious.¡± His turbulent aura, along with his reproaching tone, came crashing right in her face. Corinne¡¯s heart was in a mess, and she closed her eyes as if to escape the ordeal. ¡°It hurts¡­¡± Chapter 274 Chapter 274 ¡°Ugh, it hurts! Mister¡­ Ouch¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s voice was trembling a little and she gritted her teeth to endure the pain. Her face turned pale, and she looked like she was about to keel over anytime. Jeremy stopped what he was doing, and his eyebrows sank. Why is she yelling when I haven¡¯t even done anything to her yet?¡® He never intended to do anything to her in the first ce and merely wanted to give her a little scare as payback for her words to him. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± Corinne frowned ufortably. Her eyshes trembled slightly, and her eyes were red. ¡°My hands¡­¡± ¡®Hands?¡® Jeremy nced up and looked at the two little hands that he held in a tight grip against the mirror. His pupils shrank suddenly as he let go of her and brought her two hands down to eye level so he could check them. At that moment, Corinne¡¯s two little hands were red and swollen like two boiled lobster ws. Jeremy frowned tightly and asked her in a deep voice, ¡°What happened? What did you do?¡± Corinne shook her head weakly and was barely able to speak. ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t¡­do anything¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Her hands were hot, and the unbearable pain she felt could be likened to being dipped inside the hot oil of a frying pan. The pain made her sweat all over, and her breathing gradually became difficult too. Her throat felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton balls. Before she finally closed her eyes, she heard Jeremy calling her name in a rather nervous manner. ¡°Corinne! Corinne! Corinne¡­¡± The next second, Jeremy quickly rushed out of the bathroom with the unconscious Corinne in his arms. At the hospital, Corinne woke up to see a white ceiling up above and intravenous drips hanging just beside her. Her mouth was dry, and her throat felt sore. She wanted to get up but was unable to. She wanted to reach out for the water on the cab, only to discover that her hands were tightly wrapped in gauze just like that of an oversized round ball. Her fingers were not in sight, and she could not grasp anything at all. Shey helplessly on the hospital bed and looked around. Being the only person in the ward, the silence was deafening and terrifying. It was like the time her mother sent her to the hospital for treatment when she was a child. Her mother had told her to wait obediently in the ward while she went out to buy some food. She watched as the liquid in the intravenous drip ran out drop by drop, but her mother never once came back. Hospitals thus became one of the ces she disliked most. She was feeling in low spirits when a loud voice called out to her, ¡°Corinne! You¡¯re awake! I¡¯m so d!¡± Corinne heard the sound and saw that Annie had walked in. Annie rushed to the hospital bed and looked at her worriedly. ¡± I just went to the bathroom. Why are your eyes red?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips curled into a smile and she answered hoarsely, I¡¯m okay. I just slept a little too long.¡± Annie then nodded. ¡°Do you feel better now, then? Would you like me to call the doctor over and check on you?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Could you help me up and pass me the water? I¡¯m feeling super thirsty right now.¡® Annie did as Corinne requested and carefully helped thetter up. She then put a pillow on Corinne¡¯s back, then brought a ss of water over with a straw and held it up for Corinne to take a sip. Corinne originally wanted to take the water ss to drink by herself, but since she was unable to hold the ss with her hands, she could only ept Annie¡¯s help as she stretched her head over and drank with a straw. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Corinne¡¯s throat felt a lot better after she drank a lot of water. She leaned against the hospital bed and asked Annie, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Annie put down the ss before replying, ¡°Uncle Jeremy called me and asked me to rush over to the hospital after buying a set of clean andfortable innerwear for you. I came as soon as I bought everything.¡± ¡®Inner¡­wear?¡® Corinne felt embarrassed as she looked down at herself. She remembered being locked in the bathroom by Jeremy and getting drenched before finally losing consciousness. Although she was wearing a hospital gown, the underwear inside was dry and had been changed. ¡°¡­ Who helped me change my underwear?¡± she asked with a frown. Annie said, ¡°I did. I took off your wet clothes too!¡± Her answer allowed Corinne to heave a sigh of relief. She no longer felt as embarrassed as before and said, ¡°Oh. That¡¯s good!¡± Annie added, ¡°But he did help at one side since I didn¡¯t have the strength to hold you up and put your clothes on at the same time!¡± Corinne¡¯s embarrassment returned. ¡°Did he watch the entire process?¡± Annie waved her fingers. ¡°No, no, no! He wanted to, but I insisted that he turn his face away. The two of you may be husband and wife, but it¡¯s still important to keep things mysterious, or there won¡¯t be any hint of intrigue in the future!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Annie can be such a dunderhead sometimes¡­¡® ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Annie sighed worriedly again as she held Corinne¡¯s little hands which were swollen red like crab ws. ¡°Why are your allergies so serious this time? What did you touch?¡± Corinne had guessed that it was an allergic reaction as soon as she woke up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I must¡¯ve encountered some allergen by ident.¡± She only had a strong allergic reaction toward silver products, and everything else would not be as serious. Previously, at the racecourse, a tiny silver earring was enough to cause her palms to turn red and swollen. The severe allergic reaction she had then must have meant that she had touched a lot of silver, but she did not remember touching anything of the sort, be it from the time she took a taxi back to the Holdens estate from Sky Mirror Residence, or when she returned to the room. She surmised that she could have identally touched some hidden silver objects in the taxi. ¡°Please be more mindful of your allergens. You shouldn¡¯t be careless again! Do you have any idea how scared Uncle Jeremy and I were when we came and saw your pale, unconscious face? ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll pay more attention in the future.¡± Corinne then nced around the ward after responding to Annie. Annie seemed to have guessed why Corinne was acting that way, so she leaned over and asked, ¡°Are you looking for Uncle Jeremy?¡± Corinne did not deny it. ¡°Where is he?¡± Her initial intention was not to see Jeremy. She was simply curious as to who sent her to the hospital, and whether he could have left her in Annie¡¯s care just so he could leave without being responsible for her. Annie thought for a while and told Corinne the truth. ¡°Well, Anya had a car ident on the way home and was sent to this same hospital. Sunny just called Uncle Jeremy and asked him to go see her.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes slightly and said, ¡°Oh. I see.¡± Annie looked at Corinne with a flickering gaze as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and said, ¡°Umm¡­ Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I¡¯ll get someone to buy some food for you!¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry yet.¡± Annie felt a little uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Corinne. Uncle Jeremy should be back soon!¡± Corinne curled her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not. Why would I be angry?¡± A person¡¯s psyche would usually be more fragile and delicate when they get sick. She was not angry though, and all she wanted was to go home¨Cto the home she, Xante, and Aaron stayed in¨Cand hug their little Mia on the sofa while listening to her favorite ssical music and doing nothing. All of a sudden, someone pushed the door open and walked in. Jeremy¡¯s tall and slender body came into view, and behind him was Anya, who was still wearing a hospital gown. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 ¡°Uncle Jeremy! You¡¯re back!¡± Annie immediately got up from the hospital bed to make way for Jeremy as soon as she saw him appear. However, her expression froze when she saw Anyaing in with Jeremy, and she subconsciously turned her head to see how Corinne reacted. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne¡¯s expression remained calm, and there seemed to be no emotional changes at all. ¡°Did you just wake up?¡± Jeremy walked slowly to the side of the hospital bed. He stood in a dignified and rxed posture, with his hands inserted elegantly in his trouser belt. His calm eyes were indecipherable as he gazed downward at her. ¡°Yeah.¡± Corinne nodded, looked at Jeremy¡¯s handsome eyes, and shifted away without lingering too long on him as she looked at Anya who was by his side. The man could tell what she wanted to ask and turned around to look at Anya beside him. He then turned back to Corinne and said softly, ¡°She wanted to see you.¡± Annie stood to one side and let out a barely discernible cold snort from his nostrils. Anya, like Corinne, was wearing a puffy hospital gown. There was gauze wrapped around her forehead, and her injured appearance made her look even more slender and weak¨Cthe very epitome of a sick woman who needed to be cared for. However, she did not seem haughty at all and had a cheerful yet easy¨Cgoing smile on her face. She took the initiative to step forward and ask concernedly, ¡°I heard Jeremy say that you were hospitalized due to allergies, and I came with him to see you because I¡¯m a little worried about you. How are you feeling now?¡± Corinne replied politely, ¡°Thanks for your concern. I feel much better now. How about you, Miss Anya? You look injured too. Are you okay?¡± Anya touched her gauze¨Cwrapped forehead and sighed helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It wasn¡¯t a very serious car ident. All I suffered was a graze on my head. My family¡¯s a bit fussy though, and they insisted that I had to be hospitalized for a couple of days¡® worth of observation!¡± She had something of an annoyed expression on her face, like there was nothing that she could do with what her family members imposed on her. Yet, that very helplessness inadvertently revealed how much she was cherished by her family, who lavished her with love and affection. Since she received such care ever since she was a child, she did notck wealth,panionship, and love¡ª anything she wanted could be had without any effort, which allowed her to act like a child. The good life she had then probably meant that she had saved the world in her previous life. Corinne smiled and kept quiet. Anya seemed to have noticed something was amiss. She looked left and right and all around the ward, noticing that Annie was the only other person in the ward aside from herself and Jeremy, who had just come in. ¡°Where¡¯s your family, Corinne? Why aren¡¯t they here at the hospital to take care of you?¡± Corinne¡¯s face darkened slightly when she heard that. ¡ª ¡®Family? I don¡¯t have a family.¡® Only recently did she find out that Marvin was not her biological father, so even Sherlyn whom she had always thought to be her half¨Csister¡ªwas not rted to her by blood either. Meanwhile, the Carews in the countryside had nothing to do with her either. Therefore, one could say that she did not have any rtives. Corinne remained silent, and it was Annie who stepped forward to voice her opinion, ¡°Your remark is a little strange, Miss Anya. Aren¡¯t Uncle Jeremy and I Corinne¡¯s family? We¡¯re with her at the hospital now!¡± Anya looked at Annie and exined innocently, ¡°You misunderstood me, Annie. I know that you¡¯re Corinne¡¯s family, but what I mean by my question is, why didn¡¯t any of her own familye here?¡± Annie did not know about Corinne¡¯s family affairs and simply felt that Anya was being nosy. ¡°Having myself and Uncle Jeremy here is good enough. We shouldn¡¯t bother her family!¡± Anya disagreed. ¡°You can¡¯t keep it from them just because you¡¯re afraid they¡¯ll get worried. Corinne¡¯s allergies are so severe that she must feel very ufortable right now. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll feel a lot better if her close rtives are by her side at such a time.¡± Annie felt that Anya¡¯s words made sense, so she turned to look at Corinne and asked obediently, ¡°Would you like your family toe and keep yourpany? Do you want Uncle Jeremy to send someone to pick them up?¡± Corinne shook her head and said, ¡°This is a small injury. There¡¯s no need to get them toe back since I¡¯ll be fine in a couple of days anyway. Annie was very obedient and did as Corinne told her. She nodded and did not get involved in that anymore. Seeing that Corinne did not budge, Anya looked at Jeremy worriedly again and said sincerely, ¡°Corinne might insist that it¡¯s not serious, but I still think it¡¯s better to call her family and inform them!¡± Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Jeremy waited for further instruction from Corinne after hearing what Anya said. He knew that the little girl grew up in the countryside and had a rtively poor rtionship with the Carews, but if she wanted to see them, he could grant her that wish. ¡°Thanks for your concern, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have family,¡± Corinne answered expressionlessly. Anya was stunned. ¡°What? Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Corinne. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no biggie,¡± Corinne smiled and did not seem to mind what Anya said at all. Truth be told, it was better not to have a family rather than have one just like the Carews. Anya felt very moved when Corinne did not get angry at her, so she stepped forward and gently took one of Corinne¡¯s gauze -wrapped hands while remarking emotionally, ¡°You have such a good personality, Corinne. We share a pretty odd fate too, considering we were both admitted to the hospital on the day we first meet each other! You can treat me like your sister from now on. Don¡¯t hesitate to look for me if you feel like you need anything!¡± She held Corinne¡¯s swollen hand carefully and suddenly did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Your hands might be painfully swollen, but they look cute, like little pom¨Cpoms!¡± Corinne stared quietly at Anya who was being all intimate with her and looked down at her hands. A sudden thought urred to her, and she seemed to have found the answer to the conundrum. She had confirmed that she did not touch any #273 obvious allergens before she suffered an allergic reaction, and the only person aside from Jeremy who touched her hand was Anya, who did so twice! N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Anya showed her kindness at the entrance of Holdens¡® estate and came over to hold her hand. Corinne withdrew the first time because she felt awkward, but she could not bring herself to resist the second time because Anya seemed too kind. Could that innocent -looking girl have done something to her hand? ¡°At least we can keep each otherpany and not feel lonely these couple of days at the hospital!¡± Anya said with a smile. Corinne looked pensively at Anya¡¯s innocent face but did not respond to her statement. Annieined angrily, ¡°Hospitals aren¡¯t ces to have fun. The doctor said that Corinne needs to rest for the next two days, so I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to keep youpany, Miss Anya.¡± Anya was stunned and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. How could I be such an idiot to treat hospitalization like it¡¯s something fun?¡± Annie said without any restraint, ¡°Because you¡¯re used to being hospitalized with your weak and sick body!¡± Anya¡¯s deer¨Clike pupils flickered, and she lowered her head in shame like a child who had spoken and done something wrong. Jeremy¡¯s expression sank, and he gave Annie a stern look. ¡± Don¡¯t be rude!¡± Charter 287 Annie pursed her lips and muttered in a low voice, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not wrong!¡± Anya looked at the time on her watch, then raised her head again and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve already visited Corinne, so I think it¡¯s about time I go back, or my family will be worried sick.¡± Jeremy nodded and responded with a light grunt. Anya said goodbye to Corinne and turned around to walk toward the door. When she reached the door of the ward, she stopped suddenly and turned her head helplessly. ¡°Oh dear, I forgot how to get back to my ward. Could you send me there, Jeremy?¡± Jeremy did not say anything and turned around to prepare to see her off. Before his long legs could take a step forward, his big hand was grabbed by a clumsy small hand that had swollen like a balloon. Jeremy stopped what he was doing, turned his head to see Corinne holding him, and had a bit of vigor in his eyes. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Corinne did not say anything. She merely held the man¡¯s hand and looked at the man unblinkingly. All she gave him was a look, and it was up to him to decide what to do about it. After two seconds of silence, Jeremy turned his head to Annie and said, ¡°Could you help me bring Miss Anya back to her room, Annie?¡± Annie was hardly pleased to hear that, but she was well aware of the situation at hand. If she did not go, Corinne would be unhappy because Jeremy would have to go. As Corinne¡¯s most loyal supporter, she could never allow such a thing to happen! ¡°Okay, Uncle Jeremy. I¡¯ll send Miss Anya back to her ward as politely as I possibly can!¡± Annie then reluctantly walked up to Anya. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯d have to be the one sending you because Uncle Jeremy isn¡¯t free right now.¡± Anya¡¯s innocent eyes stared straight at Corinne¡¯s hand holding Jeremy, and she was stuck in a momentary daze before turning to look at Annie. ¡°Do you know where my ward is, Annie?¡± Annie did not take it too seriously. ¡°I can ask around, right? I have a functioning mouth, and there are nurses stationed on every floor of the hospital!¡± Anya¡¯s expression was a little contorted, but that was immediately reced by a smile as she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go!¡± Before leaving, Anya looked intently at Corinne again and said in a caring manner, ¡°Take good care of your health, Corinne. I¡¯lle to see you tomorrow.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°You too. Get well soon.¡± Anya¡¯s gaze moved away from Corinne, and she looked affectionately at Jeremy. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then, Jeremy.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jeremy did not have much to say. Eventually, Anya left with Annie. Corinne and Jeremy were the only two people left in the ward. He looked at her holding his hand, and warmth sprang up from the bottom of his eyes as he raised his eyebrows to look at her little face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Corinne let go of his hand without hesitation. She only wanted to test Anya¡¯s reaction to verify her guess. If Anya was a simple¨Cminded girl, then most of thetter¡¯s emotions would be shown on her face. Youngdies who were spoiled by their families did not need to learn to judge the situation and hide one¡¯s emotions. Examples of such women were Annie and Francine, who both had a straight temper and did not hide their emotions. They would not shy away from making their true emotions known. By contrast, Anya retained a smile despite feeling bothered by the way she saw Corinne holding Jeremy¡¯s hand earlier. It was proof that Anya was not as simple and innocent as she let on and that she was more cunning than what met the eye. However, her lovely looks and charm were incongruous with the way she put on a facade. Truth be told, Corinne did not care whether Anya was pretending or not, or what kind of person Anya was. She was more concerned about whether Anya had something to do with her severe allergic reaction, and if Anya had manipted her. If so, any bridge between them was as good as burnt. Though she could not tell from her ¡®test¡® earlier whether Anya did it, she could confirm that Anya was duplicitous and insincere, which necessitated greater care when interacting with her in the future. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. As for the real cause of her allergies, it seemed that there was no way for her to find out the truth, because if she were to analyze the situation by virtue of two simple perspectives of motive and suspicion, then it was almost certain that Anya was the culprit. Unfortunately, there would hardly be any evidence if Anya changed her clothes and washed her hands. What Corinne did not expect was that Jeremy would stay simply because of her light tug, rather than escort the apple of his eye out. ¡°You stopped me from sending Anya to her ward and now you left me in the cold like this? What are you trying to do, Corinne?¡± Jeremy¡¯s tone was displeased, and he seemed to object to her actions. Corinne came back to her senses to discover that Jeremy was still standing beside her hospital bed and gazing¨Cor more urately, ring¨Cdown at her. She knew that he would find her behavior to be a little inexplicable, so after thinking about it, she said, ¡°I just remembered that there¡¯s something I need from you!¡± ¡®That¡¯s more like it.¡® Jeremy snorted coldly, then moved gracefully and sat on the side of the hospital bed. His long legs were crossedzily one over the other, like a king waiting for his subjects to present a report. ¡°What is it?¡± Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Corinne smacked her lips and said, ¡°There is a cake I made for myself in the refrigerator at home. Could you please ask Tommy to get it for me? I¡¯m craving it a little right now.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Is that it?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it.¡± Jeremy¡¯splexion did not seem too pleased, but he gazed deeply at her and said, ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to ask, you can ask now. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Corinne looked out the window at the sky and yawned tiredly to avoid looking at the man. She had nothing to ask, and since she was not his true wife, would be annoying if she asked too many questions. it Jeremy stared at her nonchntly, and his jaw gradually tightened. Had it not been for her pitifully swollen little hands, he wished he could just pick her up and give her a good N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. lesson! Her actions irked him, and he had no choice but to suck it up as he massaged his heavy eyebrows. Then, he pulled Corinne¡¯s small swollen gauze¨Cwrapped hand and ced it on his palm to see if the swelling subsided. He then asked her, ¡°Does your hand still hurt?¡± Corinne had been looking out the window all that time and was startled by his actions. She replied curtly and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can bear it.¡± Jeremy frowned, and the gentle arc of the corner of his lips froze within seconds. She was probably number one in the world when it came to ruining the mood. The man sighed helplessly and tucked the lock of hair behind her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let you die.¡± Corinne was startled by what he did and turned her face away before closing her eyes. She then muttered to herself, ¡°Yeah, you won¡¯t let me die¡­¡± ¡®At least within these three months, you won¡¯t.¡® Chapter 280 Chapter 280 By the time Corinne woke up again, the sky outside the window was already dark. The side effects of the antihistamines injected into her system made her very sleepy, and she slept incredibly deeply at that time. However, her condition soon recovered somewhat, and she was able to sit up on her own. As soon as she sat up, her first instinct was to look around, whereupon she saw the tall figure of a man sitting on the sofa in the ward. She was startled, and when she looked closely, she discovered that it was Jeremy. He was sittingzily on the sofa with aptop on hisp. His forehead was supported on his hand, and it seemed that he was focused on some important work matters. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± His attention was clearly on theptop, yet he knew that she was awake without even bothering to look up at her. Corinne frowned and asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Jeremy nced at her, reached out for the coffee on the table, and took a sip. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone tell me not to leave even after they¡¯ve fallen asleep?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that you can leave when Anniees back? Where is she?¡± She looked left and right but saw no sign of Annie in the ward. ¡°Tommy sent her home,¡± he replied softly. Corinne¡¯splexion soured. Since Annie was gone, then Jeremy was the only one left with her in that room. Jeremy cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Something the matter? Are you disappointed that I¡¯m keeping you company while you sleep?¡± The phrase ¡®keeping youpany while you sleep¡® was rather unassuming, but for some reason, it sounded particrly insinuating when it came out of Jeremy¡¯s mouth. Corinne was disappointed indeed, but it was not like she could do anything about it since Annie had already left. Corinne sighed helplessly, nced briefly at the man, and discovered that he was using a fork to eat something as he was looking at theputer. She was hungry after sleeping the entire day, so she smacked her lips and asked, ¡°What are you eating?¡± ¡°Cake,¡± he replied nonchntly. ¡®Cake? Since when did he like eating sweet stuff?¡® A sudden thought urred to her, and she immediately red at him. ¡°Is it my chestnut cake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mine! I was saving it! Who said you could eat it?!¡± The man had a straight face. ¡°You were asleep and hadn¡¯t woken up yet, and it¡¯d be a waste not to eat it because this sort of stuff spoils easily at room temperature.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Well, I can eat it now that I¡¯m awake! Give it!¡± ¡°Come and get it yourself.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Corinne got out of bed to take the cake from him, but as soon as she walked to the sofa, she discovered that there was only one small piece of cake left. Jeremy had already eaten most of it! She was unhappy and stretched out her two swollen hands to take the cake away. As soon as she lifted the te, Jeremy pressed it back on the table with two long fingers. ¡°Sit down. and eat with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡± Corinne had a protective expression, and her eyebrows were knitted into a frown. Jeremy had a domineering expression. ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t eat any?¡± Corinne was furious. ¡°Why are you still trying to snatch it away from me after eating so much already?!¡± She then immediately picked up the te and wanted to leave again. The man raised his big hand and used his long fingers to grasp the other end of the te. He pulled the te toward him, dragging along Corinne who was holding the te, and said, Are you really being stingy over a piece of cake with the person who sent you to the hospital and took care of you all day?¡± Although Corinne¡¯s hand condition made it inconvenient for her to do anything, she did not let go and continued to hold the te tightly as she confronted him. ¡°There¡¯s only one piece left, and I want to eat it all! I can always make one for you another time if you want it!¡± ¡°Deal.¡± Jeremy let go all of a sudden, and Corinne fell into his arms because the inertia made it difficult for her to control her center of gravity. Fortunately, the cake did not fall and was duly caught by the man¡¯s hand. Her chin struck the man¡¯s corbone heavily, and she could feel the contours of his bones through the layer of clothing. She stood up at once but felt pricked when she inadvertently brushed past the man¡¯s side profile. She scratched her face with her hands andined, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you shave? You¡¯re full of stubble now! ¡°Oh?¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrows, sped her waist with one hand, and pulled her body close to him again so he could rub her face on purpose. He wanted to rub his stubble on the little girl¡¯s tender skin. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Corinne¡¯s face turned red when he rubbed her face, and she did not know whether to be angry or ashamed. ¡°Mister! Stop! Enough!¡± Jeremy let go and looked at her with tired eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to shave because I haven¡¯t closed my eyes for two days now.¡± Corinne was taken aback. ¡®He hasn¡¯t slept for two days?¡¯ Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡®Oh, he didn¡¯t sleep a wink because he and Anya had spent the night experiencing the miracles of life!¡® Corinne remembered. Jeremy frowned when he saw the look of disgust on her face.¡± Do I disgust you? All men have beards, you know.¡± Corinne came back to her senses, got up from him, and shook her head after moving a little away. ¡°No. You look handsome with a beard.¡± Whether or not he grew a beard had nothing to do with her, so the question of liking or disliking it did not arise. ¡°You think I¡¯m handsome, then?¡± There was a surge of heat in Jeremy¡¯s expression, for it was rare to hear her say something nice about him. Corinne remained calm. ¡°Your handsomeness is a fact. My opinion doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Is that why you are so cold toward me?¡± ¡°Am I supposed to be super friendly with you just because you¡¯re handsome? There are plenty of handsome men out there, so am I supposed to get close to all of them?¡± Jeremy¡¯splexion darkened. He dragged her over, sat her down on the sofa with a sullen face, and abruptly ced the cake te in front of her as he said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t think about that stuff. Eat your cake!¡± Corinne snorted unhappily when she was forced to sit. ¡®Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll eat it!¡® Her hands might be swollen, but she could still hold the fork- albeit with some effort. She no longer kicked up a fuss and merely sat on the sofa while eating her cake. From time to time, she nced at Jeremy¡¯sptop screen too. He had stopped causing trouble and continued to focus on reviewing the documents on hisptop. asionally, the long fingers of his hands would dance on the keys as if to make annotations on the documents he was reviewing. Corinne felt unbearably bored, so she sucked on the cake fork and asked, ¡°When can I be discharged from the hospital, Mister?¡± ¡°In another three days at least.¡± ¡®Three days! That¡¯s too long!¡® Corinne did not want to stay in the hospital, so she negotiated with him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as I don¡¯te into contact with allergens, right? I want to go home to recuperate. Can I? Please¡­¡± The man turned around, and as soon as he saw Corinne was about to put a cake in her mouth, he raised his handsome eyebrows and opened his mouth at her. Corinne was taken aback for a moment when she saw that. ¡®Is he¡­begging me for the cake? And what¡¯s with that tiny hint of threat in his eyes? Is he saying that I have to feed him if I am to have the smallest chance of discussing this with him?¡® She was a little upset aftering to realize what he meant, but since she did not want to stay in the hospital for three more days, she decided to set down the cake that she had not yet eaten and reach out to get a new fork to feed him. Unexpectedly, his big hand grabbed her wrist before she could put it down, and he pulled her over forcibly to feed himself indirectly. He showed no hesitation at all in eating the cake she had on her fork. Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and by the time she regained her senses, she quickly threw the fork away and reced it with a new one. Jeremy frowned. ¡°Do I disgust you that much?¡± Corinne cleared her throat, curled her lips, and said, ¡°It¡¯s unhygienic. Sharing utensils is equivalent to engaging in a ritual of germ exchange! You might not mind it as much, but I do!¡± Jeremy snorted softly. ¡°Toote to worry about that. The germ exchange between us has already happened.¡± ¡®Germ¡­exchange¡­¡® Although he did not mention anything in specific, he was clearly referring to what happened on the night she got drugged, was in heat, and engaged in a passionate spiritual and physical encounter with him. She wanted to forget it, which made it even more irksome that he had mentioned it again. Corinne could not take it anymore. ¡°Mister!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jeremy felt as though he had finally let out his anger on her and chuckled softly after seeing her blushing face. He stopped causing trouble and raised his hand to rub her head. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t eat too much sweet stuff. A hot meal will be delivered to you soon.¡± Corinne was stunned. Was he some sort of schizophrenic? He was gloomy one second and then cheery the next! She turned her face away and uttered a displeased grunt. Jeremy seemed to tease her whenever he had nothing better to do. Her phone then vibrated all of a sudden, and Corinne put down the cake fork so she could reach out and take the phone. She has been using Jeremy¡¯s cell phone recently, and all his contacts were stored in it. Generally, Tommy and Zeke were the ones who would call the number on asion. The iing call she was receiving then happened to be from a number that was not saved. Corinne picked up the phone, and since it was inconvenient for her to swipe and answer due to her gauze¨Cwrapped hand, she used her chin to swipe the screen and answer it. Anya¡¯s terrified voice came from the other end. ¡°Ah! Help! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯te here! Jeremy! I¡¯m scared! Help me! Come quick¡­¡± Corinne frowned and walked over to Jeremy immediately as she handed the phone to him. ¡°It¡¯s for you, Mister. Something apparently happened to your Anya!¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Jeremy raised his sharp eyes. ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Corinne felt that Jeremy seemed to have missed the point, so she stuffed the phone into his hand. ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t let anything happen to her!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, gazed deeply at her, then ced the phone to his ear. After hearing the call for help, his calm face tensed up suddenly as he stood up and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Where are you? Stay there and don¡¯t go anywhere! I¡¯ll be there right away!¡± After ending the call, Jeremy hurried to leave but stopped suddenly and stared at Corinne. Corinne shrugged indifferently. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll be fine on my own!¡± The man had mixed emotions as he frowned and said, ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± He then rushed off. Corinne froze for a moment, feeling as though she had been transported all those years ago when her mother said the same thing to her at the hospital. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Sadly, her mother never came back. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. An hour passed, and after Corinne finished her cake, she scrolled through several short videos on her phone for some time. Jeremy, who said he would be back soon, still had not. returned yet. ¡®Did something happen? I don¡¯t know which ward Anya is in¡­¡® Corinne slept too much during the day and could not fall asleep anymore, so after some thought, she got up and left her ward with ns to go out and look for him. She was on the VIP floor of the hospital¡¯s inpatient department, where each patient was housed in a high¨Cquality ward. The environment there was rtively quiet, and most people were already resting because it was gettingte. There was no one in the corridor, so Corinne walked slowly toward the nurse¡¯s station to try and find out which room Anya was in. Before she could reach one of the stations, however, she saw from a distance the presence of police officers checking the surveince in the nurse¡¯s station. They seemed to have made a copy of the video they needed, and they came out of the nurse station, and a doctor who seemed to be in a rtively high position in the hospital hierarchy sent the police to the elevator entrance. The police waved their hands and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s no need to send us off. We appreciate your hospital¡¯s cooperation with the investigation today.¡± The doctor replied politely, ¡°It¡¯s our duty! You¡¯ve all worked hard to address our issue at such ate hour!¡± ¡°Our duty is to serve the people!¡± the police said before leaving. Corinne heard several nurses in the nurse¡¯s station discussing among themselves. ¡°That was scary! I didn¡¯t expect a pervert to show up in our hospital!¡± ¡°Perverts exist everywhere. We should all be more careful in the future!¡± ¡°This particr sicko is brave enough to stalk Miss Anya from room three¨Co¨Ctwo! Who does he think he is, trying to stalk someone like Anya?¡± ¡°People like him should be chemically castrated after getting caught!¡± ¡°By the way, I just went to take Miss Anya¡¯s temperature, and I noticed that her little face turned pale with fright. She hasn¡¯t recovered yet, and she¡¯s still crying pitifully in her boyfriend¡¯s arms!¡± ¡°Is her boyfriend handsome? He¡¯s the one who spent a huge sum of money for Century Bank¡¯s LED advertisement by Yonder Riverst night just so he can express his love to Miss Anya all the time, right?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just handsome¡­ He¡¯s super handsome! He¡¯s even more handsome than any movie star! I wouldn¡¯t even dare to steal another nce at him or else my legs will turn weak¡­¡± ¡°Why would your legs turn weak? Are you craving a man¡¯s touch?¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! It¡¯s obvious that the man¡¯s status is unique and that he probably has the same sort of family background that couldplement Miss Anya. They made for the perfect pair!¡± Corinne heard that while she passed slowly by the nurse¡¯s station, and she had a good guess of what could have happened. A pervert had stalked Anya, which led her to call Jeremy for help. By the time Jeremy arrived, however, the pervert had run off. The police then came to investigate potential suspects by checking the hospital surveince footage. The nurses mentioned that Anya was in Ward 302, which did not seem too far away. She should be almost there if she kept walking and took the turn up ahead. Corinne turned the corner and found Ward 302 in no time. The door of the ward was half open, and there were plenty of people inside, including the police. Without getting too close, the angle was just right for her to see what was going on in the ward. Anya leaned against Jeremy¡¯s arms in shock, and her shoulders were trembling. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Jeremy hugged her shoulders and patted her back gently tofort her. He then reassured her in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Just tell the police what happened. Do you still remember the perpetrator¡¯s physical appearance and characteristics?¡± Anya was unable to go to the police station to have her statement taken because she was hospitalized, so the police had no choice but to go to the hospital to do their duty. Jeremy¡¯s reassurance stabilized Anya¡¯s mood greatly, and she took a deep breath before saying as calmly as possible to the officers, ¡°That man¡­ He wore a striped shirt, wears sses, and is a bit fat. He¡¯s about one¨Cpoint¨Cseven meters tall¡­¡± The police nodded and jotted it down. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ve got that written down, Miss Anya. Rest assured, we will apprehend that person and get justice for you!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Anya thanked the police politely while shrinking into Jeremy¡¯s arms to seek a sense of security. It was as if that man was the only person in the world who would not scare her. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Jeremy. Please don¡¯t go. I want you to be here by my side¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Jeremy patted her gently on the back and whispered a few words offort. After finishing up their work there, the police stood up and prepared to leave. ¡°We¡¯ll excuse ourselves now, Mister Jeremy. You¡¯ll be the first to know if there is any progress with the case.¡± Jeremy nodded slightly. ¡°Okay. Please send the two officers off, Rosie.¡± Rosie then said magnanimously, ¡°Thank you for all that you¡¯ve done, officers. Right this way, please. Take care on the road.¡± Corinne stood outside the ward and saw that the two of them were fine. Nothing serious seemed to have happened, so she closed her eyes gently and turned around to go back to her ward.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Corinne?! It¡¯s you!¡± Rosie, who hade out to see the police off, chanced upon a figure that looked like Corinne in the corridor. She immediately followed behind the girl to get a closer look, and her guess turned out to have been spot on. Corinne looked calmly at Rosie standing in front of her. ¡°Good evening, Miss Rosie.¡± Rosie looked at Corinne suspiciously, then looked back at Ward 302, and realized that she could see Anya leaning against Jeremy¡¯s arms through the half¨Copen door. She understood at once andughed. ¡°You saw everything, didn¡¯t you? I told you a long time ago that you¡¯d be reduced to nothing once Anya comes back!¡± Corinne smirked. She was nothing to Jeremy before Anya came back anyway, so what was the difference? Rosie folded her arms triumphantly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that Anya has known Jeremy since she was ten, and their rtionship had developed to such an extent over the years that you can never separate them!¡± Corinne surmised that Rosie was just trying to stand in her way, so she raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re just poking your nose into other people¡¯s businesses?¡± Rosie¡¯s face turned sour, and after seeing a distinctck of disappointment on Corinne¡¯s face, she gritted her teeth unhappily because herments failed to achieve the intended effects. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re abandoned by Jeremy! I hope you don¡¯t cry too ugly when the timees!¡± ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± A man¡¯s gentle and clear voice suddenly sounded from behind Corinne. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Rosie¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the man who spoke, and her tone became gentle as she said, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re here!¡± Rosie¡¯s sudden lovestruck reaction prompted Corinne to turn around and have a look at who it was. The man behind her was tall and slender. He wore a finely tailored light¨Cgray suit, and there was a touch of warm handsomeness to his expression. His beautiful long eyes were like an artist¡¯s portrayal of a charming man, with a hint of estrangement added to his demeanor. He exuded the condescending look of the high¨Cbred member of society, like a god bereft of earthly influence as he stood high above all men. He looked at Corinne when she turned to look at him, and he recognized Corinne immediately. ¡°You?¡± Corinne also recognized him as the grandson of the blind elderly man from the previous day. Seeing Lucas chatting with Corinne, Rosie panicked and had her guard up as she asked with a smirk, ¡°Do you know Corinne?¡± Lucas nced at Rosie insipidly before turning his warm yet distant gaze back toward Corinne. ¡°Your name is Corinne?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. My name is Corinne.¡± Lucas did not say anything more and simply raised his hand elegantly, signaling to his secretary, Edmund, for his wallet. He took it from Edmund, opened it, and signed a checkbook inside before tearing it off and handing it to Corinne. He then said politely, ¡°I caught wind that you felt that I gave you too little. Take a look at this check and tell me if it¡¯s better.¡± Corinne looked down at the check that was handed to her. This time, it was a check filled with a specific number, 750,000 dors, which was one zero more than the previous day. Rosie looked at them in a daze, for she was puzzled as to why Lucas would give Corinne such arge check. Though she wanted to ask him, she did not dare to be rash and interrupt them. Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Sir, do you think seven¨Chundred -and¨Cfifty million can buy a person¡¯s dignity?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Lucas¡¯s noble and handsome face was unmoved. He smiled and responded to her without answering her question, ¡°Generally speaking, it doesn¡¯t take this much to buy the dignity of an ordinary person.¡± Corinne looked at him with a bright, clear gaze. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is, you think that as long as you have enough money, you can buy anyone¡¯s dignity and everything thates with a person?¡± Lucas smiled gracefully. ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Corinne took the check with her gauze¨Cwrapped hands, brought it to her nose to smell it, and smiled. She almost seemed unable to put it down. ¡°Money smells amazing! Are you giving me this check, sir?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Contempt shed across Lucas¡¯s handsome eyes when he saw Corinne¡¯s reaction after seeing all that money. He initially thought of her as being different from the others, but it seemed that she would be just as prone to money as long Chapter 28-4 as the price was right. All of a sudden, Corinne ced the check in Lucas¡¯s hand again and said with a smile. ¡°This amount of money can set an ordinary person up for life, but you¡¯re very good¨Clooking, and you seem to be worth a lot too. In that case, I¡¯ll use this money to take care of you for an entire year!¡± ¡®Take care of me?¡® Lucas was stunned and sullen. ¡®What did she just say?¡® He never felt that offended by anyone in his 30 years of living. Meanwhile, his secretary Edmund could not bear to see his master being teased by a woman like that and wanted to step forward to deal with her. Rosie was just as angry too. ¡°What are you talking about, Corinne? Who gave you the courage to talk to Lucas like that?!¡± Lucas raised his hand, signaling Rosie and the secretary to step aside and not to interrupt. He looked down at the check that had returned to his hand, narrowed his eyes, and said to her seriously, ¡°Well, Miss Corinne, you saved my grandfather yesterday, and I intend to repay you out of gratitude. I bear no ill will. Are you sure you don¡¯t want a single penny?¡± Corinne shrugged. ¡°I do. Didn¡¯t I just say I¡¯m using it to take care of you for an entire year?¡± Lucas stared at her for a few seconds and smiled. ¡°Oh? How do you n to take care of me with this seven¨Chundred¨Cand- fifty thousand?¡± Corinne said curtly, ¡°I want to make sure you don¡¯t show up in front of me throughout the one¨Cyear duration!¡± Lucas¡¯s elegant smile froze, and he frowned. Corinne¡¯s yful eyes suddenly turned cold, and she snorted softly. ¡°Kids like you from aristocratic families think that your charm is endless, and you¡¯re always afraid that people will want to try and take advantage of you whenever they see you. That¡¯s why you pay off people no matter what they do, and I¡¯m sick of seeing people do that to me! Take the money and get out of my sight!¡± Lucas, Edmund, and Rosie were all speechless. At that moment, neither of them noticed that a tall figure had long been standing outside Ward 302. Jeremy heard Corinne¡¯s voice talking with someone in the corridor, so he immediately got up and came out to check. That was when he witnessed how swiftly she dealt with Lucas, who was an arrogant and ruthless man notorious for being a difficult old fox in the business world. Even Jeremy had suffered in Lucas¡¯s hands before. Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Amazingly, Corinne left the man stumped with just a few words. Jeremy leanedzily against the door frame and ced his hands on his belt. There was a gentle sense of pride as he watched his wife gain the upper hand against Lucas. ¡®That¡¯s my girl!¡® He then walked over and asked, ¡°Why did youe out instead of resting in your ward?¡± Corinne saw that Jeremy hade out of Ward 302 at some point and was walking toward her, which drew a frown from her as she said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping too much and I¡¯m bored, so I thought ofing out to check whether or not you¡¯re still alive.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jeremy¡¯s expression turned sullen, but he seemed to have gotten used to her ability to irritate people and was not angry as a result. His big rough hands covered the top of her head and massaged her impudently. ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, but I¡¯m still alive. Were you disappointed?¡± Corinne dodged the man¡¯s touch smoothly by moving a step. She despised having him touch her when his hand had just been hugging another woman! Tiredness began to sink in, so Corinne waved her little swollen gauze -wrapped hands and said, ¡°Carry on, folks. I won¡¯t be joining your conversation anymore!¡± She then turned and left. Jeremy followed Corinne naturally, and Anya ran out suddenly to hold the corner of his clothes. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Jeremy! Stay with me, please. I¡¯m scared¡­ Jeremy paused and looked at Anya. Rather than responding directly to her, he looked up at her brother Lucas and said, ¡± My family is very strict, and it¡¯s inconvenient for me to take care of your sister.¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly, and he nodded gracefully.¡® Understood.¡± Jeremy then calmly broke away from Anya¡¯s hand and said to her, ¡°Your brother is here to keep you company. Rest well.¡± He then picked up the pace with steady steps and caught up with Corinne who was far ahead of him. Anya wanted to catch up when she saw Jeremy leave, but Lucas took his younger sister¡¯s arm and advised her kindly, ¡°Be good, Anya. He¡¯s already married.¡± Anya shook her head aggrievedly. ¡°I know that Jeremy only got married to deal with his old man. He never really intended to marry¡­¡± Lucas reminded her in a gentle but stern tone, ¡°Whatever his reasons for marrying, the fact remains that he¡¯s married. You¡¯re an innocent girl, Anya. Don¡¯t get too close to married men in the future. Listen to my advice!¡± Anya burst into tears. ¡°But Lucas, I want Jeremy. I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Lucas looked very distressed, so he hugged his sister in his arms tofort her. ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± Her elder brother¡¯s patientforting allowed Anya¡¯s mood to calm down slightly. Her bitter cries soon became soft sobs. At that moment, Lucas received a call, prompting him to take out his cell phone and look at the caller ID. His eyes darkened, and he said to Rosie who was staring infatuatedly at him, Could you please help Anya back to the ward? Stay with her while I take this call.¡± Rosie blushed and nodded tenderly. ¡°Okay, Lucas. Don¡¯t worry. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of Anya.¡± Upon seeing Rosie coax Anya into the ward, Lucas closed his eyes and answered the phone. The person on the other end was one of his capable subordinates. ¡°Sir, the two unimed female bones, onerge and one small, that were found in Westrise Vige have beenpared with your DNA. They¡¯re not a match, which means they couldn¡¯t have been the madam and the youngdy who disappeared all those years ago.¡± ¡°Keep searching. I want to know for sure if they¡¯re dead or alive.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Lucas pinched his eyebrows after ending the call. 15 years ago, severalplex family conflicts led his mother to run away with his five¨Cyear¨Cold sister, and the two have disappeared without a word since then. Many people said that they were dead, but he would not give up looking for them until he could locate their bones. Lucas snapped back to his senses and told the secretary beside him, ¡°Edmund, could you have someone find out where Corinne is from? She looks like a very capable woman, and I don¡¯t want her to bully Anya.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Edmund heeded Lucas¡¯s order and added, ¡°That would exin why she isn¡¯t swayed by the check you gave her. She must have even bigger ambitions, and what she wants is to secure her position as Missus Holden and gain the Holdens¡® assets! I¡¯m afraid Miss Anya might not have a chance with Mister Jeremy anymore¡­ Lucas frowned lightly and narrowed his eyes. It would be difficult for Anya and Jeremy to get together even without Corinne in the picture. The beef between the Riveras and the Holdens was a family feud, and although the enmity between the younger generation has faded and they were not at odds with each other whenever they ran into the other party, it would still be difficult for the families to be rted by marriage if the elders of the older generation were still alive. s, Anya just had to fall in love with a man whom she should not have. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 In the quiet hospital corridors, Corinne could be seen hurriedly striding past the nurses¡® station as she made her way to her ward with Jeremy following closely behind her. Witnessing this, the nurses began to whisper excitedly between themselves. ¡°That¡¯s him! That¡¯s him! That man is Miss Anya¡¯s boyfriend!¡± ¡°Oh my god! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°But why is he chasing after another girl right now instead of being with Miss Anya in Room 302?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me the three of them are involved in a love triangle!¡± A frown immediately appeared on Corinne¡¯s face when she overheard what the nurses said. Annoyed, she sped up her pace. She turned to close her door once she was back in her ward, but Jeremy quickly blocked the door from closing with his hand. ¡°What is the matter with you?¡± asked Jeremy through the gap. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You shouldn¡¯te in, Mister,¡± said Corinne as she struggled to close the door. ¡°Give me a good reason why I shouldn¡¯t go in,¡± demanded Jeremy with a darkened face. Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Fine. Move your hand, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Jeremy, being the trusting fool he was, immediately moved his hand only to have the door closed with a bang in his face. Then, he heard the sound of the door being locked from the inside. He was rendered speechless for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Open the door and let me in!¡± said Jeremy as he knocked on the door, his patience running thin. No sound came from inside the ward. Corinne had made up her mind to ignore himpletely. Jeremy furrowed his brow and said, ¡°Corinne Carew, open the door this instant, you hear?¡± No sound, still. Jeremy was at a loss for what to do. He sighed and made up his mind to swallow his pride. ¡°Hey now, won¡¯t you be a sweetheart and open this door for me? Could you at least tell me what¡¯s wrong? I know it¡¯s my fault that I came backte, and I should be punished for that. But Corinne¡­ Corinne dear¡­sweetheart¡­¡± Jeremy cooed. Suddenly, Tommy spoke up from behind Jeremy, causing thetter to whip around with a scrunched - up thunderous face. Tommy had no idea what was happening. All he knew was something was off, so he tried to exin himself, ¡°Umm¡­ Sir, I was caught up in a traffic jam and the food you asked me to buy went cold, so I went back to the same ce to get a new one. This here is still hot. Please let Ma¡¯am eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Jeremy wanted to pass the food to Corinne while it was hot, but how could he when Corinne would not even let him step one foot into the room? ¡°Sir, I¡¯m guessing Ma¡¯am won¡¯t let you in?¡± asked Tommy, finally making heads or tails out of the situation. Jeremy did not know how to reply to him. He just stared frostily at Tommy until thetter instinctively took a few steps back. Tommy was smart enough to put the food on one of the corridor chairs before bidding farewell. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll put the food here. Remember to eat it while it¡¯s still hot. I¡¯ll take my leave now if there¡¯s no need for my service anymore.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tommy quickly left the hospital. Jeremy rubbed his face out of tiredness and sat on the corridor chair. He took out his phone and sent a message to Corinne. [Anya saved my life ten years ago. She hurt herself in the process and became sickly and weak after that. Because of that, I¡¯ll forever be indebted to her and would do anything within my power to make sure she¡¯s okay.] Corinne, still in her ward, read the message from Jeremy. After a pause, she replied, [If that¡¯s the case, you should just go and be with her instead of me. You should just leave me alone.] [Why don¡¯t you let me in first?] Jeremy texted back. [I¡¯m going to sleep now. Go be with your savior.] [Open the door. Let me exin it to you face to face.] There was no more reply from Corinne. Jeremy waited for another minute but there was still no reply. He reined in the urge to throw his phone onto the floor and shot off another message to her. [Tommy brought some barbecued meat.] Three secondster, the ward door opened with a click. Jeremy ¨C with a darkened face¨Cpicked up the food from the corridor chair while thinking, ¡®I can¡¯t believe she¡¯ll only let me in because of some barbecued meat.¡® Corinne opened up the takeaway container and discovered the content to be chicken soup. She immediately scowled at Jeremy. ¡°Where¡¯s my barbecued meat?¡± Jeremy was situated near the window. He was enjoying the breeze and did not seem to feel any remorse for the lie he told. ¡°You had a severe allergic reaction, so it¡¯s best for you to eat something lighter. It¡¯s the doctor¡¯s order, after all,¡± he said calmly. ¡°You liar!¡± cried Corinne, unhappy at being lied to. While that was true, she was also hungry. Hence, she started to drink the chicken soup. Jeremy walked over and sat next to her. He stared silently at her while she ate. Only when she put down her spoon did he begin to speak. ¡°Are you done eating? If you are, I have something to tell you¡­¡± ¡°Mister, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I don¡¯t want to know about it,¡± Corinne interjected. Jeremy¡¯s face fell, and his eyes darkened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you want to let me in just now?¡° Chapter 287 Chapter 287 ¡°I didn¡¯t want to give the nurses something to gossip about nor do I want to be involved in a love triangle with you and Miss Anya. I can¡¯t think of anyone who¡¯d be happy to have fingers being pointed at her and be called a mistress.¡± Jeremy understood where she wasing from, but that only served to fuel his displeasure even more. ¡°Corinne, aren¡¯t you going to at least ask me what happened? Things are not as you believed, okay?¡± Corinne was calm. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s a need to ask, and there¡¯s no need for you to exin yourself to me either. This isn¡¯t like you. Others might think that you like me¡­¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he grabbed her jaw with his big hands and forcefully twisted her face to the side so that she had no choice but to look at him. ¡°There¡¯s no one here but us. Who are these others you speak of?¡± Corinne was speechless. Jeremy grabbed a few tissues and lightly wiped off some of the soup from Corinne¡¯s lips. ¡°Well, go on and say it. Who are these others you speak of?¡± Corinne furrowed her eyebrows and pushed away his hand. ¡± Fine! I¡¯m the one who might actually think that you like me. Anyone would¡¯ve thought like this from the way you¡¯ve been treating me!¡± Jeremy grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes again. He closed in on her face and said, ¡°What if that¡¯s what I want you to think?¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡°Mister, you shouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not funny at all.¡± In fact, she was disgusted by the suggestion. ¡®I hate it when a man simply tells me he likes me when we haven¡¯t even gotten to know each other. Besides, how can he suggest that when just yesterday, he proimed his love for Anya to the whole world? Does he take me for an idiot?¡® thought Corinne. Jeremy stared deeply into Corinne¡¯s resentful eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. This isn¡¯t like me at all. I wouldn¡¯t have believed you if you had told my old self that a girl like you would have me wrapped around her little finger.¡± ¡®What? I have him wrapped around my little finger?¡® thought Corinne incredulously. She was just about to argue back when Jeremy put a slightly cold finger on her lips. ¡°Shh, don¡¯t talk, and just listen to me.¡± Corinne closed her mouth and looked quietly at him. Jeremy put on a very serious and sincere expression. ¡°I once said that I can give you everything except for my heart. There was simply no room in my heart for a woman in the life n I had written in the past. Meeting you changed all that. I¡¯m telling you all this now because I¡¯m not afraid that you¡¯llugh at me. I¡¯ve only ever been with one woman in my life and that woman is you. That night, it wasn¡¯t only because of the drug effect but also because¡­I already had feelings for you¡­¡± A shockwave shot through Corinne¡¯s heart. Her eyshes quivered as she looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Mister¡­are you kidding me?¡± Jeremy could not believe that she still did not believe him after all he had said. He frowned slightly, not knowing whether tough or cry. ¡°You little rascal. I haven¡¯t slept for two days, so please don¡¯t annoy me further, okay? Won¡¯t you just let me go to sleep with a clear mind?¡± He let go of her and put his head on the sofa¡¯s armrest. Having been mentally and physically exhausted, he soon closed his eyes. Corinne¡¯s heart tightened when she saw just how tired Jeremy was. She actually felt bad for him, even after telling herself she should not feel that way since Jeremy was the type of man who could get everything he wanted with a crook of his finger. Nheless, she got up, picked up the nket from her hospital bed, and thenid it over Jeremy. Then, she could not help but think just how handsome Jeremy was as she stared at his face. ¡®I guess having slept with him is a win for me¡­¡® Corinne thought. She leaned in closer to take another good look at Jeremy when he suddenly opened his eyes, causing her to jump back in fright. ¡°Mister¡­you¡¯re still awake?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Were you trying to steal a kiss from me?¡± asked Jeremy with one eyebrow raised. ¡°As if!¡± answered Corinne with a twitch of her mouth. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and softly brushed his hand against her face. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t ever keep me out again.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve let you in in the end,¡± said Corinne quizzically. ¡°I meant, out of your heart.¡± Not one second after saying that, Jeremy fell into a deep sleep. Corinne blinked foolishly a few times while staring at him. Her heart was in a mess. The next day, Corinne woke up and rubbed her face against Jeremy¡¯s arm, which she thought was her pillow. It was only when she wondered when her pillow became so hard that she opened her eyes just to discover that she had been sleeping by the crook of Jeremy¡¯s arm all along. Jeremy had been staring at her for god knew how long. ¡°Umm¡­ Mister¡­how did we end up¡­falling asleep together?¡± she asked bashfully. Luckily, she was saved from embarrassment when someone knocked on her door. Jeremy got up to open the door. ¡°Good morning, Jeremy!¡± greeted Anya with a smile. She had a stainless steel food thermos in her hand. ¡°My mom brought some homemade soup for me. I can¡¯t possibly finish it all, so I¡¯ve brought some to share with Corinne,¡± she said as she held up the food thermos. Jeremy turned back to look at Corinne. ¡°Do you want some soup?¡± Corinne shook her head. She still had her doubts about Anya and thought it best not to eat anything she gave, especially not when she still had not recovered from her allergic reaction. ¡°She has been put on a strict diet on ount of her allergic reactions,¡± said Jeremy as he turned back to Anya. Anya nodded and smiled apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not thinking it through¡­¡± At that moment, a doctor followed by two police officers entered the ward. ¡°Miss Corinne, the police wish to speak to you. Corinne¡¯s face turned ashen. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why are the police looking for me?¡± The police officers showed her their IDs and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, you¡¯ll need toe down with us to the station. You are suspected of participating in illegal activities, and we require your cooperation to aid in the investigation.¡± Chapter 288 Chapter 288 ¡®What illegal activities?¡® thought Corinne puzzledly. It was obvious she was confused by the expression on her face. Jeremy came over and asked in a low voice, ¡°Which case are you referring to?¡± It was only then the police officers noticed Jeremy was also in the room. They were a little caught off guard by that. ¡°Mister Jeremy, do you know Miss Corinne?¡± ¡°Yes. What business do you have with her?¡± questioned Jeremy seriously. Anya¨Cwho was standing next to Jeremy¨Crecalled the terrible ordeal she experiencedst night when she saw the police officers. Instinctively, she leaned on Jeremy for support, as she eximed anxiously, ¡°Mister police, what case is Corinne involved in? Is there a possibility that you might¡¯ve gotten the wrong person? She¡¯s a good person, I tell you.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The police officers were even more thrown off to see Anya. Miss Anya, you¡¯re here, too! So both of you know Miss Corinne. Considering the victim and her ¡®family¡® had a right to know, the police officers decided to go straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s like this, Mister Jeremy¡­ We¡¯ve already caught the perpetrator who tried to rape Miss Anyast night. Under our intense interrogation, the perpetrator finally confessed everything, saying that a certain Corinne Carew gave him fifteen thousand dors to carry out a rape crime against Miss Anya.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡± The food thermos Anya was holding in her hand fell to the floor, causing the soup to spill out, and missing her feet by only an inch. Jeremy¨Cwith his quick reflexes¨Cquickly pulled her away to save her. Anya was in shock. She kept shaking her head while muttering, ¡°No¡­ No¡­ This can¡¯t be. Corinne is my friend. She wouldn¡¯t hurt me like this¡­¡± The police officers, who had seen everything under the sky, could not help but feel bad for Anya, who they thought was kind and innocent. ¡°Miss Anya, you¡¯ll only know who the person is once their mask is off. I suggest you choose your friends more wisely in the future.¡± ¡°How can this¡­¡± Anya seemed to have suffered a huge blow to her faith in the goodness of people. Her weak and small frame was teetering on the edge of falling. She anxiously grabbed hold of Jeremy¡¯s arm. ¡°Jeremy, how can this be? Corinne is a good person. She won¡¯t do anything to hurt me¡­right?¡± Jeremy looked at Anya, then sideways at Corinne. Corinne, who was leaning against the hospital bed, calmly stared back at him in a ¡®I¨Ctold¨Cyou¨Cso¡® way. She knew this would never end, not when she was still married to him. In fact, she could kiss her peaceful life goodbye. Jeremy held her stare with his deep, dark eyes for a moment before turning back to tell the police officers, ¡°You better have evidence that she is a suspect. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think about taking her away from the hospital.¡± The police officers were stunned. Suddenly, they had no idea which side Jeremy was really on. ¡®Isn¡¯t he Miss Anya¡¯s boyfriend? Why does it seem like he¡¯s protecting the suspect?¡® ¡°We have both physical evidence and witness testimonies. Mister Jeremy, we¡¯re just doing our job by the book, so please step aside and stop interfering.¡± It was obvious from the way the police officers were behaving that they had decided Corinne was guilty. All that was left for them to do was go through all the formalities. ¡°You have both physical evidence and witness testimonies¡­?¡± Anya took a deep breath and turned to look sadly at Corinne. Her eyes were so red and teary that anyone would have wanted to scoop her up to assure her everything would be okay. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 ¡°Corinne, I really wanted to be your friend. I even brought some homemade soup to share with you, so why did you want to hurt me like that? What did I ever do to you that you wish to hurt me so badly?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to me. You¡¯ve only been back for two days, so there was no way you could¡¯ve done anything to me,¡± said Corinne calmly and with a smirk on her face. She wondered if Anya would be able to read between the lines. Anya returned home two days ago, while Corinne had been hospitalized since yesterday morning due to her suffering from a severe allergic reaction. All throughout her stay, Annie and Jeremy had been by her side, so there was no time for her to hatch some devious n even if she wanted to hurt Anya. Besides, there was also the fact that no one even knew when Anya would return until yesterday. The n would not have worked unless Corinne had the psychic ability to predict the future. More importantly, Corinne did not even know who Anya was until yesterday. They never had any contact with each other, so how could she do anything to her? From the police officers¡® conjecture, Corinne might seem like the biggest suspect but not when the timeline was factored in. Anyone who had a brain would rightfully conclude that someone had set Corinne up and that she had no involvement in the crime at all. Then came the question of who the real culprit was. Corinne, not surprisingly, knew the answer to this. ¡®Seems like Anya didn¡¯te here to bring me soup at all. No, her real motive is annoyed he got. However, it was not like he could do anything because he knew Corinne would be unhappy with him if he This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. forcefully pushed his way in. Anya remained standing where she was, next to Jeremy. He was wearing an expression that she had never seen him wear before. It was one of lovesickness and helplessness. Silently, she waited with him for the interrogation to finish. ¡°Jeremy¡­ If, and I¡¯m saying if, Corinne was the one who hired someone to hurt me, would you ever¡­ divorce her?¡± probed Anya carefully and suddenly. Jeremy¡¯s eyes froze over, and without even giving it a thought, he simply said, ¡°No.¡± Immediately, Anya¡¯s eyes became wet with tears. ¡°Why? She should be punished for doing something so heinous¡­¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Jeremy was unhappy about the turn of events but decided to keep his mouth shut and respect Corinne¡¯s wishes since she agreed to it. Thus, that was how both of Corinne¡¯s hands were put into handcuffs. Other than that, the bureau even sent someone to keep a watch over her from outside the door, which meant her freedom was temporarily restricted. However, they did not immediately interrogate her as she still needed to undergo a few more rounds of IV drips. Out of humanity, the police officers listened to the doctor¡¯s advice and agreed to let her rest after she hadpleted her IV drip. There would be plenty of time for them to conduct an interrogation after she had finished resting. Corinne ate the breakfast that Jeremy sent someone to buy for her and soon drifted off to a peaceful slumber as she waited for the IV drip to finish. She was ready to be interrogated once it was noontime. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ording to the rules, only personnel involved in the case were allowed to be present during an interrogation. Even Jeremy was not spared from the rule and was asked to step out of the room. However, he simply refused. The police officers did not know what to do with him, and it was not until Corinne asked him to step out did he reluctantly picked up his jacket from the sofa and walked out of the room. Jeremy remained on standby outside of the ward and kept staring inside through the little window on the door. ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± called Anya softly from behind. She then carefully pulled his hand out from his pants¡® pockets. Jeremy turned back, frowning. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± ¡°Jeremy, I really want to find out why Corinne would hire someone to hurt me,¡± said Anya sadly. The frown never left Jeremy¡¯s face as he looked at her silently and with mixed feelings. Anya started hugging herself and rubbing her arms as if she was feeling a little cold. ¡°Are you cold?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°A little,¡± replied Anya with a nod. ¡°The weather¡¯s getting cold. You should go back to your room so you won¡¯t get any sicker,¡± said Jeremy with concern in his eyes. Anya was stunned. She took a nce at the jacket in Jeremy¡¯s arm, wanting to say something but stopped herself. Jeremy did not notice her nce. He quickly turned his attention back to the little window on Anya¡¯s ward door. Corinne ¨C with her head against the bedrest and both hands handcuffed¨Canswered every question as truthfully as she could. She would sometimes nod and would, at other times, shake her head. Jeremy could not believe that this was the same Corinne would dare to talk back to him. The more he witnessed, the more annoyed he got. However, it was not like he could do anything because he knew Corinne would be unhappy with him if he forcefully pushed his way in. Anya remained standing where she was, next to Jeremy. He was wearing an expression that she had never seen him wear before. It was one of lovesickness and helplessness. Silently, she waited with him for the interrogation to finish. ¡°Jeremy¡­ If, and I¡¯m saying if, Corinne was the one who hired someone to hurt me, would you ever¡­ divorce her?¡± probed Anya carefully and suddenly. Jeremy¡¯s eyes froze over, and without even giving it a thought, he simply said, ¡°No.¡± Immediately, Anya¡¯s eyes became wet with tears. ¡°Why? She should be punished for doing something so heinous¡­¡± Chapter 291 Chapter 291 ¡°She didn¡¯t do it,¡± interjected Jeremy before Anya could finish her nonsensical sentence. Anya was saddened by this. ¡°Jeremy, do you trust her that much? You¡¯ve only known her for a month plus¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. That should be reason enough for me to trust her,¡± said Jeremy mindlessly, not getting what Anya was hinting at as all of his attention was focused on the situation inside Corinne¡¯s ward. ¡®Husband and wife¡­¡® Those three little words caused Anya¡¯s face to stiffen, but she quickly put on an innocent smile. You¡¯re right. There must be a misunderstanding. Corinne is a good person, after all.¡± Rosie and Sunny strode out of the elevator. ¡°Jeremy, we rushed here as soon as we heard!¡± eximed Rosie angrily. ¡°Corinne has done it this time. How can she be so evil as to hire someone to assault Anya when she hasn¡¯t even done anything to her? Heck, Anya has only been back for a couple of days.¡± ¡°Watch what you¡¯re saying. We haven¡¯t gotten to the bottom of it yet,¡± said Jeremy sternly. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A chill went up Rosie¡¯s spine. She opened her mouth but decided it was best not to say anything more. She thought that Jeremy would immediately cast Corinne aside once Anya was back. However, it seemed like she underestimated Corinne¡¯s ce in Jeremy¡¯s heart. Sunny, however, was more concerned about his sister, Anya. He might be her younger brother, but he was a head taller. He looked down at her and asked worriedly, ¡°Anya, are you okay? I just got wind of what happenedst night. They put off until today to tell me ¡®cause they were afraid I¡¯d do something impulsive.¡± Anya smiled and gently shook her head. She stroked Sunny¡¯s face andforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sunny. I¡¯m fine. Jeremy came just in time to save me.¡± Sunny sighed with relief once he was sure Anya was okay. Then, he clenched his fist angrily. ¡°D*mnit, that b*stard. I swear to god I¡¯ll beat him into a pulp if I every eyes on him!¡± Anya scrunched up her face in mock anger as she lectured him, ¡°Sunny, let the police handle this. You better not do anything impulsive or get into a fight. Don¡¯t let me worry about you, okay?¡± Sunny did not wish for Anya to be angry. He immediately lowered his head and nodded like a little boy. ¡°Okay, Anya. I won¡¯t do anything impulsive. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I knew you¡¯re a good kid after all,¡± said Anya with a reassured smile. The door opened at that moment, and the officers walked out unhappily with the interrogation record in their hands. Rosie could not wait to find out what would lie ahead for Corinne, so she was the first to approach the officer. ¡°Officer, how did the interrogation go? Was Corinne the one who hired that thug to carry out the crime?¡± The police officer sighed and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have an oue yet. She refused to confess to the crime.¡± Rosie knitted her brow in consternation. ¡°Are you saying she won¡¯t be convicted if she doesn¡¯t confess to the crime? Didn¡¯t you say you have physical evidence and witness testimonies? Show her that and see if she can worm her way out of this!¡± ¡°The witness and the perpetrator are the same person. He also turned in the chat record between him and Miss Corinne as physical evidence. The chat record shows Miss Corinne transferred fifteen thousand dors to him, but Miss Corinne insisted she was being framed, that the chat record was fake and her bank ount was hacked. She said she¡¯d consider pleading guilty only if we can turn up circumstantial evidence proving she had met with the perpetrator before the crime happened,¡± the officer replied. Just thinking about the interrogation process made his head hurt. Corinne was not the fool he thought she was. While it was true she had fully cooperated with the police officer throughout the entire interrogation by answering every question that was thrown at her, she was so skilled at reasoning that she was able to catch any inconsistencies in the investigation and turned the tables back at him. After a few rounds of back¨Cand¨Cforth questioning, the police officers could not help but question the evidence and, consequently, their sanity. They were left with no choice but to convince their superior of Corinne¡¯s innocence and drop the case against her. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 After hearing the resignation in the police officer¡¯s voice, Rosie, having first¨Chand experience of Corinne¡¯s deviousness, started shouting angrily, ¡°That d*mn woman isn¡¯t only evil but cunning as well!¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. ¡°Rosie, you shouldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. What if it really wasn¡¯t her?¡± Rosie was stunned. She looked at Sunny incredulously. ¡°Are you serious, Sunny?¡± She might not be brave enough to talk back to Jeremy, but she was definitely not afraid to do the same to Sunny. ¡°Sunny, this is Anya we¡¯re talking about! How can you side with an outsider and not your sister?¡± A troubled frown appeared on Sunny¡¯s face. ¡°Rosie, you shouldn¡¯t make such baseless usations about me. I¡¯ll always stand by my sister no matter what. It¡¯s just that¡­I don¡¯t think Corinne is the kind of person who¡¯d do such a thing. Besides, have you forgotten the many times you¡¯ve wronged her?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Rosie opened and closed her mouth like a fish gasping for air, having been rendered speechless. After all, the things she did before Anya came back were indeed atrocious, but she justified it by telling herself she only did it for Anya¡¯s sake. She only wanted to get rid of Corinne so Anya could return to Jeremy¡¯s side as his rightful wife. It was unfortunate that her n never seeded, not even once. Rosie did not want to waste her breath on the foolish Sunny, so she turned to her best friend and comined, ¡°Anya, all your love has been wasted on Sunny. That ungrateful kid cares more about Corinne than you!¡± Anya snapped out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard Rosie call out her name. She smiled gently and said, ¡°Oh, nonsense. Sunny is a good kid. I know him. He just sees the good in everyone, that¡¯s all. In fact, I¡¯m just like him.¡± Sunny nodded in agreement. Rosie theatrically put her hand to her forehead and thought, Oh my god, why aren¡¯t they panicking? The two of them are too kind and innocent for this world. I won¡¯t be surprised if one day, they decided to invite Corinne to their house so they could all be good friends. Well, that¡¯s not going to happen on my watch!¡® Hell would freeze over before Rosie was going to let Corinne walk free from her crime. ¡°Officer, do you or do you not have enough evidence to convict Corinne?¡± she asked. The police officer shook his head regretfully. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have enough evidence yet. Unless there¡¯s surveince footage or someone turns up with pictures of Corinne meeting with the perpetrator. However, generally speaking, those who want to carry out a crime won¡¯t choose to meet in public ces or ces with surveince cameras. Therefore, the chances of them being photographed by other people are even lower. Simply put, this kind of evidence would be very hard toe by.¡± The police officer¡¯s answer made Rosie even more anxious. She vehemently wished she could throw Corinne into jail there and then. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take off her handcuffs now that she¡¯s not a suspect anymore?¡± said Jeremy finally. There was an underlying current of anger in his quiet voice. The police officer started to break out in cold sweat. He looked hesitantly at Jeremy and said, ¡°Well, Mister Jeremy¡­¡± Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Jeremy was not someone the police officers could afford to cross. At the same time, Lucas made it clear to them that they must not let Corinne off the hook easily. Facing pressure from both sides, they were at a loss for what to do at that moment. ¡°Who said there¡¯s not enough evidence?¡± Lucas¡® crisp clear voice came from the elevator. ¡°Lucas!¡± eximed Rosie happily. Her eyes immediately lit up at the sight of him. Lucas strolled over leisurely with a kind of self¨Cassuredness that only the very wealthy like him and Jeremy could possess. A certain level of confidence fell over Anya¡¯s face when she saw Lucas walking over to them, but she chose to remain standing passively next to Jeremy. She did not want to leave his side if given a choice. Sunny was awed and nervous at the same time. He wanted to make a run for it but decided it would be worse if he got reprimanded for that. ¡°Lucas, good timing! The officers said Corinne would only confess to her crimes if there was circumstantial evidence of her meeting up with the perpetrator. But where can we get that kind of evidence?¡± ¡°Well, look no further,¡± said Lucas with a crook of an eyebrow. Rosie was stunned. ¡°Do you have it? Do you know where we can find some circumstantial evidence, Lucas?¡± questioned Rosie quizzically. ¡°I¡¯m the circumstantial evidence you¡¯re looking for!¡± eximed Lucas with gentle authority. ¡°Coincidentally, I saw Corinne meeting up with the perpetrator two nights ago.¡± Lucas positioned himself in the middle of the crowd and nodded politely to the police officer as a form of greeting. Then he cast a ¡®friendly¡® nce at Jeremy and said, ¡°Jeremy, I do apologize. I have no choice but to intervene in this matter since it concerns the safety of my sister.¡± He pretended to speak humbly, but there was no denying the wilfulness in his energy. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at the same time a murderous look shed across his face. ¡°Is that why the great and mighty Lucas Rivera would take time out of his busy schedule to personallye to act as a false witness?¡± he asked with a faint smile. A frown appeared on Lucas¡® face, but it quickly turned into a modest smile. ¡°Oh, Jeremy, how you underestimate me. What I just said is the truth. I¡¯ll never give false testimony, nor will I ever forgive the person who wished to cause my sister harm. Even if that person is your wife.¡± Lucas maintained hisposure through the whole delivery, but one could smell a hint of warfare from a mile away. It was as if it would only take a spark for the two men to explode. The two families had been in a generational feud over the centuries. Anya did not want Lucas and Jeremy to end up in a fight there and then because that would only put her further and further away from Jeremy. She quickly hugged Lucas and said in a cutesy way, ¡°Lucas, why don¡¯t we just let it go? Corinne is Jeremy¡¯s wife after all. Besides, I¡­¡± Lucas hugged her back and affectionately stroked her hair as he lectured, ¡°Anya, the weak get bullied. I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯ll be a second time if we don¡¯t nip this in the bud now. As you brother, I have to make sure no harmes to you, so I¡¯m not going to let this matter go without wreaking just punishment on the culprit who did this to you.¡± Anya and Lucas might only be half¨Cbrother and half¨Csister to each other, but even though Lucas¡® rtionship with Anya¡¯s mother was average at best, he still saw Anya as the apple of his eye. The reason being he had lost his real sister when he was young, and so he poured all of his brotherly feelings into Anya. There would be hell to pay if anyone dared to hurt his little sister. Jeremy calmly looked at Lucas. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re determined to lock up anyone with the slightest suspicion hanging over their head, including my poor, innocent wife.¡± ¡°Jeremy, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted my time collecting evidence if it was anybody other than your wife. It is precisely because Corinne is your wife that I¡¯m willing toe here to give you an exnation. The truth will be revealed once we all go in and interrogate her. Then you¡¯ll find out for yourself whether ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. she¡¯s been wrongly used or you don¡¯t know her as well as you thought you did.¡± Lucas¡® face was brimming with confidence. He then turned to the police officer and asked the police officer politely, ¡°Officer, as a witness to circumstantial evidence, I¡¯m allowed to go in to confront the suspect, right?¡± The police officer was still a little out of it. He quickly nodded once he snapped out of his daydream. ¡°Uh¡­ Yes. Yes, you¡¯re allowed.¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Lucas nodded gracefully. ¡°Then, might I trouble you officers to bring me in to confront the suspect Corinne Carew?¡± The police officers exchanged a look with each other before taking Lucas into Corinne¡¯s ward. Jeremy, too, calmly followed them in. However, the police officer standing guard by the door held up his hand and stopped him with a frown on his face. ¡°Sorry, Mister Jeremy. The case is still under investigation. As someone who¡¯s unrted to the case, it¡¯s better if you wait outside.¡± ¡°Howe he can go in, then?¡± asked Jeremy with a raise of his eyebrow. The police officer knew he meant Lucas when he was referring to ¡®he¡®, so he tried to exin as nicely as he could. ¡°He¡¯s rted to the case. He¡¯s acting as a witness to circumstantial evidence and has the right to confront the suspect.¡± ¡°Who told you I have nothing to do with this case?¡± asked Jeremy, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Huh? Mister Jeremy, how are you rted to this case¡­?¡± asked the police officer curiously. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I was the one who reported the crime, and I have the right to watch the confrontation unfold.¡± Jeremy¡¯s tone was one of calmness, yet it carried with it an undeniable sense of oppression. Indeed, he was the one who reported the crime. Jeremy instructed Tommy to call the police as soon as they arrived at the crime scene. Therefore, Tommy would understandably give Jeremy¡¯s name as the one making the report. The police officer could not think of aeback. After some hesitation, he put down his hand and let Jeremy into the ward. Seeing him going in, Anya wanted to follow as well, but the same officer put up his hand. ¡°Miss Anya, you¡¯re not allowed in at the moment,¡± he said gently. ¡°Mister Police, I¡¯m the victim of this crime, so I have the right to know, too! Besides, I want to go in to look for my brother. I¡¯ll be scared if he¡¯s not by my side¡­¡± Anya was a gorgeous girl, and the way she looked with her big sad puppy eyes and the bandage wrapped around her head would make anyone melt¨Cwhich was exactly what happened to the police officer. After thinking it through, he sighed and put down his hand to allow Anya in. Then came Rosie and Sunny¡¯s turn. They, too, wanted to go in since everyone was inside. The police officer¡¯s tone turned sharp when he said, ¡°The two of you stay here.¡± Sunny frowned in frustration. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in when both my brother and sister are in there as well?¡± ¡°Who are you? And what are your brother¡¯s and sister¡¯s ,names?¡± The police officer had never seen Sunny before, so he did not know who he was. In fact, he thought Sunny was nothing but a spoiled, wealthy brat who had it in him to mess up the case. He definitely was not going to let him in if that was the case. Luckily, Rosie was more skilled at handling this kind of situation. She quickly pulled the naive Sunny aside to stop him from shooting his mouth off. Then, she smiled warmly at the police officer and said, ¡°Officer, I hope you can forgive my friend for his childish behavior. We¡¯re Anya¡¯s family. She was hospitalized after getting into a car ident, then there was the incident yesterday¡­ All of that caused her to be physically and emotionally unstable. It¡¯s now time for her to take her medicine, which she forgot to do before going in, so it¡¯s best if we give her the medicine now before she copses from her previous injuries. Can you please turn a blind eye and let us in? I promise we¡¯lle out as soon as we give her the medicine.¡± The police officer frowned and recalled how weak Anya looked moments before she went in. Chapter 295 Chapter 295 ¡®Ahh, all these people are driving me crazy!¡® thought the police officer standing guard by the door. ¡®All of them have valid reasons to go in. D*mnit, I shouldn¡¯t have let the others inside in the first ce.¡® It would be hard to exin himself if he let the others in while keeping the rest of them out. In the end, the officer irritably waved his hand and said, ¡°Fine, the two of you can go in, but keep quiet so you don¡¯t distract my colleagues from their work. Rosie immediately thanked the police officer and pulled Sunny into the ward with her. The police officer smacked his forehead in exhaustion. ¡®Good thing the formal interrogation process is over. It should be more casual this round, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with letting them in.¡® Since Lucas was Anya¡¯s older brother, making it inconclusive whether he would be a reliable witness, it was the officers¡® supervisor¡¯s intention to let him confront Corinne to see whether he would be of help to cracking the case. Should Lucas prove to be useful, he would be then taken down to the police station for a formal evidence collection process. Corinne was reaching for the ss of water by her bedside when everyone walked into the ward. She was thirsty from all the interrogation from before. However, her hands were still a swollen mess of flesh, not to mention they were all bandaged up, so it was hard for her to get a good grip on the slippery ss. The bandage proved to be the main obstacle as it had provided no friction against the ss, which would slip off as soon as Corinne lifted it. She became visibly annoyed when a bony andrge hand suddenly lifted the ss off and positioned it near her mouth. Corinne looked up only to see Jeremy¡¯s handsome face staring down at her. There was a straw in the ss, and she only had to open her mouth to drink from it. However, she refused to do so because she did not want to ept Jeremy¡¯s gesture. Instead, she stubbornly took the ss in her swollen and bandaged hands. In the end, she managed to hold on to the ss by putting one hand at the bottom and one hand at the side. Only then did she drink from the straw to quench her parched throat. Corinne did not forget her manners, so she thanked Jeremy for his kind gesture. Jeremy frowned in response. He was not used to being thanked by her, but he remained silent. Instead, he raised the same hand that delivered the ss to her and patted her lightly twice on the head. It was how some parents would pat their children on the heads when they wanted tofort them. Corinne was quietly drinking her water, and she looked up in surprise after Jeremy patted her on the head. Then, she lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled at him lightly. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Jeremy returned her smile. They had a tacit understanding of each other that required no words. It was amazing to watch how they subtly interacted with each other. At that moment, Anya was standing next to Lucas. Her eyes dulled with disappointment when she saw the way Jeremy and Corinne behaved toward each other. Immediately, she turned around bitterly and folded herself into Lucas¡® embrace. Lucas lowered his gaze. He put his arms around Anya and patted her on the back tofort her. Then, a murderous glint shed across his eyes as he turned his attention toward Jeremy and Corinne. Anya was perfect in his eyes. Perfect in every way, except for her infatuation toward Jeremy. Every time she was hurt or sad, Jeremy would not be far off the picture. ¡®That good¨Cfor¨Cnothing scumbag! How dare he act all lovey- dovey with another woman in front of Anya? He might as well put a bullet to her heart!¡® thought Lucas. Wanting to break off Jeremy¡¯s interaction with Corinne so that Anya would be spared from more sadness, Lucas smiled coldly at Corinne and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, we meet again.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Corinne looked at Lucas. ¡°Looks like the 7.5 million dors check wasn¡¯t well spent. Didn¡¯t you promise you¡¯ll leave me alone for a year once you get the money? A day hasn¡¯t even passed, and here you are.¡± Lucas was already used to Corinne¡¯s unpredictability. His thin lips curled into a smile, and he cordially said, ¡°Miss Corinne, now isn¡¯t the time to joke around. I wouldn¡¯t havee to bother you if the victim wasn¡¯t my own sister.¡± Corinne took a leisurely sip of the straw. ¡°Regarding that case, I¡¯ve told the police officers everything. You¡¯re more than wee to ask them for information about the case.¡® Lucas stared coldly at her. ¡°I¡¯vee here to confront you with the consent of the police officers.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Confront me?¡± Jeremy was stationed beside Corinne¡¯s hospital bed, and at that moment, one of the police officers in the ward said to him, ¡°Mister Jeremy, please step to the side. The new witness is now having a confrontation with the suspect. Police officers need to get closer to take notes.¡± Jeremy just stared at the police officer indifferently and remained standing where he was like an immovable, majestic mountain with both of his hands tucked inside his pants¡® pockets. A certain chill ran up the police officer¡¯s spine, even though Jeremy did not say anything. ¡°Mister Jeremy¡­¡± began the police officer exasperatedly. || Corinne could tell from his voice that he was extremely stressed. She tilted her head to look at Jeremy and said, Mister, I¡¯ve finished my water. Can you help me put the ss back on its shelf? Thank you! Why don¡¯t you go sit over there? It must be tiring to be standing all this time.¡± She was still in handcuffs, so her two hands had restricted movement. She clumsily held the ss in both hands and extended her arm to Jeremy, which prompted him to narrow his eyes. He coolly took the ss from Corinne but did not put it back on the shelf. Instead, he kept holding it in hisrge hands as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world. However, he did follow the second part of Corinne¡¯s suggestion. Jeremy pulled a chair to a spot that was a little distance away from the hospital chair and sat with his long legs gracefully crossed. He then propped up one elbow on the armrest and serenely rested his face on that hand. Finally, he held up the ss and took a sip from the straw as he silently watched what Corinne was going to do next. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Everybody present, except for the police officers, was shocked by Jeremy¡¯s seemingly -normal action. They all knew him to be a germaphobe, and he hated nothing more than to share any bodily fluids with another person. Therefore, it was quite shocking to them that he would drink from the same straw as Corinne, and what was more, he seemed to be enjoying it a little. Anya was watching Jeremy¡¯s every move. Her face tensed up before darkening, and her hands instinctively balled up into a fist. Lucas naturally noticed Anya¡¯s disappointment, and his heart went out to her. He grabbed her hand and led her to the sofa. The two of them sat together, and he hugged her close to him while continuously patting her shoulder. ¡®I¡¯ll protect her, The police officers had finished setting up their equipment. The confrontation would be recorded in two ways: video and a written transcript. Lucas wasted no time in getting straight to the point. ¡°Miss Corinne, you said that you¡¯ll only confess to your crimes if there¡¯s circumstantial evidence of you meeting up with the perpetrator. Well, you¡¯re looking at the circumstantial evidence right now.¡± Corinne covered her mouth to yawn. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m looking for real evidence, not fake evidence.¡± Lucas¡® expression remained rxed. ¡°You can rest assured that I won¡¯t be confronting you without solid proof.¡± Corinnezily leaned back against the bedrest. ¡°Mister Lucas, pray tell, how are you going to prove that I¡¯ve met up with the perpetrator before?¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Lucas sat upright, crossed his fingers, and put them on the knee of his crossed legs. This was a signal that he was going to be serious from that moment onward. ¡°Before answering that, may I ask you a few questions, Miss Corinne?¡± he asked at a leisurely pace. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Two nights ago, were you at the embankment around Yonde River?¡± ¡°I was.¡± A nod from Corinne. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°And why were you there? Were you perhaps feeling down and wanted to get some fresh air?¡± ¡°What does my feeling have to do with the case?¡± Here, Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Something shed across Lucas¡® eyes. ¡°Trust me, it does. Miss Corinne, please don¡¯t try to avoid the question, and just answer it as truthfully as you can.¡± Corinne tried to recall her emotions from that night. It was soplicated, she did not know how to exin herself. ¡°I was feeling bored and wanted a change of pace, so I went there.¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°Anya returned from abroad two nights ago. Your husband, Jeremy Holden, specially prepared a sea of flowers at the Lunar Century Manor to wee her back. Now, that in itself wasn¡¯t weird at all since they were old friends. However, you happened to pass by and saw the whole thing, am I right?¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils became pinpoints, and his lips froze on the straw as he looked at how Corinne was going to react. Corinne recalled the sea of pink tulips in the Lunar Century Manor that night and also how Anya jumped out of a giant gift box before rushing toward Jeremy¡¯s embrace. Instinctively, a frown appeared on her face, and she became quiet. ¡°Cat got your tongue, Miss Corinne? Or perhaps you don¡¯t want to admit you¡¯ve witnessed the romantic gesture your husband had prepared for another woman?¡± Lucas¡® tone was gentle, but his question was not. Corinne could feel that, apart from Lucas, there was another man staring at her with sharp, probing eyes. She tried to collect her thoughts, and she then turned to calmly look at Lucas. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I did happen to be at Lunar Century Manor that night and saw what you described. But so what?¡± Lucas put away his cordial smile and suddenly stood up. ¡°So from that night onward, you saw Anya as your enemy because you were jealous of her. Thus, you decided to hire somebody to take revenge on her. That was why you were at Yonde River! You were meeting up with the perpetrator and gave him fifteen thousand dors for his service! Subsequently, you told the perpetrator of Anya¡¯s location when she had been hospitalized so that he coulde to the hospital tomit the heinous crime against Anya! Am I right so far?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback, and the corner of her mouth twitched a little. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. I don¡¯t have the time or the money to carry out such a n. Besides, I have never met up with Chris Tate before! Mister Lucas, this won¡¯t be a confrontation if you can¡¯t show any other evidence. In fact, what you¡¯re doing is akin to forcing an involuntary confession out of me!¡± ¡°Now, now, Miss Corinne. We¡¯re just getting to the good part. Lucas raised his hand, and his personal secretary immediately passed him a mobile phone. ¡°Do you recall the female influencer who parked her car on the tactile paving located on the Yonde River¡¯s embankment? Well, she was doing a live broadcast and happened to identally record your meeting with the perpetrator. That video is stored in this very mobile phone, and now, the truth will be revealed!¡± Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Corinne did not panic at all as she did not believe a word Lucas said. Why would she, when she did nothing wrong? There was no way a camera could record something that never even happened in the first ce. ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you y the video, then?¡± she asked calmly. Lucas jerked up his chin once, gesturing to the secretary to turn on the television in the room. Then, he connected the mobile phone to the television screen so that everyone could watch the video. The video showed a female influencer standing on top of the embankment railing. A selfie stick was held high up in her hand, and it was obvious she was doing a live broadcast. The angle of the selfie stick happened to allow her phone camera to capture the street behind her, and Corinne could be seen in the right corner of the video. She was sitting alone on a bench, drinking Coke, and looking up at the sky. She was too far off to be able to tell what she was feeling. However, she did seem a little sad and lonely to be sitting there all alone. Corinne frowned with embarrassment when she saw just how pathetic she looked in the video. ¡°Ahem! As you can all tell, I was alone.¡± Lucas looked at her. ¡°So you¡¯re confirming the person sitting on top of the bench in the right corner of the video was you?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. So where¡¯s the perpetrator you so vehemently N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. insisted was there with me?¡± Corinne asked serenely. ¡°All in good time, Miss Corinne.¡± Lucas¡® eyes darkened. Then, he clicked fast forward on the phone before stopping at a particr time frame. After the video returned to normal speed, they saw a young man with a bundle of leaflets walking over and sitting next to Corinne. The bespectacled young man looked to be about five feet and seven inches tall, slightly on the plump side and was dressed in a striped shirt. After sitting down for a while, the young man handed a leaflet to Corinne. He introduced the newly- opened barbecue ce, its opening hours, promotions, and other details. Corinne listened absent¨Cmindedly and nced at the leaflet before epting it. The young man also asked for her social media ount so that he could send her the membership that she could apply to get a free te of premium steak. Corinne decided to sign up for the membership after considering the facts that the young man was still working at such ate hour, how he enthusiastically rmended the food worth getting, and that he would receive amission for any sessful membership registration which would definitely help with his living expenses. Corinne scanned the QR code on his phone and followed his instructions to sign up for the restaurant membership. At that time, she thought she was getting a good deal and could not wait to invite Little Rain Drop and King Maple to go there for dinner. It never crossed Corinne¡¯s mind that all that would be identally recorded by a female influencer. However, it was just her luck that no one could hear the conversation between her and the young man since the female influencer¡¯s high- pitched voice asking for sponsorship was louder than theirs. These two factors -not being able to hear what Corinne and the young man were talking about and her scanning the QR code on the young man¡¯s phone¨Cput Corinne back at the top of the suspect list. Chapter 299 Chapter 299 ¡°That¡¯s him! The man who is sitting and talking to Miss Corinne is Chris Tate, the perpetrator who we arrested for attempted rape,¡± said one of the police officers sharply at the point in the video. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The police officer then turned around and looked sternly at Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, what do you have to say for yourself?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression remained rxed. She did not say anything, though her lips were twitching. ¡®My, my. Looks like they had pulled out all the big guns on framing me. First, that devious Lucas asked me all those seemingly¨Cirrelevant questions, but he actually did it to establish my motive! I can¡¯t believe he chalked it down as me being jealous. Then, he hit me with concrete evidence in the form of this video.¡® Anya flung herself into Lucas¡® arms, trembling and crying, when she saw the man who tried to assault her in the video. ¡± Lucas, that¡¯s him! He ripped off my clothes and tried to¡­¡± A murderous glint shed across Lucas¡® eyes at the thought of Anya, the apple of his eye, nearly being assaulted. He hugged her tightly and tried to console her, ¡°There, there. I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t ever let anyone hurt you again.¡± However, Anya was not only afraid of the perpetrator but also could notprehend why Corinne would do something like this. ¡°Lucas, how did things end up this way? Why does Corinne want to hurt me so much? I just wanted to be her friend¡­¡± Lucas gently stroked Anya¡¯s hair. ¡°Silly girl. Haven¡¯t you heard of the story about the wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing? I hope you¡¯ll choose your friend more wisely next time. Not all people are worthy to be your friend.¡± From all outward appearance, Lucas might seem gentle and humble, but he was actually a cold and distant person. To others, he behaved cordially only out of his good upbringing and the high demands he ced on himself, but if one were to take a closer look, one would find that his smiles did not reach his eyes. However, Anya was the only exception. The tenderness in his eyes was real. He looked at her with a worried expression as he tried to soothe her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. No one will dare toy a finger on you as long as I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Lucas¡­¡± Anya gradually calmed down as she listened to Lucas gentle coos. Sunny, on the other hand, had been quiet until then for he knew he would not get a chance to speak whenever Lucas was present. However, he could not hold back his anger anymore when everything in the video pointed to Corinne as being the mastermind behind the crime. There was disappointment and rage in his eyes as he stormed angrily over to Corinne and pointed at her. ¡°How could you do this, Corinne? I trusted you to be a good person. That¡¯s why I spoke up for you. Why did you want to hurt Anya? You¡¯re a woman, too¡­¡± Corinne calmly looked up at the raging Sunny and decided she would be wasting her breath if she tried to exin herself then. Rosie pulled Sunny off to calm him. ¡°Sunny, didn¡¯t I tell you that Corinne is good at tricking other people into thinking she¡¯s a good person? Yet you didn¡¯t want to believe me. Well, I guess it¡¯s betterte than never,¡± she said with a sigh. Then, she turned to look at Jeremy, who was still seated quietly in his chair. Inwardly, she was happy to be proven right, but outwardly, she shook her head ruefully and said, You too, Jeremy. You had been taken in by Corinne¡¯s seemingly -innocent act as well. It¡¯s a good thing Lucas and this case opened up everyone¡¯s eyes. If not, I shudder to think just how long you¡¯ll all stay deceived by her.¡± Anya straightened herself up and, with teary eyes, turned to look at the silent and serious Jeremy. She wiped away her tears and walked over to where he was seated. ¡°Jeremy, please don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m sure Corinne didn¡¯t mean to do it¡­¡± Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Jeremy was still calmly sipping on the straw, choosing to remain silent. Anya thought he had said something, so she leaned in closer and tugged on his sleeves. ¡°Jeremy, are you okay?¡± No words, still. In fact, he did not even spare her a nce. No. one knew what he was thinking about. Lucas could not help but walk over to Anya and put his arms around her after seeing her getting the cold shoulder. He threw an unhappy nce toward Jeremy before turning back to face Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a wholly bad person since you were willing to extend a helping hand to my grandfather two days ago. Not many people would be willing to do that for someone they¡¯ve never met before. However, when ites down to securing your interest, you¡¯ll be this ruthless woman who finds joy in hurting the innocent, am I right?¡± Corinne knitted her eyebrows in consternation. ¡°Securing my interests? What interests are you talking about?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°The only reason you decided to hire someone to assault Anya is you think that she¡¯ll take away your position as Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife.¡± Corinne was first stunned, then she suddenly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m willing to let her take over my position as Jeremy¡¯s wife if she wants it so badly.¡± Jeremy frowned at this. Lucas was a little speechless. Then, a mocking smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°Miss Corinne, doing so still makes you the suspect of the crime.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. Corinne¡¯s face remained impervious. She looked like she was lounging by the poolside, even though her hands were in handcuffs. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not doing it to worm my way out of this. No, no, no. I simply don¡¯t want to be his wife. It¡¯s more trouble than it¡¯s worth so your sister can be his wife if she wishes.¡± Jeremy, upon hearing what Corinne said, ground the straw with his teeth. His eyes darkened at the words ¡®more trouble than it¡¯s worth¡®. Everyone else in the room thought Corinne was putting up an act because seriously speaking, who would not want to be Jeremy¡¯s wife? Who would not want to be showered with all the riches and power in the world? A woman like Corinne especially, who came from the countryside and had not seen the world, should be chuckling in her sleep for having nabbed the most eligible bachelor in the city. Instead, she was offering up her husband with both hands as if he was nothing but a beggar on the street. Therefore, it was totally understandable for others to think she was being a hypocrite. Lucas smiled faintly. ¡°Miss Corinne, there¡¯s still time for you to confess your crimes. Are you sure you want to waste it by being stubborn? I¡¯m giving you ast chance. If you willingly confess to hiring the perpetrator to rape Anya, I¡¯ll personally write a letter of leniency to the judge so that your sentence will be reduced by a few years. Think of it also as me showing my gratitude for helping out my grandfather.¡± Corinne yawned and said, ¡°Your kind offer is duly noted but no, thanks.¡± Lucas knitted his handsome eyebrows together. Then, he smiled at the bold and fearless Corinne. ¡°Very well. You can look forward to being locked up in jail for a long, long time, then.¡± At that moment, a police officer closed the notebook in his hand and stood up. ¡°Mister Lucas, thank you for helping us out with the investigation. Might I trouble you toe down to the station with us so that you can tell us how you got your hands on the mobile phone?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± answered Lucas with a nod. The police officer then turned around, brought out another pair of handcuffs, and chained one of Corinne¡¯s slender ankles to the bed railing to prevent her from escaping. ¡°Miss Corinne, it¡¯s useless for you to get out of this crime since we have all three evidence types¨C witness, physical and circumstantial. We¡¯ll formally arrest you once your condition allows you to be discharged from the hospital,¡± said the police officer sternly. ¡°Whatever,¡± scoffed Corinne. The police officer was about to say something about her attitude when he heard the sound of a chair scraping against the flooring from behind him. Someone had stood up. The police officer immediately thought of a certain person and discovered he was right when he turned around to take a look. A tall, lumbering Jeremy was making his way toward Corinne. His impassive face coupled with his oppressive aura caused everyone to instinctively shrink back. Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Faced with the pressure, the police officer anxiously tried to string his sentences together and give Jeremy a reasonable exnation for why Corinne had to be handcuffed to the bed. After all, he had heard from the confrontation earlier that Corinne was Jeremy¡¯s wife. However, Jeremy did not say anything and merely walked past the policeman and ced the cup in his hand back on the cab beside the hospital bed. The end of the straw was already ttened from his chewing on it. After cing down the cup, Jeremy stood beside the hospital bed and nced at Corinne with a convoluted and iprehensible expression. Corinne¡¯s indifference wavered somewhat when she faced his silent gaze. She frowned, looked right into his eyes, and lowered her face again as she said sullenly, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± His tone was very calm as if there was no trace of doubt. Corinne was startled and looked up at him again. ¡®What does he mean, okay? Doesn¡¯t he doubt me even when the evidence is foolproof?¡® However, he did not say another word, and it was therefore impossible for her to guess his thoughts. Corinne frowned, looked away, and turned to the policeman beside him. ¡°Excuse me, officer, I can see mywyer now, right?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The police officer nodded in a businesslike manner. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to.¡± Corinne said, ¡°Please pass me the phone, then. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡± The man opened his mouth and offered to her, ¡°I have awyer. I can-¡± Corinne had a stubborn look on her face as she said, ¡°No need to trouble yourself. I know awyer!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank, and he reached out to take the cell phone from the cab for her. He then turned around and left without saying anything. As soon as Jeremy went out, Anya¡¯s gaze followed him, and she wanted to break free from her brother¡¯s arms to chase after him. Lucas was worried about letting Anya run off to chase after Jeremy, so he nced intently at Corinne before going out with his sister. The police officers had done their work to handcuff the suspect¡® and ensure that she could not escape, so they all went out too. The ward was almost empty by then, and Sunny took the opportunity toe forward and re angrily at Corinne. His handsome eyes almost seemed to be burning with a me. Sunny¡¯s attitude led Corinne to cock her eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you going to hit me?¡± Sunny roared, ¡°I¡¯m so disappointed in you, Corinne!¡± Corinne smiled softly and said, ¡°Well, guess you¡¯ll have to die of disappointment, then.¡± Sunny gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother entertaining that sort of person, Sunny! The police will deal with him!¡± Rosie walked up to them, shot Corinne a smug look of contempt, and dragged Sunny away as he wallowed in disappointment and anger. After all the people in the ward had left, Corinne picked up her cell phone and dialed Aaron¡¯s encrypted number. ¡°Tell Gabriel from the legal department to meet me at the hospital.¡± Aaron was puzzled. ¡°Why are you at the hospital, boss? What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. Do as I say and tell Gabriel toe here alone. You don¡¯t have to follow.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Aftering out of the ward, Anya looked around the hospital corridor to search for Jeremy, who had just left. s, she did not see any trace of him in the corridor, despite the few N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. minutes¡® difference between the time she and he came out. ¡® Where did Jeremy go?¡® At longst, the stairwell door in front of the corridor was pushed open, and Tommy walked in with a serious expression. Anya walked over immediately just in time to meet him. Tommy nodded slightly and greeted her. ¡°Miss Anya.¡± Anya nodded in return and asked, ¡°Mister Tommy, is Jeremy in there?¡± Tommy replied truthfully. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see him, then.¡± Anya then walked over and pushed the stairwell door open. Tommy did not stop her, and he merely nced at Anya¡¯s back as she went in. There was a somewhat conflicted look on his usually calm and steady expression, but he walked away in a hurry because he still had to do some work that his boss had instructed him to do. Anya walked into the stairwell and saw Jeremy standing near the window while smoking a cigarette. She walked over and coughed twice due to the smoke. ¡°Cough, cough! Jeremy¡­. Jeremy exhaled a slow wisp of thin smoke and narrowed his Anya¡¯s pale face turned red, and she reached out to tug the corner of Jeremy¡¯s clothes. ¡°Could you bring me downstairs then? I want you to send me off¡­¡± After yet another moment of brief silence, he stubbed out his cigarette and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± There was a touch of girlish tenderness in Anya¡¯s expression, and she nodded obediently as she followed Jeremy out. She then said to Lucas who was waiting at the door of the stairwell, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Lucas!¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes at her and snorted in an almost angry tone. ¡°You didn¡¯t listen when I told you to go home earlier, but somehow, you became obedient after he told you to go home?¡± Anya blushed, nced shyly at Jeremy, then stomped her feet and said, ¡°Lucas!¡± ¡°Fine. Come on, then.¡± Lucas patted Anya¡¯s head, chuckled softly, and shot Jeremy a cold look. ¡°Thanks for not holding past grudges to heart and persuading Anya to go home.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± Jeremy replied curtly with a nonchnt expression. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 The three of them walked down to the hospital lobby together, with Anya turning heads as she walked between the two handsome men. They had to pass by Corinne¡¯s ward to go down, and the police officers were still guarding the door there. A man with a briefcase was exining to the police officer his purpose for being there. Lucas recognized the man from a distance and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that Gabriel Franklin?¡® Gabriel was well¨Cknown for being a big shot in the legal world. He was the founder of the city¡¯s number¨Conew firm, in addition to being the director of the Newmoon Group¡¯s legal department. He generally took major business cases, which made it all the more surprising that he would show up in person just to handle a small case of attempted assault. Anya recognized thewyer too, so she turned her head to look at Jeremy in disbelief. She had a sad frown on her face as she said, ¡°Do you still trust Corinne? Did you go so far as to hire Gabriel to defend her?¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils contracted and he had an iprehensible expression. His deep voice sounded cold as he said to her, ¡°I didn¡¯t hire him.¡± ¡®You didn¡¯t?¡¯ Anya was startled when she found out that Jeremy did not hire him to go there. ¡®Then how did Corinne manage to get him toe over?¡® For the record, there were not a lot of people who could hire such a renownedwyer to help them with a case, especially when it was just a little case. Lucas nced sarcastically at Jeremy as he did not believe that Corinne could ask Gabriel to handle her case. After Gabriel sessfully exined everything to the police, he saw Lucas and Jeremying from the end of the corridor just as he was about to enter the ward. He halted his footsteps, turned around, and nodded to the two of them as he smiled and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, Mister Lucas, it¡¯s been a while, you two.¡± Jeremy nodded back, and Lucas responded with the same gesture as well. ¡°My apologies, gentlemen,¡± Gabriel said politely, ¡°but I still have some work to do here. Please excuse me.¡± He then opened the door and entered Corinne¡¯s ward. That brief exchange finally convinced Lucas that it was probably not Jeremy who invited Gabriel over. If it was Jeremy, Gabriel should at leaste over and have a word with him on ount of their client wyer rtionship. Instead, Gabriel seemed to keep a distance from him, almost as if alienating him¨Calbeit politely. That being said, it was surprising that a girl like Corinne could hire such a famedwyer in Gabriel. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucas, Jeremy, and Anya all stopped for a moment to wait and watch, and though they all seemed to have some sort of tacit understanding among each other, they were each curious in their own way about the situation. Gabriel came out of the ward about 10 minutester. He seemed serious and polite as he said to the officers guarding the door of the ward, ¡°My client has entrusted me with full authority to represent her case. I¡¯d like to go to the police station to meet the gangster who attacked Miss Anya so I can better understand the entire situation. Would it be convenient for one of you to bring me there right now?¡± Before the police officer could answer, Lucas¨Cwho was not far away¨Cspoke first. ¡°I was just about to go to the station to provide evidence for the record too. How about I bring you there?¡± He stepped forward graciously and offered with a modest smile. Gabriel smiled politely and refused in a professional manner. I¡¯m sorry, Mister Lucas, but since I¡¯m now Corinne¡¯s attorney, it¡¯d be vastly inappropriate for me to have any private contact with the victim and her family. I hope you understand.¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s understandable.¡± He knew that, but he still wanted to chat with Gabriel to find out how Corinne managed to hire him. The Riveras once had a legal case and wanted to hire Gabriel to represent them, but they failed to hire him despite spending a lot of money. Anya watched her brother talking to Gabriel, and then at the door of Corinne¡¯s ward. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she had a bit of a defensive look on her face. A country girl like Corinne should not have any connections in the city, and Anya wondered if Corinne might have any other contacts aside from Jeremy. She then tilted her head to look at Jeremy¡¯s expression. Though she noticed that he had narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression was indecipherable, and she had no idea what was on his mind. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 While Corinne was leaning on the bed head with her eyes closed, someone knocked on the door, and an unfamiliar 40- something woman came in. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Corinne opened her eyes and looked warily at the woman. ¡®Why would the police officers let a random stranger in? Who is she?¡® The middle¨Caged woman bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, I¡¯m the nurse that Mister Tommy sent. You can call me Nancy. I¡¯ll be here to take care of your diet and your daily needs. Don¡¯t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows. ¡°Tommy? Tommy Jenkinson?¡± The middle¨Caged woman nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s him.¡± Corinne frowned a little. ¡®Why did he hire a nurse for me out of the blue? Did Jeremy leave? Guess he doesn¡¯t believe me anymore, not that I¡¯m surprised since he and I don¡¯t have any sort of genuine rtionship in the first ce! Funnily enough, he seemed to have told me that he liked me and wanted me not to put a wall between us, and I almost believed it.¡® At that moment, another ruckus was heard from outside. ¡°Who are you? Why won¡¯t you let me in? Don¡¯t stand in my way! My aunt is inside! I want to go in and see her¡­¡± It was Annie¡¯s voice. When Corinne heard that, she said to the nurse, ¡°Could you tell the police to let that girl in? She¡¯s my niece¨Cinw.¡± Nancy nodded and did as she was told. Nancy brought Annie in some timeter, but she had a frown on her face and wasining somewhat angrily. ¡°This is absurd! I didn¡¯te for a day, and now all this has happened! This is unjust, I say!¡± Corinne looked at Annie, then at the thermos sk she was carrying. ¡°What delicacies do you have for me today?¡± Annie raised the thermos in her hand. ¡°Oh, this? Auntie, this is some chicken soup that I asked my mother to make for you. People always say that it¡¯s best to drink soup when you¡¯re sick! Maybe your hand will heal faster once you drink it!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m actually feeling a little puckish right now! Could you please fill a bowl for me and let it cool a little, Nancy?¡± ¡°Sure thing, Miss Corinne,¡± Nancy said. She stepped forward, took the thermos from Annie¡¯s hand, and went to one side to prepare it. Annie looked at Nancy, then at the handcuffs on Corinne¡¯s hands and feet, and pouted uneasily. ¡°Are you just going to let them handcuff you like this?¡± Corinne shrugged and smiled indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m a suspect now, so it¡¯s understandable for the police to do this and stop me from escaping.¡± Annie huffed in anger. ¡°Suspect, my foot! You¡¯d never stoop to something so low! This makes me so bad!¡± Corinne was stunned for a moment, and she felt a little sad when she saw how much Annie believed her even though they did not spend much time together. Jeremy, on the other hand¡­ Perhaps there was no point thinking about him at such a time. She had stopped thinking about it when Annie somehow brought it up angrily. And then there¡¯s the heartless Uncle Jeremy! Fern at wh a time, he still figh Midway through her gemtener. Annie deemed reluctant to continue be the was worried about bad consequences. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne only managed to get half of it, and it was natural for her to feel curious. ¡°What did he do?¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Annie pulled a chair, sat down, and blinked guiltily. ¡°Nothing! I don¡¯t really know! It¡¯s not convenient for you to eat, so how about you let me feed you?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not going to tell me?¡± Corinne frowned slightly at her. Annie always viewed Corinne as her idol, and she was afraid that her idol would be unhappy and ignore her. She thought about it for a bit, and she did not dare to keep anything from Corinne. ¡°Well, when I came here, I saw him escorting Anya out of the hospital at the entrance, and then¡­she got into his car.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression turned somewhat gloomy. She remained silent, and her lips seemed to quirk unnaturally in a bitter manner. Annie became a little nervous. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry! Please don¡¯t divorce him just because of that! Give him another chance¡­¡± Corinne snapped back from her senses and looked calmly at Annie. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. It¡¯s just¡­ Why shouldn¡¯t we get a divorce if there aren¡¯t any feelings between us?¡± Annie pursed her lips depressingly. ¡°If you divorce him, I won¡¯t be able to have any rtionship with you! I don¡¯t want that other woman to be my aunt! I won¡¯t ept anyone unless it¡¯s you!¡± Corinne looked into Annie¡¯s eyes and saw her childlike stubbornness. She said calmly to her, ¡°Your uncle is rich, powerful, and handsome. He can easily find someone better than me. When that timees, you¡¯ll learn to like her, too.¡± Annie said resolutely, ¡°But I don¡¯t want them! No one is better than you!¡± Corinne then said, ¡°But Miss Anya is¡ª¡± Annie interrupted her and shook her head repeatedly with a look of aversion on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t mention her name! Thest thing I want is for her to be with Uncle Jeremy!¡± Though the Riveras and the Holdens had enmity with each other, there did not seem to be anything simr between the Riveras and the Levines. Corinne narrowed her eyes in confusion. ¡°You seem to hate Anya a lot. Why is that?¡± Annie exined unhappily, ¡°I just don¡¯t like the sick way she carries herself! She saved my uncle once when she was a child, but she had him on emotional ckmail for so many years, and he¡¯s super annoyed by her!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t they on good terms?¡± Annie¡¯splexion became indescribablyplicated. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure, but he treats her differently than he treats other people. That¡¯s part of the reason why everyone thinks that they¡¯re on really good terms with each other¡­¡± Corinne nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right, he does treat her differently, and it¡¯s pretty obvious.¡± Jeremy was genuinely panicked when Anya called him for help, and she could see that he really cared for Anya when she saw him pat Anya¡¯s shoulder to calm thetter¡¯s frightened emotions. He even spoke to Anya in an extremely soft tone as if he was worried that his voice would come off as scary. Jeremy never had that sort of patience before. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Annie¡¯s big eyes were filled with worry as she saw Corinne in deep thought. ¡°But he treats you even more differently! You¡¯re the only one whom he tolerates the most!¡± ¡®Is that so? He might be tolerant of me, but that¡¯s because he¡¯s using me to deal with his elders. He has to be tolerant because he¡¯s worried that I might not cooperate! All I¡¯m doing is reading too much into it if I misconstrued his attitude toward me as being something special.¡® After finishing her soup, Corinne tried to persuade Annie to go home because there was not enough space for Annie to rest here with Nancy. Jeremy did note back after sending Anya out of the hospital, and he never showed up again even when the next morning came. After the intravenous drip was administered that afternoon, the nurse came in and removed the gauze from her hands. The swelling on her hands had subsided, but there was still a little redness all around. The doctor informed her that she would be fine as long as she took some antihistamines after leaving the hospital. The police then came in with an arrest warrant and said, ording to the results given by the doctor, your physical condition is healthy enough for you to be discharged. We are now officially notifying you that you¡¯re under arrest!¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Inside the police station¡¯s dark and cramped interrogation room, two stern¨Clooking police officers sat across from Corinne. One of them asked sharply, ¡°Are you going to confess or not?¡± Corinne sat demurely behind the small table, but her words remained very firm. ¡°What¡¯s there to confess when I¡¯m not guilty of anything?¡± The stern¨Cfaced officer frowned unhappily when he saw her being so obstinate, so he said to her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware that there¡¯s room for more leniency if you cooperate? I¡¯ve been a police officer for many years, and I¡¯ve seen many suspects who are just as stubborn as you are. But no matter how stubborn they are, they all regret it once the sentence is handed to them! A young girl like you shouldn¡¯t have engaged in such reprehensible behavior, and it¡¯s even more appalling that you don¡¯t have a single ounce of regret for doing something illegal and harming other people. Your parents would disown you if they found out what you did!¡± Corinne said, ¡°Have you ever heard the saying that those who are determined to condemn a person will always be able to find an excuse to do so? In all my years alive, I¡¯ve seen few police officers who are as rash as you! You hardly give the impression of being someone who graduated from the police academy. Do you always handle a case so sloppily? Your superiors would deduct your wages if they find out that this is how you handle cases!¡± The policeman¡¯s face turned red, and he was stunned speechless. ¡°You! Y¨CY¨CY¡­Y¨CYou¡­¡® The other police officer coughed heavily and said, ¡°This is an interrogation room, Corinne. It¡¯s one of the most serious ces you¡¯ll ever find yourself in. You¡¯re not supposed to be making snide remarks here!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Sure. Then I have the right to remain silent. If you have any questions, you can direct them to mywyer. He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Another police officer was also annoyed by her recalcitrant attitude. ¡°Sigh, Corinne¡­¡± All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door of the interrogation room, and another police officer came in to call one of the officers in charge of the interrogation. After a while, the officer came back again, spoke to his colleague, and exined a new situation in the case. His colleague. immediately had a frustrated expression after hearing that. ¡°Why are there new witnesses all of a sudden?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My thoughts exactly. Why would such a simple case have so many witnesses?¡± ¡°Mister Lucas and his sister are still waiting for the results of Corinne¡¯s interrogation! I thought we could solve it quickly by today, but this new situation throws a spanner in the works!¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s just bring her there for now!¡± One of them then turned to Corinne and said, ¡°Yourwyer¡¯s here. We¡¯re bringing you to see him now.¡± The officer then came over and unlocked the handcuffs that were cuffing her to the small table in the interrogation room. She got up obediently, followed the two police officers out, and went to a muchrger room where outsiders could visit detained suspects. In addition to herwyer Gabriel, there were also Lucas, Sunny, Anya, and Rosie in the room. They were all waiting to see the oue of her final interrogation. Corinne nced at everyone and subconsciously looked around. No one else was in that room except for those five people. She frowned and then chastised herself, ¡®Who am I kidding? He doesn¡¯t care about me anymore. But it¡¯s not like I need him to show concern for me anyway. I just think it¡¯s ironic.¡® Lucas sat in a rxed manner on a chair inside the visiting room. He had a dignified look, and there was a hint of coldness as he looked at Corinne entering the room in handcuffs. He then turned to Corinne¡¯swyer, Gabriel, and asked with a smile, ¡°Mister Gabriel, everyone in this city holds you in high prestige, yet you¡¯re helping to exonerate a viin who hired someone tomit crimes. Aren¡¯t you concerned that this might affect the reputation you¡¯ve built over the years?¡° Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Gabriel replied in a polite yet solemn manner, ¡°I¡¯m awyer, Mister Lucas, and my duty is to ensure the fairest result for my client in addition to clearing her name. No one should be left to bear the consequences of actions that they haven¡¯t done.¡± Lucas chuckled. ¡°If you say so, then. I¡¯m curious to know how you can prove her innocence, given how solid the evidence is.¡± Corinne sat ording to the arrangement designated by the police officers. After a while, the gangster who attacked Anya was brought in by another police officer. Anya immediately cowered in fear into her brother¡¯s arms when she saw the man, and Lucas could only hug her as a means offort. There was a murderous tinge in his expression when he nced up at the gangster. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Gabriel then began to ask, ¡°We met yesterday, so I won¡¯t make another introduction. Could you please repeat your crimes as you havemitted them?¡± Chris had already pleaded guilty, so there was no point trying to argue. He nodded earnestly and began recounting, ¡°Three nights ago, Corinne asked me to meet by the Yonder River, and transferred me a deposit of fifteen thousand dors, saying that she wanted me to attack a beautiful girl named Anya. Once I was done, she would then transfer another fifteen thousand as my final payment. ¡°When I thought about my chance to both get some money and sleep with a beautiful woman, I said to myself, ¡®Why not?¡® I then said yes in a moment of confusion. Corier contacted me and told me the exact hospital and ward that Anya was in, so I went there. I waster caught by the police.¡± After hearing what Chris said, Gabriel asked immediately, ¡°Do you mean to say that you were instructed by my client, Corinne, tomit that crime?¡± Chris answered positively. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°So, how did you and my client meet?¡± ¡°It was¡­by chance. She¡­ She found my contact information on the inte and contacted me.¡± Gabriel then said, ¡°Based on what I know, you wereid off by a certainpany two months ago, and you¡¯ve been secretly doing odd jobs to make a living because you were afraid to tell your wife and children about your unemployment. ¡°You were handing out flyers for a newly opened barbecue restaurant three days ago, and you happened to be resting on the same bench as my client at the shore of Yonder River. As far as I¡¯m concerned, that was your first time meeting her! ¡°At the time, you were just rmending the restaurant to her, and you signed her up as a member of that restaurant just to get yourmission. That was all there is to it.¡± Chris lowered his head and his expression wavered a little. Well¡­ That¡¯s because she asked me to meet her by pretending to be a leaflet distributor since that helps me to avoid suspicion.¡± ¡°Interesting. So you were just pretending to distribute flyers? If that¡¯s the case, why would you have to start doing it two months in advance? Since you¡¯ve already been distributing those flyers for two months, are you saying that my client contacted you and asked you to target Miss Anya two months in advance? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being overly careful if you needed two months to prepare for this?¡± Chris thought for a moment and insisted, ¡°Corinne kept on telling me that it¡¯s important to be careful! She said that Miss Anya has a past with her husband, and she¡¯s been jealous of Miss Anya for a long time already. She told me to prepare in advance, and she would let me know when it¡¯s time for me to find an opportunity to do it once Miss Anyaes back to the country. I decided to continue distributing flyers during the period because I could at least earn some extra money to raise my family.¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice suddenly resonated throughout the entire room. ¡°Those are lies! My client didn¡¯t even know who Mister Jeremy was two months ago, and she couldn¡¯t have been jealous of Miss Anya because of Mister Jeremy! Why would she go to such lengths to plot against a girl she has never met, and at a time where she doesn¡¯t have anything to lose? It makes no sense.¡± Chris panicked and he began to have a guilty conscience. ¡± Because¡­ Because¡­ Gah, I can¡¯t remember too clearly! The point is, Corinne transferred the money to me and asked me to do it! I have transfer records on my cell phone! You can check them if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Gabriel had naturally seen that evidence before. ¡°The cell phone my client used was lost for a period that day, and it waster picked up and handed over to the police. Mister Jeremy then sent his secretary to the police station to take it! It is entirely possible that the phone was picked up by someone between the time the phone went missing and was sent to the police station, and that person could just as easily have transferred that sum of money to you.¡± Lucas became a little impatient when he heard that and interjected, ¡°Please don¡¯t try and twist the solid evidence, Mister Gabriel. I don¡¯t want to hear whatever hypotheses you have, because they¡¯re not the slightest bit convincing. I just want to see this new witness that you mentioned to the police earlier. I¡¯m leaving if they don¡¯t show up!¡± Gabriel raised his hand to look at his watch, and there was a bit of anxiousness in his expression as he looked at his boss, Corinne. The witness should have arrived by then, so he wondered whether something happened to them on the way there. ¡°Please excuse me while I go out and give them a call.¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Gabriel went out to give the witnesses a call. Rosie stood up, crossed her arms over her chest, and walked up to Corinne. She then said in a kind and almost¨Cpersuasive tone, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can clear your name just because you managed to hire a big¨Cshotwyer! How dare you hire someone to hurt Anya? Lucas will never allow you to get away with it! My advice? Stop trying to resist and just ept the punishment of thew. You might even be able to get a lighter sentence if you show a good attitude!¡± Corinne looked up, nced at Rosie, and could not be bothered to entertain the woman¡¯s pointless tirade. Rosie was frustrated when Corinne ignored her, and she was extremely unhappy because her provoking never had the intended effect. It was as if there was never a situation where Corinne would lose herposure, and it seemed that nothing was capable of stirring her emotions. Her ever¨Ccalm demeanor made Rosie feel like pping her out of curiosity to know if she could feel pain. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Beside them, Sunny stared silently at Corinne with a luminous gaze that contained equal parts disappointment and anger, along with a hodgepodge of other emotions. Anya, who was nestled in Lucas¡¯s arms, slowly turned her head and said kindly, ¡°Rosie¡¯s right, Corinne. As long as you¡¯re willing to confess your guilt, I can persuade Lucas to sign a letter of leniency and try to get you a lighter sentence. It¡¯d be best if you can stop making so much of a fuss over this because it¡¯ll only make my brother angrier. This won¡¯t do you any good. Corinne smirked and asked, ¡°Why are you and your best friend so afraid of me making such a big fuss?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and she frowned aggrievedly while exining, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this for your good, Corinne. I don¡¯t want you making more mistakes in a moment of confusion¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Corinne smiled, then closed her eyes without looking at her again. After seeing his sister¡¯s good intentions misconstrued as malice, Lucas narrowed his handsome eyes in displeasure and said protectively, ¡°I won¡¯t go all out to get you the maximum punishment after your kindness in helping our old man. Why must you make things worse and end up having to bear consequences that you can¡¯t afford to bear?¡± Corinne yawned. ¡°Gee, thanks for your generosity, but there¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t afford to bear, unfortunately. You can do whatever you want!¡± Lucas stared coldly at Corinne¡¯s fearless look and had aplicated expression. ¡®Just what kind of family environment did she grow up in to be so sinister, vicious, and shameless instead of being a gentle and well¨Cmannered woman?¡® Rosie red at Corinne in disgust. ¡°Ignore her, Lucas! She¡¯s just a bumpkin from the countryside. She might not be afraid of the consequences right now, but she¡¯ll still cry once she¡¯s convicted! Don¡¯t bother being kind to her and signing that letter of leniency for her. She needs to be severely punished if she is to learn how to repent!¡± As soon as Rosie finished speaking, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a seven- or eight¨Cyear¨C old boy ran in toward the gangster Chris. ¡°Dad!¡± The little boy wanted to throw himself into his father¡¯s arms, but he could not do so because his father was handcuffed and thus unable to spread his arms open. He was stunned, and he looked at his father in confusion. He could not ept what was happening at all and he immediately asked. ¡°Why are you in handcuffs, Dad? Aren¡¯t bad people the only ones who are put in handcuffs on those TV shows? Did you do something bad?¡± Upon seeing his son, Chris¡¯s psychological mettle copsed instantly. He lowered his head and said in shame, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t do it on purpose, son¡­¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 The little boy¡¯s belief in his father seemed to have copsed, and he took a step back with a hurt expression. ¡°Why did you do bad things, Dad? Didn¡¯t you always teach me to be a good person? How could you do this? You¡¯re not my dad anymore! I don¡¯t want a dad like you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Dad like that, Kenny!¡± After the little boy came in, a inly ¨C dressed woman walked in too. Once she told her son off, she looked at her husband with a heartbroken expression and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell the truth, Chris? Do you want to let our son forever live with the shadow of having a criminal as a father?¡± Chris heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his wife and son appearing safe and sound. Even so, he felt ashamed to face them too, and he lowered his head to say, ¡°I¡¯m d that you and Kenny are all right. That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s all that matters to me.¡± ¡°Yes, Chris. Everything¡¯s okay now. We were saved!¡± The woman leaned on her husband¡¯s shoulder with reddened eyes. ¡°Why did you have to be so stupid, Chris? You could¡¯ve told me that you wereid off by yourpany. You worked odd jobs for such a long time, and you ended up being manipted to do such heinous things! Tell the police the truth, Chris! We might be able to get a lighter sentence if you do that!¡± ¡°Honey, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t need to hesitate anymore now that you and Kenny are fine.¡± Chris burst into tears when his wife did not me him. He then wiped his tears with his hands and raised his head to say to the police officers, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. the truth, officers! The reason why I pleaded guilty is that my wife and son were kidnapped, and the person who kidnapped them used them to threaten me into saying that!¡± The police officers were taken aback! ¡°What?! Who kidnapped them?¡± Everyone was taken aback, and the sudden turns of events felt like a bombshell to them. One of the police officers frowned warily, ¡°Are you sure you want to retract your confession? You¡¯ll have to suffer even more serious consequences if you tell another lie!¡± Chris nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure. I want to tell the truth! Someone threatened me and manipted me to do inappropriate things to Miss Anya, but it wasn¡¯t Corinne who did that. It was someone else!¡± Lucas lowered his eyebrows and waited for the gangster to continue. Sunny¡¯s eyes opened wide, and he was eager to know the truth. Anya continued to huddle in her brother¡¯s arms and was still somewhat afraid to look at the gangster who had targeted her. However, she was surprised by the sudden turn of events and nced at him from time to time. Rosie appeared somewhat annoyed as she had been eagerly anticipating Corinne¡¯s miserable downfall. s, Corinne could still find a way to turn the situation around, and Rosie rued the cunning, scheming woman that Corinne was. Gabriel walked in calmly and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, these two people are two new witnesses I mentioned. You saw for yourself that they¡¯re Chris¡¯s wife and son! They¡¯ve both been kidnapped and detained in an upleted building in the suburbs for the past few days, and someone used them to threaten Chris into framing my client!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Lucas nced at Gabriel, then narrowed his eyes at Chris and asked coldly, ¡°Who did it?¡± Gabriel said again, ¡°Your wife and son have been saved, so it¡¯s time you tell the truth and reveal once and for all who the true instigator was!¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Before Chris revealed who it was that manipted him, he bowed at Corinne and apologized guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m very, very sorry for what I did, Miss Corinne. I did it under coercion, and I had no choice but to frame you. I¡¯m sorry that I nearly caused an innocent person like you to be imprisoned.¡± Corinne had an indifferent expression, and she shook her head while saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You just need to tell the truth and clear my name.¡± ¡°I promise I will, Miss Corinne!¡± Chris then began to tell the police the true story of what happened. ¡°It all started like this. I was distributing flyers on the shore of Yonder River the other day, and I was sitting on a bench to rest for some time because I was too tired. There was this girl sitting beside me in a daze, and I figured I could just hand out a leaflet to her while I was resting. ¡°I was doing my best to promote the barbecue restaurant to Miss Corinne that day, and she was kind enough to listen patiently to everything I have to say, unlike most people who avoid me just because I¡¯m handing out flyers. ¡°Aside from listening to everything I said, she even praised the location and epted my request for her to scan the QR code and sign up as a member of the restaurant. I was able to get themission from the restaurant because of that. ¡°I met Miss Corinne for the first time that day, and I never knew who she was before then.¡± and took a deep breath before turning around and wiping her tears in her brother¡¯s arms. Rosie was at a loss after losing her best friend¡¯s trust. She red at Corinne angrily and pointed at her, saying, ¡°You did this! You told this gangster to frame me just to absolve yourself from being the suspect! You¡¯re evil, Corinne!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow and had a look of disgust in her eyes. ¡°All I did was tell mywyer to find the mother and son and save them. I didn¡¯t interfere with anything else, and I¡ª just like everyone else here¨Conly knew who truly instigated him when he mentioned your name. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be you again, Miss Rosie.¡± Rosie became frantic. ¡°Don¡¯t try and pretend to be innocent, Corinne! You won¡¯t seed!¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Red¨Ceyed and distraught, she turned around and said to Lucas, ¡°You can¡¯t believe a word she says, Lucas! She deliberately designed this to clear her name and frame me!¡± Lucas nced at Rosie, then at Corinne, and there was a pensive yetplicated expression in his eyes. The two police officers walked toward Rosie and took out some handcuffs. ¡°Miss Rosie, please stay here and cooperate with the investigation!¡± Rosie backed away in panic and could not ept that she was going to be handcuffed. ¡°Anya¡­ Help me¡­¡± Anya could not bear to be angry with her best friend when thetter begged for help. She walked up to Corinne to try and hold her hand, but Corinne politely avoided her. An awkward expression appeared on Anya¡¯s face and she withdrew her hand resentfully while saying somewhat regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corinne. I didn¡¯t know that this was the truth¡­ You suffered so much these few days, but Rosie made a mistake for my sake in a moment of confusion. Is it okay if you let this one slide, forgive her, and give her another chance?¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Rosie stood up in astonishment and shook her head violently. It wasn¡¯t me! You¡¯re talking nonsense! Make such statements again, and I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!¡± Chris did not argue with her. He turned around and said confidently to the police officer, ¡°It¡¯s her. She asked me to do all this. She followed Miss Corinne from the Lunar Century Manor to the shore of Yonder River, and she chose me to do the job because she saw Corinne talking to me when I was distributing flyers! ¡°She picked up the cell phone that Miss Corinne dropped and used her cell phone to transfer the money to me in advance. She then deleted the transfer record and asked someone else to send the phone to the police station and act as if they came across the cell phone by chance. ¡°Each step was carefully calcted by her to make Miss Corinne the prime suspect!¡± After hearing that, Anya got up from Lucas¡¯s arms in shock and looked at her best friend in disbelief. ¡°Rosie! How could you do something like that? I told you a long time ago not to cause trouble with Corinne for my sake. Whatever that¡¯s between myself and Jeremy has nothing to do with Corinne, and I don¡¯t like it if you do that sort of thing!¡± Rosie shook her head in a panic. ¡°But Anya, it wasn¡¯t me! I swear it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Anya had an extremely disappointed expression after seeing how stubborn Rosie was. She did not want to say another word and took a deep breath before turning around and wiping her tears in her brother¡¯s arms. Rosie was at a loss after losing her best friend¡¯s trust. She red at Corinne angrily and pointed at her, saying, ¡°You did this! You told this gangster to frame me just to absolve yourself from being the suspect! You¡¯re evil, Corinne!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow and had a look of disgust in her eyes. ¡°All I did was tell mywyer to find the mother and son and save them. I didn¡¯t interfere with anything else, and I- just like everyone else here¨Conly knew who truly instigated him when he mentioned your name. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be you again, Miss Rosie.¡± Rosie became frantic. ¡°Don¡¯t try and pretend to be innocent, Corinne! You won¡¯t seed!¡± Red¨Ceyed and distraught, she turned around and said to Lucas, ¡°You can¡¯t believe a word she says, Lucas! She deliberately designed this to clear her name and frame me!¡± Lucas nced at Rosie, then at Corinne, and there was a pensive yetplicated expression in his eyes. The two police officers walked toward Rosie and took out some handcuffs. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Miss Rosie, please stay here and cooperate with the investigation!¡± Rosie backed away in panic and could not ept that she was going to be handcuffed. ¡°Anya¡­ Help me¡­¡± Anya could not bear to be angry with her best friend when thetter begged for help. She walked up to Corinne to try and hold her hand, but Corinne politely avoided her. An awkward expression appeared on Anya¡¯s face and she withdrew her hand resentfully while saying somewhat regretfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corinne. I didn¡¯t know that this was the truth¡­ You suffered so much these few days, but Rosie made a mistake for my sake in a moment of confusion. Is it okay if you let this one slide, forgive her, and give her another chance?¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Corinne smiled. ¡°Oh? So you insist that they pursue this matter until the end if I was the suspect, but now you¡¯re telling me not to pursue it because your best friend is now the suspect? This is double standards of the highest order!¡± Anya was a little embarrassed. ¡°I¡­ I never thought of pursuing the matter. It was my brother who couldn¡¯t ept that someone was out to hurt me, so he¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s hands were ironically still in handcuffs, and she leanedzily on the chair as she said, ¡°Sorry, Miss Anya, but I don¡¯t want to listen to you talk anymore. Let¡¯s leave it to the police to get to the bottom of the matter.¡± Anya lowered her head, but she was still determined to plead on Rosie¡¯s behalf. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corinne. It was our fault for ming you, but Rosie is my best friend. I hope you find it in your heart to be more magnanimous¡­¡± Corinne ignored Anya outright and nced instead at the calm -looking Lucas just nearby. ¡°You love your sister dearly, don¡¯t you, Mister Lucas? I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be so magnanimous toward the real mastermind behind the scenes, right?¡± Anya frowned, turned around to look at Lucas, and said. hurriedly, ¡°Lucas, you know that it wasn¡¯t Rosie¡¯s intention to harm me. She did it for my good, but the way she did it wasn¡¯t right¡­¡± Lucas had no sympathy for Rosie, but since Rosie was his sister¡¯s best friend, he had some concerns and therefore fell into deep contemtion. Corinne could see Lucas¡¯s hesitation, so she snorted softly and remarked, ¡°Mister Lucas, I have high hopes that a man like you will have some principles when ites to doing things. You wouldn¡¯t want to make a fool of yourself because you practice double standards when ites to your precious sister.¡± Lucas regained hisposure after that pointed remark. He looked at Corinne and smiled slightly to say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Corinne. If the police find out that Chris and his family are telling the truth, I¡¯ll treat her the same as I treated you.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Good to hear that.¡± Rosie¡¯s emotions copsed on the spot after hearing Lucas¡¯s statement, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, Lucas! Corinne framed me! Please¡­ You have to trust me¡­¡± The police officers stepped forward and pressed the uncooperative Rosie down on the table. They then handcuffed her forcibly and escorted her to the interrogation room. At the same time, Chris, his wife, and their son were taken to a separate interrogation room, and a serious investigation was conducted to verify the statements made. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Half an hourter, two police officers came in to uncuff Corinne. They then exined embarrassingly to her, ¡°After our investigation, we¡¯ve confirmed that Chris¡® statements were all true, and you weren¡¯t involved in this case at all. We sincerely apologize for our oversight in handling the case and subjecting you to such harsh treatment when you were hospitalized with your severe allergies¡­¡± After regaining her freedom, Corinne moved her ufortable wrists and replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Corinne could see Lucas¡¯s hesitation, so she snorted softly and remarked, ¡°Mister Lucas, I have high hopes that a man like you will have some principles when ites to doing things. You wouldn¡¯t want to make a fool of yourself because you practice double standards when ites to your precious sister.¡± Lucas regained hisposure after that pointed remark. He looked at Corinne and smiled slightly to say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Corinne. If the police find out that Chris and his family are telling the truth, I¡¯ll treat her the same as I treated you.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Good to hear that.¡± Rosie¡¯s emotions copsed on the spot after hearing Lucas¡¯s statement, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, Lucas! Corinne framed me! Please¡­ You have to trust me¡­ The police officers stepped forward and pressed the uncooperative Rosie down on the table. They then handcuffed her forcibly and escorted her to the interrogation room. At the same time, Chris, his wife, and their son were taken to a separate interrogation room, and a serious investigation was conducted to verify the statements made. Half an hourter, two police officers came in to uncuff Corinne. They then exined embarrassingly to her, ¡°After our investigation, we¡¯ve confirmed that Chris¡® statements were all true, and you weren¡¯t involved in this case at all. We sincerely apologize for our oversight in handling the case and subjecting you to such harsh treatment when you were hospitalized with your severe allergies¡­¡± After regaining her freedom, Corinne moved her ufortable wrists and replied calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about 1. it. She framed me, and she factored the police into the equation as well. We¡¯re all victims here.¡± The two police officers looked at Corinne in surprise, then nced at each other in disbelief. They thought Corinne would end upining and using them of negligence, but what they received was instead a show of tolerance and understanding. Mistakes happened from time to time, but most people who were in Corinne¡¯s situation would hardly show such kindness to them. All that, yet the little girl in front of them had an open¨Cmindedness far beyond her age, and it was sufficient to touch their hearts and move them. One of the police officers said in shame, ¡°We¡¯ve put you through a lot these couple of days. Should we arrange for a car to bring you home?¡± Corinne waved her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I appreciate your kindness, but I don¡¯t want to sit in a police car anymore!¡± Despite her refusal, the two police officers smiled graciously. We understand. We won¡¯t send you off then. Be careful on your way home!¡± They had gained a good impression of Corinne since it was rare for them to meet people who understood their work as well as she did. ¡°I will, officer. Don¡¯t worry about me. You should get back to your investigation!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas walked toward Corinne with a half¨Csmile after the police officers left, intending to shake hands with Corinne to make peace after the truth was revealed. Unfortunately for him, Corinne did not even stop for him and simply walked past him without looking at him. He narrowed his eyes and felt embarrassed. It was his first time being ignored and looked down on. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 When Corinne was gone, Anya came over anxiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯ll happen to Rosie now?¡± Lucas came back to his senses and said solemnly to his sister, She¡¯s an adult now. She can think for herself. It¡¯s only just for her to bear the consequences of her actions.¡± ¡°But Rosie¡¯s my best friend! We can¡¯t just leave her alone¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t want to hear a word of it. You should go home with Sunny.¡± Inside the police station¡¯s restroom, Corinne came out after washing her hands, and Gabriel¨Cwho had been waiting for her in the corridor¨Cstepped forward and respectfully handed her a tissue. After that, he handed his cell phone to her and said, ¡°Mister Aaron called. He wants to talk to you.¡± Corinne took the tissue and wiped her hands before answering the call. Aaron¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°How¡¯s everything, boss? You okay there?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. You did a good job of finding the witnesses in time, so you¡¯ll get a reward once I¡¯m back.¡± Aaron answered awkwardly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, boss.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression froze. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you? Are you saying they escaped by themselves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, either! I arrived toote, and they were already rescued when I got to their location.¡± ¡°Who rescued them?¡± ¡°If my guess is right, it was Jeremy¡¯s men. His subordinate, the one named Tommy, sent some people to investigate Chris¡¯s family in the past few days. He found everything one step before us.¡± Corinne was startled, and she remained quiet for a long time. Aaron then added, ¡°If I may, boss, Mister Jeremy is actually¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, however, Corinne hung up the phone annoyedly. Gabriel could see that Corinne was not too pleased, so he asked cautiously, ¡°Would you like toe with meter?¡± After Corinne tossed the phone back to him, she waved her hand and said, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. You should head back to yourw firm now that things on my end are done.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The two of them left the police station one after the other. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Gabriel bowed to Corinne to say goodbye before turning around and leaving in his car. Corinne narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched Gabriel¡¯s car drive away. As soon as she looked away, she was stunned to see Jeremy waiting at the entrance to the police station¡­ Her mood was a littleplicated when she saw him again, and she immediately froze in ce. The man wore a suit and leather shoes, and he was leaningzily against the front of an expensive white sports car. A cigarette was held at the tips of his long fingers and he was smoking nonchntly as if waiting for someone. When he spotted Corinne standing there like an idiot, he raised his hand and made ae¨Chither movement. ¡°Come here.¡± Corinne hesitated for a moment before walking over. ¡°Mister.¡± Jeremy let out a puff of smoke, narrowed his eyes at her, and nced in the direction that Gabriel¡¯s car left. ¡°You have a lot of connections, Corinne.¡± Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Corinne turned around and understood what Jeremy meant when she saw that he was looking in the direction that Gabriel¡¯s car left. ¡°Oh, he used to be my senior in my alma mater¡¯sw department. He¡¯s a very friendly guy, and it¡¯s all thanks to him that I got out of this mess.¡± ¡°Friendly?¡± Jeremy stubbed the half¨Csmoked cigarette and stared at her with his bottomless eyes. ¡°Your senior is well- known throughout the entire city as the most difficultwyer to hire, yet he was willing to help his former university junior. He must have an exceedingly good rtionship with you.¡± He was clearly questioning her. Corinne did not want to exin to him because she did not want to reveal her identity, and she could not think of any reasonable exnation at that moment. If she said too much, she might identally let something slip, so she chose to remain silent. Then, Annie popped out of nowhere with a small bucket. She dipped a big sprig of sage leaves in the bucket of water and flung the water at Corinne. ¡°Congrattions on being exonerated!¡± Before Corinne could react, her face was sshed with water, and she coughed twice after choking on it. Jeremy frowned after seeing Annie¡¯s antics, and he pulled her into his arms to wrap her in a coat. He then stared at Annie coldly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± began giggling again. As unhappy as Jeremy was with her, he still allowed her to do as she pleased. Annie was dumbfounded, and she looked at Corinne in surprise. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°You, of course! You¡¯re cute!¡± Corinne broke free from his arms while sheughed. She then walked up to Annie, patted her shoulders with both hands and said to her, ¡°Thanks, Annie! I do need to get rid of my bad luck. Things haven¡¯t been going well recently, especially since you provoked your uncle!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Annie had a smug expression immediately after hearing what Corinne said. ¡°Hear that, Uncle? She thinks you¡¯re the unlucky one!¡± Jeremy was speechless. The two girls then got together and whispered with each other whileughing from time to time. Jeremy ended up beingpletely ignored, and he had a cold expression as he stared at the heartless little Corinne. He adjusted the clothes that she had deliberately wrinkled up, massaged his brows helplessly, and moved a few steps to the side to light another cigarette. ¡°Are you here to pick Corinne up?¡± Anya came over and asked in a tender voice. She had pestered her brother to ask about the situation with Rosie and was thus held up until then. As soon as she came out of the police station, she immediately left her brother and ran over to Jeremy when she saw Jeremy standing at the gate. The smile on Annie¡¯s face disappeared instantly when she saw Anya¡¯s presence. She snorted and then muttered angrily, ¡°The unluckiest person is here again!¡± Corinne looked at Anya indifferently, looked at the gentle expression on Jeremy¡¯s face, and nced away mindlessly. She happened to see Lucas standing helplessly beside his luxury car not far away, and he was waiting for his sister to go back home. Anya¡¯s fate was pretty good considering how she had an elder brother who loved her unconditionally and spoiled her since she was a child. There was nothing for her to fear, and she only had to hide behind him if something bad happened. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 By contrast, Corinne lived her entire life with no one and nothing to rely on. For every hardship and problem she encountered, she would have to face everything and find every solution by herself. Though her confidence had been tempered by those experiences, she wondered if she would be grateful for the sufferings that made her stronger if she looked back. Her answer to that was a resounding no. Given the choice, not a single person on earth would want to go through suffering. Anya¡¯s soft and kind voice drifted into Corinne¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯ve already apologized to Corinne for the misunderstanding, Jeremy! It¡¯s because of Rosie¡¯s moment of confusion that she made such a mistake! She¡¯s not an inherently bad person though, and you should know that after being friends with her for so many years! ¡°Could you help me persuade Corinne not to pursue the matter and just let it slide this one time? Please? The police said that Rosie won¡¯t be locked up if neither I nor Corinne pursue the matter any further.¡± Corinne smiled sarcastically and turned to look at Jeremy, for she was curious to see if he would agree to help the apple of his eye after she pleaded so tenderly with him. Jeremy had an insipid expression, and one could not tell what he was thinking behind the wisp of smoke. He calmly exhaled the smoke and said, ¡°Such incidents have happened more than once, and it¡¯s not Rosie¡¯s first time trying to harm my wife. I won¡¯t agree to let this matter go, even if my wife says she¡¯s willing to do so.¡± Corinne was startled, and she stared nkly at him while recalling what he just said. ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± Anya was shocked too, and she lowered her head in disappointment. ¡°Okay. I understand¡­¡± Jeremy stubbed out the cigarette, walked past Anya, and strode toward Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s time to go home,¡± he said in a firm manner. Corinne was still in a daze when Jeremy held her hand, opened the door, and guided her into the car. He then bent down to fasten her seat belt and closed the door. When he went back to the front of the car and walked to the driver¡¯s seat, he passed by Anya again and stopped briefly to say to her, ¡°You should go home, too. Lucas is waiting for you.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Anya came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Okay. I will!¡± After that, Annie came over with a smile and asked, ¡°What about me?¡± Jeremy nced at her and ruthlessly walked past her. ¡°Just take the same mode of transport you took when you came here.¡± Annie could not believe it. ¡°What?! Wait, Uncle! Uncle, don¡¯t go! Uncle¡­ Hey! Are you for real right now? Is this how you should treat your niece?¡± She chased after Jeremy to try to hitch a ride, but the car threw her off so easily and drove away with a vroom of the engine. ¡°Uncle Jeremy¡­¡± Annie wanted to cry, but the tears could note. Anya looked at Annie sympathetically and offered kindly,¡± Would you like toe with me? I can ask my brother to send you home!¡± Annie shot Anya a disgusted look and refused without hesitation. ¡°Ew, no! I¡¯ll take a taxi by myself! See ya!¡± She then turned around and ran off as if avoiding Anya like the gue. As Anya looked in the direction that Jeremy drove off and nced at the rear figure of that ungrateful Annie, her pure ¨C hearted expression changed to that of sudden gloom and ruthlessness as she gritted her teeth. ¡°Are you going to keep staring at them? They¡¯ve all left, and we should be going home soon, too,¡± Lucas¡¯s worried and distressed tone came from behind. The sinisterness in Anya¡¯s eyes dissipated in an instant, and she reverted to her usual docile expression before saying obediently, ¡°Okay, Lucas. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Both Anya and Sunny had taken the car driven by the family¡¯s personal driver to the police station, but momentster, Sunny had no choice but to go back in the same car after Lucas asked him to go back home to study. Thus, Anya ended up going home in Lucas¡® car. After getting into Lucas¡® car, Anya immediately saw the amulet hanging off the rearview mirror. The amulet was consecrated by a spiritual master from the Empyrean Temple which was located on top of the mountain of its namesake, Mount Empyrean. There was a small photo of less than an inch of a little girl and her mother iid in the middle of the amulet. The little girl had the same cherry¨Cred mole in between her eyebrows as Anya. Anya knew that Lucas never believed in things rted to spirituality, but even so, he was still willing to ask for a safe blessing for the mother¨Cand¨Cdaughter duo. How important the mother and daughter were to him was self¨Cevident. However, the people in the photo were not of Anya and her mother but the previous madam and young miss of the Rivera family who had been missing for many years. Meaning to say, the ex¨Cwife of Anya¡¯s father, and the daughter who was born to them, Luna. ¡°Lucas, why do you still have a photo of Luna hanging in your car?¡± asked Anya in a sour tone. Lucas had just started the car and his hands were on the steering wheel. He looked up at the amulet, and his cold eyes softened for a second. ¡°So that I¡¯ll never forget them.¡± Anya¡¯s doe eyes flickered with disappointment. ¡°No fair. Why don¡¯t you have a photo of me and Sunny, then?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯tpare yourself with her,¡± Lucas said calmly. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? Is it because deep down in your heart, Sunny and I¡¯ll never be as important as Luna to you?¡± Anya asked with a frown. Lucas detected the hurt in Anya¡¯s voice. He slowed down the car, raised his arm, and gently patted her on the head. ¡°Silly girl. Aren¡¯t I always by your side? I can see you anytime, so there¡¯s no need to hang a photo of you in my car. Meanwhile, Luna has been gone since she was five years old, and we have no idea how she¡¯s been doing all these years. As a brother, I should¡¯ve kept her safe, but the only thing I can do for her is to pray that she¡¯s safe and happy.¡± Anya frowned and anxiously advised, ¡°The fact that she hasn¡¯t been by your side all these years is all the more reason for you to let her go. Besides, I don¡¯t think Luna would¡¯ve wanted to see you living under the shadow of their disappearance. There¡¯s also a high chance they¡¯re not of this world anymore.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lucas¡® eyes darkened, and he put his hand back from the steering wheel. He never liked to hear such unlucky words from others because he never wanted to believe that Luna and her mother were no longer alive. He would rather believe that they had changed their names and were living happily in another corner of the world. He would have asked the person who said all those unlucky words to get out of the car if it was not for the fact that it was Anya who said them. Anya did not notice Lucas was angry. She stared at the amulet and said coquettishly, ¡°Lucas, I want you to hang a photo of me and Sunny in the car as well! That way, you¡¯ll always think of us when you¡¯re driving. Okay?¡± Lucas snorted. ¡°Forget it. Why would I want to be reminded of Sunny? That kid only scored three points in his final math exam.¡± Anya was speechless and felt a little embarrassed for that idiotic little brother of hers. ¡°Lucas, Sunny is actually quite smart. It¡¯s just that his heart isn¡¯t in studying.¡± ¡°Does he think he can get away with studying just because his heart isn¡¯t in it? The family has hired so many tutors for him, and he only has a score of three points to show for all that? Why, he should be ashamed to call himself a Rivera! I know I definitely would.¡± ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll leave him out of the photo and just put mine, okay?¡± Lucas sighed helplessly. To date, he had never not given in to Anya. ¡°Okay, I will hang a photo of you in the car tomorrow so that I¡¯ll think of you every time I¡¯m driving. Happy?¡± Anya nodded and beamed at him. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy now that we all got the same treatment from you.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a little tired. He had always given in to Anya, and sometimes, he worried he was spoiling her too much. Anya turned her head to look out of the window, and even though she got what she wanted, there was still a disdainful expression on her face. She did not really care whether Lucas had her photo hanging in his car or whether he would think of her while driving; all she wanted was to win against Luna. Ever since Anya was young, everyone around her always told her that she was lucky to be born into the Rivera family. She was treated like a little princess and was loved by thousands. However, no one had any idea that no matter how much she was loved, she would never be able to win against that stupid stepsister of hers who had been missing for more than a decade. Tomemorate Luna, her father spent huge sums of money to build Lunar Century Manor in the city center where every inch of thend was worth more than a bar of gold. Then there was Lucas, who would always put the missing Luna before Anya. When she was young and in order to be favored by Lucas, Anya asked someone to tattoo an identical cherry- red mole in between her eyebrows so that she would look like Luna. Frankly speaking, she loathed the whole thing but had no choice because Lucas did not like her at first on ount of him and her noting from the same mother. She thought that by imitating Luna, Lucas would like her more, and she was right! Look at how Lucas spoiled her. In fact, one could say that it was not Lucas who was living under the shadow of Luna¡¯s disappearance but herself! That was why, out of the whole world, she hated Luna the most. Anya wished for nothing more than for Luna to be wiped out from everyone¡¯s memories. What was even more uneptable to Anya was that she was not the most special person to Jeremy. To say that she was unhappy would be an overstatement. In fact, she would not be happy until she was the most important and most special person in everyone¡¯s lives. ¡°Lucas, I feel scared¡­¡± Anya suddenly said in a trembling voice. Lucas thought she was not feeling well. He stopped the car by the side of the road and gently asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? There¡¯s nothing to be scared of as long as I¡¯m by your side.¡± Anya took her brother¡¯s hand and said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m a little afraid of Corinne. I always feel that she has a lot of hostility toward me. Coupled with the fact that Rosie did such a stupid thing¡­ Well, I¡¯m scared that Corinne would take her revenge on me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange for someone to protect you. never let anyone hurt you.¡± I¡¯ll Lucas could not help but feel annoyed whenever he thought of how Corinne rudely ignored him, and he reminded himself to not underestimate her. He already lost a sister, and he would be d*mned if he was going to lose another. At that moment, a sports car wasing from the opposite direction. A multitude of feelings were bubbling inside Corinne when she turned her head to look at Jeremy, whose eyes were focused on the road. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Thank you, Mister.¡± Jeremy nced at her and asked, ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thanking you for helping me find the new witness in time today, or the truth of this matter wouldn¡¯t be revealed so soon.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°How did you know that I was the one who found the new witness?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± The question stumped Corinne. Jeremy never told her that he was the one who found the new witness. As far as he knew, Corinne was just a country bumpkin. Plus, there was no reliable channel to obtain undisclosed information such as this. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can tell him it was Aaron who reported it to me,¡® thought Corinne. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 ¡°I was just guessing. You¡¯ve been so nice to me recently and not to mention I¡¯m your wife in name, so I knew for sure that you were going to help me out. Except for you, there¡¯s no one else in the world who¡¯d help me find a new witness like that,¡± exined Corinne in a ttering way. Jeremy nced coldly at her. ¡°Did you really know for sure that I was going to help you out for sure?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve always known that,¡± Corinne answered with a smile that did not reach her eyes. Jeremy scoffed softly. ¡°So you didn¡¯t curse me in your heart when I didn¡¯t go back to the hospital to spend time with youst night?¡± Corinne did not know what to say for she did, in fact, cursed him. She heard from Annie yesterday that Jeremy did note back at all after sending Anya off from the hospital. She guessed that the two old lovers must have gotten carried away by their conversations and did not think too much about it. However, she became upset when she thought that Jeremy was just like everyone else who believed that she was the one who hurt Anya. Therefore, she did curse him in her heart, but not for the reason he thought. Jeremy took her silence to mean her admission to the usation. He smirked provocatively and spun the steering wheel with his hand to turn the car around the corner. ¡°Last night, I went to investigate something, and when I came back, you were already asleep. Then, I needed to attend to some urgent matter in the morning, so I left before you woke up,¡± exined Jeremy. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was stunned and thought, ¡®He came backst night?¡® ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Jeremy asked with a raise of his brow. Corinne snapped out of her stupor and shook her head. ¡°No, I believe you. You have no reason to lie to me. Anyways, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to help me find the new witness.¡± Jeremy nced at her and saw the forced polite smile on her face. ¡°Tommy was the one who was in charge of finding the witness since I had my hands full with another matter.¡± ¡°What matter can be so important that it requires you to personally attend to it?¡± Corinne asked with a frown. ¡°I thought you¡¯re good at guessing, so why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows knitted. How could she possibly guess when she had nothing to go on? ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m not going to guess. It probably has something. to do with Miss Anya since you¡¯re willing to personally investigate the matter. I don¡¯t need to know the details since it has nothing to do with me.¡± As soon as she said that, Jeremy put on the emergency brake, causing the car to skid to the pavement, and the tires to screech loudly. Corinne instinctively and fearfully clung to her seat belt to avoid being flung around inside the car. ¡®What the hell is going on?¡® she thought once the car came to a halt. She looked sideways at Jeremy with a frown on her head. What¡¯s the matter with him this time?¡® Jeremy¡¯s cold, handsome face was as ck as thunder. He narrowed his eyes at her and said, ¡°Nothing to do with you? Don¡¯t tell me you seriously think that everything I do has nothing to do with you?¡± ¡°Huh? Are you saying that it has something to do with me?¡± asked Corinne curiously. Jeremy slowly unbuckled his seat belt. His eyes were cold. ¡± Corinne Carew, do you not listen to all the things I¡¯ve said to you?¡± Corinne became even more puzzled. ¡°No, I do listen. It¡¯s just that sometimes, I don¡¯t really understand why you do some of the things you do. For example, this is one of those times.¡± ¡°You can always ask if you don¡¯t understand!¡± said Jeremy angrily. Corinne still did not understand where his sudden anger wasing from, and she in turn became angry too. ¡°I have no right to ask since I¡¯m not your real wife. It¡¯s better if ¡°What did you say?¡± Corinne froze for a moment. Then, she frowned and said, ¡® Anya¡­¡± Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Jeremy suddenly put one hand on the dashboard and the other on the back of Corinne¡¯s chair. Then, he leaned over and kissed her without warning. He kissed her softly at first, so soft that it actually surprised Corinne, and then it was like the floodgate was opened, and his tongue began to frantically probe the inside of her mouth. Corinne was shocked, to say the least. She quickly pushed him away and only had time to take a big gulp of air before Jeremy kissed her hard again. She pushed him away. ¡°Mister, you¡ªmmph!¡± He kissed her even more fiercely this time. ¡°No, Mister. Get¡­off¡­me¡­¡± He held her head firmly in ce to prevent her from resisting. He was going to savor this moment as much as he could. The aggressive and invasive kiss was more like a punishment to Corinne. She was starting to feel dizzy from theck of oxygen; one second more and she would have suffocated there and then. Therefore, it was a good thing Jeremy finally let her go before the one second was up. ¡°You *sshole!¡± Corinne took a deep breath, wiped her mouth, and red at Jeremy. ¡°Hey, between the two of us, you¡¯re the bigger *sshole here.¡± Jeremy grabbed her chin roughly to admire her red and swollen lips. Corinne failed to push his hand away. ¡°How am I the bigger sshole?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°Need you ask?¡± Jeremy rubbed the tip of her chin with his thumb. There was a hint of resentment in his eyes that did not match his usually mature temperament. ¡°How can you simply give away your husband to another woman? Even a saint isn¡¯t as kind as that! So let me ask you, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re the bigger *sshole when you were the one who cast me aside after toying with my feelings?¡± ¡®Cast him aside after toying with his feelings? What a load of bullsh*t!¡® thought Corinne. She was annoyed at being disrespected and molested by him, though she could kind of see where he was coming from. Jeremy was a man after all, and he might have developed feelings for her after getting a taste of her. However, that was only a guess of hers, and his motives might be wholly different in reality. ¡°Mister, you shouldn¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want to me just because we¡¯ve slept together once. Besides, that one time was an unfortunate ident. It doesn¡¯t mean that anything¡¯s going to happen between us somewhere down. the line. If you ever do what you did to me again, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Jeremy looked down at her little angry face. ¡°Sue you for sexual harassment!¡± Jeremyughed as if she just told him the funniest joke in the world. Then, his eyes suddenly sharpened. ¡°Now you listen to me, Corinne Carew, it¡¯s not my n to sleep with you once.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne became even angrier when she heard that. If she had not been afraid that the rest of his life would be ruined by the after¨Ceffects, she would not have slept with him at all. ¡°Well, the same goes for me! Hmph, if anything else, you should be happy that I was even willing to sleep with you.¡± Jeremy quietly leaned over the side of her face and whispered, ¡°What I mean is, it¡¯s my n to sleep with you more than once.¡± Corinne was stunned and disgusted at the same time. ¡®What did he say? What a total perv!¡® ¡°I want to do dirty things to you the whole night long and until the two of us can¡¯t move an inch anymore. What do you say?¡± whispered Jeremy into her ear again. ¡®Until we can¡¯t move an inch anymore¡­? Just how many times does he want to sleep with me?¡® thought Corinne. Her heart suddenly tightened, and she turned her face away from him in disgust. ¡°Quit being a sc*mbag, Mister.¡± Corinne would never believe the irresponsible words of a man who still had feelings, not to mention who had just not long ago made a grand romantic confession to his first love. Chapter 320 Chapter 320 ¡°Sc*mbag? Tell me, just how am I one?¡± Jeremy asked with a frown. Corinne was just about to answer his question when the phone in her pocket suddenly rang, causing her to lose her train of thought. She fished out the phone from her pocket and saw that the ce where there should be a name was only a string of numbers. However, she had a near photographic memory when it came to remembering numbers and could tell with a nce that it was Anya who was calling. ¡°Here, Mister, you take the call. It¡¯s from your precious Anya.¡± She handed the phone to him and looked out of the window to give him some privacy. Jeremy epted the phone without looking at it and immediately rejected the call. ¡°Corinne Carew, turn around and look at me,¡± he said sternly. Corinne turned to look at him, her beautiful eyes filled with contempt. ¡°And then what?¡± Jeremy looked deeply into her eyes and started to exin, The reason I asked you to go to Lunar Century Manor that day was actually¡­¡± The phone rang again. The ringtone kept ying and ying, which irritated Jeremy to no end. Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pick up the call first? After all, she might be in an emergency.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. After thinking it over, Jeremy epted the call and put it on speaker. ¡°Jeremy, are you home yet?¡± Anya¡¯s soft and gentle voice came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Not yet. Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Lucas¡® car broke down on the Yonder Bridge. We¡¯re stuck here at the moment, so can youe over and pick us up?¡± said Anya helplessly. ¡°What about Lucas¡® subordinates? Can¡¯t he ask them to pick the two of you up?¡± Jeremy asked emotionlessly. ¡°Lucas¡® phone ran out of battery, and he doesn¡¯t remember any of his subordinates¡® phone numbers. I only have your number saved in my phone, so there¡¯s no one else I can call¡­ I¡¯m also feeling a little sick right now¡­¡± replied Anya in a trembling voice. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send someone over to pick you guys up,¡± said Jeremy. Anya was a little hurt to hear that. ¡°Jeremy, didn¡¯t you just leave the hospital not long ago? You shouldn¡¯t be too far from the Yonder Bridge. Can¡¯t youe here and pick us up yourself? Or is it because¡­Corinne doesn¡¯t want you toe here?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes and thought, ¡®Why does she always have to push all the me on me? This has nothing to do with me. She¡¯s one cray¨Ccray woman, alright.¡® ¡°Jeremy, my illness seems to have red up again. I¡¯m just worried that your people won¡¯t reach here in time. Jeremy¡­ I¡¯m feeling really, really bad right now¡­¡± Anya said weakly. Jeremy lowered his eyes and was silent for two seconds. ¡°Send me the location.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send it to you right away. Thank you so much, Jeremy!¡± said Anya happily. Corinne had already unbuckled her seat belt by the time Jeremy had hung up the phone. She was about to get out of the car when he grabbed her wrist from behind. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Jeremy asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to take the taxi back so that no one can ever say that I was the one who came in between you and Miss Anya. Don¡¯t worry about me, Mister. You should quickly go save your damsel in distress,¡± said Corinne sarcastically. Jeremy threw her a cold nce. ¡°Sit down. We¡¯re going together.¡± Corinne was forced to buckle up her seat belt again. Jeremy quickly turned the car around and drove to the Yonder Bridge. Corinne was really annoyed. ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t think I should be going with you to pick up Anya¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one I like!¡± Jeremy impatiently cut her off without warning. Corinne was shocked but then in a deadpan manner, she said, Mister, you shouldn¡¯t joke about something like this. I¡¯ll never Chapter 321 Chapter 321 ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m driving, so now¡¯s not the time to say anything that¡¯ll anger me. Just wait quietly and I¡¯ll exin everything to youter. Be a good girl and listen to me, okay?¡± said Jeremy in a stern but coaxing tone while keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead. Corinne frowned and obediently sank back into her seat. A multitude of feelings was roiling inside her as she silently stared out of the window at the passing scenery. In the middle section of the Cross River Bridge, a ckmercial sedan with double shing lights was parked on the side of the road. Jeremy drove past the car and pulled over. Corinne had no intention to get out of the car, but he still reached over to help her unbuckle her seat belt. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get out of the car now!¡± She had no choice but to follow him out of the car. Anya greeted them as soon as the two of them got out of the car. She coughed weakly twice before saying, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here!¡± Jeremy nodded at her. He then turned his attention to Lucas, who was standing by the car, and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your car?¡± Lucas patted the front bo and said, ¡°The engine might be flooded with water. It stopped working after I drove over some puddle.¡± Jeremy tossed him the keys to his car. ¡°Here, you can use my car to take your sister home first.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Lucas caught the keys with one hand. His expression was slightly stiff, but then he smiled. ¡°Thank you foring all the way out here to help us.¡± Then, Lucas took a closer look at Corinne, who was standing quietly by the side. He had to admit he was rather impressed by how she managed to have Jeremy eating out of the palm of her hand. Jeremy would never have ignored Anya like that in the past. ¡°Jeremy, how are you going to get home, then? Why can¡¯t you drive us home instead of giving us the car?¡± Anya asked anxiously. ¡°No can do. The two of us want to take a walk along the bridge, ¡± said Jeremy. He then patted Corinne pointedly on the head. Corinne was speechless. ¡®What the hell is he talking about? I for sure don¡¯t want to take a walk along the bridge with him,¡® she thought. An imperceptible gloom shed across her eyes after she looked at Corinne and then at Jeremy¡¯s hand. However, she soon put on her a fake smile and said, ¡°Jeremy, it can get quite windy up here, and Corinne might catch a cold. I think it¡¯s best if we all leave together in the same car.¡± Jeremy took off his coat and put it on Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Someone wille to pick us upter. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re feeling unwell? Well, don¡¯t just stand there and get in the car already. Your brother will send you home to rest.¡± ¡°But Jeremy¡­¡± Jeremypletely ignored her this time. He turned sideways to look at Corinne. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to talk.¡± He then put both of his hands on her shoulder and steered her toward the direction of the river. Anya froze in ce. She angrily gritted her teeth as she stared at the two retreating figures. Lucas¡® car broke down because she deliberately tampered with it when he went down to buy some drinks for her. She thought that Jeremy would definitely ask Corinne to get out of the car so that he could personally send Anya home first. She had been known to be weak and sickly, after all. She never imagined that he would actually choose to walk along the bridge with Corinne and leave her to Lucas¡® care! ¡°Let¡¯s go, Anya!¡± Lucas called out to her, snapping her out of her trance. She nodded obediently, and the two of them walked over to where Jeremy¡¯s sports car was parked. Sitting in the car, she still had not given up, so she sent him a message. [Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry to make youe all the way here. Did I make Corinne unhappy again? I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to. It¡¯s just that I was feeling really sick just now. Can you please help me exin it to her? I¡¯m really worried she might get angry at me again.] Jeremy¡¯s phone beeped twice. Corinne nced at the message notification on the screen and threw the phone to Jeremy. ¡°Mister, your precious Anya just texted you.¡± Chapter 322 Jeremy did not even look at the message. He simply turned off the phone and put it in his pants pocket. Corinne leaned on the steel railing by the side of the bridge and stared into the distance. The wind from the river blew softly over her hair, making her look like an elegant and beautifuldy straight out of a ssical painting. The bridge was located opposite Yonder River¡¯s embankment, where one could see the most cutting¨C edge high¨Crise buildings in the whole of New Capital City. ¡°Be careful. Make sure you don¡¯t fall off the bridge.¡± Jeremy grabbed her by the cor from behind as if he was picking up a kitten. In less than three seconds, he managed to ruin Corinne¡¯s beautiful image. Her feet were hanging off the ground, making her so ufortable that she thought she was going to choke to death. ¡®Oh, my god. He¡¯s so annoying. Why does he keep treating me like a kid who doesn¡¯t know anything?¡® thought Corinne. ¡°Let me go, Mister. I¡¯m not so stupid as to fall off the bridge!¡± she said. Jeremy carried her to a ce further away from the railing before letting her go. Her feet finally touched the ground. Then, he condescendingly looked down and scoffed at her. Are you sure you¡¯re not that stupid?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± eximed Corinne with a frown. ¡°If you¡¯re not that stupid, why can¡¯t you see it?¡± ¡°See what?¡± ¡°Use that brain of yours and think for yourself,¡± he said fiercely. Corinne was a little speechless. She did not want to continue the conversation, so she asked, ¡°Mister, when are your mening to pick us up?¡± Jeremy shoved his hands into his pockets and stared into the distant river. ¡°No one ising to pick us up.¡± ¡®What? I remember him telling Anya that someone wille to pick us up soon!¡® thought Corinne. She frowned and said, ¡°What? No one¡¯sing to pick us up? Are you seriously suggesting we walk home like this?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Why not? I thought all you young people like to wander around aimlessly when dating each other.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? That¡¯s sost century. No one does that anymore! Why would we do that? Think about all the gas fumes we¡¯ll breathe in,¡± Corinneined with a disgusted expression on her face. Jeremy was speechless. Corinne wasughing at just how old¨Cfashioned he was when she suddenly realized there was something off about what he said. ¡®Wait a minute¡­ Did he just use the word dating? Is he trying to imply that what we¡¯re doing now is dating?¡® Corinne wondered. She pondered over Jeremy¡¯s choice of wording, not entirely sure if she understood what he was trying to tell her. Jeremy bent down slightly to amodate their height difference and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°Then can you teach this old man what it is that young people nowadays do when they go on dates?¡± Corinne snapped out of her trance. ¡®He¡¯s definitely being weird Her lips began to twitch unnaturally. ¡°Umm, the usual like eating out in a restaurant, drinking at a bar, watching a movie, going to an escape room, and the likes¡­¡± Jeremy frowned slightly. Except for eating and drinking, everything else was a waste of time for a mature man like him. ¡°So you like doing those things, too?¡± Corinne nodded and said, ¡°I guess. I went to a few escape rooms with some ssmates before and found it quite fun.¡± ¡°Male or female ssmates?¡± Jeremy asked with a frown.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne felt a little guilty when he asked that. She thought this must be what it felt like to be interrogated by a parent after getting caught sneaking out at night. However, she suddenly reminded herself she was not a teenager anymore, so there was nothing to be scared about. ¡°Both! Can you please stop being so narrow¨Cminded, Mister?¡± ¡®What? Is she really calling me narrow¨Cminded?¡® Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. He pinched the space between his eyebrows in a bid to tamp down his emotions. "Corinne Carew, you..." Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Suddenly, Corinne¡¯s stomach gave out an embarrassing growl -she was hungry. Half of Jeremy¡¯s anger vanished when he heard her stomach growling. He looked at her with his intense eyes and patted her head. ¡°Okay then, we can start with having a meal together. What do you want to eat?¡± ¡®Start with having a meal together? What does he mean?¡® Corinne wondered. Jeremy¡¯s words made her feel a little ufortable. ¡®Does he mean what I think he means? Should I ask him? No! I don¡¯t want him to think that I¡¯m getting the wrong idea about the whole thing.¡® Corinne rubbed her hungry stomach and looked away from him. ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything, but I¡¯m too tired to walk anymore.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. As soon as she finished speaking, Jeremy scooped her up and carried her in a horizontal position. Corinne was stunned. She turned beet red. ¡°Mister¡­what are you doing?¡± Jeremy began to walk along the bridge with her in his arms. He looked down at her and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re tired of walking?¡± Corinne was nonplussed. ¡°What I meant was you should call someone toe and pick us up quickly instead of carrying me like this!¡± ¡°What you ultimately want is to not walk, so what difference does it make if I carry you or if a car carries you?¡± said Jeremy without breaking his stride. The corner of Corinne¡¯s mouth started twitching. What Jeremy said was irrefutable. ¡°No, Mister. I¡¯m embarrassed by this. We¡¯re on the Yonder Bridge, for god¡¯s sake. Every car passing by will think we¡¯re crazy. They might even post our pictures on the Inte. We¡¯ll have no choice but to hide under the rock should that happen.¡± ¡°We¡¯re legally married, so there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you see how embarrassing this is for me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Any videos or photos that have my face in them cannot be posted without my permission.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®The videos and photos are beside the point! Why can¡¯t he just see how embarrassing this is for me? People are definitely going to think we¡¯re crazy for doing this on the Yonder Bridge.¡® She could not break free, and at the same time, she did not want to experience a social death, so she decided to bury her face in Jeremy¡¯s chest like an ostrich. Jeremy would be the only one being humiliated as long as she did not show her face. After a while, Corinne sensed that the wind had died down considerably, so she turned her head and nced around to discover that they were no longer on the bridge. She immediately sighed with relief. ¡°Thank you, Mister. You must be tired of carrying me, so why don¡¯t you let me down? I don¡¯t mind walking now,¡± she said, hoping he would listen to her. Jeremy leaned over and put her down safely. His eyes were twinkling mischievously when he said, ¡°Just so you know, I didn¡¯t put you down ¡®cause I was tired of carrying you. In fact, you were as light as a feather.¡± Corinne simply rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah sure, that is if the feather weighs thirty¨Csix kilograms.¡± Jeremyughed softly and stroked her hair. ¡°Oh, what am I going to do with you?¡± Corinne was stunned and she turned beet red. ¡®He¡¯s such a flirt! Good thing I don¡¯t fall for this kind of thing. If not¡­¡® She then looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy to get a taxi here. There should be a subway station further up ahead. Let¡¯s go, Mister. We¡¯ll take the subway to the restaurant for dinner.¡± Jeremy was willing to do whatever she said, so the two of them made their way to the subway station. Once there, they lined up to buy their tickets from the automatic ticket machine. Corinne was just about to buy tickets when Jeremy deftly pushed some buttons, and the machine instantly spat out a pair of Line 7 subway cards that would allow them to pass through the central business district. Seeing this, Corinne could not help but recall the time when Jeremy took the subway with her because the traffic was too congested to drive, as well as how he had to call Tommy for help in buying the tickets. ¡°Mister, you seem to know your way around the subway lines now.¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 ¡°I decided to learn a little bit about the subway lines after taking a ride with youst time.¡± Jeremy bent down and picked up the subway cards issued by the ticket machine. Then, he took Corinne¡¯s hand and led her to the turnstiles to swipe their cards before walking to the waiting area as if he had done the same thing a thousand times. Corinne found it weird that he would want to learn about the subway lines that she missed out on the fact that Jeremy was holding her hand. ¡°Why do you need to know about this kind of thing when you¡¯re always being chauffeured around? Don¡¯t you find it unnecessary?¡± Jeremy nced at her sideways and scoffed coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t someonest time say that I should learn to live life like the average person once in a while?¡± Corinne was speechless. She remembered that she had indeed said that to him at the racecoursest time. At that time, she wanted to show Rosie that she had principles and was not with Jeremy for his money. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by that. Did you really learn to take the subway like us average people just because I said that to you?¡± ¡°You mean I¡¯m not an average folk?¡± Jeremy asked with one eyebrow raised. Corinne pursed her mouth in disgust and replied, ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re one of those evil capitalists.¡± ¡°Have I ever exploited you?¡± Jeremy asked with augh. ¡°Yes! I have given you three months of my precious time. Not to mention, you¡¯ve caused me so many troubles from the very first day I met you,¡± said Corinne confidently. Jeremy stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His sudden sincere apology made Corinne feel very ufortable. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯re both responsible for the situation we¡¯re in now since you only started to exploit me after I kissed you. I¡¯m fine as long as you don¡¯t exploit me anymore after the three months are up.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Mister, do keep in mind that there¡¯s no postponement of ending this rtionship once the three months are up,¡± Corinne said with a frown. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked deeply into her eyes. You sound like you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll ask for a postponement.¡± Corinne nodded vigorously. ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t want to be bound to you or be at your mercy forever. I really hope you¡¯ll keep your word and give me back my freedom as promised.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Corinne Carew, I¡¯ll let you go and give you back your freedom now.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± ¡°Wow! Thanks, Mister. I¡¯ll be leaving, then. Hope we never bump into each other again.¡± Corinne quickly shook off Jeremy¡¯s hand and walked away. However, Jeremy pulled her back by the arm before she could even take three steps. ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡± Jeremy asked coldly. Corinne looked puzzled. ¡°You just told me you¡¯re letting me go! How can you go back on your words so quickly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to force you to pretend to be my wife anymore, but I hope you¡¯ll at least consider bing my real wife.¡± Corinne looked at Jeremy in astonishment. She could not help but wonder whether she heard wrong. ¡®He wants me to be his real wife? Wait a minute¡­ Is he proposing to me?¡® ¡°Hello? Earth to Corinne?¡± Jeremy tapped her on the nose with his finger, wanting her toe out of her trace and put her focus back on him. Corinne recovered from her shock but was still slightly in a daze. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just ask me why I learned how to take the subway? Well, I was scared that you, being the little rascal that you are, will abandon me in the subway station one day and that I won¡¯t be able to chase after you on ount of me not knowing how to buy the ticket.¡± As he was speaking, he slid his hand to her wrist and then interlocked his fingers with hers until he had her hand firmly sped in his. It was as if he was very worried that she would suddenly run away. Corinne was beginning to feel her resolve melting little by little. Jeremy¡¯s every word and move made her more and more confused. She even looked behind and around her, checking to see if the elders from the Holden family had sent someone to spy on them. If not, why would Jeremy be acting like this? Jeremy noticed her looking around and knew that her brain must be going into overdrive again. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Jeremy straightened Corinne¡¯s face and continued to lead her to the tform so as not to miss the next train. As they walked, Jeremy solemnly called her name, ¡°Corinne Carew, let¡¯s start over.¡® Corinne tilted her head, raised her eyebrows, and looked at him incredulously. ¡°How?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll start by going on dates with each other. What do you say? Will you give this old man a chance?¡± Corinne frowned and, giving it much thought, replied, Mister, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re¡ª¡± She was cut off before she said the word ¡®suitable¡®. Jeremy did not let her finish her sentence. ¡°Don¡¯t be so fast to turn me down. Give me a chance to pursue you again. Don¡¯t worry. From now on, I won¡¯t force you to live my life. I¡¯ll try to learn to live the way you live too. You like to take the subway to go out. You like to eat street food. You like to go to escape rooms. You like to watch movies. All this I can go with you. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°But of course, I¡¯ll take you to the best restaurants in the city too so that you can enjoy the most luxurious life imaginable. I want to give you all the best in this world. As long as you want it and as long as I have it, I¡¯ll give anything to you.¡± No woman would be able to resist such an offering from a handsome man with a deep melodious voice. Corinne¡¯s heart actually skipped a beat, but the corners of her lips curled up with sarcasm. ¡°Mister, you should be ashamed of yourself. Didn¡¯t you say the same thing to Miss Anya not long ago?¡± However, her words were drowned out by a howling sound the subway train had arrived. The subway train rushed past them beforeing to a screeching halt. Corinne was not sure whether Jeremy had heard what she said. He did not say anything back to her and just pulled her by the hand into the subway train. It was rush hour, and a lot of people were taking the subway. There were no free seats, so they had no choice but to remain standing. It was easy to spot Jeremy from the crowd since he was a good head taller than anyone there. Not to mention, he had a certain something about him that always made others see him as extraordinary. The other women in the carriage kept sneaking nces at him with starry eyes. Corinne was forced to squeeze into his arms; there was not the slightest room for her to move around. Their bodies were so close that they could even feel each other¡¯s heartbeat. Corinne felt so awkward that she started to wriggle away from Jeremy in a bid to keep some distance between them. However, the passengers standing next to her were all men, and Jeremy would never allow the love of his life to have any physical contact with them. He wrapped his arms around her, pressed her tightly in his arms, and gently ordered, ¡°Stay still. Don¡¯t move.¡± Corinne was not happy, but she quieted down after Jeremy put his chin on her head and started to exin in a low voice, ¡± There is nothing between me and Anya. I see her as my savior and nothing more. I told you that she once saved me, and because of that, she became weak and sickly. I owe her, so in some cases, I can¡¯t just ignore her.¡± It turned out that he had heard what she said before getting into the carriage. ¡°So you promised yourself to her, then?¡± Corinne asked pointedly. Jeremy frowned. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again! She was only ten years old at that time. How was I supposed to promise myself to her?¡± Corinne snorted coldly. ¡°Well, nothing is stopping you from doing that now that she¡¯s all grown up.¡± Jeremy knew that she was just saying those things out of anger, and at the same time, he felt a little happy because the fact that she was angry meant that she cared about him after all. He could not help but smile aftering to this conclusion. He lightly rubbed his chin against the top of her head. ¡°Do you really want me to do that?¡± ¡°Be my guest. It has nothing to do with me anyways,¡± said Corinne unhappily. ¡°Well, how about I promise myself to you instead? I¡¯m willing to give you my heart and my body if you¡¯ll have it.¡± Chapter 326 Chapter 326 In the subway carriage, Corinne was so overwhelmed by Jeremy¡¯s words that she was starting to feel dizzy. She started to blush crazily, fearing someone might have overheard their conversation even though there was no chance of that happening since the inside of the carriage was filled with a cacophony of other noises. Plus, Jeremy spoke so softly that she was sure that she was the only one who could hear it. She did not look up at him, and she snorted lightly into his chest. ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s not like I ever saved you before.¡± Jeremy hugged her tightly. ¡°Who said you didn¡¯t save me? You were the one who saved me on that rainy night. I knew it was you.¡± Corinne¡¯s brain froze. She still felt very embarrassed whenever someone mentioned that night. ¡°And you were the one who rushed over to save me when I was kidnapped, so we owe each other nothing, nor do you have to be responsible for any aftermath.¡± Jeremy could not believe that Corinne would still vehemently push him away even after he confessed his feelings to her. Most of the time, he thought that she was a smart girl, but at times like this, she was so stupid that it made him want to strangle her. ¡°Are you stupid? I know you¡¯re a good kid, so why do you insist on acting like a brat?¡± Jeremy rubbed the back of her head sternly, then lectured softly, ¡°You might be speaking about that incident calmly now, but I know you struggled with yourself for a long time before making up your mind to save me. That night wasn¡¯t easy on you at all, and it was all my fault.¡± Corinne was stunned, and a sniffle escaped her nose. No one had ever taken her feelings so seriously before. Not only could Jeremy see through her and pinpoint the roller¨Ccoaster of emotions she was feeling then, but what was even more precious was that he did not mock her. She had been bullied since childhood when she was at her most helpless and vulnerable. She was unable to fight back, and other people took pleasure in bullying and insulting her. No one cared about her feelings at all. She could finally protect herself as she had grown up. Everyone around her thought that she was strong, indestructible, and without a soft side to her. As a result, she often ignored her own feelings to the point she had brainwashed herself into thinking that she was fearless and had no weaknesses. That was until Jeremy came along on a wrecking ball to tear down the walls she had built around herself. Jeremy suddenly sighed heavily again and whispered, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s not in the cards for me to be romantic. The sea of flowers I prepared for you was all for nothing. You left without even taking a second look. In the end, the words I wanted to say to you that day came out in a noisy and crowded environment exactly like the one we¡¯re in now.¡± Corinne looked up at him in surprise. ¡°What? Did you just say that the sea of tulips in Lunar Century Manor was meant for me?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Of course.¡± The way Jeremy was looking at her was as if he was asking for him to praise him. Corinne thought it over and then frowned again. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t lie to me! There¡¯s no way those flowers were meant for me. Have you forgotten that day you named Princess An as the person to receive your public confession at the embankment of Yonder River?¡± Jeremy looked at her deeply. He was not angry or unhappy at the wrongful usation but instead exined to her very patiently, ¡°I¡¯ve been investigating this matter for the past two days to find the culprit who was doing all these things that would make you misunderstand me behind my back.¡± Corinne blinked repeatedly, fearing that she had heard wrong. Jeremy lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, and said seriously, ¡°Little rascal, you should know that given my status, I can¡¯t publicly dere my love to anyone, nor will I publicly dere my love to anyone. To dere my love publicly is to disclose my weakness, which will put my loved one in a dangerous situation where they may be kidnapped and used to ckmail me at any time. So, that kind of thing would never be my doing.¡± Corinne suddenly realized that thest time she was kidnapped, she was used by those kidnappers to ckmail him. ¡°I have now found out the truth about public confession. The name of the person the public confession was meant for is also nicknamed ¡®An¡®. Her full name is Anna Fuller. Everything was just a coincidence and had nothing to do with me. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can show the order slip she had made for the LED advertising in Century Bank Tower.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s what happened,¡® thought Corinne. Jeremy¡¯s deep and seductive voice rushed into her ear again. Were you cursing me out when you were alone at the embankment that day?¡± Corinne was embarrassed at first, but she nodded nheless. She mistakenly thought that Jeremy had called her to the Lunar Century Manor that day because he wanted her to witness him dering his love for Anya. If that were true, it would be totally wicked of him to do that. However, since the truth hade out, she felt a little guilty about the whole thing. Jeremy knew what she was thinking. He stroked her hair helplessly and said, ¡°Next time, if anything makes you unhappy, you should juste to me directly instead of jumping to a conclusion by yourself.¡± Corinne knew that she had wrongly med Jeremy, so she put down her pride and meekly said, ¡°Got it.¡± Since they had cleared up the misunderstanding between them, Corinne finally stopped resisting him and seemed to have lowered her walls a little, which made Jeremy immensely relieved. On the day when the incident with the sea of tulips urred, Corinne could not be contacted after she quietly left Lunar Century Manor. He searched all over the city for her that night. He did not have a clue as to where she could be. He could not get through to her on the phone as it was turned into the police station, and she did not go back to her mother¡¯s house either. As a result, the fear of Corinne running away without him noticing one day never left him. Jeremy gently pressed the back of her head against himself, wishing he could fuse his body with hers so that she could never leave him. After all, the crowded subway was not the best ce to talk. As soon as they arrived at the station, Jeremy led Corinne off the subway. He was nning to take her to a high¨Cend restaurant, but¡­ Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Corinne chose a nearby fast food restaurant instead because she was starving and wanted something she could instantly eat. Jeremy never liked fast food as he thought they were unhealthy. However, he did not stop her from eating since it was more important to get some food into her stomach. Corinne ordered a set meal and some individual items, whereas Jeremy did not order anything and simply paid the bill. They sat across each other, and while she was eating, Jeremy just stared at her adoringly. Corinne had almost finished eating. She was sipping her Coke when she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Mister, did you choose me to be your wife because you think that I¡¯ll know how to protect myself if I was ever kidnapped? Like you won¡¯t be so easily ckmailed if I can handle myself in front of the kidnappers?¡± Jeremy hesitated slightly. He was quite surprised that she was able to figure that out herself. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t want to drag innocent people into my mess, and the woman I hired in advance couldn¡¯te because her flight was dyed due to bad weather. Then, you came along. A girl who¡¯s brave, smart, and knows how to fight which were all the qualities I was looking for. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to keep you safe from now on.¡± Corinne was not worried at all. She was just asking for the fun of it. ¡°You must be thirsty. After all, it¡¯s rare to see you talk so much.¡± She held up the straw for him to take a sip of her Coke. Jeremy was really ttered. It was rare for Corinne to personally feed him something, so he opened his mouth and took a sip of her Coke. Corinne then took it back and continued to drink from the same straw as if she had done this a thousand times before. Jeremy¡¯s heart warmed up. He narrowed his eyes on her and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re okay with us sharing bodily fluids now?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t done more than that anyways,¡® Corinne said with a pout. ¡°Then would you be willing to give me a chance to start over with you?¡± asked Jeremy with a chuckle. ¡°We can have a trial period,¡± said Corinne with a raised eyebrow. ¡°A trial period?¡± asked Jeremy with a frown. Corinne nodded and said, ¡°The trial period will allow us to see if we¡¯re reallypatible with each other. If we are, then we can continue our rtionship. If we¡¯re not, then it¡¯s best to end the rtionship. Mister, you should know that some things are just easier said than done. We grew up in two different worlds, not to mention therge age gap between us, so I won¡¯t be surprised if we¡¯re not compatible. This way, there¡¯ll be no hard feelings even if the rtionshipes to an end.¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®She¡¯s so hard to please!¡® He grabbed her chin and asked, ¡°Then am I allowed to kiss you during the trial period?¡± Corinne¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Ahem! That¡¯ll depend on my mood.¡± ¡°What about your mood now?¡± ¡°So¨Cso.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Would you be in a good mood if moments ago you were handcuffed and taken to the police station?¡± Jeremy¡¯s heart immediately went out to her. He grabbed her hand to check whether her hives had subsided and was relieved to find that not only had they subsided but they left no mark on her. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the caller¡¯s name¡ªit was Tommy. He answered the phone and listened for a few seconds. Then, his face darkened all of a sudden. ¡± When did it happen?¡± Vicky could tell something was wrong, and she observed him closely. However, Jeremy got up and said to her, ¡°I¡¯m stepping out to take this call, but I¡¯ll be right back. Stay here, and take your time to finish your food.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne nodded obediently. She was very curious to know what had happened. ¡®Is Anya sick again?¡® she wondered. Jeremy went outside and Corinne sipped her Cokezily and stared out of the window. She was completely bored out of her mind. At that moment, two diners holding their tray of food passed her by. They were discussing thetest news. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how shameless that girl is! She¡¯s young and healthy, but instead of holding down a respectable job, she¡¯d team up with some old person to scam others.¡± ¡°I know, right? Isn¡¯t she afraid of getting karma for scamming people?¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Look over there. Isn¡¯t that her?¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right! It is her.¡± ¡°Everyone, look! The girl scammer who¡¯s trending on the Inte is here!¡± Corinne was immediately surrounded by a group of people before she even knew what was going on. They were all trying to take pictures of her with their phones. Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Corinne frowned and calmly looked at the group of people surrounding her. She did not panic, even though she did not understand what was happening. ¡°Why are you all taking pictures of me? Please delete them now. You have no right to take pictures of me.¡± The group of people threw dirty res at her. ¡°What do you know about rights?¡± ¡°How can she be so shameless? Look at the way she¡¯s leisurely drinking her Coke after screwing others over.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a bad seed, alright. She probably doesn¡¯t even know what empathy means.¡± ¡°I agree. She¡¯s not fit to be called a human.¡± Corinne did not know what they were talking about. She wanted to let them have a taste of their own medicine, so she dug deep inside her pocket to look for her phone, only to remember that her phone was still with Jeremy. She remained calm even without her phone. ¡°People, have you mistaken me for someone? I¡¯m neither an influencer nor a celebrity, so why are you taking pictures of me?¡± she said staidly. ¡°Nope, we¡¯re pretty sure we got the right person. You¡¯re definitely the girl we¡¯re talking about. A young pretty girl who is out and about scamming other people.¡± ¡®Scamming other people? When did I ever do such a thing?¡± thought Corinne. ¡°Look at how bewildered she is. She sure has honed her acting skill over the years.¡± ¡°She should consider being an actress instead. Who knows, she might even win an Oscar.¡± Corinne became more and more confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of you. Can someone please just exin to me why all of you are taking pictures of me?¡± An indignant onlooker in the front row turned his phone screen toward her and said, ¡°Find out for yourself. Can you honestly tell us that the young girl teaming up with the old man in this video scamming other people isn¡¯t you?¡± There was a video ying on the onlooker¡¯s phone. The video showed the scene of hering across a blind old man when she was leaving the embankment of Yonder River that night. The blind old man was stuck on a part of the tactile paving that was blocked by a car. She went to help him out of the kindness of her heart, but the blind old man was so angry at how inconsiderate the driver of the car was that he did not hesitate to smash up the car with his cane. Then, the blind old man got into an argument with the driver who happened to be the purple¨Chaired female influencer. Corinne could not stand it anymore, so she went to help the old man, but the purple¨C haired female influencer deliberately pretended to be a victim. She live¨Cstreamed the whole thing and lied to everyone, saying that she was the victim. Her stream did not go viral on the day it happened, but the video was re¨Creleased online after being heavily edited to skew the context. It ended up being the blind old man deliberately crashing into the purple¨Chaired female influencer¡¯s car and asking forpensation with the help of Corinne. Moreover, only the blind old man¡¯s face was blurred out in the video. The purple¨Chaired female influencer had no need to blur out her face because it was a live stream with her identity disclosed. However, only Corinne¡¯s face seemed to have been magnified to an ultra¨Cclear close¨Cup so much that each and every one of her pores could be clearly seen. It was no wonder strangers could recognize her at a nce. ¡®Who edited and uploaded this video?¡® wondered Corinne. She remembered Lucas confiscated the purple¨Chaired female influencer¡¯s phone so that he could use that to prove Corinne had indeed been colluding with Chris. The phone was then turned into the police¡¯s possession after the case was closed. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Was Lucas the one who edited and posted the video to nder me? Did he do it to make Anya feel better? If so, that¡¯s really despicable of him. Ha! I can¡¯t believe he¡¯ll do this to a person who has helped his grandfather. He¡¯s beyond ungrateful. The Rivera family is nothing but a bunch of hypocrites!¡® thought Corinne. Suddenly, a male onlooker picked up a cup of Coke and threw it at her. ¡°You shameless woman! How dare you pick on Xena? How dare you screw over my favorite influencer?¡± Everyone pped when the Coke sshed against Corinne¡¯s body. ¡°Yeah, how could you do that Xena? Don¡¯t you know that she¡¯s an inspiration to many? Because of what happened, she lost everything and was so traumatized that she said she¡¯s going to quit being an influencer!¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 ¡°Poor Xena. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get your karma, you evil woman!¡± Corinne shook off her shock and took a deep breath. She patiently took out some tissue and wiped off the Coke dripping off her face. Then, she looked up at the group of people who had no idea just how far away from the truth they were. She kept telling herself to calm down and try not to fight back. She was just released from the police station, and she did not want to have to end up going back there because of a brawl. ¡®Xena must be the name of the purple¨Chaired female influencer,¡® thought Vicky. D However, the man who threw the cup of Coke at her was still angry at her. ¡°Everyone, follow my lead and throw your Coke at this shameless woman. Let¡¯s teach her a lesson to never mess with Xena!¡± ¡°Yeah! Her face makes me want to puke. I might as well not waste the Coke!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to drink my Coke, too!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all throw it at her!¡± Everyone picked up their Coke and raised them high. Seeing this, Corinne immediately tried to hide. ¡°Shame on all of you!¡± shouted a man sharply, and the temperature in the fast¨Cfood restaurant immediately dropped to zero. Everyone turned around and saw a tall, handsome man with a darkened face and extraordinary temperament standing near the entrance, ¡®Oh, my god. He¡¯s drop¨Cdead gorgeous!¡® All the women started to swoon. ¡°Shame on all of you for ganging up on a poor, helpless girl, All of you better get out of my way, or I¡¯ll let the police deal with you. When that happens, you¡¯ll be leaving this ce with a pair of handcuffs in your hand!¡± Jeremy¡¯s imposing manner seemed to intimidate everyone there. He was the type that would look majestic even when he was not angry. The way he spoke was like the ancient Greek gods booming their authority down from the sky, inducing both awe and fear. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The hecklers instinctively backed away and opened up a path for him. Jeremy steadily walked over to Corinne, and his eyes zed with anger when he saw the Coke dripping off her hair and clothes. He had only gone out for a while and did not imagine something like this would happen to her. Once again, he failed to protect her. How would he ever forgive himself? Jeremy calmly picked up Corinne¡¯s half¨Cfull Coke from the table and threw it on the group of people in a sweeping motion. The Coke sshed out, hitting everyone right in the face. No one was spared at all. Then, Jeremy flung the cup away. He turned to Corinne, held her face in both of his hands, and gently wiped away the sticky Coke liquid left on her face. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said as he tucked her wet hair behind her ear. Corinne nodded silently. She then got up and followed Jeremy out of the messy fast¨Cfood restaurant. She did not want to waste her breath arguing with the group of people who did not know the truth. After all, they were as much of a victim since. they were fooled by the mastermind who edited and uploaded the video. Everyone watched as Jeremy led Corinne out of the fast¨Cfood restaurant. They hated themselves for letting her go like that, but at the same time, no one dared to step forward to stop him. It was true they were intimidated by Jeremy who appeared out of nowhere, but they could not quite put their finger on why they were scared of him. If only they knew who he really was. ¡°Ahem! That guy must be the girl¡¯s aplice. Why should we be scared of him?¡± ¡°Yeah! We shouldn¡¯t fear him. We should expose him as well.¡± Someone took the lead and fired everyone up to chase after Jeremy and Corinne so that they could take pictures of them. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 As soon as she stepped out of the fast food restaurant, Corinne heard a stampedeing from behind her. She turned to look back and saw the same group of people chasing after her. Moreover, some reporters had received a tip¨Coff of her whereabouts and were rushing over to where she was with their cameras held up high. Both Jeremy and Corinne thought it would be best if they forgo the taxi because taxi drivers were known to be sensitive to the subject of scammers who cheat people out of their money by pretending to get into an ident with their cars. It would be disastrous for Jeremy and Corinne if their taxi driver joined the angry mob. ¡°Run, Mister!¡± Corinne grabbed Jeremy¡¯s hand, and the two of them started running away together. She was not afraid of the angry mob, but she found them bothersome and difficult since she could not do anything about them. Besides, there was Jeremy¡¯s status to think about. The livelihood of the entire Holden Group might be affected should he receive a hit to his reputation. Corinne definitely did not want to implicate him in a matter as trivial as this. The two of them ran into the nearby alley with the angry mob and the reporters still chasing after them. At the most critical moment, Jeremy dragged Corinne to hide behind a pile of junk, and the two of them stayed there until there were no signs of the angry mob or the reporters. Corinne breathed a sigh of relief. She was panting slightly with the physical exertion. Jeremy looked down at her and asked, ¡°Why did we have to run away? You shouldn¡¯t run after eating. What if you get a tummy ache?¡± Corinne blinked at him. ¡°Well, are you suggesting we fight them instead of running away?¡± she asked helplessly. Jeremy poked her cheeks which were flushed red from all the running she did. ¡°It¡¯s not as if you¡¯ll be doing all the fighting. In fact, you just have to watch from the sideline.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister, I don¡¯t want you to¡­¡± However, before she finished speaking, she heard someone shouting excitedly, ¡°I found them! They¡¯re over there.¡± ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t run!¡± Corinne knew they were in deep trouble. ¡°Oh no, they found us! Run, Mister! I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± ¡®What?¡® Jeremy was about to grab her hand, but he stopped and frowned when he heard what she said. ¡°I¡¯m not running away without you!¡± Corinne could not run anymore. It was just as Jeremy said ¡ª she should not have run after eating, and she was feeling a little pain in her stomach. ¡°No! I¡¯ll stay here and lead them away from you. What are you still standing there for? Run!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. He was not happy with Corinne¡¯s n even though he understood she meant well. ¡®Who does she take me for? Does she really think I¡¯ll leave her alone to face those people?¡® thought Jeremy. Corinne started pushing Jeremy away, but no matter how hard she pushed, he just would not budge. At that very moment, Tommy drove to this alley. He stepped on the brake sharply, turned the car around, and deftly lowered the car window. ¡°Sir, this way! Quick. Get in the car with Ma¡¯am!¡± Jeremy grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand and the two of them quickly walked to the car. Once they were inside, Tommy spared no hesitation in flooring the gas pedal and drove them the hell out of there. The angry mob ran over, only to see the top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline Mercedes¨CBenz SLR McLaren driving away. This only served to make them angrier than ever. ¡°The car that the scammer girl got on just now is the limited edition Mercedes¨CBenz, right?¡± ¡°She must¡¯ve used all the money she cheated out of people to buy that car. That boy toy of hers must be in for the money as well. D*mn it, this world has gone crazy!¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so not fair. That scammer girl is living the high life while we good citizens are stuck living in the rat race.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all post the pictures we have on the Inte to expose them!¡± ¡°Yeah! We should dox that boy toy of hers too so that both of them get their punishment. We have the masses on our side. Down with the scammers!¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 ¡°Yeah! I agree with you! And I support that idea!¡± ¡°I managed to get a very clear picture earlier, so I¡¯m going to post it online!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the same too! If all of us work together, I¡¯m confident that the scammerdy won¡¯t be able to get away with it!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The Mercedes¨CBenz slowly began to drive at a more stable speed. Corinne sat in the car, rested for a moment, and felt much more relieved. Her stomach was not as ufortable as before, so she stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Give me the phone, Mister!¡± Jeremy had a sullen expression as he took out his cell phone to hand it over. Corinne was just about to take it from him when Jeremy raised his hand all of a sudden to prevent her from reaching it. He then asked coldly, ¡°Before I give it to you, I want to know why you told me to go without you.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Because¡­ Because I¡¯m worried those people might take pictures of you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes were sullen. She did not regard him as someone close to her, and she even seemed to look down on him. Corinne could easily tell he was unhappy, so after some thought, an idea popped up in her mind as she said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention before that you can¡¯t let outsiders find out your weakness due to your unique status? I¡¯m worried that those people might take pictures of us and decide to kidnap us one day. I¡¯m thinking about my future, you know!¡± Jeremy froze slightly. The gloom in his eyes dissipated to give way to some warmth. Her roundabout way of coaxing him seeded, and she seemed aware that she was his weakness. He snorted coldly and patted her on the head. ¡°At least you know how to protect yourself.¡± Corinne pursed her lips, stretched out her hand, and demanded, ¡°Give me the phone.¡± The man ceded to her request. Corinne took the phone and immediately checked the day¡¯s news. Nothing unusual turned up in the trending searches, and simr topics have been suppressed too, so it was likely that Jeremy intervened and ordered someone to remove everything. However, the video was already circted, and it would be difficult to prevent them from spreading it via private chats. She estimated that arge chunk of people who had ess to the Inte would have seen the video. She then tried finding out where the news originated. As it turned out, it was the influencer Xena who made a post distorting the facts andining about what happened that day, saying that she had been cheated of more than 150,000 dors, forcing her to have to sell her house and her car. She even said that her mother had fallen sick because of that incident, and she felt as if life was hopeless. Spreading rumors was easy, but refuting those rumors was an uphill task. The video had been shortened to highlight certain moments, and social media users took on a surprisingly unanimous stance in believing Xena¡¯s nonsense. Thement section was filled with people cursing her to a terrible death for being a scammer. Corinne was unsure if someone had put some voodoo spell on her, but her stomach began to hurt again, and she winced as she instinctively covered her stomach. Jeremy was sharp enough to sense that something was wrong, and he narrowed his eyes while asking in a deep voice,¡±What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne shook her head slightly. ¡°Nothing. My stomach just feels a little ufortable.¡± ¡°Who told you to run around earlier? Come closer,¡± the man said in a soft and slightly angry tone. He then stretched out his hand, carried her, and ced her down on hisp. Then, the man covered her abdomen with his warm palms and rubbed her stomach gently. Although his warm palm was effective in soothing her pain, she still felt awkward as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Mister¡­¡± The man raised his eyebrows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where else haven¡¯t I touched you?¡± Corinne blushed with embarrassment, turned her head to look at Tommy in the driver¡¯s seat, and red back at Jeremy. Mister! Don¡¯t you have any sense of shame?¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Tommy consciously raised the partition window to separate the front seats from the rear seats. Out of sight, out of mind, as they said. He did not want to be red at by Jeremy¡¯s sharp gaze. Jeremy rubbed Corinne¡¯s stomach for some time and stopped when she saw that herplexion had improved. He then took out a wet towel, wiped her sticky coke¨Csshed face, and felt heartbroken yet angry at her. In his annoyance, he lectured, ¡°Weren¡¯t you always feisty when you¡¯re with me? Why did you just let them ssh the drink all over you instead of biting them back?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him and said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m not a dog, Mister. Are you going to bite a dog if it bites you? We need to deal with a dog using human methods, not by stooping down to the level of a dog to bite them back. I don¡¯t intend to bear a grudge against them either, because they¡¯re all idiots with a herd mentality who have been blinded by the facies being perpetuated online. If anything, I should be directing my grudge to whoever it was that had ulterior motives and instigated this from behind the scenes.¡± Jeremy patted her head and said, ¡°Leave this matter to me. You should stay at home and rest for a couple of days. Wait until this fracas dies down before leaving the house.¡± Corinne was a little upset. ¡°Why should I hide at home when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong?¡± Jeremy coaxed her, ¡°Then we won¡¯t hide, but you have to get up early and follow me to thepany.¡± Corinne was startled. ¡®He wants me toe with him to thepany? Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s making it official?¡® She thought for a while, then shook her head. ¡°No. You need to work, and I have no reason to be there. It¡¯s going to be boring.¡± The man lowered his eyebrows and spoke to her in a very serious manner, ¡°Cyberbullying is no laughing matter in today¡¯s society. Be a good girl and save me some worry, will you?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡®So that¡¯s how it feels like to be tightly cared for by someone.¡® ¡°Ahem! You don¡¯t need to worry. I know what I¡¯m doing, and I won¡¯t let anyone bully me.¡® Though Jeremy could not persuade her, he was not too keen on curbing her freedom by force either. She had agreed to try to get along with him, and he would ord her equal respect so she could ept him from the bottom of her heart. It was better than blindly forcing her to listen to him. Moreover, he finally understood her atst. Dealing with her was as tricky as trying to capture a songbird: the more anxious he was to control her, the quicker she would try to evade him. In that aspect, she was remarkably different from other women. The man could onlypromise and pinch her pink face helplessly. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re pretty amazing, you know. Feisty with me, but ever the kind soul when facing outsiders.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®Is heining that I¡¯m treating him badly?¡® In the past, she only viewed their rtionship as that of a cooperation, and she generally tried her best to avoid him when there was no need for her to put on an act. Though they had just agreed to try and get along with each other earlier, she was still not ready yet. Furthermore, she was already 20 years old, but she somehow felt that he was treating her like a child who could not take care of herself! That evening, in an old dpidated residential area far beyond the expressway of New Capital City, the wife of Chris¡ªthe criminal suspect who almost assaulted Anya¨Chad just returned home from the police station with her child. Both mother and son were crying as they went home. After learning that his father was a bad guy and was arrested by the police, Chris¡¯s son Kenny lost trust in his father, and his emotions crumbled even more. After arriving home, Chris¡¯s wife finally calmed down the boy¡¯s emotions and put the child to sleep. Not longter, the doorbell of her home rang suddenly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She covered the child with a nket, got up, and got out of bed to open the door. Outside the door stood a woman wearing a cap, ck sunsses, and arge mask. She was carrying a ck suitcase in her hand. Chris¡¯s wife was a little nervous and wary. ¡°H¨CHello there. Are you looking for someone?¡± The woman raised her hand to push the door and walked right into the house before taking off her sunsses and mask. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 That was when Chris¡® wife recognized her as Anya. ¡°It¡¯s you, Miss Anya!¡± She had met Miss Anya at the police station that day, and she had a very strong impression of Anya after her husband spoke about Anya to her. Chris¡¯s wife was very polite. ¡°Please sit down, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll get you a ss of water!¡± Anya looked at the simple sofa in this puny house and had a look of disgust in her eye. She smiled contemptuously and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother. I¡¯ll be leaving soon anyway.¡± Her arrogance left Chris¡® wife feeling a little awkward and unsure of what to do. Anya went straight to business and opened the ck suitcase in her hand. She then put it on the table and cut to the chase, saying, ¡°Tell your man to keep his lips sealed, and I guarantee that he¡¯ll be released soon. Once that¡¯s done, you and your family will move out of the city. This money is more than enough for your family of three to live worry¨Cfree for the rest of your lives.¡± Chris¡® wife¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the money. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Anya. My husband secretly told me everything when I visited him at the station today, and we understand the rules very clearly!¡± ¡°d to hear that,¡± Anya sneered in disdain, left the suitcase behind, and turned around to leave. After she walked out and returned to her car, she sprayed herself with disinfectant. The slum¨Clike neighborhood was such a filthy mess that she felt sick with every step she took. Had she not needed to deliver the hush money, she would not have stooped so low as to visit a ce far outside the city where poor people lived! Since there were transaction records with every bank transfer, she was worried that someone might trace it to her in the future. Everything that happened was her design, and Rosie simply became her scapegoat without knowing it. It all started when she rushed back to the country to give Jeremy a surprise at Lunar Century Manor. However, Jeremy left her behind and ran to look for Corinne. She then chased after him, but rather than finding him, she happened to run into Corinne alone on the shore of Yonder River. She heard about Corinne¡¯s marriage to the Holdens when she was abroad and felt a sense of crisis brewing in her heart. As a result, she came up with a n to use the man who distributed leaflets to set Corinne up. To her surprise, Corinne was able to ruin that n. Anya, however, was a woman so meticulous that she came prepared for any eventualities. She had given Chris many hypothetical scenarios and showed her Rosie¡¯s photo. She instructed Chris to testify on the spot that Rosie was the instigator if either the original n failed or something untoward happened. Doing so would not affect the benefits he would get in the end. If he did not do as told, he would get nothing, and his family would be caught in the crossfire as well. It was very unfortunate that Rosie¨Cher best friend who was always loyal to her¨Chad to be sacrificed. With Rosie¡¯s removal from the picture, there was one less person for Anya to manipte. At that time, Anya¡¯s cell phone rang suddenly, and she saw that it was from her brother Lucas. Anya answered the phone meekly, ¡°Lucas?¡± Lucas¡® stern, concerned voice was heard saying, ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, Anya. Grand and Grandma are here too, and Mom and Dad are waiting for you so we can all have a reunion dinner together. Where did you go this time?¡± ¡°I just came back to the country, and a couple of friends that I haven¡¯t seen for a long time insisted on asking me out for a meal. I¡¯d feel bad to refuse them¡­which is why I epted their invitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lucas, they¡¯re all girls, so they won¡¯t bully me! ¡°¡­ Yes, Lucas. I¡¯ll be home soon.¡® Anya then tossed the phone coldly to the front passenger seat after hanging up. Then, she took out a cigarette case, skillfully lit a cigarette, and expertly struck a posture as she began smoking. It was completely different from her usual docile demeanor. She looked at the time and had a confident grin on the corner of her lips. By her estimation, Corinne would have gotten a bad name on the Inte. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. It did not matter that Corinne had foiled her earlier n, as she still had many other ways of dealing with Corinne. On that asion, sess would be hers simply by making sure that Corinne¡¯s reputation was ruined. Even if Jeremy had feelings for Corinne, the Holdens¡® elders would never want someone with questionable character and a myriad of scandals to be his wife. Corinne¡¯s days at the Holdens were numbered! ¡®How dare a vige girl rob me of my man? She doesn¡¯t deserve him!¡® Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Anya acquired Xena¡¯s data from her brother and secretly made. a copy to her cell phone. She then edited the video, blurred her grandfather¡¯s face, and used special means to hack Xena¡¯s ount so she could use Corinne of those ¡®evil deeds¡® on the Inte. It led to an uproar. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The real Xena then ran back to her hometown and was afraid to go online anymore after being scared by her brother. Her brother had always indulged her transgressions, and anyone who offended their family would not be let off so easily, regardless of their status or background. Meanwhile, he had always been indifferent to outsiders, and even if he saw that the scandal about Corinne was untrue, he would not interfere in things that did not concern him. As for her grandfather, he was a famous scientist who spent his days researching things in a laboratory. He did not care about stuff on the Inte. He had been injured by some harmful gas due to an experiment a while ago, and he almost certainly would not find out about what she did because he was still in the process of recuperating. However, Anya felt that she had not achieved the desired effect. With the trending search removed and the intensity of the issue dying down, she immediately deduced that Jeremy intervened to help Corinne. Upon realizing that, she became even more jealous, wondering why Corinne deserved to receive all that help from Jeremy. Anya then tried toe up with another n and thought of something else. She picked up her cell phone, logged into one of her fake ounts, and fabricated ament that Corinne was a debauched woman. [I know that girl! She used to be my ssmate, and she had an attitude problem when she was still in school. She bullied her ssmates, demanded money in exchange for not bullying them, and had abortions after sleeping with people outside of the school. Rather than go home every night, she slept with different men at hotels! I didn¡¯t expect her to make a living trying to extort money. I feel humiliated to have a ssmate like her!] After she posted thatment, some social media users began to forward the post and reply to it. [That girl used to be a bully! She may look small and dainty but she does all sorts of terrible stuff and even goes around extorting her ssmates!] [Extorters should suffer and die!] [Her life is such a mess, and she even aborted the pregnancies she had with people outside the school! She¡¯s the worst of the worst, and she ought to have been punished long ago!] [Sleeping with a different man every day? Ugh. That¡¯s disgusting¡­] The social media users showed no inclination to pursue the truth of the matter and simply wanted to jump on the bandwagon to vent their anger. The fake ount¡¯s post then immediately became viral, and the number of reposts increased exponentially. Anya looked at all those viciousments about Corinne on the web and curled her beautiful lips in satisfaction. Then, she searched her contacts for Jeremy¡¯s younger sister, Francine, and dialed the number with a purpose. The phone rang for a while before it was answered, and Francine¡¯s voice sounded like she had been roused up from her sleep. ¡°Hello? Who is it?¡± Francine was abroad at that moment, and the time on her end was four in the morning. Anya knew about the time difference, but she still insisted on making that call. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Francine. Did I disturb your sleep?¡± Francine immediately recognized Anya¡¯s voice. She was always fond of Anya, so her tone instantly became warm and buoyant. ¡°Anya! It¡¯s you! I heard you returned to the country, but sadly, my grandma brought me abroad to apany my grandpa as he¡¯s recuperating. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t hang out with you!¡± Anya smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can always hang out when youe back!¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Francine replied, ¡°Sure! By the way, why did you call me at this time though, Anya? Is something the matter?¡± Anya feigned hesitance. ¡°Uh¡­ Nothing! I bought you a gift when I came back, but it was only after I returned that I realized you weren¡¯t in town. I wanted to get your address so I can send it to you.¡± Francine felt very touched when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s so thoughtful of you, Anya! You even remembered me and bought me a gift! Sigh, if only you were my sister¨Cinw! I wouldn¡¯t have been locked up in the detention center for ten days, and Grandma wouldn¡¯t discipline me by sending me abroad. I don¡¯t even have any personal freedom right now!¡± Anya acted surprised as she asked, ¡°What happened, Francine? How did you end up in a detention center all of a sudden?¡± Francine was filled with resentment when she recalled that incident. ¡°This was all Corinne¡¯s fault! Ugh, why did my brother have to marry a country girl like her? She¡¯s a schemer, a hypocrite, and the worst person to ever exist in the world!¡± Anya sighed sympathetically. ¡°Sigh! Speaking of which, Rosie was detained at the police station today! I was so distressed because I couldn¡¯t bail her out, so I wanted to talk to you and get it off my chest¡­¡± Francine was shocked. ¡°What? Rosie is locked up too? What¡¯s going on?¡± Anya deliberately avoided the question at first and hesitated to say anything, but she then pretended as if she could not stand Francine¡¯s constant questioning and had no choice but to recount the series of events that happened in the past few days since her return to the country. To that end, she chose to emphasize only those parts of the story that would elicit pity for her. Francine was filled with righteous indignation after hearing what Anya said. ¡°Seriously? Corinne again? I, too, believe that she framed Rosie! I can¡¯t believe my brother married someone so evil!¡± Having achieved her desired effect, Anya then asked ¡® cautiously¡®, ¡°By the way, Anya, you haven¡¯t gone online and seen any news from back home, right?¡± Francine answered, ¡°No. I¡¯ve been browsing stuff from the country I¡¯m in these past couple of days. Did anything happen back home?¡± Anya then instructed, ¡°You can¡¯t let Grandpa and Grandma see any news from back home. I¡¯m worried that they might get angry and fall sick¡­¡± ¡°Why would they? Did something happen back home? Is it rted to our family?¡± ¡°You should avoid reading it, too. Listen to me, okay? Don¡¯t go searching for the news!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Francine could not stand Anya¡¯s cryptic advice, and she immediately switched on her tablet to read the news. As soon as she found out what happened, her anger shot through the roof and she cursed, ¡°How shameless can Corinne be?! I can¡¯t believe she tried to stage an ident and extort money! Our family¡¯s reputation will be ruined if she¡¯s revealed to be Jeremy¡¯s wife! This is uneptable! I¡¯m going to tell my grandparents right now so they¡¯ll tell Jeremy to divorce her!¡± Anya persuaded kindly, ¡°No, Francine. Don¡¯t. It won¡¯t do your grandparents any good now, and-¡± Francine had already gotten up and changed into a fresh set of clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this! Our family will never let that woman humiliate our prestige!¡± She hung up in a hurry as soon as she finished speaking. Once Anya heard the dial tone from the other end, sheughed and thought to herself, ¡®Things are going really well!¡® Back at the Holdens¡® estate, Corinne went straight up because she could not wait any longer to wash off the coke that had dried off and turned sticky on her body. Jeremy followed her upstairs and entered the room, but Corinne¡¯s two small hands pushed the door mercilessly to shut him out. He raised his big hand and pushed the door to prevent her from closing it, and as he did so, he raised his eyebrows and looked unhappily at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to learn to get along with me? Why aren¡¯t you letting me in?¡± Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Corinne blinked and said, ¡°You brought me to the Holdens and forced me to cooperate with you, so I did. I tried to follow your arrangements as best as I could, avoid making you unhappy, and expected nothing from you. But things have since changed, and now that we¡¯ve agreed to try and get along with each other, you should learn to respect my wishes too. Plenty of things have happened over the past few days, and I¡¯m exhausted. I want to have some peace and quiet, so could you please let me stay in this room by myself? If you want to make it clear that this is your room, I can go to the guest room or I can get out of here and go back to my own home.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes because her words left little room for him to maneuver. ¡®How shrewd!¡® ¡°This isn¡¯t an issue of what¡¯s yours or mine. When have I never let you do what you want? Hmm? If you want this room for yourself, go ahead and have it. I¡¯ll go to the study.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mister!¡± Corinne grinned, raised her chin, and had a crafty look as she pointed to his big palm that was still pushing against the door. Her meaning was clear. ¡°Could you remove your hand?¡± Although Jeremy did not want to leave her alone, he could not afford to provoke her and eventually withdrew his hand from the door. As soon as his hand was withdrawn, Corinne closed the door in his face and went to the bathroom to take a shower and change into some fresh clothes. The blue veins on Jeremy¡¯s forehead twitched, and he was unhappy after having the door shut in his face. It was the first time in his life that someone dared to treat him like that, but there was nothing he could do about it because he had taken a liking to her. Jeremy massaged the area between his eyes, turned around, and saw his subordinate Tommy waiting not far away. Tommy probably witnessed what happened, which was why he was hesitant to say anything and merely looked nervously at Jeremy. Frustrated, Jeremy lit a cigarette and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Tommy finally dared to step forward and say to him, ¡°Sir, the source of the video has been traced, but the IP address is fake and the real address was encrypted by the other party. Our people are still in the process of cracking the encryption. If everything meets expectations, this incident was probably stirred up by that influencer, and she also happened to take the chance to get revenge on our ma¡¯am.¡± Jeremy grunted coldly and flicked away the ash from the tip of his cigarette. ¡°Send someone to find that influencer as soon as possible, and tell those who are in charge of dealing with this that they¡¯ll no longer handle the matter. I¡¯ll take over.¡® Tommy was startled, and he could not help but feel a little surprised to hear that Jeremy was going to do it himself. Corinne appeared to have more standing in Jeremy¡¯s heart than Anya! ¡°Understood.¡± Tommy nodded and immediately went to do as he was told. After Tommy left, Jeremy breathed out a puff of smoke, tilted his head, and stared at the closed bedroom door before walking helplessly to the study. Corinne came out of the shower, changed into some clean andfortable home clothes, and felt so much more refreshed than before. She then sat at the desk and turned on theputer. As soon as she logged into her chap app, there were notifications from Xante and Aaron. [Aaron: Boss, where are you?] Corinne tapped the keyboard and replied, [At the Holdens.] [Xante: We¡¯ve been trying our best to deal with this brouhaha online, boss, but that Jeremy guy has taken the lead in suppressing the trending search.] Corinne texted, [I¡¯m aware.] [Aaron: There must¡¯ve been a mastermind behind this incident; it couldn¡¯t have gotten this serious in just half a day! Although the trending searches have already been suppressed, the trend of public opinion is still much against you! What should we do next?] This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne said, [Don¡¯t panic. I can handle the situation online by myself. Aaron, I need you to find out who was the person who made the public confession using the LED screen at the Century Bank Tower that day. See if you can establish whether or not Anna, the person being confessed to, really exists. Make sure to check if anyone with the same name came back to the city in the past few days.] [Aaron: Will do!] [Xante: Are you saying that the confession wasn¡¯t Mister Jeremy¡¯s doing?] Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Corinne replied, [No, it¡¯s not him.] [Xanten: Interesting! That means someone deliberately created a smokescreen that would lead anyone who saw that scene to misunderstand! I¡¯m 90% positive that Anya did it.] Corinne had simr suspicions, too. It was not that she doubted Jeremy¡¯s exnation or questioned his ability to investigate such a trivial matter, but she simply could not believe that a situation that had such a small probability of happening could happen so coincidentally. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Anya somehow came back on the day that Jeremy arranged a sea of tulips, and on her return, someone publicly professed their love on a grand scale at the Century Bank Tower to another girl whose name also started with ¡®An¡®. More importantly, that costly profession of love did not include the other party¡¯s full name but only the first two characters. Who would know which girl that confessor was referring to? It could be Anya, Anna, Annie, Annabelle, or anyone whose name started with those two letters. Besides, any woman whose name started with ¡®An¡® would probably not automatically assume that the confession was directed to her. The fact that the person had chosen to confess their love publicly proved that he was someone who preferred to show affection on a grand scale. By that logic, it was a contradiction to their ostentatious character to omit using the person¡¯s name. On the other hand, it was also normal for Jeremy to end the investigation after finding out that the person being confessed to on the LED screen was someone named Anna Fuller. Anya was Jeremy¡¯s savior, so it was natural for him not to suspect her because of that. After all, it was unlikely for one to make negative spections about the girl who sacrificed her life to save him. Corinne was different. She was not friends with Anya, and she had grown to have a bad impression of Anya after getting to know thetter in the past few days. She even felt that Anya was a bit of a hypocrite despite the docile and often kind¨Chearted outlook that was portrayed. Furthermore, the incidents that happened in recent days began ever since Anya¡¯s return and showed no signs of stopping just yet. It was difficult for her not to feel that everything was connected to Anya. If that were true, the pure¨Clooking and gentle girl would be an extremely sly person whom Corinne would have to be wary of in the future. At that moment, the phone suddenly vibrated and brought Corinne back to her senses. She nced at the caller ID and saw that the name was titled ¡®Grandpa¡®. She felt puzzled at first because she did not have a grandfather, but she soon realized that she was using Jeremy¡¯s cell phone, and the ¡®Grandpa¡® in question was Jeremy¡¯s grandfather. Corinne felt a little conflicted. She could not answer that call because she never met the man, and he probably did not know who she was either. As a result, she picked up the phone and was about to bring it to Jeremy¡¯s study, but her finger swiped on the answer icon by ident. The call was connected. On the other end of the phone came an old man¡¯s angry, questioning voice. ¡°Jeremy you good¨Cfor¨Cnothing! What sort of swine did you bring into our home? Aren¡¯t you all grown up now? Why would you be with a cheating, scandalous woman? I think you¡¯re just trying to anger me to death in myst days!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. If her guess was right, the swine¡® that the old man spoke of was none other than her. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 The old man was a little puzzled when he did not get a response, so he asked, ¡°Hello? Why is it so quiet on the other end? Can you hear me? Say something, Jeremy!¡± Corine was speechless. What am I supposed to say? Should I tell him that I¡¯m the ¡®swine¡® that he spoke of and not his darling grandson? Just as Corinne was hesitating over how she was supposed to respond to the old man, she suddenly heard an olddy¡¯s voiceing from the other end of the phone. ¡°Greg, you idiot! Who told you to call Jeremy? Can¡¯t you give it a rest? You¡¯ve just taken your medicine! Give me the phone!¡± Corinne then listened as a tussle ensued, and Pam eventually snatched the phone. After taking the phone, Pam asked. There¡¯s been lots of news about things back home What¡¯s going on?¡± Pam¡¯s question left Corinne with no choice but to sigh helplessly and exin everything, but before she had time to speak, she heard the old woman reprimanding sternly, ¡°Did you forget what I told you before I left? I said to take good care of Corinne and be a little nicer to her, but you¡¯re doing the complete opposite! How could you let all those people nder her online? What kind of husband are you?¡± Corinne was stunned, and even the exnation she so nearly gave was stuck in her throat. The old lady believed that she was ndered and sided with her unconditionally at Jeremy¡¯s expense Doesn¡¯t she doubt me at all?¡± That being said, she could understand if the olddy doubted her because the two of them did not. know each other for too long. However, Corinne was startled and humbled that the olddy would side with her so clearly. Corinne opened her mouth and said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Grandma.¡± Pam was surprised when she heard Corinne¡¯s voice. ¡°Corinne? It¡¯s you! Wait a minute. Did you answer the phone earlier?¡± Yes, Grandma ¡± ¡°So, you heard what that old man said too?¡± ¡°I did Pam then coaxed her a little awkwardly. ¡°Don¡¯t take his words to heart. He¡¯s just an old fool, and he doesn¡¯t know the truth of the situation!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I understand.¡± Since Corinne never met the old man, she neither took offense nor took to heart his attitude toward her. Pam breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I knew you were an understanding person!¡± Corinne then asked curiously, ¡°Why don¡¯t you doubt me at all when you saw the news about me?¡± Pam said straightforwardly, ¡°Why should I? Does it make sense for me to believe that the Holdens granddaughter¨Cinw is so short of money that she needs to fake an ident with a jalopy to extort money? I¡¯m not that easily fooled, unlike a certain old man. The news is all fake!¡± Connneughed. ¡°Haha! You¡¯re a wise woman indeed, Grandma!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Pam was happy to receive praise from her granddaughter¨Cinw. ¡°That I am! But honestly, I do hope that you¡¯re the kind of girl who likes money!¡± Corinne did not quite understand what Pam meant. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Pam then exined worriedly, ¡°Because we¡¯re rich, and Jeremy is even richer. If you like money, Jeremy is the right man for you! I¡¯m worried that there¡¯s nothing you like, and you¡¯ll end up disliking Jeremy for being a cold, ignorant man¡­and then you¡¯ll finally dislike our family too¡­¡± Corinne was amazed that Pam knew her so well and believed in her character. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 However, Pam was wrong on one point¨CCorinne did love money, and very much so, though the only money she liked was that which was earned through her abilities, and not money obtained by opportunistic means such as marrying a man or pleasing him. On the other end of the phone, Greg muttered angrily and said, ¡°Come on! Is there any woman who doesn¡¯t like money? How can an old woman like you be so naive to believe that there are women who don¡¯t like money? That Corinne girl must¡¯ve put a spell on you or something!¡± Pam kept quiet as if to take a deep breath. Her voice became a little sullen, and it sounded like she was trying to muster some strength. Even her tone sounded a little off¨Ccolor. ¡°Try to stay home these couple of days. If you need to go out, you must remember to keep safe at all times. Jeremy will probably be able to deal with this hubbub on the inte. I have something to take care of right now, so let¡¯s talk another time.¡± Corinne responded obediently. ¡°Okay, Grandma. Talk to you soon.¡± Before she ended the call, she heard Pam¡¯s roar from the other side. ¡°D*mn you, Greg! Who did you just call naive?¡± The old man then yelled in pain. ¡°Agh! Let go, Pam! I¡¯m a sick man!¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re aware that you¡¯re sick? You seem a little too energetic today, you old geezer!¡± The phone call ended there and the rest of the conversation was left unheard. Corinne was amused that the old couple acted like children. Though they sounded like they were arguing, their rtionship seemed really strong, and it was not often that one saw such a happy couple. At that moment, a video call notification popped up from the messaging app on herputer and the chat box appeared too. It turned out to be Sherlyn, and Corinne narrowed her eyes as she looked at the screen. Ever since she found out that she was unrted to the Carews, she never contacted them again. She felt that there was no reason to do so since there was no love lost between her and them. In addition, they also seemed to feel that her existence was superfluous. Therefore, Sherlyn must have had a reason for calling her. After thinking about whether or not to ept the call, Corinne decided to answer it. However, she did not turn on her camera. After all, she was at the Holdens, and there was luxury all around her. It would lead to yet another issue if Sherlyn were to see all of that. Sherlyn¡¯s face soon appeared on theputer screen, and she pointed to the camera while turning her head to say to Marvin, ¡°Dad, she answered the call!¡± Marvin immediately leaned in front of the camera, red at her, and asked in a loud voice, ¡°Where the hell have you been these days, Corinne? You haven¡¯te home once, and you never pick up our calls!¡± In the past, Corinne would try to be respectful and polite to Marvin even though she did not feel particrly attached to him, since she believed him to be her biological father at the time. After finding out that she waspletely unrted to him by blood, she ditched whatever remaining bit of respect and politeness that she had toward him. Corinne responded calmly, ¡°Did you want something from me?¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Marvin scolded her. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? You went into hiding after doing all sorts of shameful acts, and now, our family has lost our dignity and reputation! We¡¯re making the headlines now, too! People have sent wreaths and des to our home! Are you trying to shorten my life?¡± Corinne was stunned for a moment. Those social media users were pretty quick to find out where the Carews lived. It was clear that someone ¡®in the know¡® had fanned the mes on the inte and leaked those rumors. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before her marriage with Jeremy would be revealed. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Marvin then ordered angrily, ¡°Come back here right now and get rid of all the wreaths in front of the house. Then you need to figure things out on your own and find a way to admit your mistakes to the media. Make sure you ask for everyone¡¯s forgiveness! I don¡¯t want our family to be dragged through the mud along with you!¡± Corinne listened calmly and felt likeughing. An olddy who had known her for less than a couple of months believed firmly in her innocence, going so far as to advise her not to go out in theing days and be extra careful of her safety. On the other hand, her father wanted to thrust her into the public eye and let theizens vent their anger so he could disassociate himself from her. The difference was simply too huge. Marvin had always treated her like that since she was a child. Whenever something bad happened, his first act would be to use her, reproach her, and scold her indiscriminately. He never cared to ask her for the truth of the matter, and he was never concerned as to whether someone had harmed her or used her wrongly. Not once did he ever stop to care for her. When she was young, she often wondered why her father was different from other people¡¯s fathers. She never felt any of that fatherly love that her ssmates so often wrote about in their essays. However, it would be wrong to say that Marvin was different from other people¡¯s fathers. Judging from the way he treated Sherlyn, he could be regarded as a father who loved his daughter. He would forgive whatever mistakes Sherlyn made, and he would be angry at her for only a short time. Once he forgave her, he would still love Sherlyn as much as he did before. The same could not be said for Corinne. At longst, she finally understood why Marvin treated her coldly¨Che always knew that Corinne was not his daughter, hence thepleteck of fatherly love toward her. The most she would get was a bit of his pity. ¡®Then again, if Marvin knew from the beginning that I¡¯m not rted to him by blood, and if he never wanted to adopt me in the first ce, why did he bring me home from the hospital? Why would he take me in without intending to raise me properly and instead just abandon me in the countryside to be taken care of by other people?¡® Those questions made Corinne feel puzzled. Once the cyberbullying incident was behind her, she would find time to go back home and investigate Marvin¡¯s past. When Corinne still did not answer her, Marvinshed out furiously. ¡°Have you gone deaf, Corinne? Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? Come back here and clean up this mess you made!¡± Corinne came back to her senses and replied, ¡°Yes, I heard you. But no, I won¡¯t be going back. I¡¯m busy. I¡¯ll send someone over to deal with the wreaths, and I¡¯ll make sure that your family won¡¯t receive such strange items again. If that¡¯s all, then I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Marvin was stunned to hear her cold attitude, and he felt that it was a little differentpared to before. He then remarked unhappily, ¡°Why are you talking with me with that kind of attitude?¡± Corinne answeredzily, ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong with my attitude? Didn¡¯t I already promise you that I¡¯ll solve this matter that youined about? Isn¡¯t that good enough for you?¡± Marvin gritted his teeth angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve lost it, Corinne! You¡¯re bing much ruder than before! You don¡¯t even call me ¡®Dad¡® when you talk to me! You¡¯re rebelling now!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Let me talk to her!¡± Sherlyn took the phone, raised her makeupden face, and stared disdainfully at the camera. ¡°You¡¯re a bringer of bad luck, Corinne! Life has been the worst ever since you came into the city from the countryside! You ruined my career a while ago, and now, everyone¡¯s found out that the person who staged that ident is my sister! I¡¯m being smeared, ndered, and cursed by everyone, and they¡¯re putting me on the same level as you! I¡¯m so ashamed! The point is, you need to settle this for me right away and go back to your country home! We don¡¯t want you to stay in the city and bring bad luck to our family! Do I make myself clear?¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°If I recall, you were the one who ruined your career. And who are you to tell me to go back to the countryside?¡± Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Sherlyn was incensed. ¡°How can you still be so arrogant at this time, Corinne? I¡¯m not surprised that everyone on the Inte is calling you shameless. I think you deserve it!¡± ¡°I deserve it, you say? Does that mean you deserve it too because you got dragged into this?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lilliana could not stand it anymore and leaned over to her daughter¡¯s cell phone. She then said to the camera, ¡°When did you be so evil? You were the one who ruined Sherlyn¡¯s career! Goran would¡¯ve given her his full support, and she was due to make our family proud once she bes the next generation of Goran¡¯s lead actress! You were the one who interfered with that, and that once¨Cin¨C a¨Clifetime opportunity is now gone! ¡°You even spread rumors that she¡¯s not Marvin¡¯s daughter, which caused such a huge family conflict between us! We¡¯re lucky that Marvin gave us another chance and did another DNA test to prove that Sherlyn is the daughter that Marvin and I had! All this just proves that you¡¯re merely sowing discord! ¡°Now you¡¯re scamming people and tarnishing the reputation of our family! What kind of heart do you have, Corinne?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne curled her lips. ¡°Scams? Isn¡¯t that your specialty? Didn¡¯t you get to where you are today using deceit and lies? You secured Goran¡¯s backing for Sherlyn using the same means, right? The only reason you failed was because the truth had been revealed! How is this my fault? Besides, I, don¡¯t have the talent for lying like you do. You can have that honor.¡± Lilliana became livid. ¡°W¨CWhat did you just say?!¡± ¡°Why is Corinne so sharp¨Ctongued today?! She¡¯s usually so polite to them in front of Marvin.¡® Sherlyn snatched the phone and flew into a rage. ¡°How dare you say that about my mother, Corinne! Who do you think you are? I¡¯m warning you! If you don¡¯t apologize to her, I¡¯ll-¡± Corinne¡¯s temples hurt from Sherlyn¡¯s annoying voice. She raised her hand to rub her ear and clicked the cross in the upper right corner to turn off the video call. Sherlyn called again, but she ignored it. She had no time to listen to the Carew¡¯s¡® nagging because she needed to get down to business. Corinne clicked into his group chat with Aaron and Xanten. [Aaron, could you deal with those wreaths that were sent to the Carew¡¯s and find a way to stop those netizens from sending weird stuff to them?] Aaron remained silent, but a message came instead from Xanten. [He went to investigate that Anna - rted manner that you instructed earlier.] Corinne rubbed her temples. She had forgotten about that when she argued with the Carew¡¯s. [Send someone else to do it, Xanten.] [Already on it, boss. I¡¯ll get someone to warn all the wreath shops and funeral businesses in the city not to ept any orders or send any items to the Carew¡¯s.] [Great.] Xanten went offline to do as told. Corinne began her operation to rid the Inte of the nder. She opened a special software with a red,mark hidden in the encrypted folder of theputer, clicked on it, then entered a long string of passwords to ess the deepest recesses of the Inte that ordinary people could not ess Chapter 342 Chapter 342 When Corinne was about to remove all the posts and microblogs online that illegally exposed her personal information, a user with the ID ¡®Road To Sess¡® appeared suddenly and excitedly messaged a few emoticons in quick session. [You¡¯re online, master! I need your help with something!] ¡®Road To Sess¡® was the username used by Sunny. After a series of recent incidents, Corinne had a distaste for the Riveras and replied slightly, [ What¡¯s the matter?] [Road to Sess: A friend of mine is being cyberbullied. Could you help me remove all the posts that nder her and expose her personal information? Everything that¡¯s written in those posts is fake! I¡¯ve even mobilized myrades in the AJ Alliance to hack and delete those posts, but some of them have been set up with advanced defense barriers, and our skills have not yet reached the level of being able to crack such defenses.] Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne cocked her eyebrow in surprise. ¡®Why would Sunny¨Cthe young man who protected his sister so much¨Cwant to help me behind his sister¡¯s back?¡® Corinne wondered. ¡®Can pigs fly now?¡± When she recalled how disappointed Sunny¡¯s expression was when she was at the hospital that day, not to mention the way he pointed at her and cursed at her, she became curious as to his motives and tapped the keyboard to ask, [Isn¡¯t she your sister¡¯s love rival? I remember you cursing her a lot in the past. When did she suddenly be your friend?] [Road To Sess: She is my sister¡¯s rival, but she isn¡¯t a bad person, and she did me a big favor once too. My siblings misunderstood her recently and nearly had her sent to jail, so I¡¯m overwhelmed with regret right now. I can¡¯t watch her being ndered like that! I want to help her! So please, master! Could you lend a helping hand?] Although Sunny had the distinctive temper of a rich kid, he was better than his pious elder brother in that he could distinguish good from evil and knew how to reflect on his actions. Corinne was going to help herself anyway, so she went along with the flow and typed a one¨Cword reply, [Okay.] Road To Sess was very ecstatic. [Awesome! Thank you, master!] Less than three secondster, Road To Sess reacted and said, [Wait a sec! How did you know that the Corinne I wanted your help with is my sister¡¯s rival? I don¡¯t remember telling you who that friend is!] Corinne went straight to business and ignored him. Road To Sess sent another star¨Ceyed emoji of admiration. [You truly live up to your name of being one of the world¡¯s two top hackers! The omnipresent Jade Rabbit knows it all!] Corinne was speechless. ¡®What kind of stupid logic is that? He¡¯s like a blind follower!¡® She tapped the keyboard with great intensity, and after entering a series ofplicated codes. she directly entered the backend of VeeTube. Sunny was unable to hack into the backend of such bigpanies due to their extensive defense systems, so he could only sneak in by following Jade Rabbit¡¯s ID. Corinne opened the search engine in the background and prepared to search for the relevant posts so they could be deleted with a single click. However, the search results returned empty, and all the posts had been deleted. It was all quiet regarding topics rting to her. Those posts about her school, phone number, home address, and other personal information had been removed. Corinne found it a little strange and typed to ¡®Road To Sess¡®, [Seems to me the AJ Alliance deleted all the posts.] [Road To Sess: That can¡¯t be! There were barriers on a lot of the posts, and our people couldn¡¯t delete them at all even after spending a long time on them! Wait!!? What¡¯s going on? Those posts have all disappeared! They¡¯ve been deleted!] Corinne frowned slightly. ¡®If Sunny and his gang didn¡¯t do it, then who did?¡® Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Few people could hack into the backend of such a highly¨Cencrypted system, much less control it remotely like her. ¡®Who¡¯d do something so risky for me?¡® [Master! Look! I think that ID did it!] Road To Sess discovered that someone was hacking the edited videos that were circting online of Corinne staging an ident. Within a few seconds, all the videos online were corrupted so they could not be yed. Corinne narrowed her eyes and saw the ID of the hacker. Road To Sess sent a brash message to that well¨Cknown hacker and asked, [May I ask who you are, mighty hero? Why do you want to help Corinne? Do you know her?] The hacker ignored Sunny and remained focused on what he was doing. Corinne came back to her senses, typed a message, and sent it. [Long time no see, Ghostlord.] A few secondster, the other party replied to her, [Same to you.] That brief exchange of pleasantries came as such a shock to Sunny that he nearly fainted. Holy moly! Ghostlord? The Ghostlord?! The world¡¯s number one hacker?!] Ghostlord ignored Sunny, while Corinne did not bother him anymore. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Ghostlord was a mysterious person known to be the top hacker in the world. He or she had won 10 consecutive championships in the Global Hacking Contest for 10 consecutive years. When Corinne started to participate in the hackerpetition, Ghostlord had already retired as a contestant, and the two of them never met as opponents in the hacking arena. However, her performance in the Global Hacking Contest was just as outstanding. Her abilities were comparable to the Ghostlord¡¯s standards, and many people 10ded topare the two of them. Two years ago, the two of them met once at a global hacker offline forum. Since there was an unspoken rule that prevented hackers from revealing their identities offline, everyone wore masks and wore costumes, so their appearance was protected. It was hard to even tell their gender since everyone used voice changers to speak. That was her first time meeting Ghostlord, and when they had a chat with each other, they realized that they shared many simr opinions and thus became friends. However, their friendship was based only on the mutual appreciation of each other¡¯s skills, and they had no interest in each other¡¯s offline identities. Ghostlord was rarely online, and Corinne was surprised that they would show up and help her.¡® Why would they help me when they don¡¯t know that my real identity is Corinne?¡± At that moment, Road To Sess was still jumping excitedly in the dialog box. [Ahhh! My idols! I met Jade Rabbit and Ghostlord online at the same time today, and I saw them meeting each other with my very eyes! I have witnessed history!] No one bothered about his self¨Ccontained joy. Corinne ignored Road To Sess and asked Ghostlord, [Do you know that Corinne girl who¡¯s being ndered by everyone?] Ghostlord replied, [Do you know her too?] The word ¡®too¡® seemed to imply that they knew her, but Corinne could not be sure of that. Corinne was a little surprised, but she did not want to reveal her identity, so she replied, [I don¡¯t know her, but someone hired me to delete those posts. How did youe to know her?] Ghostlord then replied, [You seem quite curious about her.] Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Corinne was speechless. Even though they were separated by a screen, she could sense an inexplicably strong aggressiveness simr to that of a wild beast guarding its cubs. It could also be likened to a despot showing his possessiveness. She may have rubbed Ghostlord the wrong way with her question. Hackers were very defensive, and it was normal for them to dislike revealing too much about their offline affairs. Corinne was the one who crossed the line. When she realized that, she decided not to ask any further and changed the subject. [Not at all. I was just asking casually. Will you be going to this year¡¯s Global Hacking Summit?] [Ghostlord: That depends.] Corinne then typed, [On what? Is something holding you back?] [Ghostlord: I¡¯m married. My wife is very strict. It wouldn¡¯t be convenient to travel far.] Corinne found it interesting because she did not expect Ghostlord to be such a family man! She replied, [Congrattions! As it happens, I got married recently too.] At this time, Road To Sess popped up again and sent a banner to interject, [Did the two of you big shots get married to each other offline? Whoa! This sounds just like the plot of a movie! You¡¯re of different genders, right? Master, you¡¯re a woman, right? I don¡¯t think Ghostlord is a woman. Or are you both men?] Corinne was at a loss for words, and it seemed Ghostlord felt the same way, too. Corinne then silently kicked the talkative Road To Sess out of the deep web. Then, she said sincerely to Ghostlord, [In any case, I hope to see you at this year¡¯s hacker summit, and I look. forward to discussing the vulnerabilities of the NuevaNova system recently developed by EKX Enterprises and the techniques to bypass their system.] Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. [Ghostlord: We can have a chat about it if the chancees up.] Everything had been settled by Ghostlord, so Corinne quit the deep web since she no longer had any purpose there. All of a sudden, she remembered that there she still had to design the building for the Holdens¡® new headquarters. She wanted toe up with a sketch within three days and send it to Jeremy, but three days had passed, and she was unable to start on it after being held up by everything that happened. She decided to take advantage of the time she had then. Corinne immediately opened the drawing software and sketched out the inspiration she had thought up before. At that time, Jeremy exited the deep web in the study and massaged his brows wearily. He picked up the phone, looked at the time, and decided to send a message to Corinne. [Can Ie in there for a while?] Corinne was concentrating on drawing the design when she heard her phone ring twice. She picked it up, looked at it, then frowned and replied, [Why do you want toe in for a while? Is something the matter?] The man replied, [Nothing. I just wanted to see you.] Corinne turned on the phone camera, smirked at it, and took a selfie for him. [There! You can look at me as long as you like! Good night, and don¡¯t bother replying! I¡¯m going to sleep soon!] Jeremy was stunned, and heughed in anger. ¡®That d*mn girl is so frustrating yet so adorable at the same time.¡® Chapter 345 Chapter 345 At the Riveras, Lucas sat leisurely on the chair in front of the dust¨Cfree built¨Cin bookshelf and read a book by a foreign author while holding a cup of hot coffee in his other hand. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. His secretary, Edmund, stood to one side and reported the situation dutifully. ¡°Sir, about those videos and posts online, it¡¯s clear that Corinne has been wrongfully used. Should we rify to the public on her behalf?¡± Although Edmund could not understand why Corinne would disrespect his employer, that did not change the fact that Corinne helped the old man on Yonder River¡¯s shore the other day. Had she not been around, the old man would have been hurt by that ignorant female inte celebrity. Lucas narrowed his handsome eyes and remembered the arrogant way in which Corinne ignored him. He took a slow sip of coffee and said softly, ¡°She is Jeremy¡¯s woman. We don¡¯t need to intervene even if something happens.¡± When Edmund heard that, he realized that Lucas was right¨Cthe Holdens¡® scion could not have been incapable of protecting his own woman. ¡®Guess I¡¯m just worrying too much, then. Lucas put down the coffee cup gracefully and said again, ¡°The current priority is to find out how and where that video came from. Be sure to find out for me.¡± At the mention of that, Edmund said helplessly, ¡°Sir, your subordinates have tried investigating this, but nothing could be found. We confiscated that celebrity¡¯s cell phone right away, and she couldn¡¯t have had the time to get a backup. Since then, the cell phone has been with you, and no! one else has touched it except for the time we handed it over to the police for them to collect evidence.¡± A look of alertness shed across Lucas¡¯s eyes. ¡°Does that mean someone touched the cell phone that was in my possession while I wasn¡¯t paying attention?¡± Edmund hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Sir¡­ I do believe that it¡¯s the only possibility.¡± Lucas closed the book in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve always kept my cell phone in the drawer of this study. If anyone touches it, they have to have broken in here!¡± Edmund felt that it was unlikely for a family member to have done it. ¡°Let me think¡­ Only Miss Anya would dare to enter your study without your permission, and I¡¯m sure it couldn¡¯t have been her. Other people wouldn¡¯t have dared toe in.. While Edmund was talking, Anya held a te of pastries and walked in through the door with a smile on her face. ¡°Lucas! I bought some custard tarts from Fortuna Artisanal Bakers for you to try!¡± ¡°How thoughtful.¡± It was rare for Lucas to see his younger sister smiling so heartily, and even though he was not interested in sweet pastries, he took a small bite of the tart to taste it. Anya blinked expectantly. ¡°How is it? Is it delicious?¡± He smiled gently and coaxed her, ¡°Of course. You bought them, after all.¡± Anya smiled sweetly in return. The tart¡¯s sweetness began to fill his mouth, and he suddenly stared at his innocent sister for a long time. He was pensively silent for two seconds, and he then opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Anya, did you enter my study these past few days and do something with the cell phone in my drawer?¡± Anya was startled and asked innocently, ¡°I didn¡¯t. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, ¡°Did you know that there¡¯s a smear campaign against Corinne on the Inte?¡± An imperceptible guilty conscience shed across Anya¡¯s face, and she nodded calmly. ¡°Well, I did hear about it when I went to have a meal with my friends, but I haven¡¯t read anything yet. Is something wrong?¡± Lucas frowned, and his gentle eyes became sullen. ¡°Are you sure you have no clue what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± Anya shook her head aggrievedly. She had a hurt expression, and her eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Lucas¡­ Do you doubt me?¡° Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Lucas¡® face softened when he saw Anya¡¯s eyes reddening. He reached out to wipe away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of her eyes and said, ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t cry, Anya. I was just asking¡­¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Anya sniffled sadly. ¡°But your tone says otherwise. You sounded so mean¡­¡± Lucas sighed with resignation. Then, he continued to patiently exin to her, ¡°Anya, that phone has never left the drawer in my study, but now, there¡¯s an edited version of the video posted online to nder Corinne, resulting in a public uproar. ¡°I was just going through a standard procedure of making sure no one in our family is the culprit before letting Edmund question the other staff in the household. ¡°Do you now understand? And you should know that, as your brother, I¡¯ll always trust you a hundred percent, okay?¡± Anya wiped away her tears and nodded like a little girl. ¡°Okay. If this is the case, it¡¯s totally understandable that you¡¯ll suspect me, since I¡¯m the only one in this house who has total ess to your study.¡± Lucas patted her head. He regretted being so harsh on Anya and knew he should have trusted her more. After all, she had always been a sensible little sister. ¡°But it really wasn¡¯t me. You know I won¡¯t ever do something like that. It¡¯s just not in me. Besides, I wasn¡¯t the only one who went into your study. Recently, didn¡¯t you ask Sunny to finish his homework in your study before he was allowed to go out to y? ¡°Felix¨Cthe servant in charge of taking care of Sunny¨Cand all the other servants who brought in refreshments for Sunny, they had been into your study too. You should interrogate them and see which one of them would do something so despicable as to nder Corinne on the Inte!¡± ¡°Sunny?¡± The expression on Lucas¡® face immediately became serious. Anya pretended to be startled. Then, she said anxiously, ¡°Lucas, do you think Sunny could¡¯ve done it in a moment of anger? You know, because he wanted to make Corinne pay for what she did to Rosie?¡± Lucas got a headache just thinking about that idiot brother of his. He scoffed and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to disown him if he did that. What Rosie did was illegal. Not to mention, she also put your safety at risk, so she got what she deserved. Sunny had no right to me it on Corinne.¡± Anya realized Lucas was really angry, so she tried to defuse the situation. ¡°It might not be Sunny, then. I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± Apart from Anya and 1, the only person in this household who knows Corinne is that idiotic brother of mine. I don¡¯t think any of the servants know her, so why would they go to all the trouble to do something like this to someone they don¡¯t know?¡¯ thought Lucas. After he calmed himself, he turned to Anya and gently said, ¡°Anya, you must be tired after going out with your friends. You weren¡¯t feeling well this afternoon too, so you should head to bed. I still have some work I need to finish.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave you to your work then. But remember to take it easy. I¡¯m sure the investigation will turn up with something soon. Goodnight, Lucas.¡± After that, Anya went out of the study with a smile on her face, but her face immediately darkened the moment she stepped outside of the door. ¡®Sh*t! The n is backfiring on me,¡® thought Anya, gritting her teeth. She never expected Lucas¨Cwho had always been indifferent to outsiders¨Cwould waste his time. on Corinne. What was worse was that she would be done for if Lucas found out she was the one who posted the video online. Therefore, she had no choice but to use Sunny as a diversion to buy herself more time. Lucas¡® face returned to its usual seriousness after Anya left his study. ¡°Edmund, get that idiot brother of mine in here. I need to ask him some questions,¡± he ordered. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas,¡± said Edmund. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 While Edmund was on his way to get him, Sunny was spending his time feeling distressed about being kicked out of the deep web by his master, Jade Rabbit. He wanted to ess the deep web again but could not, no matter how he tried, because Jade Rabbit had locked up his ID for 48 hours. ¡®Why?¡® He banged the keyboard in frustration. He had no choice but to go to VeeTube and other web pages to check thetest development of ¡®Corinne the scammer incident¡®. It¡¯s a good thing the cyberbullying post and the videos are all gone. This way, at least, the matter won¡¯t spread further, making it worse,¡® thought Lucas. ¡®Next, I have to find a way to help Corinne clear up her name. Otherwise, she won¡¯t be able to move freely in public ces. The angry mob. will definitely chase after her if she¡¯s recognized¡­ Should I ask Lucas for help?¡® However, Sunny knew that Lucas was famed for his cold¨Cheartedness and that he would not waste his time on anyone other than himself or other members of the Rivera family. Therefore, he certainly would not lift a finger to help Corinne with her predicament. Sunny sighed. He leaned back in his chair and rested the back of his head on his interlocked fingers in annoyance, thinking¡­ ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right! Lucas has the female influencer¡¯s phone. I can clear Corinne¡¯s name as long as I can get the unedited video and post it online! But¡­how can I get it from him?¡® ¡°Mister Sunny, Mister Lucas has asked for you to see him in his study,¡± said Edmund from outside the door. The sudden voice startled Sunny so much that he and the chair fell to the ground, causing him to yelp out in pain. ¡°Mister Sunny, what happened? Are you okay?¡± Edmund asked when he heard themotion in the room. Sunny climbed up from the floor and angrily said, ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯ve already finished my homework for the day, so what could Lucas possibly want from me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, but you¡¯ll know once you go see him.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± Sunny felt very uneasy. Nothing good ever came out of meeting up with Lucas. He would either get a lecture or be forced to study. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Five minutester, Sunny arrived at Lucas¡® study with a frown on his face. ¡°I heard you were looking for me, Lucas.¡± He knocked on the door but no one answered, so he pushed open the door and discovered no one was inside. ¡°Lucas? Are you here?¡± Sunny snuck into the study, and after confirming Lucas was not there, a bright idea popped up in his mind. He would make a copy of the video on the female influencer¡¯s phone so that he could post it online once he was back in his room. He remembered seeing Lucas putting the female influencer¡¯s phone in the right¨Chand drawer of his study table when he was forced to do his homework in the past few days. After he had made up his mind, he looked around onest time to make sure no one was in the room. Then, he went to open the drawer, and sure enough, the phone was in there. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Sunny quickly took the phone out of the drawer. Then, he plugged one end of the data cable into the phone and the other into Lucas¡®puter before plugging in his sh drive. He did all of that very swiftly, but just when he was about to copy the video into his sh drive¡­ Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Lucas coldly, appearing in the room. Sunny immediately froze in ce. He stiffly raised his head and said, ¡°Lucas¡­ I was¡­was just looking up some information on theputer¡­¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why would you use myputer instead of yours?¡± Sunny started to panic even more. ¡°Umm¡­. I¡­ I suddenly remembered I missed out on some information when I came in here, and I was worried that I¡¯ll forget again if I didn¡¯t look it up now, so I thought I could just use yourputer¡­¡± While he spoke, Sunny had sneakily unplugged the data cable and put the female influencer¡¯s phone into his pocket. Lucas¡® expression remained unchanged. He easily saw through what Sunny did. He took a step forward and stretched out a hand. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Sunny pretended he did not know what Lucas was talking about. His eyes darted around as he said, ¡°Hand¡­ Hand what over?¡± ¡°How dare you still lie when you¡¯ve already been caught in the act? Is this where you put your mind into? Learning how to lie instead of studying?¡± At the mention of studying, Sunny became a little ashamed of himself. He knew he could not keep his lie from Lucas anymore, so he obediently handed over the phone to him. ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m sorry. I admit I took the phone, but I just wanted to¡­¡± Lucas took the phone and held it up in front of Sunny¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you were thinking, but you shouldn¡¯t have posted that video online to nder someone who¡¯s helped your grandfather in the past!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Sunny was stunned. He did not understand the wordsing out of Lucas¡® mouth. Lucas scoffed. ¡°Did you really think everything is fine just because you blurred out our grandfather¡¯s face? I only testified against Corinne at the police station because I thought she had done something to hurt Anya. You know I won¡¯t tolerate anyone who did anything to hurt her. The police had concluded that the case had nothing to do with Corinne, and you still did something like this to nder her? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the others calling the Rivera family ungrateful?¡± ¡°Lucas, what are you talking about? I wasn¡¯t the one who posted that video online,¡± said Sunny, feeling very hard done by. Lucas frowned when he saw how firm Sunny was. He could not help but think he had gotten the wrong person¡­ ¡°Lucas. Sunny. What¡¯s going on? I was on my way down to get some water, but I heard the two of you arguing,¡± said Anya, who suddenly appeared in the study dressed in her pajamas. She looked at the two of them with worried eyes. Sunny was happy to see her because he knew she would always take his side. He immediately ran up to her and said, ¡°Anya, Lucas was so mean to me. He was using me of doing something I didn¡¯t do even when I told him I wasn¡¯t the one who posted that video online to nder Corinne.¡± Anya frowned and gently patted Sunny on the shoulder to calm him down. Then, she turned to face Lucas and said, ¡°Lucas, you shouldn¡¯t use Sunny when you don¡¯t have solid proof. What if you were wrong¡­¡± At that moment, Edmund walked over and reported, ¡°Mister Lucas, we found the editing software and the original file of the edited video, as well as the login history of the female influencer¡¯s VeeTube ount, on Mister Sunny¡¯sputer.¡± ¡®What?!¡® It was then Sunny realized that the reason Lucas called him over was to lure him away first so that Edmund could check hisputer. ¡®But how is it possible that myputer has those things? No. This couldn¡¯t be happening. What¡¯s going on?¡® Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Lucas¡® expression darkened. He mmed the female influencer¡¯s phone loudly on the table and red vehemently at Sunny. ¡°Instead of studying like I told you to do, you spent all your time on that hacker league of yours. Did you really think no one will ever find out about what you did just because you think you have a few tricks up your sleeves? At least clean up all your traces if you want to pull shady stunts like this,¡± mocked Lucas. Sunny was starting to tear up. He forced back his tears and said, ¡°Lucas, it¡¯s true that I¡¯ve joined a hacker league, but I swear to god, I have nothing to do with that video. I have no reasons to hurt her.¡± ¡°How dare you still deny it when we¡¯ve caught you red¨Chanded?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not denying it. I really didn¡¯t do it.¡± Lucas was getting fed up. ¡°Edmund, lock him up in his room, and make sure he doesn¡¯t get anything to eat until he has admitted his crime.¡± Edmund hesitated for a second, but he did not dare to defy Lucas¡® order. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Sunny wiped away his tears and said stubbornly, ¡°Fine! If you won¡¯t let me eat, then I won¡¯t eat! You¡¯re a fool, Lucas. You not only wrongly used Corinne, but you¡¯re doing the same thing to me now, too. One day, you¡¯ll get your karma!¡± Edmund was worried that Sunny would make Lucas angrier than he already was, so he quickly dragged him out of the room. Seeing this, Anya secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, a victorious smile appeared faintly on her lips. ¡®My n has worked. Lucas will never suspect me now.¡± While Sunny was on his way to Lucas¡® study and before Edmund brought someone to check Sunny¡¯s computer, Anya had snuck into Sunny¡¯s room to tamper with hisputer. Yes, she uploaded all the things Edmund said were found on Sunny¡¯sputer. She had no choice but to do that. There was no way she was going to let Lucas find out that she was the one who edited the video and posted it online. She was willing to sacrifice Sunny to save herself. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡®It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯tpletely screw over Corinne this time¡­ thought Anya. Then, pulling back from her thoughts, she put on a worried face and said, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m sure Sunny¡­¡± Lucas waved his hand to stop her from going any further. ¡°He¡¯s not a little kid anymore. He needs to learn that every action has consequences. I¡¯ll handle this matter, so don¡¯t you worry about it. You should go rest now.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Don¡¯t stay up toote, Lucas,¡± said Anya with a sigh. Then, she walked out of the study. ¡°Mister Lucas, Mister Jeremy has many talented people from all walks of life working under him. Even though Mister Sunny had changed his IP address, Mister Jeremy¡¯s people would still be able to find out the real IP address very soon. What if, by then¡­ he thought that you were the one who posted the video online?¡± Edmund asked anxiously as soon as he came back from Sunny¡¯s room. Lucas raised his eyebrow. ¡°So what if he thinks that?¡± he asked fearlessly. ¡°I just think that it¡¯s best if we avoid any conflict with the Holden family. The Rivera family and the Holden family already have bad blood from the previous generation, and this has affected Anya not getting married no less. If the conflict esctes, it¡¯ll only make Anya¡¯s life more miserable. The matter with the video is indeed Mister Sunny¡¯s fault.¡± Lucas knew that Anya still had feelings for Jeremy. In fact, he had mentally prepared himself for her to always have feelings for Jeremy. Due to this reason, he had no choice but to de¨Cescte whatever conflict there was between the two families. He rubbed his temples, and after thinking about it for a while, he ordered, ¡°Tomorrow morning, bring Sunny over to Jeremy¡¯s ce to apologize. Exin to him what happened and then give the original video to him for disposal. If he¡¯s still not satisfied, tell him I¡¯ll be willing to meet up with him to go over the matter whenever he wants.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas,¡± said Edmund with a nod. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Late at night, Anya secretly snuck in some food for Sunny. The two bodyguards standing guard at Sunny¡¯s door hesitated to let her in but in the end thought they might as well. They knew Lucas had always given Anya whatever her heart desired. Therefore, even if Lucas was there himself, he would have let her in too. Besides, they did not want to risk incurring Lucas¡® wrath. What if Anya went to tell on them? Therefore, the safest option for them to take was to simply let her in. When Anya went in, Sunny was lying face down on the bed and crying his heart out. ¡°Sunny? Sunny, get up. You¡¯ll suffocate like that.¡± Sunny was startled to hear Anya¡¯s voice. He immediately sat up straight and wiped away the tears from his eyes. Then, he turned around to face her and said tearfully, ¡°Anya, what are you doing here? How come you¡¯re not asleep?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep ¡®cause I¡¯m so worried about you, so I thought why not drop in for a visit.¡± Anya pulled some tissues out from the box and walked over to wipe away Sunny¡¯s tears. ¡°Just look at you. You shouldn¡¯t cry like this since you¡¯re a big boy now.¡± Sunny could not help himself either. He felt so wronged that the tears just fell out of their own ord. In fact, what Anya said to him made him even angrier. ¡°Anya, I was falsely used. I didn¡¯t do what Lucas said I did. The reason I had the female influencer¡¯s phone in my hand today was because I wanted to clear up Corinne¡¯s name!¡± Anya was a little taken aback. Her hand that was wiping away Sunny¡¯s tears froze midair while a sinister glint shed across her face. ¡®Sunny risked himself to help Corinne, too? I don¡¯t get it. What makes her so special that everyone. wants to help her out? Not only did Lucas spend his time investigating the source of the leak, but even the usually cowardly Sunny dared to steal the phone from Lucas¡® drawer?! They must¡¯ve been taken in by her innocent act¡­¡® thought Anya. Sunny frowned when he saw Anya spacing out with a weird expression on her face. ¡°Anya, what are you thinking about? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t believe me, too?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Anya snapped out of her trance and immediately looked at him gently. ¡°Nonsense! Of course I believe you, but you should know how Lucas is. He only believes what he sees for himself and will not be swayed just because you¡¯re his little brother. He¡¯ll never go easy on you since you don¡¯t have proof that you weren¡¯t the one who posted the video online. This is what you should do tomorrow; find Jeremy and apologize to him. Tell him you didn¡¯t know what got into you. This way, it¡¯ll make both Lucas and Jeremy less angry at you.¡± Sunny was shocked. He pushed away Anya¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Anya, are you serious? You want me to apologize for something I didn¡¯t do? No way am I doing that! Why should I when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong?!¡± Anya sighed and looked disappointed. ¡°Sunny, I¡¯m not going to force you¡­ It¡¯s just that, you know my biggest wish is to marry Jeremy and spend the rest of my life with him. But because of what happened between our two families in the past, I¡¯m not able to do that at the moment. Now the matter with the video will only worsen what little left of goodwill we have with the Holden family. I might just as well give up the hope of ever marrying Jeremy! Sunny, can you please just do this for me? Pretty please?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes reddened and tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. Anyone with a heart would have felt their heartstrings tugged at the sight of her big, sad puppy eyes. Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Sunni¡¯s resolve was Late at night, Anya secretly snuck in some food for Sunny. The two bodyguards standing guard at Sunni¡¯s door hesitated to let her in but in the end thought they might as well. They knew Lucas had always given Anya whatever her heart desired. Therefore, even if Lucas was there himself, he would have let her in too. Besides, they did not want to risk incurring Lucas¡® wrath. What if Anya went to tell on them? Therefore, the safest option for them to take was to simply let her in. When Anya went in, Sunny was lying face down on the bed and crying his heart out. ¡°Sunny? Sunny, get up. You¡¯ll suffocate like that.¡± Sunny was startled to hear Anya¡¯s voice. He immediately sat up straight and wiped away the tears from his eyes. Then, he turned around to face her and said tearfully, ¡°Anya, what are you doing here? How come you¡¯re not asleep?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep ¡®cause I¡¯m so worried about you, so I thought why not drop in for a visit.¡± Anya pulled some tissues out from the box and walked over to wipe away Sunni¡¯s tears. ¡°Just look at you. You shouldn¡¯t cry like this since you¡¯re a big boy now.¡± Sunny could not help himself either. He felt so wronged that the tears just fell out of their own ord. In fact, what Anya said to him made him even angrier. ¡°Anya, I was falsely used. I didn¡¯t do what Lucas said I did. The reason I had the female influencer¡¯s phone in my hand today was because I wanted to clear up Corinne¡¯s name!¡± Anya was a little taken aback. Her hand that was wiping away Sunni¡¯s tears froze midair while a sinister glint shed across her face. ¡®Sunny risked himself to help Corinne, too? I don¡¯t get it. What makes her so special that everyone. wants to help her out? Not only did Lucas spend his time investigating the source of the leak, but even the usually cowardly Sunny dared to steal the phone from Lucas¡® drawer?! They must¡¯ve been taken in by her innocent act¡­¡® thought Anya. Sunny frowned when he saw Anya spacing out with a weird expression on her face. ¡°Anya, what are you thinking about? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t believe me, too?¡± Anya snapped out of her trance and immediately looked at him gently. ¡°Nonsense! Of course I believe you, but you should know how Lucas is. He only believes what he sees for himself and will not be swayed just because you¡¯re his little brother. He¡¯ll never go easy on you since you don¡¯t have proof that you weren¡¯t the one who posted the video online. This is what you should do tomorrow; find Jeremy and apologize to him. Tell him you didn¡¯t know what got into you. This way, it¡¯ll make both Lucas and Jeremy less angry at you.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sunny was shocked. He pushed away Anya¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Anya, are you serious? You want me to apologize for something I didn¡¯t do? No way am I doing that! Why should I when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong?!¡± Anya sighed and looked disappointed. ¡°Sunny, I¡¯m not going to force you¡­ It¡¯s just that, you know my biggest wish is to marry Jeremy and spend the rest of my life with him. But because of what happened between our two families in the past, I¡¯m not able to do that at the moment. Now the matter with the video will only worsen what little left of goodwill we have with the Holden family. I might just as well give up the hope of ever marrying Jeremy! Sunny, can you please just do this for me? Pretty please?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes reddened and tears threatened to roll down her cheeks. Anyone with a heart would have felt their heartstrings tugged at the sight of her big, sad puppy eyes. arting to shake. He would do anything for Anya, but¡­ ¡°But Anya, I think Jeremy and Corinne are-¡± Anya must have guessed what he was going to say, and she did not want him to continue, so she cut him off gently, ¡°I know that Jeremy treats Corinne very well, but it¡¯s not like he can just ignore her. She¡¯s his wife after all, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just putting up a show for the elders in his family. Besides, he¡¯s a responsible man. Even if he has no feelings for Corinne, he¡¯d still make sure she¡¯s well taken care of.¡± Sunny frowned and said, ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t what I was going to say. I really think Jeremy treats Corinne differently. In fact, I think he treats her better than¡­¡± Anya cut him off again. ¡°As I said, they¡¯re acting all lovey¨Cdovey toward each other because they don¡¯t want the elders in the Holden family to know that everything is fake. He¡¯s only being nice, protective, and gentle to her on the surface. It¡¯s all for the sake of his own family¡¯s reputation, not because he has feelings for her. ¡°He told me before that he only got married to Corinne to make the elders in his family happy and that he¡¯ll end the marriage after his grandfather¡¯s health is better so that he cane back to me, ¡°Also, you should know very well that an aloof man like him would never fall in love with another woman in one short month. I know him the best; that won¡¯t happen.¡± Sunny thought Anya¡¯s reasoning was sound. The Jeremy he knew would never fall in love with another woman when he was still in love with Anya. After thinking about it, he could not bear to see Anya suffering so much, so he said, ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll do it for your sake. I¡¯ll go tell Jeremy that I was the one who posted the video online and apologize to him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, Sunny! Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± Anya hugged him and cried happily. ¡°I know you¡¯re a good kid after all. I¡¯m so d to have a little brother like you. Rest assured I¡¯ll find the culprit who put all those things inside yourputer to clear up your name!¡± Sunny simply nodded. He had no doubt that Anya was going to do what she said she was going to 1. do. Anya was about done crying. She got up and wiped away her tears before she brought out the food she snuck in for Sunny. ¡°Here. These are all your favorite foods. I can¡¯t bear to see you go hungry. Hurry up and eat them.¡± Sunny was in no mood to eat but did not want to let Anya¡¯s effort go to waste, so he bit into some toast. Anya looked at her naive little brother with relief. Then, she smiled sinisterly and thought, ¡®No one will ever suspect me now that I¡¯ve convinced him to apologize to Jeremy. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll lose out much, anyway. The worst thing that¡¯ll happen to him is probably Lucas going to give him another earful. But if Lucas found out that I was the one who posted the video online¡­ he¡¯ll never trust me again. Plus, it¡¯ll make Jeremy like me even less. D*mn if I¡¯m going to let that happen. Sorry Sunny, but I have no choice but to sacrifice you for the sake of my happiness.¡® The next day, Corinne was still not awake by the time Jeremy walked out from his study. He made his way to the bedroom and knocked on the door. No one answered from inside, so he turned the doorknob, only to find out that it was locked. ¡°Please wait a moment, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ll get the spare key right away,¡± said Bowen as soon as he saw what happened. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Jeremy put up his hand to stop him. ¡°There¡¯s no need. From now on, whenever she locks the door, no one is allowed to open the door with the spare key. This is, of course, except when her safety is called into question.¡± ¡°Yes¡­Mister Jeremy,¡± replied Bowen, a little stunned. This waspletely different from Jeremy¡¯s initial attitude. Previously, he would unhappily ask the servants to open the door with the spare key whenever Corinne locked her door. No one was allowed to lock the door to his bedroom, let alone locked him out of his bedroom. Bowen had. never seen this submissive side of Jeremy. Jeremy stopped knocking and fished out his phone to call Corinne. The phone rang for a while before she finally answered. ¡°What?!¡± said Corinne sleepily and angrily. It was obvious she was not happy being woken up. ¡°Get up. It¡¯s time for breakfast,¡± said Jeremy. Corinne had stayed up the whole night to do her drawings and did not sleep until the early morning. Therefore, she was in no mood to do anything else other than sleep. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Have breakfast without me,¡± she said and immediately hang up the phone. Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened when he heard the busy dial tone of the call. He had always been the one who called the shots around there, but it seemed like karma had sent Corinne to torment him.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. He massaged his temple tiredly before calling her again. ¡°Can you at least open the door so that I can go in to see you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already send a selfie to you yesterday? You can use that selfie of me to look at me all your want!¡± said Corinne impatiently. Jeremy frowned and said, ¡°No, that just makes me thirst for the real you even more! Don¡¯t you know that?¡± At the mention of the word ¡®thirst¡®, Corinne instantly woke up. ¡°Mister¡­is that the only thing you. have in your mind? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too early in the morning to ask for that?¡± Jeremy was visibly amused by her misunderstanding. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Go back to sleep. I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m going to call you to wake you up the next time you¡¯re sleeping! See how you¡¯ll like it,¡± said Corinne angrily. Then, she hung up her phone with a huff. Instead of being angry, Jeremy found the whole thing funny. In fact, there was nothing but adoration in his eyes. He put away his phone and ordered Bowen, ¡°Nobody is to bother her. After she wakes up, ask her what she wants to have for breakfast and make it for her.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy. Rest assured that Ma¡¯am will be well taken care of,¡± said Bowen. He never thought he would live long enough to see Jeremy acting like that, so much so he thought he was imagining things. ¡®Is this really Mister Jeremy? Why, he looks like he¡¯s enjoying the whole thing. Dare I say he even looks younger than before? Bowen had known Jeremy long enough to know that his employer was not the type to smile or show any signs of emotions on his face. Therefore, he could not believe it when Jeremy was smiling so happily just because of a short phone call with Corinne. It was truly unbelievable. ¡®Looks like the other servants and I will need to treat Ma¡¯am with more respect now that Mister Jererhy is seriously falling head over heels for her, thought Bowen. Since Jeremy failed to rouse Corinne from her bed, he went downstairs to have his breakfast alone. Tommy deferentially walked into the dining room and reported the results of what Jeremy asked him to do yesterday. ¡°Mister Jeremy, we have found the female influencer.¡± Chapter 353 Chapter 353 ¡°Lucas had ordered his men to teach her a lesson after finding out what she did to his grandfather at the embankment of Yonder River. Apart from that, her live¨Cstream ount had been indefinitely restricted by the tform, so she could no longer do any live¨Cstream. Thus, with no way to make a living, she went back to her hometown.¡± Jeremy gave noment and continued to eat his breakfast slowly. There, Tommy continued his report, ¡°The female influencer said that she was afraid that her family¡¯s job would be affected since she knew she had crossed someone she shouldn¡¯t have. That¡¯s why she has been lying low in the countryside for the past few days. ¡°She also said that she wasn¡¯t the one who posted the video that ndered Ma¡¯am and that someone must¡¯ve hacked into her VeeTube ount. She¡¯d been warned not to tell anyone that she had met Grandfather Rivera on the embankment of Yonder River or the fact that she had been taught a lesson by the River family. ¡°Her phone was confiscated by Lucas¡® men on the spot, so she could not possibly have the original video. Even if she does have the video, she wouldn¡¯t dare to use it. Not after what Lucas¡® men did to her. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯m afraid the culprit who posted the video wasn¡¯t her. It was definitely someone else.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged because he was not surprised by Tommy¡¯s report at all. Last night, he already found out that the real IP address of where the video was posted came from the Rivera family and not the female influencer. He picked up the ss of milk on the table and silently drank it. Tommy sneaked a peek at Jeremy¡¯s face, thought for a while, and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯ve already asked the female influencer to record herself saying that she wasn¡¯t the one who posted the video online and to exin that the facts weren¡¯t as they were reported online, as well as to describe what really happened that day. ¡°We¡¯ll then need only to send the video to all the mediapanies in the city for publication, and by doing so, we should be able to clear up Ma¡¯am¡¯s name. However, it¡¯ll of course be more effective if we have the original video of what happened that day on the embankment. ¡°Most of theizens now are very tricky to deal with. I can say with confidence more than half of them will question whether the female influencer had been coerced into recording the rification video. Then, they¡¯ll ask why she didn¡¯t put the original video online. ¡°As for the Rivera family¡­ Well, I must say they¡¯re the most ungrateful bunch. Ma¡¯am got into the mess she was in now because she wanted to help Grandfather Rivera, and now that the mess had gotten out of hand, they didn¡¯t even step up to help the person who saved their grandfather.¡± Jeremy instantly narrowed his eyes at the mention of the Rivera family. Tommy must have understood Jeremy¡¯s concern for he quickly said, ¡°Miss Anya saved you once, so it¡¯s hard for you to do anything to the Riveras.¡± 1. ws. The whole thing was tricky to deal with exactly because it concerned the Rivera The Riera family is the Rivera family, and Anya is Anya,¡± said Jeremy suddenly. His tone was one of calm and ruthlessness Tomgy was a little taken aback. From that simple statement alone, he understood that Jeremy had no ition to go easy on the Rivera family because of Anya. What should I do next Mister Jeremy?¡± asked Tommy seriously. Jergery was about to give his order when Bowen suddenly walked into the dining room in a hurry and sad. Moter Jeremy, the Riveras are here.¡± What? The Riveras Speaking of the devil!¡® Tommy was stunned and puzzled at the same time. Apart from Anya, this was the first time anyone else from the Rivera family hade to the Holcers estate. The two familles held deep¨Cseated grudges toward one another, and though the younger family members did not see each other as enemies, they would never show up at each other¡¯s houses unamnounced ether. What do they want?¡± asked Jeremy with a raised eyebrow. ¡°A jolly¨Clooking subordinate said he brought Mister Sunny here to apologize to you and Ma¡¯am, and apparently, Miss Anya is in the car as well,¡± Let them in¡® said Jeremy darkly. Yes Mister Jeremy,¡® said Bowen. Then, he went to get the guests. Not long after, Lucas¡® right¨Chand man, Edmund, came in with Sunny in tow. Anya, however, was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 ¡°Mister Jeremy,¡± greeted Edmund with a bow. ¡°Mister Lucas had asked me to return your car and to convey his gratitude to you for lending him the car yesterday. If not, he and Miss Anya would be stuck waiting on the Yonder Bridge for at least two hours or so for someone to get them.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s so grateful, why isn¡¯t he here personally to thank me then?¡± asked Jeremy indifferently. Edmund had spent many years working under Lucas to know how to deal with this kind of situation. However, he still could not help but feel a little pressure when it came to dealing with Jeremy. ¡°My deepest apologies, Mister Jeremy. Mister Lucas is away on a business trip. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve personallye to thank you.¡± Jeremy wordlessly cut the bacon in his ce as if he was the only person in the dining room. What Edmund said might have worked on other people, but not on him. It was obvious to him that Lucas was not sincere about thanking him. Edmund remained awkwardly standing where he was. Then, he suddenly turned to Sunny and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, go on. Tell Mister Jeremy what happened, and make sure you apologize sincerely to him after that.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± The usually high¨Cspirited Sunny had his head drooped. The emotions he had been holding back in the car came out all at once. He took a few steps forward and dropped his head even lower as if he was ashamed to face Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± He felt it hard to go on so much, so he thought he was going to puke out some blood right there and then. However, he finally bit the bullet after thinking about Anya and Lucas¡® future. ¡°It was me! I was the one who posted the video online to nder Corinne. I did it to make her pay for what she did to Rosie! I stole the female influencer¡¯s phone from Lucas and edited the video to make it look like Corinne was in the wrong so that everyone would hate her! I¡¯m the only one to me for this fiasco.¡± Tommy looked at Sunny with shock written all over his face. Of all the people in the world, he would have never guessed it would be him who posted the video online. While it was true Tommy thought Sunny to be a little naughty, at the same time, he knew there was not a bad bone in that boy. There was no way he would do something as despicable as this. However, after thinking about it carefully, he remembered all the troubles Sunny had caused Corinne before. Therefore, it was not that surprising that he woulde to admit his wrongdoings. In fact, Tommy should have seen iting. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Edmund was a little puzzled as to why Jeremy seemed to not show any reaction after Sunny¡¯s confession. He thought about it for a while and then said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, Mister Sunny is still young and doesn¡¯t know the way of the world. We¡¯re sorry to have caused trouble for you and Missus Holden. Rest assured that Mister Lucas had punished Mister Sunny ordingly the moment he found out about what he had done. Today, I¡¯ve brought him here for you to punish him however you see fit.¡± He was right. The whole thing was tricky to deal with exactly because it concerned the Rivera family. ¡°The Rivera family is the Rivera family, and Anya is Anya,¡± said Jeremy suddenly. His tone was one of calm and ruthlessness. Tommy was a little taken aback. From that simple statement alone, he understood that Jeremy had no intention to go easy on the Rivera family because of Anya. ¡°What should I do next, Mister Jeremy?¡± asked Tommy seriously. Jeremy was about to give his order when Bowen suddenly walked into the dining room in a hurry and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, the Rivers are here.¡± ¡®What? The Rivers? Speaking of the devil!¡® Tommy was stunned and puzzled at the same time. Apart from Anya, this was the first time anyone else from the Rivera family hade to the Holden¡¯s¡® estate. The two families held deep¨Cseated grudges toward one another, and though the younger family members did not see each other as enemies, they would never show up at each other¡¯s houses unannounced either. ¡°What do they want?¡± asked Jeremy with a raised eyebrow. ¡°A jolly¨Clooking subordinate said he brought Mister Sunny here to apologize to you and Ma¡¯am, and apparently, Miss Anya is in the car as well.¡± ¡°Let them in,¡± said Jeremy darkly. ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy,¡± said Bowen. Then, he went to get the guests. Not long after, Lucas¡® right¨Chand man, Edmund, came in with Sunny in tow. Anya, however, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Mister Jeremy,¡± greeted Edmund with a bow. ¡°Mister Lucas had asked me to return your car and to convey his gratitude to you for lending him the car yesterday. If not, he and Miss Anya would be stuck waiting on the Yonder Bridge for at least two hours or so for someone to get them.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s so grateful, why isn¡¯t he here personally to thank me then?¡± asked Jeremy indifferently. Edmund had spent many years working under Lucas to know how to deal with this kind of situation. However, he still could not help but feel a little pressure when it came to dealing with Jeremy. ¡°My deepest apologies, Mister Jeremy. Mister Lucas is away on a business trip. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve personallye to thank you.¡± Jeremy wordlessly cut the bacon in his ce as if he was the only person in the dining room. What Edmund said might have worked on other people, but not on him. It was obvious to him that Lucas was not sincere about thanking him. Edmund remained awkwardly standing where he was. Then, he suddenly turned to Sunny and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, go on. Tell Mister Jeremy what happened, and make sure you apologize sincerely to him after that.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± The usually high¨Cspirited Sunny had his head drooped. The emotions he had been holding back in the car came out all at once. He took a few steps forward and dropped his head even lower as if he was ashamed to face Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± He felt it hard to go on so much, so he thought he was going to puke out some blood right there and then. However, he finally bit the bullet after thinking about Anya and Lucas¡® future. ¡°It was me! I was the one who posted the video online to nder Corinne. I did it to make her pay for what she did to Rosie! I stole the female influencer¡¯s phone from Lucas and edited the video to make it look like Corinne was in the wrong so that everyone would hate her! I¡¯m the only one to me for this fiasco.¡± Tommy looked at Sunny with shock written all over his face. Of all the people in the world, he would have never guessed it would be him who posted the video online. While it was true Tommy thought Sunny to be a little naughty, at the same time, he knew there was not a bad bone in that boy. There was no way he would do something as despicable as this. However, after thinking about it carefully, he remembered all the troubles Sunny had caused Corinne before. Therefore, it was not that surprising that he woulde to admit his wrongdoings. In fact, Tommy should have seen iting. Edmund was a little puzzled as to why Jeremy seemed to not show any reaction after Sunny¡¯s confession. He thought about it for a while and then said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, Mister Sunny is still young and doesn¡¯t know the way of the world. We¡¯re sorry to have caused trouble for you and Missus Holden. Rest assured that Mister Lucas had punished Mister Sunny ordingly the moment he found out about what he had done. Today, I¡¯ve brought him here for you to punish him however you see fit.¡± Jeremy put the bacon into his mouth and chewed slowly as if he had all the time in the world. He then put down his cutleries, took a sip of water, and gracefully dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Some people in the world did not even have to frown for others to feel a sense of oppressive pressure. For some reason, Edmund and Sunny could not help but feel the walls closing in on them: ¡°Answer me this, do you know what Corinne did at the embankment that day?¡± asked Jeremy calmly with a raise of his eyebrow. Sunny nodded and said, ¡°Yes¡­¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do borate.¡± Sunny was panicking. ¡°Corinne helped out my grandfather, who went blind recently, and if it wasn¡¯t for her, my grandfather would¡¯ve been beaten up by that female influencer. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 ¡°And this is how you repay her? Well, I guess it¡¯ll be foolish of me to expect anything less than the Rivera family. You must¡¯ve been taught that it¡¯s only right to repay those who helped you with revenge!¡± Sunny felt both bitter and ashamed at having to admit to doing something he did not do. However, he had no choice but to shoulder the burden for the sake of Anya and Lucas. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. Lucas and Anya had always taught me to not bite the hand that feeds me! It¡¯s just that I was too stupid to pay their words any mind. I now know I was in the wrong for ndering Corinne. ¡°Jeremy, it was I, and I alone, who did this. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with my family, so please don¡¯t drag them into this. I¡¯m willing to take whatever punishment you have in mind for me.¡± Jeremy scoffed. His face was as ck as thunder. ¡°How dare you tell me who I should and should not punish when you¡¯re the sinner? My poor wife helped your grandfather out of the kindness of her heart, and what did she get in return? A bunch of people bullying her online! You and your whole family will surely pay¡­¡± ¡°Jeremy!¡± eximed Anya tearfully. She suddenly appeared in the dining room and had run over to protect Sunny. She looked at Jeremy with her big, sad puppy eyes and said, ¡°Sunny¡¯s still just a kid! He didn¡¯t know any better. I was shocked to find out he¡¯d do such a thing, too. ¡°Nevertheless, I¡¯m his sister, and as his sister, I can¡¯t bear to see him like this. Jeremy, for my sake, can¡¯t you just let him off the hook this time?¡± Jeremy stared at the teary¨Ceyed Anya with a frown on his face. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Noticing his hesitation, Anya quickly grabbed Sunny¡¯s elbow and said, ¡°Sunny, kneel now to show Jeremy how sorry you are. He¡¯s not that bad of a person, so he¡¯ll surely forgive you if you just show how remorseful you are about the whole thing.¡± Sunny looked at Anya in astonishment. No matter how much he was unwilling to do what she said, he had no choice but to do it. Frowning, he slowly got down on his knees when¡­ ¡°Get up!¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang down from upstairs before Sunny¡¯s knee even hit the floor. It was Corinne. Everyone immediately looked up, only to see Corinne walking down the stairszily yawning. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of her. ¡®My little rascal is finally awake.¡® Once she was downstairs, she side¨Ceyed Sunny and said, ¡°Boy, you need to man up. You shouldn¡¯t kneel just because someone told you to.¡± Sunny had already straightened himself up, and he lost all of his usual arrogance the moment he saw Corinneing down the stairs. He dropped his head and said, ¡°But, I did something bad to you¡­ Corinne nced at him and said, ¡°Are you sure you were the one who did it?¡± Sunny was a little taken aback. He looked up and looked at her in astonishment. ¡®Could it be¡­she doesn¡¯t think I was the one who did it?¡® Anya immediately knew the situation would not turn out well for her if she allowed this to continue. Her eyes became teary again as she pushed her way in front of Sunny and tearfully pleaded, ¡°Corinne, you can take your anger out on me, but please, just let Sunny go. He¡¯s still young and has a lot to learn. If you let the matter slide this time, Lucas and I will make sure he learns his lesson.¡± Corinne raised one of her eyebrows. ¡°Oh? Did I hear wrongly then? Didn¡¯t this man here say that Jeremy could punish Sunny however he sees fit? And yet here you are, pleading for us to let the matter slide. Who exactly is in charge in the Rivera family? Or is this your family¡¯s way of worming out of wrongdoings?¡± Anya was speechless. Her face immediately stiffened, and she looked like she was going to burst into a sob. ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s the only little brother I have. Please, I beg of you¡­¡± Corinne immediately put her hands into a cross position and said, ¡°Save your tears, Anya. They don¡¯t work on me. You should go cry to those who actually care about you.¡± Then, she gestured meaningfully with her chin at the man sitting down at the dining table. Jeremy was totally speechless. Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Anya¡¯s eyes werepletely red from all the crying. She forced back another round of tears and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t cry, but I¡¯m just worried about Sunny¡­¡± Sunni¡¯s heart immediately went out to Anya. He held on to her trembling shoulders and said, ¡± Anya, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m willing to bear the responsibility alone and will ept any punishment from Jeremy, so why don¡¯t you go back with Edmund first?¡± ¡°But Sunny¡­¡± Anya could not get any further with her words as she was sobbing too much. Corinneughed and said, ¡°Miss Anya, I must say I really admire you.¡± Sunny looked at Corinne with a puzzled expression on his face. ¡®What is sheughing about?¡± Anya was stunned. She turned her doe eyes to Corinne and asked innocently, ¡°Corinne, whatever do you mean by your words? You admire me?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah, I really admire you. You have a bestie who was willing to do everything to set me up for you, though it¡¯s quite unfortunate she eventually ended up in prison. Then, your precious little brother posted that video online to nder me. After that, he willingly came here to admit his wrongdoing and to receive his punishment. ¡°Seems like everyone was just jumping at the chance to go through fire and water for you so that you get to remain clueless and innocent. You have to teach me some of your tricks someday, Miss Anya.¡± On the surface, Corinne sounded like she wasplimenting Anya, but if one were to dig deeper, one would find that she was actually mocking her. Anya frowned imperceptibly. It was then she realized just how formidable a foe Corinne was. When she first met her, she thought nothing of her. Sure, Corinne was pretty, but it was a bimbo kind of pretty. At this moment, however, she found out just how wrong she was about Corinne. ¡®She¡¯s not as simple as she looks,¡® thought Anya. Anya widened her doe¨Ceyes innocently and said softly, ¡°Corinne, it seems as if you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I have no idea what Rosie and Sunny were¡­ Corinne ignored her. In fact, she did not even wait for her to finish speaking before she walked over to the dining table. She then nced at the breakfast spreadid out for Jeremy and asked, ¡± Where¡¯s my breakfast?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy looked up at her and said, ¡°So you¡¯re hungry now? Didn¡¯t you say you weren¡¯t hungry when I tried to wake you up?¡± Corinne shrugged and spread out her palms. ¡°I wanted to continue sleeping, but you guys were being so loud down here, so I thought I might as well have some breakfast before going back to sleep.¡± While she was talking, Tommy perceptively stepped forward and respectfully pulled out the chair next to Jeremy for Corinne to sit, which was exactly what she did. Jeremy looked sideways at her with a stern frown on his forehead. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to eat just now, so the kitchen didn¡¯t make you anything. Now there¡¯s no choice for you but to wait patiently for them to make you something.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Corinne with a pout. She did not have a choice but to wait patiently for the kitchen to make her something. Moments ago, she did not feel hungry while she was still lying in bed, but since she was up, the hunger pang seemed to be causing a riot in her stomach. She nced at the ss of milk next to Jeremy¡¯s hand and reached out to take it. Then, just when she was about to take a sip¡­ Jeremy grabbed her hand and snatched away the ss. ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t I even have some milk now?¡± asked Corinne unhappily. ¡®He told me he likes me yesterday, and today, he won¡¯t even share his food with me. Does he event know the meaning of ¡®like¡®?¡® thought Corinne. Jeremy only had to take one look at her scrunched little face to know what she was thinking. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink milk on an empty stomach. What if you get diarrhea?¡± lectured Jeremy sternly. ¡°Oh my god, Mister! When did you be so Nagy?¡± asked Corinne with a frown. Jeremy red at her and replied, ¡°I¡¯m only doing this for your good.¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Corinne simply scoffed. Anya watched the interaction between Corinne and Jeremy. How they were behaving was nothing out of the ordinary, yet it was the most intimate she had ever seen Jeremy being with another woman. Her eyes sank and she clenched her fists tightly, so tightly that her fingers dug into her palms. At that moment, Edmund also felt like they were intruding on something, so he quickly took out something he was sure Jeremy would be interested in.. ¡°Mister Jeremy, Mister Lucas asked me to give this to you. This phone used to belong to the female influencer. The original video remains untouched on the phone. We hope this will help you clear up all those unfounded rumors about Missus Holden.¡± Jeremy nced at Tommy, signaling him to take the phone. Tommy immediately took the phone from Edmund¡¯s hand and checked the video stored inside. It was as Edmund said; only then did he nod at Jeremy. ¡°Mister Jeremy, how do you intend to punish Mister Sunny?¡± asked Edmund. Jeremy did not answer him. Instead, he looked questioningly at Corinne with one eyebrow raised. He, who had always called the shots without consulting anybody, was actually asking for Corinne¡¯s opinion. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne was puzzled. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that? Is he asking me toe up with the punishment?¡® After thinking about it for a while, Corinne nced at Edmund, and then at the sad¨Clooking Sunny. ¡°Leave Sunny here. The rest of you can go now,¡± she saidnguidly. Edmund started to panic a little when he heard that! ¡°Missus Holden, Mister Sunny is just a kid. I hope that¡­ Corinne did not have to wait for him to finish speaking to know what he was going to say. She scoffed and interrupted him, ¡°Your employer sure has rubbed off on you. If you have no intention to let us punish him, you shouldn¡¯t have brought him here. Now that he¡¯s here, you might as well just leave him here as I said! ¡°Or is what you said just empty words? The Riveras are in the wrong here. Not to mention, I was just trying to help out a member of your family. Do you seriously think there¡¯ll be no consequences to all the things the Riveras have done?¡± Edmund¡¯s face became as ck as thunder, but he did not dare argue back. Initially, he thought that Jeremy would let Sunny off the hook for Anya¡¯s sake, or even if Jeremy wanted to punish Sunny, he would do so lightly. Therefore, he never expected that the wild card Corinne would be so difficult to deal with. However, no matter how aggrieved Sunny felt, he did not want to let Corinne look down on him. He puffed up his chest, held his head up proudly, and stepped forward. ¡°Edmund, take Anya home first. I¡¯m going to stay here and take whatever¡¯sing for me,¡± he said resolutely. He was willing to ept whatever punishment Corinne had for him. Edmund hesitated a little. He knew it would be as good as starting a war with the Holden family if he was to forcefully drag Sunny out of the ce then. This is out of my league. I should go back to ask Lucas for further instructions,¡® he thought. Thus, he made up his mind to retreat for the moment. He turned to Anya and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Miss. Anya.¡± Anya looked at Edmund and said nothing. Then, she looked pitifully at Jeremy¨Cwho was sitting at the head of the dining table¨Conly to discover he was not even looking at her: Instead, all of his attention was focused on Corinne. Anya¡¯s heart immediately sank. After thinking it through, she turned to Edmund and said, ¡°Edmund, you should be in a rush to head back to Lucas¡® office, right?¡± Edmund modded. ¡°Yes, Miss Anya. I¡¯ll be heading to Mister Lucas¡® office after dropping you off at home.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t need to send me home,¡± said Anya. Then, she looked at Jeremy and continued to say, ¡°Jeremy, can I get a ride with youter? My house is just along the way to your office, so it should be convenient for you to give me a ride.¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Jeremy narrowed his eyes at Anya before turning back to face Corinne with a questioning look, asking her what he should do. Corinne furrowed her brow. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that again? What¡­ Is he asking me to be the bad guy here ¡®cause he¡¯s too embarrassed to turn down his ¡®savior¡®? Man, he¡¯s really devious, huh? Oh well, I¡¯ll help him out this one time, seeing as how he¡¯s been really nice to me for the past few days.¡± Corinne rested her chin on one hand andzily turned to look at Anya. ¡°Miss Anya, you know that your brother¡¯s subordinate can¡¯t bete to work, yet you don¡¯t seem to realize that this applies to your Jeremy, too.¡± Thebination of the word ¡®your¡® and ¡®Jeremy¡® caused the man beside her to frown. Anya felt wronged. The corners of her eyes turned down, making her look even more fragile and innocent. ¡°No, Corinne. I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­ I just thought that it¡¯ll be fine if Jeremy iste since he¡¯s the boss of thepany, whereas Edmund is just an ordinary worker who has to clock. in at work on time. Lucas has a strict system in ce and will punish anyone who¡¯ste to work.¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re certainly very considerate of others. No wonder the people around you are so willing to go through fire and water for you. However, you¡¯ve forgotten one thing. It was your brother who sent Edmund here, so he¡¯s technically on the clock, therefore he shouldn¡¯t be punished if he¡¯ste to the office. Besides, I believe that Edmund wouldn¡¯t have worked with your brother for so many years if your brother was this harsh to his right¨Chand man.¡± Here, Corinne took a yawn before adding, ¡°But I¡¯m fine if Jeremy is willing to give you a ride ¡®cause it¡¯s true what you said¨Cyour house is along the way to his office after all.¡± She smirked before turning around and raising her eyebrows mischievously at Jeremy. ¡°Am I right, Mister?¡± Jeremy did not answer her. Instead, he coldly ordered, ¡°Tommy, please send Miss Anya back to her house.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Anya¡¯s gaze faltered when she heard that. ¡°Jeremy, aren¡¯t you going to the office today? Can¡¯t you just give me a ride? You don¡¯t have to trouble Tommy¡­¡± she said in a manner that made it obvious to anyone there that she was pretending to not want to trouble Tommy. Jeremy remained indifferent to Anya. He gestured with his chin at Corinne. ¡°The little rascal is getting jealous, so I think it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t give you a ride.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Hello, I¡¯m jealous? Mister is way out of line. How can he use me like that when he¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t want to give a ride to Anya? That¡¯s emotional ckmailing!¡® Anya was a little stunned. Her eyes were filled with hurt, and she was about to say something more when Tommy beat her to it. He raised his hand slightly as a gesture of invitation and said, ¡± Miss Anya, please follow me out. I¡¯ll take you home right away.¡± Anya had no choice but to smile awkwardly, even though the expression of unwillingness was written all over her face. ¡°Alright, then. Sorry for taking up your time, Jeremy. I¡¯ll leave with Tommy now, she said politely. Jeremy nodded and did not spare another nce at her. Anya mentally gritted her teeth before smiling at Corinne. ¡°Bye, Corinne. I¡¯lle another day to visit you.¡± ¡°Off you go, then said Corinne. Anya was speechless. She marched away angrily with Edmund following behind her. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Sunny stayed behind in the dining room, waiting for Corinne and Jeremy to give out his punishment. The maid ced a steaming hot te of breakfast food in front of Corinne, who was so hungry that she immediately dug in. As she was shoveling the bacon and egg into her mouth, she sensed a pair of eyes boring into her. She did not know how to describe the look, but the closest she could get was that it felt like she was being entwined by a ming thread that was getting tighter around her body. She instinctively frowned and red at Jeremy. ¡°Mister, why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be off to work right now?¡± Jeremy furrowed his brow in mock anger. ¡°You just can¡¯t wait for me to leave, huh?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s more like you¡¯ve finished your breakfast, so instead of wasting your time here, shouldn¡¯t you head off to work where your staff is waiting for you?¡± Jeremy pursed his lips and said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± Corinne twitched the corners of her mouth. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t say anything more now that I know you¡¯re not in a rush, but can you not stare at me like that while I¡¯m eating?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrow. ¡°Can¡¯t I even get a good look at you after how you left me to sleep alone in the studyst night?¡± Corinne scoffed and mockingly said, ¡°From ancient times, any emperor who was foundte to work always used the excuse of being seduced by a temptress, and said innocent woman would have to carry the shame of being called a temptress for the rest of her life. Mister, I hope you¡¯re not thinking of making it a habit of beingte to work every day because I really can¡¯t have your staff calling me a temptress.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Who¡¯d ever dare to call you that?¡± Jeremy actuallyughed when he heard what she said. Instead of being angry, he was delighted to find the many creative ways Corinne coulde up with just to make him go to work on time. Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course they wouldn¡¯t call me that to your face, but they¡¯ll surely talk. about me behind your backs, and I can assure you it¡¯s not going to be something nice about me.¡± Jeremy pinched her cheeks out of both adoration and frustration. Then, he said gently, ¡°Fine. To not have them call you a temptress, I¡¯ll go to work now, but just wait and see how I¡¯ll deal with you. little rascal once I¡¯m back home.¡± Corinne simplyughed at his threat. Jeremy got up from the dining table and put one hand on the back of her chair before bending. down to look her deeply in the eyes. It was obvious he was asking for a goodbye kiss, but Corinne was a little unwilling to give him one because there was a minor¨CSunny¨Cin the room. Thinking on her feet, she quickly picked up a piece of ham with a fork and shoved it into his mouth. Jeremy was a little taken aback, and even though his eyes were filled with unhappiness, held nheless swallowed the ham. Even though he did not get what he wanted, he was willing to concede to the fact that Corinne fed him out of her own ord. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Be a good girl while I¡¯m gone, yeah.¡± Jeremy straightened himself up and ruffled up her hair. Then, he put the coat the maid passed to him onto the crook of his arm before marching out of the house. Corinne remained seated at the dining table. Blinking awkwardly and blushing madly, she picked up the ss of warm milk off the table and drank it in a bid to calm herself. Sunny¨Cwho witnessed the whole thing¨Cwas dumbstruck. He never saw such vivid behaviors from Jeremy. In fact, the Jeremy he knew was humorous and cold. Jeremy was like a different person around Corinne. It was as if he really loved her and that they were just flirting in the way that every couple in the world would do. He would not believe it if anyone were to tell him that Jeremy could show any signs of emotions other than aloofness if he had not seen it personally. Thus, Sunny became wary of Corinne because if things were to continue like that, she might just really steal Anya¡¯s beloved Jeremy away from her. He feared that Anya would not be able to take the news and would end up doing something crazy. After Corinne finished her breakfast, she got up from the dining table and walked toward the direction of where Sunny was standing. Sunny, to his credit, did not back down. ¡°Do whatever you want to me! I¡¯m prepared to ept any punishment!¡± Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Corinnepletely ignored Sunny. Instead, she yawned, walked past him, and up the stairs. She had only one thing on her mind, and that was to go back to sleep. Sunny was dumbstruck. He chased after her unhappily and said, ¡°Hey, Corinne! Aren¡¯t you going to punish me? Hello?¡± Corinne paid him no mind and continued walking up the stairs. Anger began to rise in Sunny. He did not like being ignored and was about to go upstairs to give. her a piece of his mind when Bowen grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, Ma¡¯am would like to take her nap now. Why don¡¯t you wait for her to wake before asking her to punish you?¡± Sunny furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Why is she sozy? It¡¯s alreadyte morning and she still wants to sleep?¡± Bowen did not like anyone from the Rivera family talking like this about his employer, so he dropped his usual politeness and said, ¡°In any case, you¡¯re not to bother Ma¡¯am. You¡¯re to wait for her quietly until she decides toe down on her own ord!¡± He then instructed the other servants to keep an eye on Sunny in case thetter decided to make a fuss to wake Corinne up. Sunny had no choice but to do as Bowen said. After all, he was not in his own home, and he had been brought up to respect the rules in other people¡¯s homes. He watched as Corinne went up the stairs. Then, he sat down on the sofa and decided to kill time by checking if there was any news about the video on his phone. Fortunately, there was none. Tommy worked quickly. Although he was tasked to send Anya home by Jeremy, he also made sure to instruct his subordinates to post the original video and the rification video of the female influencer online. Then, he notified the various media agencies to create a buzz around the two videos so that they could be viral. In the end, the tide of public opinion had been reversed. The online social media users who participated in the cyberbullying of Corinne immediately felt ashamed of themselves. Some of them publicly apologized to her, others deleted theirments, and a few even became big fans of hers. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It seemed like the incident was a blessing in disguise. Due to her looks and her kind¨Chearted personality, she had gotten herself some loyal fans. The social media users became even more fond of her when it was discovered that she wed her way out of the countryside to study in one of the most prestigious schools in the city. She had always kept this information on the down¨Clow, which only served to fuel theizen¡¯s interest in her. Unfortunately for Corinne, she did not have a VeeTube ount. Otherwise, she could have seen the number of followers grow by a million overnight. As for Sunny, well, he was just relieved to know that everything had turned out well for her in the end. It was alreadyte in the afternoon by the time Corinne woke up from her nap. She got up from her bed, went to the bathroom to wash up, and changed into a fresh set of clothes before turning on herputer. She wanted to make some improvements to the design sketch she¨C fueled by a burst of inspiration¨Chad spent the whole ofst night drawing. After,the drawing waspleted and double¨Cchecked, she emailed it to Jeremy using her work email address to ask him for his opinion. The only thing for her to do was to wait for his reply. Originally, she set aside three days toplete the drawing, but she did it in one day. Therefore, she was all spent. After a while, she decided to go out to get some fresh air and rx her mind, so she turned off herputer and went downstairs. Sunny was excitedly ying the game on his phone when Corinne came down the stairs. Bowen immediately went up to greet her. ¡°Good afternoon, Ma¡¯am. I didn¡¯t wake you up for lunch as I thought it was better to let you sleep. What would you like to eat now? I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to make it for you right away.¡± Corinne was surprised by the change in Bowen¡¯s attitude. He had definitely be more respectful toward her. Actually, she always thought that Bowen was one of the good ones among the servants. He was not like the other servants who would act respectfully to her face but then talked about her behind her back. However, she also knew that Bowen previously was only treating her like a guest instead of the woman of the household. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Everything originated from Jeremy¡¯s change of attitude toward her. Corinne waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll get lunch on my own.¡± Bowen hurriedly asked, ¡°Where are you going, ma¡¯am? Shall I ask the driver to send you there?¡± Corinne walked toward the gate and said, ¡°No thanks. I was thinking of going out for a walk anyway.¡± Bowen still did not feel at ease. ¡°Umm¡­ Did you bring your cell phone with you? Is it fully charged? That¡¯ll make it much easier for Mister Jeremy to look for you. It¡¯ll be terrible if something happens to you and he can¡¯t contact you.¡± He remembered when Jeremy came back from a business trip and was unable to reach Corinne after she did not return the entire night. Jeremy searched frantically for her throughout the night and barely stopped short of turning the entire city upside down. Just thinking of this left Bowen feeling horrified. Corinne changed her shoes at the entrance while saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t lose it! You should get back to what you were doing, Bowen. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Bowen had no choice but to obey and bowed to see her off. ¡°Take care, ma¡¯am. Be careful out there.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Corinne replied and walked out leisurely. Sunny had heard Bowen talking to Corinne, so he turned his head and looked over to wait until he saw Corinne exiting the house. As soon as he spotted her, he exited his mobile game and got up to chase after her. After leaving the gate of Holden¡¯s¡® estate, Sunny caught up with her and asked, ¡°Hey, Corinne. Where are you heading?¡± Corinne ignored him and hummed her favorite tune as she strolled to the nearest bus stop. Sunny was not too happy when he got ignored, so he stepped in front of her and frowningly said, ¡°I asked you a question! Where are you going? Are you dumb or deaf?¡± After being forced to stop, Corinne raised her eyebrowszily and asked, ¡°What are you, my mom? Do I have to tell you where I¡¯m going?¡± Faced with Corinne¡¯s disgusted eyes, Sunny remembered that he hade to ask for forgiveness and felt a little guilty again. ¡°Well, no, I¡¯m not¡­ Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to deal with me? You¡¯ve been dragging this for such a long time, so I came to ask how long you¡¯re going to give me the cold shoulder.¡± Corinne felt that it was a little pointless to say anything to him. ¡°How do you expect me to deal with you when you didn¡¯t do it?¡± Sunny was taken aback and looked at her in surprise. ¡°You¡­ You believe I wasn¡¯t the culprit? Why¡¯d you let me stay here, then?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Would you have the chance to enjoy your games here at the Holdens¡® if I didn¡¯t tell you to stay?¡± Sunni¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. Had he gone home with his sister, his brother¡¯s subordinates would watch him like a hawk while he studied. He could barely have any chance to catch his breath! By the time Sunny realized that, Corinne had walked past him. Sunny did not stop her anymore and meekly followed her as he asked puzzledly, ¡°Why do you believe in me? Didn¡¯t I bully you a few times in the past? I thought you wouldn¡¯t see me in a good light¡­¡± Corinne chuckled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t see you in a good light, but in my opinion, you don¡¯t have enough IQ to make all those articles online in such a short period.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sunni¡¯s handsome, youthful face turned sour, and he became angry. ¡°How dare you look down on me?!¡± In response, Corinne turned around and nced at him, ¡°I¡¯m curious, though. Why would a proud young man like you admit to something you didn¡¯t do?¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Sunny scratched his head. ¡°Well, my sister said that the conflict between the Riveras and the Holdens will deepen if no onees forward to take responsibility. If that happens, her rtionship with Jeremy will be affected¡­¡± His voice unconsciously became softer as he spoke. At that moment, he realized how inappropriate it was to talk about his sister and Jeremy in front of Corinne. Corinne, however, did not care at all and simply curled her lips in a smirk. ¡°Will you die for your kind sister if she tells you to?¡± Sunny nodded without thinking. ¡°Of course!¡± Corinne could only give him a thumbs up. ¡°What an awesome younger brother you are!¡± Though her words and actions were that of praise, Sunny felt that it was a little weird, almost as if there was some deep yet negative implication in her praise. Still unconvinced, he followed Corinne and asked again, ¡°What do you mean by that, Corinne? My sister treats me the best, and I can¡¯t just leave her to die if she¡¯s in danger. My life isn¡¯t as important as hers!¡± Corinne merely smiled and said nothing. Anya was so cunning that she brainwashed and manipted her younger brother. If Anya was as good a person as Sunny believed her to be, she would not have allowed her younger brother toe forth, admit something that he never did, and take responsibility as well as the me for those actions even though he was a minor. Moreover, if said matters had nothing to do with the Riveras, there was no need for one of them to The only exnation as to why Sunny would have to take the me was that Anya had a guilty conscience, knew who did it, and was afraid that the foundations sheid would copse if her deviousness was discovered. As a result, she tricked her younger brother Sunny into taking all the me so the matter would end there and no one would suspect her again. In reality, the true culprit behind the scenes was none other than Anya. That being said, Anya was extremely talented in manipting people, and she could get those around her to die for her, be her willing sacrifice, and even do evil deeds for her. On the other hand, Anya remained safe in the shadows and spurred people to have the impression that she was weak, innocent, and pitiful. Such abilities were far beyond the realm of an ordinary hypocrite. Corinne could conclude that Anya¡¯s duplicitous hypocrisy was twofold through the confirmation that Anya deceived Sunny to take the me for her and the results of Aaron¡¯s investigation. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Aaron found out that there were a total of 1203 people named Anna Fuller in the city, yet none of them returned to the country on the day that a certain mysterious individual publicly confessed their love on the LED advertisement board at Yonder River¡¯s shore. In addition, Aaron also found something unusual with the order for the LED advertisement on Century Bank Tower. The advertisement was paid for in cash, which was not standard practice because people were generally unwilling to bring so much cash for such a big advertisement. ording to the staff there, a woman wearing a cap, sunsses, and a mask came to ce the advertisement that day. She was very straightforward as she negotiated the time and the content before paying everything in cash. On that same night, there happened to be a record of Anya consuming a cup of coffee in the shopping mall just opposite the Century Bank Tower. Aaron hacked into the surveince system of that cafe and retrieved all the surveince from that day. Sure enough, he saw Anya there. He then took out the section of the video where Anya was present and sent it to Corinne. The footage showed Anya sitting alone by the window of the cafe as she watched the public confession of the LED disy on the Century Bank Tower. That unsettling smile she had was a far cry from her harmless demeanor in front of everyone. It was obvious, then, that the confession was Anya¡¯s doing to confuse the public and create the illusion that Jeremy was deeply in love with her. She came prepared when she went back to the country, and a lot of things happened even though she had only been back for a few days. Corinne decided that it was best to be more careful around Anya in the future. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 A bus happened to arrive as soon as Corinne arrived at the bus stop. She regained her senses, jogged a couple of steps, and hopped on the bus before finding a seat by the window. Sunny chased after her and boarded the bus too, but since it was his first time taking a bus, he did not know that he had to swipe a card before getting on. In his embarrassment, he had to go back and scan the QR code to make payment after the bus driver reminded him in a loud voice. After paying the fare, Sunny sat next to Corinne with a sullen face. Corinne ignored him and had a pleasant mood as she looked at the scenery outside the window. Sunny frowned, stared at Corinne for a while, and asked in confusion, ¡°Hey, Corinne. You¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s wife now. Why do you still take the bus?¡± Corinne leanedzily on the chair with a rxed expression on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with taking the bus? Isn¡¯t the service good?¡± Sunny nced around inside the bus and saw that it was generally clean and spacious. There were not many passengers on the bus during noon, so it was not too crowded. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not that bad, but you can beat thefort and convenience of a private car. You just need to get in the car when you step out of the home, and you¡¯ll be sent to wherever you want.. The car waits for you around the clock, and you don¡¯t have to wait for the bus at the station!¡± Corinne slowly turned her head to look at Sunny. ¡°On the contrary, I don¡¯t like having a car following me all the time and waiting for me. Taking the bus is already super convenient for me. The world you live in is different from mine, and we don¡¯t have anything inmon either. Why would you follow me into the bus? You should get off at the next stop and go home to y.¡± Sunny frowned and said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m going to follow you, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it!¡± Corinne did not care at all and said, ¡°Suit yourself.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sunny did not intend to keep quiet, and he thought for a while before saying, ¡°Hey, Corinne, since you said that and we¡¯re not from the same world, you should be aware that you and Jeremy live in different worlds too.¡± Corinne nodded frankly. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡± Sunny raised his chin and said arrogantly, ¡°Then why don¡¯t you give up earlier? Jeremy doesn¡¯t suit you at all!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Do you mean to say that he suits your sister?¡± Sunny had a determined expression. ¡°That¡¯s how it was supposed to be from the very beginning! Anya and Jeremy are a good match in terms of status, talent, good looks, and worldviews! They lived in simr environments when they were young, and the experiences they had in their life are the same too. They¡¯re a match made in heaven! Even if our families have some conflicts, I believe they¡¯ll soon be resolved one day! You and Jeremy havepletely different concepts of spending, and I don¡¯t think you have anything inmon, right? He¡¯s not suited for you, and you¡¯re not suited for him!¡± Corinne thought of Jeremy¡¯s exceptionally handsome face and raised her chin while saying leisurely, ¡°No, he¡¯s different from you people. He doesn¡¯t look down on me because I take the bus, and he doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m inferior because I¡¯m from the countryside. Although his issue is that he¡¯s pampered and lives in his ivory tower, he knows that it¡¯s his problem and doesn¡¯t attribute it to me. He isn¡¯t on the same level as superficial snobs like you.¡± Sunny was a little skeptical of his worldviews and felt that the Jeremy Corinne spoke of was not the same cold¨Chearted and untouchable man he knew. ¡°Humph! I¡¯m not a snob! I¡¯m just stating the facts!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡± Sunny stared at her unhappily and asked, ¡°So¡­ Do you like Jeremy now, Corinne?¡± Corinne was dumbfounded for a moment, and she felt a burning in her heart. ¡°Did I say that?¡± Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Sunny crossed his arms and snorted confidently, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you do like him. The two of you won¡¯tst long anyway! Just take my advice and quit while you¡¯re ahead, or it¡¯ll feel much worse if you get dumped in the future¡­¡± The bus pulled over at the station as he spoke. Corinne got up, walked past Sunny, and got out of the bus without ncing at him. Sunny snapped back to his senses and chased unhappily after her. ¡°Hey! Corinne! Did you listen to what I just said? Corinne!¡± Corinne turned a deaf ear to Sunni¡¯s nagging and walked into a caf¨¦. Meanwhile, Sunny followed her in and continued to yap non¨Cstop. After a while, Corinne came out with an iced caf¨¦tte and walked rtedly into the shopping mall in front of her. Sunny followed her while droning on about his unfinished topic. He was determined to persuade Corinne to quit and return Jeremy to his sister. Corinne, on the other hand, ignored Sunny entirely and sipped on her caf¨¦tte while going shopping. She visited stores from the first floor all the way to the top floor and bought some bits and bobs from many different stores. Meanwhile, Sunny followed her the entire time and was so tired that he could not even straighten his back. ¡°Hey¡­wait for me! Girls are always so weak in gym ss, but they can somehow go shopping without getting tired! I¡¯m already exhausted!¡± Corinne¡¯s face was neither red nor out of breath, and she nced at him faintly as she said, You¡¯re already tired? Then don¡¯t follow me around and go do what you¡¯re supposed to be doing right now.¡± Sunny still did not give up. ¡°Is it wrong for me to follow you? It isn¡¯t safe for a girl like you to wander around outside by yourself. Aren¡¯t you going to appreciate that I¡¯m protecting you for free? ¡± Corinne looked at him like he was a clown and sized him up from head to toe. ¡°You? Protect me?¡± Sunny could feel her looking down on him, so he raised his arms and rolled up his sleeves to show off his biceps. ¡°Is something wrong with me? I¡¯m strong, you know!¡± Corinne pursed her lips, smiled, and kept quiet. Sunny felt that even more underestimated by Corinne and became increasingly frustrated. Just as he was about to show her how manly he was, several girls called out his name in unison. ¡°Sunny!¡± Their yell left Sunny stunned for a moment, and he turned to look in the direction of the voice. There, he saw three girls staring at him at the door of an escape room. They seemed both surprised and happy to see him there. The girl in the middle with long hair and a long skirt walked over first. She had an infatuated expression as she said, ¡°It¡¯s you! We thought we mistook someone else for you!¡± Sunny looked at the three girls with disinterest. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you girls.¡± Though they were his ssmates, he was not all that familiar with them. To make things worse, he did not even remember their names, and he guessed that they were his ssmates because they looked familiar. After the girl greeted Sunny, she looked at Corinne who was sipping the iced caf¨¦tte not far from him. A wary expression appeared in her eyes as she asked, ¡°Sunny, is she¡­your girlfriend?¡± Corinne was speechless, while Sunny had a convoluted expression as he turned his head to look. at Corinne beside him. Though he had nned to chase after Corinne once he turned 18 so that Corinne would fall hopelessly in love with him and make room for Anya to be with Jeremy, he had not put that n into action yet and answered honestly, ¡°¡­ No!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After the long¨Chaired girl received that answer, she rxed slightly and looked at Corinne with a less defensive gaze. She nced back and forth between Corinne¡¯s face and Sunni¡¯s, as if to make a comparison, and finally said with a smile, ¡°Is she your elder sister or younger sister? She looks a bit like you!¡± Sunny immediately frowned in disgust and said angrily, ¡°What are you, half¨Cblind? How do I even remotely look like her?¡± The girl felt awkward after being scolded as ¡®half¨Cblind¡®, and her eyes began to turn red. Sunny, meanwhile, did not seem to think that he did anything wrong. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Corinne felt that Sunny¡¯s handsomeness paled far inparison to his stupidity. Even if he did not like the girl, it was unbing of him to talk to her like that. When Corinne saw that the long¨Chaired girl was about to cry, she could not help but feel sympathetic and decided to step forward andfort her. ¡°Ignore him. Being polite isn¡¯t one of his quality traits. He has a problem with me, not you.¡± The long¨Chaired girl was stunned, and she suppressed her tears while looking at Corinne in awe and curiosity. ¡°Hi, nice to meet you. Are you Sunny¡¯s sister?¡± Corinne could tell at first nce that the girl had a crush on Sunny. If she said no to the girl¡¯s question, it would only cause the girl to further misunderstand her rtionship with Sunny. ¡°¡­ Sort of.¡± After Corinneforted her, the long¨Chaired girl was no longer as awkward as before and smiled at Corinne. ¡°My name is Charlene Schumer, and I¡¯m Sunny¡¯s ssmate. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t aware of your identity earlier. You seem to be about the same age as us, so I wasn¡¯t sure if you were his elder sister or younger sister.¡± Corinne paid it no mind and shook her head. ¡°No worries. Are you girls here to shop, too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Charlene nodded. ¡°The three of us wanted to give the escape room a try after we were done shopping, but when we went in, we got too scared to y and ran out.¡± Corinne nudged Sunny with her elbow. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to show your manliness! Why don¡¯t you form a group with your ssmates and protect them?¡± Sunny frowned in disgust. He hated being with girls as the girls at school were annoying and acted like nymphos. ¡°No! It¡¯s pointless!¡± Sunny retorted. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re a scaredy¨Ccat?¡± came the reply. The person who said that was neither Corinne nor the three girls, but the voice of a boy from the far end. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, and Sunny immediately frowned in animosity after seeing who it was. The girls were surprised to see who it was, and they nearly said in unison, ¡°It¡¯s Yash and his group!¡± Corinne recognized them as the guys who beat up Sunny in the Lunar Century Manor previously. Yash approached with a few of his buddies and put on airs as he looked at Sunny with disdain.¡± Sunny, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a loser! As if being a terrible student isn¡¯t bad enough, you¡¯re such a scaredy¨Ccat that you don¡¯t even dare to enter the escape room!¡± Sunny stared angrily at the other party. ¡°Who said I¡¯m afraid to y? I¡¯m just not interested in boring offline games!¡± Yash snorted. ¡°How would I know if you¡¯re not interested or a scaredy cat?¡± His friends then burst into contemptuousughter. Being the young and proud man that he was, Sunny could not bear to be provoked. He gritted his teeth with a sullen face and said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s y, then! I¡¯m not scared!¡± When Charlene heard that Sunny was willing to y, she was immediately overjoyed and politely invited Corinne as well. ¡°Will you join us, too? We can be in a group with Sunny!¡± Corinne was about to decline when Yash suddenly stared at Corinne and asked, ¡°And who is she?¡± He recognized her as the woman who stood up for Sunny at Lunar Century Manor some time ago, so it was natural for him to be a little unhappy when he saw her! This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlene said, ¡°This is Sunni¡¯s sister!¡± When Yash heard that, he immediately dismissed the remark. ¡°I¡¯ve met your sister Anya before. How is this woman your sister? Did you knock this one up or something?¡± Yash¡¯s disrespectful words made Sunny angry, and he blurted out, ¡°Anya is my second sister, and she¡¯s my eldest sister, Luna! Got a problem with that?¡± His statement left Corinne speechless. Yash was stunned, and he looked at Corinne again. ¡°I remember hearing that you had a big sister named Luna who was lost since young. When did your family find her? Why haven¡¯t I heard about it?¡± Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Sunny raised his head, raised his eyebrows, and shot back, ¡°Were you expecting the Riveras to tell outsiders about what happens in the family? Who do you think you are?¡± Yash¡¯stared unhappily at Sunny. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll treat her as your sister, then! Thest time I lost to you a mobile game, you were lucky to have matched with a full¨Clevel boss! Let¡¯s see if you guys are lucky enough toplete the escape room challenge this time. I can¡¯t wait to see the two of you running off like scaredy cats!¡± Sunny had a disdainful look on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that!¡± ¡°Bring it on!¡± Yash sneered and swaggered off smugly with his four friends into the escape room premises. Sunny turned to Corinne and was pumped up as he said, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go in there and show them what we¡¯ve got!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows. ¡°I don¡¯t remember agreeing to go with you.¡± An unhappy look appeared on Sunny¡¯s face as he grabbed her and said, ¡°Why are you backing out at this juncture? Come with me!¡± Corinne did not know what to say. ¡®Me? Backing out? There¡¯s no issue with backing out because I was never part of your group! What does this have to do with me when I was never interested in participating in the first ce?¡¯ Upon seeing that everyone went in, Charlene and her two friends walked into the escape room club with Sunny. Inside the premises, Yash and his group insisted on choosing ¡®Hospital of Horrors¡®, the most terrifying theme. They then casually asked Sunny if he had anyments. Sunny was not afraid of it and went along with their suggestion. ¡°Whatever! I¡¯m fine with anything!¡± The girls who were headed by Charlene were very much disinclined to the terrifying ¡®Hospital of Horror¡® theme and got closer to Sunny in fear. ¡°S¨CS¨CSunny, can the three of us be in the same group as you?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then sure.¡± Sunny had no objection. There were five people on Yash¡¯s side, so the three girls wouldplete his group and make it five people too. Yashughed mockingly and said, ¡°Hey! Are you sure you girls are okay with being in a group with Sunny? He might pee his pants before you and sacrifice you to the ghosts inside!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so condescending, Yash,¡± scoffed Sunny. Those things don¡¯t scare me.¡± Yash nced disdainfully at Sunny and ignored him while walking directly to the receptionist. He exined the theme of their choice, then leaned to the receptionist and whispered something to her ear as a sinister smile appeared on his face. Before the game started, they all prepared to enter the ¡®Hospital of Horrors¡® when Charlene realized that her group was short by one person. She asked curiously. ¡°Wait¡­ Where¡¯s your sister, Sunny?¡± Sunny was startled, and he finally noticed Corinne¡¯s absence when he looked all around him to find her. ¡®Damn it! That sly woman ran off! Upon seeing that, Yash asked in a suggestive tone. ¡°Oh? She ran off before we went in! Can you still do it without your big sister protecting you, Sunny? If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s not toote to admit that you¡¯re a coward!¡± Sunny gritted his teeth and replied, ¡°You should mind your own business! Don¡¯t end up having to call your mom because you peed your pants!¡± Yash¡¯s face darkened, and he retorted, ¡°You¡¯re going to end up eating your wordster!¡± Sunny ignored Yash and looked around once more to confirm whether Corinne had returned. When he did not see her figure anywhere, he could not help but feel a little discouraged. Unfortunately, he was unable to back down from the challenge. After calming down, Sunny said to Charlene and the three girls, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, girls, Just remember that those ghosts inside are just people wearing a disguise. There¡¯s no need to be scared. Make sure you follow me closely when we go inter.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Charlene¡¯s fear decreased considerably when she saw her crush speaking in such a masculine. manner. She nodded with a look of admiration and said, ¡°Okay, Sunny. Let¡¯s do our best!¡± Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Before long, everyone stepped foot into the ¡®Hospital of Horrors¡®, and everything within the room- including the atmosphere, lighting, sound effects, and temperature¨Cwas hair¨Craising. Yash and the other five went in first, and they deduced the clues to move on to the next area. Sunny then hurriedly led the three girls to search for the clues to clear the area, and that was when two ¡®ghosts¡® appeared. They were both male ¡®ghosts¡® with disheveled hair in hospital gowns. Those two male ghosts ran in from a door close to Yash¡¯s side, but they walked past Yash¡¯s group and rushed to attack Sunny¡¯s side. The three girls screamed in fright and hugged Sunny without letting go, which made it difficult for him to bring them away even if he wanted to. At that moment, Yash and the others had already found the clue to clear the area, and he waved triumphantly to Sunny and said goadingly, ¡°Sorry, but looks like we¡¯re ahead of you! Make sure you don¡¯t pee your pants!¡± Sunny was pissed, but he did not have the luxury ofshing out at Yash. The two male ghosts next to him wandered around him and tried to instill fear into them. When he snapped back to his senses, Sunny pushed the two male ghosts to the ground and wanted to flee with his female group members, but arge group of zombies then began to swarm in. The zombies moved toward them with jerking movements, and even Sunny broke out in cold sweat, much less the three girls. Aft all, the actors had such realistic makeup and top¨Cnotch acting skills that it felt like everything was real! When Sunny saw the zombies surrounding them, he took a deep breath and said to the three girls. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just rx, close your eyes, and follow me!¡± Charlene built up her courage after hearing her crush¡¯s voice, and she took a deep breath before reassuring her friends, ¡°Come on, el We shouldn¡¯t be a burden on Sunny! Let¡¯s go!¡± The four of them made a mad dash and finally caught up with Yash¡¯s group. They could not afford to lose because both sides were racing against time to find clues that would enable them to clear that area. Since Sunny was the one who found the clue first, he immediately told the three girls to go over and open the mechanism at the door in front of him. Once the door opened, the room was silent at first before seven or eight nurses in bloodied white uniforms came out with eerie grins. ¡°Patients aren¡¯t allowed to leave! It¡¯s time for your injection! Hehe¡­¡± ¡°Injections¡­ This injection will make you happy! Hehehe¡­¡± The room was suddenly filled with the chaotic, eerieughter of the female nurses who all held injection syringes and surrounded Sunny¡¯s group. They pressed down those that they could subdue and pounced on the others who resisted their injections. Yash and his group reveled in Sunny¡¯s misery from a distance. They seemed confident that the nurses would not attack them. However, a female nurse with a bloody face suddenly strangled Yash¡¯s neck from behind and waved a bright dagger in front of his eyes. ¡°Time to take your blood!¡± 3 Yash yelled in fright and cursed angrily, ¡°F*ck! Why are you attacking me? Didn¡¯t I tell the receptionist to arrange for the actors to attack that group instead of ours? Don¡¯t you want to get your double pay?¡± When the female nurse heard that, she seemed to realize that she had attacked the wrong person. She let go of Yash, ran toward Sunny frantically, and stabbed him in the abdomen. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Blood sttered everywhere. Yash and his group were dumbfounded to see that because it was beyond their expectations. ¡°Did the nurse¡­really stab him?¡® A lot of blood flowed out when the nurse drew the knife, and after Sunny fell to the ground, she squatted down again and raised the knife in her hand to stab him again. Sunny¡¯s body tensed up, but he then grew limp and was out of breath. Charlene covered her mouth in horror and her eyes were red with fright. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ She¡¯s killing him!¡® Chapter 368 Chapter 368 The bloody¨Cfaced female nurse repeatedly stabbed the dead Sunny. Yash finally came to his senses and realized the seriousness of the situation. ¡°Hey! Hey! What are you doing?! Stop!¡± Upon hearing the voice, the female nurse stopped moving and raised her bloody face to look at Yash. A half¨Csmile appeared on her face as she asked sullenly, ¡°You wanted me to stop? Didn¡¯t you tell the receptionist your request that we avoid your group and target this guy? You even said that you wanted to scare him to death! Wasn¡¯t that your request, too?¡± Charlene and her friends were incredibly angry after hearing what the female nurse said. They completely forgot about their fear and looked angrily at Yash. ¡°How can you be so evil, Yash?!¡± ¡°Yeah! How could you do this?!¡± ¡°Sunny died because of you! Hic, hic¡­¡± Yash was embarrassed and frantic after being used by his female ssmates. He gritted his teeth, stared at the female nurse, and yelled, ¡°What are you talking about? I asked you to scare him, not kill him!¡± The female nurse tilted her head like a lifeless mechanical puppet. ¡°Oh! Guess I misunderstood, then. But oh well! It¡¯s toote now!¡± In a fit of rage, Yash rushed over quickly and lifted Sunny¡¯s lifeless body from the ground. He shook Sunny vigorously and said, ¡°Hey! Sunny! Sunny! Wake up¡­¡± Sunny did not respond, and Yash¡¯s face paled in fear when he saw that both his hands were covered with red blood. ¡°You! You murderer!¡± He rushed over angrily and tore the bloody mask off the female nurse¡¯s face. She smiled eerily, but he was determined to see what the murderer looked like. However, when he tore off the mask, what he saw was a pale face with neither eyes nor a nose. All he saw were peachy, smiling lips. Yash¡¯s hair stood on end, and he let go of the nurse while backing away in fright. ¡°Ghost! It¡¯s a ghost!¡± The female nurse approached him with an unnerving smile. ¡°Who are you calling a ghost?¡± Yash¡¯s legs were so weak that he could not even stand up. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯te near me! I didn¡¯t offend you, did I?! Get away¡­¡± The female nurse curled her lips coldly, raised the knife in her hand, and looked down at Yash.¡± Didn¡¯t you just me me for killing him? Why don¡¯t you keep himpany in the afterlife, then? it¡¯s only fair!¡± eximed the nurse just as she was about to stab him with a knife. ¡°Yash!¡± His four friends wanted to save him, but they were blocked by the rest of the female nurses. They were unsure whether or not the nurses were humans or ghosts, but they were surrounded as the nurses cornered them step by step. Everyone froze with fright. ¡°H¨CHelp! There are real ghosts here!¡± ¡°Help! The ghost killed someone!¡± ¡°Someone! Anyone! We quit! We¡¯re leaving!¡± There was no response from inside the closed room other than the sound of the girls¡® cries. Seeing that the female nurse was about to stab her with a knife, Yash¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with fear, and tears welled up in his eyes, ¡°Mommy! Mommy, help-¡± ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± someoneughed all of a sudden. The female nurse did not stab him, and she brandished it in the air before holding it in her hand and ying deftly with it. Yash came back to his senses, looked at the female nurse in shock, and nced over at the source of the suddenughter! In the distance, Sunny had risen from the dead and wasughing loudly as he sat up. ¡°Stop shouting, Yash! Your momma¡¯s not going toe and rescue you today!¡± Yash was taken aback. ¡°Sunny¡­ You¡¯re alive?¡± Charlene was pleasantly surprised when saw that Sunny had woken up. She wiped away the tears on her face, ran over to him, and hugged him tightly as she said, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re fine! You have no idea how scared I was earlier¡­¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny had an indifferent expression as he pushed his concerned ssmate away indifferently. He stood up, folded his arms, and raised his chin arrogantly as he said to Yash, ¡°You would¡¯ve died before me!¡± Yash and his four friends were stunned. ¡®What¡¯s happening? How is Sunny still alive when the female nurse stabbed him so many times?¡® They looked at the female nurse again and saw her gently raising her hand to remove another mask. Underneath that mask was none other than Corinne! Corinne had an insipid expression as she used her fingertips to press the tip of the knife. The de retracted into the handle and spurted blood at the same time. After that demonstration, she threw the fake knife away and got bored of having to y their games. ¡®It¡¯s a prop?!¡® Yash had a sudden realization. His face turned red with anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, ¡± You tricked me!¡± Chapter 369 Chapter 369 However, the three girls breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Sunny¡¯s sister was ying a prank on us all along! It was just a false rm¡­¡± Sunny stepped forward to shield Corinne, worried that Yash might get angry and hurt her. He then said, ¡°Tch! You said that I¡¯d pee my pants because I¡¯ll get scared, but you¡¯re the one who ended up yelling for your mommy!¡± Yash gritted his teeth and stood up. ¡°How dare the two of you join hands to trick me!¡± Sunny had an air of confidence as he said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted to trick us in the first ce? You paid double the ticket price to bribe the actors into targeting us and letting your group have an easy time! Don¡¯t even bother ying if you can¡¯t ept that you might lose!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t count! Even though I paid them double, none of them went through with it and did as I instructed!¡± Yash felt a little embarrassed and started to be unreasonable as he pointed fingers at several of the actors headed by Corinne, Sunny frowned and said in disgust, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be as shameless as you are despicable!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yash gritted his teeth and did not know how to retort. Corinne had gone to the bathroom within the premises before the game started, but as soon as she came out, she happened to overhear Yash bribing the receptionist and the actors with double the ticket price. It was a despicable move, so she paid the receptionist three times the ticket price and requested them to let her enter the venue as one of their actresses. People who could be bought with money were usually less reliable because they would happily forgo their principles as long as someone else offered them a higher price. While Sunny looked for clues to clear the area, he received a text message from Corinne using Jeremy¡¯s number. [Remember to y deadter.] Though he did not understand what that meant in the beginning, he immediately understood when the nurse¡¯s stabs did not hurt at all. Once that realization sank in, he immediately cooperated with her and put on an act. Aftering out of the escape room, Yash caught up with Sunny and stopped him. ¡°You were pretty good in the escape room earlier! If you have what it takes, why don¡¯t you have another round with me?¡± Sunny snorted and was not interested at all. ¡°Why would I want to y with a cheat like you? Out of my way! Don¡¯t stand in front of me like a statue!¡± Yash was, s, persistent. ¡°There¡¯s a swimming pool nearby. The water¡¯s clear, and we¡¯reparing our physical strength, so there¡¯s no question of me cheating anymore. Care to take me up on that challenge?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t swim, can you?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny was in a good mood after relieving his irritation at Yash in the escape room. He was not going to fall for Yash¡¯s goading a second time. ¡°Whether or not I can swim is none of your damn business!¡± Sunny shot back as he led Corinne away and left Yash behind. Like before, Yash did not give up. ¡°Hey, stop right there, Sunny!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and looked back and forth between Yash, who was chasing after them, and Sunny, who dragged her away. She seemed to sense something and asked with intrigue, ¡°Why is he so insistent on challenging you to all sorts of games? Is he trying to get your attention on purpose because he likes you?¡± Her question nearly made Sunny faint. ¡°Quit it! He likes that girl, but she likes hanging around me all the time. That¡¯s the reason he always tried to give me a hard time!¡± Corinne turned around again and saw Yash looking at Charlene while calling out to Sunny. Charlene was following them too, but her gaze was fixated entirely on Sunny. ¡®Tsk, tsk, tsk! Now isn¡¯t this your typical love triangle?¡® As it turned out, Yash simply wanted to show off how good he was in front of Charlene and embarrass his rival Sunny while he was at it. s, none of his efforts bore fruit, which was why he probably insisted on challenging Sunny again to try and restore his dignity in front of Charlene. ¡°Stop, Sunny Rivera! I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Since Yash was unable to stop Sunny, he switched his target and shouted at Corinne, ¡°What¡¯s your name again¡­ Oh yes, it¡¯s Luna! Stop right there, Luna!¡± At this moment on the shopping mall esctor, the mall¡¯s manager was nodding and bowing as he apanied Lucas¨Cthe president of the Rivera Group¨Cdown. ¡°Rest assured, Mister Lucas. The event held by the Rivera Group in our mall will be a sure sess. We¡¯ll do our best to make sure everything is to your satisfaction!¡± Lucas nodded slightly. ¡°Well, I sure hope so.¡± ¡°Luna Rivera! I said stop! Do you hear me? Hey¡­¡± ¡®Luna Rivera¡­¡® Lucas¡¯s cold eyes looked toward the direction of the sound. Edmund heard that name too, and he looked over in shock to see Sunny being chased by Yash¡¯s group. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s Sunny and his ssmates.¡± Lucas¡¯s expression soured as he got off the esctor and walked over quickly. As soon as Sunny saw Lucas¡¯s sudden appearance, he panicked and became nervous. ¡°Lucas? Why are you here?¡± Lucas ignored him and nced coldly across Sunny¡¯s friends, especially the three girls. ¡°Which one of you is Luna Rivera? Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Sunny was not the only one who was rattled by Lucas¡® sudden appearance. Even the group of students following behind him felt rattled and nervous. It was the girls¡® first time meeting Sunny¡¯s elder brother, and they did not expect him to be so much more handsome than Sunny. They seemed awestruck by his presence, more so because he had the charm of a mature man. Yash and his guy friends were all quiet. Though they were not afraid to confront Sunny, they did not dare to cause trouble in front of his elder brother Lucas. The Riveras were one of the strongest and most influential families in the city, perhaps even the whole country. None of their families could ever compare to the Riveras¡® status. Lucas¡¯s handsome eyes became even more sullen when his question remained unanswered. He frowned and asked a second time, ¡°Which one of you is Luna Rivera?¡± No one came forth even after a while. Sunny was so guilt¨Cridden and terrified right that he sweated profusely. He knew better than anyone that his missing sister upied a sacred ce in his brother¡¯s heart. It was difficult to imagine the consequences of his brother knowing that someone else had used that name. Yash nced at Sunny, noticed his guilty conscience, and surmised that he must have lied earlier. Knowing that Sunny¡¯s greatest fear was his brother, Yash deliberately called out to Corinne next to him, ¡°Hey! Luna! Your brother is talking to you! Why are you so quiet?¡± Since Charlene liked Sunny, she wanted to get on his family¡¯s good side and felt that something was a little off about what was happening. She thus stepped forward and said politely, ¡°Umm, sir. Isn¡¯t Luna your little sister? Why do you sound like you don¡¯t know her? Isn¡¯t Luna right next to Sunny?¡± ¡°Right next to him?¡± Lucas cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at Corinne, who stood beside Sunny. His pupils contracted, and the woman that hepletely excluded from the equation earlier did not pay any attention to him at all. A sharp sh of coldness appeared in his warm eyebrows, and the embers of hope that were ignited in his eyes were extinguished at that instant. With all traces of warmth removed, Lucas moved his body slightly and took one step toward Corinne. ¡°You called yourself Luna?¡± Corinne had an insipid expression, and she calmly opened her mouth to exin the situation. ¡°I-¡± Lucas did not have the patience to listen to her exnation. He interrupted her directly and said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m not interested or concerned about how you managed to associate yourself with the Holdens, but I won¡¯t allow you to associate yourself with the Riveras and use our name to elevate yourself. If you pretend to be my sister and use her name again, I¡¯ll make you pay the price for your actions if I ever run into you again.¡± He emphasized the words ¡®pay the price¡®. Sunny understood that Lucas never joked around with such things, and he knew that Corinne was. in deep trouble because Lucas was a man of his word. Even so, he could not bear to see Corinne being treated like that. After all, she was innocent, and the only reason she had been misunderstood as Luna was because of him. Sunny gritted his teeth, plucked up the courage to stand up, and stood in front of Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think it is, Lucas. She never did those things you used her of, and she never pretended to be Luna. I lied to my ssmates and told them that her name was Luna-¡± Lucas then pped Sunny in the face. It came so abruptly that everyone was startled. Sunny covered his face in shock and fear, and he slowly turned his head to face forward after the p titled his head to one side. His ears buzzed, and there were tears in his eyes which he refused to shed. ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t her. It was me¡­¡± ¡°It was you, then. D*mn you, Sunny! How could you let someone greedy for wealth and power pretend to be your missing sister? What was your thought process behind that?¡± Lucas had always been a calm and elegant person, yet he was absolutely furious after being rubbed the wrong way. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He then pointed at Corinne with the same hand that pped Sunny and asked, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s fit to use that name?¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Corinne was at a loss for words. ¡®What did I do? I didn¡¯t provoke anyone! Why am I needlessly attacked here?!¡® ¡°Don¡¯t point at her,¡± a deep, booming voice sounded from not far away. Though the voice was loud, the tone sounded almost deafening to anyone who heard it. Everyone felt a chill down their spine as they looked over in the direction of the voice. Standing in the distance was a tall, handsome man. His neat and handsome hair highlighted his beautiful facial features, which looked good from every single angle. His entire person was reminiscent of a walking sculpture, and he carried an aura of prestige despite his expressionless face. Jeremy walked over calmly and exuded a daunting aura from his body. Lucas narrowed his eyes and shot a hostile nce at the man. Sunny was stunned, and he wondered why Jeremy would be there.. Meanwhile, the rest of the people felt oppressed by the increasingly tense atmosphere and did not dare not speak out as they looked anxiously at the exchange between the two men. Corinne raised her eyebrows and was surprised that he showed up there. In the absence of those. whom she was close with, she was very amiable toward his gesture of showing up there and instinctively leaned over to look up at the man who was much taller than her. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jeremy lowered his eyes, and his cold gaze softened a little as he looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s raining, so I came to bring you an umbre.¡± Tommy, who had followed him from behind, was holding a ck umbre. ¡®Is it raining outside?¡¯ Corinne wanted to look out the window, but since there were no windows. around, she could not see what was going on outside the mall and if it was raining. The man¡¯s big rough palms held her little head, lifted it at a 45¨Cdegree angle, and fondly stroked her little face with his long fingers. ¡°Are you done enjoying yourself the entire afternoon?¡± ¡®Enjoying myself? I just got scolded!¡® This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne yawnedzily. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to go home.¡± The man pretended to be unhappy and frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get tired. Do you prefer being lashed out at by someone else instead of spending time with me? Couldn¡¯t you have called me if you were bullied outside?¡± She was speechless to hear that sort of tone from him, but it sounded overly doting as if he genuinely regarded her as an elementary school student. Corinne pursed her lips and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you here now even when I didn¡¯t call you?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think to call me at all if I didn¡¯t show up here!¡± Jeremy rubbed her head and spoke. reproachfully in a mature voice. Corinne was speechless. ¡®I can¡¯t stand his sappiness!¡® Jeremy did not tease her anymore, pulled Corinne gently to his side, and protected her under his arms. Since Lucas had spoken rudely to his woman earlier, he looked up at the man and stood up for Corinne. ¡°I hope the Riveras will do better than to be the very definition of the word¡® ungrateful¡®. How dare you point your finger at the girl who once helped your old man?¡± Lucas nced at Jeremy, and his irritated expression finally returned to normal as a calm yet elegant smile unfurled across his face. ¡°The same can be said for you in terms of ungratefulness, Jeremy. My sister Anya saved your life too, so given that you¡¯re being so intimate with another woman in front of me, I can¡¯t help but wonder if Anya still has a ce in your heart. Have you forgotten what my sister had to sacrifice to save you?¡± Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Jeremy¡¯s cold expression turned even gloomier. ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten Anya¡¯s kindness, and I will repay it for you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lucas sneered and nced at Corinne with a hint of sarcasm. Jeremy did not seem to have anything to argue about regarding that issue. He was only polite to the Riveras because Anya had saved him in the past. With no further remarks, he immediately took Corinne¡¯s hand, led her away, and said, ¡® Let¡¯s go home.¡± Rather than leaving, Corinne grabbed his hand in a signal for him to wait a while instead of leaving in such a hurry. Jeremy stopped, frowned slightly, and nced at her. ¡®What does she want now?¡¯ However, Corinne merely looked calmly at Lucas as she said, ¡± Can I ask you something, Mister Lucas? Do the Riveras have a tradition where one must always pledge their lives to the person who saved them?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Does Jeremy have to pledge himself to your sister because she saved his life? Is it a sign of ungratefulness if Jeremy doesn¡¯t do that?¡± Lucas kept quiet and waited for her to continue. Corinne smiled slightly and cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Remember when I saved your grandfather? ording to your logic, does. your grandfather have to pledge himself to me, too? WouldThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. that mean you¡¯ll have to call me ¡®grandma¡® now?¡± It was probably the first time Lucas had ever heard such an impudent remark, and his expression changed suddenly as he asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Even Sunny was stunned. ¡®What nonsense is Corinne talking about?!¡® Yash and the other boys were stunned at first, then gasped in awe, and finally had to keep themselves fromughing out loud. None of them expected that there someone would have been so brave as to talk to the Rivera¡¯s scion like that. Their worldview changedpletely! Jeremy frowned, nced at Corinne with aplicated expression, and did not quite like the analogy she used earlier. Corinne continued, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, the act of saving a person¡¯s life should always be done out of the kindness of one¡¯s heart rather than for the sake of showing off, holding a person to emotional ckmail, or using that person to secure benefits for oneself. Humans have the instinct to go forth and help those in need, and those who have a heart will feel drawn to doing it. I trust that a good and considerate person like your sister wouldn¡¯t have rescued my man here simply because he was a pretty boy, would she?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrows. Though he was pleased to hear her call him ¡®my man¡®, he did not particrly like that she called him a pretty boy. He did not know how to react to that statement, and he wondered if she was trying to piss him off too. Sunny¡¯s gentle and handsome face was full of gloom at the moment, and he remained silent. Corinne then added, ¡°Jeremy has never been an ungrateful person, and I don¡¯t want to hear anyone call him that. While it¡¯s true that your sister is Jeremy¡¯s savior, Jeremy never once abandoned your sister. My husband rushed to save your sister when he received a call from her, and she even called him to ask him to send her home. Can you imagine a noble person like him having to do all that? Hasn¡¯t he been helping your sister whenever she faces a problem? ¡°If your sister is sick and needs blood transfusions or an organ donation, I firmly believe that Jeremy will feel obliged to donate without any objections. However, subjecting him to emotional ckmail will give the impression that the Riveras are crass and undignified!¡± Lucas was silent. It was the first time in his life that something like that happened to him, and he had no idea what to reply to Corinne. Meanwhile, Edmund was frustrated because that was also his first time seeing his employer being scolded by a little girl. Despite wanting to vent his anger on Lucas¡¯s behalf, he did not dare to act rashly and speak out of turn when Lucas was silent. Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Corinne had a lot to say, and she smiled softly as she continued, ¡°And another thing. Luna isn¡¯t a copyrighted name, is it? If it isn¡¯t, why can¡¯t I use it? Names that aren¡¯t copyrighted can be used by anyone, and you have no right to define what name I can or cannot use. The alphabet was created long ago, not by you or your family. ¡°Furthermore, I do not wish to im that I am associated with the Riveras. If I wanted to have a rtionship that I could use to show off, I would¡¯ve changed myst name to Holden. You Riveras should stay away from me in the future!¡± After ending her sharp and direct tirade, Corinne stretched her arm and took Jeremy¡¯s arm meekly as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll treat you to some food. I saw a restaurant upstairs that looks pretty good!¡± Jeremy snapped back to his senses and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re treating me?¡± Corinne nodded in a matter¨Cof¨Cfactly manner. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m treating you using your money. Something wrong with that?¡± Jeremy smiled brightly and curled his lips slightly. ¡°No, not at all.¡± They turned around as they chatted with each other and walked hand in hand to the esctor. Tommy followed behind them in an orderly manner, but he made a point to wait about half a minute or so before going up the esctor. That way, he could keep a distance and avoid being too much of an interference. pret: 373 At the same time, Lucas was frozen in ce, and his expression was particrly sour after being reprimanded by the little girl. He lived his entire life being calm and collected, yet he lost hisposure at that moment, and even the veins were popping up on his forehead. Edmund was a little uneasy, and he stepped forward to make a cautious remark. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you Missus Holden¡¯s tongue is a bit too sharp? How could she be rude to you just because she has Jeremy¡¯s support?¡± Lucas closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed his emotions before raising his head to re at the main culprit- his blundering brother Sunny. He said sharply to him, ¡°Go home!¡± Sunny was startled after being yelled at and immediately lowered his head, his face hot with pain from the p. Lucas had always been strict and indifferent to him since he was still a boy, but that was the first time Lucas ever pped him. Despite his resentfulness toward his elder brother, he did. not dare to speak out and merely gritted his teeth before following them back home without saying a word. Upon seeing that everyone else had left, Yash came back to his senses and walked up to the three girls. ¡°You saw how useless Sunny is, right? He¡¯s just a wimp who tries to act tough, Charlene, and he turns into a scaredy -cat as soon as he sees his elder brother!¡± Charlene stared longingly at the rear figure of her crush, and she rolled her eyes at Yash when she heard his remark. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than him? You¡¯re always up to no good with all those shady tricks, and I hate sore losers like you the most! Hmph!¡± Yash felt crestfallen. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not that kind of person¡­¡± Charlene ignored himpletely and called her two friends over as they rushed away. Yash was incredibly pissed to see his crush leaving him behind so mercilessly and clenched his fists tightly. One of his friends came over tofort him. ¡°Sunny will get a big scolding when he gets home, so it¡¯s not entirely a waste today, at least!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Yash gritted his teeth and spat on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with him when school reopens!¡± At that time, Anya had found the Carews and rang the doorbell. Sherlyn was the one who came and answered the door. When she saw a beautiful woman wearing a famous brand standing. outside the door, she immediately became jealous and disliked her right away. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Anya smiled politely. ¡°May I ask if this is Corinne¡¯s family?¡± When the woman mentioned Corinne¡¯s name, Sherlyn had an even more disgusted expression. ¡°Who are you? And why are. you looking for Corinne?¡± Anya said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m not looking for Corinne. I¡¯m here. to look for you. You don¡¯t know about Corinne¡¯s marriage, do you? I¡¯m here to tell you the truth.¡± Sherlyn was stunned. ¡°Marriage? What marriage? That b*tch is married?¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Anya nodded. ¡°She is, and she¡¯s even married to the Holdens, a first¨Ctier family.¡± Sherlyn¡¯splexion turned ugly. ¡°What did you say? How is that even possible?!¡± Anya had a kind expression on her face as she said, ¡°It¡¯s raining outside now, Miss Sherlyn, so if it¡¯s alright with you, may Ie in and talk to you in more detail?¡± Sherlyn thought for a moment and decided to let Anya in. Sure. Come on in, and make sure to tell me the details of what you just mentioned! I want to know how Corinne married Jeremy, and what¡¯s with her marriage.¡± Although she had no clue as to who the mysterious woman was, everything the woman said reminded her of the events that happened. Corinne disappeared on the day that Sherlyn nearly married Jeremy and did not evene home that night. When Corinne reappeared the next day, she came back wearing a branded high¨Cend men¡¯s suit jacket and suddenly told their father that she wanted to move out, Sherlyn then kept a close watch on Corinne and secretly followed her to find out what had happened. That was when she discovered that Corinne entered a luxury residential area in the city center, and when confronted, Corinne exined that she was working part- time there as a maid for her thesis. In hindsight, Sherlyn felt that it was all very suspicious. Furthermore, when she was rmended by the great 774Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. director Goran to visit Jeremy at the Lunar Century Manor, Jeremy kept on staring at Corinne¨Cwho at the time was working as Sherlyn¡¯s assistant¨Cwith a very strange gaze. As Sherlyn connected the dots, she felt that everything was bing even weirder. ¡®Did that scheming little sl*t marry Jeremy using my name on the day of the wedding and take away the man who should¡¯ve been mine?! If that¡¯s the case, then that d*mn Corinne is simply too shameless!¡® Anya was invited in, and 15 minutester, she exined how Corinne married Jeremy to Marvin, Lilliana, and Sherlyn. It went without saying that she exaggerated the story a bit so it would better serve her purpose. After hearing that, Sherlyn got so angry that she stood up from the sofa, jumped up, and yelled, ¡°Dad, Mom! You heard that, didn¡¯t you?! Corinne stole my groom that day! I knew there was something wrong with the wedding! Why could the Holdens send someone to bring the dowry to our home? They haven¡¯t even asked for it to be returned! It must¡¯ve been a mistake! ¡°Turns out, this is all Corinne¡¯s fault! She used her tricks to stop Jeremy froming in to fetch his true bride, which wast me! She shamelessly seduced my groom¨Cto¨Cbe and seeded in marrying into the Holdens on my behalf! I should¡¯ve been the one marrying into the Holdens! She¡¯s the worst!¡± Lilliana was also very frustrated when she heard that as the huge misunderstanding during the day of the wedding prompted Marvin to p her in front of all their rtives and friends. That incident had been so traumatizing that she was still ashamed to meet those rtives. ¡®So that¡¯s the truth! This was all Corinne¡¯s doing!¡® Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Lilliana tugged Marvin¡¯s arm in equal parts grief and anger, Marvin! Corinne picked up all sorts of bad habits from the countryside, and she has strayed off the right path even after she was epted into a university in the city. All she thinks about is how to use her opportunistic means to im connections with upper¨Css families! ¡°When she saw that Sherlyn had attracted Jeremy and was about to be married into the Holdens, Corinne got jealous and nned to snatch that chance away from her. After Sherlyn quit the entertainment circle to get married, her acting career was never as good as it was before, and the chance of getting married into a good family had been taken from her too! Sigh¡­ As Lilliana spoke, she felt sorry for what happened to her precious daughter and wiped away her tears in distress. Marvin was unhappy, and he frowned when he saw how dejected and downcast his wife and daughter were. He frowned deeply from the moment Anya began to exin what had happened, and he burned with anger deep down as well. However, he was a little more sensible and vigntpared to his wife and daughter. He looked carefully at Anya, who turned up at their house for seemingly no reason, and scrutinized the way she carried herself. With her beautiful temperament and brand¨Cname clothes, she was undoubtedly the daughter of a wealthy family. As a result, Marvin asked suspiciously, ¡°Who are you, and why do you know so much about the Holdens? Why would youe here to tell us the truth? What¡¯s your purpose for doing so?¡± Anya had factored that question into her expectations, and she had prepared a means of dealing with it. She smiled calmly and remarked, ¡°Does my identity matter? I can¡¯t stand to see Corinne taking what isn¡¯t hers, so I came to inform your family out of the kindness of my heart. I hope that Miss Sherlyn can get back what should rightly be hers. ¡°Everything I said is true. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to Holdens¡® estate to see if your youngest daughter Corinne is staying there.¡± After ending her words, she took out a note. that she prepared in advance and ced it on the coffee table. Printed on the note was the address of the Holdens¡® estate. Being the meticulous person that she was, she paid attention to all the small details and avoided using her handwriting. As Marvin stared at the note in deep thought, Sherlyn reached out and picked it up. When she saw the address printed down, she exploded in a rage and said, ¡°Dad! This is the correct address! It¡¯s here! Remember the time I followed Corinne secretly? I saw her entering a mansion at this ce, and she later told me that she was working as a part¨Ctime maid there! Now that we know the truth, she was never a maid there at all! She took my ce to be Jeremy¡¯s wife! Dad! Corinne is an evil, scheming woman! She lied to our entire family!¡± Marvin finally believed everything Anya said after hearing Sherlyn¡¯s reminder. He got so angry that he mmed his hand on the table and said, ¡°That ungrateful girl went so far as to rob her sister¡¯s prospective groom! This is outrageous!¡± Sherlyn felt as if she had missed out on millions of dors, and she felt wronged, regretful, and frustrated. At that moment, she wished for nothing more than to rush over to the Holdens and expose that b*tch, Corinne! ¡°Whatever it is, you need to get justice for me, Dad! Corinne has ruined my career, driven a wedge between the three of us, and turned our family rtionship upside down! She even stole my husband, imed my position of being a wealthy wife, and took away everything that should¡¯ve been mine! I can¡¯t just let her do as she pleases!¡± Lilliana wiped her tears and wailed, too. ¡°I won¡¯t object if you¡¯re more biased toward your younger daughter in certain things, but this is an important moment for Sherlyn! You can¡¯t just let Corinne do whatever she wants and bully my daughter! Marvin pulled a long face as he pondered to himself for a while. Momentster, he suppressed his anger and said, Don¡¯t worry, you two. We¡¯ll go to the Holdens tomorrow morning and settle things once and for all with that rebellious daughter of mine. I¡¯ll make sure that she returns every single thing she stole from Sherlyn!¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 It did not make any difference which of Marvin¡¯s daughters was married into the Holden family because it would still make him Jeremy¡¯s father¨Cinw. However, deep down in his heart, he wanted his favorite daughter¨C Sherlyn¨Cto be Jeremy¡¯s wife. Marvin did not care much for Corinne since they never lived together as a family. No, she was raised in the countryside ¨C away from him¨Cso even if she married into a wealthy family, he would not get jacksh*t. ¡®That little brat has been hiding in the Holdens¡® estate since she married into the family. She didn¡¯t even visit us once! What an ungrateful child she is!¡® thought Marvin. Marvin felt that it would be better if Sherlyn were the one who married Jeremy so that he, as her father, could share the glory with his daughter. The three members of the Carew family discussed how to make Corinne pay for her insolence when Anya silently got up and left their ce with a smug smile on her face. Her objective of visiting the Carew family had been attained. Although she had been living abroad all these years, she kept a finger on the pulse of the happenings back in her home country. To get Greg off his back about marriage, Jeremy came up with a n to find a random woman who would be willing to go into a fake marriage with him. Initially, he found a woman named Sophia who came from a long line of martial artists in a apter 358 country called Cativa. However, Lady Luck must not be smiling down on Sophia that day because her ne was dyed due to bad weather, so she missed the engagement party with Jeremy. Due to this, Jeremy¨Cin his desperation¨Chad no choice but to rope Corinne into being his fiancee. As for how he did that, Anya did not know. However, Anya learned Sherlyn had officially announced she was to wed and quit the entertainment industry after Jeremy sent Tommy to deliver the engagement gift to the Carews. Something must have happened in between because, for reasons unknown to her, Corinne ¨C and not Sherlyn¨Cwas the one who married into the Holden family. Therefore, Anya could not help but think that Corinne, in a bid to marry into a wealthy family, must have done something to Sherlyn so that Jeremy would choose to marry her instead. Anya had hired someone to look into the matter and learned that the Carew family did hold a wedding banquet for Sherlyn that day. They made the whole thing as high¨Cprofile as possible, and they imed that their eldest daughter was going to marry Jeremy, the heir of the most notable family in the whole city. However, Jeremy never went to the wedding banquet. It was all for naught, and thus, Sherlyn and her parents became aughingstock of their friends and rtives. After finding this out, Anya decided to use this information to drive a wedge between Corinne and her adopted family. It would be best if Sherlyn could swap ces with Corinne! Anya could tell with one nce that Sherlyn was a typical starlet, one that the entertainment industry was teeming with. Therefore, she was sure Jeremy would not be attracted to her. Corinne, however, was different. She had a certain, unique quality to her, one that was pure but down¨Cto¨Cearth, honest but cheeky, and cute but tough. It was a genuine personality, not faked. It was the kind of free¨Cspiritedness that was new to Jeremy, new and fatally attractive, so even if Anya could not get rid of Corinne this time, she would make her suffer for a while. Anya wanted Jeremy to see for himself that no matter how special Corinne was, she was nothing but a girl from a middle¨Css family whose parents only had money in their minds. Anya was sure that once Jeremy knew what kind of background Corinne came from, he would no doubt fall out of love with Corinne. In any case, Anya could not wait to see how the drama would unfold in the Holden family tomorrow. It was raining outside when Corinne and Jeremy finished their dinner in the Italian restaurant. The two of them went outside, and Tommy immediately passed Jeremy an open umbre. Jeremy took the umbre and swiveled it toward Corinne naturally. ¡°How do you want to go home today? Subway or bus?¡± she Corinne raised an eyebrow and looked at the rain. Then, tilted her head to look at Jeremy and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take your car since it¡¯s already here. It¡¯ll be a bit of an overkill if I insist that you take the bus or subway with me in this kind of weather. I might not be a typical good girl, Mister, but I¡¯m not a dramaThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Jeremy turned to look at Tommy and signaled with his eyes to drive the car over. He then looked back at the cheeky Corinne, patted her head, and cooed, ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re the most thoughtful girl in the world.¡± This immediately elicited a pout from Corinne. ¡®I know he¡¯s giving in to me, but why does his compliment sound a tad bit insincere?¡® she thought. Jeremy first made sure Corinne got into the car safely before putting away the umbre and following inside. Then, Tommy slowly drove the car away from the shopping mall. Corinne took out her phone to check the time and to reply to a few messages. She then thought of something, so she looked sideways at Jeremy and asked, ¡°By the way, Mister, how did you know I was in that mall today?¡± Jeremy did not answer her question and instead grabbed one. of the documents lying on the seat and started reading it. Corinne narrowed her eyes. It was rare to see Jeremy, who was usually one step ahead of everyone, acting so guiltily, so she deliberately scooted closer to him and said, ¡°Tell me, Mister, did you use a tracking device to track my location again?¡± Jeremy looked up and was met with Corinne¡¯s inquisitive gaze. Knowing she would not stop asking him until he gave her an answer, he answered, ¡°Yes, but only because it started to rain.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned unhappily. ¡°The fact that it was raining doesn¡¯t mean you can track my location without my consent.¡± Jeremy knew Corinne did not like being tracked. He continued to speed¨Cread the document in his hand. He then turned a page and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try not to do that again.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and repeated, ¡°Try not to?¡± ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s necessary for me to do that. After all, I¡¯m only doing it to make sure you¡¯re safe,¡± Jeremy answered solemnly. Corinne scoffed. ¡°Oh, drop the act, Mister. You¡¯re only doing it because you desire to control me.¡± Jeremy put down the document in his hand and decided to ¡® drop the act¡®. He pulled the stubborn Corinne to hisp and roughly grabbed her chin. ¡°You¡¯re right, I do have a very strong desire to control you, and that¡¯s not the only strong desire I have in me. Do you want to find out the rest?¡± His words and touch made her blush. ¡°Mister, don¡¯t¡­you even think about it!¡± Jeremy tilted her chin up and pulled her face closer. ¡°I¡¯ve been holding it in for far too long, you little rascal¡­¡± Tommy¨Cwho was driving¨Csilently raised the partition between the front and back seats of the car to give them some privacy. Corinne knew she was not strong enough to push off Jeremy, so when his lips were just about to meet hers, she suddenly asked, ¡°What did Anya lose to save you?¡± Jeremy stopped doing what he was doing, and his eyes darkened; it seemed he did not want to be talking about this. Corinne stared at him for a while before breaking out in a giggle. ¡°Let me guess, she lost her virginity to save you?¡± ¡°You and your nonsense,¡± said Jeremy with a frown. ¡°Then answer my question,¡± said Corinne, not caring one bit that Jeremy seemed ufortable talking about it. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past,¡± said Jeremy as a multitude of emotions shed across his face. ¡°I was just ying with you. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. Besides, I have some secrets of my own that I¡¯d never want you to find out.¡± Corinne shrugged and took this opportunity to return to her seat. Jeremy was speechless. ¡®What secret does she have that she doesn¡¯t want me to find out?¡® he wondered. He felt conflicted by this, so he pinched his be in resignation. Not only did he let her distract him, but she also sessfully made him wonder about what secrets she could have Chapter 378 Chapter 378 It did not take long until Jeremy and Corinne reached home. Corinne was exhausted after having been pestered by Sunny all afternoon, and since her belly was full, she wanted nothing more than to take a shower and sleep. Jeremy followed her upstairs, and the moment she put her hand on the doorknob, he reached behind her and ced his on the knob too so that the two handsid on top of one another. It was as if he nned this. Corinne frowned and stopped turning the doorknob. She looked up at Jeremy and asked, ¡°Mister, what are you doing?¡± Jeremy put his lips close to her ear and whispered, ¡°I want to¡­ Corinne instinctively tucked her neck as he got closer. ¡°What¡­ do you want?¡± she stammered as if she had just seen a ghost. Jeremy moved his lips close to her ear again and whispered huskily, ¡°I want to go in.¡± His answer made Corinne think of dirty thoughts. The words ¡® go in¡® sounded so seductiveing from his mouth, so much so that she could not help but blush. Her entire body throbbed with desire, but she would not give in to him. ¡°Mister, how can I believe that you¡¯re serious about me when you¡¯re so impatient?¡± The hand that was holding hers tightened a little before letting go. Jeremy straightened himself and tousled her head. ¡± Fine, I¡¯ll be patient and wait until the day you ask me into your room. I¡¯ll let you rest now.¡± Jeremy had turned to leave for his study when Corinne turned around and said, ¡°Wait, Mister. I¡¯ve forgotten to tell you something.¡± Jeremy stopped in his tracks and turned around. ¡°Yes? Go on.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne crooked her finger, signaling him to bend down a little as if she wanted to whisper some secrets into his ear but could not since he was too tall. Jeremy narrowed his eyes, bent down, and brought his ear close to her face. Corinne then stood on her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek before saying, ¡°Mister, thank you for going out of your way to bring me an umbre today. This is the first time anyone has ever done that for me. I¡¯m very grateful for it. Good night.¡± A kiss and a good night¨Cthat was all that was needed to make Jeremy¡¯s heart soften. However, it was a pity that Corinne closed the door in his face before he could even say anything. With a loud bang, she had slipped into the room, and he could even hear her locking the door! That extinguished whatever tender affection Jeremy had for her at that moment. It seemed like the softer she was to him, the more she could not wait to get away from him. Jeremy was speechless. He looked at the locked door and touched the spot where Corinne kissed him, and he could feel the warmth of her lips lingering. Thinking back to the kiss, he smiled and started to make his way to the study. After taking a shower, Corinne turned on herputer and logged into thepany email ount to check if she received any feedback on her drawings from Jeremy. As expected, there was an unreal email from him in the inbox, so she clicked it right away. The content of his reply was simple and short as if saying anything more would cost him more. It only took Corinne to read this one sentence. [Your design is pretty good, but it doesn¡¯t quite capture the feeling I was looking for.] This immediately elicited a frown from Corinne. ¡®All clients are all the same. They¡¯ll give you free rein to be creative at the beginning but thene back with feedback such as this. How am I supposed to edit the design when they don¡¯t give me any concrete feedback?¡® After giving it some thought, Corinne replied, [Mister Holden, I¡¯m so sorry that you¡¯re not satisfied with the design. May I ask what kind of design you are looking for? I would really appreciate it if you could provide me with a brief description you have in mind. Thank you!] After hitting the ¡®send¡® button, Corinne went to blow¨Cdry her hair. By the time it was dried, she had already received a reply from Jeremy. This time, the content was a bit longer. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 [Soul. What I want is for you to put your heart and soul into the design. This and the design must reflect Holden Group¡¯smitment to providing value to the public. I didn¡¯t spend all that money to hire you just for your professional skills but also for the care you put into designing Crescent Building. Don¡¯t try to fool me with this hastily rushed design that looks wless but has no soul. Moon, I can see that you¡¯re quite proficient in your designing skills, but you¡¯re not taking this project seriously.] Corinne was stunned, though she agreed with what Jeremy wrote. Indeed, she did not put her heart and soul into the design she sent him. Instead, she relied on her refined technical skills toe up with another soulless design. ¡®Jeremy is right. I need to put my heart and soul into this, just like how I did with Crescent Building. Besides, it¡¯s reasonable for him to demand that Ie up with a better design since he¡¯s paying a hundred fifty million dors,¡¯ thought Corinne. Thus, she replied, [Okay, I understand. Thank you for pointing this out. Please allow me some time to come up with a new design. You have my assurance that you¡¯ll be satisfied with the next design.] No replies came from Jeremy after this. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sitting in front of theputer, Corinne rested her chin on her hand and started brainstorming some ideas. The previous draft waspletely useless to her since she would need to start all over again. ¡®I need toe up with a new design concept for Holden Group¡¯s new building¡­¡¯ The next morning, Jeremy specifically asked Bowen not to wake up the slumbering Corinne. He then took his breakfast and went to work. At that moment, Corinne had not woken up, and unbeknown to her, Sherlyn and her parents had already arrived outside her house. After Sherlyn got out of the car, she pointed to the mansion and resentfully said, ¡°Mom, Dad, this is the ce! I saw Corinne walking into the house like she owned the cest time.¡± Marvin and Lilliana were gobsmacked by just how huge the mansion was. They knew it would take more than money alone to be able to own such a huge mansion in the downtown area. Only powerful and prominent families like the Holdens. could get a permit to build a mansion right in the middle of the city. ¡°Marvin, look at how grand this mansion is! Our daughter would¡¯ve been living there as Jeremy¡¯s wife if it wasn¡¯t for Corinne. We could drop by anytime we want to visit her instead of standing outside like this,¡± said Lilliana bitterly. Marvin frowned unhappily. He felt as though he had just lost an opportunity to pocket 15000000 dors, and it was all Corinne¡¯s fault. Therefore, he was determined to get to the bottom of everything. ¡°Sherlyn, go ring the doorbell.¡± Sherlyn nodded and jabbed at the doorbell repeatedly, angrily. However, the gate did not open for them. Instead, an old man¡¯s face appeared on the monitor. ¡°May I know who you are looking for?¡± asked the old man kindly. ¡°We¡¯re looking for Corinne. Is she in?¡± Sherlyn answered. Bowen was a little surprised by the discovery, and he immediately grew guarded. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re looking for Ma¡¯am. What business do you have with you?¡± Sherlyn could have erupted with fury there and then when she heard Bowen addressing Corinne as ¡®Ma¡¯am¡¯. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Mom, Dad, you both heard how he addressed Corinne as ¡®ma¡¯am¡¯! This just proves that everything Anya told us yesterday is true! Gah! I¡¯m so angry I could strangle someone right now.¡± Being more experienced than Sherlyn, Lilliana calmly pushed aside the overly-emotional Sherlyn and said to Bowen, ¡°Hello. We, Corinne¡¯s father, mother, and sister, thought it¡¯d be nice to drop in to visit her for a while. If she¡¯s in, would you be so kind as to open the gate for us?¡± Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Bowen was surprised when he heard what Lilliana said, but he immediately put on a respectful and kind smile. ¡®So they¡¯re Ma¡¯am¡¯s family! What an honor it is to have theme here! I need to make sure to treat them with the utmost respect.¡¯ However, he also reminded himself that he needed to make sure the three of them were who they said were. He could not just let anybody in without confirming their identity, so he said, ¡°Please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll need to inform Ma¡¯am first.¡± He left the inte and went upstairs to inform Corinne of the unannounced visit from her family. Even though Jeremy specifically asked him not to wake her up, he had no choice but to do so since everything happened so unexpectedly. The knocking on the door woke up Corinne. She frowned and groggily answered, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, a middle-aged couple and their daughter who looked to be your age hade to visit you. They said they¡¯re your family, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true, so I¡¯vee to ask you.¡± ¡®A middle-aged couple and their daughter who looked to be my age? My family?¡¯ thought Corinne. Suddenly, her eyelids pped wide open as all the sleepiness left her body. ¡®The Carews are here? How did they know I¡¯m here? In any case, they must¡¯ve known I¡¯ve married Jeremy since they had gone through all the trouble toe here, so there¡¯s no point in hiding from them anymore.¡¯ Corinne sat up and casually brushed her slender fingers through her tousled hair. After deciding on her next step, she calmly said, ¡°Bowen, let them in and ask them to wait in the living room for me. I¡¯ll be down as soon as I¡¯ve washed up.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± replied Bowen, and he went down to do as she instructed. Sherlyn grew impatient to the extent she started cursing Corinne. To her, she should have been the rightful Missus Holden, so how dare Bowen let her wait outside for so long?! ¡®As soon as I take back what¡¯s mine, my first order of business as the rightful Missus Holden will be to fire that sted old man!¡¯ snarled Sherlyn inwardly. Suddenly, the gate opened, and out walked two servants who bowed respectfully to them before asking the three of them to enter the residence. Sherlyn red and rolled her eyes at the two servants before angrilyining, ¡°What the hell were you guys thinking? How dare you make me and my parents wait outside for so long? Aren¡¯t you all afraid I¡¯ll ask Jeremy to fire you?¡± The two servants were stunned and confused at the same time. All the while, they behaved respectfully toward the Carews because Bowen specially instructed them to do so, saying that the Carews were Corinne¡¯s family. He told them that they should treat them with nothing less than the utmost respect. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®What gives her the right to scold us and threaten us like that?¡¯ thought one of the servants unhappily. ¡®Who the hell does she think she is? Not only is she vicious, but she¡¯s always treating us like scum! Does she think she¡¯s the woman of the household and that Mister Jeremy will do whatever she asks him to do?¡¯ thought the other. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 ¡®Does she think she can do whatever she wants here, just because she¡¯s Corinne¡¯s sister?¡¯ thought the two servants. However, they had been trained, regardless of the situation, not to show their displeasure to guests, so the two of them respectfully led the Carew¡¯s into the mansion. Sherlyn had been to the mansion¡¯s grounds before with Corinne, but this was her first time stepping into the mansion, so she was looking curiously at everything around her. However, she did not seem all too happy when she came to the inner courtyard. With the air of the woman of the household, she crossed her arms haughtily and looked down her nose at the inner courtyard¡¯s design. Then, shaking her head, she said, ¡°This mansion isn¡¯t that bad, but can we do something about the old -fashioned design? I don¡¯t like this kind of Victorian-era style of decoration. We need to do some revamping once I move in. ¡°And that old pine tree over there has grown too big. It¡¯s blocking the sunlight from filtering into the mansion. We¡¯ll need to cut it down in the future. The marble floor tiles on the ground will need to be removed too so we can put some high- grade turf of the same quality as the golf course and nt my favorite flower-roses, of course. After all, only a garden that befits a European royal castle will be suitable for my status as a celebrity! ¡°And oh, those rustic potted nts over there must also be thrown away, or it¡¯ll affect the overall appearance of the garden.¡± Lilliana nodded to everything Sherlyn said. ¡°You¡¯re right, Sherlyn. I also think the yard is too in. It¡¯ll be a pity if we don¡¯t do something about it.¡± The two servants who were leading the way exchanged nces with each other. They were both annoyed and speechless, wondering what was wrong with Corinne¡¯s family. How could they think about renovating the mansion¡¯s grounds as if they owned the ce? To Sherlyn and Lilliana, it might just be some in old yard, but to the Holdens, every nt and tree there was a treasure. The 100-year-old pine tree, for example, had been in the family longer than Jeremy had been alive. Then, there were all the rustic potted nts which were all of Greg¡¯s favorites. He spent countless hours, effort, and money to make sure they were all taken care of. It was obvious to the servants Sherlyn and Lilliana had no idea just how rare some of the orchids in the yard were. The orchids, which were the apples in Greg¡¯s eyes, were even harder to get than gold, and they lived an even more pampered life than some humans in this world! The servants were sure Sherlyn and Lilliana would not live to see another day if they threw the orchids away. Bowen waited for Sherlyn, Marvin, and Lilliana in the hall, and he immediately walked up to them with a kind smile as soon as he saw the three of them entering. ¡°Mister Carew, Missus Carew, and Miss Carew, wee! Ma¡¯am wille down to see you as soon as she finishes washing up.¡± Sherlyn red at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re that old man who spoke to us through the inte, right?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Bowen¡¯s smile immediately froze. He did not expect Corinne to be so rude to him, not when he had treated them so politely. However, he decided to let it go. He was trained as a professional butler, after all. His smile maintained as he said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the butler of this household. You may call me Bowen.¡± Sherlyn looked him up and down and scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s time to change the butler, too! He¡¯s too old!¡± Bowen was stunned, and a frown appeared on his head. ¡®My, this youngdy is so rude!¡± However, no matter how unhappy he was, he kept up his professionalism and politely said, ¡°Might I invite the three of you to co-¡°| He did not even have the chance to finish his sentence before the Carews swaggered into the living room and sat on the sofa as if they were in their home. In all his years of serving the Holden family, Bowen never met such brazen guests. Even the dignitaries and influential members of other prominent families would not dare to act indecently in the mansion. ¡®Well, I guess I¡¯ve seen everything now,¡¯ thought Bowen. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 The two servants who led the Carews in approached Bowen and asked meaningfully, ¡°Mister Hoover, are they truly Ma¡¯am¡¯s family? Why do they act so differently than her?¡± ¡°Yeah. They seem to think the mansion belongs to them instead of them just being guests. Just now, they even said they¡¯re going to revamp the whole yard! They wanted to have the old pine tree cut down and for Mister Greg¡¯s precious orchids to be thrown out!¡± Bowen frowned, not understanding why the Carews behaved like that. ¡°That¡¯s enoughing from you two. The two of you would do well to remember they¡¯re Ma¡¯am¡¯s family. Instead of gossiping here, you should go make a pot of coffee and ask the kitchen to prepare some fruits and snacks for them. Remember: only the utmost respect for her family. We wouldn¡¯t want them to have a bad impression of their first visit here.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Hoover,¡± chorused the two servants in unison, and the two of them went to the kitchen. Sherlyn leanednguidly against the expensive fabric sofa, thinking how much morefortable that sofa was than the one in their home. It was sofortable that she nearly dozed off. However, she did not like the style. Sure, it looked expensive, but it was too old-fashioned for her taste. She sat up and put on the air of the woman of the household again as she looked around the interior of the mansion. Her eyebrows never once wrinkled in dissatisfaction as sheined with a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t like anything in this mansion at all! Everything is so old-fashioned. I do wish they had something more contemporary,¡± Lilliana, who sat beside her, smiled and said coaxingly, ¡°Hey there now. You¡¯ll be the woman of the household once you move in here. Then, you can decorate the ce however you want! I¡¯m sure Jeremy will follow through with anything you want if you just ask him.¡± After she thought about it, Sherlyn agreed with what her mother said. Jeremy¡¯s perfect, handsome face suddenly appeared in her mind, making her heart throb with longing. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s the most good-looking man I¡¯ve ever seen in my life. Even if he¡¯s not the heir of the Holden family, I¡¯d still be willing to marry him, and the two of us will live the most passionate love story ever!¡¯ However, Sherlyn could not help but feel angry at Corinne for stealing Jeremy away from her. ¡®I wonder if they had slept together. If she has, then I¡¯m going to make sure she regrets it ¨C for the rest of her life!! At that moment, the maid came in with some refreshments. Marvin epted the cup of coffee from her, took a sip as if he was a coffee connoisseur, and then said, ¡°What coffee is this? Why does it taste so weak?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This is the best ck Ivory coffee money can buy. The taste is a tad on the lighter side. I can make you another coffee if you prefer something stronger,¡± said the maid. ck Ivory coffee was the most famous coffee in the world. This was Marvin¡¯s first taste of it, so he did not know what was good or what was bad. He cleared his throat out of embarrassment, waved his hand, and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make do with this one. By the way, where is Corinne? What¡¯s taking her so long toe down?¡± The maid did not know how to answer him, so she said nothing. Bowen immediately came over. He smiled politely and said, Mister Carew, Ma¡¯am is still dressing up. She¡¯lle down when she¡¯s ready. Please have some fruit while you wait for her.¡± Marvin frowned. ¡°Does she think she¡¯s the queen now that she has married into this family? How dare she put on airs with us?!¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Sherlyn stood up angrily. "Yeah! Is Corinne trying to make a big entrance? How dare she let us wait when we, her family, havee to visit her? She''s probably guilt-ridden to face us. Well, I guess I just have to go upstairs and drag her down myself!" She then impatiently got up from the sofa and started to make her way to the stairs. Bowen frowned and immediately signaled with his eyes to the servant beside him to stop her. The servant blocked Sherlyn''s path, which enraged her. "Get out of the way! Why are you stopping me?" she asked arrogantly. He remained standing where he was, not moving an inch. Bowen walked over to Sherlyn and said, "I''m sorry, Miss Carew, but only the residents of this house can go upstairs. As a guest, you need to remain downstairs. I do hope you can understand."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sherlyn obviously did not agree with him. "How dare you stop me? I''m not a guest at all! Don''t you all know I''m the rightful wife of¡ª" "Sherlyn, why are you making all this fuss in the morning?" interjected Corinne from the top of the stairs. This immediately got Sherlyn''s attention. She looked up and frowned as she saw Corinne smiling carefree at her from the second-floor railing. She hated how beautiful the bare-faced Corinne looked even though secretly she wished she was just as beautiful as her. How she wished she could scratch that pretty face of hers! Corinne was dressed in simple pajamas that looked casual andfortable. It was obvious she had just woken up. ''Didn''t that old butler say that Corinne was washing up? Was she lying? She looked like she had just woken up! Maybe that''s why it took her so long toe down. What does she take us for?!'' thought Sherlyn. The more Sherlyn thought about it, the more angrier she got. She wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and rip her a new one. However, Bowen and the servant held their ground and kept her from going upstairs. Sherlyn could not get through them at all. Annoyed, she gritted her teeth, raised her chin proudly, and haughtily said, "Do you servants know who I am? How dare you block my way? I''ll give you three seconds to get out of here, and if you don''t, I''ll make sure there will be hell to pay!" Bowen was not angry at her, but he was evidently less polite toward her. "Miss Carew, I know you''re Corinne''s sister and our honored guest, but it doesn''t mean that you don''t have to follow the etiquette in this house. Let me remind you again that only residents of this house can go upstairs, and no one can go up there unless Mister Jeremy gives his permission." Sherlyn was livid. She pointed angrily at Corinne and shouted, "You say no one can go up there? Then, tell me, what is she doing up there?!" "She''s the madam of this house and Mister Jeremy''s wife. That makes her the residence of this house," exined Bowen helplessly. Sherlyn''s finger, the one aimed at Corinne, quivered out of rage. "She''s not your ma''am! I am! I was the one who was supposed to marry Jeremy, and I''vee here today to take back what''s mine!" Bowen was stunned. ''What?!'' Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Sherlyn smiled smugly when she saw how shocked Bowen was. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s exactly as I¡¯ve said. I¡¯m the rightful Missus Holden, the woman that all you servants should listen to!¡± Bowen had been in all kinds of situations in his life, and he cultivated the skill to stay calm under fire. However, at that moment, he could not help butugh out loud at the supremely confident Sherlyn. Hisughter set off a chain reaction, and the other servants standing there burst intoughter as well. Sherlyn was made very ufortable by themughing at her. She red at them and snapped, ¡°Hey! What are you allughing at? I¡¯m telling the truth!¡± Bowen then forced back hisughter and cleared his throat; he returned to his usual professional self. ¡°I do apologize forughing, Miss Carew, but it seems like you¡¯re still in dreand. Might I suggest that you take a nap in any of the rooms of your choosing on the second floor?¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Sherlyn felt humiliated by Bowen. She wanted to retort but could note up with anything worthy. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t have the time nor the energy to exin the situation to all you stupid servants. Just you wait. I¡¯ll make sure each of youes to regret how you treated me today!¡± Bowen and the other servants were not worried. Instead, they looked at Sherlyn with eyes full of pity as though she was mentally unwell. Sherlyn gritted her teeth angrily and red at Corinne, who was watching her being humiliated by the servants from the third floor. Since Sherlyn could not frighten the servant, decided to change her target to Corinne. she ¡°What the hell are you looking at, Corinne? Get your *ss down here now! You¡¯ve made us wait long enough!¡± Corinne covered her mouth and yawned. Then, she walked down the stairs as though she had all the time in the world. Bowen, you may step out of the room with the other servants. Leave me to take care of my ¡®family¡® by myself.¡± Bowen was a little worried. ¡°Umm¡­¡± He did not like the look of the Carews. Plus, it did not seem like they were close to Corinne, and he was worried she would not be able to handle them. In other words, he was afraid that the Carews would bully her. Corinne could tell what Bowen was thinking. She gave him a reassuring smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t eat me.¡± ¡°Alright, then,¡± said Bowen with a nod. In the end, he respected her decision. He led the other servants outside and ordered a few maids to stand by in the living room. With all the pesky people out of the way, Sherlyn immediately walked up to Corinne. She raised her hand high up, intending to p Corinne to make her pay for her insolence. However, Corinne, possibly having guessed what she had in mind, grabbed Sherlyn¡¯s wrist. ¡°Now now, you don¡¯t want to hit me when we haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. Besides, aren¡¯t you worried that no one would want to marry you if they ever saw this side Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chantar 384 of you?¡± said Corinne with a raised eyebrow. Tried as she did, Sherlyn just could not shake off Corinne¡¯s grip, which only seemed to fuel her anger. Deep down in her heart, she did not care what Corinne thought of her, but thetter part of what she said seemed to have triggered something in her. Sherlyn was in the Holdens¡® estate after all. What would happen if Jeremy got wind of how she acted? His unfavorable impression of her might cause their marriage to sour, so it was better for her to maintain adylike demeanor. Thus, she decided to let Corinne go this time since there would be plenty of opportunities to make her payter. Sherlyn pulled back her hand and gave it a few shakes as though she was disgusted by Corinne¡¯s touch. ¡°Dad is waiting in the living room for you. He has something to ask you, so you better get your *ss over there!¡± Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Corinne nodded and walked leisurely toward the living room. ¡°Mister Carew, Missus Carew, it¡¯s been a while,¡± greeted Corinne with a faint polite smile. ¡®Did she just call me Mister Carew?¡® thought Marvin with a frown. Then, out loud, he asked, ¡°What did you just call me, you ungrateful child?¡± Corinne sat on an armchair that was quite a distance away from where the Carews sat. She took a deliberate sip of the Blue Mountain Coffee that the maid passed her before looking up and saying, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with calling you Mister Carew? Isn¡¯t that your surname after all?¡± After finding out she had no blood rtion to Marvin at all, Corinne could not, and would not, call him ¡®Dad¡® anymore. He was not her biological father, and he was not the one who brought her up either. No, a person like him who threw her away to the countryside did not deserve to be called a father. Marvin red at Corinne, who he found more irksome as the minutes ticked by. He scoffed and lectured her, ¡°Corinne Carew, you shouldn¡¯t disown your father just because you¡¯re married to a wealthy man now. Besides, you know very well just how you came to be Missus Holden!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow while her eyes trembled with anxiety. ¡°You seem like you know very well how I came to be Missus Holden too, Mister Carew.¡± Before Marvin could say anything, Sherlyn cut in angrily, ¡°Not only does he know, but Mom and I know, too! Corinne, no secret can be kept hidden forever in this world, so I highlyBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. suggest that you drop the act ande clean with your crime. That way, I might find it in my heart to show you mercy, step- sister.¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°You, show me mercy? Sherlyn, pray tell, did I do something wrong to you again that you¡¯d need toe to my house to show me mercy?¡± The words ¡®my house¡® was like a thorn that stabbed Sherlyn¡¯s heart. She felt as if someone had taken possession of her belongings. ¡°Your house? Just how shameless can you be, Corinne? You know very well this is obviously my house!¡± she said angrily. || Lilliana leaned gently against Marvin and said softly, Corinne, I advise you toe clean while Sherlyn is still willing to show you mercy. We all know that you took Sherlyn¡¯s ce to marry into the Holden family, so there¡¯s no use hiding it from us anymore. Now, be a good girl and kneel. Apologize to your father and sister.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°How did you all know about that?¡® Her question sounded like a confession to the Carews, which angered Marvin even more than ever. He pointed at her and snarled, ¡°Corinne Carew, I didn¡¯t raise you to be a shameless daughter! Have you no morals? How can you steal your sister¡¯s husband? Did you know you turned us into aughingstock within our circle of family and friends? If I knew what was going to happen, I shouldn¡¯t have brought you back from the countryside!¡± Corinne found what Marvin said a little funny because it was through her ster exam result that she was about toe to New Capital City to study university with a full schrship. Marvin did not do anything. Besides, he kept emphasizing that he was the one who brought her up, but did he? Corinne understood their purpose for visiting her after she saw how Sherlyn kept making trouble for Bowen. It was just that¡­she did not know how they found out that she had be Missus Holden. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Could it be that you¡¯re wracked with guilt now that your crime has been exposed?¡± sneered Sherlyn when she saw how silent Corinne was. Corinne sighed and lowered her head as though she had no right to face them. ¡°Since you all know what happened¡­I guess the only question is¡­how do you all n to punish me?¡± Chapter 386 Chapter 386 The fact that Corinne lowered her head seemed to have made Sherlyn haughtier. ¡°How do we n to punish you? Well, that depends on my mood and how sincere you are in apologizing to us.¡± At that moment, Lilliana sighed helplessly and gently persuaded her daughter, ¡°Forget it, Sherlyn. Corinne is your sister after all, so you shouldn¡¯t punish her.¡± ¡°I She turned toward Corinne and said with mockpassion, Corinne, Sherlyn could never return to the peak of her career because you took her ce as Missus Holden for so long. But it¡¯s okay, we won¡¯t ask you topensate her for the loss ¡® cause we¡¯ll just put it down as you being young and stupid. However, you¡¯ll need to give back the title of Missus Holden to Sherlyn, so it¡¯ll be great if you can just pack up your things and leave her without a fuss. Of course, you¡¯ll need to promise us you¡¯ll never show your face here again and stoping in between Jeremy and Sherlyn. I guarantee you we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones if you just do as I said.¡± ¡°But, Mom¡­that¡¯s going too easy on her!¡± whined Sherlyn. Lilliana gave her a look and lectured her, ¡°Sherlyn, Corinne is your sister. Even if you¡¯re not doing it for her, you should do it for your father¡¯s sake.¡± From the look Lilliana gave Sherlyn, thetter understood that her mother wanted her to be patient. It was more important to get rid of Corinne from the Holdens¡® estate because there would be plenty of timeter to punish her. Thus, Sherlyn did not insist. She rolled her eyes at Corinne and said nothing for she had made up her mind to let Lilliana handle everything. Marvin looked at his kind wife, and he felt both touched and heartbroken. There was also a little guilt mixed in for wrongly ming her in the past. He held her hand, sighed, and said, ¡± Lilliana, I¡¯m sorry what I¡¯ve put you and Sherlyn through. I know what Corinne did was horrible, but thank you for showing mercy to this ungrateful child of mine for my sake.¡± ¡°Oh Marvin, there¡¯s no need to thank us! We¡¯re family after all! ¡± said Lilliana gently. However, anyone there¨Cexcept for Marvin and Sherlyn¨Ccould tell she was only putting up an act. The guilt in Marvin¡¯s heart acted as fuel to his anger. He red at the irksome Corinne and shouted angrily, ¡°You ungrateful child! What are you waiting for? You should thank your Aunt Lilliana for being so magnanimous! Let me tell you something: You better not screw this up. Otherwise, no matter how much she¡¯s willing to forgive you, I¡¯ll make sure you get your just punishment!¡± Corinne got up from the sofa and bowed sincerely. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Lilliana, for being so magnanimous. I¡¯m so grateful that you¡¯re willing to let the matter slide and give me a chance to turn over a new leaf. Thank you so much! Don¡¯t you worry, I know what I did wrong, and I¡¯ll move out right away.¡± Marvin, Lilliana, and Sherlyn were stunned by Corinne¡¯s apology. Lilliana thought that Corinne would never leave the ce without a fight. Why would anyone, when she used every trick possible to secure her ce as Missus Holden in the first. ce? Therefore, it would be more understandable if Corinne had to be dragged out of the house kicking and screaming. Lilliana truthfully preferred for that to happen as she would be able to show Marvin just how kind she waspared to the evil Corinne. That was why she did not know how to react when Corinne agreed to move out of the house obediently. Corinne slowly raised her head when she did not hear anything from the three of them. ¡°Huh? Why are you all looking at me like that? Are you not happy that I¡¯ve agreed to move out? If that¡¯s the case, how about I stay here with Sherlyn so that I can take care of her to atone for my sins?¡± she asked innocently. Sherlyn was the first to react. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t need you to take care of me, Corinne. You better not think of pulling any tricks on me. You have to move out no matter what, but before you do that, you have to exin to Jeremy what happened. Don¡¯t you dare gloss over any facts!¡± Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Yes, of course. But Jeremy is still working right now, and it would be rude of me to bother him when he¡¯s so busy. I¡¯ll wait until he gets home from work and then exin everything to him then.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re going to wait for him toe home?¡± Sherlyn frowned unhappily. She wished for nothing more than for Corinne to move out at that moment. Even the thought of it brought joy to her heart. ¡°Then¡­ Do you want me to call him now? Though, I should tell you that he doesn¡¯t like it when people bother him while he¡¯s working. He might take his anger out of me and all of you when he¡¯s home if the call pulls him out of work,¡± said Corinne sadly. Sherlyn instinctively exchanged a nce with Lilliana, and the two of them started to have some hesitations. After thinking about it, Sherlyn angrily grumbled, ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll wait for him toe home, but you need to go pack your Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. things now so that you can leave after you¡¯ve exined everything to him.¡± Chapter 387 Chapter 387 ¡°Okay, sure!¡± said Corinne without missing a beat. After that, she ordered the confused maid who stood next to her to gather Bowen and the rest of the servants. The maid immediately snapped out of her trance, nodded, and did as she was ordered. Not long after, Bowen and the rest of the servants gathered in the living room. ¡°Let me introduce you all to my sister, Sherlyn. She¡¯s the woman Jeremy wanted to marry in the first ce, so that makes her the real Missus. The other two next to her are her parents or, in other words, the inws of the Holden family,¡± Corinne said solemnly. Bowen and the rest of the servants were all shocked, and they could not help but wonder if Corinne was pulling a prank on them. However, when they saw her sincere expression, she did not look like she was joking. ¡°Now that this is done, you¡¯ll do well to serve the new Missus. ¡¤ As for me, I¡¯ll be going upstairs to pack my things so that the real Missus Holden can move in.¡± Sherlyn felt vindicated by Corinne¡¯s introduction of her to the lowly servants who, moments ago, did not know who she was. She thought that Bowen and the two servants who led her in must be quaking in their boots when they found out who she was. Bowen was super confused. He chased up the stairs and said to Corinne, ¡°Ma¡¯am, what exactly is going on?¡± Corinne waved her hand to tell him to stop following her. ¡± Bowen, the only thing you need to do now is make sure they¡¯re well taken care of. As for the rest of the matter, we¡¯ll wait until Jeremyes home.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± said Bowen worriedly. After that, Sherlyn waited impatiently for Corinne to finish packing her things, but thetter never came down. She was about to go upstairs to see what she was doing when Bowen stopped her at the foot of the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you cannot go up.¡± Sherlyn red at him and said, ¡°You stupid old man! How dare you stop me when Corinne told you who I am?!¡± Bowen was not moved. ¡°Sorry, but we still need to wait for Mister Jeremy toe home and confirm you are who you say you are.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®This old man isn¡¯t only stupid but stubborn as well! The rest of the servants have obviously be more respectful toward me!¡® thought Sherlyn as she gritted her teeth. She then rolled her eyes and said condescendingly to him, ¡°Fine! I won¡¯t go up now, but mark my words, I¡¯ll be able to go up very soon! In the meantime, my parents are hungry, so go tell the kitchen to make something for us. Remind them to use only the most expensive ingredients. If we find out they didn¡¯t, well¡­ I¡¯ll tell Jeremy once he¡¯s home, and he¡¯ll surely punish you all!¡± It took all of Bowen¡¯s willpower for him to stay calm. He wished nothing more than to chase out the rude Carews of the house, but Corinne told him to treat them well. Thus, he nodded politely and said, ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll make sure the food is up to your satisfaction.¡± The Carews hadfortably settled into the mansion by the time Jeremy got back home in the evening. Marvin had taken off his shoes and was snoring on the sofa. Lilliana was watching the television while doing her nails. Sherlyn was eating the expensive desserts that the chef had made while criticizing them, ¡°Where in the world did you get this chef? He doesn¡¯t seem like he knows how to make good desserts. The chocte mousse isn¡¯t sweet at all. Jeremy needs to fire him and hire a new er!¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Jeremy stood at the entrance, and because the television was turned on too loudly, he noticed something was different at home the moment he walked through the door. He squinted at the three strangers sitting in the living room, and that caused his handsome eyes to darken with rm immediately. The two maids greeted him as usual. One of them helped him out of his suit jacket while the other bent to help him wear his house slippers. Jeremy took out his jacket and passed it to one of the maids, but he did not put on the house slippers. ¡°Who are those people in the living room?¡± he asked in that deep voice of his. The maid exchanged confused looks with one another, and one of them answered helplessly, ¡°Mister Jeremy, they¡¯re Ma¡¯am¡¯s family, but they¡­¡± The maid found herself unable to continue as she did not know how to tell him that Corinne had introduced the ¡®new Missus. Holden¡® to them. It was tooplicated to the extent that they, the servants, had no idea what happened. ¡°Well, go on. ¡®But¡® what?¡± Jeremy asked impatiently, not liking the maid¡¯s hesitancy one bit. The maid felt pressured, and this made it even harder for her to go on. She was just thinking about how to exin the situation to Jeremy without making him angry when Bowen came just in time to save her. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you¡¯re back! The guests in the living room are the parents and sister of Ma¡¯am. They dropped by this morning to visit her,¡± said Bowen. ¡®They¡¯re the little rascal¡¯s family?¡® thought Jeremy. His long legs carried him out of the entrance and toward the living room, his eyes not as hostile as before. Before, he did not care about Corinne¡¯s family because their marriage was fake, but that changed. He wanted to continue the marriage with her, so he thought he should treat her family well to show that he respected them and Corinne. ¡°Where is she?¡± Jeremy asked. At the word ¡®she¡®, his usual cold tone became softer. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Bowen¡¯s expression changed at the mention of Corinne. ¡°Umm ¡­ Ma¡¯am is in her room, packing her things. She said that she needed to make room for her sister.¡± ¡®Packing her things?¡® Jeremy frowned. ¡®What¡¯s going on? I thought everything was going great between us. What¡¯s she upset about this time?¡± Bowen started to exin to Jeremy everything that happened today when Sherlyn- who wanted to go to the bathroom after having finished her desserts got up from the sofa and saw the impossible -to¨C miss and impossible -to¨Ctake¨Cher¨Ceyes- off handsome Jeremy, who stood at the living room entrance. Her eyes lit up, and she greeted him excitedly, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re back!¡± Bowen was only halfway through exining what happened today and had not gotten to the key points yet. Therefore, Jeremy had not gotten the full picture of the situation, so it was understandable of him to treat Corinne¡¯s family with the utmost respect. Jeremy nodded slightly at Sherlyn, who walked toward him, and said, ¡°Hello. Wee.¡± Chapter 389 Chapter 389 A lukewarm ¡®hello¡® and ¡®wee¡® was a rare thing toe out from the noble Jeremy¡¯s mouth. Sherlyn¡¯s heart thumped excitedly in her chest. She was delighted and thought that Jeremy must have had a good impression of her. Why else would he act so politely toward her? The fact that the cold, aloof Jeremy would wee her was proof that she was the one he wanted to marry in the first ce. Besides, Anya did tell her yesterday that Jeremy had fallen in love with her after seeing her in a movie she starred in and that was why he arranged for his men to bring the engagement gifts to her house. Then, Corinne came in between them. The people on Jeremy¡¯s side must have thought Corinne was Sherlyn because as sisters, they somewhat looked alike. Even though Sherlyn did not think so, it must be so to others. ¡®Also, that b*tch Corinne rarely goes out with makeup on her face. Jeremy must¡¯ve thought that¡¯s how I look without makeup, and that¡¯s how he mixed me up with her. Well, I don¡¯t me him. A busy man like him can¡¯t possibly remember a face he only saw once on the screen, and that¡¯s how Corinne had the chance to rece me. I can¡¯t believe she pretended to be me for the past two months. Argh! How dare she steal my man from me?!¡® thought Sherlyn with gritted teeth. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. However, she forced herself to calm down by telling herself it was not the time to be cursing Corinne. The most important thing for her to do was to make a good impression on Jeremy. She flicked her carefully groomed hair in a way she thought was charming and attractive. ¡°Jeremy, we met each other in Lunar Century Manor before,¡± she chirped. ¡°Do you remember?¡± Jeremy nced at her face and replied, ¡°Yes, I think so.¡± Sherlyn beamed at him. ¡®I knew it! It only makes sense he¡¯d remember me. I was the one he fell in love with, so he¡¯ll surely fall in love with me again now that we¡¯ve reunited. I must¡¯ve made asting impression on him then!¡® she thought. In the living room, Lilliana quickly poked the sleeping Marvin and whispered to him that Jeremy had returned. Marvin was in the middle of a good dream, but he immediately woke up and sat up straight on the sofa when he heard Jeremy was home. He looked toward where Lilliana was pointing and saw Sherlyn talking to a tall and elegant man. Everything about him looked so perfect, it was as though he was carved from marble. Even a middle¨C aged man like Marvin could not help but marvel at the fact that a handsome man such as Jeremy existed in this world. ¡°The songs singing praises of him are true! The heir of the Holden family isn¡¯t only talented but handsome as well!¡® thought Marvin. ¡®And this talented, handsome man is going to be my future son¨Cin¨C law!¡® Marvin tidied himself up and puffed his chest. Then, he linked arms with Lilliana and proudly walked to where Jeremy was. ¡°Jeremy, our son¨Cinw, you¡¯re back! We¡¯ve been waiting here the whole day for you,¡± said Marvin. Jeremy raised an eyebrow and looked at Marvin with a pair of emotionless eyes. He nodded politely at him and respectfully said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Uncle. I¡¯m looking forward to listening to what you have to teach me about life.¡± Marvin immediately felt like he was going to burst with joy. He became so cocky that his nose was about to touch the ceiling. ¡®Good god, I can¡¯t believe the heir of the Holden family wants me to teach him about life! Those rtives of mine whoughed at me during the wedding won¡¯t dare tough at me anymore now I¡¯m the father¨Cinw to Jeremy, the heir to the prestigious Holden family! Even he had to treat me with respect and listen to what I had to teach him about life!¡® Marvin was sure that his life was about to change for the better as he had Jeremy¡¯s support. He could not wait to move around in the upper¨Css society! Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Marvin looked up at Jeremy, who was a good head taller than him, and decided to follow his lead in ying the part of the wise, old elder. He nodded admiringly and loftily said, ¡°What a good son¨Cinw you are! I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get along just fine.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Lilliana smiled and said, ¡°Jeremy, you must be tired from work. As your mother, I¡¯ll be more than happy to cook you some of my signature dishester.¡± Bowen, who stood beside them, frowned unhappily. For a moment, he thought he heard wrong. ¡®Did Missus Carew really call herself Mister Jeremy¡¯s mother? She shouldn¡¯t do that even if she¡¯s his mother¨Cinw. I do not like them. They have no boundaries and no manners.¡® Jeremy narrowed his eyes, and there was no hint of emotions on his face. He raised his head at Bowen and said, ¡°Please make sure Corinne¡¯s parents are well taken care of while I go upstairs to check on her.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy,¡± replied Bowen. ¡°Jeremy, wait! I want to go upstairs to look for Corinne, too!¡± said Sherlyn as she chased after Jeremy and deliberately got close to his tall, strong body. She wanted to prove to Bowen that she would be able to go up since Jeremy was back. ¡®Let¡¯s see if that stupid old man would dare to stop me this time!¡® She was also worried that Corinne would shamelessly seduce Jeremy into bed if they were left alone in the room together. Jeremy stopped in his tracks and looked unkindly at her. There was coldness in his eyes as he said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. #Chapter 990. Why don¡¯t you wait in the living room for us? I¡¯ll bring her down right away.¡± Sherlyn was stunned. ¡®What? Why¡­¡® She did not expect that she would be shot down like that.¡® Didn¡¯t Jeremy wee me just now?¡® Bowen¨Cwho witnessed everything that happened¨Ccould not help but think she deserved it. ¡®She¡¯s one delusional woman, alright. I wonder what makes her think that Mister Jeremy cares about her. Doesn¡¯t she know that Mister Jeremy wouldn¡¯t even be talking to her if not for the fact that she¡¯s Ma¡¯am¡¯s sister? Calling her delusional is the understatement of the century.¡® However, Sherlyn was not about to give up that easily. She leaned seductively toward Jeremy and said, ¡°Oh,e on, Jeremy. I just want to follow you upstairs to check on my little sister. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s no big deal.¡± She made to grab Jeremy¡¯s arm, but he moved away from her, not giving her a chance to touch him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked with darkened eyes. Sherlyn was shocked that in return for her warmth, all she received from Jeremy was his anger. She did not know what to do. ¡°Um¡­ I¡­..¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on? All the men I¡¯ve seduced in the past would dly ept me with open arms. Why is Jeremy so cold toward me?¡® she wondered. At that moment, Corinne¡¯snguid voice came from upstairs. ¡± Mister, you came back just in time!¡± Jeremy looked toward the source of the sound, and his cold Chapter 391 Chapter 391 ¡°An exnation is in order.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. His gaze was focused solely on Corinne, and he did not even bother to look at Sherlyn¡¯s shy expression. He stretched out his big hand, took the suitcase from Corinne, and handed it to Bowen, who stood beside him. He then asked, ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss about?¡± As Jeremy asked that question, he ced his arms around Corinne¡¯s waist and pulled her into his arms, as if worried that she might leave for real. Corinne felt that it was a little inappropriate for him to hug her in front of other people, so she pushed his chest to try and break free. s, she could not do so, and she could only shrug helplessly as she spread his arms and began exining. ¡°Well, it all started when you went to the Carews to fetch your bride, which you were supposed to do by going through the main entrance. However, you went through the back door and brought me away! Now that this secret has been exposed and they found out that you picked up the wrong person that day, Sherlyn came to settle scores with me and demanded that I return the position of Missus Holden to her. My only choice. now is to move away!¡± Sherlyn frowned at Corinne¡¯s blunt way of putting things and secretly shot her an unhappy look before following on from where Corinne left off. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My sister is right. The woman you were supposed to marry in the beginning was me. It¡¯s due to my sister¡¯s penchant for troublemaking and taking advantage of other people that led to the present misunderstanding! ¡°I came to meet her today because I felt she¡¯s an ignorant girl who has never seen the world because of her countryside upbringing. I was concerned that it¡¯d only embarrass the Holdens if she were allowed to keep staying here, and I believe it¡¯s best that she and I switch ces as it¡¯ll be more fitting of our respective status.¡± Jeremy listened and nced suspiciously at Sherlyn. At that moment, he finally understood why Corinne¡¯s family showed up uninvited that day. The polite expression that he had disappeared in an instant. Rather than looking at Sherlyn, he gazed down at the girl in his arms and asked unhappily, ¡°Why did you have to make a fuss when they¡¯re the ones who are causing trouble?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°I didn¡¯t make a fuss! You just married the wrong person! She¡¯s the one you should have married, and she even wore a wedding dress to wait for you at their home that day!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Enough with that nonsense.¡± Despite his anger, he did not speak too harshly to Corinne but instead toned his anger down and talked to her as if he was instructing a child. He wanted her to know just how serious the matter was, but at the same time, he was afraid that he would scare her a little too much. Corinne frowned and seemed a little upset. He did not seem interested to know whether he had chosen the wrong person and merely asked her softly, ¡°What did you eat today?¡± The sudden appearance of several uninvited guests who came to stir trouble that day made him wonder if Corinne had eaten her meals. Corinne replied truthfully, ¡°I ate a ham sandwich this morning and some pasta at noon. I haven¡¯t had dinner yet.¡± After meeting the Carews in the morning, she spent the rest of the day upstairs. Bowen had her brunch delivered to her room, and she was quite full from the food. Jeremy seemed relieved that she had eaten, and his expression softened slightly. ¡°I see. What would you like for dinner then?¡± Sherlyn stared from the side as Jeremy gave her the cold shoulder while speaking to Corinne in a very gentle and amodating manner. She became irate when she saw Corinne was receiving the tender, loving care that should have belonged to her. When she finally could not stand it anymore, she had a sudden thought and suggested, ¡°Mister Jeremy, I think we should let Corinne leave while it¡¯s still early. If you let her stay for dinner, it¡¯ll be unsafe for her to bring her luggage when it¡¯s toote.¡± Jeremy looked at Sherlyn coldly and said, ¡°If she leaves, you¡¯ll be sent away all the same.¡± Sherlyn was stunned, feeling her ego take a hit. ¡°W-why? Didn¡¯t you fall for me once before, Mister Jeremy? You can¡¯t let Corinne bewitch you! She might look like a good person, but she¡¯s one of the evilest schemers ever! She¡¯s the best at pretending to be innocent and ying the victim!¡± Lilliana was also a little anxious as she said, ¡°My dear son-in-w, you need to listen to your mother-in- law when she says. you¡¯ve made a terrible mistake. The one you intended to marry is Sherlyn, not Corinne!¡± Marvin had his ¡®I-am-your-father-inw¡¯ attitude all the same and spoke authoritatively, ¡°Listen to me, my son-in-w! You were supposed to marry my eldest daughter, Sherlyn, and you chose my younger daughter, Corinne, by mistake on the wedding day! This is a misunderstanding that we must correct!¡± Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Jeremy heard on numerous asions that Corinne had a hard life in the past, but he never thought that they would treat her so terribly. As if having a stepmother and stepsister who treated her like that was bad enough, even her father did not seem to show any care for her. Jeremy looked down at the indifferent little girl in his arms and felt his heart tense up. He could not imagine how much suffering she had to go through in the Carews as a child to be able to act so indifferently in such a situation. After listening to the Carews¡¯ ludicrous statements, a cynical smirk appeared on the corner of his lips. ¡°Why should you switch ces with her? The woman I wanted to marry has always been Corinne, not anyone else.¡± Sherlyn did not believe it one bit. She felt that it was Corinne¡¯s sweet talk and interference that made Jeremy confused. ¡°Mister Jeremy, how can Corinne be the woman you intended to marry? You can¡¯t believe a thing she says because she¡¯ll say all sorts of sweet words to win you over! The person you wanted to marry was me! I even received the engagement ring you sent me! Look!¡± As she said that, she raised her hand to show him the diamond ring she had ced on her ring finger. Jeremy looked at Sherlyn¡¯s moderately rge diamond ring and had the most insipid and expressionless face ever. Then, his rough palm reached out to grab Corinne¡¯s small hand. He stroked her slender ring finger until, finally, his rough fingertipnded on the diamond ring. Then, he held her hand up and waved it in front of the Carews. ¡°Sorry, but this is the Holdens¡¯ special engagement ring. I¡¯ve never seen yours before.¡± Sherlyn frowned and was a little confused. Back then, the person sent by the Holdens to give the dowry told his mother that a certain ¡®Miss Carew¡¯ had already epted the diamond ring from Jeremy. During that period, a diamond ring was also sent anonymously to her. ¡®Who else could the sender be if it wasn¡¯t Jeremy? How could something so coincidental happen? It had to be Jeremy who wanted to marry me!¡¯ Sherlyn was already bing a little psychotic, and after thinking for a moment, she pointed at Corinne and insisted, ¡°I know what happened! It was her! She stole the ring and switched it while I wasn¡¯t paying attention! That¡¯s how she managed to trick you of your trust and take my ce!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes became gloomier, and he was disgusted at her as he said coldly, ¡°The ring that Corinne is wearing is unique to the Holdens. It was forged using tinum and several other special materials, making it impossible to take off without a special liquid lubricant. How would she have stolen it from you if you couldn¡¯t have taken it off when you put it on?¡± Sherlyn could not have factored that into consideration, and she immediately felt dumbfounded. ¡°But¡­ H-h-how¡­¡± Jeremy took Corinne¡¯s hand and caressed it like the most precious thing. ¡°Besides, I put this ring on her when we got engaged. Now, do you still think I¡¯d mistake someone else for the person I wanted to marry?¡± Sherlyn was astonished. ¡®Engaged? Jeremy was engaged to Corinne?!¡¯ She had her mind set on not believing a word of what Jeremy said and shook her head vigorously. ¡°No! That can¡¯t be! Mister Jeremy, why would a man with such noble status as you fall in love with a country girl like Corinne? A popr actress like me is obviously much more suited to be your wife!¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrow and looked emotionlessly at her. ¡°I wonder where you got the impression that I¡¯d ever fall in love with you.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Sherlyn lost her confidence, but she remained a little dissatisfied. ¡°If you can fall for a country girl like Corinne, why would you look down on someone like me? I don¡¯t understand how I¡¯m worse than Corinne.¡± ¡°Pffttt! Hahaha!¡± someoneughed. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 The person who burst out cackling was neither Corinne nor Jeremy, but Bowen, who had failed to hold himself back at that moment. Despite his old age, that was the first time he had ever seen such an ordinary-looking yet incredibly self- confident woman. It was truly an eye-opener! Bowen cleared his throat in embarrassment, suppressed his out-of-characterugh, and said, ¡°Ahem. My apologies, sir. I¡¯ll go check if dinner is ready for you and the missus¡­¡± He then excused himself solemnly. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and nced icily at Sherlyn. ¡°In what aspect do you think you¡¯re better than my wife? Your character? Your intelligence, maybe? Or perhaps your image? Is there anything about you that canpare to even a single strand of my wife¡¯s hair?¡± His words severely hurt Sherlyn¡¯s self-esteem, and although she also knew that Corinne was frustratingly good-looking, she believed herself to be quite attractive as well. Otherwise, she would not have been able to enter the entertainment industry and be a star. ¡®Why does Jeremy look down on me?! Corinne has such bad taste in clothing and always looks poor, so what¡¯s so good. about her?¡¯ Lilliana could not stand seeing Sherlyn being wronged, so she walked up to them and said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you admitting to your actions? You sent someone to our house to deliver the dowry and inform us that you wanted to marry our daughter, which was why we organized a huge feast! In the end, you never showed up that day, and our family was turned into aughing stock by all our rtives and friends. You¡¯re the one to me for that!¡± Jeremy raised his cold ck eyes, and looked at the middle ¨C aged woman who earlier self-professed as being his ¡®mother- inw¡¯. ¡°The Carews don¡¯t just have one daughter, do they? Haven¡¯t you ever considered that my dowry was meant for your youngest daughter from the very beginning?¡± Lilliana was startled and speechless. When they mentioned¡¯ daughter of the Carews¡¯, the first person to pop up in her mind was her biological daughter-Sherlyn. She never would have thought that it would be the country girl-Corinne. Jeremy gently held Corinne¡¯s shoulder while she was in hist embrace. He raised his hand and used his long fingers to tuck the lock of stray hair behind her ear. Then, he said, ¡°You ought to know that the only reason you can set foot on these tiles under your feet is because you¡¯re my wife¡¯s family! You¡¯ll lose that privilege if you keep treating my wife like this. She¡¯s better off without a family like yours.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He then called out to Bowen, ¡°See them off, Bowen!¡± Bowen duly came out of the kitchen and beckoned some of the servants to help him ¡®see them off¡¯. Lilliana immediately panicked when she saw that, and immediately changed her attitude. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you misunderstood us. Let¡¯s take it easy and talk¡­¡± The Holdens¡¯ servants had endured their behavior for an entire day, and they were not going to give the Carews another chance to speak since Jeremy had already instructed the servants to see them off! After being dragged away by the servants, Sherlyn came back to her senses and yelled begrudgingly, ¡°Corinne deceived you, Mister Jeremy! I¡¯m your bride! Me! Not her!¡± Marvin took the opportunity to break free and turned around to run back to Jeremy. He no longer dared to act all high and mighty and said with a smile on his face, ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯m still your father-inw regardless of which one of my daughters marries you. That will not change!¡± Chapter 394 Chapter 394 A hint of coldness shed across Jeremy¡¯s eyes as he heard Marvin¡¯s fickle remark. ¡®How can someone like him be worthy of being a father?! Just what sort of family environment did Corinne grow up in?¡¯ Jeremy narrowed his eyes frigidly and said, ¡°First of all, you need to live up to your position as a father to my wife, and then I¡¯ll show you respect and ept you as my father-inw. You¡¯ve been ipetent in your role as a father to Corinne, so to me, you¡¯re not even worth being treated as a human.¡± Marvin felt intense pressure and guilt, still wanting to argue with Jeremy. However, as soon as he met the cold eyes of his son-inw¡¯, he suddenly felt an unprecedented fear and hist words were stuck in his throat. His son-inw¡¯s attitude toward him had changedpletelypared to before. When they met for the first time, the handsome and imposing young man still showed hints of respect and courtesy toward him, but all he could see in Jeremy¡¯s eyes then was an abyssal coldness and a threat of danger. That was when Marvin fully understood that he was nothing in front of that man. What little courtesy that he received from Jeremy was credited inrge part due to his younger daughter, Corinne. Without her, he could not step foot into the Holdens¡¯ home. As for his eldest daughter, Sherlyn, the prospect of switching her and Corinne position waspletely out of the question. Marvin was getting old, and though he did not want to be a shoe-shiner or a bootlicker, he did not want to miss out on the chance to finally be associated with a first-tier family as an in-w. Marvin then put on a fatherly smile as he turned to his youngest daughter Corinne and looked cheerfully at her. He then exined to her using a gentle tone. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Corinne. I drank a bit of wine beforeing here today, and I only said all those stupid things to you because I was drunk. To tell you the truth, I was just angry that you were always away from home. ¡°You made me so worried, especially when you didn¡¯t tell me about your marriage! I rushed here to see you as soon as I knew that you were at the Holdens. Please tell your dear husband not to chase me, his father-inw, away!¡± Corinne was still in Jeremy¡¯s embrace, and after hearing Marvin¡¯s words, she slowly turned her head to look at the familiar-looking man who felt like a stranger to her. ¡°You¡¯re Sherlyn¡¯s father, not mine. You didn¡¯te here to see me. You came here to try and kick me out and rece me with your precious daughter Sherlyn.¡± The smile on Marvin¡¯s face froze, and deep down, he was angry as his youngest daughter for being so ungrateful. However, he had no choice but to smile even more in Jeremy¡¯s presence. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you that it was a misunderstanding, Corinne? You don¡¯t need to be so alienated from me. We can always talk things out!¡¯ Corinne¡¯s lips curled into a smirk and there was a touch of sarcasm in her eyes. At that moment, she suddenly felt thankful that a spineless and unprincipled man like Marvin turned out not to be her biological father. Otherwise, she would have hated herself for inheriting those genes. She ignored Marvin, cocked her eyebrow, and said to Bowen who was waiting not far away, ¡°You remember their faces, don¡¯t you, Bowen? You don¡¯t need to be polite to them if they ever show up here in the future.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Bowen bowed his head respectfully in response. He then raised his chin, signaling for the idle servants to chase Marvin out and let him join his wife and daughter. Upon seeing that he was not going to get any benefits, Marvin became a little frustrated and started thrashing about to smash everyone around him. His true colors were finally revealed. As he was being dragged out by the servants, Marvin gritted his teeth and reprimanded loudly, ¡°Corinne ! You¡­ You¡¯re a terrible daughter! How dare you treat your father like this? Watch out, because your actions will only incur God¡¯s wrath. Karma will get to you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes turned cold and he could not bear to hear someone cursing at Corinne. He then looked up at Bowen and hinted at thetter to teach Marvin a lesson before letting them leave. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Bowen understood Jeremy¡¯s wishes and turned around to inform the servants. After all those people cleared out, Corinne felt as if the air was fresh again as she pushed the man¡¯s chest. ¡°You can let me go now, can you?¡± Jeremy gazed down at her, but he tightened his grip on her instead of loosening it. ¡°You want me to let go of a ruthless little girl like you so you can bring all your belongings with you and leave me behind?¡± Corinne frowned and looked at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that my luggage bag is light? It¡¯s empty. I didn¡¯t pack anything inside at all! I was just pretending!¡± Jeremy noticed that there was something off about the weight of the suitcase, but he was still a little displeased and had a stern look in his eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when they came over to harass you?¡± Corinne answered indifferently, ¡°Weren¡¯t you at work? I didn¡¯t want to disturb you, and besides, it¡¯s not worth going through the trouble of abandoning your responsibilities at work just to deal with those useless pieces of trash. I could chase them away if I wanted to, but it¡¯ll only be a stopgap measure. They¡¯re going toe back anyway because they¡¯d feel that my words carry no weight. ¡°I know them too well. If you don¡¯te forth and say something, they won¡¯t believe a word I say, and they¡¯re not going to give up either! So, I decided to act as if I¡¯d resigned myself to my fate and pretended to pack my luggage to keep them around here. Once youe home, you can take over and help me deal with them!¡± The man stared at her earnestly and said in an admonishing tone, ¡°I see. Am I supposed to thank you for how understanding you are of my job?¡± Corinne grinned and eximed, ¡°No thanks necessary! You¡¯re more than wee. I¡¯m well aware of your priorities.¡± The man patted her angrily on the head and said, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re aware of my priorities? Do you even know what my priorities are? From now on, I want you to remember that anything involving you is my top priority. You must call me as soon as possible if something happens!¡± Corinne was startled for a moment and her thoughts went nk. She then nodded obediently and said, ¡°Okay. I promise to do as you say next time.¡± Bowen came back after instructing the servants to ¡®teach¡¯ the Carews a lesson, and he was very much pleased to see Jeremy embracing Corinne that he could not help but smile at them like a proud parent. Corinne was a simple and easygoing woman who never put on airs. The servants at home all looked at her in a different light and never gave her treatment that was befitting of her status, yet she never once felt offended by them. By the time they all became familiar with her and understood her, their attitude toward her changed and they grew incredibly fond of her. Bowen imagined an alternate universe where that delusionally confident Sherlyn married Jeremy and realized how much suffering he and the other servants would be subject to. With that thought, Bowen cherished Corinne¡¯s existence even more. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The food¡¯s almost ready, sir. Do you or the missus have any other requests for dinner?¡± Jeremy raised his eyes, nced at both the living room and the dining room where the Carews had been earlier, and immediately frowned with disgust. ¡°No. I¡¯ll bring her out for dinner. Have someone disinfect the entire house.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Bowen understood that the house had been imbued with the Carews¡¯ stench, thus affecting Jeremy¡¯s mood considerably. He would have ordered the servants to clean the house even if Jeremy never instructed him to do it. Jeremy gazed at Corinne in his embrace and said, ¡°Wait here while I go upstairs and get dressed. I¡¯ll bring you out to rx.¡± Corinne blinked curiously. ¡°Oh? Where are we going?¡± The man patted her head with his big hands and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know when you¡¯re there.¡± Corinne pouted. ¡®Why are you being all mysterious?¡¯ Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Corinne sat down and waited for Jeremy to change into a fresh set of clothes. She felt a little bored, so she took out her cell phone and yed a few games to pass the time. Half an hourter, Jeremy said to her, ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s head out.¡± She raised her head and was stunned to see him. It was rare for Jeremy to change into casualwear, and it was such a stark contrast from his business-like suits and leather shoes. Even his hair was not combed into his usual serious, mature, and meticulous hairdo, and there was a touch of gentleness to his determined expression. ¡°Have you had your fill of staring at me?¡± The man walked up to her and poked her forehead. Corinne snapped back to her senses, rubbed her slightly- hurting forehead, and ced her phone into her pocket. She curled her lips and asked, ¡°Can¡¯t I look at you?¡± The man cocked his eyebrow. ¡°If you like looking at me so much, then why¡¯d you let me sleep in the study every night? If you let me sleep with you in the room tonight, you can look at me as much as you want. How about it?¡± Corinne blushed, stood up, and said seriously, ¡°I just think you look several years younger with this getup. Don¡¯t read too much into my stares.¡± Jeremy frowned in displeasure. ¡°Do I tend to look old?¡± Corinne nodded without hesitation. ¡°Why do you think I always call you ¡®mister¡¯?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy lowered his gaze, leaned closer, and hooked her chin up. ¡°Now that I¡¯m not so old to you anymore, isn¡¯t it about time you call me something else other than ¡®mister¡¯?¡± Corinne thought for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, bro! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡®B-r-o?¡¯ Jeremy was speechless. Any girl who felt butterflies in their heart at that moment would not just call him ¡®bro¡¯ on such an asion! Jeremy massaged the space between his brows and followed the little girl forward helplessly. Rather than asking his driver to drive them, Jeremy decided to drive a sports car and bring her to a vi in the suburbs with a mountain view. Corinne got out of the car, looked around the quiet environment, and felt that the house looked pretty nice. At the same time, her hunger grew stronger as he smelled the aroma of barbecue wafting from the vi. Before she had time to ask whose home it belonged to, Jeremy pulled her into the yard with him after parking the car. The yard was exquisitely maintained, and one could tell that the homeowner was a person of great taste. When they walked in, they saw Zeke, whom they had not seen in a while. He stood by the barbecue grill with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. With a basting brush in his hand, he was busy basting the chicken wings on the grill with honey. As soon as he heard footsteps, he raised his head and said with a smile, ¡± Hey! Jeremy¡¯s here with the wifey!¡± Corinne looked at Zeke and nced over his shoulder to see the abundance of people on the other side of the floor-to- ceiling windows of his living room. It seemed very lively there. She had already keenly noticed that it was not an ordinary gathering, so she asked as soon as she walked up to the grill, ¡± What¡¯s the special day?¡± Zeke raised his handsome eyebrows yfully. ¡°It¡¯s your boy Zeke¡¯s thirtieth birthday! I invited everyone over so we could chill and have a simple celebration.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I see. Happy birthday, then!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Zeke smiled. He then intentionally stretched out a hand toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t just give me your well wishes. Where¡¯s my present?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®How would I have known that this was supposed to be a birthday party?!¡¯ Chapter 397 Chapter 397 In her embarrassment, Corinne frowned and turned her head so she could whisper to Jeremy. ¡°This is on you, mister! It¡¯s so awkward toe empty-handed to a birthday party, and it¡¯s all because you didn¡¯t tell me beforehand!¡± Jeremy did not take herments seriously and reached out to pick up a barbecued meat skewer from the grill. He took a bite before handing it to her. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me a present for my birthday, so what makes you think I¡¯ll let you give a present to someone else?¡± Corinne was speechless at his response and took the meat skewer from him. As mature as Jeremy seemed, he was sometimes very childish in the sense that he ced too much importance on such trivial things. Indeed, it was because of a misunderstanding that she had with Jeremy over Anya¡¯s sudden return to China that led her not to give him a present. However, Annie insisted to bring her shopping and buy gifts. Though she did not buy the present on her initiative, she did buy one, but itter went to the bin Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. when she saw Jeremy hugging Anya in the Lunar Century Manor. Jeremy threw the car keys in his hand to Zeke. ¡°Here. This is your present.¡± Zeke caught the keys and stared nkly at Jeremy as if he had been bestowed with the greatest honor. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re not joking? Are you really going to give this sweet ol¡¯ thing to me?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Zeke stuffed the car keys into his pocket at once. ¡°I do, I do! That¡¯s so kind of you, and I¡¯m more than happy to ept it!¡± Corinne pulled Jeremy to one side andined, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too half-hearted of you to give someone a second- hand car for their birthday? What kind of a friend are you?¡± Jeremy pursed his lips, ced his hand on her head, and exined, ¡°There¡¯s nothing in this world that he can¡¯t get, but that car is amemorative model with only one limited edition in existence. Not even money can buy you that, and he¡¯s been asking for it from me since ages ago. I was only willing to part ways with it for your sake today.¡± Corinne was speechless. He was so good at cajoling her that he went so far as to say that he was giving his friend a gift for her sake. However, that sports car was indeed a limited-edition vehicle that not even money can buy. Jeremy traveled in an MPV every day, and the car was practically 90 percent new because he had never driven it. Moreover, it was something that the birthday boy had always wanted, so it could not be considered rude to give him that even though it was a second-hand item. ¡°How are we supposed to go home now that you¡¯ve given him the car?¡± Corinne asked another pointed question. Jeremy said nonchntly, ¡°You can bring me to the subway.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anymon sense, mister?! We¡¯re in the suburbs, and it¡¯ll take at least two hours to get back to the city center using the subway, with God knows how many times we need to change lines! What if we miss thest bus?¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Did that damn girl just use me of not having anymon sense?!¡¯ While Zeke was barbecuing his chicken wings, he pricked his ears and listened to the conversation between the two of them. Firstly, he was shocked that his pampered friend Jeremy would even consider the option of taking the subway. Secondly, he felt that Corinne¡¯s pback at Jeremy was both very bold and incredibly amusing. He could not help but tease the two of them, ¡°Why are you both so worried? If you can¡¯t catch thest bus, you can always stay overnight at my ce. My guest room here has a huge, brand-new bed that¡¯s big enough for the two of you to toss around!¡± Corinne was not as thick-skinned as most people, and she blushed when she heard Zeke use the word ¡®toss¡¯. She red angrily at Zeke and said, ¡°You can toss yourself around thereter!¡± Jeremy looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Focus on your barbecue! Zeke remained silent. ¡®No one can afford to offend this couple!¡¯ ¡°Jeremy! Come up and get a drink!¡± someone shouted all of a sudden. When Jeremy heard his name being called, he looked up and saw someone waving at him from the balcony of the second floor. There, he saw Jason and Gerald sitting on the outdoor sofa along with Lucas and his sister Anya. They were all looking at him from above. Corinne cocked her eyebrow and said, ¡°Your friends are looking for you!¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Jeremy looked up at the people upstairs and nodded slightly before putting his arm over Corinne¡¯s shoulders to bring her upstairs. Corinne did not budge, and she shook her head while saying, ¡± I¡¯m going to wait here for the wings. I don¡¯t feel like going up there to socialize with you!¡± Jeremy did not force her and patted her head instead. ¡°Okay. Take your time with the food then. I¡¯ll head up and say hi beforeing back down to you.¡± Corinne nodded, gave him an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture, and then took a bite of the delicious meat skewer that he just gave her. After Jeremy entered the vi, Zeke handed Corinne a bunch of barbecued chicken wings and had a meaningful smile on his lips as he said, ¡°You did a pretty good job training such a difficult guy like Jeremy to be so submissive!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty odd guy. It¡¯s your birthday, and you invited all these people over to have fun while you, the birthday boy, toil away at the barbecue just to cook some wings for them. Don¡¯t you feel tired of making your own life difficult?¡± Zeke was taken aback for a moment, and his handsome eyes stared right into Corinne¡¯s pupils with a look of admiration. ¡°The others are worried about whether or not my wings turn out okay, but you¡¯re the only one who shows concern about my well-being! I¡¯m so touched!¡± He then ced his tongs down and went toward Corinne to give her a hearty hug. Corinne dodged him out of disgust and avoided Zeke¡¯s bear hug. Zeke ended up hugging the air, but rather than feel awkward, his grin became even bigger. ¡°You¡¯re right! Those heartless people are enjoying their fill of food and drink without caring about me! You¡¯re better than all of them! Could you watch the fire for a bit and make sure the chicken wings don¡¯t burn? I¡¯ll be back soon after I take a bathroom break!¡± Corinne was at a loss for words because it was obvious that Zeke wanted to avoid the drudging task of having to barbecue for everyone. However, Corinne agreed readily because she did not want to go in and have any awkward conversations with people that she was not familiar with. She went to the grill, flipped the chicken wings over, and then brushed it with ayer of sauce. She then wondered to herself, ¡®If those people inside are so focused on chatting with each other that they forgot toe out here and get the food, will all these chicken wings be mine to eat? Well, I guess it¡¯s better for them to be so engrossed in the conversation so they don¡¯t snatch these delicious wings from me!¡¯ ¡°Hey, Corinne!¡± A voice called out to her just as she worried that someone mighte out and take her wings. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne looked up and saw Sunny standing opposite the grill. He had the same high and mighty expression on his face that was so characteristic of him. He behaved like that whenever he saw her, and he always had this stubborn expression as well as an intense re. It was like she owed him money or something! Corinne cocked an eyebrow and answered with an insipid expression, ¡°It¡¯s you! Did you finish your homework today before you came to y?¡± Sunny always felt that Corinne spoke to him as if he was a little kid, so he frowned in displeasure and said, ¡°I¡¯ve done it all!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great then! Go ahead and have fun!¡± Corinne did not want to entertain Sunny and looked down at the grill to continue focusing on barbecuing her chicken wings. Sunny remained where he was and stood in front of the grill while staring at her. He opened his mouth, then closed it, and hesitated for a while before speaking awkwardly. ¡°Ahem! I¡¯m sorry for what happenedst time, Corinne. My brother¡­ He¡¯s usually a good person, but he gets worked up whenever someone mentions my missing sister.¡± Corinne chomped down indifferently on the chicken wings. ¡°Is that so?¡± Sunny¡¯s expression became inexplicably uneasy. ¡°So¡­ Umm¡­ You¡¯re not angry with me, are you?¡± Corinne answered nonchntly, ¡°Why would I be?¡± Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Sunny was relieved to see that she did not take it to heart. Phew, that¡¯s great! I¡¯m d you¡¯re not angry with me. At least things won¡¯t be so awkward between us that way!¡± Corinne felt that the conversation was a pointless one, so she ignored himpletely. Sunny scratched the back of his head shyly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, Corinne. I¡­ I¡¯ve grown to like you now.¡± Corinne paused while basting her chicken wings and then looked up at Sunny as if she just heard a joke. He was already blushing, but she was as calm as ever as she said, ¡°Oh, thanks for liking me, I guess?¡± Her indifference made Sunny frown unhappily. ¡°Hey! What was that response?¡± ¡°How else am I supposed to respond?¡± Corinne picked up the fan and fanned the charcoal fire to increase the heat. A little bit of char would go a long way to adding that extra bit of vor! Sunny was so angry that his cheeks were trembling. ¡°What is wrong with you? I¡¯m confessing my love to you right now!¡± Corinne did not take him seriously at all. ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing that to help your sister deal with her love rival? Did you expect me to take it seriously?¡± Sunny folded his arms arrogantly, and said honestly, ¡°Well, I admit that it¡¯s part of the reason, but the main reason isn¡¯t because of my sister! My feelings for you have been a bit different recently. I can¡¯t exin what kind of feeling it is, but it¡¯s special, and I don¡¯t seem to hate you as much as before when I see you!¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡®Do high school students like them think that the equivalent of ¡°I don¡¯t hate you¡± is ¡°I like you¡±? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sunny, how many people are you going to like every single day? Are you going to like each person that you meet just because you don¡¯t hate them?¡¯ ¡°Sunny,¡± a warm voice suddenly called out to him from behind. He turned around and saw that his sister Anya had exited the vi, and he immediately began to worry about her. ¡°Anya! Why¡¯d youe out wearing so few clothes?¡± As he said that, he immediately took off his coat and walked over to put it on Anya¡¯s body. Anya smiled appreciatively and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not feeling cold right now.¡± Sunny stubbornly pressed the jacket onto Anya¡¯s shoulders. and was determined not to let her take off the jacket and return it to him. ¡°You should still wear more clothes even if you¡¯re not cold. We can¡¯t have you catching a cold!¡± Anya could not do anything about it and so readily epted her brother¡¯s jacket. She then looked at Corinne who was busy barbecuing behind the grill and made small talk with her. Why didn¡¯t you go in with Jeremy after you both arrived?¡± Corinne continued to grill her wings. She did not even nce at Anya as she answered curtly, ¡°I have anxiety, and I don¡¯t like ces where there are too many people.¡± Anya saw that Corinne seemed too busy with the chicken wings to talk to her, so she patted Sunny¡¯s arm and said, ¡°How could you just stand there and watch her do all the grilling without even bothering to help her? Boys must learn to behave like gentlemen, so how long are you going to stand there without helping her? Girls shouldn¡¯t be exposed to all these oily, smoky fumes!¡± Sunny was very obedient to everything his sister said, so he rolled up his sleeves and walked over. ¡°Leave it to me, Corinne. You can step aside with my sister and stay away from all this smoke!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was not very happy because she was worried that her wings might be ruined. ¡°Do you even know how to grill these? she asked, doubting him. When Sunny¡¯s kind gesture was met with her skeptical expression, he emphasized, ¡°I¡¯m a pro! My ssmates and I go barbecuing pretty often during the holidays, and everyone says that my grilled wings are the best!!¡± Corinne finally backed away from her position and said, that so? Guess I¡¯ll have the honor of trying your awesome barbecued wings today.¡± ¡°Is Sunny was prepared to show his skills and make Corinne look at him with admiration. At that moment, Anya suddenly came over and took Corinne¡¯s arm affectionately. ¡°You can leave it to Sunny. Let¡¯s go to the small gazebo over there and have a chat. It¡¯s about time you get some rest too!¡± Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Corinne neither liked Anya nor had any interest in chatting with her, but her actions seemed to suggest that she had something to say to Corinne. However, speaking to Anya face-to-face would be better than having to deal with Anya¡¯s behind-the- scenes scheming. Corinne withdrew her arm, patted the creases on her sleeves, and nodded to Anya as she curled her lips slightly and said, ¡± Let¡¯s talk then.¡± Anya¡¯s expression froze because Corinne¡¯s action of withdrawing her arm was a clear sign that she rejected Anya¡¯s touch. At that moment, Anya¡¯s deer-like eyes blinked nkly, as if innocent, pitiful, and unsure of what it was that she had done wrong. The two of them went to the small gazebo in the vi courtyard, and Anya was the one who spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m starting to notice that Jeremy is quite fond of you and treats you very well these past few days. Corinne figured that their conversation would be boring and pointless, so she took two skewers of grilled meat before going over with Anya and replied to her while eating, ¡°Does he?¡± A somewhat bitter smile unfolded across Anya¡¯s face. ¡°It seems so. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very happy now that he¡¯s being very kind to you.¡± Corinne thought for a moment and said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything special in particr.¡± Anya then smiled wryly again andmented, ¡°I used to be like 24 this when I was with Jeremy. Every day was a happy day for me. It¡¯s such a shame that men are so fickle. They tend to forget about past rtionships once a new womanes along¡­¡± Corinne was chewing on her barbecued meat when she froze as soon as she heard what Anya said. She turned her head to look at Anya and asked with a frown, ¡°When were you two in a rtionship?¡± Anya then raised her hand to cover her mouth, as if she had just realized that she had misspoke. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t Jeremy tell you? Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that, Corinne. Guess I said something I shouldn¡¯t have. Just pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything and don¡¯t take it to heart!¡± Corinne nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± She then continued eating and no longer asked any further questions. It was Anya who ended up being stunned. She had never expected Corinne to have such an indifferent reaction to her statement. Other girls would probably be very curious to find out more about their boyfriend¡¯s ex-girlfriend. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened between myself and Jeremy?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Corinne said as a matter of factly, and her tone was still as frank and indifferent as before, ¡°But even if I¡¯m curious, I can always ask him myself. You don¡¯t have to trouble yourself and waste your breath.¡± Anya was startled by that response and looked at Corinne with a sympathetic gaze. ¡°Are you that naive, Corinne? Didn¡¯t you ever consider why Jeremy never took the initiative to tell you about it after you¡¯ve been with him for so long? Do you think he¡¯ll tell the truth if you ask him about it right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he will,¡± Corinne said without the slightest hesitation, and there were zero traces of doubt in her indifferent expression. Her answer made Anya¡¯s mind nk for a moment, and she immediately frowned as if she was shocked by how much Corinne trusted Jeremy. Despite her initial bewilderment, she smiled again and said, ¡°You seem to know very little about men, Corinne. To be honest, all men prefer their new rtionships rather than their past ones. If they wanted to make their current girlfriends happy, they would never admit to the wonderful memories they had in their previous rtionships.¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrows disapprovingly. ¡°Is your dear Mister Jeremy as fickle as those other scumbags in your eyes? Why would you still like him so much then if that¡¯s the case?¡± Corinne¡¯s pointed question left Anya dumbfounded for a moment, but thetter soon said, ¡°Since you¡¯re being so frank with me, then I might as well extend the same courtesy to you. I don¡¯t like Jeremy-I love him! I¡¯ll love him in all his ws, and in fact, all the world¡¯s men are the same. Do you honestly believe that a loyal man exists?¡± Corinne narrowed her pretty eyes. ¡°When you say that, you are denouncing not only Mister Jeremy, but your father and brothers too. Aren¡¯t men all the same? Do you view your father and brothers in the same light as well? Are they just as fickle as all other men?¡± Anya had already expected that Corinne would refute her, but she was not as stunned as she was earlier and merelymented helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not denouncing them. I¡¯ve just seen too many fickle men in my life, and that includes my family members. They can never stick to one woman. My father once had an ex- wife, and as chaste as my brother is, he sometimes has different women keeping himpany. I do hope you¡¯ll understand the reality that all men are the same. Once the fresh excitement is gone, they¡¯ll start to lose interest in their current partners regardless of how beautiful or amazing their women are.¡± Corinne finally understood the point that Anya was trying to drive across. ¡°You¡¯re warning me, then? Are you trying to tell me to be mentally prepared for the day that Mister Jeremy will get tired of me and start disliking me? Or else I should leave him as soon as possible and quit while I am ahead?¡± Anya nodded kindly. ¡°I¡¯m d you get the point, Corinne.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Corinne chuckled. ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t get it at all. If I leave and you go back to Mister Jeremy, then aren¡¯t you afraid that he¡¯ll lose interest in you too once he gets tired of ying with you?¡± When they reached that point in the conversation, Anya¡¯s expression became proud along with a little touch of condescending sympathy. ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m different from you, Corinne.¡± Corinne. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the difference then?¡± ¡°My family background is on the same level as Jeremy¡¯s. My parents love me, and they protect me. Whatever happens, both my brothers will be my support and my shield. You don¡¯t have people like that in your family, do you?¡± The smile on Corinne¡¯s face sank instantly and she suddenly realized something. ¡°So it was you who went to the Carews and told them that I married Jeremy.¡± Anya answered without sidestepping the question. ¡°Bingo! It was me!¡± Corinne remained calm as she asked, ¡°Did you think you can chase me away from Mister Jeremy by goading the Carews into causing trouble for me?¡± The innocent and demure appearance that Anya usually wore had disappeared, and she no longer hid her high-born haughtiness. ¡°I know it¡¯s not that simple, of course! I just want you to understand your situation a little better. You have no backing, and you married into a wealthy family without having a solid foundation. As time passes, you¡¯ll only be viewed with disdain. ¡°I, on the other hand, have no reason to be afraid of that. After all, none of my family members are that easy to offend, so the Holdens would never dare to treat me badly and Jeremy won¡¯t treat me badly either. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Even if something bad happened one day and my rtionship with Jeremy broke down, I would still be able to bear the consequences. My family will be my way out, and they¡¯ll always be there to protect me. Do you understand that now? That¡¯s where my confidencees from!¡± ¡°So,¡± Corinne asked, ¡°you¡¯re relying on the protection of your family as your backing?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Anya replied. Corinne smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I don¡¯t have that sort of backing, but I can still rely on myself. I don¡¯t depend on anyone, and I don¡¯t expect to be protected by anyone for the rest of my life. The only way to avoid being put in a disadvantageous situation is to be able to fulfill your own needs without needing anyone¡¯s help. ¡°The reason I stayed with Mister Jeremy is simply because I have a good impression of him. I neither want nor wish to rely on his family, status, and wealth. Even if he loses interest in me, or I lose interest in him, we¡¯ll just leave each other and no one will be on the losing end. ¡°I advise you to save your energy and stop racking your brains with all these little schemes. If you¡¯re not careful, your perfect angelic facade will copse, and no one will spoil you unconditionally ever again!¡± After saying what she wanted to say, she got up and prepared to go back and see if the chicken wings were done roasting.¡¯ Wait, Corinne! I have something to show you!¡± Anya was persistent, and she chased after her to stand in her way. Corinne was losing her patience, and she looked at Anya while asking, ¡°What?¡± Anya gently lifted her blouse to reveal a section of her abdomen. ¡°Do you see this scar?¡± There was a very obvious scar on her slender, fair-skinned abdomen. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did you get that after an operation to remove your appendix?¡± That question only riled Anya up further as she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°This is the scar from a c- section!¡± Corinne was slightly taken aback and stared in disbelief at Anya, who was about the same age as her. ¡°You¡¯ve given birth to a child?¡± Anya smiled. ¡°Yes, Jeremy¡¯s child.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Anya let go of her blouse and straightened her clothes out before raising her head slowly and looking at Corinne with a sympathetic yet goading gaze. ¡°Jeremy never told you that we have a child, did he? Can you still tell me with confidence that you¡¯ll trust him unconditionally?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°How old were you when you got pregnant? Where¡¯s the child now?¡± When she saw Corinne asking for more details, Anya surmised that she must have struck a nerve with that remark. She therefore smiled and said, ¡°I thought you said that you trusted Jeremy a lot? Why don¡¯t you ask him for the details? But then again, I don¡¯t think Jeremy will admit to it or tell you the truth even if you ask him.¡± Corinne seemed to have be exceptionally curious, and she raised her eyebrows while saying, ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll take your statement at face value. If you had a child with him and you¡¯re both in love with each other, then why don¡¯t the two of you just get married? As far as I know, Jeremy¡¯s grandparents are very anxious to see their great-grandson, so what reason could there be for the two of you to hide something like that?¡± A sad memory seemed to have flowed into Anya¡¯s mind, and she said with a mncholic expression, ¡°I would expect you to know that the Riveras and the Holdens have a bit of a feud with each other, and none of our elders approve of us being together. If they both found out that I was pregnant, it would¡¯ve been very likely that the child in my womb would have to be aborted. None of them would allow me to bear a child with both the Rivera and the Holden bloodline. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°To protect me, Jeremy sent me abroad to raise the baby. He helped a lot in taking care of everything, and he made sure that no one-especially not our families-found out that I got pregnant and gave birth abroad. Why else would you think that I was away from home for more than a year and went abroad for so long?¡± Corinne frowned slightly. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me where that child is right now.¡± Anya sighed sadly, like a mother who missed her child very much. ¡°My baby has already been weaned and is being cared. for by someone else abroad. Jeremy said that he would find a way to resolve the conflict between the two families as soon as possible, and once that is done, he¡¯ll officially bring both me and my baby into the Holdens¡­ ¡°But neither of us knew that his grandfather would be so insistent on marriage at that crucial moment. Jeremy had no choice but to find someone to deal with him, and that was when he found you by chance. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised that Jeremy¡¯s heart is wavering because of you. Men always prefer novelties, and a new woman can give them a sense of freshness. I can¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯ve be his previous lover, especially since I¡¯ve already given birth to his child. ¡°But even if you¡¯re a novelty to him right now, you¡¯ll be a thing of the past one day too! Jeremy, however, will always treat me differently. I saved his life, and I gave him a child. When he¡¯s had enough fun, he¡¯ll always go back to the woman who gave birth to his child.¡± Corinne listened calmly to everything Anya said and nodded. I see, thanks for letting me know. Is there anything else you wish to tell me? If not, then please excuse me while I go get my chicken wings fresh from the grill!¡± ¦° Anya froze instantly. ¡®What the hell is wrong with this woman? Why does she react so differently from other normal people? She¡¯s always so unpredictable! How can she still think about chicken wings after knowing that her husband gave birth to a child with another woman?¡¯ Anya stared at Corinne¡¯s rear figure and gritted her teeth resentfully. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure walking out of the vi and immediately had an idea. Without further ado, she rushed forward and grabbed Corinne¡¯s arm. Corinne frowned in surprise. ¡°What else do you want, Miss Anya?¡± Anya knelt on the ground out of the blue and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault! Please don¡¯t be angry at me.¡± Then, she bounced back as if she had been kicked hard by Corinne and fell to the ground in pain. Her voice was weak as she moaned, ¡°I¡¯ve already admitted my mistake. Why did you still have to kick me, Corinne?¡± Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Corinne looked at Anya in confoundment as thettery on the ground and put on a dramatic act. At that moment, Lucas-the figure who had just walked out of the vi-rushed over and pushed Corinne away from Anya. She asked coldly, ¡°Go away! What are you trying to do to Anya? Then, without waiting for Corinne to offer an exnation, he bent down in distress and helped Anya up from the ground. Are you okay?¡± A man¡¯s strength would always be greater than that of a girl, so regardless of how stable Corinne¡¯s center of gravity was, she nearly fell over after being pushed by Lucas. She staggered a step back and tried to stand firm again, but she unfortunately slipped on the cobblestone path that was made for the vi and failed to steady herself as she fell into the small fish pond next to her. The water in the fish pond was not that deep, but because the vi was facing the mountain and thus had low night temperatures, anyone who fell into the water suddenly would be able to feel the biting cold. She propped her body up and poked her head out of the pool, looking like a drowning rat. Just as she was about to get up, a tall figure suddenly appeared beside the fish pond and jumped down before wading through the water to reach her as soon as possible. The person stretched out his long arms and then carried her uppletely. It was none other than Jeremy. Corinne shivered. ¡°It¡¯s¡­s-s-so¡­c-c-c-c-cold¡­¡± Jeremy took off the jacket he was wearing, wrapped her wet little body tightly, then lifted her in a bridal carry, and brought her out of the pond. ¡°You¡¯re all right now. You won¡¯t feel cold anymore if you go back in and change your clothes¡± On the edge of the pond, Lucas nced at the dripping -wet Corinne in Jeremy¡¯s arms, noticing that he had a hint of sarcasm in his eyes. He stepped forward and stood in front of Jeremy, saying, ¡°Before you leave, I just want you to know that I merely pushed her away to prevent her from hurting Anya. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d make the most of the situation and fall in the water too!¡± Corinne frowned because Lucas was trying to suggest that she threw herself into the water on purpose to try and draw sympathy from others. ¡®Your sister is the one who loves pretending. As expected, you only see what you want to see because she¡¯s your sister!¡¯ Jeremy looked coldly at Lucas and narrowed his eyes in displeasure. ¡°That¡¯s not a good enough reason to use brute force on a girl!¡± Lucas was in no hurry to argue with Jeremy and merely said, Did you know that your woman forced Anya to kneel just to kick her? If I hadn¡¯te over and stopped her, she might have stomped on Anya¡¯s face too!¡± Jeremy hesitated slightly, looked at the pale Anya, and asked with a frown, ¡°Are you feeling all right? Were you hurt?¡± Anya leaned against her brother and trembled in shock as she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Jeremy. Please don¡¯t me Corinne. It was my fault. Corinne only did that because she was angry¡­Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy lowered his eyebrows and looked down at the wet girl in his arms. He then asked her in a deep voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Corinne was stunned by his reaction and calmly broke free from his embrace. ¡°There aren¡¯t any surveince cameras here, and nothing I say will carry any weight, but I won¡¯t let anyone frame me for something that I didn¡¯t do. If you don¡¯t believe me either, then go ahead and make a police report so they can arrest me again!¡± After saying that, she stormed off in the direction of the vi and wanted to warm herself up as soon as possible. She would get sick if she fell into the water and was blown by the cold night wind, and risking her health for the sake of putting on a show was something she would never be willing to do. If Jeremy did not believe her, then so be it. She did not see any reason for her to argue with him about it! Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Everyone inside the vi living room was chatting enthusiastically with each other, but as soon as Corinne walked in, they all turned to her and stared at her with curious nces. ¡°Who is she? Why did shee in like this?¡± ¡°Is she trying to seduce someone with that wet, see-through look?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How the hell is she supposed to do that when she¡¯s wearing denim shorts?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s super pretty though?¡± ¡°Who came with her? Why didn¡¯t I see her around earlier?¡± They spected on her identity while staring at her and evaluating her appearance. Corinne did not care one bit about their gazes when she came in, and her main purpose there was to look for Zeke-the vi¡¯s owner-so she could ask him whether or not he could spare her a set of clean clothes. However, Zeke had never returned after his supposed bathroom break¡¯, and he was nowhere to be seen on the first floor of the vi. ¡®Isn¡¯t he the birthday boy? Where did he go?¡¯ As Corinne was looking around, Jason-who was busy chatting with a friend-narrowed his eyes pensively and ced his wine ss down as he got up and walked toward her. ¡°What happened, Corinne? Why are you all wet?¡± Corinne heard the sound and looked over to see Jason. It had been a while since shest saw him, and he was still as charming as ever before with his picturesque eyebrows, sulent red lips, and pearly white teeth. Each of his movements was elegant and delicate, almost as if he had calcted the exact angle every single time. ¡°It¡¯s you, Kind Sir! Now¡¯s the time for you to show your kindness! Did you bring any female plus-ones here today?¡± Although Corinne was in a wet and messy state, her expression was still calm andposed as ever, and her wittiness did not diminish in the slightest. ¡®Kind Sir?¡¯ She gave him a simr nickname once before, and she had gotten used to calling him that. Jason was a little dumbfounded, but he still answered her in earnest, ¡°No, but one of my female subordinates came with me. She¡¯s waiting for me in my car outside. Do you want me to ask her if she has any extra clothes?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, please. I¡¯d like to borrow some clothes and change into them!¡± ¡°No problem. Wait here.¡± Jason understood what she meant and took out his cell phone to make a call. ¡°Hey, Angie? Could you bring a fresh set of your clothes over here right now?¡± After Jason requested for her to bring the clothes, he ended the call and smiled at Corinne. ¡°You¡¯re in luck. She happened to bring along another set of clothes, and she¡¯ll have it delivered to you in no time.¡± Corinne then thanked him sincerely. ¡°Thanks, Kind Sir!¡± Jason was speechless. Despite finding it amusing, he was not used to the nickname ¡®Kind Sir¡¯. ¡°Hey! Look, you guys! Mister Jason is talking with that drenched woman!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on over there? Is she his girlfriend?¡± ¡°He always chooses the daughters of upper-ss families as hispanions, so why would he suddenly bring with him a girl that no one knows?¡± ¡°The way she dresses is nothing to shout about, but her beauty is simply out of this world!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of being beautiful? Reputation and status are far more important than looks when it comes to being Mister Jason¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How did she even be his girlfriend? The clothes she wears look so cheap that they probably don¡¯t even have a brandbel.¡± ¡°Yeah, we dress way better than her, so why does she deserve to talk to Mister Jason?¡± Zeke only invited his close friends as well as a few others who have a good rtionship with him for his simple birthday celebration. Some of his guy friends brought along their femalepanions just to liven things up a bit more. Chapter 405 Chapter 405 The women who were talking about her were mainly femalepanions whom the guys brought along, and they included popr entertainers, certified inte celebrities, and certain prominent daughters of smaller families. Jason did not like hearing thosements. With a frown, he nced unhappily at those talkative people and then said softly to the girl opposite him, ¡°There are a lot of people here, so why don¡¯t you go upstairs with me? I¡¯ll get you a towel so you can dry your hair.¡± ¡°Sure, thanks.¡± Corinne epted his suggestion because she did not want to stand there and be subject to all those nasty remarks. Before long, she went upstairs with him. As they walked slowly up the stairs, Jason nced at Corinne from the side and as she was following him, and those enchanting eyes that were often so charming seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy? Why did youe in all by yourself?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression was very calm and she replied drily, This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He¡¯s outside, probably still worried over his savior, Miss Anya. The slight bitterness in her seemingly indifferent tone prompted Jason to narrow his eyes and smile. ¡°Did the two of you fight because of Anya?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and she said in a t tone, ¡°No. I understand why Mister Jeremy shows concern for his savior, so there¡¯s nothing for me to feel awkward about. Jason was surprised to hear her reasoning, but he did notpletely believe that she would be so indifferent about it. He stared at her for a while with an inquisitive look andmented, ¡°Jeremy has always been very kind to Anya, and before you showed up, I was always under the impression that the two of them would eventually get married.¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow slightly. ¡®Eventually get married? Only lovers will eventually get married, so does that mean that Jeremy had a rtionship with Anya, at least in Jason¡¯s view?¡¯ Jason went on to say, ¡°I know Jeremy¡¯s character. He¡¯s aloof, but very upright. If Anya saved his life, then he would most certainly repay her kindness. Truth is, the care that Jeremy showed Anya these past few years, such as the way he protects and tolerates her, was so impable that even I felt touched when I saw it. ¡°However, it¡¯s not quite the ideal thing to do if I look at it from the perspective of his wife. After all, women often find it difficult to ept when their husbands show such care toward other women. I can understand why you¡¯re jealous, Corinne!¡± Corinne did not say anything because she could not be bothered to exin too much. ¡®I¡¯m not jealous; I¡¯m angry!¡¯ She was angry with the distrustful tone in which he asked her what the situation was. The attitude he had was a clear demonstration that he suspected Lucas¡¯s usations of her to be true. She thought that Jeremy knew her well, but that incident made her feel that he did not understand her at all, and worse still, think badly of her. Though she despised Anya¡¯s duplicitous nature and did not want to interact with her in any way whatsoever, Corinne would never stoop to using such crass methods to harass Anya even if she hated Anya to the core. In fact, she had absolutely no interest in wasting her time and energy on someone like Anya, and it was Anya who kept on causing trouble to her time and again. It was incredibly annoying for Corinne. Jason led her to an unupied guest room and fetched a towel from the bathroom, which he handed over to her. ¡°Take this and dry yourself up. This is the biggest guest room in Zeke¡¯s vi. He doesn¡¯t usually stay here, but each room is cleaned often, and stuff like the sheets and towels are changed regrly too. This towel is new, so you don¡¯t have to worry about any hygiene issues.¡± Jason made a point to exin everything carefully to her. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 ¡°Thank you.¡± Corinne had always been quite casual about it, so she did not mind sharing the towel. After epting the towel, she wiped away the water on her face before drying her hair. Jason smiled at her. He was the perfect gentleman, albeit the previous instances where he would constantly tease her with ill humor. He knew not to cross the line. ¡°Corinne, you can rest here for a while. I¡¯ll ask my secretary, Angie, to bring some clothes to youter.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks again, Kind Sir!¡± Corinne did not have any intention to keep him in there. She was a married woman after all, so it would not be good if she was seen with another man in a room. She had to keep her distance at all costs. Jason smiled helplessly when he heard Corinne referring to him as ¡®Kind Sir¡¯. ¡°Corinne, if you really want to thank me, you should call me by my name instead of giving me a nickname.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow nonchntly. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like being called a kind sir? I, for one, think it¡¯s the perfect nickname to show your willingness to help others.¡± ¡°Forget it¡­ It just feels like you¡¯re being sarcastic,¡± said Jason with a smile. ¡°No! I truly am grateful to you. Thank you for lending a helping hand to me today even though you¡¯re only doing this because of Jeremy, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be able to find a clean set of clothes to change into,¡± said Corinne seriously, meaning every word she said. The smile on Jason¡¯s face froze for a moment and his forehead began to crease up. ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t help you because of Jeremy. I helped you because it¡¯s you I want to help. Even without Jeremy, we¡¯re still friends, right?¡± Corinne looked at Jason¡¯s handsome and enchanting face, thought for a while, then nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided we¡¯re friends from today onward! Now¡­ Kind-I mean, Jason, you can leave the room now. I need to dry myself up, and even though we¡¯re friends now, it doesn¡¯t mean I can show you my bare self.¡± She then pushed Jason out of the guest room. In fact, it would be more urate to say Jason was chased out of the room. It was quite funny to see a tall and strong man being pushed by a petite woman to the point of tripping over. The guest room door closed with a bang. Jason stared at it for a long while with a smile on his face. ¡®Why that little¡­ She still treats me the same as ever!¡¯ He recalled how she hesitated a little when he asked her whether they were friends. Even though she nodded in the end, agreeing to be his friend, she did not look that willing. ¡®She must think I¡¯m annoying. That¡¯s why she¡¯s so reluctant to be friends with me. Corinne Carew, the more I get to know you, the more interesting you get. I guess some things never change, even if your name has,¡¯ thought Jason. Jason turned around gracefully and saw his smartly dressed secretary walking up the stairs. When she saw him, she quickened her pace. ¡°Mister Jason, here are the clothes you¡¯ve asked for. May I ask why you need women¡¯s clothing?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for me. A friend of mine identally fell into the pond, got drenched, and needed a change of clothing. Angie, take the clothes you bought into her room. You can submit a im to the ounts departmentter.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Angie shook her head and her hands. ¡°Mister Jason, you¡¯re being too formal with me. These clothes aren¡¯t expensive. I don¡¯t mind giving them to your friend as a gift so I¡¯m not going to submit a im.¡± Jason did not insist since the perks he gave her every day already exceeded the value of the clothes. At that moment, arge hand came from above and took away the clothes in Angie¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± Chapter 407 Chapter 407 That hand was not Jason¡¯s. Angie was shocked. She looked up and saw Jeremy¡¯s cold face looking down at her. His sudden oppressive appearance caused her to instinctively back away. ¡°M-Mister Jeremy!¡± Jeremy calmly opened the shopping bag and looked at the clothes inside. They were indeed new since the tags were still on them. ¡®I guess they¡¯ll work in a pinch.¡± Jason looked at Jeremy and smiled. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re finally here.¡± Jeremy nodded at him and said unsmilingly, ¡°Yeah. Where¡¯s my wife?¡± ¡°She¡¯s inside andpletely drenched. I was worried that she might get sick so I brought her to the guest room to dry off.¡± ¡°In any case, thank you.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and continued, ¡°However, you shouldn¡¯t simply bring another man¡¯s wife into a room next time. Your kindness is more trouble than it¡¯s worth.¡± Jason¡¯s smile froze on his face but then he gave a quick chuckle. ¡°Jeremy, I was left with no choice but to do that. She looked like a pitiful wet puppy walking around like that. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to do that if you didn¡¯t choose to attend to your savior instead of your wife. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened and after two seconds of silence, he finally spoke, ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t something you shouldment about. Not when you don¡¯t have any idea what¡¯s really going on behind the scenes.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s my fault for being nosy then.¡± Jeremy did not say anything else. Instead, he took off the expensive watch on his wrist and gave it to Angie. ¡°I don¡¯t have much cash on me right now so please ept this watch as payment for the clothes. The watch probably costs more than the clothes but if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough, pleasee to Holden Group tomorrow and my assistant will sign you a check.¡± After that, he turned around and went into the guest room that Corinne was in. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Angie looked at the watch Jeremy gave her in a dumbstruck manner. Not only was the watch from Rolex, but it was from the brand¡¯s 100th Anniversary limited edition lineup. The watch definitely cost more than the clothes she gave Corinne. In fact, she would need to work a hundred lifetimes to be able to afford a watch like that. The watch was just too expensive for her to ept. Overwhelmed, she looked anxiously at Jason and stammered, Mister Jason, this watch¡­ Mister Jeremy¡­¡± Jason was pulled back to reality and he replied absent- mindedly, ¡°Just take it. That watch will go up in value in the future, so if you don¡¯t like it, you can sell it then and buy yourself some new clothes.¡± Angie examined the watch curiously. ¡°Mister Jason, yourdy friend who fell into the pond¡­ Is she Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I heard he married a very ordinary woman, but that¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand. How did an ordinary woman catch his attention so much that he¡¯s willing to give me this expensive watch so that she would have something to change into?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not ordinary at all,¡± replied Jason with a meaningful smile. Angie was stunned. She looked at Jason with a puzzled expression on her face. ¡®Mister Jason doesn¡¯t seem like his usual self today. His eyes¡­ They seem to be shining with excitement instead of indifference Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Jeremy entered the guest room and saw Corinne standing next. to the bed with her back against the door and drying herself off with the towel. Her unbuttoned shirt was half-hanging off her shoulders and from the back, he could see her beautiful corbone, slender neck, and fair back. He had never seen those parts of her body before, not even at home. ¡®I can¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t lock the door before undressing. What if it was not me but another man who came? Does she want the whole world to see her half-naked body?¡¯ Thinking of that made his eyebrows draw together, his face darkened, and his jaw tightened. When Corinne heard someonee in, she did not turn around but instead said, ¡°Thank you, Angie. You can just leave the clothes on the shelf over there.¡± ¡®What? She didn¡¯t even turn her head around. What a heartless woman,¡¯ thought Jeremy. The frown on his face became deeper. He narrowed his eyes. ¡® Looks like I need to teach her a lesson.¡¯ Click! Jeremy locked the door. ¡°Who are you thanking?¡± he asked in a deep voice. Corinne paused what she was doing and turned around. Her face immediately revealed an expression of shock when she saw Jeremy but itsted only for a second before her face returned to normal. ¡°Mister, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°You sound disappointed to find me here.¡± Jeremy marched steadily to where she was. Corinne immediately buttoned up her wet clothes when she saw him walking over to her. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I just thought you were Jason¡¯s secretary instead. The fact that she quickly covered herself up made Jeremy angry. ¡®I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s okay with being half-naked with the door unlocked when I¡¯m not here but as soon as I¡¯m here, she covers herself up. What the hell is this woman thinking? That everyone else in the world can see her half-naked but not me?¡¯ thought Jeremy. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He threw the shopping bag on the bed and red angrily at her. ¡°Stop drying yourself off! You should take a hot shower first. After that, dry your hair with a hairdryer and change into these clothes.¡± Corinne was unhappy with the way he red at her. It was not like she had done anything wrong, but she did not want to argue with him while she was still wet so she turned around and went into the bathroom to take a hot shower. ¡®Why¡¯s he lecturing me like that when I¡¯m the victim here? Does he have no empathy at all?¡¯ she wondered. After ten minutes or so, Corinne wrapped herself up in a towel and peeked her head out of the bathroom door. ¡°Mister, where are my clothes?¡± At that moment, Jeremy was smoking on the sofa. He narrowed his eyes, blew out some smoke rings, and gestured with his chin toward the clothes on the bed. ¡°They¡¯re over there. Are you going toe out and take them. yourselves or should I bring them in for you?¡± he asked unhappily. Corinne did not answer his question but instead rolled her eyes at him. After that, still wrapped in her towel, she shuffled toward the bed, picked up the shopping bag, and then quickly shuffled back to the bathroom. She made sure to lock the bathroom door and only came out after she had dressed. Angie¡¯s figure was more on the voluptuous side so her fashion style was more mature and sexy. The dress she had given Corinne was a wine ¨C red silky V-neck spaghetti -strap dress. The dress was designed to entuate every curve on the female body but it was one size too big for Corinne. She draped the towel over her head and dried her hair with it as she walked out of the bathroom. ¡°Mister, where did you get these clothes?¡± Jeremy looked up at her and was immediately stunned. Seeing Corinne in the wine-red dress made his blood boil with lust. She was soul-stopping beautiful and it was so rare for her to wear something so sexy like that. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Jeremy snapped out of his trance and tapped his cigarette against the ashtray. ¡°Jason¡¯s secretary gave it to me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Why didn¡¯t she just bring it in for me instead?¡± Corinne asked curiously. ¡°I just so happened to bump into her outside the door, so she asked me to bring it in for you,¡± Jeremy answered, giving her the short version of the story. ¡°Oh, alright.¡± Corinne massaged her hair with the towel and walked over to the bed to check if there were any messages on her phone. ¡°Come here!¡± Jeremy extinguished his half-smoked cigarette and crooked his finger at her. A disgusted expression appeared on Corinne¡¯s face. She was still angry at him, so she did not want to be near him at all. However, she did not like giving him the silent treatment either, so after thinking it through, she put down her phone and obediently walked over to him. ¡°Why did you ask me toe here?¡± Jeremy patted his thigh and said one word. ¡°Sit.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Is he really asking me to sit on hisp? No¡­ That¡¯ll be so awkward.¡¯ She took a few steps forward but she did not sit on hisp. Instead, she walked around him to get to the other side of the sofa. Jeremy must have predicted that she would do that, so he reached out his hand and pulled her into his lap. Corinne frowned in disgust. She pushed him away in a bid to get up. The way she looked at that moment was just like a cat who was too proud to be touched by its human. Jeremy wrapped his strong hand around Corinne¡¯s tiny waist, imprisoning her within his embrace so that she had no chance to escape. ¡°Why are you struggling like this? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you.¡± Corinne scoffed and red at him. ¡°As if I¡¯m going to believe that.¡± Jeremy thought she looked cute acting all huffy and puffy like that. He loosened his grip on her and just held her gently as he stroked his wet hair with his other hand. ¡°There, there. Be a good girl now and tell me why didn¡¯t you wait for me toe in with you?¡± ¡°I came in first because I was cold! I would¡¯ve frozen to death if I waited for you toe in with me,¡± said Corinne unhappily. Jeremy¡¯s eyes softened and his heart went out to her. He hugged her tightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you angry at me?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne pulled down her face and said honestly, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m very, very angry at you.¡± Jeremy liked that about her. She would always tell him what she was feeling so he never had to guess. It saved him the trouble of worrying about giving her the wrong answer which would make her even angrier. ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯te in with you earlier?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then tell me why you¡¯re angry at me. What did I do wrong?¡± Corinne did not beat around the bush. She red at him angrily and said, ¡°I¡¯m angry at you for asking me ¡®What happened?¡¯. Come on, Mister. Did you really think I would harass your savior? In your eyes, am I really that evil?¡± ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s what it is,¡¯ thought Jeremy. He pinched her cheeks and said, ¡°Nonsense! You¡¯re my wife, so why would I think you¡¯re evil? I wasn¡¯t there when the whole thing happened, so I had to ask you what happened so that I couldmunicate with the people who were using you.¡± Corinne seemed to be convinced by his answer. The frown disappeared from her face, but only for a second before it made its appearance again. No, she was still angry at him. ¡°Well, who should I ask then if not you? Why should I believe the words of others and not yours?¡± he asked gently. Corinne pouted and said a little less angrily, ¡°Mister, do you know how unreasonable you sound right now?¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s hair as though she was a cat. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it like it is. You know Anya saved my life, so I have no choice but to make sure I can give her a reasonable exnation. I wouldn¡¯t have gone through all that trouble if it was any other person. Earlier, I wanted toe in with you but Anya suddenly vomited everywhere and kept calling for me, so I-¡± Corinne rolled her eyes and interrupted him, ¡°Say no more. I can see where this is going.¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you now? Well, where is this going?¡± Corinne sat up a little straighter in hisp and said confidently, ¡°I understand your dilemma, Mister, because Anya is your savior and she lost something irretrievable to save you back then. So, you feel like you¡¯re deeply indebted to her. Therefore, you can¡¯t just leave her alone whenever she¡¯s in some sort of trouble. Am I right?¡± Jeremy did not deny what she said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. Please give me a little more time to repay her kindness. Once that¡¯s done, I promise you¡¯ll never have to suffer like this anymore.¡± Corinne felt a little lighter since she had unburdened herself from those words. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you trust me, I¡¯ll stop being angry. It¡¯s only right for you to repay someone for saving your life. I understand and I trust you. Jeremy knitted his brows tightly together and looked unhappily at her, ¡°Little rascal, I won¡¯t be angry at you if you vent your anger out on me, you know.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not going to vent to you. I¡¯m not that petty.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°But I am, so what are we going to do about that?¡± ¡°What do you have to be petty for? I didn¡¯t do anything to you, ¡± said Corinne quizzically. Jeremy¡¯s face sank and he asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Jason in the room with you earlier?¡± Corinne nodded calmly. ¡°Since he¡¯s your friend, I asked him to get some clothes for me. He brought me here to rest, and he went right out after giving me a towel.¡± Jeremy looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. I know nothing happened between the two of you. However, I must tell you that I don¡¯t like you being too friendly with another guy. In fact, I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t lose my temper if I see you do that. ¡°That reminds me¡­ You don¡¯t seem to mind me being friendly to other women, do you? Corinne Carew, sometimes I can¡¯t help but think that you¡¯ll be just as happy with or without me.¡± Corinne blinked her eyes innocently. ¡°Mister¡­ Are you saying that you don¡¯t have a sense of security about this rtionship, and that I¡¯ll leave you at a moment¡¯s notice?¡± Jeremy red at her. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. I have no sense of security and every day, I worry that you¡¯ll run off with another man.¡± As he said that, he squeezed her waist roughly as if to teach This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. her a lesson. A tiny wave of pain shot through Corinne¡¯s body. ¡°Mister¡­ I didn¡¯t say you¡¯re off the hook. Please have some respect for yourself, and don¡¯t mess around with me like that.¡± Jeremy did not take her words to heart. He gently tickled her underarm and said, ¡°You¡¯re my wife so I can mess around however I want with you.¡± Corinne tried to endure the itching and numbness coursing through the upper half of her body and corrected him, ¡°No! Ours is a sham marriage! We don¡¯t even have a marriage certificate to prove we¡¯re really married.¡± Jeremy would have forgotten all about it if she had not brought it up. One of his eyebrows shot up when he asked, Shall we go get one tomorrow?¡± Corinne was stunned and started blushing. ¡°Ahem, please don¡¯t misunderstand me, Mister. I didn¡¯t mean that we should go get a marriage certificate.¡± Jeremy moved a little closer to her and put his chin on her forehead. ¡°I want to get one. Do you? It¡¯ll mean a lot to me,¡± he said softly. Their faces were so close to each other that Corinne could feel his warm breath on her skin. She was so nervous she could hear the pounding in her heart. She pushed his face away and said, ¡°Stop it, Mister. You shouldn¡¯t joke about something like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m being serious.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to do that tomorrow. We can talk about this in the future. Besides, I still need to evaluate your performance to see if I¡¯m satisfied with it.¡± Jeremy knew it would not be that easy to convince her to marry him. He smiled haplessly and said, ¡°Okay, take all the time you need since sooner orter, you¡¯ll definitely give in to me.¡± Corinne could not help but feel that he looked at her as if sizing up a prey. Without her noticing, the strap of her dress had already slipped down to her elbow. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 The dress was too big for her. Not to mention, it was designed to make the wearer look sexy. Her strap slipped down, making her look all the more seductive with her gleaming pale shoulder and neck. The scent of her body wash wafted off her skin and thebined effect of her smell and look caused Jeremy¡¯s eyes to burn with lust and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down. Corinne noticed the weird look in Jeremy¡¯s eyes. Following his gaze, she looked down at her body, only to discover that the already low neckline had plunged even lower because her strap had slipped off. She blushed with shame as her hand instinctively shot up to cover her chest. ¡°Hey! Stop staring at my chest, Mister!¡± She quickly pulled up her strap with another hand before moving that hand to cover her chest too. Hell would freeze over before she let him see that part of her body. However, the one-size-too-big dress was too loose on her, so without her even moving, the straps moved on their own ord again. Unfortunately, both straps slipped down then. Corinne was so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole and hide it in. Panicking, she fumbled as she tried to get both straps up at the same time. Jeremyughed at her clumsiness. He then hooked both of the spaghetti straps with his slender fingers and put it back on her shoulder. However, he did not move his fingers away from her after that. Instead, he brushed her shoulder ever so lightly. ¡°I just can¡¯t get enough of your fair skin,¡± he purred admiringly, wiping the drool off the corner of his lips. While being praised for her fair skin, Corinne noticed the scent of pheromonesing off him. She shot up with rm and said, ¡°Ahem. I should go out now that I¡¯ve already changed.¡± Jeremy did not move from his seat. Instead, he grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving. ¡°You¡¯re not going out dressed like that.¡± ¡°But¡­ I-I want to go eat barbecue. Wait, no, I mean¡­¡± Corinne shook her head to clear her mind. Then she turned around to look at Jeremy and asked quizzically, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the dress I¡¯m wearing?¡± Jeremy frowned and said disapprovingly, ¡°With that little fabric on your skin, you might as well be wearing lingerie.¡± Corinne did not know whether tough or cry at that. ¡°Come on, Mister. With your status, you should¡¯ve been to a lot of parties where the women dressed in clothes skimpier than this, so you can drop the innocent act, alright?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°So what if I¡¯ve seen women dressed in skimpier clothes than yours? They¡¯re them and you¡¯re you! I won¡¯t allow you to go out like this. Your body is only for my eyes to see. Stay here and I¡¯ll ask someone to deliver the food to you.¡± ¡°No! I want to eat outside!¡± insisted Corinne. Jeremy frowned and in a sterner tone said, ¡°Listen to me!¡± No way would Corinne listen to him. She had a feeling that she would be ravished by Jeremy if she stayed in the room any longer, so she shook his hand off and ran away. Jeremy stood up and before Corinne even took two steps, he grabbed her wrist again. The sudden force caused Corinne to spin back and crash into his strong chest. Without giving her a chance to recover, Jeremy cupped her face with his strong hands and kissed her hard on the lips without warning. He grinded his lips against hers before moving down to her chin, then to her neck. There, he bit her lightly as if kissing her was not enough. Corinne started to panic. ¡°Hey, stop. Mister, no!¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 In the meantime, Sunny had just grilled up a te of his secret. sauce chicken wings. He added some special seasoning and confidently brought it out for Corinne to try so that she would know what a real good chicken wing tastes like. However, when he looked up, he realized that there was no one at the gazebo. ¡®Where¡¯s everyone?¡¯ Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He remembered Anya dragged Corinne over to the gazebo for a chat earlier, yet they were nowhere to be seen. Sunny scratched his head in confusion. He then carried the te of chicken wings inside to look for them. Sunny looked around the mansion for Corinne but still came up empty-handed. However, he saw Lucas and Anya sitting and talking on the sofa so he went over there with the te of chicken wings still in his hand. ¡°Anya, have you seen Corinne?¡± he asked. Anya was leaning against Lucas. She looked ufortable and a little pale in the face. She tried to speak but had no energy to do so, coughing after every word. ¡°Oh, hi¡­ Corinne¡­ She¡¯s¡­¡± A worried frown appeared on Lucas¡¯ face. He patted her on the back to make her stop coughing. Then, he red at Sunny and barked out a question. ¡°Why are you looking for her?¡± All of a sudden, Sunny felt this immense pressure pressing down on his body. He held up the te of chicken wings and stammered, ¡°I just¡­ I grilled some chicken wings and I want her to taste it¡­¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. There was a look of hatred specially reserved for his idiot brother. ¡°Your sister isn¡¯t feeling well and all you can think about is bringing food to other people?¡± he asked sarcastically. #1 Sunny was struck dumb. He immediately turned toward Anya and only then did he realize Anya did not look too good. Anya, what¡¯s wrong? Did you get a cold outside?¡± he asked. worriedly. Just now, he was so focused on showing off his chicken wing grilling skill to Corinne that he did not even notice Anya¡¯s difort. Anya coughed weakly again before waving her hand. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Sunny became even more worried after Anya insisted she was fine when she obviously was not. Lucas held Anya gently as he scolded Sunny, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see Corinne harassing Anna when you were outside? How can you still think about bringing food to your sister¡¯s bully when she¡¯s the one who spoils you the most in this household!?¡± Sunny was stunned. ¡°What? Corinne harassed Anya?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Yeah! If not, why would Anya suddenly fall sick again when she was just fine moments ago?¡± It made Sunny even more confused. ¡°Anya, what exactly is going on? I saw you dragging Corinne over to the gazebo to have a talk with her. What happened after that? I was so busy grilling the chicken wings that I didn¡¯t see what happened.¡± Anya lowered her eyes and silently shook her head as though she did not want to make things worse for Corinne by bringing up the matter. Lucas, however, had no intention to cover up Corinne¡¯s crime. ¡°Corinne forced Anya to kneel before her before kicking her to the ground.¡± His face became dark, and his jaw tightened just thinking about the image. Anya wiped away her tears pitifully before saying, ¡°Stop, Lucas. I don¡¯t want to make Sunny worry about me.¡± Sunny frowned in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Anya, there must be some misunderstanding. Corinne would never do something like that. She¡¯s not that kind of person!¡± Anya did a double take at his words. She thought she had heard wrong. Otherwise, why would her little brother-who had always taken her side-suddenlye to Corinne¡¯s defense? Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Anya was not happy at all. However, she did not show it on her face. Instead, she pretended to be kind and understanding ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sunny. I¡¯m fine and I¡¯m sure Corinne didn¡¯t mean to do that, so¡­ Let¡¯s just forget about it.¡± Sunny nodded confidently. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean it too. There must be some misunderstanding. I¡¯ll go ask her about itter.¡± Anya was speechless. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Unbelievable! My own brother would rather believe Corinne is innocent than to ept the fact that she harassed me! Did she slip him a love potion or something?¡¯ thought Anya. Lucas witnessed their interaction with a sullen face. Then, he suddenly said sternly and sarcastically, ¡°You seem to be very confident about what kind of person Corinne is. Tell me, did she bribe you with something?¡± Sunny felt pressured when he realized just how dark Lucas¡¯ face was. ¡°No¡­ She didn¡¯t, but she helped me out a few times. and she never asked for a favor in return. I figured someone like that can¡¯t be all that bad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all? What you¡¯re saying is that Corinne is a good person and Anya is lying about what happened?¡± questioned Lucas with a cold look in his eyes. ? Sunny shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I just think some kind of misunderstanding must¡¯ve happened between them. Corinne would never assault Anya! She definitely isn¡¯t that kind of person!¡± He emphasized the word ¡®definitely¡¯, making Lucas and Anya wonder just how confident he was about Corinne¡¯s character that he would use the word ¡®definitely¡¯ without hesitation. Sunny rarely butt heads with Lucas, who was even stricter than their father. Therefore, he did not know where he got the courage to talk back to Lucas like that. In any case, he did not like how Lucas spoke about Corinne. The argument between the two brothers seemed to have attracted attention from others. ¡°Are Mister Lucas and Mister Sunny arguing with each other? I wonder what happened?¡± ¡°Miss Anya seems to be caught in the middle. Look, she¡¯s crying!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Mister Sunny deathly afraid of his brother? Something must¡¯ve happened for him to hold his ground like that.¡± ¡°Who knows? They were fine just moments ago.¡± Lucas stared at Sunny for a while, deep in thought as a multitude of emotions shed through his eyes. ¡®This half-brother of mine has always been scared of me ever since we were young. In fact, he doesn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly around me. Now, he dares to talk back to me just because of Corinne. Well, I¡¯m d he¡¯s manned up, but he should know that familyes first!¡¯ thought Lucas. He did not want to humiliate Sunny in front of so many people so he decided to give him a way to back down. ¡°Whether or not what happened today was a misunderstanding, you¡¯re to stay away from Corinne. In other words, you¡¯re not allowed to talk to her unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡± Sunny frowned and stubbornly said, ¡°She¡¯s my friend! I have to talk to her. Sorry, Lucas, but I¡¯m not going to listen to you this time.¡± ¡°You son of a gun!¡± shouted Lucas angrily. ¡®I already gave him a way out, yet he still dares to defy my order. Is it all because of that Corinne?¡¯ Sunny took a deep breath in a bid to shore up his courage. ¡°L- Lucas, don¡¯t forget that Corinne saved grandfather. Our family is indebted to her so don¡¯t you think it would make us seem a little ungrateful if you forbid me to talk to her?¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Anya had never seen Lucas and Sunny fight like that, so she did not know what to do. Everyone knew Sunny lived in fear of Lucas. In fact, even if Lucas said one plus one equals three, Sunny would not dare say otherwise. It was unprecedented for Sunny to contradict Lucas like that, and it was all Corinne¡¯s fault. The onlookers watched excitedly from a distance as the argument unfolded. Anya did not want her family to be aughingstock, so she tugged on Lucas¡¯ sleeves. ¡°Lucas, forget it. Sunny¡¯s right. I must¡¯ve misunderstood Corinne¡¯s intention. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean to kick me, so please don¡¯t fight with Sunny anymore. He¡¯s still at that age when boys are stupid¡­¡± Anya slowly got up and sighed with resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs to talk to Corinne and Jeremy. It¡¯s best if we clear up this misunderstanding as soon as possible.¡± She then walked toward the stairs to find Corinne and Jeremy. To be honest, she had long wanted to do that. Earlier, she pretended to be sick so that Jeremy would stay with her. However, he left without turning back to go upstairs to look for Corinne as soon as Anya got ¡®better¡¯. The thought of Corinne and Jeremy alone in the room made her feel like a boulder that she could not push away was pressing on her chest. ¡®Corinne might start undressing because she wants to get out of her wet clothes¡­ Then, sparks will fly and they¡¯ll start¡­ No! Jeremy is mine. I won¡¯t allow them to do that!¡¯ It was a good thing she had a valid excuse to go check on them. However, Lucas could not help but frown with worry when he saw his fragile sister walking up the stairs alone. He then turned and red at that idiot brother of his. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Sunny, what¡¯s wrong with you? Not only are you bad at your studies but now you¡¯ve teamed up with an outsider to torment your sister?¡± Sunny thought that Lucas¡¯ words were a little unfair. ¡°No, Lucas. You know very well that I¡¯ll always protect Anya no matter what, but Corinne isn¡¯t really the kind of person you think she is! You have no idea how many times I pestered Corinne because of Anya but she still helped me in my time of need! ¡°I can say with absolute certainty that she¡¯s one of the good ones. I¡¯ll follow Anya upstairs to look for Corinne too and ask her what happened. Like I said, there must be a misunderstanding in all of this!¡± He then turned around and followed Anya up the stairs. He had two reasons for doing that. One, he did not want to be alone with Lucas, and two, he wanted Corinne to try the chicken wings he had grilled so that she would have no choice but to bow down to his amazing cooking skills. Lucas remained seated on the fabric armchair with a refined but unfriendly expression on his face. He pinched the space between his eyebrows wearily. ¡°What am I going to do with them? My sister is infatuated with a man who will never return her feelings, while my brother is a heartless son of a gun! When will they ever make me stop worrying about them?¡¯ The thought made him miss Luna even more. ¡®If only Luna was here. She¡¯ll never make me worry about her like this. That kid has always been more sensible, tougher, and smarter than other kids her age. Why, after taking the IQ test, the doctor confirmed that her IQ was higher than average, making her one of those rare gifted children. She knew almost all the words in the dictionary even before she started kindergarten.¡¯ Lucas remembered when he was still studying in public elementary school, his mother would wait with Luna in her arms at the intersection near their house for him toe home on the school bus. Every time the school bus arrived, Luna would jump down from their mother¡¯s arm and stumble toward him. She looked so cute with her round little belly, and she would never cry when she fell down. In fact, she would just get up, pat the dirt away, continue to run happily toward him, throw herself into his arms, and call out for him in that baby voice of hers. His life was happy and simple back then. Though it did notst for long, the memories could still warm him up whenever he thought of it. ¡®I wonder where Luna is right now¡­ I do hope she and mother are happy.¡¯ Losing his mother and sister would forever be the most painful thing to Lucas. He hated himself for being too young to help his mother. If not, she would not have left the house out of disappointment. If not, she would not have disappeared with Luna. If not¡­ While Lucas was taking a trip down memoryne, the other people had gathered into small groups to gossip about what happened. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 ¡°Who¡¯s this Corinne they¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Is she a daughter of a wealthy family?¡± ¡°Beats me. I¡¯ve never heard of her.¡± ¡°No matter who she is, she must be a force to reckon with since both Mister Lucas and Mister Sunny are fighting over her!¡± Hearing all the ruckus, Lucas cleared his throat and looked at the crowd with his piercing eyes. The gossipers immediately felt an oppressive energy washing over them, which immediately shut them up. However, the gossipers were right about one thing-Corinne was a force to be reckoned with. The fact that Sunny, who never showed any interest in any girls before, woulde to Corinne¡¯s defense was proof of that. Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡®What the hell does Corinne want? Isn¡¯t it enough that she has Jeremy already? Why would she be interested in Sunny? I¡¯m starting to suspect that her helping out grandfather at the embankment was all a ploy for her to get closer to us.¡¯ In the guest room on the second floor, Corinne¡¯s face flushed red with embarrassment. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m going to get angry if you don¡¯t stop¡­¡± Corinne growled between gritted teeth. She was trapped in Jeremy¡¯s embrace for over five minutes as he kissed her neck lightly, sometimes aggressively. She was sure he would leave hickeys all over her skin. Jeremy could hear the panic in her voice, so he gave her onest peck on her skin and proceeded to straighten himself up so he could take a good look at his ¡®work of art¡¯. He stroked her hickey-studded neck lightly and said confidently, ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want others to see all these hickeys on your neck, do you? So just stay here and I¡¯ll bring back some barbecue food for you.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Damn this evil old man! He did it on purpose. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d do this just so I won¡¯t go out dressed like this. What¡¯s wrong with this dress anyway? Yes, it¡¯s a little revealing but it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be going out naked! He¡¯s so possessive. Does he really think everyone is a perv like him?¡¯ The more she thought about the more angrier she got so much so that her cheeks were blown up like a pufferfish. A faint smile appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡®She¡¯s even cute when she¡¯s angry.¡¯ This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He gently brushed his fingers through her hair and said, ¡± There, there. Just wait here, okay?¡± He then left the room to get some food for Corinne. Corinne immediately strode angrily to the bathroom. Her eyebrows started creasing together when she saw the hickeys Jeremy gave her in the bathroom mirror. Thinking back to how he hungrily sucked on her neck like a vampire out for blood made her blush again. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. ¡®Oh! He¡¯s back already? That¡¯s fast¡­ Wait, he never knocks!¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne wrapped a clean towel around her neck, making sure that all the hickeys were covered before going out to open the door. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Corinne opened the door and saw Sunny and Anya standing behind one another outside the threshold. ¡®Oh my god, they¡¯re so annoying,¡¯ thought Corinne. She did not have the mood to deal with both of them so she raised her eyebrow and coldly spat out one word, ¡°Yes?¡± Anya looked at Corinne first and then she took a nce inside the room before softly saying, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m sorry¡­ After thinking about it, I have to admit that I¡¯ve misunderstood you earlier. I knelt down on the ground because I thought you wanted me to do that and¡­ I know you didn¡¯t mean to kick me. ¡°You must¡¯ve identally brushed against me when you were walking¡­So I¡¯m really, really sorry for making Lucas think you were bullying me and for getting you pushed into the pond. Can you please forgive me, Corinne?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and thought, ¡®Here she is with her pitiful act again.¡¯ Then she smirked and said out loud, ¡°Miss Anya, there¡¯s no need for you to put on this act because I can assure you Jeremy is not inside the room right now.¡± Anya was stunned. She did not really believe her so she scanned the room again. ¡®Is he really not here?¡¯ Corinne was right. Anya was indeed putting up an act for Jeremy. She would not have apologized to Corinne if he was not there. There was no point for her to do that since her rtionship with Corinne had be unsalvageable. However, Sunny was there with them so Anya still had to somewhat keep up the pretense. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not the hypocrite you think I am. I truly came to apologize to you with all my heart. I¡¯m really, really sorry so please forgive me.¡± Judging from the indifferent expression on Corinne¡¯s face, she was not moved by Anya¡¯s plea as she knew what kind of person she really was. Anya might have looked like she was being sincere but Corinne knew that what she was doing was just a form of emotional ckmail. After all, it would make Corinne seem like she was a heartless b*tch who liked to prey on the weak if she did not forgive Anya, who had apologized to her sincerely again and again. In most cases like that, those in Corinne¡¯s situation would choose to forgive Anya to avoid being labeled negatively by other people. However, Anya had chosen the wrong person to mess with since Corinne did not care what others think of her. Corinne would never cave under the pressure of having to forgive her. Corinne smiled and said, ¡°Save it, Miss Anya. Don¡¯t waste your Oscar-worthy acting skills on me. I¡¯ll never fall for your act nor do I want any drama in my life.¡± Anya put on a hurt look as if she had been wrongfully used by Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m not acting¡­ Why do you keep insisting that I am? Do you really hate me that much?¡± ¡®Hate? More like disgusted by you,¡¯ thought Corinne. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She yawned, not wanting to waste her time on Anya anymore. ¡®Anything I say now will juste back to bite meter, so I might as well keep my mouth shut.¡¯ Corinne was about to close the door so that she could return to some peace and quiet when Sunny suddenly walked up to her with a te of chicken wings in his hand. His handsome face was full of youthful spirit when he asked, ¡°Corinne, what happened in the gazebo earlier? Lucas said that you forced Anya to kneel down in front of you and that you even kicked her! Is that true?¡± ¡®Tsk! What¡¯s up with this brother and sister duo? Why won¡¯t they just leave me alone?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. She was so annoyed at how they just would not let her be. She covered her mouth and yawned again. Then, she said impatiently, ¡°Your sister suddenly knelt down in front of me and fell on her own ord. That¡¯s all that happened. Nothing more and nothing less.¡± Corinne gave the short version of the story because she felt like it would be pointless to exin too much. Those who believed her would believe her anyhow, and those who did not, well, they would never change their minds no matter what she said. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what happened!¡± Sunny nodded, believing her right off the bat. He then turned to face Anya and said. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 ¡°I understand what happened now, Anya! You must¡¯ve mistakenly thought Corinne wanted you to kneel down before her but you lost your bnce and fell to the ground. Then, Lucas just so happened to see thatst part and thought you fell because Corinne kicked you.¡± Anya was speechless. ¡®Is this idiot really my brother? How can he take her side and not mine?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s eyebrow quirked up. She was surprised by what Sunny said. ¡®I guess he finally has some sense knocked into him. He finally believes me after all those times of taking Anya¡¯s side.¡¯ Anya chuckled dryly and added to Sunny¡¯s conclusion, ¡°Yeah, that could be it. I could have misheard since I was feeling a little dizzy from the cold¡­¡± The image Anya liked to portray to others had always been one of kind and gentle, so even though she disagreed with Sunny¡¯s statement, she did not dare to argue with him. After clearing up the misunderstanding, Sunny excitedly shoved the te of chicken wing in front of Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°Here, I¡¯m giving you a chance to try my special sauce chicken wings! They¡¯re a little cold now, but I can guarantee that you¡¯ve never eaten a chicken wing as delicious as this in your whole life,¡± he said proudly. Corinne was indeed hungry so she did not hesitate to grab a chicken wing from the ce. ¡°Hey, this is quite good. Yum!¡± Sunny lifted his chin smugly. ¡°What did I say? I was telling the truth, right?¡± Corinne gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Yup, you truly live up to your reputation of being the best barbecue cook in the city! This is really great!¡± Sunny was starting to feel embarrassed by all the praise she was heaping on him and to cover it up, he tooted his own horn a bit more. Anya watched sinisterly at the two of them eating and talking happily with each other. She could not help but feel her territory had been encroached upon and the enemy was right inside her own home. ¡®Why does it feel like I¡¯m the outsider here? He¡¯s my baby brother, not hers!¡¯ thought Anya. Suddenly, she smiled and approached them, ¡°Sunny, can I try the chicken wings you¡¯ve cooked?¡± Then, she reached out to take a piece of the chicken wing in a bid to show Corinne that she was Sunny¡¯s favorite person in the whole world. However, Sunny moved the te away to prevent her from taking any of the chicken wings. Anya¡¯s face immediately darkened. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anya, you shouldn¡¯t eat this since they¡¯ve be cold. Have you forgotten that you¡¯ll get a tummy ache if you eat cold food?¡± Anya was stunned but then she nodded happily. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. You¡¯re so thoughtful, Sunny. I can always trust you to take care of me, but you should extend that consideration to others too. I¡¯m sure the cold chicken wings will upset Corinne¡¯s stomach too,¡± she said with a smile. ¡®Ha! See that, Corinne? He doesn¡¯t mind giving you cold food at all!¡¯ thought Anya. It was only then Sunny realized what he said was a little unfair to Corinne, so he quickly exined to her, ¡°Ahem, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, Corinne. My sister has been sickly since she was young, so she¡¯ll get inmmation in her gut if she eats any cold food. However, for us healthy people, we¡¯ll be fine eating these cold chicken wings.¡± To prove that he was not ying favorites, he then picked up a chicken wing and started to eat it. Corinne had better things to do than to care about that. In fact, she would not even care a lick if Sunny was indeed ying favorites. Anya was his sister after all, so it would be normal for him to give her preferential treatment. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can I have all the chicken wings here?¡± asked Corinne. Happy to know that Corinne really loved his chicken wings. Sunny smiled proudly and said, ¡°Of course! You can have it all since you like it so much.¡± Corinne epted the te of chicken wings without hesitation. ¡°Thanks! You can leave these here and the two of you can leave now.¡± Sunny was speechless. He did not want to leave. For some reason, he liked hanging out with Corinne. Not only was she funny but he felt as if she was family. He tried toe up with an excuse to stay there with her when he suddenly realized something odd. ¡°Corinne, why is there a towel wrapped around your neck?¡± he asked curiously. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 A weird expression shed across Corinne¡¯s face. She subconsciously touched the towel on her neck and said, ¡°Oh¡­ I was feeling cold!¡± Sunny frowned and said quizzically, ¡°A towel can¡¯t keep you warm at all. You should put on my jacket instead.¡± Then he turned to Anya and asked, ¡°Anya, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all warmed up by now, right?¡± Anya was stunned. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m not cold anymore.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Can you please take off the jacket and give it to Corinne to wear? She fell into the pond earlier, so we need to make sure she doesn¡¯t catch a cold,¡± he said seriously. It was only then that Anya realized she was still wearing Sunny¡¯s jacket. Her smile slowly faded at the way Sunny was asking her for the jacket. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay. Yes, we must make sure Corinne doesn¡¯t catch a cold.¡± She had no choice but to kindly take the jacket off herself and give it back to Sunny. Sunny took the jacket without hesitation and passed it to Corinne. ¡°Here, put this on.¡± Corinned nced at the jacket in front of her and then raised her eyebrow at the sincere -looking Sunny. She then smiled and waved her hand. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Sunny shoved the jacket into her hands and said, ¡°Just put it on. There¡¯s no need to be a stranger with me.¡± ¡°I appreciate the gesture but there¡¯s really no need¡­¡± However, Sunny would not take no for an answer. He thought she was just being polite so he grabbed the towel wrapped around her neck and forcefully put his jacket on her shoulders. All of a sudden, the hickeys around Corinne¡¯s neck were out in the open for everyone to see, causing them to start thinking. Anya was initially stunned before she became angry. ¡®Are those ¡­ Just how much does Jeremy love her to kiss her so fiercely?¡¯ Sunny stared at the hickeys and all sorts of scenarios shed through his mind. Corinne turned beet red. She touched her forehead and tried to exin, ¡°Umm¡­ So¡­¡± ¡°Corinne! Did your allergies re up again?¡± asked Sunny seriously, thinking he had found the reason for her hickeys. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone? Wait here. I¡¯ll call for an ambnce.¡± Corinne was speechless. The corners of her mouth began to twitch uncontrobly. She quickly stopped Sunny when she realized he was actually going to make a call. ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s not that serious this time. We shouldn¡¯t tie up the emergency line with matters such as this. There could be people who are in more serious condition than me.¡± She would definitely be the talk of the hospitals in New Capital City if she was admitted to the hospital because of some hickeys. Not to mention, she once was sent to the hospital in an ambnce because she was suffering from period cramps and she had Jeremy to thank for that. Suddenly, she remembered that her period had note this month. In fact, it should havee a couple of weeks ago. ¡°Corinne, stop being so stubborn. Having an allergic reaction is nothing to be ashamed about,¡± lectured Sunny seriously, insisting on calling the emergency hotline. ¡°I¡¯m not being stubborn!¡± Corinne did not know what else to say. In fact, she was so close to being at a loss for words. ¡®This kid is so annoying! It seems like he¡¯s bent on making my life difficult. I seriously can¡¯t tell whether he¡¯s more annoying when he was being mean to me in the past or now when he¡¯s being nice to me.¡¯ Anya¡¯s eyes became darker and darker, providing a stark contrast to her usual doe-eyed innocent look, when she saw how worried Sunny was over Corinne. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± asked Jeremy authoritatively. Corinne and Sunny-who were still fighting over whether there was a need to call the emergency hotline-immediately turned toward him. Jeremy stood emotionlessly, staring at them coldly from far away. ¡°Jeremy!¡± The darkness in Anya¡¯s eyes immediately dissipated when she realized Jeremy hade. She put on her innocent doe-eyed look and ran over to him. ¡°Jeremy, I came here to apologize to Corinne for the misunderstanding between us, but it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s willing to forgive me,¡± she said with a pitiful sigh. Jeremy nced at Anya, and then at Sunny, before finally fixing his gaze on the jacket Corinne was wearing on her shoulder. He narrowed his eyes unkindly and asked, ¡°Whose jacket is that?¡± Corinne did not know how to answer him. A chill went up Sunny¡¯s spine as he tried to exin, ¡°Corinne said she was cold, so I gave her my jacket to wear, and¡­ She seems to be having an allergic reaction so I wanted to call an ambnce for her, but she stopped me¡­ Jeremy, you should talk some sense into her.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. He was already not happy to find out Corinne was wearing Sunny¡¯s jacket, but the fact that Sunny stared worriedly at Corinne¡¯s neck made him even angrier. After all, if Sunny¡¯s gaze fell any lower, he would be looking at Corinne¡¯s plunging neckline. Jeremy walked slowly toward Corinne,pletely ignoring Anya. He gestured coldly with his chin and said, ¡°Be a good girl and give back the jacket to Sunny.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It was not like she wanted to wear it in the first ce. Sunny was the one who forced the jacket onto her after ripping the towel off her neck. In fact, she had forgotten the jacket was even on her as all of her attention had been used to stop Sunny from calling an ambnce. Corinne quickly took off the jacket and gave it back to Sunny. Subsequently, Jeremy took off his own jacket and wrapped it around Corinne so that only her head would show. There was no way he would let the others see her in that dress. Sunny took back his jacket without making a fuss, but he still could not but worry about Corinne¡¯s ¡®allergic reaction¡¯. He frowned and said, ¡°Jeremy, about the hives on Corinne¡¯s neck¡­ ¡®Why¡¯s this kid still talking about her neck? Doesn¡¯t he know to look elsewhere?¡¯ thought Jeremy angrily. He narrowed his eyes and reprimanded him, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, kid. Us adults will take care of our own business. Take your sister to Lucas now. I wouldn¡¯t want him to me me should anything happen to either of you.¡± Jeremy then put his arm around Corinne¡¯s shoulder to steer her back into the room. Anya remained rooted to the spot in shock. She watched as Jeremy and Corinne went back into the room. Without her even realizing, she was already chasing and shouting after them, ¡°Jeremy, wait!¡± Jeremy paused in his tracks and asked, ¡°Yes?¡± Anya looked at him with her big sad puppy dog eyes and said, Jeremy, do you still remember what you¡¯ve promised me?¡± Jeremy turned back to look at her with eyes filled with mixed emotions. He was silent for a while before answering softly. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, I still remember.¡± Anya nodded like a little girl. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for you then.¡± Corinne had no idea what they were talking about, but when she looked back at Anya, she realized that she was smiling in a way that gave her the creeps. Moreover, Anya deliberately put her hand on her belly and looked at her provocatively. Corinne suddenly remembered that Anya had a scar on her abdomen. ording to Anya, the scar was from a c-section. procedure. She even told Corinne that she had a child with Jeremy. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Corinne was suddenly pulled back from her thoughts when Jeremy scratched her lightly on the nose. He bent down lightly so that he could be at eye-level with her as she sat down on the bed. ¡°The barbecue grill was left unattended, so all the food got burnt. I¡¯ve already asked someone to cook some fresh food for you and he¡¯ll bring it overter,¡± said Jeremy gently. Corinne was full from the chicken wings Sunny gave her, so she did not really care whether there would be new fooding in. She raised her eyebrow slyly. ¡°Mister, you¡¯re not keeping any deep, dark secrets from me, right?¡± Jeremy hesitated slightly. He then knelt down before here, looked her deeply into the eyes, and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was satisfied with his answer. She did not take Anya¡¯s bullsh*t at all. In fact, she would have forgotten about the child matter if Anya had not smiled so creepily at her earlier. After spending time with Jeremy for over two months, Corinne was sure about one thing-Jeremy¡¯s impable character. She knew he was not the type that would abandon his own child. Besides, knowing how much Anya liked to manipte people, Corinne was also sure that Anya would definitely use their ¡®so- called kid¡¯ to make Jeremy marry her. It would be out of character for Anya to keep it a secret. Jeremy looked at her and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly ask me that?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just curious, that¡¯s all. By the way, do you want to try some of Sunny¡¯s chicken wings? They¡¯re really good.¡± She then picked up a chicken wing, which was sitting on top of the bedside table, and brought it over to Jeremy¡¯s mouth. Jeremy smiled and opened up his mouth. ¡°Mm. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s delicious. You should have more since you like them so much, and we¡¯ll go home after that.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremy patted her on the head and looked at her with eyes full of adoration. ¡°Eat up, my little rascal.¡± He was secretly angry at himself for not taking better care of Corinne. His n for the day was to bring her out to have some fun but in the end, the whole pond thing happened, so he swore to himself that he would never let something like that happen again. It was alreadyte at night by the time Jeremy and Corinne got back home. He walked her to her room and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going on an overseas business trip tomorrow. Make sure to take good care of yourself while I¡¯m not here, okay? Don¡¯t go out too much and don¡¯t make me worry.¡± ¡°How long will you be gone for?¡± ¡°Around half a month.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Why do you need to be there for so long?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and smiled. ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s going to miss me. How about a goodbye kiss then?¡± He bent down and tilted his head sideway. Corinne smiled but the smile did not reach her eyes. She then patted Jeremy¡¯s cheek and said cheekily, ¡°Haha, nice try, Mister. Have a safe trip and goodnight.¡± After that, she went into her room and locked the door. Jeremy was speechless. He did not know whether tough or cry. ¡®That cheeky little rascal. I¡¯m only asking for a kiss. Why does she like to torment me so much?¡¯ Half a monthter, Corinne had been spending all her time designing the headquarters of Holden Group in the time that Jeremy was abroad. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Jeremy said she did not put her heart and soul into the first draft she sent him so she used up every ounce of her creativity this time to finallyplete the new drawing before he came back. She emailed the new drawing to him and waited patiently for his reply. ¡®There should be no problem this time,¡¯ she thought. She Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. could finally take a mental break now that shepleted the design. She turned on her phone, wanting to y a game to rx, but identally caught a glimpse of the date. Today was thest day of her three-month agreement with Jeremy. ¡®Wow, has it been three months already? How time flies!¡¯ she thought. Her rtionship with Jeremy was a little Previously, she waited for this day toe but now she did not want to leave that much anymore. In the half-month that Jeremy was abroad, he would video ¨C call her every night just so that he could see her, talk to her, and tell her goodnight. She was more than happy to ept his video call and was curious to find out what he was up to as well. She was starting to miss him a little bit. ¡®Maybe I can consider making this rtionship official once hees back,¡¯ the thought made her blush, ¡®so this is what it feels like to miss someone.¡¯ She tapped on the messaging app, wanting to text him to ask him what he was doing. However, the red circle with the numbers 99+ at the top of her chat window caught her eye. She took a closer look and discovered that the profile picture was a pretentious selfie of Sherlyn. Corinne raised her eyebrow, clicked into the chat window, and started to read the messages. Each sentence, without exception, was punctuated by a spattering of swear words. Sherlyn sent those vicious messages ever since she and her parents were kicked out of the mansion that day. The messages got even more vicious as time passed. Sometimes, Corinne would read the messages as a way to amuse herself but most of the time she chose to ignore them. because she did not have the time or energy to waste on the Carews. It just so happened that she had nothing to do today so what better time than to go home and make a clean break from them? Corinne rang the doorbell at Carew¡¯s mansion. It had been a while since she stepped foot inside the mansion. Sherlyn who had a sheet mask on her face ¨C opened the door. Her eyes immediately snapped wide open when she saw it was Corinne at the door. ¡°Oh, look what the cat dragged in,¡± she said sarcastically, isn¡¯t this the high and mighty Corinne? What are you doing here when you have the Holden family at your beck and call? Surely your own family is nobody to you now. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re sick of you already and that¡¯s why you¡¯vee here to ask us to take you back.¡± Corinne remained calm and indifferent. ¡°I only came back to take back what¡¯s mine,¡± she said with a smile. Sherlyn knitted her brows together, gritted her teeth, and red viciously at Corinne. ¡°Take back what¡¯s yours? Just how shameless can you be, Corinne? What could you possibly have in this house? Are you talking about the junk in the attic? Well, sad to say but I¡¯ve already thrown them away ¡¯cause I thought they were trash so what else do you want to take back? Our father was the one who raised you up and yet you forgot all about him the moment you married into a wealthy family. Not to mention, Jeremy should¡¯ve been mine! I have no idea why you turned out to be like this! Get out of here, you heartless b*tch! You¡¯re not wee here!¡± Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Corinne was not fazed by Sherlyn¡¯s hysterics. Judging by thezy yawning she did just now, she was bored by the whole thing. Suddenly, she smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t care whether I¡¯m weed here or not. I¡¯m just here to take back my engagement gifts.¡± At the mention of the ¡®engagement gifts¡¯, Sherlyn¡¯s whole body immediately tensed up. Then she frowned angrily and said, ¡°What right do you have to take away the engagement gifts?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re asking me what right do I have? If I remember correctly, those engagement gifts are from my husband, are they not? Therefore, I have every right to take them away.¡± The words, my husband, made Sherlyn even angrier. ¡®How dare she call Jeremy her husband? He was supposed to be mine! If only he didn¡¯t get seduced by Corinne.¡¯ The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She pointed her finger at Corinne and shouted, ¡°Corinne Carew, I had enough of your bullsh*t! Jeremy didn¡¯t give those engagement gifts to you. You know d*mn well he gave them to me so they belong to me and not you! You were the one who stole my man away from me, you shameless b*tch, so how dare youe here to take away my engagement gifts?! I can¡¯t believe you would even think of that! I warn you, Corinne, don¡¯t ever push your luck!¡± Sherlyn already lost her dream man so h*ll would freeze over before she let Corinne take those engagement gifts away from her. The engagement gifts Jeremy gave to the Carews were all expensive items. She knew any one of them could fetch hundreds and thousands of dors in the market. It was very important for her to hang on to those engagement gifts because she had no job and no possible way to go back to acting since she crossed the most famous director in the country ¨C Director Goran Sheffield. Therefore, she was hoping to eke out her living with the engagement gifts. ¡®No way am I going to let her take away my engagement gifts!¡¯ thought Sherlyn. ¡°Sherlyn, who¡¯s there? Why are you shouting at the door?¡± Lilliana heard themotion outside so she came out to the entrance to see what was going on. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sherlyn looked back at Lilliana and pointed with her lips at Corinne. ¡°Corinne¡¯s here and guess why she¡¯s back? She has the face toe back and ask me to give back the engagement gifts,¡± she said viciously and superciliously. ¨C and said Lilliana¡¯s reaction was the same as Sherlyn¡¯s when she heard Corinne came back to take away the engagement gifts. She frowned, walked over to stand beside Sherlyn, looked at Corinne who was still outside the door unhappily, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯ve crossed the line this time. Isn¡¯t it enough that you stole Jeremy from Sherlyn? How can you even think ofing here and taking away the engagement gifts? Your father will never forgive you or let you do this to Sherlyn if he finds out about this.¡± Corinne looked calmly at her stepmother. ¡°I came back to take back what¡¯s mine so I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s permission. I, only, have the right to say what can be done to my personal belongings.¡± Lilliana did not believe Marvin would ever let Corinne take away those engagement gifts so she rolled her eyes and said, Don¡¯t get offended when I say this but is there no end to your greed? You should just give up the engagement gifts since your already got Jeremy!¡± ¡®Me? Greedy? Ha! No matter how greedy I am, I¡¯ll never be as greedy as the two of them!¡¯ thought Corinne. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she said, ¡°Aunt Lilliana, ever since I was young, I¡¯ve never taken what¡¯s not mine but it doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t fight for what rightfully belongs to me! The engagement gifts were given by my husband so I, as his wife, have the right to take it back!¡± Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Lilliana scoffed. ¡°Oh, please! Stop using Jeremy to scare us. He would¡¯ve been Sherlyn¡¯s husband if you didn¡¯te in between them! My Sherlyn would have been the real Missus Holden then!¡± Lilliana would get so worked up every time she remembered what could have been. Corinne was speechless at just how confident Lilliana and Sherlyn were. Even now, they still did not give up on the belief that Sherlyn was the woman Jeremy wanted to marry in the first ce. ¡®Ha! As if Mister will ever fall for someone as pretentious as Sherlyn!¡¯ thought Corinne. At that moment, Marvin just woke up from his afternoon nap. Still yawning, he walked down the stairs and came to the entrance after he heard themotion outside. His eyebrows immediately shot up when he saw it was Corinne at the door. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Corinne. How dare youe back?!¡± Corinne noticed his face still carried the injuries from before; his eyes and nose were all swollen and bruised, making him look like a defeated boxer. ¡®The servants must have dragged him out and beat him up when he came to the mansion with Sherlyn and Aunt Lilliana that day,¡¯ thought Corinna. After giving it some thought, she finally nodded and said, ¡± Yeah, I¡¯vee back, and why not? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve done anything wrong.¡± Marvin red at her and gritted his teeth. He took one big step forward and pushed Sherlyn and Lilliana to the side. He then pointed angrily at Corinne and shouted, ¡°You ungrateful child! You should be ashamed toe back! How dare you order the servants to beat me up and chase me away? I swear to god, if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson today, my name is not Marvin Carew!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He raised his hand and brought it down hard on Corinne¡¯s face but before his hand could make the connection, Corinne reached out her hand and grabbed his wrist without any trouble at all. ¡°Mister Carew, I would advise you to not act so rashly. Why don¡¯t youe down ¡¯cause I¡¯d like to talk to you in private.¡± This was not the first time Marvin wanted to hit Corinne. However, in the past, she never doubted whether he was her biological father so she would always give him a little bit of leeway. Whenever he wanted to hit her, she would simply dodge his attack, instead of grabbing his wrist like she did now. She did not want to be hit nor did she want to humiliate Marvin. This was the first time she put a stop to his physical abuse. She held Marvin¡¯s wrist firmly in her hand. The expression on her face showed no respect or sympathy for him. Marvin got fat with age so he was confident he was stronger than Corinne. However, to his surprise, he could not even shake off Corinne¡¯s ¨C who was smaller and thinner than him grip. ¡®When did she get so strong? Is she the same person as the annoying little brat I know her to be?¡¯ thought Marvin. Humiliation washed over him and he med Corinne for causing him to lose his dignity as a father. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Corinne? How dare you raise your hand against me? You¡¯ll go to h*ll for this!¡± he shouted angrily. Corinne held his wrist calmly. ¡°Please calm down, Mister Carew. I have something to ask you and I only expect only the truth from you. If you do that, I can consider not taking back the engagement gifts,¡± she said lightly and slowly. Marvin was speechless. ¡®So the reason she came here is to take back the engagement gifts? D*mn if I¡¯m going to let her do that! Why, those engagement gifts were the most expensive things I¡¯ve everid eyes on in my life!¡¯ Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Although the Carews lived in a decent residential area and always used expensive items which gave people the impression that they were quite rich it was all a lie. Their lives were not as morous as they made it out to be. Marvin inherited some properties from the older generation, but those properties were not in prime locations. It would be difficult for him to sell them should he need some cash. Over the years, Marvin rented out those properties to other people, but the rent received was only a drop in the bucket for his family¡¯s expenses; it was not enough to satisfy the family¡¯s vanity and their penchant for keeping up with the Joneses. Previously, they could count on Sherlyn¡¯s acting money to live a morous life but now she was canceled and could no longer get an acting job. In other words, they were doing nothing but frittering away whatever little fortune they had left. The engagement gifts given by Jeremy were their only hope to continue living their morous life so it stood to reason they would be unwilling to let Corinne take them back. Marvin tried his hardest to free himself from his youngest daughter¡¯s restraint. However, no matter how much force he exerted, he could not shake free from her. He ¨C who always treated women as less than would never stand for this kind of humiliation. ¡°You ungrateful child! Isn¡¯t it enough that you forgot all about me after you married into a wealthy family but now you want to take back the engagement gifts? Well, let me tell you something, don¡¯t even think about it! Since time immemorial, the engagement gifts were given to the bride¡¯s parents and do you know why? It¡¯s because the father alone has the right to decide how the engagement gifts would be used so you better let go of my hand now!¡± Instead of letting him go, Corinne tightened her grip around Marvin¡¯s wrist. ¡°Mister Carew, I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. Are we or are we not going to have a little talk in private? Marvin gritted his teeth in pain, feeling that the bones in his wrist were about to be crushed. He never knew Corinne ¡ª who seemed so powerless to him was so strong. ¡°Fine! Just let go of me and we can talk in my study!¡± Only then did Corinne let go of his wrist. She then smiled and said, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go to your study then. Please lead the way.¡± Marvin shook his wrist to drive out the soreness. He then red at Corinne angrily before turning around to take her upstairs to the study. Sherlyn was a little worried that Corinne would brainwash Marvin with her sweet words so she stopped him and said anxiously, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t listen to her. There¡¯s no need for you to have a little talk with her. The only way to deal with an ungrateful and heartless daughter as she is to chase her out of the house.¡± Marvin frowned. He was not in agreement with Sherlyn. No matter how presumptuous Corinne was, she was still Jeremy¡¯s wife. Chasing her out of the house would not be a problem. He was more afraid of what woulde next should she go home crying to Jeremy. He could not afford to be beaten up by Jeremy¡¯s men again. Lilliana was also worried about leaving Marvin alone with Corinne. ¡®Who knows what trick that girl¡¯s hiding up her sleeves this time,¡¯ she thought. ¡°Marvin, I think Corinne,¡± she started to say but Marvin simply waved her away as if she was some kind of annoying fly. ¡°That¡¯s enough! The two of you shouldn¡¯t meddle in this. If she wants to talk then let her talk! I, for one, want to see what she has to say for herself!¡± Both Sherlyn and Lilliana were speechless. They failed to stop Marvin and Corinne and could only watch as the two of them went up to the study. In the study. Marvin sat down behind the desk authoritatively and asked with a straight face, ¡°Well, spit it out now. What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Without waiting for an invitation, Corinne pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°Mister Carew, be honest with me.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with my birth mother? Why, instead of her, did you go to the hospital to pick me up?¡± Marvin¡¯s face stiffened and he looked at her in astonishment, ¡°You knew about that?¡± ¡°Yeah, and I also know you¡¯re not my real father.¡± ¡®This exins why she has been addressing me as Mister Carewtely,¡¯ thought Marvin. His eyes shed as he shouted, ¡°How dare you! When are you going to stop with your nonsense? Corinne Carew, you¡¯re my daughter! Are you seriously thinking of cutting ties with your flesh and blood just because you¡¯ve married into a wealthy family?¡± Corinne remained calm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Carew, but I¡¯ve already done a paternity test and you and I have no blood ties at all so you can¡¯t fool me.¡± Marvin did a double-take. He never expected that she would do something like this. ¡°How dare you do a paternity test behind my back?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne folded her armszily. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t n for it. I just thought I might as well do it when you and Sherlyn were doing yours.¡± Marvin knew he could not hide the truth from her anymore. He gritted his teeth and scoffed.¡± So what if you have no blood ties? I was the one who brought you up and that makes me your father!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Did you? I don¡¯t seem to remember you ever doing that.¡± Marvin waspletely speechless. It was true that he did not raise this adopted daughter of his. Instead, she was thrown into the countryside and was only allowed toe back after she got into university. Moreover, she never spent a penny of this on her education since she received a full-ride schrship. Corinne did not care about that; she did note here to rehash what he did wrong as a parent. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re my real father or not because I came here to talk about my mother. Tell me everything you know about her, Mister Carew.¡± It was obvious Marvin did not want to talk about Corinne¡¯s mother at all. He knitted his brows in consternation and said seriously, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about! Whatever happens, is only between me and her! You have no right to butt into our affairs.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s my mother! So, of course, I have the right to find out the truth about her!¡± Marvin was not in agreement with her. ¡°Even so, I still have nothing to tell you ¡¯cause I¡¯ve long forgotten what happened in the past.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten?¡± Corinne did not panic nor did she get angry. She stood up slowly and continued to say, ¡°Very well then. Since you¡¯re unwilling to tell me anything, I¡¯ll be taking the engagement gifts with me then!¡± Marvin immediately panicked at the thought of the engagement gifts getting taken away. ¡°Wait!¡± Corinne paused in her tracks and looked back at him. ¡°Yes? Has your memorye back now, Mister Carew?¡± Marvin red at her angrily. ¡°I can only tell you what I know ¡¯cause I¡¯m not sure about the rest.¡± Corinne sat back down. ¡°Okay, what do you know?¡± Thinking back to the past irritated Marvin to no end. ¡°Your mother and I used to go to the same university and she turned me down after I confessed my feelings to her. One day fifteen years ago, when I ran into her again by chance, she anxiously asked me to go to the Children¡¯s Hospital to pick you up, and we lost contact with each other after that.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s eyes tensed up. ¡°What¡¯s my mother¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Em. Em Love.¡± ¡®Em Love.¡¯ Corinne repeated her mother¡¯s name in her heart. Then she fixed her gaze on Marvin and asked, ¡°Go on. What else do you know about her?¡± Chapter 426 Chapter 426 ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest. I only know that shees from a wealthy family ¡¯cause this one time. Ahem, I happened to see her going into a very grand mansion and addressing the old couple inside as Mom and Dad.¡± Seeing how guilty Marvin looked, Corinne could easily guess that he must have secretly followed Em home so that he could find out more about her. Marvin had that faraway look in his eyes as he took a trip down memoryne. ¡°Your mother has always been one of the quieter ones. Not only is she a straight -A student but she¡¯s kind, doesn¡¯t put on airs, and is popr in the school. Guys and girls alike worshiped her.¡± ¡®So mom¡¯s kind and gentle,¡¯ Even though Corinne had no clear memory of her mother, she could nheless sense she was always smiling down at her. She remembered that she was already five years old when Marvin adopted her. Logically speaking, a five-year-old should be able to retain some memories of her childhood and yet, Corinne could not recall anything from before the age of five, which she found very strange indeed. ¡°Mister Carew, do you remember where is the mansion where you saw my mom entering?¡± asked Corinne carefully; she was trying to get a lead she could follow. Thssa ¡°It was in Thssa city and the university we studied in shared the same name University. But the city changed to the extent of being unrecognizable since my university days. I¡¯ll get lost if I go there now. As for the mansion, well, I won¡¯t be surprised if it has already been demolished to make way for other urban facilities.¡± Corinne thought for a while and asked, ¡°Then did my mother ever tell you why she couldn¡¯t go to the hospital to pick me up herself?¡± Marvin hesitated for a while before answering, ¡°The thing is, your mother and I were in the same art club during our university days so you can say we know each other quite well. Later, the art club organized a reunion dinner for past members and it was then I ran into your mother again. Everyone at the dinner exchanged phone numbers and after the dinner ended, your mother suddenly called me and told me that someone was after her life. She begged me to keep you safe and I, being blinded by emotions, agreed without hesitation. After that, I couldn¡¯t reach her no matter how hard I tried so I thought, maybe the people who were after her got to her and that she¡¯s not of this world anymore.¡± It was obvious Marvin came to regret his overly-emotional response in agreeing to adopt her. Corinne did not hold any grievances against him. She was not his biological daughter after all so it was understandable that he did not love her. Besides, she might not even be alive now if he did not take her in then. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinnemitted everything to memory before asking, ¡°Do you have any other information about my mother?¡± Marvin thought about it and answered, ¡°Just one more.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Your mother loves art. She¡¯s quite a well-known painter in the country and the name she used to sign off her paintings is Nellie Nymphaea.¡± ¡°I already know about this.¡± ¡°As far as I know, the teacher who taught your mother to paint is the world-famous painter, Michel. If you can get a hold of him, he might be able to tell you more about your mother.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay, I know what I have to do now. Thank you for telling me all this, Mister Carew.¡± She then got up and was heading out of the study when Marvin called out her name. ¡°Corinne.¡± Corinne stopped walking and looked back at him. ¡°Do you have anything else to add, Mister Carew?¡± ¨C Marvin looked at Corinne who looked more and more like Em ¨C with mixed emotions. Corinne was the child of his first love. On one hand, he wanted to love her as much as he loved Em but on the other, he was at the same time repulsed by the fact that the child¡¯s father was another man. That was why he did not hesitate to send Corinne to live in the countryside. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak. Marvin frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you but it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t look for your mother.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly happened to your mother but she repeatedly told me that no matter what, no one should ever find out you¡¯re her daughter. ¡®Cause otherwise, you¡¯ll be killed.¡± Chapter 427 Chapter 427 ¡°You should just live your life as a wealthy man¡¯s wife and forget about the past. I once promised your mother that I would not let her enemy find you so that her soul can rest in peace in heaven,¡± said Marvin. Corinne was stunned to hear her father ¨C who did not show her any affection before something like this to her. ¡®Maybe he¡¯s being nice to me ¡¯cause he still has feelings for my mom,¡¯ she thought. Corinne smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me that. I¡¯ll live a good life and protect myself. Goodbye, Mister Carew.¡± She then walked out of the room at a leisurely pace. say Marvin frowned and let out a long sigh. The fact that Corinne grew up to be twenty years old meant that he already did his part in keeping her safe, just as he promised Emily. It would not be any more of his responsibility should anything happen to Corinne in the future for that girl already spread her wings and fly. A few burly men were moving the engagement gifts out of the Carew¡¯s mansion downstairs. ¡°Hey! Who are you people? How dare you barge in here and steal our stuff? Put them down! All this stuff belongs to me! You can¡¯t take them away!¡± shouted Sherlyn hysterically. ¡°She¡¯s right! You can¡¯t take our stuff away! I¡¯m going to call the police if you don¡¯t put them. down and leave our house right away!¡± said Lilliana. Corinne walked leisurely down the stairs and said, ¡°I was the one who ordered them to take the engagement gifts away.¡± Sherlyn looked up and red at her with red eyes. ¡°Corinne, you b*tch! What right do you have to take our stuff away?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Of course, I have a right since the engagement gifts were given to me by my husband. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s reason enough?¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth. ¡°Not only did you steal my man but now you¡¯re stealing away the engagement gifts? I swear to god, Corinne, that I¡¯m going to kill you if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± She then pounced on her but Lilliana who was the calmer of the two-stopped her.¡± ¨C Sherlyn, calm down! Don¡¯t do anything impulsive!¡± ¡°What is it now? What¡¯s all the fuss about? When will the two of you ever give me some peach and quiet?¡± Marvin heard themotion downstairs so he came down from his study to take a look. Marvin thought about it and answered, ¡°Just one more.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°Your mother loves art. She¡¯s quite a well-known painter in the country and the name she used to sign off her paintings is Nellie Nymphaea.¡± ¡°I already know about this.¡± ¡°As far as I know, the teacher who taught your mother to paint is the world-famous painter, Michel. If you can get a hold of him, he might be able to tell you more about your mother.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay, I know what I have to do now. Thank you for telling me all this, Mister Carew.¡± She then got up and was heading out of the study when Marvin called out her name. ¡°Corinne.¡± Corinne stopped walking and looked back at him. ¡°Do you have anything else to add, Mister Carew?¡± Marvin looked at Corinne ¨C who looked more and more like Em ¨C with mixed emotions. Corinne was the child of his first love. On one hand, he wanted to love her as much as he loved Em but on the other, he was at the same time repulsed by the fact that the child¡¯s father was another man. That was why he did not hesitate to send Corinne to live in the countryside. Out of sight, out of mind, so to speak. Marvin frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you but it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t look for mother.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly happened to your mother but she repeatedly told me that no matter what, no one should ever find out you¡¯re her daughter. ¡®Cause otherwise, you¡¯ll be killed.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Sherlyn snapped out of the shock and looked enviously at Corinne. ¡°Huh! Where else could she have gotten the money from if not by deceiving Jeremy to give her some?¡± she said saltily. Lilliana, of course, thought the same way as her. ¡°Corinne, you shouldn¡¯t use other people¡¯s money to clean up your mess. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Holden family would look into this and punish you if they found out you use their money without their permission?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Aunt Lilliana, you seem to have forgotten something very important. Jeremy is my husband so technically speaking, his money is also my money. Take yourself for example, has your husband ever asked you to give back all the money you¡¯ve spent that was his, to begin with?¡± Lillian¡¯s face first became pale with shock then ck with anger. She was so angry that she could not think of aeback. Sherlyn¡¯s face looked even more terrible than her mother¡¯s. She thought that the Holden family would look down on Corinne who grew up in the countryside and that they would eventually chase her out of the house. She did not expect Corinne to be able to control such arge sum of the Holden family¡¯s money, to the extent that she began to doubt everything about her life. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®D*mmit! Things weren¡¯t supposed to turn out this way,¡¯ thought Sherlyn. Corinne looked at her watch nonchntly and then yawned listlessly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte so I won¡¯t stay for lunch. As for the check, well, you shouldn¡¯t care where the moneyes from as long as you got it. If you think the money is too little, then grow a backbone and don¡¯t spend any of it.¡± Both Sherlyn and Lilliana did not dare to speak because they did not want Corinne to think they would not spend the money on the check. Even if the Holden family asked about the money in the future, all the signs would point to Corinne using it without their permission; the Carew had nothing to do with it so it was better to spend the money and worry about the consequencester. Marvin did not say anything too. He quietly pocketed the check and let the burly men take away the engagement gifts. His thinking was ¨C Corinne could do whatever the h*ll she wanted now that she gave him so much money. In the end, the burly men hired by Corinne sessfully took away all of the engagement gifts and the painting ¡®Geese in Late Autumn¡¯ painted by herte mother, Nellie Nympahea, which was given to Corinne by Jeremy. From now on, Corinne and the Carew would have no ties with each other. They would all be living their own separate lives. A ck luxury minivan was parked not far from where the Carew¡¯s house was. Aftering out of the house, Corinne slid open the car door and got into the minivan. Inside, Xante was seated in the driver¡¯s seat and was reapplying her lipstick with the help of the rearview mirror while Aaron was seated in the front passenger seat ying a game on his smartphone to pass the time. Aaron immediately exited the game when he saw Corinne was back. He turned around and asked, ¡°Boss, sorry to butt in your business but why do you still treat the Carews so nice when they were nothing but horrible to you? Besides, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be easy for you to take your revenge now.¡± Corinne massaged her temples. She was exhausted so she leaned against the leather seat and closed her eyes. She stayed like that for a moment before saying softly, ¡°My mom must¡¯ve been desperate back then for her to seek help from an old ssmate who she didn¡¯t see for so many years. It doesn¡¯t matter why Mister Carew decided to take me in but for him to risk his life to help my mother when she was at her most helpless is something I¡¯m grateful for. From now on, as long as the Carews don¡¯t bother me, I won¡¯t seek revenge for what they have done to me in the past.¡± Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Aaron and Xante nced at each other. Both of their hearts went out to Corinne. Since she was little, Corinne never experienced what it felt like to have the love of a family. Instead, she was sent to the countryside to suffer all kinds of hardships. They saw with their own eyes the amount of blood, sweat, and tears for Corinne to get to where she was today. Seeing Corinne so down, Aaron decided to change to a more cheerful topic. ¡°Boss, let¡¯s go and have fun at the bar now that you¡¯ve gotten your engagement gifts back.¡± ¡®Drinking in broad daylight? No thanks!¡¯ thought Corinne. She was in no mood to be drinking so she waved her hands and said, ¡°Aaron, go find out if any grand mansions have been. demolished in Thssa in the past twenty years. If there is, find out the original owner of the mansion. Also, send someone to find out about an ex-student called Em Love in Thssa University and send me the information once you have it.¡± Aaron could send this was important to her so he asked seriously, ¡°Em Love, is that your mother¡¯s name?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡®Mister Carew might think my mom has been killed by her enemy but I have a feeling she¡¯s still alive.¡± Xante turned around and pushed up her gold-rimmed spectacles. She then frowned when she saw how pale Corinne was. ¡°Maybe we should get something to eat first. Look at how skinny she has be!¡± Aaron looked at Corinne and nodded in agreement with what Xante said. He then smiled and teasingly said, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t tell me you have no appetite because you¡¯re missing Mister Jeremy too much. A good meal is a balm for the soul! It¡¯ll be my treat today so what do you wanna eat? Xante side-eyed him. ¡°You¡¯re buying her lunch? Has it ever crossed your mind that you won¡¯t be where you are today if it wasn¡¯t for her? Why, you wouldn¡¯t even have two pennies to rub together!¡± Aaron was not in agreement with her. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m buying her a meal! What¡¯s so wrong. with that?¡± Xante was annoyed with him. She pushed up her gold-rimmed spectacles and scoffed. ¡°Let¡¯s go to have some grilledmb chops then. The weather¡¯s getting colder and eatingmb can warm us up. The boss has always loved the fat on themb at this time of the year.¡± At the mention of grilledmb chops, Corinne immediately thought of the smell and taste of very well- done grilledmb chops. Usually, she would be salivating at the thought but for some reason, she felt sick to the stomach this time. Suddenly, she could not control herself anymore. She quickly rolled down the window, poked her head out, and started retching. After a while, she felt better and popped her head back into the car. While taking some deep breaths, she noticed both Xante and Aaron were looking at her as if they were wondering whether she was. They grew up together so she, of course, knew what they were thinking from the way they were looking at her. Corinne scrunched up her face and said, ¡°Oh, stop looking at me like that. It¡¯s not what you think I¡¯m just feeling a little queasy in the stomach, that¡¯s all.¡± It was obvious Aaron thought she was pregnant. He smiled mischievously and said, ¡°Oh really? Then tell me something, boss. Have you and Mister Jeremy been using protection all this while?¡± Corinne yawned nonchntly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that since we sleep in separate bedrooms.¡± Aaron drew his brows together. ¡°What? And let all that hotness go to waste? How can you bear to sleep apart from such a hot guy, boss?¡± Xante could not bear to listen to where the conversation was going anymore. She pped Aaron hard on the arm and said, ¡°Hey, just whose side are you on? Our boss is the hot one in the rtionship, okay? Mister Jeremy should count himself lucky to have her as his wife!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Aaron massaged the spot where Xante pped him. He thenughed and said, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Xante rolled her eyes at him and added, ¡°But, to be on the safe side, you should get a pregnancy test at the drugstore for her.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne was speechless. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Aaron pretended to be embarrassed. ¡°Why me? I¡¯m still a virgin. It¡¯ll be so awkward for me to buy that kind of thing!¡± Both Xante and Corinne were speechless. Aaron was only trying to be funny to liven up the atmosphere but it did not work as both Xante and Corinne were looking at him with disgust and with their mouths in a tight line. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He immediately dropped the act and shrugged. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go get the pregnancy test. Huh! I can¡¯t believe that 1, the owner of the Newmoon Group, am being ordered around like a little scullery maid. Sigh! What has be of my life!¡± Xante gave him a side-eye and said nothing else as Aaron continued with his bbering. She then started the car engine and drove to the nearest drugstore. While driving, she kept looking up at the rearview mirror to check on Corinne. ¡®She doesn¡¯t look too well after all that retching she did moments ago,¡¯ thought Xante with at worried frown on her face. Corinne was indeed not well. Recently, she burned candles at both ends ining up with a design for Holden Group¡¯s new building. She did not rest much even though she spent most of her days cooped up at home. Moreover, she seemed to feel tired easily to the point she suspected she might be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Aaron pointed to a drugstore outside the window and said, ¡°Xante, we just passed by a drugstore. Why didn¡¯t you stop the car?¡± The more Xante thought about it, the more worried she became. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if I bring the boss to the hospital for a checkup,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°Did you forget that the boss hates going to the hospital?¡± asked Aaron quizzically. ¡°She¡¯ll only need to do a blood test and that won¡¯t take long,¡± insisted Xante. She looked at Corinne from the rearview mirror and said, ¡°Boss, you should go to the hospital. You don¡¯t look that well. You should do a check-up even if you don¡¯t think you¡¯re pregnant. Besides, what if it¡¯s an ectopic pregnancy? It¡¯ll be easier to treat if it¡¯s detected earlier.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not pregnant and yet here she is worrying that it might be an ectopic pregnancy? Indeed my period hasn¡¯te for two months straight.¡± Corinne was not sure whether her period schedule was messed up from stress or if she got pregnant that night. In the end, she gave in to Xante¡¯s and Aaron¡¯s nagging and agreed to do a blood test at the hospital. In the hospital¡¯s OB-GYN department. The OB-GYN specialist looked down at the blood test result and said solemnly, ¡± Congrattions, You¡¯re seven weeks pregnant and the fetus is developing very well.¡± Corinne was stunned at the discovery. She subconsciously touched her belly and thought, ¡®I¡¯m seven weeks pregnant?¡¯ Xante stayed calm at the news, but Aaron was tearing up excitedly. His emotions were all over the ce as he said, ¡°My god! I¡¯m going to be-¡± The OB-GYN specialist immediately gave him a fierce look. ¡°Can the dad please be quiet? This is a hospital after all. You must not disturb the other patients.¡± Aaronughed and quickly exined, ¡°Doctor, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not the father. I was going to be an uncle!¡± The doctor frowned and said, ¡°Why are you so excited if you¡¯re not the father? Where¡¯s the father anyway?¡± At the mention of the baby¡¯s father, Corinne blushed. ¡°He¡¯s on an overseas business trip and doesn¡¯t know about this yet.¡± The OB-GYN specialist sighed and said pointedly, ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide this time but he must apany you on all future visits. Men! How can they leave all the birthing to the women? No matter how busy they are with work, they should still apany their wives to the hospital for a check-up!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, doctor. Thank you for your advice.¡± Chapter 431 Chapter 431 ¡°The fetus is developing well but your own body is a little weak. You must rest more and eat more nutritious food. Don¡¯t overwork yourself and maintain a good mood. Please ask your family members to take care of you too,¡± said the OB-GYN specialist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, doctor! We¡¯ll take good care of her,¡± said Aaron with a smile. Corinne walked out of the consultation room in a daze. She was a little overwhelmed at the thought of a baby growing inside of her. She only ever did it once with Jeremy. That night, she had no choice but to do it with Jeremy because he had been given a strong aphrodisiac and would have suffered serious consequences to his health if he did not have s*x there and then. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it only took that time for me to get pregnant,¡¯ thought Corinne. She was only twenty years old and just starting her adult life; the thought of getting married and giving birth did not even cross her mind a few minds ago so the news of pregnancy was a huge shock to her. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Besides, she did not like kids at all. She thought that they were troublesome little monsters who would blow up all the ns she had set for herself. There were still so many things she wished to aplish and she did not want to be encumbered by kids. However, weird as it might be seeing as she disliked kids she could sense a little spark of joy spreading all over her body. Her mind shbacked to that night when Jeremy clutched her so tightly as they came together. He was violent with lust but suppressed the animal instinct that had been awakened by the aphrodisiac so that he would not scare or hurt her too much. She could not help but blush when she remembered how gentle and sexy Jeremy was in bed nor could she remain indifferent. ¡®I wonder whether Mister will be happy once he finds out I¡¯m pregnant? Would he blubber like an idiot once he realized he¡¯s going to be a dad?¡¯ Corinne did not know how he would react and that made her wish she could meet him even more. ¡®He¡¯s been gone for half a month so he should be back soon, right? I¡¯ll wait till he¡¯s back to tell him the news ¡¯cause I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll drop everything and fly back here if I tell him over the phone. I don¡¯t want to keep him from his work.¡¯ ¡°Boss, are you excited to be a mom?¡¯ asked Aaron teasingly. Corinne snapped out of her trance and yawnedzily. ¡°I guess so.¡± Aaron carefully holds Corinne by the elbow. ¡°Boss, be careful! The janitor has just finished wiping the floor here so it¡¯s still slippery. I¡¯ll support you to make sure you won¡¯t fall.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Oh, please! You¡¯re making me sound like an invalid. The pregnancy isn¡¯t showing yet so don¡¯t worry so much.¡± Xante was holding Corinne¡¯s patient records and walking alongside her. ¡°Boss, you should let Aaron support you since you¡¯re pregnant now. The doctor did say your body is a little weak just then. Let¡¯s make sure you eat only healthy food from now on.¡± At the mention of food, Corinne suddenly realized just how hungry she was but she was not in the mood for greasy food and would like to have something light and refreshing instead. Suddenly, Aaron saw something. He beamed a smile at Corinne and said, ¡°Boss, look! Isn¡¯t that Mister Jeremy standing over there in front of the pediatric department?¡± Corinne paused and looked over where Aaron was pointing. That height, that perfect body, and that elegant but authoritative stance. Who else could it be but Jeremy? ¡°Tsk! He¡¯s already back from abroad? Could it be that he already knew in advance that you¡¯re pregnant so he came to the pediatrics department to learn how to be a dad?¡± asked Aaron. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Jeremy¡¯s tall and handsome back. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he appeared before me when I wished to see him the most! It almost feels like a miracle.¡± She smiled and walked toward Jeremy while thinking of how to break the news of her pregnancy to him. Aaron wanted to chase after her to make sure she did not hurt herself but Xante stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t be a third wheel. Let them have some private time.¡± Aaron shrugged and scoffed. ¡°I just wanted to make sure the boss doesn¡¯t fall t on her face.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not as clumsy as you think.¡± Aaron crossed his arms and waited with great interest to see how Jeremy would react to Corinne¡¯s news. As she got closer to him, Corinne opened her mouth and said, ¡°Mist- However, she did not even finish calling him when a toddler suddenly stumbled out of the pediatric room, wrapped himself around Jeremy¡¯s legs, and said in a baby voice, ¡°Da, dada, da! Corinne paused in her tracks while the smile faded from her face. ¡®Dada? Did that toddler just call him dada?¡¯ Jeremy bent down to pick up the boy¡¯s toddler who looked to be one year plus. ¡°Where¡¯s your mommy?¡± Corinne thought she got the wrong guy but when she heard his voice, she immediately knew he was Jeremy without a doubt. ¡®Mister has a kid?¡± At that moment, Anya walked out of the pediatric room and over to Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, the doctor said the baby¡¯s okay. The fever is most likely due to the cold so we just need to keep him warm and give him medicine. I¡¯m going to the dispensary to get his medicine so please keep an eye on him and wait here for me,¡± she said gently. ¡°Okay. You go ahead,¡± said Jeremy indifferently. After that, Anya went to the dispensary with the prescription in her hand. Corinne remained standing where she was as she silently watched what transpired. ¡®He looks so natural holding the toddler as if he has done it a thousand times.¡± The situation was so unexpected that Aaron and Xanted exchanged nces with each other before quickly walking over to where Corinne was standing to check on her. Corrine¡¯s expression was one of calmness. There did not seem to be any hint of powerful emotions. She was just standing there, quietly andposedly. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Mister Jeremy had a kid behind your back! Didn¡¯t you say he was single all the while before he met you?¡± said Aaron angrily. Xanted scoffed coldly and said, ¡°Him being single doesn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t sow his wild oats everywhere. You men are all the same.¡± Aaron knitted his brow and said, ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t bring me into this. Not all men are the same, alright?¡± Xante ignored him and looked worriedly at Corinne. She was afraid that the pregnant Corinne would be able to handle the shock. Corinne remained calm as she unhurriedly called Jeremy on the phone. ¡®There must be an exnation for this. It¡¯s best not to jump into conclusions without asking him about it first.¡± Her call went through. Jeremy held the toddler in one hand and picked up her call with the other. ¡°What¡¯s up,¡± he asked in his deep and seductive voice. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne watched his every move from where she saw. ¡°Mister,¡± ¡°Yes? Are you missing me, you little rascal?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she admitted. Jeremy was a little taken aback. He never expected that she would admit it so easily. Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Before this, Corinne never answered the question so straightforwardly nor did she ever call him first. Jeremy chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days. There¡¯s still some work left for me to do here. Be at good girl and wait for me toe back, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Corinne replied coldly. Jeremy quickly hung up the phone after that because the toddler in his arms was starting to cry for his mommy. Corinne¡¯s eyes lost their sparkles when she heard how busy Jeremy sounded on the phone. She then laughed at herself. ¡®How could I be so stupid?¡± She always thought she was a very rational girl, unlike those girls whose existence was all about finding their soulmates. She was never the one who fell blindly in love or trusted men. However, the fact of the matter was she was human after all. Corinne never once doubted Jeremy, not even when Anya showed her the cesarean scar on her abdomen and told her she had a kid with Jeremy. She thought Anya was just lying, wanting to drive a wedge between her and Jeremy. ¡®And here I thought Mister was the responsible kind who will never abandon his kid, but he lied to me just now. He¡¯s standing right there and yet he told me he¡¯s still abroad,¡¯ she thought. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She could not help but think that in the half-month that he was gone, he was in the city all along to take care of Anya and their kid. ¡®Is there a need to lie to me like that? If he wants to be with her then he should tell me! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll stop him from doing that.¡± Corinne understood very well her rtionship with Jeremy was just a facade so she had no right whatsoever to interfere in his life. She would not have held out any hope to be with him if he did not suddenly tell her he wanted to start over with her. She also knew that Jeremy only married her because he was forced to do so by his elders, who were worried that he would not be able to extricate himself from Anya if their rtionship were to continue. The elders, they could not stand for that to happen because of the bad blood between the two families. Seeing Jeremy with his kid made Corinne realize that he never stopped loving Anya at all. ¡°The reason he treated Anya so coldly and indifferently before must be to trick his elders into believing he did not have feelings for her anymore.¡¯ Corinne mentally berated herself for falling for one of his tricks. ¡®I was nothing but a tool for him to get his elders off his back. He tricked me into falling in love with him so that I¡¯ll be more convincing as his wife. He¡¯s worse than the devil. Has he no shame?¡¯ The people around them started to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°Look at that man with his kid! He¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re right. I just saw his wife walking past just now and she¡¯s quite the looker as well. She must have gone to the dispensary to get some medicine.¡± ¡°Their kid is so cute! What a beautiful family they are.¡¯ ¡°Well, I¡¯m not surprised. With parents like them, of course, the kid will turn out good-looking as well.¡± Corinne heard everything. She looked down and took a deep breath. Aaron gritted his teeth and could not hold it back any longer. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m going to beat up that b*stard for you right away!¡± Corinne waved her hand and said lightly, ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. Let¡¯s just go.¡± ¡°But that sc*mbag!¡± Aaron cracked his knuckles angrily. Xante dragged him away and said, ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t make it any worse for the boss.¡± At that moment, Jeremy must have sensed something for he suddenly turned around with the kid still in his arms. Chapter 434 Chapter 434 By the time Jeremy turned around, Corinne and the others were already nowhere to be seen in the hospital corridor. ¡®Was it my imagination? I could¡¯ve sworn I heard a little rascal¡¯s voice just now,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Anya came back with the medicine. ¡°Jeremy, I got the medicine for the baby. We can go back. now.¡± ¨C Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy nodded. The toddler with his head resting over Jeremy¡¯s shoulder off and the three of them walked over to the elevator. already dozed Anya was glowing with pride and happiness when she realized all the passers-by were looking at her with admiring eyes. She tilted her head to look at the handsome man with her child in his arms. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally living my dream life. From this moment onward, Jeremy, me, and our baby are going to live happily ever after.¡¯ Corinne, Xante, and Aaron were back in the minivan. While driving, Xante took a nce at Corinne from the rearview mirror. ¡°Boss, where to now? ¡± she asked cautiously. ¡°Take me back to Holden¡¯s estate,¡± said Corinne lightly. Aaron frowned. He turned around and asked in a frustrated tone, ¡°Why are you still going back there when Mister Jeremy betrayed you like that?¡± Corinne squinted her eyes as she calmly looked at the passing scenery outside the window. The time is not up yet. Our agreement states that we have to stay together for three months. and today is thest day so I need to stay in the Holden¡¯s estate until midnight for it to count. I must uphold my end of the deal.¡± Although Aaron admired Corinne¡¯s rigor, he could not but feel helpless as well. ¡°Boss, are you okay?¡± Both Xante and Aaron could tell Corinne fell for Jeremy. They never saw the kind of tenderness on Corinne¡¯s face when she found out she was pregnant. Corinne smiled and replied softly, ¡°There are plenty more fish in the sea and this too shall pass.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about the baby growing inside your tummy?¡± ¡°Whatever will be, will be. Besides, Jeremy has good genes and I got his sperm for free. I¡¯ll just treat it like I went to the sperm bank to have a baby on my own.¡± She then closed her eyes from exhaustion and added, ¡°I¡¯m going to nap for a while. Wake me up when we¡¯ve reached the ce.¡± Xante and Aaron looked at each other helplessly and said nothing. Corinne leanedzily against the backseat, but she failed to fall asleep. She would be lying if she said she was not sad. Jeremy was nothing but kind, gentle, and epting to her as ofte. She liked how meticulously he took care of her and listened to her. Her fate was one of hardships from the very start. Therefore, she was cared for so lovingly so much that she had the illusion that Jeremy was different from any other man and that she could depend on him. This made her want to open her heart to him to the extent that she even began to seriously consider whether to spend the rest of her life with him. In the end, she realized it was nothing but a lie. She, just like any other woman, fell for the oldest trick in the world. ¡®Oh well. I guess I¡¯ve learned my lesson,¡¯ She would only admit how sad she was to herself but the level of sadness was not enough for her to have a breakdown. All she felt was a little pain in her chest. ¡®This is nothingpared to all the hurt I lived through in the past. It¡¯ll pass soon, Corinne. All pain does,¡¯ she told herself. Bowen immediately greeted Corinne when he saw here back. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. Have you had lunch?¡± Corinne changed into her indoor slippers and walked into the foyer. ¡°Not yet, Bowen. Can you ask the kitchen to make something light and refreshing for me?¡± ¡°Certainly, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll have the maid deliver the food to your room once it¡¯s ready,¡± replied Bowen. Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Corinne nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± As usual, she walked slowly up the stairs but halfway through, she stopped, turned around, and asked, ¡°By the way, Bowen. Have my things arrived?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne arranged the engagement gifts she got back from the Carews to be delivered to Holden¡¯s estate. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve already asked the maids to keep it in the storeroom. Would you like to take a look?¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just remember to tell Jeremy about it when he¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± She then continued on her way. The reason she got the expensive engagement gifts back was so that she would not own the Holdens anything. Bowen looked quizzically at Corinne walking up the stairs. He sensed there was something off about her but he could not quite put his finger on just what it was. ¡®Oh well, it¡¯s probably nothing,¡¯ he thought. Then he quickly went to the kitchen to instruct the cook to make something for Corinne. Before he left, Jeremy specially told him what to look out for in Corinne¡¯s diet. She was allergic to quite a few things so he told Bowen to doubly make sure no food that would trigger her allergy should make way to her te and because of this, Bowen would personally try all the food before giving it to Corinne. ¡ª After taking a shower in her room, Corinne changed into a set of loungewear. Then she ate the lunch brought by the maid and proceeded to take a nap. She felt easily tired as ofte which she now knew the reason to be because she was pregnant. A feeling of unbelievablefort spread through her body as soon as her head hit the pillow.¡¯ I¡¯m going to miss this bed so much,¡¯ thought Corinne, who got used to sleeping in the big bed. Eventually, she dozed off while nning for her future. It waste at night. The air turned cold and the wind was blowing fiercely. Bowen got woken up by the sound of the wind and he immediately ordered the servants to check all the windows were closed properly so that no dirt or cold air could blow in and disturb Corinne¡¯s sleep. At that moment, from the first floor¡¯s floor-to-ceiling windows, a car¡¯s headlight could be seen shining into the yard and the sound of the car¡¯s engine was getting closer and closer. Bowen took a closer look at the car and realized it was Jeremy¡¯s car. ¡®Why did he choose toe back at midnight?¡¯ he wondered. After a few minutes, Jeremy walked in hurriedly. Bowen greeted him at the door. ¡°Wee back, Mister Jeremy.¡± Jeremy took off his coat ¨C which was still cold from the night air servant standing next to him. and passed it to the ¡°Thank you. Where is she?¡± Bowen naturally knew who he was referring to. ¡°Mister Jeremy, she¡¯s probably sleeping at this hour.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Jeremy lightly. He then walked past the servant and made a beeline upstairs. He thought about her ever since she called him in the morning. In the end, he could not help but rush back to see her. It was rare for Corinne to admit she missed him; that simple. admission of hers was like a hook digging into his heart, luring him back to her. He strode upstairs and not wanting to wake her up, he lightened his footsteps as he neared her room. He turned the doorknob and was delighted to find it was not locked. ¡®Why that little rascal doesn¡¯t lock the door when I¡¯m not home.¡± He massaged the space between his brows, not knowing whether tough or cry. Then, he opened the door and walked in quietly. The room was dark and the wind was blowing fiercely outside. There was no moonlight filtering in, making everything seem so surreal. ¡°Hey, little rascal. I¡¯m back,¡± whispered Jeremy gently. He sat down beside the bed and looked at the spot where she always slept. However, there was no reply. ¡®She must be sleeping very deeply,¡¯ he thought. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Not wanting to wake her up from her dreams, Jeremy got up and walked to the door. He nned to go take a short rest in the study but just when he was about to reach the door, he suddenly realized something was off. ¡®Howe I don¡¯t hear any breathing sounding from the bed at all?¡¯ A jolt shot through his heart and he quickly turned on the light. He scanned the room and a frown immediately appeared on his face when he realized there was no one in the room at all. He hurriedly walked to the bed and pulled off the nket. It was empty! ¡®Where could that little rascal be at this time of the night?¡± He took out his phone and called her, only to find her phone was ringing on the bedside. That phone used to be his but he already gave it to Corinne. ¡®Howe she didn¡¯t bring her phone out?¡¯ A sudden thought urred to him and he quickly walked over and opened the wardrobe. Her clothes were gone! His pupils shrank to pinpoint size and his face darkened. ¡°Bowen!¡± he shouted. Bowen hurried over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mister Jeremy?¡± Jeremy red coldly at him and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± Bowen looked bewildered. He nced around the empty room, then at the men¡¯s clothes in the wardrobe, and immediately knew something was wrong. ¡°Mister Jeremy, ma¡¯am went straight back to her room after dinner and we never saw hering down. She has been feeling easily tiredtely so she always goes back to rest in her room quite early in the evening. I¡¯ve even instructed the other servants not to bother her/¡± Jeremy¡¯s jaws tightened as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Well, what are you still standing here for? Go find her! Don¡¯t even think ofing back here if you don¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy. Please don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll look for ma¡¯am right away,¡± said Bowen fearfully. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. However, they looked throughout the night and when morning came, they still could not find any sign of Corinne which was weird since all of the surveince footage did not show her leaving the house at all. Jeremy sat resignedly and silently on the first floor¡¯s sofa. His eyes were red and there was a cloud of sinister air surrounding him, making him look like one of those malevolent and bloodthirsty gods. ¡®She has run away,¡¯ he thought. Just how desperate was she to get away from him that she went through all the trouble to make sure she was not captured by the surveince cameras and only took the route where she knew there to be the surveince cameras¡¯ blindspots? ¡®Good. Very good. I expected nothing less of you, Corinne Carew,¡± said Jeremy to himself. Failing to find Corinne, Bowen and the other servants were waiting anxiously for Jeremy to meet their punishments. The air in the room was thick with tension and every sound Jeremy made caused the servants to want to get down on their knees and beg for mercy. At that moment, Tommy hurried over and reported, ¡°Mister Jeremy, we¡¯ve checked the airport, bus stops, and hotels. There were no records of Ma¡¯am ever going there. We also went to the Carews¡¯ house but she wasn¡¯t there as well. They said ma¡¯am went over yesterday but they did not see her since she took back all the engagement gifts you asked me to send over to their house.¡± Jeremy leaned against the sofa and put his hand on his forehead. He looked exhausted, depressed, and murderous all at the same time as if the whole world was hanging by a thread. After thinking about it, Bowen bravely opened his mouth and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, ma¡¯am had someone deliver her things yesterday and I¡¯m guessing those are the engagement gifts Mister Jenkinsons are talking about. I¡¯ve asked the servants to put them in the storeroom.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes wordlessly. ¡°Mister Jeremy, ma¡¯am seemed to have only taken with her the paintings you gifted her and nothing else.¡± ¡®Well, she certainly nned this well. She even made sure to return the engagement gifts,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Chapter 437 Chapter 437 ¡®What¡¯s she trying to pull? Is this her way of cutting ties with me? Well, dream on, Corinne Carew!! Jeremy finally opened his mouth and said fiercely, ¡°Continue to look for her! Go to the ends of the earth to find her if you have to! You don¡¯t stop looking until you find her!¡± Tommy tried to ignore the chill running up his spine as he said, ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A monthter. The city of Thssa was one of the stops in Michel¡¯s the renowned painter Art Exhibition. ¨C World Tour Thedy greeter at the entrance of the gallery was dressed in her elegant work clothes with a light orange silk scarf around her neck. Her makeup was exquisitely done whichplemented the professional smile she had on her face as she weed the guests into the exhibition. The gallery was one of the most high-end galleries in the whole of Thssa. The guests were all dressed in expensive and ssy tailored suits or couture gowns. However, the smile on thedy greeter¡¯s face was immediately reced by a frown when she saw a twenty-year-old girl dressed in casual clothing appear at the entrance. ¡°Excuse me, miss but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you in,¡± said thedy greeter. Corinne stopped walking and raised her eyebrow at her. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because this exhibition is for guests only and you don¡¯t look like it so I can¡¯t let you in. Please leave the premises right away,¡± said thedy greeter rudely. Corinne frowned and said, ¡°If I read correctly, the sign in front of the building said the exhibition is free to the public.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This exhibition is free but it¡¯s only for the customers who could afford the paintings. There¡¯s no point letting you in since you don¡¯t seem like you can afford anything inside,¡¯ said thedy greeter haughtily. Corinne smiled. ¡°Is that so? How do you know I can¡¯t afford to buy the paintings?¡± Thedy greeter looked up and down at Corinne¡¯s clothes with a contemptuous expression on her face. ¡®Light blue shirt, baggy jeans, a pair of white sneakers. I have to admit she¡¯s pretty enough to carry off something so simple but it¡¯s obvious those clothes are under the hundred- dor range. Besides, those clothes will look so out of ce in the gallery.¡¯ Thinking of this, thedy greeter then impatient said, ¡°Miss, please take a good look at Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. yourself before asking me that, and if there¡¯s nothing else I can help you with, I strongly advise you to let me get back to my work.¡± ¡°There is something you can help me with. I¡¯vee to view the exhibition.¡± Thedy greeterughed as if she just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°Did you not see that all the guests who were allowed to go in were all dressed in formal clothing? I can tell from the way you¡¯re dressed that you couldn¡¯t even afford the cheapest painting inside the gallery so what would be the point of letting you in? Besides, the guests will question the reputation of the gallery if I let someone like you in. They might even think all the famous paintings we have are counterfeits. So I would greatly appreciate it if you stop making my life difficult and leave here immediately!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Whoever said that one has to be in formal dress to be allowed into an exhibition? There¡¯s no such rule!¡± Thedy greeter finally lost herposure. ¡°Our gallery says so! Now are you going to leave or do I need to ask security to escort you out?¡± Corinne nodded indifferently. ¡°Go ahead! Call security! In fact, why not call the manager too!¡± Thedy greeter rolled her eyes at Corinne. ¡°Huh! Our manager is waiting for our VIP guests toe so he doesn¡¯t have the time for someone like you!¡± At that moment, who should appear at the entrance but the manager himself? Chapter 438 Chapter 438 ¡°Why are you shouting so much? Are you trying to ruin the gallery¡¯s reputation by letting our guests see you acting like a crazy woman?¡± scolded the gallery manager after walking over. Thedy greeter immediately dropped the attitude when she saw the gallery manager. ¡°Sorry, sir. There¡¯s a woman who¡¯s causing trouble here. She didn¡¯t dress ording to the dress code. but she insisted on going in,¡± she said innocently. The gallery manager took one look at Corinne and his face immediately changed. He bowed to her and said servilely, ¡°Miss Carew, you¡¯re here!¡± Thedy greeter was stunned and bewildered. ¡°Sir, who¡¯s-¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here but your gallery doesn¡¯t seem to wee someone who¡¯s dressed like me.¡± The gallery manager smiled awkwardly before he red at thedy greeter for offending Corinne. He then quickly apologized to her, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about the staff, Miss Carew. She¡¯s just a temp so she¡¯s not familiar with the gallery¡¯s rules yet. Please don¡¯t get angry. I promise I¡¯ll fire her immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the gallery¡¯s human resource issues so it¡¯s up to you whether want you to fire her or not. But you should know that art is for the masses and not only for the rich. How people want to dress is only up to them so you shouldn¡¯t encourage a corporate culture of judging people by their clothing here,¡± said Corinnenguidly. The gallery manager nodded his head repeatedly and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Miss Carew. We¡¯ll learn from this lesson and train the staff properly.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°May I go in now?¡± ¡°Of course, of course. This way, please, Miss Carew,¡± said the manager respectfully. Corinne entered the gallery at a leisurely pace. Thedy greeter watched in bewilderment as Corinne went in. Then she asked the gallery manager quizzically, ¡°Sir, who¡¯s that b*tch?¡± ¡°You better watch your mouth! That woman is Miss Carew, our most esteemed guest. Don¡¯t you know that anyone who crosses her will be in serious trouble?!¡± reprimanded the gallery manager. ¡®What? So the VIP guest the gallery manager has been waiting for is this inappropriately dressed woman?¡¯ Thedy greeter found that hard to believe so she asked the manager again, But she doesn¡¯t look like she has money! Sir, who exactly is she?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The gallery manager looked disgustedly at the foolishdy greeter and said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to know. I¡¯m now officially letting you know that you are fired. Go to the ounts department to get your final paycheck and leave right away. Our gallery doesn¡¯t need someone as shallow and vulgar as you to work for us.¡± Thedy greeter was dumbfounded. She never imagined the gallery manager would fire her so she started to panic. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t fire me. I didn¡¯t mean to do it. Please give me another chance.¡± The gallery manager ignored her pleas, shook off her hands, and dusted the spot where she touched him with a disgusted expression on his face. He then turned around and quickly went back into the gallery to hobnob with the VIPS. ¡°Sir,¡± Anger and resentment filled thedy greeter¡¯s heart but s, she still crying had no choice but to go to the ounts department to get her final paycheck. The gallery was ying soothing, ssical music and the guests who came were mainly there for the more famous and iconic paintings. Corinne stood alone in a ce where there were fewer people and looked at the still-life painting hanging on the wall with a thoughtful expression on her face. To be honest, she was not very interested in this kind ofmercial art exhibition, and the only reason she was there was because she heard Michel would be attending the exhibition as well. ording to the information Marvin gave her, Michel was her mother¡¯s art teacher and the only lead she had who could give her more clues as to who her mother was. Therefore, she wanted to take this opportunity to ask Michel about her mother. ¡®Who¡¯s my mother? Who were the people chasing after her? Is she still alive? There are so many questions I want to ask him,¡¯ thought Corinne. At that moment, the gallery manager approached her respectfully and said, ¡°Miss Carew, did you see any paintings you like? Would you like me to tell you the story behind the paintings?¡± Corinne was pulled back from her thoughts. She nced indifferently at the gallery manager and said, ¡°Not at the moment but I¡¯ll let you know if one ever catches my eye. By the way, when will Michel be here?¡± The gallery manager sighed and said, ¡°Unfortunately, there has been a schedule change. Michel was supposed to attend this exhibition as well but his wife suddenly fell sick just when he was about to fly here. He decided to stay back in Phinacea to take care of his wife so he wouldn¡¯t being to our country for the foreseeable future.¡± Chapter 439 Chapter 439 ¡®He¡¯s noting?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. ¡°This isn¡¯t good since I can¡¯t fly overseas at the moment.¡± Jeremy looked all over the ce for her in the past month. She was sure she would be found as soon as he found the record of her flying out of the country. During this one month, she never used her card to buy anything. Instead, she used either Aaron¡¯s or Xante¡¯s card to buy the things she needed to avoid Jeremy finding her. She did not have the time nor the energy to pretend to be Jeremy¡¯s wife so that he could please his elders anymore. The most important thing for her to do now was to find out who her mother was and what happened in the past to make her abandon Corinne. If her mother was still alive, she would find her no matter what. If her mother was dead, then she would find out who killed her so that she could avenge her! The gallery manager noticed the bored expression on Corinne¡¯s face so he said, ¡°Miss Carew, if you¡¯re not interested in these paintings, there are a few paintings over there by another painter. Would you like to take a look?¡± Corinne came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Do you have any paintings by Nellie Nymphaea?¡± The gallery manager was a little taken aback by her question. ¡°Yes, it just so happens we have two of her paintings. Nellie Nymphaea is Michel¡¯s proudest student so he¡¯ll always exhibit some of her paintings alongside his. This time is no exception. But not many people have asked about her. She¡¯s not that popr in the international art scene because her style was too unique. Besides, no one knows what her real name is and there seems to be no publicity. around her. I¡¯m quite surprised to find out you¡¯re interested in her paintings.¡± Corinne did not want to exin herself so she simply said, ¡°Where are her paintings? Take me to them.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Carew. Please follow me this way.¡± ¡°Here are the two paintings, Miss Carew. It is said Nellie Nymphaea painted this when she was still a university student.¡± The gallery manager raised his hand to introduce the two paintings on the wall. One painting was a depiction of a man¡¯s silhouette, which gave Corinne a feeling of deja vu, while the other painting was a realistic rendition of andscape. ¡°I want both of them. Please wrap them up for me,¡± said Corinne. The gallery manager¡¯s favorite customers are those who never asked for the price when buying. He smiled politely and bowed ingratiatingly, ¡°Certainly, Miss Carew. Please walt here for a moment and I¡¯ll arrange someone to wrap it up for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The gallery manager walked away, leaving Corinne to stare at the paintings hanging on the wall. ¡®Mom drew this when she was still in university. Her style still has a certain warmth to them so that must mean she was happy and carefree then. Could that man be someone who she used. to love? Could he be my dad?¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Miss Carew, it¡¯s been a while,¡± said a familiar voice. Corinne snapped out of her trance and turned to look at the handsome man standing behind her. Chapter 440 Chapter 440 The man smiled at her while his dark eyes sparkled flirtatiously. Corinne frowned in rm when she realized who the man was. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jason was wearing a well-tailored dark brown suit. His innate nobility mixed with a little impishness radiated from his whole body as he smiled and said, ¡°I heard two of the paintings Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. luck.¡± by Nellie Nymphaea would be exhibited here so I came here to try my Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, sorry to say but Lady Luck doesn¡¯t seem to be on your today. You¡¯re just one step toote ¡¯cause I¡¯ve already bought the two paintings.¡± side Jason took one step toward her and the smile on his face became even wider. His eyes seemed to be drawing her in and he said, ¡°No, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Lady Luck is indeed on my side because I came here to see you and here you are.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched for a moment. ¡®He¡¯s still as flirtatious as ever.¡± Previously, she wanted to buy the three Nellie Nymphaea paintings in his gallery but not only did he not sell them to her but he even teased her about it. Later, she only managed to get the three paintings with Jeremy¡¯s help. Therefore, it was not weird that Jason knew about her obsession with Nellie Nymphaea. There was one other thing she could not help but think Jason and Jeremy were in it together since the two of them were friends for many years. Thinking of this, Corinne became even more cautious. ¡°You came here to see me? Why?¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we grab a bite together after the exhibition? It¡¯s been a long time. since we last saw each other so it¡¯ll be great if we can sit down and catch up with each other.¡± Corinne was not interested in that. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not free after this. If you have something to say to me, you can say it now. And if you can¡¯t, then the matter must not be urgent so it can wait.¡± Jason did not know whether tough or cry; he was, in fact, a little hurt by her heartlessness. ¡°Corinne, we¡¯re friends, right?¡± Corinne suddenly remembered how he helped her to get a change of clothing after she fell into the pond and how after that, she agreed to be his friend. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Do you treat all your friends this cold?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell me what is it you came here to see me fort? I don¡¯t like it when others beat around the bush!¡± Jason sighed helplessly. He then smiled wryly and said, ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to put your guard up around me. I just wanted to help you.¡± Corinne was unmoved. ¡°Help me? How?¡± Jason stepped closer to her and looked at her bare face with passion in his eyes. ¡°Corinne, I might not know why but I can tell you¡¯re looking for Nellie Nymphaea and I might be able to help you with that.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes turned sharp. It was obvious he got her attention. ¡°You know where she is?¡± Jason smiled mysteriously. He deliberately avoided answering her question to keep her curiosity burning and instead asked, ¡°Now do you want to have lunch with me?¡± Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Corinne frowned. Even though Jason had the information she wanted, she still could not help. but hesitate a little. Jason smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t reveal your whereabouts to the Holden family and that¡¯s including Jeremy.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback. She had no reason to turn down his invitation anymore since he noticed her reservations in her heart and gave her his promise that he would keep her whereabouts a secret. ¡°Alright then. I know of this great little Asian restaurant so let¡¯s go there. It¡¯ll be my treat,¡± said Corinne. She was worried that she would bump into someone she knew if Jason who was dressed so formally ¨C were to bring her to some high-end restaurant. It would be troublesome for her if she was involved in another scandal and that was why she proposed the Asian restaurant. She knew it would be crowded at this time of the day and it would almost be close to impossible for anyone from Jason¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s circle of friends to frequent such a ce. Besides, it would not look like the two of them were dating if they were found to be eating in such a lively atmosphere. It would just look like they were two friends who were having a meal and catching up with each other. She really could not afford any more scandal with the upper echelon of the society. Jason looked at her slyly and seemed to have guessed her intention. He smiled happily and said, ¡°Fine by me. Thanks for buying!¡± Corinne left her address with the gallery so that they could deliver the two Nellie Nymphaea paintings to Aaron¡¯s ce. After that, she left the gallery with Jason and the two of them. drove off in his car. The restaurant Corinne chose was a very popr barbecue restaurant in the city. Once there, they could hear the many gaspsing from different women once theyid eyes on the handsome Jason. It was as if they could not help but be attracted to his nobility but they did not dare to approach him for it was that same air of nobility that made him seem very unapproachable. Under the gaze of all those swooning women, the waiter brought Jason and Corinne to their table. Once seated, the waiter then passed Corinne the menu so they could decide on what to order. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne ordered her usual and then passed the menu across to Jason. ¡°Please order whatever you like, Kind Sir.¡± ¡®So she has decided to use her nickname for me again.¡¯ Jason simply smiled and ticked off quite several items on the menu, not holding back on spending at all. It did not seem like his first rodeo in this particr restaurant. He was at ease and knew where everything was. He didn¡¯t even need to ask any questions regarding the food at all. Logically speaking, rich men like him rarely came to restaurants like this. Corinne would not be surprised if he did even know what half of the food items on the menu were. ¡®Why does he look like he has been here a thousand times before?¡¯ Corinne wondered. After Jason finished ordering, Corinne took over the menu to check what he ordered. ¡®Stir-fried beef tripe, braised chicken feet, fish curry. He sure knows his food!¡¯ thought Corinne. She suddenly recalled the first time she came to this restaurant with Jeremy. His reaction was different from Jason¡¯s. Although he did not show it, Corinne could still tell that he was not used to the food being offered. To his credit, he did try for the sake of making her happy. Corinne and Jason passed the menu back to the waiter after they finished ordering. Jason then poured a ss of lemon water for her before asking her casually, ¡°Corinne, I heard out of Jeremy¡¯s ce a month ago. Does this mean the two of you have separated?¡± Chapter 442 Chapter 442 In the month since she left Jeremy¡¯s ce, Corinne hardly heard anyone mention his name in front of her. Xante and Aaron probably talked about it with each other and came up with the agreement to not bring up anything about Jeremy in front of her. They even tried their very best to avoid talking about the business they have with Holden Group. Corinne told herself that it should not matter if they talked about Jeremy for he was nothing but a stranger to her now. Having said that, she still could not feel the disgust rising from her throat whenever she heard his name. Corinne smiled and said, ¡°Kind Sir, do me a favor and don¡¯t ever mention that man¡¯s name when I¡¯m eating. It just puts me off my food.¡± Jason was a little taken aback. He looked at her with interest dancing in his eyes and smiled. Sure thing. Consider it done.¡± She might not have answered his question directly, but her attitude said it all want to have anything to do with Jeremy anymore. she did not Corinne took a sip of the lemon water and found it very refreshing. She proceeded to take a big gulp and smacked her lips after that. Then it was time to ask the burning question. ¡°Kind Sir, you mentioned at the gallery just now that you might be able to help me look for Nellie Nymphaea so just how do you n to do that?¡± Jason poured himself a ss of lemon water and took an unhurried sip before finally answering her, ¡°I don¡¯t n to help you look for her.¡± The light in Corinne¡¯s eyes immediately became extinguished. She frowned unhappily and asked, ¡°Are you ying me?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Let me guess, you have half a mind to leave this table when I said I don¡¯t n to help you look for her.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Since I¡¯m already here, I might as well finish the food before leaving but next time, don¡¯t ever use this kind of method to trick me into having lunch with you again! I don¡¯t like it!¡± Jason looked at her with admiring and probing eyes. ¡°This girl might be quirky but she knows how to handle herself. I¡¯m quite surprised she didn¡¯t just get up from the table and leave this ce. He liked how she was able to express her dissatisfaction in a way that did not make the other party feel sad or ufortable. ¡®She has a beautiful soul, alright.¡¯ Jason decided not to tease her anymore so he said seriously, ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t trick you. I can¡¯t help you look for Nellie Nymphaea but what I can do is to give you an important clue.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes immediately lit up again. She stared straight at him and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to go through Michel to look for Nellie Nymphaea. It would be better for you to look for her through someone else instead.¡± ¡°Well, who is it?¡± asked Corinne solemnly. ¡°Lucas Rivera,¡± answered Jason with a smile. ¡®Lucas Rivera? That arrogant prick who has it in for me? Anya¡¯s brother, Lucas?¡¯ Corinne could not help but frown at the mention of Lucas who she thought had a sisterplex. ¡°Why him? What does he have to do with Nellie Nymphaea?¡± At that moment, the waiter came over with their food, interrupting their conversation. After putting down all the food on the table, the waiter left them to their meal and walked away. Jason ced some food on Corinne¡¯s te before answering, ¡°From what I know, Nellie Nymphaea is the pseudonym Lucas¡¯s mother used for her painting. That¡¯s why his ce has a lot of her unpublished work. He also has in his possession a few of Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s most famous paintings.¡± A multitude of emotions shed across Corinne¡¯s face. She was so overwhelmed that she identally dropped the fork in her hand, causing it to hit the table with a ng. ¡®Nellie Nymphaea is the pseudonym of Lucas¡¯s mother? That means Lucas is her son?¡¯This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 ¡®So that makes Lucas my brother? How can we even share the same mother when he¡¯s so arrogant and mean? This is-¡± ¡°Corinne?¡± Jason asked the waiter for a new fork. Then he waved it in front of the zoned-out Corinne. Corinne snapped out of her trance. She frowned and looked solemnly at him. ¡°Jason, are you sure about what you told me just now?¡± ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t you remember I told you that I met Nellie Nymphaea when I was little? That¡¯s because she and my dad are old friends. The three paintings in my gallery were given by her to my dad many years ago,¡± Jason replied. Corinne had mixed feelings about the answer. ¡®If my mom is Lucas¡¯s mom too then that means I¡¯m connected to the Riveras in some way. I wonder if that family has something to do with my mom going missing.¡¯ After observing Corinne¡¯s reaction, Jason said thoughtfully, ¡°Corinne, can I ask why you¡¯re looking for Nellie Nymphaea?¡± Corinne did not answer him. She was still reeling from the shock of the news. Her mind was all jumbled up and she did not want to tell him that Nellie Nymphaea was her mother. Ten seconds passed and Jason still did not get an answer from her so he simply smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to but I have another question I want to ask you. Is that okay?¡± Corinne suddenly lost her appetite. She took another sip of the lemon water and said, ¡°Yeah, go ahead.¡± Jason looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°Can I court you now?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback but she rolled her eyes and him and chuckled wryly. ¡°Kind Sir, don¡¯t tell me you came to a gallery in Thssa just to flirt with me?¡± Jason put away his teasing smile and said seriously, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m being serious. I¡¯m not flirting with you. I¡¯m being sincere when I say I want to court you.¡± ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°Of course. Flirting is just for fun but with courting, I¡¯m doing it with marriage in mind.¡± ¡®Marriage? That¡¯s funny. A guy I used to know also told me he wanted to marry me for real and look what happened. All men are the same. When they say they want to court a woman, it just means they want to see if they can win over you to satisfy their ego,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Previously, you were Jeremy¡¯s wife in name and he¡¯s my friend so it was impossible between However, now that we¡¯re both single, it¡¯s not wrong for me to tell you I have feelings for you,¡± Jason added after getting no response from her. Corinne picked up some duck meat from the te and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it¡¯s a hard me.¡± ¡°Howe?¡± ¡°I have no time nor the mood to be in a rtionship right now. If you want to love someone, go find someone else in court. You¡¯re not that bad looking so I¡¯m pretty sure girls will be lining up to be your girlfriend in no time.¡± Jason raised his eyebrow. ¡°But I¡¯m only interested in you.¡± Corinne was about to argue with him but he beat her to it, ¡°Corrine, I know what you were going to say but can you please at least think about it first before turning me down so quickly? I know you¡¯re not interested in getting into a rtionship right now but who¡¯s to say you¡¯ll feel the same way in the future? I don¡¯t mind waiting for you so I¡¯m only asking that you¡¯ll think of me first should that time evere, okay?¡± Corinne frowned in disbelief. ¡°Jason, what exactly do you see in me?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Jason smiled impishly as though he knew just how irresistible he was and that he could charm anyone at the drop of the hat. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to answer that. I just know that I like you!¡± Chapter 444 Chapter 444 After staring at each other for ten seconds, Corinne thought that she should eat the duck meat on her fork. After that, she wiped her mouth and said, ¡°Mister Talbot, thank you for giving me information about Nellie Nymphaea but I have yet to verify the veracity of it. Therefore, I would need to look into it more as for the other matter. Well, let¡¯s talk about it again sometime in the future.¡± ¡®She¡¯s willing to talk about it?¡¯ This was better than Jason expected. At least there was still some hope for him. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not going to force you but I hope that I¡¯ll be the first person thates into your mind whenever you need someone to help you.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne smiled. ¡°I see that you¡¯re as kind as ever, Kind Sir. I¡¯ll be sure to keep that in mind.¡± The reason she told Jason she would be willing to talk about the matter of their ¡°rtionship¡± sometime in the future was that she knew that he would not stop talking her ears off if she rejected him directly now. She wanted to be spared from all that talking. Jason looked at her hopefully. ¡°Then do you mind if we exchange phone numbers with each other?¡± After giving it some thought, Corinne took out her phone and passed it to him. Jason was a little taken aback but he immediately understood what she wanted him to do. After taking her phone, he saved his number on it and then proceeded to call himself with the same phone. Then, he took out his ringing phone and saved the number shown on the screen. Finally, he gave back the phone to Corinne. ¡°Thanks, Corinne. You can¡¯t imagine how happy I am,¡± he said with a smile. Corinne smiled too. ¡°Well, you should eat more to celebrate. The food won¡¯t be as nice once it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be even happier if you can call me Jason.¡± ¡°You got it, Kind Sir.¡± Jason chuckled. He knew it would not be that easy for him to change her mind. He then dug in on the food on his te and the two of them changed the topic to something a little less serious. When they came out of the restaurant, the row of TVs disyed in the electronics store were ying breaking news that was set in a loop. [The heir to an international conglomerate and the second daughter of a business tycoon is set to marry each other. This would be the business alliance of the century.] Corinne quietly watched the same news being broadcasted on the row of TVs at the same time. The picture shown in the news was a silhouette of a man and a woman. Even though there were no defining characteristics, nor did they mention the name of the couple getting engaged, anyone who knew them would be able to tell who they were at a nce. Jason who was standing next to Corinne. have finally gotten their wish to get married despite the objections from both sides of the family.¡± was shocked by the news as well. ¡°I guess they Corinne smiled mockingly and averted her eyes from the news. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. I¡¯ll be making a move first. Goodbye, Kind Sir.¡± Jason stopped her. ¡°Corinne, wait. When can I see you again?¡± ¡°How about we leave that up to fate?¡± Corinne waved goodbye to him and walked away from him at a leisurely pace, leaving Jason to stand where he was alone. This time, he did not chase after her. He remained standing where he was as he watched her leave with a meaningful smile on his lips. Corinne went back to her ce in Thssa. Aaron was lying on the sofa and ying a game on his phone. He threw his phone to the side when he saw hering back. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re back! How did it go? Did you get to see Michel?¡± Corinne was exhausted. She copsed on the sofa and answered, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did it take you so long toe back?¡± Aaron asked curiously. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 ¡°I bumped into a friend and we had lunch together,¡± answered Corinne. ¡°A friend? Who?¡± Corinne massaged her temples. Then her eyes became sharp. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Aaron, I want you to look into the Rivera family. Especially Lucas Rivera. Get me as much information about him as you possibly can.¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± He did not even question why but immediately picked up his phone to make a call. Corinne leanedzily against the sofa and closed her eyes. She was two months along in her pregnancy and it made her easily tired. She did not seem to have the same level of energy as before. She was living in Thssa with Aaron for the past month while Xante stayed back in New Capital City to take care of the business. Sometimes, she would visit them in Thssa. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. This one month, Corinne looked into her mother¡¯s identity but there was no progress. Going by the information Marvin gave her, she searched the entire student database at Thssa University but there was never a student by the name of Em Love, either past or present. She even called Marvin again just to make sure he gave her the right information to which thetter insisted that the information he gave her was urate. Her mother was called Em Love and she was the campus belle in Thssa University. Corinne had nothing to go on with after that so she wanted to meet Michel to see if he could give her any new information about her mother. However, it was just her rotten luck that Michel could note to the exhibition because his wife fell sick. Therefore, imagine her surprise when she learned something shocking about her mother from someone none other than Jason. Aaron hung up his phone and said, ¡°Boss, I got the information you want!¡± Corinne opened her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Aaron read out the information his subordinate sent him, ¡°The Riverase from a long line of schrs and are one of the most distinguished families in New Capital City. The older generations were all important figures who contributed much to the society. Lucas Rivera is the son of Maxwell Rivera and Emily Lovce, who herself happens toe from a very prominent family in Thssa.¡± ¡®Emily Lovce? This name is so close to Em Love that it couldn¡¯t possibly be a coincidence. They must be the same person! Mister Carew didn¡¯t give me the wrong name after all. Mom must have told her ssmates a shortened version of her name!¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Continue,¡± said Corinne after a while. ¡°Later, Emily Lovce was chased out of the house after the Riveras found out she had an affair and gave birth to a daughter with another man. However, to save their reputation, the Rivera dered the mother and daughter as missing.¡± Corinne frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± She could not believe her sweet and gentle mother would ever do something like that. Aaron must have guessed what was going on in her mind so he stopped talking. He knew from the very moment Corinne asked him to look into the Riveras that they had something to do with Corinne¡¯s missing mother. Corinne pinched the center of her brows. She remained silent for a moment before finally saying, ¡°Aaron, go find out what jobs are avable in Rivera Group right now.¡± Aaron did a double-take. Then he immediately did as she said. ¡°Boss, the Rivera Group is looking to hire a secretary for its president, Lucas Rivera.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and made up her mind that instant. ¡°Aaron, pack your things. We¡¯re going back to New Capital City tomorrow.¡± A worried frown appeared on Aaron¡¯s face. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not going to apply for the job, are you?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± ¡°But everyone knows how notoriously difficult Lucas can be. Not to mention, you had all those unhappy misunderstandings with him. He¡¯ll make your life difficult if you be his secretary.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s my best bet on finding my mother now so I¡¯m willing to take the risk.¡± Chapter 446 Chapter 446 A wealthy family like the Riveras was just like any other wealthy family. All they cared about was money and reputation. With both in their hands, they would be able to prevent the scandals their families were involved in from getting out to the public. Even if words get out of what happened behind closed doors, no mediapany would be brave enough to expose them. Therefore, only a handful of people possessed insider information about the Rivera family and those people made sure to keep their mouths shut to Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. outsiders. Under such circumstances, it would be impossible for Corinne to find out what happened back then if she did not walk into the lion¡¯s den, so to speak. She thought that it would be easy to clear up her mother¡¯s name since it was confirmed that she did not share the same DNA as Marvin. However, now that she learned that she was rumored to be the child born out of an extramarital affair. Well, that gave her a headache. She could not and would not believe her mother would ever be a mistress so she vowed to get to the bottom of the truth. She must clear her mother¡¯s name and take revenge on those who spread lies about her. ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t you worried the Holdens would find you if you go back to New Capital City? I have a reliable source telling me that Mister Jeremy is still looking for your whereabouts,¡± said Aaron. ¡°The best ce to hide is in in sight. They¡¯ll never expect me to be right under their nose. Besides, I can¡¯t give up looking for my mother just because of that.¡± Suddenly, she remembered the news she saw on the TV a moment ago. She frowned and scoffed. ¡°So what if he found me? It¡¯s not like I owe him anything. Plus, I heard he¡¯s getting engaged to Anya soon. He¡¯s probably hunting me down so that he could give me an invitation to their party.¡± Aaron was surprised to hear the news of the engagement but his surprise quickly turned to anger and contempt. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I used to think he was a good guy. A guy that the boss can live happily with for the rest of her life. Well, he certainly proved me wrong. How can he get engaged with another woman when it has only been a month since the boss left him? It¡¯s a good thing the boss has always been the rational type and didn¡¯t fall too hard for him.¡¯ ¡°Alright, boss. I¡¯ll go pack up our things and ask Xante to send someone to pick us up.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Corinne said. Then leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes. ¡®It¡¯s best for Xante to send someone to pick us up. Taking public transportation might leave our tracks,¡¯ she thought. She was not afraid Jeremy would find her but she still wanted to avoid the possibility of running into him. For some reason unknown to her, she would get into one trouble or another whenever she was involved with the Holden family. E A few dayster. At the Rivera Group¡¯s headquarter, the Human Resources department. Edmund was interviewing the candidates one by one. The requirements for this job were higher than normal since the new hire would be acting as the executive secretary to the president. The candidates would be judged based on their qualifications, their looks, and how well they present themselves. Those who passed the first round of screening would then meet with Edmund Lucas¡¯ right- hand man who had the final say on who to hire. ¨C Edmund already interviewed more than a dozen applicants and his disappointment seemed to grow in proportion to the number of applicants he interviewed. ¡®None of them would evenst one day with Mister Lucas. It¡¯s so hard to find someone he likes. Not only do they have to be capable but they have to be discreet and have no ulterior motives.¡¯ Most of the applicants were women and all of them were dressed like they were going to a party instead of a job interview. Plus, the heavy makeup on their faces did not give them any brownies points at all. ¡®It¡¯s obvious they¡¯re not here for the job but for Mister Lucas! I¡¯ll get an earful from him if I hire someone who only wants to climb into his bed instead of doing her job well.¡± Edmund looked at the voluptuous woman sitting in front of him. She was ying with her hair and showing off her cleavage. He waved his hand impatiently and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re not suitable for this job. Next!¡± A few secondster, Corinne walked in and sat down on the chair. By that point, Edmund was sick of all the women who had nothing to show off but their make- up skills. He lowered his head and pinched the center of his brows as he asked absent- mindedly, ¡°Tell me, why did you apply for this position?¡± ¡°Because the money being offered is good.¡± Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Compared to the pretentious answers given by the candidates before, Corinne¡¯s answer was like a breath of fresh air. ¡®Wait a minute. Why does her voice sound so familiar?¡¯ thought Edmund. He looked up and his eyes immediately widened in recognition. ¡®Corinne Carew?!¡¯ Corinne smiled amicably at him. Edmund snapped out of his shock and frowned. He reminded himself to be wary of her since. her history with both Lucas and Anya were less than desirable. ¡°Miss Carew, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came here for the interview, of course.¡± The frown on Edmund¡¯s forehead became deeper. ¡°You want to be Mister Lucas¡¯ executive secretary?¡± Corinne nodded confidently. ¡°Yup.¡± Edmund did not have a good impression of her. He thought she came here to make trouble for the Riveras so he said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but, given your past, I don¡¯t think Mister Lucas would have to have you as his executive secretary. You may leave now. Next!¡± Corinne remained seated. ¡°How do you know he wouldn¡¯t want me to be his executive secretary?¡± she asked with the same amicable smile still on her face. Edmund was just about to answer her question when Corinne added, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because you have a gut feeling.¡± Edmund became speechless. Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, I must say this certainly isn¡¯t very professional of you. How can an interviewer reject someone based on their personal feelings instead of meticulously going through the candidates¡¯ ability to carry out the work listed down in the job description?¡± ¡°Well, what would you do if you were in my shoes?¡± Edmund asked. He was not at all happy at having to deal with her. Corinne straightened herself up and said, ¡°You should at least take a good look at my resume to see whether I¡¯m qualified for the job, and if I¡¯m not, you¡¯ll need to give me a valid reason for not being selected.¡± Edmund¡¯s face became as ck as thunder. Not being able toe up with aeback, he could only grit his teeth and flipped through her resume. ¡®Let¡¯s see! Strong academic record. Previously worked in a Fortune 500pany. There¡¯s nothing in her resume that¡¯ll allow me to reject her!¡¯ Edmund looked up at Corinne again. ¡°What was your reason for applying for this job again?¡± ¡°I said, the money being offered is good!¡± Edmund smirked. ¡°So you¡¯re only doing it for the money. Well, ourpany doesn¡¯t need someone who¡¯s only in it for the money.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and asked without hesitation, ¡°Then might I ask why you¡¯re working here? Is it not because you want to earn money so that you can take care of your family? If you¡¯re not doing it for the money, then you might as well volunteer to work for free. That¡¯ll show Mister Lucas just how much you love this job.¡± Edmund became red with anger. He was never been mocked like this before. ¡°Where are your manners? How dare you talk like this to an interviewer?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of the quote ¡®Life is like a mirror¡¯? Smile and it smiles back at you so the fact that you¡¯re asking me where are my manners implies that you don¡¯t have any manners too.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Edmund could not win against her so he impatiently said, ¡°Your personality isn¡¯t suitable for this job. You may leave now. Next!¡± Again, Corinne did not move from her seat. ¡°There¡¯s no one else after me. I¡¯m thest candidate. You have no choice but to choose me. Besides, it¡¯ll take you more than a lifetime to find the perfect executive secretary for Mister Lucas so why not just choose me?¡± Edmund red at her silently. He wanted to call security to escort her out but thought better of it since she used to be Jeremy¡¯s wife. It would not bode well for him if he crossed that family again. After thinking it over, he got up and went outside to call Lucas, Lucas was in his office reading some emails. He picked up the phone absent-mindedly. ¡°What? Corinne hase for an interview?¡± he asked with narrowed eyes after Edmund told him about the situation. ¡°Yes. She wouldn¡¯t leave no matter what. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s going to stay put until she gets the job. Mister Lucas, I have never met such a shameless candidate in all of my life.¡± ¡°Bring her to my office.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Edmund hung up the phone. ¡°Miss Carew, please follow me. Mister Lucas would like to see you.¡± Corinne was not surprised. She got up and followed Edmund to Lucas¡¯ office. His office was just like his elegant but cold. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve brought Miss Carew here to see you,¡± said Edmund with a bow. There were a few unique handicrafts on the desk and behind the desk was arge office chair with its back facing them. However, Lucas did not turn around even after Edmund greeted him. After bringing Corinne here and greeting Lucas, he then turned around and walked out of the room without being prompted. ¡®I guess his job is to only bring me here,¡¯ thought Corinne. She waited patiently for Lucas to turn around but when he did not, she politely said, ¡°Mister Lucas, my name is Corine Carew and I wish to work as your executive secretary.¡± After a few seconds, Lucas finally slowly turned around. He was holding a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hand. His elegance gave him both a dignified and indifferent air. He smiled at Corinne but the smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°Hello, Miss Carew. It¡¯s been a while. What tricks are you trying to pull this time? Tell me, why would you suddenly apply to be my executive secretary?¡± ¡°Because I need money and the sry being offered for this position is quite generous so I thought why not?¡± Lucas smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He looked at her mockingly and said, ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re not the type to grovel for money. Previously, you were determined to give me back the cheque I wrote for you and that cemented my impression of you having no interest in money. You¡¯re probably regretting your decision now huh?¡± Corinne looked at Lucas calmly. She did not seem to be fazed by Lucas¡¯ attempt at breaking her down. ¡°I never said I have no interest in money. On the contrary, I love money very much. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t like it when other people throw money at me so that they could feel better about themselves. Mister Lucas, why don¡¯t we let bygones be bygones? I didn¡¯te here to beg. Instead, I came here today to apply for a job in the hope of using my skill to earn some money. And that¡¯s not groveling.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes to size her up. He then smiled and said, ¡°You wish to work here? Miss Carew, might you be overestimating yourself just a little too much?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Why don¡¯t you hire me and see for yourself?¡± Corinne said resolutely. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucas pulled back his gaze from her and took a sip of coffee. ¡°No, thanks. Ourpany doesn¡¯t need a wild card like you working for us. I highly suggest you go work somewhere else, Miss Carew.¡± Corinne frowned at him. The thought of sharing the same mother with the arrogant and mean man in front of her made her shudder uncontrobly. She would not be sitting here talking to him if it were not for the sake of getting more information about her mother. She swore to herself that she would not be walking out of thepany without getting a job. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Corinne walked up to the desk, pulled out one of the chairs, and sat down on it. ¡°Mister Lucas, I highly suggest you reconsider your decision.¡± Lucas frowned. He was not happy that she took a seat without his permission. ¡°Why should I?¡± Corinne looked at his handsome face and said matter-of-factly, ¡°While I was waiting for my interview, I helped you assess every candidate that walked in the door. Except for me, all the girls who came did note for the job. Instead, they came in the hopes of getting close to you. I believe you wouldn¡¯t want someone who¡¯s trying to climb into your bed to be your executive secretary, right?¡± Lucasughed coldly. ¡°That¡¯s quite a fair warning, Miss Carew, but the fact that I won¡¯t hire them doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll hire you either. I can hire a man for the job to avoid getting myself into the tricky situation you so kindly warned me about.¡± who Corinne expected he would say that. She smiled and continued, ¡°There were a few guys came for the interview but I overheard them talking about your body, your sexual orientation, and a few other things that had nothing to do with the job. I¡¯m pretty sure they came for the same reason as the girls. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d much prefer a swooning girl secretary over a swooning guy secretary, right?¡± Lucas was speechless. Corinne sessfully riled him up. He was so angry that he could not even drink the coffee in his hand. ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Carew. But how can I be sure that you¡¯re not the same as them? That you¡¯re not trying to climb into my bed as well?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne looked him dead in the eye to make sure he knew that she was serious. There was even a little bit of disgust in her eyes. ¡°Mister Lucas, you can rest assured at the fact I have no whatsoever interest in you. I¡¯ll never fall for you even if you use every trick in the book to seduce me.¡± Lucas choked on his coffee. He cleared his throat and red at her. ¡°And why won¡¯t you ever fall for me?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s simple. It¡¯s because I hate you,¡± said Corinne without skipping a beat. Lucas was stunned. This was the first time a woman ever told him she hated him. ¡°Likewise, likewise.¡± Lucas chuckled wryly. ¡°If you hate me so much then why do you still want to work for me? Don¡¯t you think find this contradictory at all?¡± Corinne did not think so. ¡°Mister Lucas, the person I hate is you. Not yourpany or this job I¡¯m applying for. So it¡¯s not contradictory at all. I¡¯m perfectly able to keep my work and personal life separate so you don¡¯t have to worry that my dislike of you will affect my work. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try me out for a few days. I can guarantee you that you¡¯ll find my performance up to your standard and I can also guarantee you that I¡¯ll never climb into your bed.¡± Lucas was speechless. Every meeting with her seemed to bring a new surprise to him. It was not that he disliked her, it was just that he did not like her bullying Anya. He would not be surprised if one day, he came to admire her courage and grit. Not only was Corinne beautiful but she possessed a kind of maturity that was beyond her age, though she looked younger than she was. Lucas was sure here-what-may attitude alone would set her apart from the rest of her peers in the future. ¡®I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how she will continue to blossom!¡¯ thought Lucas. At that moment, a knock came from outside and Edmund¡¯s voice could be heard saying, ¡± Mister Lucas. Miss Anya and Mister Jeremy havee to visit you. Hearing this, Corinne¡¯s face immediately changed. Shepletely lost theposure she had moments ago. Her first instinct was to get up and leave the room. ¡®What the h*ll? I get why Anya woulde here but what¡¯s Jeremy doing here as well? Chapter 450 Chapter 450 ¡®If I leave the office now I¡¯d bump into Anya and Jeremy! What should I do?¡¯ thought Corinne. Lucas looked at the panicking Corinne and thought he liked her better this way. ¡®She¡¯s way cuter like this than when she¡¯s all huffy-puffy,¡¯ he raised his eyebrow and said mockingly, ¡°So the great and mighty Corinne does know how to panic as well.¡± Corinne was speechless. She was not in the mood for Lucas¡¯s mockery. ¡®D*mmit! Of all the things I¡¯ve expected to go wrong, this is certainly one I didn¡¯t seeing.¡± She banked on the fact that the Holdens and the Riveras were at odds with each other. Therefore, she was confident Jeremy would not appear in thepany. She even remembered the bad vibe shing in the air whenever Jeremy and Lucas were in the same room. ¡®Things must be going well between Jeremy and Anya in the one month I was gone. Maybe the elders have started to ept each other? If that¡¯s true, that¡¯ll exin why they¡¯re getting engaged so soon,¡¯ thought Corinne, clenching her fists. Lucas narrowed his eyes. Not giving a d*mn about Corinne¡¯s feelings, he then said to Edmund, ¡°Let them in!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± ¡®Sh*t! They¡¯reing in!¡¯ Corinne started to scan the room for somewhere to hide as the door opened bit by bit. She did not want to see Jeremy or have any contact with him! Finally, without asking for Lucas¡¯s permission, she ran over and hid behind therge bookshelf that was behind Lucas¡¯s desk. She heaved a sigh of relief after she hid herself. Not even a few secondster, she heard Anya¡¯s voice in the room. ¡°Lucas, why did you ask me to rush over here? Was there an emergency?¡± asked Anya softly. Her voice was as harmless as a newborn deer. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ve been spending so much time with Jeremy that you rarelye home anymore. I was starting to worry that you¡¯d forgotten all about me.¡± His voice was so much warmer than when he was speaking to Corinne just moments ago. However, there was a little bit of jealousy mixed in with the adoration he had for his little sister. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, Lucas! How can you say that I rarely go home anymore when I¡¯m home every night?¡± said Anya, blushing madly. ¡°Yeah, but you go out every day at seven in the morning. I don¡¯t evene to work that early! And you onlye home when it¡¯s close to midnight. Plus, you eat dinner outside so that¡¯s as good as not being at home in my eyes,¡± replied Lucas with a scoff. Anya walked around the desk and jumped onto Lucas¡¯sp. ¡°That¡¯s because I have something to do. It¡¯s not like I purposely don¡¯t want to be at home.¡± Lucas hugged his beloved little sister. ¡°Just admit it! You have no room for anyone for your fiance.¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± Anya buried her head shyly in Lucas¡¯s chest. else except Lucas patted her on the head with a look of resignation on his face. He then looked up at the man who came in with Anya and nodded at him as a way of greeting.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jeremy, thanks for bringing my sister over.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Jeremy with a nod. He was standing with both of his hands casually shoved into his pockets. At that moment, Corinne felt as though her chest was being pressed down by a thousand- pound rock. This was the first time in a month she heard Jeremy¡¯s voice again and she did not know what to feel. From the corner of his eye, Lucas nced at the bookshelf behind him through the reflection on the computer screen, and his expression suddenly became sly. ¡°Jeremy, I would like to discuss with you about your engagement with my sister. Are you free to talk now?¡± Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Jeremy checked the time on his wristwatch. ¡°Yes.¡± Lucas lifted Anya off him, stood up gracefully, and put on his suit jacket. ¡°That settles it then. The three of us will go over the details of the engagement over lunch.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Jeremy. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne |_ who was still hiding behind the bookshelf and two months pregnant touched her belly subconsciously. Her eyes were filled with coldness and irony. ¡®So they¡¯re going to talk about Jeremy¡¯s and Anya¡¯s engagement eh? I¡¯m sure their parents would not object to them being together since they already have a kid together. Maybe this will be the start of them putting away their differences anding together as a real family,¡¯ thought Corinne. Lucas put his arm around Anya¡¯s shoulders and the three of them walked over to the door when suddenly Lucas paused in his tracks and said, ¡°Jeremy, might I trouble you to bring Anya to the restaurant first? I just remember I have urgent matters to attend to. I¡¯ll ask Edmund to make a reservation for the restaurant. You two go ahead first and start without me. I promise I won¡¯t take long and will go there as soon as I¡¯ve finished my work.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Jeremy emotionlessly. He did not care one way or another. ¡°Okay, Lucas. We¡¯ll make a move first. Pleasee to the restaurant as soon as you¡¯re done with your work,¡± said Anya sweetly. Lucas beamed a smile back at her. ¡°You got it!¡± Corinne heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Jeremy and Anya walking out of the office.¡¯ Phew, I¡¯m safe.¡¯ Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hand and forced the vomit back down. ¡®Don¡¯t make a sound, Corinne. Don¡¯t make a sound,¡¯ she told herself. Her morning sickness got worsetely, which she attributed to the stress and not getting enough rest. ¡®Gah! No! I can¡¯t keep it in any longer.¡¯ Corinne took a step back as the bile rose in her throat, causing her to cough uncontrobly. Cough! Cough! Jeremy was just about to walk out of the door when he heard Corinne¡¯s coughing. His eyes immediately shrank to pinpoint size and his hand froze in mid-air. He then turned around and looked sharply at the bookshelf. ¡®That voice! It sounded like hers!¡¯ he thought. Anya heard Corinne coughing as well. She, too, stopped walking and turned around. ¡°Lucas, who was coughing just now? Is there someone else in your office?¡± she asked curiously. Lucas averted his gaze from hers. He scanned the bookshelf nonchntly and lied with a straight face, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything. You must have heard wrong, Anya.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m sure I heard it just now. It sounded like a woman¡¯s coughing. Lucas, are you hiding a woman in here? Oooh, I¡¯m going to look for her!¡± She could not wait to get revenge on Lucas for embarrassing her just now. This time, it would be Lucas blushing. All she had to do was find out where he hid the woman. A frown appeared on Lucas¡¯ face when he saw Anya making a beeline for the bookshelf. However, he chose to remain silent. He was not trying to hide Corinne from Anya just now; it was just that it would be hard for him to exin what she was doing behind the bookshelf if Anya were to find out. Now, it did not matter. There was no outsider here anyway. ¡®Sh*t!¡¯ said Corinne inwardly when she heard Anya¡¯s footsteps nearing. There was nowhere to hide anymore. Her face was pale from all that retching and she started to hyperventte. Anya stuck her head behind the bookshelf and her cheeky smile immediately froze on her face. She remained like that for one whole minute as her innocent doe eyes went from shock to hatred. ¡®What the h*ll is she doing here?¡± Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Anya looked at Corinne with pure hatred in her eyes. ¡®What the h*ll is Corinne doing in Lucas¡¯ office? What is she trying to pull this time?¡± Corinne did not back down from her gaze. At the same time, they could hear the sound of steady footsteps getting closer to them. Anya knew Jeremy was walking over to see what was going on and she did not want him to see Corinne. After thinking it over, she smiled cunningly and said loudly for everyone in the room to hear, Oh Lucas, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯ve gotten yourself a cat for the office? It was choking on some dried fish. Good thing it spat the dried fish out now. If not, it would have gone to cat heaven. You gotta be more careful next time. You shouldn¡¯t feed a kitten this small snack like that.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. He immediately understood what she was trying to do so he said nonchntly, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is my first time having a pet so I¡¯m still not quite sure how to take care of it. I¡¯ll make sure to be more careful next time.¡± Anya was d Lucas caught her meaning. She shot Corinne a warning look before turning around and walking over to Jeremy to stop him from going to the bookshelf. ¡°Jeremy, the kitten is still small and seems to be very afraid of people so it¡¯s best not to go over there and frighten it,¡± she said kindly. Jeremy looked down at her then at the bookshelf with doubt in his eyes. Corinne could sense him looking over there so she took a deep breath to force down the wave of nausea that was bubbling up again. She was worried that Jeremy would insist on taking a look behind the bookshelf so she opened her mouth to meow softly to make Anya¡¯s story seem more believable. ¡°Meow! Meow¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving. Lucas, Jeremy, and I will head on over to the restaurant first. Remember to meet us there when you¡¯re done with your work,¡± said Anya. She then pulled Jeremy¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Jeremy, let¡¯s go.¡± The light in Jeremy¡¯s faded when he heard the meowing sound. He looked away from the bookshelf and walked out with Anya, leaving Lucas alone in his office. Lucas walked slowly to his chair and sat downzily. ¡°You cane out now, pussy cat,¡± he said absent-mindedly. Corinne came out from behind the bookshelf; she returned to her previous calm. Lucas cocked his head at her and asked, ¡°Why did you hide yourself just now?¡± ¡°I was trying to avoid seeing a certain someone,¡± Corinne answered lightly. Lucas looked at her thoughtfully. ¡°You didn¡¯t want to see Jeremy? Why?¡± Corinne did not want to exin herself. ¡°No reason. I just didn¡¯t want to see him. There¡¯s no use in you asking. Besides, your sister didn¡¯t want him to see me either.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucas leanedfortably against his chair. The way he was sitting looked as though he was a king looking down on those who served him and yet one could not help but find him elegant and cool. ¡°Miss Carew, I believe you can tell that Anya and Jeremy are getting along very well with each other so I hope you¡¯ll continue to use that brain of yours to stay away from him. It¡¯ll be stupid of you to ever come in between them again.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®When did I evere in between them? Jeremy was the one who forced me into marrying him. I indeed fell for him a little during the three months but that¡¯s because he lied to me! He told me he doesn¡¯t have any feelings for Anya and that he only sees her as someone who saved his life before. I know I was a fool to believe him but-¡® Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Corinne was toozy to exin herself. Instead, she asked, ¡°So you¡¯re okay with Anya getting engaged with someone from the Holden family?¡± A look of resignation shed across Lucas¡¯ face, ¡°Considering my family¡¯s stance on this, 1, for one, don¡¯t wish to see them getting married because my elders will rain down their disapproval on me. But, my sister is too stubborn to ever let Jeremy go. It¡¯s as if she¡¯ll die if she¡¯s not with him, and as her brother, it¡¯s my job to protect her and make sure she lives. happily ever after with the man she loves. I¡¯ll never forgive those who wish her harm so I hope you can understand where I¡¯ming from, Miss Carew.¡± Corinne looked quietly at Lucas. Suddenly, she smiled. ¡°Yes, I do understand where you¡¯reing from. She¡¯s lucky to have a brother like you.¡± Lucas could not tell whether she was being sincere in her praise but he did not care one way or another. He did his job in warning her so that if she knew what was good for her, she would stay away from Jeremy. He would not stand by and do nothing if she ever came between Jeremy and Anya again. The affection he had for Anya was two-fold since the love he had for Luna had nowhere else to go. He would forever regret not being able to protect his mother and Luna fifteen years ago. and thus, he swore to himself that he would protect Anya at all costs. He especially did not like Corinne for hurting Anya over and over again. After Corinne came out from behind the bookshelf, she stood in a different spot than when she first came in. At that moment, she was standing beside Lucas¡¯ desk and from that angle, she could see all the things on top of the desk.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She did not mean to spy on other people¡¯s things but as she passed her eyes over the desk, she saw something that made her stop. There was a photo of a woman with bright eyes and a kind smile holding a little girl who looked to be about three or four years old in her arms and standing beside her was a boy who looked to be ten years old. The three of them were smiling happily at the camera. ¡®That prettydy looks so familiar. Could she be my mom? It is her! She has the same eyes, nose, and lips as the woman in my memory.¡¯ She could finally put a face to her mother. No more blurry memories and vague dreams! Corinne¡¯s heart suddenly tightened and her eyes started to brim with tears. Lucas noticed something was off with her. He looked at her in rm before following her gaze to the picture frame on his desk. He then frowned and turned the picture frame around, not wanting Corinne to keep staring at it. ¡°Miss Carew, you may leave now. Edmund, please see her off.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Edmund came into the office and nced at Corinne. Something came up that took precedence over seeing Corinne off. ¡°Mister Lucas, we¡¯ve encountered a problem with the client from Abura.¡± Lucas looked up at him and asked, ¡°What problem?¡± ¡°The client wasn¡¯t happy with the trantion our trantion did for him. It seemed like the trantor was not proficient enough in thenguage and made many mistakes in tranting the more technical terms so the client told the trantor to pack up his things and never show his face around them again.¡± Edmund racked his head trying toe up with a solution. ¡°We¡¯ve already looked for a recement in our pool of trantors but those who can report to duty immediately are not up to the client¡¯s standard while those who can do what the client requires are not in New Capital City so it would take them some time to get here. The situation got from bad to worse and the client was kicking up a fuss, saying that he will return to his country immediately if no solution is found.¡± Lucas frowned. Judging by the hint of rarely-seen anxiety on his face, this was indeed a difficult problem. Corinne raised an eyebrow and said lightly, ¡°If you still can¡¯t find a trantor, I don¡¯t mind giving it a try.¡± Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Hearing this, both Lucas and Edmund looked her up and down in unison. After two seconds of silence, Lucas narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, ¡°You know Aburian?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°A little.¡± Edmund snorted. ¡®Why, this woman would lie through her teeth to achieve her goals,¡¯ he thought. His impression of her took a nosedive aspared to when he was interviewing her just now. ¡°Miss Carew, you do know this job requires you to be fluent in thenguage, right? Knowing hello or goodbye doesn¡¯t count so please don¡¯t butt in while I¡¯m speaking with Mister Lucas.¡± Corinne¡¯s resume did not say that she knew any foreignnguages so it was understandable Edmund did not believe her when she said she knows a little Aburian. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t she list. that down in her resume if she knows Aburian?¡± Corinne remained calm. ¡°I might not be at the native level but I¡¯m pretty confident that I can be of help to the client. Edmund scoffed. This time, he chose to say anything to her and instead, turned around to face Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, what should we do?¡± Lucas already turned away from Corinne and was looking at theputer screen, wondering if there was any other way to quickly find a professional Aburian trantor. Like Edmund, he also thought Corinne was just butting her nose to cause even more trouble for them. Corinne knew they did not believe her so she took a few steps forward and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, the problem yourpany is facing right now is that you¡¯ll lose this client if you can¡¯t find a suitable Aburian trantor. Rather than just sit here and fret your time away, why don¡¯t you give me a chance?¡± Lucas threw an icy nce at her. ¡°Miss Carew, this is not a game.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? How about we make a deal then? If I sessfully keep this client¡¯s business for thepany, you¡¯re to hire me as your executive secretary and if I fail, I promise I¡¯ll never show my face around here again. You, Anya, and Jeremy will be free of me forever. How does that sound?¡± To be honest, she did not like Lucas, not even one bit. Even if they shared the same DNA, she still could not find it in her heart to like someone who looked down his nose at those who did note from the same background as he did. However, after seeing the photo of her mother on Lucas¡¯ desk, Corinne became even more determined to stay in Rivera Group because only by getting close to Lucas could she get closer to the truth of what happened to her mother. Lucas looked at her silently for more than ten seconds. Suddenly he smiled and said, ¡°Very well then. Edmund, bring her to the client.¡± Edmund was shocked. ¡°What? Mister Lucas, I don¡¯t-¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Think that¡¯s a good idea. This chick doesn¡¯t look like she knows Aburian. Is Mister Lucas seriously going to gamble away the business like this?¡¯ thought Edmund. Lucas was not joking; he was dead serious. His thinking was, what was the worst that could. happen? It was not like thepany would go under just because they lost this business. Besides, it was impossible to find a suitable Aburian trantor on such short notice and if he was honest with himself, he found Corinne¡¯s proposition very attractive. Corinne gave him her words that she would never bother Anya and Jeremy ever again should she fail to retain the client. In this way, it could be regarded as him helping to clear one of Anya¡¯s biggest rtionship obstacles. It was a win-win solution for him so he might as well let Corinne try. Lucas picked up the warm coffee from his desk and took a sip. ¡°Edmund, you don¡¯t need to bring Miss Carew back if she fails to make the client happy. Thispany will never hire someone arrogant enough to think she can solve a problem with pure bravado alone. Chapter 455 Chapter 455 ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Edmund had no choice but to do what Lucas said. He turned around, threw Corinne a disgusted nce, and said huffily, ¡°Miss Carew, please follow me.¡± Corinne nodded, yawnedzily, and followed him out of the office. At the hotel, the Aburian clients are staying. Three men dressed in exotic clothes were dining in the restaurant downstairs of the hotel. They were talking in a foreignnguage, and their tone and expressions were very serious and unhappy as if they wereining about something that made them angry. Not far from the restaurant, Edmund passed Corinne the details about the project. ¡°The three men there are the clients. Do you need me to take you there?¡± he asked coldly. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No. I can go by myself.¡± That was just fine with Edmund since he did not have the intention to take her there anyway. He did not want to experience second-hand embarrassment in case Corinne did something unexpected to embarrass herself. In his mind, he already gave up on ever salvaging the rtionship with the Aburian clients for he knew Lucas was only using this opportunity to get rid of Corinne. Corinne quickly flipped through the information in her hand to get a rough idea of what she needed to do. Then, without hesitation, she strode to where the Aburian clients were sitting and introduced herself to them. Since Edmund did not know a lick of Aburian, he sat down at a table not far from where the clients were to monitor the situation. In the beginning, the three Aburian men were still sullen, probably because of what happened with the useless trantor. However, that quickly changed after Corinne said something to them in fluent Aburian. Edmund saw the three Aburian men beam a smile at Corinne and warmly invited her to sit down and have lunch with them. Corinne gracefully sat down and the four of them had a pleasant conversation together. Seeing this nearly made Edmund¡¯s jaw drop to the ground. He blinked in disbelief, wondering if he was hallucinating. After observing for a while, he concluded that Corinne was the real thing and this changed his impression of her for the better. ¡®She¡¯s doing it huh!¡¯ to the truth of what happened to her mother. Lucas looked at her silently for more than ten seconds. Suddenly he smiled and said, ¡°Very well then. Edmund, bring her to the client.¡± Edmund was shocked. ¡°What? Mister Lucas, I don¡¯t-¡± ¡®Think that¡¯s a good idea. This chick doesn¡¯t look like she knows Aburian. Is Mister Lucas seriously going to gamble away the business like this?¡¯ thought Edmund. Lucas was not joking; he was dead serious. His thinking was, what was the worst that could happen? It was not like thepany would go under just because they lost this business. Besides, it was impossible to find a suitable Aburian trantor on such short notice and if he was honest with himself, he found Corinne¡¯s proposition very attractive. Corinne gave him her words that she would never bother Anya and Jeremy ever again should she fail to retain the client. In this way, it could be regarded as him helping to clear one of Anya¡¯s biggest rtionship obstacles. It was a win-win solution for him so he might as well let Corinne try. Lucas picked up the warm coffee from his desk and took a sip. ¡°Edmund, you don¡¯t need to bring Miss Carew back if she fails to make the client happy. Thispany will never hire someone arrogant enough to think she can solve a problem with pure bravado alone.¡± Edmund had no choice but to do what Lucas said. He turned around, threw Corinne a disgusted nce, and said huffily, ¡°Miss Carew, please follow me.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne nodded, yawnedzily, and followed him out of the office. At the hotel, the Aburian clients are staying. Three men dressed in exotic clothes were dining in the restaurant downstairs of the hotel. They were talking in a foreignnguage, and their tone and expressions were very serious and unhappy as if they wereining about something that made them angry. Not far from the restaurant, Edmund passed Corinne the details about the project. ¡°The three men there are the clients. Do you need me to take you there?¡± he asked coldly. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No. I can go by myself.¡± That was just fine with Edmund since he did not have the intention to take her there anyway. He did not want to experience second-hand embarrassment in case Corinne did something. unexpected to embarrass herself. In his mind, he already gave up on ever salvaging the rtionship with the Aburian clients for he knew Lucas was only using this opportunity to get rid of Corinne. Corinne quickly flipped through the information in her hand to get a rough idea of what she needed to do. Then, without hesitation, she strode to where the Aburian clients were sitting. and introduced herself to them. Since Edmund did not know a lick of Aburian, he sat down at a table not far from where the clients were to monitor the situation. In the beginning, the three Aburian men were still sullen, probably because of what happened with the useless trantor. However, that quickly changed after Corinne said something to them in fluent Aburian. Edmund saw the three Aburian men beam a smile at Corinne and warmly invited her to sit down and have lunch with them. Corinne gracefully sat down and the four of them had a pleasant conversation together. Seeing this nearly made Edmund¡¯s jaw drop to the ground. He blinked in disbelief, wondering if he was hallucinating. After observing for a while, he concluded that Corinne was the real thing and this changed his impression of her for the better. ¡®She¡¯s doing it huh!¡¯ Meanwhile, at the French restaurant called Kairos Flower. The restaurant manager immediately greeted Lucas enthusiastically as soon as he gracefully waltzed into the restaurant. ¡°Wee, Mister Lucas. Mister Jeremy and Miss Anya are waiting for you at the VIP table. Please allow me to lead you to their table.¡± Lucas nodded and followed the restaurant manager to the VIP table. Anya was talking incessantly to Jeremy but stopped when she saw Lucas walking over to them. She smiled and waved him over. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here, Lucas!¡± The waiter respectfully pulled out a chair for him and he sat down next to Anya. After ordering, Lucas gave the menu back to the waiter and signaled to him to give them some privacy. ¨C Lucas looked at Jeremy who was sitting opposite him and cutting his steak slowly and said, ¡°Sorry for making you wait, Jeremy.¡± Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Jeremy said calmly, ¡°No, the food was just served not too long ago.¡± Lucas smiled. Everybody started to dig in and did nothing else. Anya was in a good mood. She cut a slice of foie gras on her te, affectionately brought it to Jeremy¡¯s mouth, and said with a sweet smile, ¡°Jeremy, hurry up and try the foie gras here. I feel it¡¯s much tastier than the one we had in Kecharia. The texture is smooth and it melts in your mouth!¡± ¡°No need, thanks. Have it yourself.¡± Jeremy did not look at her. He did not even bat an eyelid. He just put the piece of steak that he cut into his mouth indifferently, then chewed it slowly to savor it with all great focus. After he rejected the food she fed him, Anya¡¯s smile stiffened and she froze in ce. She felt it would be very awkward if she took the foie gras back angrily. After giving it at thought, she used her knife to forcefully and carefully get the piece of foie gras off her fork. Then, she put it on the edge of Jeremy¡¯s te before saying, ¡°Just give it a try. Trust me. It¡¯s very good!¡± Jeremy hummed in response, but he still did not touch the foie gras. He just continued eating. his bloody steak. Seeing how extremely humble his sister was for love, Lucas was a little unhappy and his gaze darkened. He felt sorry that his sister was aggrieved, but he could not do anything either. Because Anya was simply fond of this unromantic man in front of them! Suppressing his unhappiness, Lucas saved his sister from embarrassment by saying to her gently, ¡°What¡¯s so tasty about that foie gras? Let me try it!¡± Only then did Anya¡¯s embarrassed expression fade, and she smiled sweetly again. She cut a new piece of foie gras and put it on Lucas¡¯ te. ¡°Here you go! Try it, Lucas. See if it¡¯s very good.¡± Lucas smiled. He picked up his cutleries and finished all the foie gras his sister shared with him. Nodding his head, he said, ¡°Mm-hmm. It¡¯s quite tasty! Jeremy, are you sure you¡¯re not going to try it?¡± His tone sounded very polite, but he was pressuring Jeremy. Anya was kind enough to share her foie gras with him, so why could he not just try a bite? Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. However, Jeremy still did not touch that bit of foie gras on the edge of his ce, and he did not respond to him either. He went straight to the point as soon as he opened his mouth. ¡°Lucas, what did you want to discuss with me? Just be straightforward with me.¡± Seeing that Jeremy did not appreciate his kindness, Lucas frowned a little inconspicuously. Het was slightly angry, but he could not say anything in front of his sister. He did not respond to Jeremy, and he turned to the side to look at his sister instead. ¡°Anya, I bought your favorite cheesecake on my way here, but I forgot to bring it in just now. Go to my car to get it now and try it with Jeremy.¡± While saying that, he handed her his car keys. Anya was a clever person. She knew her brother was deliberately making her leave as he wanted to talk to Jeremy alone. Her brother was the person who was the most protective of her in this world. He doted on her more than their parents since her childhood. In the past, her brother had an in-depth conversation with her once and learned that she would never marry anybody but Jeremy in this life. He also finally promised her that he would not object to her rtionship with Jeremy anymore. At that moment, her brother wanted to talk to Jeremy. He must be thinking of a way to help her get married to Jeremy. Thinking of that, Anya obediently epted the car key, then said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go get it now! Jeremy, let¡¯s have cake together when Ie back. The cheesecake from that ce is really good!¡± Jeremy only hummed indifferently in response. His face looked calm and cold. Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Anya left her seat to get the cake. Lucas watched her sister walk off before he looked at Jeremy, who was sitting across from him, and his gaze became dignified. ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too cold to Anya?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy looked up at him. ¡°Is this your first day knowing me?¡± Lucas was speechless. Jeremy was right. They knew each other since childhood and were in the same social circle. Jeremy indeed was always indifferent growing up. He was never too friendly to anybody. However, at the thought of his sister, whom he doted on since childhood, would be marrying a man who had no clue how to care for a girl at all in the future, Lucas could not help but sigh. He had no idea what Anya saw in him! Lucas did not hold Jeremy responsible for his attitude toward Anya earlier anymore. He got down to business with him. ¡°Jeremy, I already know that you and Anya adopted a child abroad behind both your parents¡¯ backs.¡± Jeremy stopped cutting his steak a little, then he continued. Lucas continued, ¡°Anya left home early and came homete recently because she was taking care of that child. Am I right?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained the same. It was after he slowly swallowed the steak in his mouth that he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doing this without getting the Riveras¡¯ permission.¡± Lucas looked at him harshly and sneered, ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m here to talk to you today, not to criticize you. Since the child has been adopted, we will treat him as Anya¡¯s child and raise him well. However, it¡¯s time for you to define your rtionship with my sister. She can¡¯t keep being in a vague rtionship with you!¡± Hearing that, Jeremy looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Lucas, you seem to have some misunderstanding. There¡¯s nothing vague going on between me and your sister.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Nothing going on? Then, what does it mean for the two of you to adopt a child together?¡± Jeremy calmly put his cutlery down and picked up the napkin to wipe the corners of his lips slowly. Then, he straightened his back, looking coldly and firmly at Lucas, and said seriously, To me, Anya will forever be a very important person who saved my life. I will respect her, help her, repay her, and treat her like a close friend. Other than that, we won¡¯t have any other rtionships.¡± Lucasughed sarcastically. ¡°Close friend? So you will adopt a child with your so-called close friend?¡± Jeremy picked up the ss of water with his long and broad hand, then calmly took a sip.¡± Lucas, to be honest with you, I also feel this is very inappropriate. But your sister kept asking me to help, saying that she wanted to experience being a mother very badly and begging me to go abroad with her to adopt a child. It was after careful consideration that I said yes to her.¡± Lucas¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°It sounds to me like you¡¯re telling me this as if this has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t you know the reason Anya wanted to adopt a child at such a young age? Jeremy, don¡¯t you forget that it¡¯s for your sake that my sister lost her ability to be a mother by bearing her child!¡± Jeremy frowned and looked sullen at the mention of the reason. Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Lucas said, ¡°It¡¯s because Anya saved you back then that her body was damaged by the snake¡¯s venom and lost the ability to bear children forever! You should know without me telling you how much it would hurt physically and psychologically for a girl to lose the chance to be a mother from a young age! Besides, it¡¯s Anya¡¯s dream to be a mother since childhood! It¡¯s because of you that she could never fulfill her dream! How could you be so indifferent to her now?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed and he said nothing. What Lucas said was indeed the truth. When he got injured 15 years ago, he was bitten by a venomous snake while he hid in a bush in a vige to flee from danger. As the venom spread, he was on the brink of death, and he lost his vision; so he could not save himself. He was saved by a girl who passed by. It was because she sucked the venom out of his wound that he managed to live! Later, the girl found him with the keepsake he left for her. It was only then he learn she was the Riveras¡¯ second daughter, Anya, who happened to be staying at the summer resort in the countryside. He also learned that because Anya did not manage to spit out all the venom in her mouth in time after saving him that day, her body was damaged by the venom, and she lost the ability to bear children. There was no way for him to make it up to Anya for the regret he caused her. Therefore, he was fulfilling all of her requests and being at her beck and call all these years. A month ago, Anya suddenly came to him in tears one day. She told him she saw one of her ssmates was married and pregnant when they met at the ss reunion. She envied her very much, and she also wanted to be a mother. She said as long as she had a child, she would feel her life was very happy andplete, and she would not bother him that often anymore in the future to avoid causing misunderstandings between him and Corinne. Of course, Jeremy knew it was inappropriate, but he felt guilty. Because of that, he said yes to Anya after carefully thinking over it for a few days. Anya suggested that they go to Kecharia to adopt an orphan. Because only a poor country like Kecharia would not need a marriage certificate and otherplicated verifications for a couple to adopt a child. She did not wish to tell her family as she was afraid they would stop her. She also did not trust any other man. Therefore, she begged him to go with her as her boyfriend and help her adopt a child. She would not trouble him with whatever came after that anymore. It took them half a month from the time they departed to Kecharia to return after getting all the adoption procedures done. The child came down with a fever on the day they brought him back, so they took him to the hospital as soon as their nended. Fortunately, it was no big deal. That was also the day Corrine called him onest time when he was at the hospital before she ran off. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Thinking of the little rascal who went missing, Jeremy¡¯s eyes became more and more bloodshot. After Lucas said so many things, he saw that Jeremy still did not react at all. Feeling helpless, he sighed again. ¡°Anya has lost the ability to have children. This is not something you can fully make it up to her by helping her adopt a child. Jeremy, Anya¡¯s only wish in this life was to be with you. Only you can bring her happiness! Even though our families have some residual animosity from generations ago, I¡¯m willing to do my best to reconcile for Anya; so I hope it¡¯s the same for you as well!¡± Jeremy regained his senses and looked at Lucas with an unfathomable gaze. ¡°Lucas, are you forgetting that I¡¯m already a married man? I can¡¯t marry again. Bigamy is illegal.¡± Lucas was stunned, then he sneered. ¡°Married? You can¡¯t mean your marriage to Corinne, right? To my knowledge, both of you have never been married. The reason you brought her into your family initially was just to console your grandfather so he would go through with the transntation procedure. Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Lucas was right, but Jeremy was still calm. ¡°We didn¡¯t get registered in time, but we had a wedding. It¡¯s an actual marriage in the eyes of thew. Lucas, I understand that you¡¯re worried about your sister. I will use the rest of my life topensate your sister for what she lost for me. However, the only thing I can¡¯t give her is marriage and your so- called happiness. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Having said that, Jeremy raised his wrist and nced at this watch. ¡°I¡¯m done with my lunch. I have a meetingter in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll first be taking my leave.¡± He stood up, turned around, and left, leaving no room for argument. Seeing how unwaveringly cold he was, Lucas could not hold himself back anymore. He stood up angrily and said, ¡°Jeremy! Do you even have a conscience?¡± At that time, Anya happened to return with the cake. She saw that Jeremy was about to leave and her brother was angry, but she had no idea what happened. Looking confused, she asked, ¡± What¡¯s the matter? Where are you going, Jeremy? I¡¯ve brought the cake. Let¡¯s try it together!¡± ¡°No need. I have something to take care of.¡± Jeremy waved calmly before putting his hand in his pocket. He walked past Anya without any expression on his face and left with big strides. ¡°Jeremy!¡± Anya called out, feeling reluctant to see him leave. However, Jeremy did not look back or stop in his tracks at all because of that. In the end, she could only watch his back with great disappointment as he walked out of the restaurant. Then, she angrily turned her face and looked at her brother with some resentment in her eyes. ¡°Lucas, what exactly did you say to Jeremy? Why did he leave?¡± Lucas stopped frowning and suppressed the anger he felt toward Jeremy. Because he was worried he would scare his sister, he calmed down as soon as possible and said gently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Jeremy left because he has an urgent matter to attend to at hispany. Anya,e and have a seat. Try the cake with me!¡± How could he have the heart to tell his sister that the man she loved deeply was not willing to marry her at all? After the man she loved left, Anya became dispirited. She sat down looking dejected. Even her favorite cake tasted like nothing in her mouth. Suddenly, she recalled something important. She turned to look at her brother and asked while pretending to be casual about it, ¡°Oh yes, Lucas! Why was Corinne in your office today? She was even hiding behind your bookshelf. She looked like she was up to something fishy no matter how I saw it! I saw that she didn¡¯t want to be found, so I just pretended that there was a cat there!¡± Lucas did not n to hide the matter about Corinne from his sister. While having his food, he said calmly, ¡°She came to mypany to apply to be my secretary today.¡± Anya was taken aback. Her doe-like eyes widened because of how surprised she was. ¡°What? Corinne applied to be your secretary. Did you hire her?¡± Just as Lucas was about to answer her, his phone rang. It was Edmund who called. Looking at the caller ID, Lucas squinted knowingly. He guessed that the client from Aburapletely rejected the coboration and boarded the ne home. Abura was a country with the most mineral resources. Losing such a major coboration would not bring any harm to thepany, but it was more or less still a pity. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Lucas frowned and answered the call. Before he even had the time to say hello, Edmund could not hold back his excitement and said, ¡°It¡¯s done, sir! Corinne and the client from Abura have reached a deal. They will go to thepany tomorrow morning to sign the contract for coborating with you for the next ten years!¡± Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Ten years? Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Abura¡¯s mineral resources were highly sought after by both domestic and foreignpanies, and plenty of corporations from powerful countries were eyeing this coboration. That was why the person in charge from Abura was always been fearless and arrogant. He was also famously difficult to manage. At first, the Rivera Group only wanted to get a deal with Abura to coborate for the next five years. However, the crown prince of Abura did not agree. He said he would only agree to sign for three years at most, and the terms of coboration would be renegotiated after three years. Even if it was just a three-year coboration, it was a deal that was hard to finalize. Corinne was gone over for an hour, yet she got a deal for a ten-year coboration. Lucas was slightly dazed, and he looked a little surprised. ¡°She could speak Aburian?¡± Edmund answered with great certainty, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s very fluent, and she seems to be humorous. The person in charge from Abura was so amused that he kept bursting intoughter! Sir, Miss Corinne wants me to ask you what time she can report to work tomorrow.¡± Lucas gave it a thought while squinting. ¡°Tell her toe to thepany tomorrow morning. Once the ten-year contract for us to coborate with Abura is officially signed, she can then officiallye on board.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± replied Edmund. At first, Edmund had the least faith in Corinne, but he seemed to have no opinions about her joining the company anymore. After he hung up the call, Lucas-who always looked unfazed-still had a sense of disbelief on his face. Seeing that, Anya had a faint sense of foreboding. She asked, ¡°Lucas, who did you say ising onboard? You¡¯re not hiring Corinne as your secretary, right? Regaining his senses, Lucas nodded calmly and said, ¡°She seemed to be quite capable. If she¡¯s competent, then I can indeed hire her.¡± Since Corinne closed the deal with Abura, then once the contract was signed, it would be the safest for her to manage the follow-ups; only then would there be no concern on Abura¡¯s end. Anya did not expect that Corinne would be hired by Lucas. She secretly started to have her guard up, but she smiled very understandingly instead. ¡°Lucas, Corinne is indeed a very clever girl. With her as your secretary, she certainly would be of great help to you! But, I know I shouldn¡¯t get involved with the company¡¯s affairs, but I still want to give you a little reminder. Corinne¡¯s great, but she has a bad temper. In terms of her character, she¡¯s not suitable to be a secretary, who needs to be highly compliant. You should consider it carefully!¡± Lucas rubbed Anya¡¯s head dotingly. ¡°Mm-hmm. I know what I¡¯m doing. Thank you for worrying about me!¡± He knew what his precious sister was concerned about. Corinne¡¯s appearance made Anya- who was unable to capture Jeremy¡¯s heart, to begin with-feel insecure. Even if Lucas hired Corinne, it would be because of herpetence. However, putting Corinne under his nose would make it convenient for him to keep an eye on her for Anya and not let her go wandering in front of Jeremy again! Seeing that Lucas had no intention to change his mind, Anya had no choice but to continue faking a smile. ¡°Alright, then.¡± Lucas sat up straight and took a sip of water. ¡°Anya, how¡¯s the child doing?¡± Anya was stunned and feeling sheepish. ¡°W-what child?¡± Lucas red at her while pretending to be serious. ¡°The child you and Jeremy adopted abroad! What¡¯s the matter? How much longer do you n on hiding it from me?¡± Knowing that she could not hide it anymore, Anya said pitifully, ¡°You already know about it?¡± Lucas sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve been going out early anding homete every day for the past month, being upied by something. How could I not be worried? I found out after asking Edmund to look into your tracks for the past month.¡± Anya was afraid Lucas would reprimand her, so she exined pitifully with tears in her eyes, Lucas, you know my biggest wish since childhood was to marry the man I love, have lots of children with him, and live happily together as a family.¡± Chapter 461 Chapter 461 ¡°But I can¡¯t have children of my own anymore, so I thought of adopting a child. That¡¯s because I want to be a mother very badly.¡± Seeing his sister being sad about the fact that she could no longer bear children made Lucas feel very heartbroken. How could he have the heart to scold her? He just sighed and wrapped his arm around his sister, then heforted her gently, ¡°I know. Bring the child home tomorrow! It¡¯s not good to keep him out there, and you¡¯ll be exhausted from traveling to and fro every day as well.¡± Anya looked up in surprise. ¡°I really can do that? Would Dad and Mom be angry when they find out? I¡¯m scared.¡± Lucas picked up a napkin to wipe off the tears in the corner of his sister¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Dad and Mom know about your body¡¯s condition. They can understand that you have your reasons. It¡¯s just that they will need some time to ept this. ¡°Anya, you were indeed too reckless for making this decision on your own and doing something so important in secret! In any case, let¡¯s just bring the child home. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about the other things. Just leave it to me. I¡¯ll talk to Mom and Dad.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Anya was so touched that she nestled in her brother¡¯s arms. ¡°I know you¡¯re the best, Lucas! You¡¯ll always take my side no matter what happens in the future, right?¡± Without hesitation, Lucas said, ¡°Of course.¡± Anya smiled, ¡°Lucas, do you know? Joey is growing up so quickly recently! I¡¯ll buy some new clothes for himter and dress him up adorably before taking him home. Mom and Dad will certainly be fond of him. as soon as they see him!¡± Anya became a chatterbox when talking about the child. She just smiled and kept talking to her brother about Joey without stopping. However, she was feeling irritated. A few days ago, she asked her friend in the media to vaguely release news saying she and Jeremy might be getting engaged soon because she wanted to put some pressure on Jeremy and both their parents. Of course, it was also to let Corinne-who was hiding somewhere-see it and make her understand that she no longer had a chance! However, nothing came of it in the end. Jeremy simply had his people take down all the news without leaving any trace behind at all. Looking at the situation earlier, the talk between her brother and Jeremy did not go well. Was Jeremy so not willing to marry her? Because of Corinne¡¯s appearance in the past, Jeremy was not as attentive to her as he used to be anymore. At that moment, what Anya was most worried about was the fact that the damned Corinne appeared again! Corinne already left back then, so why did shee back again? Also, Anya had no idea what Corinne was ying at because she applied to be her brother¡¯s secretary. Whatever Corinne¡¯s goal was, being a part of the Rivera Group meant she would be under Anya¡¯s control. No matter what Corinne would encounter next in the Rivera Group, she had iting! There was a glimpse of viciousness that was hard to notice at the bottom of Anya¡¯s clear and innocent eyes. ¡®We¡¯ll see about that!¡¯ Early morning the following day, Corinne came to the Rivera Group to start working. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Lucas signed the contract happily with the person in charge from Abura in the meeting room, then they bid each other farewell with a friendly handshake. Before the person in charge left, he said a bunch of things to Lucas. Lucas could not understand Aburian, so he turned his head a little toward Corinne, who tranted for them the whole time, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡± Smiling very professionally, Corinne tranted for him, saying, ¡°Mister Lucas, Mister Lapura said this is the happiest coboration he ever had. They hope they could continue coborating with the Rivera Group for the following ten years as well. Their country likes it very much to coborate with apany like yours that¡¯s sincere and responsible, but not as rigid as the others.¡± Lucas was indeed a little surprised. The state-owned enterprise of Abura was always arrogant and hard to manage, so it was rare that they would show their goodwill with such enthusiasm. It seemed that it was because the client was very happy with the standard of Corinne¡¯s trantion. After giving it a quick thought, Lucas nodded and smiled gracefully at the client, then said to Corinne,¡± Tell me we are also looking forward to working with them for the ten years after next.¡± After she added and polished the sentence with a touch of her humor, Corinne conveyed the meaning of Lucas¡¯s words to Mister Lapura in Aburian. Mister Lupura burst outughing, then he stretched his arms to hug Lucas and Corinne goodbye. After that, he waved and left happily with the people who came with him. Lucas was very happy with the result. He squinted as he looked at Corinne, and a sense of admiration. appeared in his eyes without him realizing it. ¡°Miss Corinne, see the guests off for me.¡± His instruction made Corinne stunned for a brief moment before she understood what he meant. She then smiled and said, ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Fantastic! She officially joined the Rivera Group! Corrine saw the clients off at the entrance of thepany. When she returned, Lucas already left. Edmund led her to the desk at the entrance of the president¡¯s office. ¡°This is your workstation from now on. If Mister Lucas needs anything, he¡¯ll call your extension. If he didn¡¯t ask for you, you can¡¯t go into hist office. Got it?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm. Got it.¡± After Corinne closed the deal with Abura, Edmund¡¯s impression of her changed a little as he recognized herpetence. However, that did not mean he would like her as a person. He would never forget how this naive girl named Corinne was rude to Lucas and bullied Anya in the past! After telling Corinne a few more things to take note of for work, Edmund turned and left to work on his things. ¡°Mister Edmund!¡± Corinne called out to him. Edmund stopped in his tracks, looking serious. ¡°Anything else I can help you with?¡± Corinne curled her finger, beckoning him to walk closer to her because what she wanted to say could not be said loudly. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Edmund frowned. He felt that Corinne was troublesome for a person who just joined thepany. However, he still cooperated and walked closer to her a little. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Out with it!¡± Corinne asked seriously, ¡°I wanted to ask you if Jeremy woulde often to look for Mister Lucas.¡± Edmund became vignt upon hearing there. ¡®What is her intention for asking if Mister Jeremy would come often? Could she still be having ideas about Miss Anya¡¯s man?¡¯ ¡°Mister Jeremy almost won¡¯te here at all. Yesterday was just a special case. Why did you ask?¡± Chapter 463 Chapter 463 A smile of relief appeared on Corinne¡¯s face after she got the ideal answer. ¡°Nothing. I feel at ease as long as that man won¡¯te here often.¡± Edmund felt that Corinne was very strange. He did not know what exactly she was thinking about. He just ignored her and was about to leave again. ¡°Hold on, Mister Edmund, I want to ask you for a favor.¡± Edmund was rather annoyed. ¡°If you need something, you better tell me in one go!¡± Corinne said, ¡°I don¡¯t want the Holdens to know I¡¯m working here, so please help to make my information in thepany ssified and not let anybody find out about my existence in thispany. Is that alright? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Edmund stared at Corinne and judged her in confusion for a moment before he said, ¡°Sure. It¡¯s nothing hard.¡± Corinne thanked him very seriously and sincerely, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then. Thank you so much!¡± Edmund was stunned by earnestness. He suddenly felt that she became very polite after going into working mode, and she was not as arrogant as before. ¡°Alright. Do your job well. Don¡¯t think about all these irrelevant things! Even if you¡¯ve sessfully joined thepany, you might still fail to live up to Mister Lucas¡¯s standard and be fired! Hurry up and familiarize yourself with your work environment. Mister Lucas will be backter, and he¡¯ll give you a task at any time, so be prepared!¡± Corinne nodded, showing that she understood. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Mister Edmund, I will work hard!¡± Edmund was stunned again. Did he remind her? ¡®Hmph! Don¡¯t tter yourself! After Edmund left, she sat at her desk to rest for a while. She was two months pregnant, so her back would be sore if she stood for too long. This was the first time she fully experienced how hard it was to be a mother! She sessfully joined the Rivera Group that day and was considered to have taken one big step closer to the truth of what happened back then! Other than that, she also had a mission that she mustplete that day-to go into Lucas¡¯s office without him noticing, secretly snap a shot of the photo on his table, and save a copy of it. She had no idea why, but it seemed that she always had a hard time remembering how her mother looked. She already saw the photo very clearly yesterday, but when the night came, she could not recall her mother¡¯s face no matter how hard she tried. The figure became as blurry as what she once remembered. No matter how much she recalled, she could not get a clear image. However, she could practically remember everything else in just a nce, which was very strange. Therefore, she had to keep a copy of her mother¡¯s photo, so she could look at it every day andmit her mother¡¯s face to her memory. That was because her mother might still be alive. Being able to recognize her mother meant that she would not miss out on her if she met her on the street one day. While she was spacing out thinking about her mother, she heard a woman¡¯s sharp voice that sounded familiar to her, ¡°Corinne, why are you here? How dare you sit in the ce that¡¯s meant for Lucas¡¯s secretary!¡± After Corinne regained her senses, she looked up and saw a person she did not meet for quite a long time -Rosie. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she detained by the police for hiring a hitman? The full term of her sentence should not be up yet at this point. When was she released from prison?¡± Seeing that Corinne looked confused, a smug and alluring smile appeared on Rosie¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you surprised to see me? Do you think that I should still be in prison now?¡± Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Corinne sat at her desk in a rxed manner as she looked at Rosie. Without denying Rosie¡¯s words, she said, ¡°Mm-hmm You¡¯re right. You should be in prison now, Miss Rosier Rosie was just released yesterday after her sentence was reduced. Anya was the one who begged her brother to pull some connections and got Rosie out of there. Therefore, Rosie no longer had the long, wavy hair she once had, and she had short, shoulder-length hair instead However, she already dyed and styled her hair overnight. After she put some effort into doing her hair, it looked very stylish and gorgeous as well. Thinking that she was wrongfully imprisoned for more than two months, Rosie red at Corinne resentfully, clenched her teeth, and sneered with disdain. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be imprisoned forever? Corinne, you should know that Anya and I are best friends. How could she watch me be wrongfully used by you and leave me be?¡± Corinne smiled without minding that at all ¡°is that so Rosie got pissed off when she saw how frivolous Corinne looked ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t think that your dirty tricks can fool everybody. Anya has always believed in me this whole time! What happened back then was staged by you You deliberately nted the evidence on me, causing Lucas and everybody to misunderstand me! Fortunately, the incident didn¡¯t cause any substantial injury to anybody. It was not hard for Anya to beg Lucas to get me out! Now that I¡¯m out, your happy days are going to be over soon! I¡¯ll make you pay for this sooner orter!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll wait for it then Corinne smiled calmly. She did not mind Rosie¡¯s threat. She even started to casually arrange the files on her desk. She carefully sorted them, so that when Lucas asked her for them.ter, she could take them out with ease. As for what happened at the hospital back then, it was indeed staged. However, it was Anya instead of her who directed it The whole thing was staged by Anya! However, Anya was a very meticulous person. She was afraid her actions would be exposed back then, so she long nned to let her best friend, Rosie, be her scapegoat should something go wrong. At that moment, she pretended to be kind and asked Lucas to get Rosie out of prison because she simply wanted to continue using Rosie as a tool! Rosie looked clever, but she was not very bright. On the contrary, Anya had a face as pure as an angel, but she was a scheming person. She was very good at manipting others and could everybody around her believe with absolute certainty that she was a harmless, pitiful girl. She was very masterful that way. However, nobody around her knew her for what she truly was! Rosie frowned as she watched Corinne upied with arranging the documents. She surveyed Corinne while being vignt and guessed her motivation. Then, with her guard up, she asked, ¡°Corinne, is it because you¡¯re not willing to be an ordinary bumpkin again after being dumped by Jeremy that you¡¯re targeting my Lucas now?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Huh? Since when Mister Lucas is yours, Miss Rosie? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± It was no secret that Rosie liked Lucas. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Rosie already made it very clear before this. She was always flirting with him openly and one-sidedly marking Lucas as hers. Rosie smiled with confidence. ¡°He¡¯s not mine yet, but he will be eventually! Anya promised me that she¡¯ll make me her future sister-inw! Lucas values Anya¡¯s opinion the most, so the result is obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to be who¡¯s sister-inw?¡± Lucas¡¯s elegant and indifferent voice could be heard all of a sudden. Rosie and Corinne were both stunned at the same time, then they turned to look in the direction of the voice. Lucas looked like he just returned. His jacket was casually hanging on his arm, and every single move he made was graceful and elegant. As he walked over slowly, his gazended on Rosie, and his eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Why are you here? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Rosie no longer looked like the shrew she was when questioning Corinne earlier. She looked at Lucas with a gentle gaze and said softly, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m here to thank you for rescuing me out of there yesterday. Also, I think you haven¡¯t had lunch, so I brought some of your favorite food for you. Have it while it¡¯s hot. They won¡¯t taste as good when it¡¯s cooled.¡± Lucas nced at the food thermos in her hand, then said differently, ¡°No need to trouble yourself in the future. Mypany has a cafeteria.¡± Rosie shook her head. Being thoughtful and feeling sorry for him, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t keep having the food from the cafeteria! This is a nutritious meal I¡¯ve made myself, so it¡¯s not greasy and salty. This is Anya¡¯s idea as well. She said you¡¯ve been so busytely that you¡¯ve gotten thinner. She asked me to prepare some delicious food and deliver it to you. You¡¯re not going to reject Anya¡¯s kind thoughts, are you? It was after Lucas heard that it was also his sister¡¯s idea that he nodded slightly. ¡°Bring it in then.¡± Upon saying that, he walked past Rosie and walked into his office coldly. Before he opened his door, Lucas stopped in his tracks, turned to look at the secretary¡¯s desk in front of his office, and said, ¡°Get me a cup of coffee, Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne stood up and said respectfully, ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± After Lucas entered his office, Rosie red at Corinne with hostility and sneered. ¡°Do you know about Lucas¡¯s preference? Do you know how sweet he likes his coffee to be?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Corinne shook her head honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t. It¡¯s my first day on the job today, so I still don¡¯t know my boss¡¯ habits!¡± Rosie rolled her eyes at Corinne with disgust. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t afraid you¡¯ll get the coffee wrong and make Lucas upset, I wouldn¡¯t have told you! Listen carefully. Lucas has a sweet tooth. Ten cubes of sugar and two capsules of creamer have to be added to his coffee every time. Got it?¡± Corinne noted it down. ¡°Yes, I got it. Thank you for letting me know, Miss Rosie.¡± Rosle ignored Corinne. Not willing to waste the precious time she had to be alone with Lucas, Rosie carried the food thermos and entered Lucas¡¯s office with graceful strides. In that instant when she entered the office, a vicious and anticipative smile appeared on Rosie¡¯s face, and she nced at Corinne from the corner of her eyes. Lucas hated sugar and creamer in his coffee the most, so Rosie could not wait to see what would happenter! After Corinne brought in the sweetened coffeeter, she would make Lucas upset, and he would reprimand her. It would be best if he could kick her out of the Rivera Group immediately! Otherwise, the scheming b*tch like Corinne would seduce Lucas like how she seduced Jeremy in the past! Chapter 466 Chapter 466 ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee, Mister Lucas.¡± Corinne knocked on the door before she entered, then she put the coffee she just made down in front of Lucas. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Lucas was going through a document carefully, so he just hummed in response. Without even looking up at all, he reached out to grab the coffee and brought it to his lips for a sip. All while focusing on his document. At that moment, Rosie was sitting on the couch in the reception area of his office. She was smiling and looking at Lucas with anticipation. As soon as Lucas had a sip of that heavily sweetened coffee, he would certainly get angry and reprimand Corinne. However, after a sip, Lucas did not have any unusual reaction at all. Everything was just as usual. What was going on? Rosie frowned. The look of anticipation gradually turned to disappointment. Why did Lucas not react at all? Could it be that he changed his preference? That was impossible! Corinne, on the other hand, was standing next to Lucas¡¯s desk while holding the tray. She was sneaking a peek at the photo in the frame on his desk. Lucas had another sip of his coffee. He then realized his new secretary was still standing next to him. He turned to look at her and said, ¡°Why are you still standing here? Get out!¡± Corinne looked away from the photo frame very naturally and nodded her head a little. ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She then walked toward the reception area while carrying the tray. After she bent over to put the remaining cup of coffee on the coffee table, she smiled and said, ¡°Have a cup of coffee too, Miss Rosie.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Rosie let out a burst of forcedughter as she could not be impolite in front of Lucas. However, she kept ring at Corinne. She then questions Corinne softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you add sugar and creamer to Lucas¡¯s coffee?¡± Corinne answered softly as well, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Rosie gritted her teeth. ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve already told you about Lucas¡¯s preference!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Miss Rosie, you can¡¯t think that I¡¯ll believe the information given to me by a person who¡¯s hostile against me, right?¡± Rosie was speechless. She gritted her teeth as she was very upset, but she could not be helped. Corinne was more cunning than anybody else, so she was not easy to mess with. Rosie should have expected that Corinne would not fall into the trap so easily! How annoying! Seeing that Rosie looked so upset, Corinne kindly exined to her, ¡°Miss Rosie, do you know why I brought two cups of coffee in?¡± Rose frowned while looking at her, unable to understand what she meant. Corinne smiled happily. ¡°Of the two coffees, I added sugar and creamer to one, like you¡¯ve told me to, and I kept the other without sugar and creamer. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t believe you at all. Just in case you were being nice by telling the truth, but I misunderstood you, I could swap the cups in time to cate Mister Lucas after he drank a coffee that was not to his taste. It¡¯s just a pity that a leopard can¡¯t change its spot, and you still had no good intentions. So enjoy this cup of heavily sweetened coffee yourself, Miss Rosie!¡± Rosie was already so angry that was at a loss for words. Corinne straightened her back and smiled at her once again. At the same time, she said loudly, ¡°Enjoy, Miss Rosie. If you need another cup, you can call me anytime.¡± Upon saying that, she turned and left the office in big strides. How dare Corinne say that she was a leopard who could not change her spots? Rosie was so pissed off, she clenched her fists tight and dug her fingertips into her palms. Unfortunately, she could notsh out at Corinne because she was in Lucas¡¯s office. ¡°Hold on.¡± Lucas suddenly called out to Corinne. Corrinne stopped in her tracks, then she turned to look at Lucas. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you, Mister Lucas?¡± Lucas threw a file on his desk. ¡°Trante this document to Aburian and email it to people in Abura!¡± ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± Corinne immediately picked up the file, then dutifully went out to work. Rosie did not get her wish of seeing Corinne being reprimanded by Lucas, but she was indirectly scolded by Corinne; so she was extremely unhappy. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 However, seeing that Lucas was not friendly to Corinne, Rosie felt much relieved. It was fortunate for her that Lucas had great taste, so unlike Jeremy, Lucas would not be attracted to bumpkins like Corinne. Rosie had no idea what Jeremy saw in the unsophisticated Corinne! After Corinne left, only Rosie and Lucas were left in the office. Both of them were alone in one room, so it was the perfect time for them to chat and bond. However, after waiting for a long time, Rosie did not get any response from Lucas at all. It seemed that Lucas already forgot about her existence. Lucas was either looking at the documents or looking at hisputer while typing away on his keyboard. He was simply very busy. Rosie drooled over the man she loved who was hard at work, and the more she looked at him, the more she was in love. She wanted to get closer to him, but she did not dare to bother him. That went on until lunchtime, but Lucas still did not have any intention to stop and take a break at all. Rosie could not help but feel a little worried, so she asked, ¡°Lucas, are you not hungry? It¡¯s time for lunch. Why don¡¯t you have some food before continuing to work?¡± It was only then Lucas looked up at her. ¡°Mm-hmm. Thank you. Put the food there. I¡¯ll eat it when I¡¯m hungry. You should go back. I¡¯ll let Edmund return the thermos to youter.¡± Rosie could tell that Lucas was ordering her to leave, so it was inevitable for her to feel a little sad. However, she still did not wish to leave yet. Shaking her head, she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lucas. You can just ignore me. Anya said she¡¯ll being hereter, so she asked me to wait for her here.¡± Without any expression, Lucas said, ¡°Alright. Do as you wish then.¡± Rosieughed a little awkwardly before continuing to wait on the couch alone. She looked at the food she brought and felt dejected, but she could not be helped. The food was in a thermos, but it would still go cold after a long time. Lucas was still so indifferent to her! She liked Lucas since childhood, but she could not get closer to him. Lucas would care and give her a little special treatment because she was Anya¡¯s best friend, but everything he did was very shallow, distant, and cold. Fortunately, Lucas was never a womanizer, so he was not surrounded by women. Therefore, Rosie kept. feeling that as long as she persisted, she would make Lucas feel moved one day. Besides, she had support from Anya, her future sister-inw. That meant she already had a far greater chance of seedingpared to other women! Speaking of Anya, she truly said she would being to Lucas¡¯spany to look for her, and she should be arriving soon. Rosie looked at the time on her phone, clicked on the messaging app, and sent a message to Anya, [ Where are you, Anya?] Anya replied, [I¡¯m arriving soon. I brought my child along, so I¡¯m moving a little slower. I¡¯ll be there in at while.] When Corinne was busy tranting the document to Aburian outside of Lucas¡¯s office, she suddenly heard the babbling of a child.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At first, she paid no attention. She thought she was hallucinating because she had been watching parenting videos online during this period when she was pregnant. That was until she heard Anya¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°Corinne.¡± Corinne was slightly dazed. She looked up and saw Anya pushing a stroller over, stopping at her desk. A chubby little boy sat in the stroller, sucking on a pacifier and babbling. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Was this Anya and Jeremy¡¯s child? Corinne stared at the boy in a daze for a while before she looked up at Anya, who was beaming happily. Anya was all smiles when she looked at her. ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t get to greet you when we met yesterday. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± Corinne smiled a little. ¡°Mm-hmm, yes, I have. You look good, Miss Anya.¡± Anya picked up the boy in the stroller and took out the pacifier in his mouth. ¡°Joey,e, this is Miss Corinne.¡± Joey was more than one year old, and he looked like he just learned how to walk. He then called out with indistinct artiction, ¡°M-miss Co-corinne.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Perhaps it was because she was also pregnant, she could not help but feel that such a small child was very adorable when she saw him. Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Mm-mmm. Hello.¡± The boy seemed to be a little shy with strangers. He was scared when looking at Corinne, then he hugged Anya¡¯s neck and cowered in her arms. Anya hugged her child and smiled helplessly. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, Corinne. Joey is a little scared of strangers.¡± Corinne smiled as if it did not matter. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Are you here for Mister Lucas? You may go in. He¡¯s in the office now.¡± Upon saying that, she looked down and resumed working on the trantion. However, Anya did not head into her brother¡¯s office. Instead, she stood in ce carrying her child and watched Corinne work, then said, ¡°Corinne, help me take a look. Do you think Joey looked more like me or Jeremy? I can¡¯t even tell myself!¡± Corinne looked up at the child again. After taking a closer look at him for a while, she said, ¡°I feel he looked more like you.¡± Anya smiled sweetly. ¡°Really? Jeremy said he looked more like me too! I heard that boys will look like their mothers when they are younger, but they will look more and more like their fathers when they grow up! I hope Joey will be as handsome as his father when he grows up!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I wish him well!¡± Corinne smiled a little then continued working. Anya squinted. ¡°Corinne, would you wish us well?¡± Corinne did not look up to nce at her anymore. She just kept typing casually. ¡°What do you think?¡± Anyaughed melodiously ¡°I think you won¡¯t because you¡¯ll be jealous of me!¡± Corinne stopped typing for a moment and sheughed. Then, she said while typing, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it, Miss Anya. I¡¯m very busy, I don¡¯t have that time, and I am not interested at all in the Jeremy you mentioned.¡± Anya stared at Corinne for a moment as a warning. When she spoke again, her tone was more vicious. ¡°I hope what you say is true!¡± Upon saying that, she finally carried the child into Lucas¡¯s office. Hearing the door close, Corinne stopped tranting and touched her belly. When Corinne saw the child in Anya¡¯s arms earlier, her abdomen felt ufortable for some reason. She gently massaged her bell, mumbling, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even without your father, I can work two jobs. Behave a little. Don¡¯t make me too tired and interrupt me from searching for your grandma, alright?¡± After massaging for a while, her belly felt better; so Corinne continued typing. She had mixed feelings about the child in her belly. She also knew that ording to the moral standards of society, she should not secretly bring this child into the world on her own. Chapter 469 Chapter 469 However, her faith would not allow her to consider terminating her pregnancy. Corinne¡¯s life was riddled with misfortune since her childhood. She was passed from one to another as if she was a ball because nobody wanted to take care of her. It was after many twists and turns that she was ced in foster care at a convent. She was raised by the nuns and grew up on a monastic diet. She did not be a nun and was not considered a devoted believer, but she was deeply influenced by their teachings since childhood. No matter what, she did the deed of her volition that night, and the child was innocent. She wanted this child. As soon as Anya carried her child into the office, Rosie went up to her as if she was meeting her family. Anya finally arrived! ¡°Anya, you¡¯re here! It must be very tiring to carry your child all the way here.¡± Anya smiled sweetly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not tiring. I brought the stroller. I just left it at the door. Have waiting for me for a long time, Rosie?¡± you been Rosie could not help but smile miserably and shake her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that long. It¡¯s good that I get to keep Lucas apanied for a little while longer.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Anya could tell that Rosie was probably ignored by her brother again. She looked at the surroundings and saw that the food thermos on the coffee table was not touched before. She then turned to face her brother, who was still upied, and said, ¡°Lucas, Rosie was so kind to bring you lunch. Why didn¡¯t you have any of it?¡± Lucas stopped working, looked up at his sister, and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet.¡± Anya did not want to give in. Pretending to scold him, she said, ¡°Lucas, no matter how busy you are, you can¡¯t skip your meals. Hurry up ande and have some food. You can continue working after that! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to get angry!¡± Lucas had no choice but to give in for the sake of his precious sister. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go as you say and have lunch first. I¡¯m going to go wash my hands.¡± While saying that, Lucas got up and went to the restroom in his office. Seeing that Lucas finally went to wash his hands and was about to try the food she made, Rosle looked at her best friend while feeling moved and thanked her sincerely, ¡°Thank you for asking Lucas to get me out, Anya. Also, thank you for making a trip here just to try and match me up with Lucas!¡± Being considerate, Anyaforted her, ¡°Rosie, we¡¯re best friends. There¡¯s no need for you to thank me! My brother is a workaholic, so don¡¯t mind him. In any case, I¡¯ll only acknowledge you as my sister- inw!¡± Rosie felt even more touched. Anya was simply the best person in the world and her best friend forever. Just as before, no matter what happened, Rosie would take Anya¡¯s side unconditionally. It would be worth it to go through fire and water for her! ¡°Oh, yes. Anya, did you see it? Corinne is sitting at the secretary¡¯s desk outside. She¡¯s Lucas¡¯s secretary now!¡± At the mention of Corinne, Anya pretended to be slightly scared and nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm. I saw her too. But I feel she¡¯s only here to work. She probably doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions.¡± Seeing that she was so pure, Rosie felt it was unfair to her; so she said, ¡°Anya, it¡¯s because you¡¯re too pure. and kind that you were bullied by Corinne in the past! Don¡¯t worry! Now that I¡¯m out, I¡¯ll keep a close eye. on her for you from now on!¡± While saying that, Rosie reached out to touch the chubby cheeks of the boy in Anya¡¯s arms. Then, she warned her, saying, ¡°Anya, you and Jeremy already have a child now. Both of you will get married sooner orter. At this juncture, you absolutely can¡¯t let Corinne get between you guys again and ruin everything!¡± Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Anya¡¯s eyes twinkled, looking so naive and innocent. ¡°No, Rosie. You must be overthinking it. Corinne is quite a nice person.¡± ¡°Her? A nice person? If she¡¯s a nice person, I wouldn¡¯t have been imprisoned because of her!¡± Rosie sighed. She could not help but feel even more worried about her pure and simple best friend. ¡°Anya, you¡¯re a mother now, yet you¡¯re still as foolish as a child, thinking that everybody is nice! I¡¯m really worried about you!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. There was a pause before Anyaughed as she was ¡°slow to react. Just as she was about to say something, she heard the door to the restroom open. With mutual understanding, both of them did not continue the topic anymore. They turned to look at Lucas, who just came out of the restroom, at the same time. Rolling his sleeves up, Lucas walked over slowly, then said to his sister gently, ¡°Anya, don¡¯t you feel tired carrying the child? Hurry up, have a seat, and take a break!¡± Anya nodded. Carrying Joey in her arms, she sat down on the couch with Rosie. Then, she smiled sweetly and said to the boy, ¡°Here, Joey, say uncle! This is Uncle!¡± The boy blinked his eyes as he looked at Lucas, then he obediently said, ¡°An-angle.¡± The adults were so amused by the child¡¯s mispronunciation that they burst outughing. Anya corrected him, ¡°It¡¯s Uncle, not angle.¡± Looking dazed, Joey tried calling out again, ¡°An-ankle!¡± Anya was speechless. ¡°Joey, it¡¯s not ankle! It¡¯s Uncle!¡± Joey was baffled. He had no idea why he just could not get it right. He frowned as he was troubled, then he tried to pronounce it again, ¡°Ungle!¡± Lucas stroked Joey¡¯s chubby cheeks. Because he loved his sister, he was fond of the child as well.¡± Enough, Anya. He¡¯s such a young boy. How urate do you want his pronunciation to be?¡± Perhaps it was truly some kind of fate. This boy was adopted, but if he looked carefully, the boy indeed looked a little like his sister. However, Lucas did not develop any familial affection for the child or wanted to carry him. He only cared for him like how an adult would care for a child. Rosie already started opening the container she brought. She took out all of the food and ced them nicely on the table, then she thoughtfully handed the cutlery to Lucas. ¡°Lucas, try and see if it¡¯s to your taste!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lucas epted the cutlery elegantly and politely. He took a bite of the food, then he nodded. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Just a simple praise from the man she liked was enough to make Rosie melt. ¡°If you like the food I make, Lucas, I can make them and bring them to you every day!¡± Lucas rejected coldly, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m used to having simple meals alone when I¡¯m working. You¡¯ll interrupt my work if youe over, and you¡¯ll be wasting your time as well.¡± She was just praised, but she was rejected again. The awkward expression on Rosie¡¯s face was indescribable. ¡°Uhm, Lucas, I¡¯m fine with wasting my time, but if it¡¯s going to interrupt your work, I won¡¯te over! Whenever you want to have the food I make, just let Anya tell me and I¡¯ll make them and bring them to you immediately!¡± Chapter 471 Chapter 471 While eating, Lucas hummedzily. It seemed like he responded to him, but at the same time, he did not. He was very polite the whole time, but he also seemed cool and distant. While Lucas was having lunch, he received a call, so he got up and headed out. Seeing Lucas leave, Rosie got a little worried. Lucas finally had a few bites, but he left the office again. Was it because the food she made was not to Lucas¡¯s taste? Anya could tell that her best friend was feeling uneasy. Being considerate, she patted Rosie¡¯s hand and comforted her, ¡°Rosie, my brother¡¯s like this. He often neglects his sleep and skips meals for work. Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Rosie nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Anya suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Rosie, my aunt¡¯s birthday party is tomorrow. Have your prepared a dress for the party?¡± Rosie was dazed. She already forgot about it if Anya did not mention it. ¡°Anya, I remember your aunt, Missus B, has a rule that everybody has to bring a partner to her birthday party, is that right? I wonder if Lucas has found a girl to attend the party with him this year.¡± Anya understood what her best friend meant. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rosie. I¡¯m here. You have always been his partner all these years, so there would be no exception this year either!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Rosie was so touched, she smiled. ¡°Thank you for knowing me so well, Anya.¡± Anya said, ¡°But you just came out of prison, so you probably haven¡¯t had the time to buy a new dress, am I right? Do you want me to go shopping with you now? Let¡¯s buy you a beautiful dress, then you can make my brother stun and fall for you when you wear it tomorrow!¡± Rosie said, ¡°Of course! But would it be inconvenient for us to go shopping with Joey?¡± It was only then that Anya thought of Joey. Looking at the boy in her arms, she realized he was yawning- He was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes at all. After a while, the door to Lucas¡¯s office opened when Corinne was still busy tranting the document. Anya and Rosie walked out of the office together. Anya went to Corinne¡¯s desk, asking politely and gently, ¡°Corinne, Rosie, and I would like to head out for a moment. Can you please help me look after my child?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Corinne raised her head, looking at Anya in confusion. Business is business, so Corinne rejected her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Taking care of a child is not part of my job scope.¡± Anya requested nicely again, ¡°We¡¯ll be quick. Rosie and I have not met each other for a long time, so we just want to shop at the mall downstairs for a while. I also have to buy some things for Joey.¡± Corinne did not budge. ¡°Miss Anya, you can either bring your child with you as you shop or let your brother -the child¡¯s uncle and my boss-help you look after him. Either option would be much better than leaving your child in the care of an outsider like me.¡± Anya felt troubled. ¡°But Joey¡¯s asleep and my brother went out. Also, my brother doesn¡¯t know how to take care of a child!¡± Corinne did not stop working at all, and she did not yield when Anya asked her nicely for a favor. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never given birth before, if Mister Lucasn¡¯t know how to look after a child, I¡¯m worse. Also, I have a lot of work on my te that¡¯s not finished yet, and I don¡¯t have the time. I¡¯m sorry but my hands are tied.¡± ¡°Alright. Forget it.¡± Anya lowered her head bitterly, then she sighed helplessly. With regret, she turned to Rosie and said, ¡°Rosie, it looks like I can¡¯t pick out a dress with you anymore. How about you ask other friends to go with you?¡± ¡°What do you mean by forget it? Rosie simply could not stand how arrogant Corinne looked. ¡°Anya. Corinne is your family¡¯s employee now. Who is she to refuse following your order?¡± Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Anya¡¯s gaze was innocent and weak, making others feel the urge to protect her. ¡°But-¡± Rosie stood up and knocked on Corinne¡¯s desk. Then, she crossed her arms and said arrogantly, ¡°Corinne, listen to me! Joey is sleeping on the couch in Lucas¡¯s office now. Anya and I are going out, and we¡¯ll be right back! If we notice something¡¯s wrong with Joey when wee back, then it¡¯s your fault!¡± Corinne did not even look up and was still going to reject her. However, without even giving Corinne the chance to reject her, Rosie held Anya¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Anya.¡± Corinne frowned. She looked up and saw Anya and Rosle entering the elevator in a rush. Corinne was at a loss for words. Never mind Rosie, but how could Anya, a mother, feel at ease to leave her child in the hands of a person who did not have a good rtionship with her? Something must be up! Whether something was fishy or not, Corinne could not be bothered with Any¡¯s business. However, Lucas stepped out to get a call earlier, so there was indeed nobody in the office at that moment. It was really dangerous to leave a child there alone. After thinking about it, Corinne went into the office with herptop in the end. Just like Rosie said before she left, the boy named Joey was sound asleep on the couch with Anya¡¯s jacket covering his body. Corinne was afraid she would wake him up, so she tip-toed over and put herptop on the coffee table.. After that, she took advantage of this chance to go to Lucas¡¯s table. She took out a mini high-definition. camera she purposely brought from her pocket, snapped a shot of her mother¡¯s photo on the desk, and saved it before putting the camera away. Corinne walked back to the couch and sat near the child before continuing to trante the documents. She looked up from time to time to see if he woke up or if he rolled off the couch. Lucas did not return at all during that time. Soon, more than an hour passed. Corinne finally was done with trantion, so she stretched deeply. Seeing that the child was still asleep, she leaned against the couch and closed her eyes to take a breather, giving her eyes a rest. Not long after that, she heard the sobbing of a child, so she immediately looked in that direction. She saw that Anya¡¯s son already woke up and sat up on his own. He was looking left and right, probably looking for his mother. In that instant when she saw Corinne, a look of terror suddenly appeared on his face, and he burst into -tears! Corinne was frightened by his reaction. She had no idea what to do and what he was thinking for a moment. She was pregnant, but she had no experience cheering children up. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Hey, you, your mother¡¯sing back soon, so don¡¯t cry!¡± The child was more than one year old. He still could not speak well and could not understand what an adult was saying, so he showed no signs to stop crying at all. Corinne got up as she wanted tofort him. However, Joey cried even louder when he saw Corinne moving toward him. It was as if he had seen a scary monster! Feeling helpless, Corinne had no choice but to stop approaching him. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not going to go over, so stop crying, alright?¡± Joey did not listen to her at all. He climbed off the couch and stumbled out of the office by himself. Corinne could not let a child run out on his own, so she quickly ran after him. ¡°Hold on!¡± Chapter 473 Chapter 473 At that moment, Anya and Rosie walked through the door while chatting, carrying a bunch of shopping bags. ¡°Anya, the dress you picked for me just now is too pretty. I love it so much! I¡¯ll wear that to Missus B¡¯s birthday party tomorrow!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Mm-hmm. I feel it¡¯s very pretty as well! If you wear that tomorrow, you¡¯ll certainly stun everybody!¡± ¡°Waah!¡± Seeing that his mother returned, Joey became more worked up. He rushed toward her like he lost. his mind, but he fell because he was running too fast. He then cried even harder. Anya was stunned when she saw that, then she quickly helped him up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Joey?¡± Joey quickly hugged his mother¡¯s neck and nestled in her arms seeking protection. However, he was still crying without stopping. ¡°Joey, talk to me. What¡¯s the matter? Are you not feeling well?¡± Other than crying, a one-year-old child could not express his experience and feelings. Anya was worried, so she started to check on his body. As soon as she rolled up his sleeves, she saw his arms were covered in bruises that looked terrifying! Anya felt heartbroken, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes. ¡°H-how did this happen?¡± Joey was still crying and his tiny frame was trembling all over. Rosie was shocked to see those bruises as well. In the next second, she turned her condemning gaze to the only other person present in the office earlier. ¡°It¡¯s you, Corinne! You must have abused Joey when we weren¡¯t around!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Corinne found it strange. He was such a young child, and he was Jeremy and Anya¡¯s precious. son. He should be doted on like the apple of their eyes. Why would he have such bruises? How dared toy a finger on him? Rosie, however, red at her fiercely. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t, but are we supposed to take your word for it? Only you and Joey were here the whole time. If it wasn¡¯t you, who else?¡± Corinne was calm. ¡°Miss Rosie, you need to have evidence to make such ims.¡± Rosie sneered. ¡°Evidence? Yourck of alibi is the strongest evidence!¡± Anya picked up her son while feeling sorry for him. She looked at Corinne with teary eyes, and said with grievance and anger, ¡°Corinne, I only asked you to help me look after my child for a while. No matter how unhappy you were, you shouldn¡¯t do this to a child! I trusted you so much..¡± Trust? Anya said she trusted her? What a joke! Seeing Anya¡¯s realistic performance, Corinne immediately understood that this was a setup she designed. However, Corinne never would have expected that she would be so vicious that she used her son! At that moment, Lucas returned. As soon as he entered his office, he saw his sister and nephew crying. He frowned and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Lucas!¡± Anya rushed into her brother¡¯s arms while carrying Joey. She broke down sobbing like she was aggrieved. Lucas had no idea what happened. When he looked down and saw his sister and nephew were crying so hard, he felt heartbroken. ¡°Anya, what¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡± Rosieined angrily, ¡°You came back just in time, Lucas! Corinne abused Joey when Anya and I went out for a moment! Look! Joey¡¯s body is covered with bruises that were pinched by her. He is in so much pain that he kept crying! What a poor thing!¡± While saying that, Rosie lifted Joey¡¯s clothes for Lucas to have a look. Lucas frowned. After he saw the spots on Joey¡¯s body, his gentle eyes turned cold as he looked up and stared at Corinne. ¡°Are you even human, Miss Corinne? How could you do this to a child?¡± Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Corinne was not surprised at all that Lucas would believe Rosie¡¯s words. Without batting an eye, Corinne made her stance clear as she said, ¡°Mister Lucas, this is what happened. An hour ago, Miss Anya and Miss Rosie said they wanted to go shopping and asked me to help take care of the child. I repeatedly refused but to no avail. I had no choice but to watch Miss Anya¡¯s child sleep the whole time. I did not touch him at all. As for how injuries on his body happened, I have no idea.¡± Hearing what Corinne said, Anya sobbed even harder in Lucas¡¯ arms. She med herself and said, ¡± Lucas! It¡¯s my fault! It¡¯s all my fault! I shouldn¡¯t have left Joey in the care of your secretary. I didn¡¯t expect she¡¯ll do this to my child.¡± Rosie said furiously, ¡°Lucas, don¡¯t listen to Corinne! Joey came running in fear while crying as soon as we entered. If we came back anyter, there¡¯s no telling how Corinne will abuse Joey! I feel we should call the police straight away and detain her. Child abuse is a serious crime!¡± Lucas nced at Rosie and did not listen to her opinion. He looked at Corinne again with an unfathomable gaze. ¡°How can you prove that you didn¡¯t touch Joey?¡± Carrying her child and being in her brother¡¯s arms, Anya turned her face timidly and choked back a sob as she said weakly, ¡°Corinne, why? Why did you do this to my child?¡± Rosie questioned her as well, ¡°Corinne, is it because Joey is Anya and Jeremy¡¯s child that you felt jealous, so you can¡¯t stand the sight of him and deliberately abused him to vent your anger?¡± Jealous? Corinne sneered and ignored Rosie. She looked at Anya-who was sobbing-and said, ¡°Usually, when a mother sees that her child is injured, her first response should be rushing the child to a hospital, then find out who¡¯s the person who hurt her child after that! However, I see that you¡¯re not worried about your child¡¯s injuries at all. Instead, your focus is on ndering me!¡± Anya¡¯s eyes were shifty, and there was a hint of guilt on her face that was barely noticeable. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to nder anybody. I¡¯m heartbroken to see Joey¡¯s injuries! Lucas, hurry up and get the doctor!¡± She sobbed. Rosie disliked Corinne, so she defended her best friend and said, ¡°Anya is just in a panic. Of course, she cares about the child¡¯s injuries very much. Lucas and I care about it very much too. We¡¯ll take Joey to the hospital immediately! Don¡¯t you try to create a distraction? Just admit it honestly and be prepared to be imprisoned!¡± Corinne nced at Rosie indifferently, then she looked at her boss, Lucas, and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, you asked me earlier how I can prove I didn¡¯t touch the child, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lucas stared at her seriously. ¡°Do you have a way to prove it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne nodded calmly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to take care of a child, and I was afraid I won¡¯t be able to exin myself if anything happened, so I started recording a video with my phone starting from the moment I entered the office. My phone is recording this whole time without stopping in between.¡± Hearing that, Anya¡¯s eyes darted. What? Did she record a video? Rosie was a little surprised as well. Could it be that Joey¡¯s injuries were not caused by Corinne? Lucas squinted. ¡°Where¡¯s the video?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Corinne raised her hand to point. ¡°Mister Lucas, my phone is next to the photo frame on your desk. You can go and stop the recording now and watch the yback. Also, the surveince camera at your door captured the precise time I came in, which is also the time my phone started recording. There are no gaps in between. The video will prove that I¡¯ve never touched Miss Anya¡¯s child at all.¡± Hearing what Corinne said, Lucas patted his sister¡¯s shoulder while she was still sobbing in his arms, then he left her in Rosie¡¯s care, After that, he went to pick up the phone on his desk to have a look. The phone was still recording a video. Lucas stopped it and watched at high-speed everything that happened in the one hour Corinne was looking after the child in the office Following that, Lucas walked over, returned the phone to Corinne, and said, ¡°This indeed has nothing to do with " Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Lucas looked at Anya with suspicion. ¡°Anya, that means Joey was already injured before you brought him here. What¡¯s going on? Who has been in contact with Joey at home?¡± Anya felt extremely sheepish when her brother asked her that question. She blinked and big drops of tears streamed down her face. Yes, she was the one who deliberately pinched Joey to injure him. She wanted to frame Corinne and make her brother fire her! She also got Rosie toe over to be a witness and fan the mes. However, she did not expect that Corinne would be so vignt and thought of recording a video with her phone for the whole time! Anya¡¯s fear of being found out was covered up by her sorrowful tears. ¡°Lucas, I have no idea either! How could this happen? Who would be so evil to abuse such a young child? Could it be the nanny who did it when I¡¯m not around because she finds Joey naughty?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. A person who abused children must be punished without mercy! Lucas frowned. ¡°Call the police and investigate! We¡¯ll look into the nanny, maids, and teachers who were in contact with Joey during this time!¡± Seeing her brother making such a big fuss, Anya was afraid he would find out what she did, but she did not dare to stop him because it would make her look very suspicious. She could only take her time to think of a n after she went home. She wiped her tears and turned toward Corinne while carrying Joey, pretending to be very apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corinne! I wrongly med you earlier because I was too worried about my child!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve done this, Miss Anya.¡± Anya¡¯s was as white as a sheet. She suddenly did not know what to say. Rosie red at Corinne and said angrily, ¡°What are you trying to say? Anya has already apologized! Don¡¯t be ungrateful!¡± Corinne ignored Rosie, who was oblivious that she was just a tool to Anya. Then, Corinne said to Anya again, ¡°Since you¡¯re so worried about your child, you should quickly send your precious son to the hospital for an examination!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Thank you for your concern, Corinne. We¡¯ll go right away!¡± Pretending to be anxious, Anya said to her brother, ¡°Lucas, Rosie, and I are going to first take Joey to the hospital for a checkup! Since you¡¯re upied with work, you don¡¯t need toe along!¡± Lucas indeed had some urgent matters to take care of, so he could not leave. He just sent Edmund away to do something as well. Because he was worried about his sister and his nephew, he looked at Corinne, ordering her in a serious voice, ¡°Miss Corinne, go to the hospital with them on my behalf. Notify me -immediately if anything were to happen.¡± ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± Of course, Corinne was reluctant. However, she could not go against her boss¡¯ orders on the first day she came to work. It was not easy for her to get this job. She had to stay in the Rivera Group to continue Investigating her mother, The ce Corinne hated the most was the hospital. Being at the Children¡¯s Hospital made her feel upset. Anya did not let Corinne follow them into the consultation room, so she waited for them in the corridor. Later, Anya made Rosie leave the room as well by asking her to buy a bottle of water for Joey. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 At first, Rosie wanted to order Corinne to run the errand. However, she thought that Corinne might still be harboring ill intentions and might do something to Joey¡¯s water. In the end, she red at Corinne with disgust and decided to buy it herself. Not long after that, Anya came out of the consultation room with Joey in her arms. There were no signs of concern or caution that a mother worrying about her child¡¯s injury should have on Anya¡¯s beautiful face. On the contrary, she was smiling sweetly at Corinne. ¡°You¡¯re quite good, Corinne! I¡¯ve meticulously designed this setup today, yet you¡¯re able to dodge it so easily!¡± Anya revealed her true colors. Corinne was not surprised at all, but she got to know a new side of her. In the past, she only felt that Anya was a hypocrite and a scheming person. At that moment, Corinne felt that this woman who looked weak and harmless was far scarier than she imagined. Anya used the health of her child-who was so young that he could not speak and tell his experience verbally-to create trouble. She truly would go to any lengths! Corinne curled her lips coldly. ¡°You tter me, Miss Anya. I¡¯m not as good as you. You¡¯re able to do such cruel things to your son. Aren¡¯t you afraid that his father will find out?¡± Anya was still beaming. She said without fear and with certainty. ¡°His father won¡¯t know! Because the doctor said just now that Joey, like you, just has an allergy! The bruises on his body were caused by coming in contact with unknown allergens! No matter who asked, that¡¯s what the doctor would say.¡± Corinne was stunned, but she understood it very quickly. The reason Anya asked Rosie to leave the room earlier was probably to get a chance to bribe the doctor. Looking at the boy in Anya¡¯s arms, who looked frightened and overly well-behaved, Corinne could not help but pity him. He was truly a poor thing to have such a mother. ¡°He¡¯s your son. How could you have the heart to do this?¡± Anya did not care. She was still smiling as she looked at her son in her arms. ¡°Corinne, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about other people¡¯s family affairs. You may leave now. Jeremy will being to the hospital in a while to pick us up!¡± Corinne felt her chest tighten a little when she heard Anya mention Jeremy¡¯s name. She took a deep breath, ignoring the feeling in her chest, and said to Anya in a businesslike manner, Mister Lucas asked me to make sure you and your son are safe before I can return to the office, so I have to wait for Mister Jeremy¡¯s arrival and watch him pick both of you up before I leave.¡± Seeing that Corinne had no intention to leave, Anya frowned, feeling wary. ¡°Corinne, I thought you didn¡¯t want Jeremy to see you. Why are you insisting on leaving after he arrives? You can¡¯t have changed your mind and want to take this chance to seduce Jeremy, can you?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let Mister Jeremy see me. I just need to make sure you and your son are picked up by him so that I can report it to Mister Lucaster. That¡¯s all!¡± Anya stared at her, feeling skeptical. Her eyes showed that she was still a little wary and uneasy. ¡°Corinne, you better not have any ideas that you shouldn¡¯t have about Jeremy. Otherwise-¡± Before she managed to finish her threat, she was cut off by Rosie, who returned from purchasing a bottle of water. ¡°Anya, why are you out here? What did the doctor say about Joey¡¯s condition?¡± Anya¡¯s expression immediately changed. She went back to looking innocent like how she was always in front of her family and friends. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Rosie. The doctor said Joey was just having an allergic reaction. He was not abused by somebody.¡± Rosie handed the bottle of water to Anya. ¡°Allergy? What¡¯s Joey allergic to? You have to check for the allergen properly and pay more attention in the future!¡± Anya nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm. The nurse would being in a while to draw Joey¡¯s blood for the test!¡± ¡°What should Joey do now? What treatment does he need?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°The doctor said he needs to be hospitalized for an IV drip.¡± Corinne could not help but frown when she heard Anya say that the child would be getting an IV drip. He did not have an allergy. It was probably not good to give him an IV drip like he was having an allergic reaction. Why would Anya have the heart to torture her child like this? Chapter 477 Chapter 477 It looked like Rosie cared more about the child¡¯s healthpared to Anya, who was the child¡¯s mother! Joeyy in bed in the pediatric ward with tears welling in his eyes. Under Anya¡¯s guidance, he obediently. reached out his hand to let the nurse insert the needle for the IV drip. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. He was too well-behaved. He did not resist or cry when facing the infusion needle. Corinne was worried, so she went up to look at Joey¡¯s prescription given by the doctor Anya bribed. The fluids given were some saline and vitamins and no otherplicated medication. However, it was still not suitable to give saline at random to a child as young as him. Would he be able to take it? As an expecting mother, Corinne truly could not stand Anya using the child like that and she wanted to stop her. However, Anya¡¯s phone suddenly rang. She quickly picked up the call and said gently, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here! Mm-hmm. We¡¯re on the sixth floor of the inpatient department, ward number 602. Joey is getting ready to get an IV drip!¡± Corinne was dazed when she heard that Jeremy arrived. She was about to stop Anya, but she could not be bothered anymore. With great self-knowledge, she immediately hid in the restroom in the ward to avoid him. When Anya saw Corinne hiding, a vicious gaze appeared in her eyes for a brief moment. She was quite satisfied. She did not wish for Jeremy to see Corinne at that moment! At first, Rosie was also worried that Corinne would seduce Jeremy again. Seeing her hide in the restroom with such fear, Rosie felt at least Corinne had some self-knowledge. It was much better for Corinne to avoid him! Not long after that, someone entered the ward with steady footsteps. The man¡¯s voice was deep and serious as he asked, ¡°What happened to the boy?¡± With a catch in her throat, Anya replied gently, ¡°It¡¯s fine Jeremy. The doctor said Joey was just a little allergic! I called you just now because I was too anxious. I didn¡¯t interrupt your work, did I?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jeremy walked toward the bed to look at the child who was already having the drip. Anya said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jeremy. The doctor said Joey will be fine!¡± Jeremy hummed in response, then turned round. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯m going to use the restroom.¡± Anya and Rosie¡¯s expressions changed when they heard him saying that he wanted to go to the restroom. Their eyes widened and a sense of nervousness washed over them! Corinne was hiding in the restroom! Jeremy got to the door in just a few steps. He put his hand on the handle, but he noticed it would not budge He frowned. ¡°Is someone in there?¡± Corinne¡¯s heart was in her throat in the restroom. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Anya knew that Jeremy never asked Tommy to stop searching for Corinne¡¯s whereabouts for the past month or so. Therefore, she expected that if Jeremy saw Corinne at that moment, the situation that followed certainly would not be what she wanted to see. What if they rify the misunderstanding caused by this child on the spot? She could not let that happen. She finally removed Corinne from Jeremy¡¯s side, so how could she watch them reconcile before her own eyes? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Anya was racking her brain. There were some things she could not speak about herself, so she deliberately tugged at Rosie¡¯s hand Rosie was stunned when Anya suddenly pulled her hand Then, she turned to see Anya asking for help with a weak and pitiful expression, and she could not help but feel sorry for her Suddenly, she got an idea, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s Lucas. I remember it¡¯s Lucas who just went in. It should be Lucas in the restroom!¡± ¡°Lucas was inside? Jeremy took his hand away from the handle and turned around as he was prepared to use the restroom in the corridor. However, before he opened the door, someone pushed the door open from outside, and in came Lucas.¡± Anya, how¡¯s Jeremy doing?¡± Seeing Lucas walking in, Anya and Rosie¡¯s expressions changed again. Gosh! Why did Lucase at this moment? Their lie would soon be exposed, would it not? Jeremy was slightly dazed. He looked at Lucas, then he turned to look at the door to the restroom that he could not open earlier, squinting his eyes to ponder Lucas had no clue about what happened, so he nodded to greet him. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here too.¡± Jeremy did not answer Lucas. He looked at Rosie from the corner of his cold eyes, questioning. ¡°What is it in the restroom?¡± Anya and Rosie were both speechless. Their expressions were very awkward. They looked at each other, stammering to find the words to say. Lucas did not see Corinne in the ward, and he could tell that the atmosphere was strange After giving it a quick thought, he figured it out and said calmly. ¡°It¡¯s Edmund Jeremy, if you want to use the restroom. turn left after walking out of the room and you¡¯ll see it.¡± Edmund is in there? Jeremy stared at the restroom for a few seconds before the doubts in his eyes gradually vanished. He never would have thought that the little rascal he had his men searched for like mad for a month was in the restroom behind that thin door! His deep set eyes looked a little exhausted. ¡°Lucas, since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll leave the two of them to you. I¡¯m rushing to catch a flight, so I¡¯m going to leave now.¡± Lucas frowned and was unhappy when he saw that Jeremy was going to leave. He secretly felt that Jeremy was irresponsible and was not taking Anya and Joey seriously at all! When Jeremy turned to get the door, Anya ran up to him and grabbed his sleeve. ¡°Jeremy ¡± Jeremy stopped in his tracks and looked at her. ¡°Anything else?¡± Anya looked up at him with doe-like eyes and said gently and thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s getting colder nowadays, Jeremy. You should put on moreyers when you¡¯re on your business trips!¡± Jeremy nodded a little. ¡°You should take care of yourself and the child as well.¡± Anya smiled obediently. ¡°Mm-hmm. Don¡¯t worry. I will. Joey will have recovered by the time you return. from your business trip!¡± Jeremy hummed as an acknowledgment and said nothing else. Then, he opened the door and left. Anya felt sad that her crush left, but it was not time to make Jeremy stay longer either because Corinne was still hiding in the bathroom! Thinking of Corinne, a wicked smile appeared on Anya¡¯s face, and she nced at the restroom door from the corner of her eyes. Corinne must be dying of jealousy when she heard Jeremy and her showing concern for each other and bidding each other farewell earlier! Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Corinne better know her ce and never appear in front of Jeremy anymore! After Jeremy left, Lucas said to the person in the restroom in a cold voice, ¡°Come on out! He¡¯s gone.¡± Within seconds, the restroom door opened, and out came Corinne. Being respectful, she said, ¡°Thank you, Mister Lucas, for appearing in time and getting me out of a tight spot.¡± Lucas nced at him coldly without responding to her. After that, he walked to the bed to check on his nephew, who was receiving the infusion. He touched the child¡¯s forehead to feel if he was burning or not. Seeing that the child looked fine, he felt much relieved. Anya walked up to him. ¡°Lucas, Joey¡¯s fine. The doctor said he¡¯s just a little allergic. You don¡¯t need to have someone investigate the maids and nanny anymore. It has nothing to do with them.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. Good to know that Joey¡¯s fine.¡± Lucas nodded, then he turned to look at his sister in a slightly stern manner. ¡°Anya, this is your first time being a mother. You should do your homework. Raising a child. is not easy. Since you already have a child, you have to take full responsibility for him. After all, Joey is-¡± It sounded to Anya as if Lucas was almost going to reveal that Joey was adopted, so she immediately cut him off and said, ¡°I got it, Lucas. I¡¯ve been reading parenting books recently. I¡¯ll do my best in learning. to be a mother! Lucas, you¡¯re so busy with work, so why did you rush here? Joey¡¯s fine. Hurry up and go back to yourpany. Don¡¯t let your work get dyed!¡± When Lucas was back at hispany, he could not put his mind at ease. He took care of the urgent matters he had on hand, then rushed to the hospital to check on the situation. Seeing that his sister and her child were both fine, he felt relieved. ¡°Anya, you and Miss Rosie should stay here to keep Joey apanied. I¡¯ll have someone pick you guys upter.¡± Anya nodded. ¡°Mm-hmm. Alright!¡± Lucas was almost going to leave, but Rosie still had something important in mind; so she gave Anya a signal with her eyes. It was after Anya got Rosie¡¯s signal that she remembered it. ¡°Oh yes, Lucas. It¡¯s our aunt¡¯s birthday tomorrow. Have you prepared a gift for her?¡± Lucas said, ¡°Mm-hmm. I¡¯ve already got it prepared.¡± Anya asked again, ¡°How about your partner? You probably haven¡¯t decided, right?¡± Lucas¡¯ gaze was intriguing. He nced at Rosie-who was standing next to his sister and saw her eager and bashful expression. He then figured out what his sister had in mind. ¡°I already have a partner. You don¡¯t need to worry about that for me.¡± Hearing that, Rosie¡¯s expression visibly changed from bashful to disappointed. -Anya was surprised. ¡°You already have a partner? Who is it?¡± Lucas fell silent for a moment, then he called out, ¡°Miss Corinne.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Corinne was standing at the side, thinking that it was none of her business. However, she was stunned when her name was called. Why was she Involved? Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Then, she saw that Lucas was pressuring her with his gaze. Corinne was a smart person. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to go along with him. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right. Mister Lucas¡¯ partner for tomorrow is me!¡± ¡°What?¡¯ Rosie frowned and red at Corinne with a resentful gaze. It was her! Anya was taken aback as well. ¡°Lucas, you and Corinne-¡± ¡°Alright. You two should stay with Joey.¡± Lucas waved and did not listen to what his sister wanted to say. He no longer wanted to stay there anymore. ¡°Miss Corinne, follow me back to the office.¡± Corinne said, ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± Corinne sat with proper posture in the front passenger seat as they returned to the Rivera Group. Sitting in the back, Lucas suddenly asked mockingly, ¡°Miss Corinne, are you that afraid of meeting Jeremy?¡± Chapter 480 Chapter 480 ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid. I just didn¡¯t want to make thingsplicated and create unnecessary problems between your sister and Mister Jeremy,¡± answered Corinne, looking at Lucas¡¯ elegant and handsome face in the rearview mirror. Lucas squinted his eyes, looking rxed and arrogant, then he sneered. ¡°So you feel as long as you appear in front of Jeremy, you¡¯ll affect my sister and my future brother-inw¡¯s rtionship. Is that so?¡± Corinne turned to look at the scenery outside the window that was moving in reserves and said honestly, Mm-hmm. It will, more or less.¡± Lucas curled his lips. ¡°Miss Corinne, where did you get such confidence that made you feel you can compete with Anya? Corinne was neither humble nor arrogant when facing his mockery. She just smiled. ¡°Mister Lucas, it¡¯s very normal for you to think that nobody canpete with your sister, whom you¡¯ve doted on since childhood. For example, to me, a man as outstanding as you, Mister Lucas, is just not as cute as the dog I¡¯ve raised since childhood. It¡¯s the same principle!¡± At that moment, the driver was pursing his lips as tightly as he could. He was so amused by what Corinne said earlier, he almost could not hold it in and burst outughing! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, in the next second, he felt a chill down his spine. That was because he could feel the gloom and unhappiness Lucas was exuding all over. Truth be told, he was Lucas¡¯s driver for more than a decade, yet he never heard an employee have the guts to say that to Lucas. Lucas was speechless. He stared at Corinne¡¯s face in the rearview mirror for a while, looking sullen. Then, he smiled again and said, ¡°Do tell me which is the part of you that you think s¡¯enough to bepared to my sister. Corinne looked young and childish, but she had a very strong and mature mind. Her confidence never wavered just because other people criticized, questioned, and took a jab at her. She waspletely. unfazed by all that. She was confident, not the kind of confidence thates from being blindly pompous, but rity in self- knowledge and self-assurance. It was the tenacity that stems from her hardships ever since young, her fearlessness toward the future that was resulted from the adversities, and her nonchnce toward others ¡®views and opinions of her. ¡°Of course, my circumstances are not better than Miss Anya¡¯s. I don¡¯t have a powerful family, a good, protective brother, and the delicate beauty Miss Anya has as a result of being meticulously cared for like a flower in a greenhouse. ¡°The biggest difference between me and your sister is that she is a delicate flower parasitically growing -by your side while I am a wild nt growing independently on the cliff. There¡¯s no doubt that Miss Anya is a lucky girl. She could rely on a big and strong tree like you from the day she was born, and she has the Riveras, which is like an environment suitable for survival and nourishment from fertile soil. ¡°On the other hand, the environment. I grew up in made it so that I must grow into a big tree that could support myself. I.can¡¯t be the vine climbing along a big tree because there isn¡¯t one that I could rely on forever. Otherwise, the vine would die once the tree does. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through countless hardships since childhood. No matter what kind of environment I¡¯m in, I can. live a beautiful life by relying on the experiences and abilities I¡¯ve gained. ¡°Therefore, I think that both Miss Anya and I each have our strengths, and I¡¯m notcking in anything.¡± Looking at the rearview mirror, Lucas stared at the girl sitting in front who stated her strengths and weaknesses objectively. This was the first time he saw a piercing radiance filled with life in a girl and felt. the power to strive to be better exuded by her. That unyielding and calm life force indeed was not something Anya had. However, Anya did not need that kind of excessive strength. As long as he was around, Anya could enjoy the best of everything in this world effortlessly. Lucas did not argue with Corinne anymore. He just closed his eyes slowly to take a rest. ¡°I hope your self- knowledge is right, and you can grow into a big tree that will never copse.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thank you very much for your kind wishes, Mister Lucas,¡± Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Lucas squinted his eyes and sneered indifferently. ¡°You need to attend an event with me tomorrow, so be prepared in advance to dress formally.¡± Corinne was dazed. What event? She then recalled when they were in the ward earlier, Lucas said that Corinne was his partner for tomorrow to brush Anya and Rosie off. The event should be Anya¡¯s aunt¡¯s birthday party as she mentioned before. She was only cooperating with her boss at that time. She did not expect that Lucas was truly nning to take her to the party! Corinne was a little torn. She never liked attending that sort of fancy party. However, she thought that since Lucas¡¯s aunt was a senior member of the Riveras, she should know more about the things that happened in the family in the past. Therefore, she might be able to inquire about her mother if she got in contact with her. After giving it a thought, she turned her head to ask, ¡°Mister Lucas, may I know if I would meet Jeremy at the event tomorrow?¡± Lucas looked up at her, feeling intrigued. It was after falling silent for a moment that he said, ¡°No. The Holdens never attended parties held by the Riveras.¡± He was right. The Holdens and the Riveras conflicted so they probably would not attend events held by the other family¡¯s rtives. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Also, Jeremy said at the hospital that he was catching a flight, so he probably was on a business trip and would not return so soon. Upon receiving the ideal answer, Corinne smiled professionally and said, ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas. I¡¯ll prepare formal wear for tomorrow and attend the event with you.¡± Lucas was resting his eyes and said nothing. The business hours for the Rivera Group ended at five in the evening, but Corinne only left the office at six. After leaving the Rivera Group¡¯s building, Corinne strolled for a distance, then she naturally walked into a quiet alley. A ck MPV was parked along the alley. Corinne walked straight to it, opened the door, and got in. Xante was focused on typing away on herptop¡¯s keyboard in the car. Hearing that somebody got in the car, she turned her head to the side. Then, the cool and distant expression on her face was immediately reced by a gentle and respectful smile. ¡°You¡¯ve finally got off work, boss.¡± Corinne was tired. She leaned against the back of the seat and tilted her head to lean on Xante¡¯s shoulderzily. Aaron was sitting in the front passenger seat. He looked at his watch, then turned around toin,¡± You just got off work at this hour? How inhumane of the Rivera Group!¡± Taking a break while leaning on Xanter¡¯s shoulder, Corinne said with azy voice, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The majority of the employees at the Rivera Group get off work at five in the evening on the dot. But Lucas stayed back to work overtime. As his secretary, I can¡¯t leave before him.¡± Xante raised her hand and rubbed Corinne¡¯s shoulder as she felt sorry for her. ¡°You insisted on joining the Rivera Group and serving him, but I can¡¯t stand seeing how tiring it is for you.¡± Corinne kept yawning. ¡°It¡¯s just for a period. It¡¯s no big deal. If I can¡¯t even endure this bit of suffering, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to grow up!¡± Xante sighed. ¡°But you¡¯re pregnant now. You shouldn¡¯t overwork yourself!¡± Corinne rubbed her belly. ¡°My child is going like me, not afraid of adversity and getting tired. It¡¯s fine. Oh yes, Xante. Remember to lend me a formal dress tomorrow!¡± Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Corinne never bought any clothes that made her feel inconvenient after wearing them. She did not have things like formal dresses in her closet as well. It was true that she founded Newmoon Group on her own, but Xante and Aaron were usually the ones doing the socializing. As the boss behind the scenes, she was only in charge of the technical aspects, the major decisions, and the development of thepany. Of course, Xante knew her boss never liked wearing clothes that were hard to move in. She closed her laptop and asked with slight curiosity, ¡°Hmm? Why did you suddenly want to borrow a dress?¡± Corinne yawned and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to a party with Lucas tomorrow, and he requested for me to attend in formal wear.¡± Xante nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go to a haute couture studio with you after dinner to buy a new dress. My clothes will be much bigger on you, so it¡¯s easy for them to fall off.¡± Corinne gave it a thought, then she reached her hand to grab Xante¡¯s chest. ¡°Mm-hmm. You¡¯re right. Your bust is one sizerger than mine!¡± Xante was unfazed and immediately touched Corinne¡¯s chest to gauge her bust size. She then comforted her by saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, boss. Your chest will grow again when you deliver your baby!¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, thanks! I¡¯m very happy with my B cup. Big chests only look attractive when it¡¯s on other people. If it¡¯s too big, it¡¯ll be a burden to me!¡± Xante nodded as she fully agreed. ¡°You¡¯re right. You already have a great figure with the golden ratio. It¡¯s neither too big nor small, it¡¯s just perfect!¡± At that moment, Aaron was speechless in the front passenger seat. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Hey! Do you girls not think of me as a man? Think about how I feel when I can¡¯t join in, alright?¡± Xante nced at Aaron indifferently. Not only do they hot see him as a man, but they sometimes do not even see him as a person. Because they were extremely close, nothing was off-limits among them. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Both of them just ignored Aaron. Xante then asked Corinne again, ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± Corinne said, ¡°Let¡¯s have the barbecued meat we often had. I left New Capital City for a month, so it¡¯s been a long time since I had it.¡± Xante frowned, persuading her, ¡°You¡¯re pregnant now, boss. You should have more nutritious foods. Things like barbecued meat are not healthy!¡± Aaron was more of the kind who would follow along with Corinne. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s not going to be harmful to have it once in a while! Corinne¡¯s been having terrible morning sickness recently. She rarely has a craving! Let¡¯s go have barbecued meat. Let¡¯s go!¡± Xante could not be helped. She felt that Aaron made sense as well, so she did not stop them anymore. Aaron started the car and stepped on the gas. Soon, they arrived at the shack. Smelling the barbecued meat, Corinne could not wait to get out of the car to put in her order. Suddenly, Xante held Corinne back as she was about to open the door. ¡°Hold on, boss.¡± Aaron parked the car. While undoing his seat belt, heined, ¡°Xante, don¡¯t be such a nag. It¡¯s fine to have barbecued meat once in a while!¡± Xante adjusted her sses and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s not that! Look over there, boss. The man sitting there seems to be the Holdens¡¯ heir, Jeremy!¡± Hearing Jeremy¡¯s name, Corinned became serious. She squinted and looked in the direction Xanted pointed. It was Jeremy who was sitting there! He was sitting alone at a table for two at the edge. There was a bottle of beer, a te of barbeque, and at bowl of chips on the table. However, Jeremy did not eat the food or drink the bear. He just sat there being all high and mighty, having no expression on his face. The owner of the shack brought a can of soda over, then said something to him whileughing. Jeremy did not smile, but he nodded a little in response to the owner. Chapter 483 Chapter 483 From where Corinne, Xante, and Aaron were, they could not hear the conversation between the owner and the man. However, without a doubt, they felt that a lofty man like Jeremy sitting at a roadside shack like this just looked very out of ce. Aaron clicked his tongue. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve never expected that Jeremy would do what themon folk do. He woulde to a roadside shack like this to have barbecued meat, as well as beer and chips! But why is he alone? It¡¯s no fun to drink alone!¡± Corinne felt this scene was very strange as well. Also, did Jeremy not say that he was catching a flight. when he was at the hospital in the afternoon? Why was he still in New Capital City at that moment? Corinne thought of the time she came to have dinner at this shack alone, and Jeremy saw her when he was passing by. He then sat down and tried the barbecue meat with her. By the time they wanted to leave, she was so stuffed that she could not get up, so he held her hand. Thinking about it again at that moment just made her feel very awkward! ¡°Who knows? Maybe he¡¯s waiting for somebody!¡± Corinne¡¯s mood was killed, and she did not have an appetite anymore. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s have something else! Let¡¯s go to a different ce and have something simple.¡± Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°Waiting for somebody? Say, do you think he¡¯s waiting for you, boss?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°My ass! Just drive!¡± Aaron and Xante looked at each other, then he quickly did as Corinne said and drove away from the shack. Jeremy was sitting at the shack that just did not match how ssy he looked at all. He kept attracting the attention of the people around him, and they kept discussing softly, trying to guess his identity. However, because he had an imposing, mighty bearing that made others feel pressured, those people did not dare to look at him openly and were only stealing secret nces. A few minutester, Jeremy got up and left. He did not have a bit of the food on the table at all. He walked with steady strides like no one else was around him. He did not mind the either infatuated or confused gaze of the people around him at all. Tommy opened the door for him and waited for him to get in before closing it again. It was only then he dared to let out a sigh in secret. In the past month, Jeremy woulde to spend some time at this shack from time to time. He would order some food, but he would not have a bite. He just sat there, thinking about something. Others might not be able to figure out the exact reason, but Tommy knew it was because Corinne, who was missing, dined at this shack in the past and liked the taste very much. [1 Before Corinne went missing, Jeremy would asionally ask him to drive here to get some takeout for her. Even if Jeremy disliked her having food made of meats from unknown origins, he would still compromise because she liked it. In the past, Tommy always felt that the most important woman to Jeremy was Anya because he would do almost anything she asked and be at her beck and call. That was until the girl named Corinne appeared. It was then Tommy saw how Jeremy truly looked when The truly fell in love with a woman. Jeremy only felt indebted to Anya because she saved his life. However, Jeremy was purely gentle, tolerant, and doting on Corinne without being influenced by any external factors. He fell head over heels for her. Tommy got into the front.passenger seat, then he turned back to report to Jeremy, ¡°Sir, we still haven¡¯t found any clues about Miss Corinne recently.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for a person to vanish into thin air. Continue searching.¡± Jeremy¡¯s voice was calm, but it was also exuding a sense of unwavering firmness and obsession. 1 ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Tommy nodded, then he signaled the driver with his eyes, asking him to drive. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. A top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz MPV gradually disappeared at the end of the street, moving in the opposite direction of the car that temporarily stopped by the roadside earlier. Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Almost all of the employees of the Rivera Group left when Corinne got off work the following night. She then went to the restroom to change into the formal wear Lucas asked her to put in yesterday. After dinnerst night, Xante brought Corinne to a concept studio for haute couture dresses. Xante helped her pick a simple yet exquisite dress. It was an off-the-shoulder piece made with ash purple chiffon. The overall design was very fairy-like. The main thing was that the hem of the dress was not so long, so it would not feel like a burden when it was on her. It was the type that Corinne liked as she could move freely in it. After she got changed, Corinne returned to her desk to wait for her boss. It was after another 20 minutes that Lucas opened the door and walked out of his office. Corinne got up and nodded a little respectfully with a great working attitude. ¡°Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas was distracted when he nced at her. However, when he saw the way she looked in the dress, he stared at her nkly, feeling slightly stunned. His gentle and indifferent face looked a little warmer, and he felt an intriguing feeling as if a certain soft part in his heart was touched. His surveying gaze made Corinne feel a little ufortable, so she frowned. ¡°Mister Lucas?¡± Lucas regained his senses, then he nodded andmented, ¡°You have a keen eye.¡± Corinne was slightly dazed, then she smiled graciously. ¡°Mister Lucas, are you saying that my dress looks good or are youplimenting me for having good taste in picking my dress?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Lucas was not stingy with hispliments for her. ¡°Pack your things ande with me.¡± ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± Corinne long packed her things, so she followed behind Lucas and entered the elevator with him. When they got downstairs, Edmund brought the car to the entrance and was waiting for them outside the building. As soon as Edmund saw Corinneing out behind Lucas, he stared at her for a long time, looking stunned. Edmund knew Corinne was a beautiful girl, but he never expected her to also have such outstanding elegance after dressing up. She was far more elegant than Anya! At that moment, only one sentence in his mind could capture how Corinne looked-a fairy among mortals. Lucas cleared his throat. Edmund then regained his senses and quickly opened the door for Lucas. After Lucas got in the car, Corinne got into the backseat as well because the driver and Edmund were sitting in front, leaving no room for her. When the car was on the road, Corinne did not sit as casually as she usually did because she was wearing a formal dress. She was sitting properly to not look ungraceful. After scrolling on his phone for a while, Lucas nced at Corinne-who was sitting upright-from the corner of his eyes, then said nonchntly, ¡°Miss Corinne, did you dress up so impressively because you¡¯re thinking of searching for a new target at the party?¡± Corinne disliked Lucas specting other people¡¯s minds in a malicious light. Curling her lips coldly, she said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t ask me to attend the event in formal wear yesterday, I would dly go with you in the clothes I usually wear. To be honest with you, it¡¯s notfortable to wear dresses like this! As for the thing you said about finding a new target, you can think of me however you like. I have nothing to be afraid of. You also won¡¯t believe me even if I exined, anyway.¡± Lucas put away his phone. Looking at how Corinne had a sharp tongue and always wanted to have the last word, Lucas felt that she was a little cute for some reason. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. However, he was a little unhappy with the dress she wore that seemed to fit her very well. How could she wear an off-the-shoulder dress at such a young age? He was a little worried. He was scared that a girl dressed so attractively like her would be teased by his crude cousins at the venueter. Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Lucas could not quite exin what was going on with him. He started to worry about Corinne, whom he always disliked. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling that it was because he was exhausted from work recently that he started to have an illusion. Soon, the car arrived at the Lunar Century Manor. After the car was parked, Corinne followed Lucas out of the car and entered the manor. After taking a few steps, Lucas suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Corinne from the corner of his eyes and asking her indifferently, ¡°Do you feel cold?¡± It was the beginning of winter, so the temperature at night was already very low. Wearing a thin dress, Corinne¡¯s arms were flushed because of the night breeze, but she replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Lucas looked at her and pondered for a second, then he looked back to say, ¡°Edmund, bring the jacket in the car that Anya bought for me a few days ago and let Miss Corinne put it on.¡± Edmund was taken aback, but he did as he was told. Corinne was dazed when Edmund draped the new jacket over her shoulders. ¡°Thank concern, Mister Lucas.¡± you for your Lucas replied coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I just don¡¯t want you to catch a cold and infect me when you go to work sick tomorrow.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t overthinking. It¡¯s just that regardless of the reason you were showing concern for your subordinate, I was taken care of by you, so it¡¯s only polite for me to thank you.¡± Lucas nced at her indifferently and ignored her. He just walked toward the manor, and Corinne followed along next to him. Lunar Century Manor was the Riveras¡¯ territory, so they could walk in freely without being stopped as soon as they entered the vicinity. However, guests were only allowed to enter the banquet hall after signing their names together with their partners at the reception area near the entrance. Anybody who came alone, regardless of who that was, would not be allowed to enter. That was the long-established. rule for Missus B¡¯s birthday party. As her nephew, it would be rude to not celebrate his aunt¡¯s birthday. Therefore, Lucas would find a partner toe to the party with him every year for formalities. Lucas¡¯s arrival caused a smallmotion in the banquet hall. Lucas hardly attended parties, so it was extremely rare for him to appear on asions like this. Only a -respected senior of the Riveras like his aunt could make him show his face at the event. ¡°Look, Mister Lucas is here with his partner!¡± ¡°Which family did the girle from? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her before.¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty! She even has Mister Lucas¡¯s jacket on her shoulder. There must be something going on between them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. Mister Lucas is at the age where he should be settling down, so wouldn¡¯t it make sense for him to bring his girlfriend to celebrate his aunt¡¯s birthday?¡± ¡°I remember he has always had Rosie Sutton as his partner every year in the past.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Rosie is best friends with Miss Anya that she could get close to Mister Lucas! Now that he has his partner, of course, he doesn¡¯t hear anymore!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! I see that he¡¯s not interested in Rosie at all!¡± Ignoring all those pointless discussions, Lucas looked around in the banquet hall, then said to Corinne without any emotions, ¡°Find a ce to have a seat here. I¡¯ll go to the front to greet my family.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas,¡± Corinne answered politely. She was thinking that Lucas must be afraid of creating. unnecessary misunderstanding that he did not take her to meet his family. After taking a few steps, Lucas stopped in his tracks and turned to take a look at Corinne. What exactly was he worried about? Chapter 486 Chapter 486 He could not quite exin what he was feeling, but he just felt it was not safe for Corinne to be there alone. Lucas turned around and asked her, ¡°Do you have my number?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve saved your number.¡± ¡°Alright. Before I return, you can call me if there¡¯s anything.¡± ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± Only then did Lucas truly walk off, and his tall figure disappeared into the crowd who were toasting each other. Rosie and Anya were chatting on the stairs when they saw Lucas walking in with Corinne and showing concern for her. Both of them were very ufortable with it. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Anya put on an insincere smile. ¡°It looks like Lucas is quite concerned for Corinne! The jacket on her shoulders is the one I gifted him a few days ago!¡± She initially bought that jacket for Jeremy, but he did not ept it. She was very dejected, but she felt it was a waste to throw it away; so she gave it to her brother. Her brother and Jeremy were almost the same size anyway, so he could not notice it. However, when Anya saw the jacket draping over Corinne¡¯s shoulders, she felt it was an eyesore! Why did her brother put the jacket on Corinne? He hated her very much, did he not? Rosie was more upset than Anya was. She downed the red wine in her hand, and said, ¡°Anya, you see it, right? Look what Corinne could do. It only took her a few days to make Lucas go from hating her to starting to care for her!¡± Rosie attended Missus B¡¯s birthday party as Lucas¡¯s partner all these years. She devoted herself to Lucas for so many years, yet Lucas never offered her his jacket before! Who was Corinne to receive such care? Rosie was pissed. The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt. Rosie then walked down the stairs angrily, rushing to Corinne to scold her, ¡°What a shameless b*tch you are!¡± Corinne was having a taste of the cake from the dessert table. Hearing her voice, she turned to look at Rosie, then she raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Rosie! Who pissed you off? Why did you curse at me as soon as you came over?¡± Corinne¡¯s fair and fine face was stunningly beautiful when she turned her head. She had a bit of cream at the corner of her lips that she was unaware of, making her look adorable. Rosle despised her even more when she saw the way she looked. ¡°You¡¯ve seduced Jeremy in the past and you¡¯re seducing Lucas now! Corinne, are you unable to live without a man?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one who can¡¯t survive without a man. Aren¡¯t you the one being hysterical now for failing to be a man¡¯s partner?¡± Rosie gritted her teeth in anger. ¡°You-¡± She truly could not swallow her anger, so she grabbed a piece of cake from the dessert table and wanted to throw it at Corinne¡¯s face! Seeing that, Anya quickly stopped her best friend. ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t do that!¡± Rosie was in a terrible mood because she failed to be Lucas¡¯s partner, so she already had a lot of red wine earlier. If she lost control and created a bigmotion because she was drunk, things would not end well. Chapter 487 Chapter 487 ¡°Rosie, Corinne is only together with Lucas because of work. Don¡¯t overthink it! Alright, you¡¯ve had too much to drink. Come on. I¡¯ll take you to the balcony for some fresh air and sober you up!¡± Rosie looked upset and did not wish to let Corinne go just yet. Fortunately, after Anya talked some sense into her, she gradually calmed down. She red at Corinne viciously before following Anya to the balcony. The night breeze on the balcony was cold. Rosie was slightly more sober, but the resentment she felt did not fade at all. ¡°Anya, you shouldn¡¯t have held me back just now. You should have let me give her a severe punishment!¡± Anya looked kind and understanding. She shook her head and reminded her, ¡°Rosie, you¡¯re too reckless. Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re at my aunt¡¯s birthday party today!¡± Realizing that Rosie could not help but shudder. She suddenly felt a little scared. She almost forgot that this was Missus B¡¯s birthday party! Missus B was a powerful woman who liked to nitpick. Whoever dared to cause a scene at her birthday party would offend her! If that were the case, not only would Missus B mercilessly drive her out, but she would never support Rosie for wanting to be with Lucas anymore in the future! ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you stopped me, Anya. Otherwise, I would have pissed Missus B off, and that would be bad!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you can understand, Rosie!¡± Anya sighed. Deep down, Anya did not want to stop her. She wanted to see Rosie pinning Corinne to the floor and beating her up. Unfortunately, she needed that to happen in a situation that had nothing to do with her at all. She was standing next to them at that time. If anything were to happen, her aunt would also get mad at her and she would also be held responsible! Therefore, even if it was for her own sake, she could not let Rosiey a finger on Corinne at a time like that. ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this Anya? It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve met, and you¡¯ve gotten prettier!¡± A frivolous voice suddenly could be hearding from behind them. Anya turned around and saw a man in a checkered suit walking toward the balcony, swirling his wine. There was even a lecherous smile on his face. After being in a daze for a few seconds, Anya finally recognized the man and said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Cole!¡± The man named Cole Goss was Anya¡¯s cousin from her mother¡¯s side of the family. He was a lustful man -leading a dissipated lifestyle. He was even taken to court a few years ago for forcing himself on a girl, and he was sentenced to a few years in prison. He had probably been released after serving his sentence, but his character did not change one bit. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Cole responded to Anya, then he stared, with a lewd gaze, at the beautifully dressed Rosie, who was standing next to Anya. ¡°This beautifuldy must be Anya¡¯s best friend, Miss Rose, am I right? After not seeing you for so many years, you truly have grown up, and you have a great figure now!¡± Rosie felt that Cole¡¯s gaze was very dirty, so she took a step back in disgust. If he were not Anya¡¯s cousin, she would have pped him! Of course, Anya could tell what his lecherous cousin had in mind. Suddenly, she had an idea. Pointing somewhere inside the banquet hall, she said, ¡°Look over there, Cole. A pretty girl like her should be your type, am I right? Also, that girl is single!¡± It was only then Cole moved his lecherous gaze away from Rosie. Looking in the direction Anya pointed at, he saw Corinne who looked as pure as a fairy, and his lustful eyes immediately lit up! Chapter 488 Chapter 488 ¡°Who is that? What a gorgeous girl that is!¡± Cole swallowed his saliva as he looked at Corinne. Rosie heard what Anya said and saw how aroused Cole was, so she immediately smiled and echoed Anya¡¯s words, ¡°Cole, not only is that girl very pretty, but she¡¯s especially good at having fun! Go and chat with her. You definitely would like her very much!¡± Cole became even more interested. ¡°Having fun? What kind of fun?¡± Rosie smiled suggestively. ¡°She¡¯s skilled at all the games men like to y!¡± Cole rubbed his chin, feeling so excited that he almost drooled. ¡°Not bad! I like that! Anya, I won¡¯t keep you and Miss Rosie from talking in private anymore. I¡¯ll go have a chat with that girl!¡± Watching Cole walk toward Corinne, Anya pretended to look worried. ¡°Rosie, is it bad for us to direct Cole to Corinne like this?¡± Rosie did not think so. ¡°What¡¯s so bad about that? Isn¡¯t Corinne trying to get with a rich man? She¡¯s a bumpkin who came from poverty, yet she kept dreaming of being with Jeremy and Lucas! No matter how I see it, Cole is a rich man who has more than enough wealth to be a match for Corinne! Also, it¡¯ll be a good thing if both of them end up together. Then, she wouldn¡¯t seduce our man anymore!¡± ¡°But,¡± Anya pretended to be concerned, then she naively nodded after giving it a thought. ¡°Alright. Maybe what you said makes sense as well, Rosie. It¡¯s quite good if Corinne could marry Cole. This way, we will be a family, and we can hang out together frequently!¡± Rosie put her hand on her head, feeling helpless. She felt that her best friend was truly too pure, so much so that she wanted to be Corinne¡¯s family and hang out with her! ¡°That¡¯s right. Corinne would be marrying rich if she married Cole, which is a blessing to her!¡± Both of them have reached an agreement. They turned to look at Corinne at the same time and saw that Cole was already hitting on her. Corinne had too many sweets, so she felt a little thirsty. She picked an orange drink on the table and gave it a sniff. It was after she confirmed it was no alcohol that she took a little to try. It tasted quite good. It was a freshly squeezed juice with various fruits. She stood quietly by the buffet table, sipping her orange drink. She casually looked around the decor inside Lunar Century Manor, and she started to have mixed feelings. She was to the manor a few times before. Every time she came, she felt a sense of familiarity with the ce for some reason, but she never minded it and looked into it. It was only then she figured it out. It turned out it was because she used to be Rivera. That was why this manor felt a little familiar to her. What exactly happened in the family back then that forced her mother to run away from home and went. into hiding with her when she was still a child? Her mother even went as far as leaving her under the care of a ssmate whom she did not speak to in years. Her mother then disappeared without a trace, and there was no telling if she was still alive. Thinking about the fact that her mother¡¯s whereabouts were still unknown at that point, Corinne got a little down. Needless to say, she did not have a good impression of the Riveras. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Why are you drinking alone, gorgeous?¡± Corinne regained her senses and looked at the man who came and approached her. He was wearing a fancy checkered suit, and he looked like a lecher. She answered coldly. ¡°This is not alcohol. It¡¯s just fruit juice.¡± Cole grabbed a dessert that looked more exquisite from the table and handed it to her. ¡°The desserts my aunt picked for her party are always good. Come on. Try this chestnut cake. It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°No, thanks. I already had it just now.¡± Corrine rejected the man politely, but she was rather interested in what he said earlier. ¡°Sir, you said this is a party held by your aunt. That means you¡¯re also a Rivera, am I right?¡± Cole nodded without feeling sheepish at all. ¡°That¡¯s right! I am a Rivera! Chapter 489 Chapter 489 He was the nephew of Maxwell¡¯s wife. No matter what, he could be considered partially a Rivera. The Riveras were a symbol of powerful status, so of course, he had to pretend to be part of them even if he was not! Corinne looked at Cole and saw that he was rted to the Riveras and he did not look too bright, so she thought she might be able to get him to talk and see if he knew about the family¡¯s past. A brilliant man like Lucas was very sharp and vignt, so there was no way for her to get any information out of him at all. Thinking of that, Corinne gave the man a friendly smile. ¡°Hello, sir. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± Cole got all excited as he was bewitched by Corinne¡¯s smile. ¡°The pleasure is mine! How should I address you, gorgeous?¡± Corinne said, ¡°My name is Corinne.¡± ¡°Miss Corrine. You can just call me Cole!¡± He tried to probe, asking, ¡°Oh yes, Miss Corinne, does the jacket you have on belong to your partner who came with you?¡± If she had a partner, and he was more powerful than him, then it would not be hard for him to hit on her. Corinne told him honestly, ¡°Well, he¡¯s not my partner! I came with my boss. He¡¯s a gentleman, so he was kind enough to lend his jacket to me.¡± Cole smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Oh, I see! My partner only wanted me toe with her as well. She has abandoned me, and is now dancing with someone else over there! Miss Corinne, it seems like they are just using us!¡± Corinne replied, ¡°You¡¯re tight!¡± ¡°Is this your first time here at Lunar Century Manor? If you have the time, why don¡¯t I bring you around for a tour?¡± ¡°Could you do that? I heard that other than the banquet hall, people aren¡¯t allowed to set foot in the other parts of the manor as they please!¡± Seeing that she had the intention to leave with him, Cole felt secretly d! Corinne could tell that Cole deliberately approached her, but she did not notice Cole¡¯s lecherous goal. She truly wanted very badly to take a closer look at the other parts of the manor outside of the banquet hall. Perhaps it might evoke some memories of her childhood. However, she was in no ce to wander around. If she was caught, she would not be able to exin herself and would make Lucas suspicious of her, which he would then fire her. Therefore, she did not act -rashly. However, it would be a different story if a member of the Riveras took her around on a tour! Cole patted his chest and said, ¡°Of course! The entire Lunar Century Manor belonged to my family, so I can go anywhere I want!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Alright. Please take me on a tour then!¡± Cole felt that she was quite good at taking hints. She agreed to go on a walk with him so quickly, which was the equivalent of agreeing to have some fun with him! Rosie said this beautiful woman was very good at having fun. It seemed that it was true! Corinne must be the type of woman who looked pure but was wild in bed! This was exactly the type that Cole liked because it was thrilling! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Cole had been feeling aroused for a long time, so he brought Corinne to the second floor of the banquet hall with great enthusiasm. He remembered that there were many empty rooms on the second floor of the manor, and the beds were very big, which was more than enough for them to go to town! Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Cole led Corinne down the long hallway on the second floor as he was preparing to take her to a bigger room. Corrine stopped in her tracks when she saw a painting hanging along the hallway. That was because she felt the brushstrokes of the painting looked like it was done by her mother. Seeing that she stopped, Cole asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Corinne? Why are you not moving along?¡± Corinne looked at the painting on the wall and asked, ¡°Mister Cole, you¡¯re a member of the Riveras, so you should know about the things that happened within the family very well, am | right?¡± Cole smiled. He wanted to look good, especially in front of the woman he was interested in. Therefore, he pretended that he knew everything like the back of his hand. ¡°Of course! How can I not know about my own family¡¯s affairs?¡± Corinne smiled. His vanity was precisely what she was banking on to get him to talk. She asked, ¡°I heard that Mister Maxwell¡¯s current wife is his second wife, am I right?¡± Cole happened to know the answer to this question, so he was very excited. ¡°That¡¯s right! Mister Maxwell¡¯s first wife was gone for a very long time. His current wife gave him a son and a daughter, which he doted on very much!¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Corinne tried to probe again, asking, ¡°Is Mister Maxwell¡¯s first wife gone because she passed away?¡± Cole put on a wicked grin. ¡°I heard she ran away with a man, and her whereabouts are still unknown. It¡¯s been so many years, so she¡¯s probably no longer alive! It¡¯s unexpected, right? Mister Maxwell is such a powerful man, yet his wife ran off with another man. Haha!¡± Striking while the iron was hot, Corinne squinted and asked, ¡°Really? Who did she run off with?¡± How would Cole have any idea? Cole encountered something he had no clue of, but he did not dare to spread false information about the Riveras. Therefore, he changed the topic and smiled lustfully, ¡°Miss Corinne, don¡¯t bother with those useless things! Come on. Let¡¯s go into the room in front and talk about something more interesting!¡± Corinne did not move. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, I have one more thing to ask you.¡± Cole¡¯s mind was filled with dirty thoughts, so he was a little annoyed. ¡°What is it? Go on!¡± ¡°Did the Riveras have another young miss in the past? Luna?¡± ¡°Yes! Mister Maxwell once had an older daughter named Luna, but I heard she was a bastard! Mister Maxwell¡¯s first wife had an affair with another man, and Luna was the result. Mister Maxwell was oblivious about it for many years!¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze darkened. She absolutely would not believe that her mother was a person like that. ¡°Was there any evidence for this matter back then?¡± Cole had no idea, and he did not bother answering him. ¡°Hurry up ande with me, Miss Corinne! Why are you asking so much about other people¡¯s family affairs? We should first be talking about our affairs instead!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Our affairs? What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± ¡°What else can a man and a woman talk about? Come on in!¡± Cole could not wait any longer. He immediately pulled Corinne into the room, locking the door behind him! The room was very big. It was fully furnished, but the most striking thing was the big bed. There was also a bathroom. Seeing that, Corinne frowned. ¡°What are you trying to do, Mister Cole?¡± Cole felt that Corinne was deliberately ying with him by acting innocent. However, he felt that it was quite fun, so he said with a lecherous smile, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to do what you love doing! Be a good girl, take off all your clothes yourself, and I¡¯ll tell you what we¡¯re going to do!¡± Corinne looked at him with disdain. ¡°Why should I take off my clothes?¡± Cole was a little impatient. ¡°Why are you still pretending, b*tch. Someone already told me that you¡¯re good at having fun in private! Hurry up, take off all of your clothes, and serve me properly. If you make me feel good, I¡¯ll give you money!¡± Someone told this man she knew how to have fun? Corinne took a step back thoughtfully. ¡°Can I first take a shower then?¡± Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Cole was extremely eager and had already removed his shirt. He removed his belt from his trousers and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother! You have such fair and tender skin, and you smell heavenly too. There¡¯s no need to take a bath! Just take off your clothes and get on the bed!¡± Corinne blinked her eyes, lowered her head, and smiled shyly. ¡°Okay, but you need to close. your eyes. I get shy when I¡¯m undressing in front of someone else.¡± Her words were music to Cole¡¯s ears since she was starting to get into the moment. ¡°You love ying hard to get, don¡¯t you, my sweet little thing? Okay, I¡¯ll y along! I¡¯ll close my eyes right now, and I promise I won¡¯t peek when you take off your clothes!¡± Cole smiled at the end of his sentence and closed his eyes. Suddenly, Corinne¡¯s expression turned cold, and she took out her phone. She tapped on the camera app, switched it to video record, and aimed it right at Cole¡¯s face. She then made a point to speak seductively, ¡°Mister Cole, who told you that I¡¯m good in bed? Cole licked his lips and rubbed his hands together. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Just take off your clothes! I can¡¯t wait to see my sweet little baby¡¯s beautiful body.¡± Corinne reproached him yfully, ¡°You¡¯re such a naughty boy! Don¡¯t open your eyes, okay? I won¡¯t take off my clothes if you don¡¯t tell me who told you!¡± Cole slurped in his saliva and smiled obscenely, ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll tell you! It¡¯s Rosie! She told me you¡¯re a pro at ying the kinds of games men love, so I wanted to have some fun with you too.¡± ¡®So that¡¯s who it was!¡¯ Corinne then giggled coquettishly. ¡°Really? You trust her a lot, though. What if she¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s right or wrong. You¡¯re mine today!¡± ¡°And what if I say no?¡± Cole thought she said that purposefully just to make things more exciting and replied, ¡°If you say no, then you can¡¯t me me for being a little rough with you! I¡¯ll enjoy every inch of your body, even if it means forcing myself on you!¡± Corinne snorted slightly and said, ¡°Okay, Mister Cole! You can open your eyes now!¡± Cole opened his eyes eagerly, but when he saw that Corinne was still fully clothed, heshed out furiously at her. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°What are you ying at? Hey, b*tch! Why haven¡¯t you taken off your clothes?!¡± Corinne nced with satisfaction at the video she recorded on her phone and saved it before saying nonchntly, ¡°Those games you mentioned earlier that men like to y? Well, I¡¯m not a pro like you imed I am. You¡¯ve got the wrong girl if you wanted to have fun.¡± ¡°You f*cking b*tch! How dare you trick me? You had the choice of doing it the easy way or the hard way, so if you¡¯re not going to take off your clothes, I¡¯ll make sure to strip you naked!¡± Cole lost his patience and rushed towards Corinne like a hungry wolf. Corinne remained calm as he delivered a swift and firm kick to his crotch! Cole¡¯s face turned purplish, and he covered his crotch in agony. Tears streamed down his face as he let out a muffled groan. ¡°Were you seriously thinking of forcing yourself on me when this is all you got? What a loser!¡± Corinne waved her phone and reyed the video that she had just taken. ¡°Everything you said earlier has been recorded, Mister Cole. It should be enough evidence for a court ofw to charge you with attempted rape.¡± The tables were turned on Cole, and he said, ¡°Darn b*tch! You¡­ At that moment, a voice came from outside the room. ¡°Lucas, I saw your secretary Corinne follow a man into this room. She¡¯s not in any danger, is she? It looks like she went in voluntarily with that man!¡± It was none other than Rosie¡¯s voice. ¡°Tch! Did she bring Lucas here to try and catch me in the act?¡¯ Corinne thought. The doorknob was twisted forcefully from the outside, but the room door failed to open. Suddenly, Lucas¡¯s stern voice was heard saying, ¡°Open the door!¡± Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Cole was visibly panicked when he heard Lucas¡¯s voice. He immediately picked up his clothes. that were strewn all over the ground and put them on. ¡°Lucas! It¡¯s me, Cole! I drank a bit of wine downstairs and felt a little dizzy, so I decided to rest here for a bit. It¡¯s just me and no one else! Is there something you need from me?¡± ¡®Crap!¡¯ he thought, ¡®I¡¯m doomed! Why is Lucas here?¡± Cole seemed to have heard Rosie¡¯s voice saying that the woman in his room was Lucas¡¯s secretary, and he also recalled her saying that she came with her boss. ¡°This is bad!¡± Had Cole known that would happen, he would have never dared to deal with Lucas¡¯s men! ¡°Open the door!¡± Lucas repeated. He did not bother to entertain any shenanigans from the other party. Cole was left without a choice. He did not dare to piss Lucas off, so he hurriedly put on his clothes, went to open the door, and smiled wretchedly. ¡°Why are you here, Lucas?¡± Lucas¡¯s indifferent and cold gaze frightened Cole into backing away slightly. The man then walked into the room, looked around, and saw that there was no one else inside. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Cole was just as surprised. ¡®Wasn¡¯t the girl here? Where did she disappear to? Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯mining though. That way, Lucas doesn¡¯t catch me with her, and I don¡¯t need to find an excuse to exin the situation to him!¡± ¡°Who are you looking for, Lucas? Didn¡¯t I tell you that I¡¯m resting alone in this room?¡± As soon as Rosie heard that something was not quite right, she immediately walked in and searched everywhere around the room. A curious expression appeared on her face as she asked, ¡°Hmm? Where did she go? I could have sworn I saw Corinneing in here with Cole!¡± Cole red at Rosie and cursed at her in his heart for wanting to make his life difficult. At that moment, the sound of rushing water was hearding from the bathroom. Rosie immediately pointed in that direction and said, ¡°She¡¯s probably in the bathroom!¡± Lucas heard the voice from the bathroom as well, and he narrowed his eyes while asking Cole, ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°N-n-n-no one!¡± Cole had a guilty expression on his face. Rosie had a shocked and ashamed expression on her face. It has to be Corinne who¡¯s inside there! She¡­ She¡¯s probably taking a shower after they did the deed¡­¡± When Cole saw that Rosie was the one who brought Lucas there, he knew that he had fallen for her trap and was burning with rage in his heart. After hearing her insinuations that Corinne was taking a shower after they had done it, he could not stop himself from cursing her. ¡°What nonsense are you bbering about? Even if I did bring a woman in with me, she wouldn¡¯t be showering now because we¡¯d still be getting it on! Ist long in bed!¡± Rosie was speechless. She felt Cole was truly a shameless man who was fit to be with Corinne. Lucas walked over with a sullen face and knocked on the bathroom door unceremoniously, ¡± Who¡¯s there? Get out!¡± However, apart from the sound of running water in the bathroom, no one responded, and no one came to open the door either. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lucas? Why are you and Rosie here? What happened?¡± Anya passed by the door and walked in uneasily to ask what was going on. She deliberately brought a few rtives and friends over to poke their noses into what was happening, but she acted as if she just happened to pass by. Rosie walked over to Anya and exined, ¡°Lucas is looking for his secretary, Corinne, but who would¡¯ve known that Corinne woulde in here with Cole and¡­ Umm¡­ Do that.¡± Anya blushed all of a sudden. ¡°How could that be? Didn¡¯t Corinne meet him for the first time at the banquet hall earlier?¡± Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Rosie pursed her lips and sighed. ¡°Some people progress pretty quickly in their rtionship and end up sleeping together after meeting for the first time. We¡¯re probably too conservative, Anya. I don¡¯t understand how any girl could sleep around like that¡­¡± As soon as the girls that Anya brought overheard that, they took out their cell phones right and texted their friends toe over and see themotion. That was exactly the kind of effect Anya intended to achieve. Abya wanted everyone to witness for themselves that Corinne was an unchaste woman who slept with a random man. That way, Corinne would fall behind in the race to win Jeremy¡¯s heart. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Despite Anya¡¯s malicious thoughts, she had a kind yet helpless expression on her face as she sighed. ¡°Even though things progressed too quickly between Corinne and Cole, they¡¯re both single, and they have the freedom to do what they want with each other. We shouldn¡¯t be busybodies. Just let them spend their time with each other!¡± ¡®Freedom? Must she fool around in the room with a man she just met under the pretext of freedom?¡¯ A surge of anger came out of nowhere in Lucas¡¯s heart, and he was somehow unable to suppress it. In the past two days, he saw that Corinne was a capable woman who had a good work ethic. Thus, his impression of her began to change, and he no longer felt that she was an immoral girl like he used to think. s, that good impression he had of her had turned to disappointment and disgust. ¡®How could a good girl who acted the part of a proper woman and was capable in her work be so debauched as to ept the advances of another man who was just toying with her? Is this how her parents raised her?¡¯ Lucas¡¯s patience enabled him to control his anger, but his voice was very calm and incredibly terrifying. ¡°Open the bathroom door and tell her toe out, Anya!¡± Anya put on a show of persuading her brother before finally walking to the bathroom door. Naturally, she-more than anyone else-wanted to see Corinne¡¯s image ruined after being made a fool in public. She walked up to the bathroom door, knocked on the door in a fake show of courtesy, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Corinne, but I¡¯ll have to open the door if you don¡¯te out!¡± There was still no response. Anya pretended as if she had no choice but to open the door and go in. ¡°Corinne?¡± No one was in the bathroom, and the sound of the water came from the bathtub being filled. ¡®That¡¯s strange. Where is she?¡¯ Rosie went into the bathroom with Anya and was startled to see that there was no one there. The two of them then searched around in the bathroom but still could not find any trace of Corinne. A crowd had already gathered at the door of the room, and they were all waiting to see what kind of woman would be raunchy at a banquet that they could not wait to go upstairs and fool around with a man! After Anya told Lucas that there was no one in the bathroom, he walked into the bathroom to take a look before turning to Cole and asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± Cole was just as baffled as they were. He did not know where Corinne went, nor how she managed to disappear into thin air. However, he was quick-witted enough to feign ignorance. and reply, ¡°I don¡¯t know any Corinne! The person you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t here!¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly in an intimidating manner. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you onest time. Where is Corinne?¡± Cole felt chills down his spine. ¡°I d-d-don¡¯t¡­ know who-¡± ¡°Mister Lucas! Were you looking for me?¡± Corinne¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind the crowd. Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Lucas stiffened slightly, turned around to look at the source of the voice, and saw Corinne slipping through the crowd of onlookers from behind. She walked up naturally to Lucas and asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Mister Lucas?¡± Cole, Anya, and Rosie were all shocked by what happened. They were dumbstruck as to why. Corinne was outside. Lucas looked at her intently and asked, ¡°Where did you go?¡± Corinne answered calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere. I was waiting downstairs for you toe back, but when I saw a lot of people running upstairs, I thought that maybe something serious happened. I followed everyone up to see what was happening. I heard you calling my name as soon as I came up, so I can¡¯t help but feel curious as to why you¡¯d look for me here.¡± Lucas was speechless. ¡®How am I supposed to answer her? Do I tell her that I thought she was fooling around with another man?¡± Rosie did not believe Corinne one bit, so she came forward to cast doubt on thetter¡¯s statement. ¡°Don¡¯t act stupid, Corinne. I just saw you enter this room with Cole! You must¡¯ve escaped in the chaos, and now, you¡¯re trying to pretend as if you just came from downstairs!¡± Corinne looked at Rosie inexplicably, as if she could not understand what the woman was saying. ¡°Who¡¯s Cole?¡± Rosie red at the exquisite makeup on Corinne¡¯s face as said, ¡°Are you still going to y dumb?¡± Corinne frowned. She was speechless at Rosie¡¯s remark and aggrieved by the usation. ¡°I have no beef with you, Miss Rosie. Why do you need to nder me all the time? Are you bearing a grudge against me because you weren¡¯t able to apany Mister Lucas as his femalepanion today?¡± She then turned around to look at Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, perhaps next time you shouldn¡¯t let at secretary like me apany you to attend theee non-work settings. I¡¯ll be an easy target for those who have a crush on you, and they¡¯ll see me as their rival. This¡¯ll only cause unnecessary trouble for the both of us.¡± Rosie¡¯s face soured at once and she exined hurriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense, Lucas! I¡¯m not like that. I¡¯m certain I saw Corinne and Cole enter the room earlier!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Lucas had an irritated expression as he nced at the noisy, troublemaking woman. He knew that she liked him, and he only gave her a bit of courtesy because she was Anya¡¯s best friend. However, she had caused him no shortage of trouble during the past few years. Everything that happened then probably stemmed from Rosie¡¯s jealousy. Corinne looked around at the crowd and asked, ¡°Which one of you is Mister Cole?¡± Cole was in a bit of a daze at that moment and he stood up in confusion, ¡°Ahem, I am!¡± Corinne smiled at him, ¡°Hello, Mister Cole. I don¡¯t know you, so I¡¯m curious if you know me?¡± Her question stunned him for a second, and he realized that he could never admit to almost forcing himself on Lucas¡¯s secretary. He shook his head immediately and said, ¡°I don¡¯t! Who are you? I don¡¯t remember having met you before!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We probably haven¡¯t met each other before,¡± Corinne said to him before turning to Rosie. ¡°As you can see, Miss Rosie, he and I don¡¯t know each other at all.¡± Cole¡¯s attitude changed from having a guilty conscience to that of someone who had conviction in his belief. He yelled angrily, ¡°Yeah! We don¡¯t know each other! Lucas, I¡¯m just a little tired after drinking some wine, so I came up here to take a bath and get some rest. I just turned on the faucet when knocked on the door and left me feeling all confused!¡± Following that false rm, Lucas felt a little ashamed that he had doubted Corinne but showed little courtesy to the kind of scum that Cole was. ¡°You¡¯re not fit to freshen up and rest here. Put on your clothes and go back home. You can do whatever you like there!¡± Cole apologized with a ttering smile, ¡°Hey now, aren¡¯t we cousins? What¡¯s wrong with me taking a bath here? You can¡¯t be that impolite to me, right!¡± The corners of Lucas¡¯s lips twitched coldly as he asked, ¡°Are you going home by yourself or should I get someone to send you home?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go home on my own! I¡¯ll leave, okay, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Cole said after seeing that Lucas was already prepared to instruct several men to deal with him. He had no interest in causing trouble for himself, so he buttoned his clothes in a hurry, picked up his jacket from the ground, and left right away. Once the excitement died down, the crowd at the door gradually dispersed. Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Lucas skeptically nced at Corinne. When he noticed that she was only wearing her off- shoulder dress, he frowned a little and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the jacket that you were wearing?¡± Corinne looked at her jacket-less shoulders and realized that the jacket was gone. ¡®Crap!¡¯ The jacket had identally fallen off when she jumped out from the bathroom windowsill and climbed into the next room. Her pregnancy had affected her nimbleness, and that sort of mistake was something that should never have happened in the first ce. At that point, she could only cook up an excuse and say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I spilled a drink on your jacket and stained it, so I took it off downstairs. I promise I¡¯llpensate you at the original cost. You can tell thepany¡¯s finance department to deduct the amount from my sry every month.¡± Lucas felt a little ashamed that he almost made the wrong usation at her earlier, so he just waved his hands and said calmly, ¡°Forget about it. You make it sound so serious when it¡¯s just a jacket.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mister Lucas,¡± Corinne heaved a sigh of relief. Anya gritted her teeth secretly beside them. She was the one who bought the jacket and gave it to Lucas, and it was a super expensive limited-edition piece no less. ¡®Is Corinne the reason he doesn¡¯t care about the jacket anymore?¡¯ She had thoroughly underestimated Corinne and did not expect that thetter could have such an effect on her brother, who generally did not care much for women. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is there a crowd over here? Did something happen?¡± A temperamental female voice asked. Amidst the solemn and gentle tones within that voice was a touch of maturity and sternness. Someone then called out respectfully, ¡°Missus B!¡± ¡°Hello, Missus B!¡± ¡°Missus B¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, Missus B!¡± A woman in her thirties passed through the crowd. She wore a dark blue fishtail evening dress that oozed charm, elegance, luxury, and fashion. Anya trotted happily toward her and called out sweetly, ¡°Auntie!¡± Rosie made a point to tter her future aunt. ¡°Missus B, the dress you¡¯re wearing today is so beautiful! It makes you look so pure, so graceful, and so magnificent!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. The woman nced briefly at Rosie, ignored the sweetly-smiling Anya, and raised her mature yet charming eyes to look at her nephew Lucas. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Lucas? Why are there so many people gathered here?¡± Lucas said, ¡°Nothing. A brief and insignificant incident just happened, but everything¡¯s all right now.¡± Missus B had severe obsessivepulsive disorder and abhorred it when people brought chaos to order. That included the order at her birthday party. ¡°Who did youe with today, Lucas? Where¡¯s yourpanion?¡± Missus B had just posed her nephew that question when she noticed a woman beside him. Her gazended on Corinne and she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this person? I don¡¯t remember seeing her before.¡± Lucas introduced curtly, ¡°She is mypanion, Auntie.¡± Corinne looked politely at the young and elegantly-dressed 30-something woman and nodded slightly. ¡°Hello, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯m apanying Mister Lucas here today, and I¡¯m also the new secretary of his company. My name is Corinne Carew.¡± Missus B¡¯s sharp eyes scanned Corinne from top to bottom. ¡°Are you wearing ¡®Spirit in the Mist¡¯ from Comi¡¯s newest range of dresses this season?¡± Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Corinne smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I can tell that you know a lot about fashion if you could immediately identify the clothing brand at first nce!¡± Missus B maintained her graceful and unsmiling expression. ¡°I was present at the fashion show where Comi first introduced this dress to their lineup, and it left quite a strong impression on me. You have very good taste, youngdy, and this dress looks amazing on you. I¡¯d even go so far as to say that it looks much better on you than on the models.¡± Corinne did not show any awkwardness after being praised and smiled heartily. ¡°Thank you for the compliment, Missus B.¡± Missus B had much admiration for the way Corinne carried herself. She scanned Corinne. again, then finally looked into the young woman¡¯s eyes as she offered, ¡°My name is Mindy, and I¡¯m the editor- in-chief of the weekly magazine ¡®Fashion Pyramid¡¯. Would you be interested in modeling for the pages of our magazine?¡± Corinne¡¯s height was 168 centimeters. Although she was not tall, her figure had good proportions, and her appearance was even more desirable in the industry due to her delicate yet energetic-looking facial features. However, she politely declined and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve just joined Mister Lucas¡¯spany, and I have no ns to change jobs at the moment.¡± Missus B had a somewhat pitiful expression in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a shame for such a beautiful young lady to work as a secretary.¡± Corinne smiled slightly in return. ¡°It¡¯s such a great honor to receive your admiration, and although I won¡¯t switch jobs, I can always help out after-hours if yourpany requires me for a photo shoot.¡± She then looked at her boss Lucas in a very respectful manner and asked for permission. ¡°1 should be able to work part-time after-hours, right?¡± Before Lucas could say anything, Missus B acted in her capacity as Lucas¡¯s elder and said, You don¡¯t need to ask him. He wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse. He has no reason to say no when his aunt is just borrowing the help of hispany¡¯s employee! Your name¡¯s Corinne, right? Leave your number with me and I¡¯ll contact youter.¡± There was nothing Lucas could say as he still had to show some courtesy to his aunt. Corinne took the cell phone that Missus B handed over and saved her cell phone number in the contact list. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Missus B looked at Corinne in satisfaction and grew even fonder of the youngdy with every passing look. She had the feeling that Corinne was very familiar to her, but she could not seem to figure out why that was so. Beside them, Rosie¡¯splexion soured and she felt as if she had witnessed an extreme injustice when Corinne gained Missus B¡¯s appreciation without any effort. Missus B was the editor-in-chief of an internationally renowned fashion magazine, and she was known to those within the industry as the ¡®She-Devil of Fashion¡¯. In the past, the only people who could make an appearance in Fashion Pyramid were either global superstars or powerful people. A country bumpkin like Corinne could never be worthy of modeling for the pages of Fashion Pyramid, and Rosie could not fathom at all what Missus B saw in her. At that moment, Anya stepped forward and said with a sweet smile, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that your company needed a model? I have plenty of time since I returned to the country, so I¡¯m happy to help you if you ever need a model. ¡°Lucas¡¯spany is pretty busy all the time, so there¡¯s no need for you to burden his secretary. Corinne will probably be too busy to work as a part-time model!¡± Missus B had an aloof and cold expression as she looked at her well-behaved and sensible niece. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to be our models, but your appearance and temperament don¡¯t fit the style and target audience of Fashion Pyramid.¡± The smile on Anya¡¯s face froze, and she nodded with a slightly hurt expression. ¡°Okay. I guess I thought too highly of myself, thinking that I could be of help to you¡­¡± Rosie could not bear to see her best friend being looked down upon, so she stood up for Anya and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Anya beautiful enough? Did you forget that she participated in the Miss World beauty pageant before and even made it to the finals? Had she not withdrawn from thepetition due to health reasons, she would¡¯ve been crowned Miss World that year!¡± ¡°So what if she¡¯s crowned Miss World?¡± Missus B nced insipidly at Rosie and then turned to look at Anya. Her sharp eyes seemed to express her disappointment that there was nothing about Anya that could be appreciated. ¡°Anya is beautiful, but shecks a certain carefree, easygoing, and confident temperament. She doesn¡¯t strike anyone as being ¡®unforgettable¡¯-a quality that I value greatly. ¡°Fashion Pyramid¡¯s market position focuses on uniqueness, freedom, and distinctness- qualities that Anyacks. There is no need for her to push herself either. She should just stay at home and take good care of her health.¡± Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Missus B¡¯s disapproval of Anya went way back. Anya never had any personality from a young age, and she was so obsessed with boys that she became a spineless girl when she met Jeremy. If there was one thing Missus B hated, it was women who could not live without a man. Had Anya not been her niece, she would not even bother to look at the girl. Rosie frowned. She looked at Corinne whom she hated with a passion and asked, ¡°Is Miss Corinne prettier than Anya, then? Doesn¡¯t seem like it to me!¡± Missus B turned her head to look at Corinne and had the same look of admiration that she had before. ¡°She¡¯s unique. She might look like an adorable young woman, but there¡¯s a strong valiance in her expression. Even her gaze is firm and unyielding. Most importantly, she exudes a disdain for men and power, and this is exactly the feeling that Fashion Pyramid has always strived for! Rosie bit her lower lip in displeasure. In her view, Corinne was a natural-born vixen who could even sway a strong woman like Missus B! Anya¡¯splexion was already at its ugliest, and she felt unable to hold her head up after her aunt demeaned her in front of so many people. Her aunt was a fashion freak who treated everyone in the family indifferently, and Anya was even more jealous when the woman showed such admiration for Corinne and even offered to let her be a model. Rosie even spoke up for Anya, but even then, Missus B¡¯s attitude did not change. She did not even give Anya a chance to step back from that embarrassing moment. Anya felt humiliated, and she wanted to search for her brother Lucas in the hopes that he would shield her and stand up for her. However, as soon as she raised her head, her eyes suddenly lit up. Behind the crowd of onlookers was a familiar figure-the man whom she had been wanting to see for ages! She immediately became a little excited as she asked, ¡°When did you arrive, Jeremy?¡± Jeremy stood at the end of the crowd, with his protruding height and strong aura towering above a sea of human heads. ¡®Jeremy? He¡¯s here?!! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Corinne¡¯s heart trembled and she looked over suddenly. As expected, Jeremy stood there expressionlessly like a sculpture, and his entire person was exuding an icy chill. ¡®Why¡¯s he here? I thought the Holdens wouldn¡¯t attend a party organized by the Riveras?''¡± Corinne¡¯s pupils trembled, and she unconsciously clenched her palms tightly as her heart. spiraled into turmoil. She still ended up meeting that man in the end. Anya walked through the crowd and half-jogged toward the love of her life. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go on a business trip yesterday? Why¡¯d youe back so soon?¡± Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Jeremy¡¯s sudden appearance shocked the crowd, and they all began to whisper among themselves. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing things, am I? Is Jeremy Holden here at the Riveras¡¯ party?¡± ¡°He came here willingly for Miss Anya¡¯s sake, I presume? It¡¯s so touching that he¡¯s making an exception for the girl he loves by showing his favor to the Riveras despite their family feud!¡± ¡°I guess the Riveras and the Holdens are now slowly breaking the ice even though they¡¯ve never interacted with each other before!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°I heard rumors that he insisted on getting engaged to Miss Anya despite the objections of his family¡¯s elders!¡± ¡°Whatever it is, you can¡¯t deny that he¡¯s handsome. I¡¯m so jealous of Miss Anya! As if having at handsome brother who dotes on her all the time isn¡¯t good enough, she even has a handsome and powerful future husband in Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so jealous too!¡± Amidst the whispers and the discussions, Jeremy lowered his eyes and responded curtly to Anya. ¡°Yes.¡± His one-word reply left a lot to the imagination. His deep and firm voice was carefree and casual, and the nature of his tone made everyone else feel as though the rtionship between the two of them was much more solid than they first thought. It could be likened to an old couple who need not speak much to convey their thoughts due to the intimacy, rapport, and understanding that they had developed over time. Lucas, however, narrowed his eyes with animosity after seeing his younger sister standing with Jeremy. It had not urred to him that Jeremy would show up there. Then, as if by instinct, Lucas nced at his secretary Corinne to see her reaction. Corinne¡¯s expression remained as indifferent and calm as usual, and there was not much emotion on her face. On the contrary, Missus B¡¯s emotions were showing, and she shot a cold nce at Jeremy. She then looked at her niece¡¯s obsession with him, whereupon a trace of loathing and dissatisfaction appeared in her eyes. Her high heels cked on the ground and she walked over gracefully. ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting you to my birthday party. Is this how the Holdens usually carry themselves? By turning up uninvited at an event?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face was as cold as ice and he locked his gaze on a certain person. After a long while, he finally turned to Missus B and said calmly, ¡°Sorry to bother you, but I¡¯m here to look for someone.¡± Missus B frowned. ¡°You¡¯re looking for someone? Who could you possibly be looking for at my birthday party?¡± ¡°A woman.¡± Missus B was not interested in the person Jeremy was looking for as she was too focused on her dissatisfaction with him for inviting himself to her party. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you came uninvited to my party. Have you abided by the rules? Did you bring a femalepanion?¡± Her controlling side began to show, as she had a particr dislike for those who broke her rules. Jeremy did not look too kindly at Missus B, and his thin lips parted open slightly as he prepared to answer her. To ease the tension between the two sides, Anya smiled and said, ¡°Auntie, Jeremy came here to look for me! I¡¯m hispanion for the day!¡± Missus B was even more disgusted when she saw her niece¡¯s spineless response. Thought she frowned resentfully at Anya, she did nothing about it in the end. Jeremy, however, did not cooperate with Anya¡¯s remark and ignored herpletely as he stepped forward and strode directly toward a girl in a straight line. Corinne gasped and thought to herself, ¡®He¡¯s like a curse that I can¡¯t get rid of!¡± She prepared herself mentally for any eventuality and decided that she had to adapt to the situation regardless of what Jeremy did. Jeremy¡¯s eyes were focused in her direction, and it almost looked like he had tunnel vision as he walked over to where she was. Chapter 499 Chapter 499 When he was one step away from bumping into Corinne, he moved past her smoothly and naturally as he continued to walk forward. Corinne¡¯s body and expression froze slightly. ¡°It¡¯ste, so why aren¡¯t you home yet? Who gave you permission toe here?¡± he reproached in a deep voice behind Corinne. Corinne came back to her senses and turned around to look over. Amongst the crowd of onlookers was Annie, who had an awkward expression on her face. She answered stubbornly, ¡°I was just socializing after work. It¡¯s not like I did anything bad!¡± Annie pursed her lips as she answered Jeremy and turned around to look at Corinne. She waved her hands ever so slightly and sneakily greeted her with a smile. Corinne suddenly realized that Jeremy was there for Annie. ¡®And I thought he was here for me. Well, it¡¯s good that Jeremy didn¡¯te for Anya and showed no reaction when he saw her earlier. It couldn¡¯t have turned out better!¡¯ At that moment, Anya walked past Corinne toward Jeremy and leaned close to him. Anya then turned to Annie and asked in a warm, gentle tone, ¡°When did you arrive, Annie? Why didn¡¯t I see you earlier?¡± Annie frowned a little and treated Anya indifferently. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been here for a while now. I was just dancing and chatting with some of my friends downstairs. I heard that something exciting happened here, so I came over to have a look. I didn¡¯t expect to run into Aun-¡± Before she couldplete her sentence and say ¡®Aunt Corinne¡¯, she sensed the death stare from Jeremy. His stare appeared calm, but beneath it was an endless current of negativity. Annie could only gulp and halt herself from saying anything further. Jeremy said again in a stern voice, ¡°Go home. Tommy will take you. He¡¯s waiting at the entrance.¡± Annie would never dare to disobey her uncle¡¯s orders, so she had no choice but to cower in a bit of resentment. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do as you say and go home!¡± She felt annoyed that she had to be reprimanded by him in public when she was already an adult. It was incredibly embarrassing! Annie then muttered angrily in a soft voice, ¡°Sheesh! I¡¯m already twenty-one! I¡¯m not a child anymore. Can¡¯t I have some fun after getting off work? Is it wrong for an adult toe home. a littlete?¡± She continued to mumble to herself while walking toward the door, and as soon as she passed by Corinne, she made a point to nce at Corinne and stick her tongue out mischievously. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched and she looked at her with a smile. It has been a while since she saw Annie, but she still had the same old attitude that never ceased to make people worry. With that, Annie went downstairs obediently while everyone else was whispering among themselves. After Annie left, Anya sighed and said to Jeremy, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too harsh on Annie? Since she¡¯s already here, why couldn¡¯t you have let her enjoy herself a bit before leaving? Even if she¡¯ste, she can always sleep at my ce. I could also ask my driver to send her home too.¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a bad temper. You won¡¯t be able to control her.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Anya smiled softly and said, ¡°Oh¡­ How so? I think her personality is pretty good. She¡¯s a bit like my younger brother, Sunny. They¡¯re both stubborn and mischievous at times, but they¡¯re still very sensible!¡± Jeremy ignored Anyapletely and looked up to stare at Corinne. It was almost as if thousands of invisible threads came out from his pupils and wrapped tightly all around her. Corinne could feel the pressure, and her heart was starting to be flustered despite maintaining her calm exterior. If she had the chance to leave that ce, she would do so without the slightest hesitation. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 All of a sudden, there seemed to be some sort of pressure bearing down on everyone, and the scene became deathly silent. Everyone thought that the atmosphere was a bit strange as Jeremy seemed to be staring at Lucas¡¯s female secretary with a cold and sharp gaze. Jeremy had a conflicted yet dangerous expression that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. Missus B also noticed that something was amiss with Jeremy¡¯s gaze, since there did not seem to be a logical reason as to why Jeremy would stare so intently at Lucas¡¯s secretary. ¡®Isn¡¯t he satisfied with leading Anya on all this while? Has he taken a liking to another woman? Tch. Men are all the same. They always want the best of both worlds. He does have a good eye, though. Corinne is an outstanding youngdy whose beauty makes it difficult for those whoy eyes on her to look away.¡± Missus B did not wee Jeremy¡¯s presence, and she was prepared to call someone to remove him from the venue. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. One of her male servants was looking all around him, and his eyes lit up as soon as he spotted her. He then walked in quickly and said hurriedly, ¡°Missus B! You¡¯re here! The old man sent me over to inform you that he wants to speak with you.¡± Missus B frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± The male servant shook his head. ¡°He didn¡¯t say what it was. He merely told me that it was urgent and asked me to inform you that he wants to see you as soon as possible!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Missus B said before turning to the guests and letting them know that she would have to excuse herself for a moment. She then immediately followed the male servant. The pressure-filled silence was lifted by that brief exchange and everyone started to whisper among themselves. ¡°Why is Mister Jeremy staring so intently at that girl?¡± ¡°Do they know each other?¡± ¡°Miss Anya is right by his side, but he doesn¡¯t seem to have looked at her more than once!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Anya could not have been happy to see Jeremy staring so intently at Corinne, especially not after she heard the whispers of those around her. She stretched out her hand, deliberately tugged on the man¡¯s sleeve in a coy manner, and asked, ¡°Are you tired after your business trip? Do you want to get some rest first?¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Corinne and he answered Anya bluntly, ¡°No. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Anya¡¯s expression became a little weird and she forced a smile like a well-behaved doe. ¡°Okay, Jeremy. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Lucas did not want his sister to go with Jeremy at such ate hour, so although he had kept quiet the entire time, he still stepped forward and said, ¡°You¡¯re already here, so why don¡¯t you stay for a drink?¡± Rosie came over as well and said, ¡°Yeah, Jeremy. You should stay. Zeke and Gerald are here too! As she said that, she deliberately blocked Corinne from Jeremy¡¯s view. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°No, thanks. I have other matters to attend to.¡± He then took a step forward and walked toward the door. As he passed by Corinne, he halted his footsteps abruptly and turned his head to give her a cold look. However, he stopped for only a brief moment before closing his eyes again and walking away. When Anya saw that he ignored Corinnepletely, her worries were dispelled and she smiled secretly as she went up to him. ¡°Wait for me, Jeremy! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± With that, Anya left along with Jeremy. Corinne¡¯s tense nerves rxed slightly and she breathed a sigh of relief. As it turned out, she was merely overthinking. She was nothing to him after she served her purpose as a tool for him, and he would not hold her ountable for anything when they met-not that there was anything for him to hold her ountable, of course. She left after the cooperation between. them hadpsed, and both sides did not owe each other anything. On the contrary, she felt a little surprised at herself for panicking when she saw him. Everything was back to normal at the party, and Rosie snorted as she gave Corinne an annoyed look. From the looks of it, Corinne was no longer important to Jeremy, and he had no intention of talking to her anymore. Rosie then had a shy expression and she hesitated for a moment before walking over to Lucas with a blush on her face. ¡°Do you have time, Lucas? I¡¯d like to dance with you downstairs if that¡¯s okay.¡± Lucas was unmoved. ¡°Could you please bring Anya home? It¡¯ste, and I don¡¯t want her going around out there.¡± Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Rosie would never refuse an instruction from the man she loved, and she nodded demurely as she said, ¡°I will, Lucas! Rest assured I¡¯ll bring Anya back!¡± Her heart was abuzz with joy because she felt that Lucas¡¯s willingness to assign a task as important as taking care of Anya meant that she was a special person in Lucas¡¯s heart. Corinne, on the other hand, was just a shabby little secretary doing odd jobs. After Rosie left, Lucas nced at the people all around him. His refined and elegant gaze was very polite, yet it belied the annoyance in his expression. ¡°Do you all intend to continue being a busybody?¡± Everyone was silent, but they soon left sensibly. Lucas nced at Corinne and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, how do you feel after seeing someone you don¡¯t wish to see?¡± Corinne could hear the subtle sarcasm in Lucas¡¯s tone but answered calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Lucas curled his lips into an expressionless smirk. ¡°You¡¯re very honest.¡± Corinne was starting to get bored, so she said to him, ¡°Mister Lucas, if there¡¯s nothing you need me to do, then can I get off work right now and go home?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at her. ¡°How are you going to leave this ce all by yourself when there aren¡¯t any taxis around here?¡± Corinne knew that it was not easy to find a taxi around those parts, so she nned to ask Aaron to pick her up. However, she had to keep her connection to the Newmoon Group a secret from Lucas, lest she lose the chance to continue being the secretary. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, Mister Lucas. I can book a taxi using an e-hailing application.¡± ¡°E-hailing application?¡± Lucas snorted softly. ¡°You need to be aware that you¡¯re now a full- time employee of the Rivera Group. If something happens to you when you¡¯re on the way home, the company will have to take responsibility and we¡¯ll be subject to public bacsh. Must you do things that will cause trouble for ourpany?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Is he cursing me? Why is he so sure that I¡¯ll get into an ident?¡¯ Besides, if he was genuinely worried about the personal safety of his employees, he could always get a car to send her home. The fact that he did not do so made it abundantly clear that he simply did not want to let her have her way, rather than being worried about her safety. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait until the party is over and leave with you. Lucas grunted indifferently and walked away. Corinne followed silently behind him when she passed by the bathroom in front of her. ¡°Sir, I¡¯d like to go to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Corinne went into the bathroom, locked the door, and exhaled deeply. Thin, dense beads of cold sweat began to drip from her forehead. As she sat on the edge of the toilet seat, she gently lifted her dress and saw a scrape on her thigh just above her knee. It was already bleeding from when she climbed the window and across the wall from Cole¡¯s room to the other room. The wound was caused by a scratch from the edge of a windowsill that had not been repaired for years. It hurt badly, but she did her best to endure it because she was worried that someone might suspect her of climbing the window. After cleaning the wound and taking care of it, Corinne came out of the bathroom. However, Lucas was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, he would not wait for such an insignificant secretary like her at the bathroom door. Moreover, Lucas hated her from the bottom of his heart. In any case, she was in no mood to look for Lucas at that moment and decided to just head downstairs so she could find a ce to sit and rest. No one could tell that she had an injury to her thigh from the way she walked leisurely toward the stairs. All of a sudden, a rough and slightly cold palm appeared out of nowhere andnded on her shoulder, holding her down. ¡®Who is it now?¡¯ Corinne thought to herself in shock. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 ¡°Corinne! It¡¯s you!¡± Jason¡¯s handsome face startled her and she finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Ah, kind sir!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jason asked with a smile, ¡°Who did you think I was?¡± ¡°Nobody. I was just startled when you ced your hand on me all of a sudden.¡± Hehe! What am I afraid of, anyway? Was I expecting Jeremy toe back and look for me? I¡¯m just overthinking things!¡± Jason walked gracefully to her side with a smile on his face. ¡°Do you remember when west met? I asked you if we¡¯d be able to meet again, and you said it¡¯s all up to fate. Since you and I ran into each other here today, does that mean fate has ns for you and me?¡± Corinneughed heartily. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s quite a coincidence!¡± Jason frowned and pretended to be unhappy at her remark. ¡°Don¡¯t just brush me off like that! Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± Corinne yawned. ¡°Why would I be?¡± Jason sighed, and leaned closer to her all of a sudden, ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see you though.¡± Corinne remained calm when facing the charming face that appeared suddenly in front of her. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. There was a sparkle in Jason¡¯s enchanting eyes, and he gazed deeply at her eyes for about half a minute but found himself unable to bewitch her with his charm. He could only smile helplessly at her and say, ¡°You were always dressed casually when I saw you all those times before, and this is my first time seeing you dress up like this. You look stunning.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Corinne went downstairs and looked around. There was no longer an empty ce in the banquet hall. Every sofa or table or chair in the reception area was filled with people chatting in small groups. The last thing she wanted was to sit in those ces and bother the conversations or be the subject of those people¡¯s conversations. Jason still follow3r her with a smile as she walked down the stairs, and she wondered if he had nothing better to do. Corinne turned around and asked, ¡°Have you seen Lucas, kind sir?¡± Jason cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Why would you be looking for Lucas?¡± ¡°No particr reason. I came here with him today, since I¡¯m now working as his secretary, and he¡¯s my boss.¡± Jason was rather surprised to hear that. ¡°When did you start?¡± ¡°Just two days ago.¡± ¡°Oh? Is it for Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s painting?¡± Jason looked at her drily. It was Jason who revealed to her the rtionship between Nellie Nymphaea and Lucas, so there was no need to-and no point of-hiding her reasons for working under Lucas. ¡°Yes. I hope you¡¯ll avoid talking about this matter in front of him.¡± ¡°My lips are sealed.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Thanks, kind sir!¡± ¡°Just call me Jason, will you? It¡¯s frustrating to hear you call me that all the time!¡± Corinne thought over his request and decided to grant him his wish since the information he provided her had turned out to be correct. ¡°Okay! Thank you, Jason.¡± Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Jason was dazed for a moment when she called him that. Then, he smiled with satisfaction and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee, Corinne. I just rushed over here from work, and Zeke called to tell me that they were drinking at Grace Garden. Lucas was probably invited too. Would you like toe with me and look for him?¡± Lucas had very likely gone to meet Zeke and the others, and Corinne was confident that Jeremy would not be around because she had earlier confirmed that Jeremy had left. Having considered all that, Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Lunar Century Manor¡¯s Grace Garden was a small garden separate from the manor. It was a very quiet ce since it was far from the banquet hall. Corinne walked into Grace Garden with Jason, and as soon as she entered the room, she saw three men sitting around ying some cards. Jason asked with a smile, ¡°What are you boys ying?¡± ¡°Jason! You came just in time! Care to go for a round?¡± Zeke cocked his eyebrow after dealing his card and was stunned for a moment when he saw Corinne standing right beside Jason. He narrowed his eyes incredulously and joked, ¡°Yourpanion looks a little familiar!¡± Jason smiled and exined truthfully, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, mypanion was Angie-my secretary. Corinne came here as Jason¡¯spanion. I ran into her earlier when she was looking for Lucas, so I brought her here with me.¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Zeke became even more confused as he turned his head to look at Lucas. ¡°Why is she looking for you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my secretary now,¡± Lucas answered calmly. ¡®She ran away from the Holdens, and now she¡¯s hired as Lucas¡¯s secretary? Tsk, tsk, tsk! Things are getting more and more interesting!¡¯ Zeke stared at Corinne, whom he had not seen in a long time, and turned his head before raising his chin towards the floor-to-ceiling window. He then said, ¡°Hey, Jeremy! An old friend of yours is here. Aren¡¯t you going to catch up on the good old days?¡± Corinne¡¯s calm expression stiffened after hearing what Zeke said. ¡®Jeremy hasn¡¯t lett yet?¡± She turned her head and saw Jeremy leaningzily on the wicker chair by the window. He had a cigarette between his long fingers with smoke wafting through the air. He stared at them like a cold, hard sculpture. He had been in Lunar Century Manor all along, but he simply did not participate in the card. game. By the time Corinne came back to her senses, Jason had already ushered her to the sofa. She sat silently and watched the men ying cards, but she could not shake off the cold gaze that was fixated on her. She felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles¡­ With ants in her pants, and a fishbone stuck in her throat. Moreover, she was beginning to feel a little tired at that moment. Pregnancy itself made a woman tired easily, and her wounded leg made her entire body ufortable too. Jason saw her difort and asked, ¡°Are you all right, Corinne? Do you feel unwell?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little thirsty.¡± Jason immediately got up and poured her a ss of water. ¡°Here you go.¡± Corinne took the ss and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Jason was very thoughtful to have provided warm water for her. She felt slightly better after drinking the entire ss. After Jason sat back down, he leaned into her ear all of a sudden and whispered, ¡°I can send you home if you feel unwell. You¡¯re probably on your period now, right? Is your difort because of your period?¡± Corinne was taken aback for a moment after Jason¡¯s surprising remark. Periods were part and parcel of being a woman, and she was surprised not because she was shy, but because she found it a little strange. She frowned, looked at the charming man beside her, and asked, ¡°Why do you remember my menstrual period?¡± Jason chuckled, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, ¡°Did you forget your first visit to my gallery? You felt ufortable because you had your period, and that day was four months ago today.¡± Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You have nothing better to do, don¡¯t you, Jason? Do you have so much time on your hands that you can remember these things?¡± Jason said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not like I remembered it on purpose! I just couldn¡¯t forget that day because I consider it our first date.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Date? What date?! I was married at the time! Even though I was just cooperating with Jeremy, going on a date with you would be equivalent to cheating!¡± She did not want to talk to Jason anymore. That rascal was teasing her at every Unfortunately for him, he teased the wrong person. Corinne would never fall for that! turn! Over at the other end, Lucas adjusted the order of the cards and looked up to see Corinne whispering so closely to Jason. He frowned, and a touch of contempt manifested at the corners. of his eyes. Anya¡¯s best friend, Rosie, often mentioned how much of a flirt Corinne was, and that she would flirt around whenever the opportunity arose. He had always been skeptical about that and believed that Corinne was not that fickle a woman, but if Jason a veteran in the dating scene ¨C would be so meek toward Corinne, then it was clear that Corinne had certain tricks up her sleeve. Lucas could not help but feel disgusted at his newly hired young secretary. At that moment, a crisp melody apanied by short vibrating bursts was heard. Lucas nced at the caller ID on the phone, picked it up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ll be there right away!¡± After ending the call, he raised his eyes to look at Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne put down the water ss and got up. ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Lucas then instructed her, ¡°Come here and take over for a bit. I need to take care of something right now.¡± Corinne did not want to, but she had no other choice except to reply, ¡°Sure.¡± She went up and took the cards from Lucas before sitting in the only empty seat at the table. After Lucas left, Zeke¡¯s Intrigue was piqued, and he raised his eyebrows yfully with a naughty smile on his handsome face. He asked Corinne in a childish tone, ¡°Pretty brave of you to take over from him. Do you even know how to y bridge?¡± Corinne said, ¡°A little.¡± Zeke smiled sinisterly, ¡°Go ahead and give it a try! Don¡¯t cry if you end up losing all of your boss¡¯s funds later.¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± After Zeke yed his card, he cocked his chin at her and said, ¡°Your turn!¡± Corinne looked at the cards that Zeke yed and adjusted the order of her cards before ying her card. Zeke saw that she yed her card correctly, so it seemed as though she did understand the rules. Although Jason was also at the card table, he did not enter any bids and merely yed his cards ording to turn. Gerald and Zeke were on the same side, and though they did not speak, they went all out ying their cards. After several rounds, Corinne yed herst trump card and won by surprise. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The three men at the card table looked at her with all sorts of expressions, ranging from admiration to suspicion. Her way of ying cards was unlike that of a novice who only knew a little bit about the game. More astonishingly, Corinne seemed to be bored the entire time and even yawned sleepily, almost as though she was absent-minded throughout the game. Despite all that, she still ended up securing victory. It was almost like a silent expression of contempt for the three men. Zeke frowned and looked at Corinne. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, right? You said you only knew ¡®at little¡¯ about bridge!¡± Corinne smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I got lucky because Mister Lucas was dealt a good hand.¡± Zekeughed and said, ¡°She¡¯s quite a modest girl, isn¡¯t she? Well, you need to rely on your luck for the next game! How about we up the stakes since you¡¯re so good at ying?¡± Corinne did not fall for it. ¡°If you want to bet big, you can wait to bet with Mister Lucas when he returns. I¡¯m just his subordinate. I have neither the money nor the right. I¡¯m only responsible for ensuring his money remains intact, so no, I¡¯m not going to up the ante.¡± Zeke was not about to let her off so easily. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t use money in this bet! The next one will be your bet. You can represent yourself to gamble with us.¡± Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Corinne shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Zeke was unhappy. ¡°Tch! What an interesting personality you have for a secretary! Once your boss comes back, I¡¯ll ask to borrow you for mypany so you¡¯ll be my secretary. Then, I¡¯ll make sure to teach you a good lesson! Lucas will be happy to agree, don¡¯t you think?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®It¡¯s possible!¡¯ The reason Lucas kept her around was mostly because she negotiated the big cooperation with Abura. Since the contract was already signed, he could easily rece her with someone else for the follow-up. Lucas¡¯s attitude had made it clear that he did not like her all that much, so he could just pass her to Zeke as a favor if he asked. However, Corinne could not let that happen. Corinne needed to stay in the Rivera Group so she could investigate the true reason why her mother was kicked out of the Riveras all those years ago. Zeke¡¯s aggressiveness put a bit of pressure on Corinne. After thinking about it, Corinne asked, ¡°What huge bet do you n on making?¡± There was a sessful smile on Zeke¡¯s smug face and he began to exin his bet in a very ¡® considerate¡¯ tone. ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy for you to find a new job, and you don¡¯t have much money now, so how about we bet on a striptease? Whoever loses would have to do a striptease right here. How does that sound?¡± After hearing that suggestion, Jason spoke up for Corinne in a very gentlemanly manner. You¡¯re going too far, Zeke. Corinne isn¡¯t good at ying cards, so don¡¯t use that to bully her.¡± Zeke did not take Jason seriously. ¡°Does she look like the kind of person who doesn¡¯t know how to y cards? I might be the one who¡¯s going to lose! Then you¡¯ll all be feasting your eyes as I do a striptease for all of you!¡± Gerald retorted, ¡°No one wants to see you do a striptease.¡± Zeke snorted with a smile and had a confident smile on his face. ¡°Miss Corinne will do the honor then!¡± Jason ignored Zeke, turned his head, and said to Corinne, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to do it, Corinne. You can refuse to y if you don¡¯t want to make this bet.¡± Corinne stroked her chin, thought about it for a moment, and finally sighed helplessly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make a bet with you, Mister Zeke. If I win, I want you to do the striptease on the banquet hall¡¯s dance floor. Any objections?¡± Both Gerald and Jason looked at Corinne with admiration. They did not think that she would be so brave as to ept the bet. Zeke smiled indifferently and said, ¡°Wonderful! I love it when things get exciting, but I¡¯m afraid that you might not be so lucky in the end.¡± Corinne did not bother with any useless remarks and asked directly, ¡°Is the decider going to be through one hand only?¡± Zeke curled his lips and nodded, ¡°Yes!¡± Corinne said calmly, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll go easy on me then, Mister Zeke. Go ahead and shuffle the cards.¡± As soon as she agreed to bet with Zeke, she sensed a cold and stern gaze from another direction tightening over her neck and strangling it like a steel wire. She did not know if she had sensed it wrongly, but whatever she felt at that moment gave her a tremendous amount of pressure. Zeke shuffled the cards and dealt them. Corinne opened her hand and nced at it, only to realize how dire the situation was. The starting hand was very unfavorable, and her hand was far worse than the previous one. The cards Zeke dealt to her were tricky and rather difficult to y. Corinne frowned. She knew how to y bridge, but the quality of her hand made it incredibly difficult to win. After a few rounds, none of the cards she yed went smoothly and her position was extremely disadvantageous. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The oue was already clear, and Zeke smiled provocatively. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dealing your card? Is it because you don¡¯t have a high card?¡± Corinne nced at him calmly. She had to consider which card to y while also predicting the trend of the opponent¡¯s next card and seizing all possible chances to turn the tables. Shecked high cards, and any mistake she made would cause her to lose the entire game. It was therefore all the more important that she had to be cautious. At that moment, the sofa beside her suddenly sank. Someone had taken a seat next to her, and there was a faint smell of tobo from that person. Corinne was startled because she knew without looking that the person was Jeremy. His sudden decision to sit there with him made her confused, and she began to have goosebumps on her arms. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Corinne thought was interrupted by Jeremy¡¯s sudden movement. She secretly took a deep breath to compose herself. Then, she pulled out a card and was just about to ce it on the table. Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯s hand roughly forced her to put the card she wanted to ce on the table back into her hand before picking another card and throwing that one onto the table. Corinne was stunned. However, realization dawned on her when she saw the card Jeremy picked. ¡®Yes. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? I¡¯ll definitely have a bigger chance of winning by letting go of that card.¡± She cocked her head to look at Jeremy, not understanding why he was helping her when hepletely ignored her earlier. Their eyes met. ¡°What are you looking at me for? Focus on the cards!¡± said Jeremy harshly. Corinne was speechless. ¡°Tsk. Why¡¯s he being so mean to me?¡± She was grateful for his help and wanted to thank him for his unexpected act of kindness, but she changed her mind after that. Pouting, she turned her head away and looked at the cards in her hand with a frown on her face. ¡®Gah, I¡¯m so annoyed!¡¯ Everyone was a little surprised at Jeremy¡¯s action but at the same time, found it reasonable. Zeke and Gerald looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Then they turned to look at Corinne with mixed emotions. Corinne who had been immune to his advances-was calm and peaceful throughout the entire card game. In fact, she took everything in stride with nary a frown on her face. Then came Jeremy who only had to sit beside her to make her all worked up. ¡®She looks so cute, all huffy and puffy like that. Howe she¡¯s never like that with me? Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. With Jeremy¡¯s guidance, Corinne found it much easier to win the game. asionally, he would rearrange the cardz for her and whisper to tell her what to take note of. He would talk to her in a neutral tone but for some reason, Corinne would still feel pressured by his presence. Her priority then was to win the card game. Therefore, she was willing to put down her pride and follow whatever Jeremy told her to do. After a few rounds of the game, Zeke realized the ship had salled and that he was not going to win anymore. so he said, ¡°Jeremy, do you know it¡¯s not gentlemanly to interfere with other people¡¯s card games?¡± Jeremy was unfazed by his pointed remark. He nced coldly at him and said, ¡°Well, do you know it¡¯s not gentlemanly to cheat in card games?¡± Zeke spent his free time learning magic tricks and one of them was sleight of hand in card games. Having been exposed by his good friend, Zeke simply smiled. He did not see anything wrong in what he did. ¡°Jeremy, just which side are you on? Corinne is now working for Lucas and she has nothing to do with you, so why are you helping her?¡± Corinne did not know how to react to Zeke¡¯s words. Him saying that was as good as putting a spotlight on the fact that Corinne and Jeremy were trying to avoid each other. It had the effect. of changing the atmosphere in the room. Jeremy picked up the ss of water on the table and took a sip emotionlessly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to help her. It¡¯s just that¡­ I really want to see you do a strip dance.¡± Zeke frowned and covered his chest in mock horror. ¡°Jeremy, I only see you as a good friend so don¡¯t even think of¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened and he threw Zeke a disgusted look. ¡°Cut it out,¡± he spat coldly. Corinne looked at the dramatic Zeke and then cocked her head at Jeremy. She realized he had drunk from her ss-the one that Jason poured for her. ¡®Why¡¯s he drinking from my ss again?¡¯ Chapter 507 Chapter 507 ¡®Isn¡¯t he a germaphobe?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. She found the whole thing weird but told herself to focus on the game instead. ¡°Hurry up and y the cards,¡± she said out loud. In the end, she put down herst card on the table and won the final round. She raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°I look forward to your strip dance, Mister Callen.¡± The smile instantly disappeared from Zeke¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, Zeke. You¡¯re the one who said you¡¯d put on a strip show for us if you lose. I hope you don¡¯t go back on your words,¡± said Jason with an expression that said he was enjoying the situation. Zeke crossed his arms and scoffed, ¡°Jason, are you or are you not my friend? Why do you look so happy to see me lose?¡± ¡°You have no one but yourself to me!¡± said Gerald coldly. Zeke pretended to be hurt. ¡°You too, Gerald?¡± Jason and Gerald continued to make fun of Zeke when suddenly, Corinne heard Jeremy whispering coldly into her ear. ¡°Lady Luck must be smiling down on you today, Miss Carew.¡± Corinne was stunned. She did not turn to look at him. Instead, she replied in a small voice, ¡°Yes, she must, but I still have to thank you for helping me out.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Aren¡¯t you old enough to know that the banker always has the upper hand in a card game? How can you agree to y with Zeke when you¡¯re not even sure that you can win?¡± ¡°I had no choice but to y with him since I didn¡¯t want to be his secretary.¡± Jeremy stayed silent for a minute and then he took a sip of another water. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you only want to be Lucas¡¯ secretary?¡± Corinne nodded honestly. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± Jeremy did not say anything else. Instead, his hand tightened around the ss, making his knuckles even more pronounced. In fact, he held on so tightly to the ss that it looked about to shatter into a million pieces. Corinne suddenly felt a cold vibe swirling around her, making her subconsciously move away from Jeremy. That little movement of hers did not escape Jeremy¡¯s vision, and it hurt him to no end to see her reacting like that. At that moment, Gerald got up from the table in a bid to drag Zeke-who was trying to escape -to the dance floor to do his strip dance. ¡°Come on, Zeke. Don¡¯t be a sore loser. You need to uphold your end of the bargain,¡± Gerald said in a jesting tone. Jason smiled and said, ¡°Corinne, Jeremy. Do you want to join us in the banquet hall to watch. Zeke¡¯s strip dance?¡± Jeremy did not make to get up. Although he said he wanted to watch Zeke¡¯s strip dance a few moments ago, he was not actually interested in it. Corinne, however, immediately got up. ¡°Sure thing! Looks like it¡¯s the guests¡¯ lucky day to be able to witness Zeke¡¯s show.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. You naughty people. I never knew you guys were so interested in my naked body. You dogs,¡± said Zeke cheekily. Everyone was speechless. The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched a few times. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he still has the mood to joke around like that.¡¯ Gerald pushed Zeke to the middle of the dance floor in the banquet hall. The couples who were dancing the waltz did not know what was happening, but they all stopped and gave way to Zeke when they saw him along with Jeremy, Gerald, and Jason standing there. There was a stubborn emotion on Zeke¡¯s yuppie and handsome face, but that smile looked even sadder than if he was to cry. Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Zeke, in his all-white tailored suit, stood proudly in the middle of the dance floor like a handsome knight in shining armor. No one except for Corinne and the rest of the group knew. what he was going to do. Jason called one of the waiters who was carrying around a tray of red wine in his hand over. He then picked up a ss of red wine and gestured to the waiter using his chin, signaling him to offer the wine to each of his friends. Gerald and Jeremy both picked up a ss, clinked them together, and stood waiting to watch Zeke¡¯s performance. Corinne shook her head at the waiter. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t drink.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Bring thisdy a ss of juice instead.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Talbot,¡± the waiter replied with a nod. He then went to do as he was asked. Jason took the opportunity to stand beside Corinne. He put his lips close to her ear and whispered mischievously, ¡°Corinne, do you usually not drink?¡± ¡°Well, that really depends on my mood,¡± Corinne answered lightly. Jason raised his eyebrow and there was curiosity and interest in his alluring eyes. ¡°Do you drink when you¡¯re in a good mood or in a bad mood?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can I take you out for a drink sometime?¡± Corinne looked sideways at his alluring face. She wanted to tell him to stop flirting with her. However, as soon as she turned around, she identally saw Jeremy looking over at them with narrowed eyes. The look in his eyes was sharp, dark, and terrifying. A weird feeling bubbled up inside Corinne. She quickly turned her head away and stopped talking to Jason. At that moment, the piano music in the banquet hall had given way to a sexy song. Gerald¨Cwith the wine still in his hand-started swaying to the beat of the music. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Zeke, you should move your booty now!¡± Zeke made a ¡®tsk¡¯ sound, raised his hand, and flipped his hair with it. It was now or never. There was no more holding back. ¡°Fine, whatever. I¡¯ll dance! I¡¯m manly enough to not be threatened by this, and to prove I¡¯m not a sore loser, I¡¯ll put on the best strip show you guys have ever seen!¡± He then wiggled off his suit jacket. Then, twisting to the beat of the music he held his suit jacket high up in the air and twirled it around a few times before throwing it to the audience. The girl who caught the suit jacket started blushing while her friends screamed. enthusiastically. Some of them even fought over who got to sniff the suit jacket. Jason did not feel embarrassed at theck of response from Corinne. Instead, he clinked sses with Gerald and Jeremy before taking a sip of the wine. He was enjoying both the wine and Zeke¡¯s sexy moves. Corinne, too, was enjoying the show so much so that she could not help but smile andugh at Zeke¡¯s antics. She was so into the performance that she did not realize someone was staring at her coldly from the side. Zeke waspletely half-naked by then. His broad shoulders, tiny waist and eight-packs looked exceptionally seductive under the limelight. His pure maism drew in all the girls¡¯ attention. Although shy, they still could not help but watch enraptured at his dancing like a moth to a me. His dance moves became increasingly erotic. The next moment, he winked at the girls hanging around the dance floor before unbuckling his belt so that he could take off his pants. Suddenly¡­ Click! Pitch-ck darkness descended over the banquet. Everyone was shocked and they all started to panic. ¡®Is this a ckout?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Did the electricity trip?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so dark. What should I do? I¡¯m afraid of the dark¡­¡± Some of them started to jostle each other and Corinne was forced to take a step back, causing her to nearly fall. However, at thest minute, she managed to grab Jason¡¯s arm to prevent herself from falling. She wore high heels which she was not used to, so her sense of bnce was a little off. She shuddered to think what would happen to her and her baby if she was to fall. What happened if no one saw her fall due to the darkness and a stampede urred? Corinne grabbed Jason¡¯s arm tightly to bnce herself. ¡°Jason, please let me hold on to you for a while.¡± Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Jason did not answer her, but he did not shake her hands off either. After a while, there was finally some light. The manor¡¯s butler came rushing into the banquet hall with a shlight in his hand. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Dear guests, please do not panic. It¡¯s just a circuit trip. We¡¯ve already asked someone to fix it, and the light wille back soon enough,¡± announced the butler in a bid to reassure everyone. ¡°Please fix it as soon as possible. My girlfriend is afraid of the dark.¡± ¡°Ugh. That really gave us a fright.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to be scared. It¡¯s just a circuit trip.¡± After a minute or so, the lights in the banquet hall came back on. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and went back to what they were doing. Unfortunately, Zeke-who was still standing in the middle of the dance floor-had already put on his clothes and was tying up his tie. He smirked at his friends and said, ¡°Sorry guys. I finished the strip show when the electricity was out. Too bad you all didn¡¯t get to see it.¡± Jason, Gerald, Jeremy, and Corinne were all speechless. In fact, Corinne heavily suspected that Zeke was the one behind the ckout. Otherwise, it was too much of a coincidence for the circuit to trip just when he was going to take off his pants. It was not that she really wanted to see Zeke naked. She just thought it was a pity that he did not get the full punishment when he was the one who deliberately egged her on to raise the bet during the card game. Since the lights hade back on, Corinne let go of Jason¡¯s arm. She then looked up at him and said, ¡°Thank you. Earlier¡­¡± She stopped talking mid-sentence because when she looked up, it was not Jason¡¯s face she saw but Jeremy¡¯s. His face was emotionless and cold, as usual. ¡®Jeremy? How could it be him? He wasn¡¯t standing here before the ckout.¡¯ It never crossed Corinne¡¯s mind that the man she had grabbed in the dark would be Jeremy. She instinctively took a step back to get away from him. However, coincidentally at that moment, the waiter who Jason had asked to bring a ss of juice for Corinne wasing up from behind her with that ss of juice in his hand. The waiter did not expect Corinne to step back and was caught off guard, causing the tray in his hand to nearly fall onto Corinne. ¡°Look out!¡± Jeremy pulled Corinne into his embrace in the nick of time, and that was how Corinne was able to avoid knocking over the waiter, who at the same time managed to stabilize the tray in his hand. Not only did Corinne not get away from Jeremy, but she was actually closer to him more than ever. Her cheeks were squished against his strong chest, and she could feel the air thickening with tension. ¡°Jeremy!¡± shouted Anya suddenly. Her voice pulled Corinne out of her trance, and she looked to where Anya¡¯s voice came from. Anya was standing not far away from them with Joey in her arms. She blinked innocently and frowned. Lucas and Rosie were also beside her, and the two of them were staring daggers at Corinne. In that instant, Corinne quickly pulled herself away from Jeremy¡¯s embrace to make room for Anya and Joey. Anya walked over to Jeremy and said gently, ¡°Jeremy, there was a ckout. Both Joey and I were so scared and he kept crying for you.¡± Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Wanting Jeremy to carry him, Joey opened up his chubby little arms and kept calling out for Jeremy in that baby voice of his. ¡°Dada, Dada.¡± Seeing that, the guests began to whisper among themselves. ¡°Is that Miss Anya¡¯s and Mister Jeremy¡¯s kid?¡± ¡°I think so. He¡¯s a spitting image of Miss Anya.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not even married yet. How can they have a kid together?¡± ¡°Why not? I mean, they¡¯ve been together for the longest time and the only reason they¡¯re not married to each other is because both of their parents objected to them being together. Having a kid is just one of those sooner orter things since they¡¯re so madly in love with each other.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, that kid is so cute!¡± Corinne began to feel like she was the third wheel in the situation, so she stepped a bit further from Jeremy. Lucas must have thought the same as her as he suddenly said, ¡°Miss Carew,e over here. We¡¯re leaving soon.¡± Corinne was relieved to know she could finally leave the party. She walked over to Lucas and said, ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Rosie stood in front of Lucas and said longingly, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re leaving so soon?¡± ¡°Yeah. You stay here and take care of Anya for me.¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry, Lucas. You can leave her to me!¡± Rose nodded and agreed without hesitation. She then threw a warning nce at Corinne. Corinne did not take it to heart. She simply followed Lucas out of the noisy banquet hall. Jason raised his ss and took a sip of the red wine as he watched Corinne walk out of the banquet hall. Zeke suddenly waved his hand in front of him. ¡°Why do you keep staring at her? Jason, you were very nice to Corinne tonight so much so that I¡¯m starting to wonder if you have a crush on her.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°And what if I do?¡± Zeke was stunned. He exchanged nces with Gerald. Both of them thought of the same thing. ¡°Jason, she used to be Jeremy¡¯s wife! It¡¯s not worth breaking up our bromance for a woman.''¡± Jason simply smiled nonchntly at Zeke. ¡°Whose wife did you say Corinne was?¡± Zeke looked to where Jeremy was standing. At that moment, Jeremy was busy with Anya and Joey so he could not extricate himself from them. Zeke thought about it and shrugged. ¡°I get your point. It¡¯s obvious Jeremy and Corinne have nothing to do with each other anymore.¡± The smile on Jason¡¯s lips became even deeper. ¡°You¡¯ve got that right.¡± The car Lucas and Corinne were in sped along the road. Lucas was scrolling silently and emotionlessly on his phone while Corinne was looking out the window at the passing scenery. It was then she realized that something was different. ¡®Why are we driving on the highway? This isn¡¯t the road to the city.¡± ¡°Mister Lucas, where are we going?¡± she asked quizzically. Lucas looked up from his phone. He did not answer her. Instead, he ordered the driver to stop the car. The driver pulled into the emergencyne and slowly stopped the car. Lucas gestured to the door with his chin and said, ¡°Miss Carew, you can clock off work and get down from the car now.¡± Corinne was shocked. ¡°But Mister Lucas, we¡¯re on the highway,¡± she said with a frown. Lucas half-smirked at her. ¡°That¡¯s not my concern. You have to figure out a way to get yourself home since I¡¯ve already said you can clock off work. It¡¯s not my obligation as a boss to send you home.¡± Chapter 511 Chapter 511 ¡°I only went to the party because you asked me to. Look, what I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to give me a ride home, but you should at least drop me off at a ce where I can hail a taxi,¡± said Corinne. Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Miss Carew, you certainly have a lot of requests.¡± Corinne brazenly looked back at him. ¡°Any boss with a little bit of humanity left in him. wouldn¡¯t have treated their staff the way you treated me.¡± Lucasughed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Carew? You can¡¯t handle something as simple as this? I seem to recall you telling me that you¡¯re different from my sister. What was it again? ¡°That she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle any hardships because she¡¯s a flower grown in a greenhouse while you only get better with every challenge thates your way because you¡¯re like the weeds on the sidewalk which won¡¯t die no matter how much the others tried to kill it? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I look forward to you getting yourself out of this predicament. In fact, I have faith in you to walk your way home from this highway.¡± Corinne pursed her lips at Lucas¡¯ words. She told herself to endure whatever abuse he threw at her for the sake of finding out the truth about her mother. After all, that was why she was working for Lucas, no? Therefore, she had to finish what she started. With that thought in mind, Corinne forced a smile onto her face. ¡°Okay, Mister Lucas. I won¡¯t disappoint you. I hope you get home safely and see you tomorrow at the office.¡± She then opened the car door and got down without even looking back. It was illegal for the car to stop on the highway, yet Lucas did just that so he could chase her out of the car. ¡°That¡¯s the reason why he took the highway. He had nned this all along! Huh! I can¡¯t believe we even share the same mother,¡¯ thought Corinne. After getting out of the car, it did not even take one second for the driver to drive the car away. Edmund-who sat in the front passenger seat-had a worried look on his face. He looked at the diminishing Corinne from the rearview mirror and finally could not hold it in any longer. He turned to look at Lucas and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe for a girl like Miss Carew to be walking alone on the highway thiste at night.¡± Lucas raised his eyes. ¡°Did she get to you too?¡± Edmund blushed with embarrassment and quickly shook his head. ¡°No! I¡¯m just worried that it¡¯ll negatively affect you and thepany¡¯s reputation if anything happens to her.¡± Lucas smiled mockingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s not the kind of woman who would let anything happen to herself.¡± ¡®Not the kind of woman? Just what kind of woman is Mister Lucas talking about?¡¯ Edmund did not understand Lucas¡¯ change of attitude. When Corinne first arrived, Lucas would worry about whether she was too cold and would instruct Edmund to give her a jacket to put on. He could not figure out why Lucas would have the heart to throw Corinne on the highway like that. Lucas put away his phone and looked outside the window at the dark sky with mixed emotions. Earlier, while he was ying cards with Zeke and the others in Lunar Century Manor, Anya called him over on the phone and showed him the jacket he had lent to Corinne that the servants had picked up in the yard. ording to what the servant said, the location where he found the jacket was right underneath the second-floor bathroom window. Meaning to say, Corinne was indeed fooling around with Cole in that room. ¡®She must¡¯ve jumped out of the bathroom window and pretended to havee from the outside in order to prove her innocence after I knocked on the door. ¡®She¡¯s so devious and maniptive. What a two-faced hypocrite. She¡¯s definitely not as simple as she seems. Not only did she effortlessly have Jason wrapped around her little finger, but she used the ckout as an opportunity to jump into Jeremy¡¯s arms even though she kept saying she didn¡¯t want to ever see him again. ¡®Anya is right. Corinne must have an ulterior motive foring to work for me,¡¯ thought Lucas.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Corinne stood alone in the emergencyne. There was only pitch-ck darkness around her which would sometimes be punctuated with the light from an oing car. It was dangerous to walk on a highway as one could identally get hit by a car, so Corinne did not walk along the highway after she got out of the car. Instead, she turned on the shlight on her phone so that the cars would know she was there and at the same time, she called Xante. ¡°Xante, where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in Yrimir, remember? You were the one who asked me toe here to negotiate the buying of Vita Company. I took the flight out this morning.¡± Corinne pinched the space between her brows. ¡®Ugh, the pregnancy brain must¡¯ve made me forget that Xante is out of the country.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong, boss? How did Missus B¡¯s birthday party go?¡± ¡°It was okay. Do take care of yourself while you¡¯re in Yrimir. I¡¯ll ask Aaron to pick me up instead.¡± Corinne hung up the phone and called Aaron. However, after waiting and waiting, no one answered. ¡®What the hell is that kid doing?¡¯ Corinne looked around at her surroundings as the sound of the automated voice operator came on the phone. ¡®Come on. Think, Corinne! There must be some other way to get out of this,¡¯ she thought with a frown. If Corinne were in the past, she would not think twice about staying out in the cold and dark night all alone. After all, she had been through worse when she was little. However, she was pregnant, and there was no way she would risk her baby¡¯s life. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. There was a risk of hypothermia if she stayed out on the highway, which would mean the baby would suffer as well, and there was no medicine she could take. However, there was a chance her name would be all over tomorrow¡¯s newspaper headline if she were to call the police for help. Just when she was going to give up and call the police, a ring light suddenly shone on her, causing her to instinctively cover her eyes with her arms. ¡®What¡¯s happening? Did someone¡¯s car break down?¡¯ Corinne slowly put down her arms and opened her eyes after the driver turned off the headlights and put on the hazard lights. She saw Tommying down from the front passenger seat and walked matter-of-factly to her. ¡°Miss Carew, Mister Jeremy asked you to get in the car,¡± he said respectfully. Corinne looked at the McLaren parked not far from where she was. ¡®That car te number seems familiar¡­ It¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s car! What¡¯s he doing on the highway? Neither his office nor his home uses this highway!¡¯ She thought about his offer and then said politely, ¡°Tell him I said thanks but no thanks. I¡¯m actually waiting for my friend to pick me up.¡± Corinne knew she had no right to get into Jeremy¡¯s car because he had a wife and kid. Any woman with a good head on her shoulder would have done the same as she did. Tommy looked insistently at her and said, ¡°Miss Carew, please don¡¯t make this difficult for me. We can¡¯t stop the car for long on the highway. We¡¯ll all be at risk if you don¡¯t get into the car right now.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Is he telling me that he¡¯d have to stay with me here until I get into the car? Well, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised since Jeremy has never taken a no for an answer.¡¯ She was visibly annoyed and at a loss for what to do at the same time. After thinking through, she checked the time on her phone and saw it was close to midnight. ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s better than asking the police for help.¡¯ Chapter 513 Chapter 513 ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get into the car. Thanks for doing this though.¡± Corinne walked over to where the McLaren was parked. Tommy walked a few steps before her and respectfully opened the door for her. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. As soon as she got into the car, Corinne was enveloped in a thick haze of cigarette smoke. Jeremy was smoking in the car, and even though the car window was open, it still was not enough to make the smoke dissipate. ¡®He¡¯s smoking more than usual¡­ Seems like it was just one cigarette after another from when he was at Lunar Century Manor¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. Thinking of the baby in her tummy, Corinne was not happy about the second-hand smoke in the car, but she knew she had no right toin about it since it was not her car. What she could do was roll down her window to make the smoke dissipate faster. After doing that, she said politely, ¡°Thank you for giving me a ride, Mister Jeremy. You can just drop me off at the end of the highway and I¡¯ll take a taxi home.¡± Jeremy leanedzily against the back seat with a cigarette in his right hand. He cocked his head. to look at her and suddenly chuckled drily appeared on his mature and handsome face. Corinne was made very ufortable by the way he was staring at her. She did not even know why he suddenly chuckled like that. ¡®What¡¯s heughing about? Did I say something funny?¡¯ Corinne wondered. After a while, Jeremy asked coldly, ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°What?¡± Corinne was confused. She did not understand why Jeremy askee her that. Jeremy looked sideways at her and asked authoritatively, ¡°I¡¯m asking where you¡¯ve been this. past month.¡± Corinne blinked awkwardly at him. ¡°Nowhere in particr. Just here and there.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, took a drag of the cigarette, and blew out the smoke. His mocking tone did not fully disguise the emotion he was feeling when he said, ¡°Just here and there? Would you have covered your tracks if you were only traveling here and there? Do you really wish that much for me to not find you?¡± ¡°I did it out of habit. You know how I am with my privacy. Besides, why were you looking for me?¡± asked Corinne lightly. Jeremy nearly exploded when he saw just how nonchnt she was being. It was as if she did not care about him at all. ¡®Oh, how I wish I could strangle this heartless woman right now.¡¯ ¡°Did you seriously just ask why I was looking for you?¡± Jeremy asked with a frown. Corinne turned her head away from him and stared nkly at the passing scenery outside the window. ¡°Yeah. I mean how would 1, a nobody, ever know what the high and noble Mister Jeremy is thinking of,¡± she said sarcastically. Jeremy reached out his hand, grabbed her chin, and forcefully twisted her head to look at him. He then brushed her cheek with his long, bony fingers as though he was doing a quality check. ¡°You¡¯re thinner than before,¡± he said coldly. He could not only tell but feel it as well because every inch of her body had been imprinted in his mind. When he held her in Lunar Century Manor, he could feel her waist was tinier than before. In fact, she was nearly all skin and bones. He thought that she would gain some happy weight in the month that she was not with him. Therefore, he was surprised to see her be skinnier than before. Corinne did not like to be touched without her consent. She backed away disgustedly but still could not get out of his reach. She frowned unhappily and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, please take your hand away from me. We¡¯re not close enough for you to touch me.¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°We¡¯re not close enough? Have you forgotten that we¡¯ve even done more than this?¡± Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Jeremy¡¯s response stunned Corinne. She started to blush with embarrassment when she recalled what happened that fateful night. Jeremy¡¯s eyes softened when he saw her blushing like that. Her reaction was exactly what he had been hoping for. He wished that she would act shyly and nervously-like a girl with raging hormones- around him. After all, they had not seen each other for a month. He hated how she did not seem happy or surprised to see him. In fact, shepletely ignored his existence. ¡°Corinne Carew,¡± Jeremy called out her full name in that deep and seductive voice of his. Being called by one¡¯s full name was never a good thing in any kind of rtionship. Corinne looked warily at him. ¡°Mister Jeremy, if you have something you want to tell me, just Say it!! He pinched her chin and tilted her face up. ¡°Why are you calling me Mister Jeremy instead of just Mister?¡± Corinne thought he was acting a bit odd. She could not tell whether he was unhappy or actually flirting with her. In any case, given their new rtionship status, she thought it would be wrong for her to still call him ¡®Mister¡¯. She frowned and exined seriously, ¡°Mister Jeremy, considering our previous working agreement and the difference between our ages, it was not wrong for me to call you ¡®Mister¡¯. However, now that I¡¯m Mister Lucas¡¯ secretary and you¡¯re his friend, I should address you properly, and not casually like before.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened at the mention of Lucas. ¡°Why are you still being loyal to him when he was the one who threw you at the side of the highway? He doesn¡¯t even treat you with the respect any boss should have for his employee.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s right. I agree with him. Mister Lucas shouldn¡¯t have done that to me.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Corinne forced a smile on her face and said, ¡°Well, he¡¯s not the worst boss in the world. I just need to see this as a test. Besides, I was the one who asked him for this job, and in any case, I¡¯m good with having him as my boss as long as he pays me in a timely manner every month.¡± Jeremy was both frustrated and heartbroken at how stubborn Corinne was being. ¡®How can she still smile like that when that b*stard treated her like this?¡¯ He was initially angry at her for running away from home and also at the fact that she purposely covered her tracks to prevent him from finding her, but his anger disappeared when he saw that she was okay and unharmed. He told himself that nothing was more important than hering back safe and sound. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡®It¡¯s fine that she didn¡¯t say goodbye to me when she left the house. Don¡¯t get angry at her. Don¡¯t force her to exin. Everything¡¯s fine as long as she¡¯s okay and I have her by my side.¡¯ He also told himself that Corinne was still young and curious about the world, so it was understandable of her to want to see as much of the world as possible. ¡®It¡¯s fine as long as she knows to eventuallye back home.¡± He was silent for a good long while, trying to talk himself into not being angry at her. He would not want her to try running away; not when he had just found her. Once he felt he hadposed herself, he turned to look greedily at Corinne¡¯s delectable lips. He brushed those lips with his thumb and said, ¡°I can pay you a sry too if you want. Just say a number and I¡¯ll give it to you, so why don¡¯t youe home with me?¡± ¡®Go home with him? Is this his way of coaxing me to go home with him?¡¯ thought Corinne. She was stunned. There were so many gray areas in what he just said. ¡°Mister Jeremy, please have some self-respect for yourself. I¡¯m only selling my skills, not my body!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face immediately stiffened up. He rarely put down his pride like that and yet it seemed like the whole thing had backfired on him. ¡®Is that what she thinks of me?¡¯ He did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Money is money, Corinne. You¡¯re making it sound like Lucas¡¯ money is better than mine.¡± Corinne felt like she had been vited. ¡®How can he ask me to go home with him when he already has a wife and kid? Who does he think I am?¡¯ In her mind, him paying her to go home with him was as good as asking her to be his mistress. ¡®Huh! Look at the way he¡¯s looking at me. He¡¯s definitely thinking of doing something dirty to me,¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Corinne did not care why he was doing this. It could be his desire to control her or it could be he was looking for some excitement. It did not matter having it all pointed to him not having no respect for her, which was what she hated the most. ¡®He¡¯s so self-centered and overbearing! He thinks he only needs to crook his finger, and any woman wille running to be his mistress just because he¡¯s rich and powerful. Why, he¡¯s as delusional as ever!¡¯ thought Corinne. Thinking about all of that infuriated Corinne. She vehemently pushed away Jeremy¡¯s hand and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s right! I only want Mister Lucas¡¯ money and not yours, because your money is dirty! I don¡¯t want dirty money!¡± ¡®My money is dirty?¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. He looked at her glumly, trying to suppress his anger. He was so used to being in the driver¡¯s seat in everything, so it was inevitable he would get angry when he met a woman who would not submit to him. All of his efforts of talking himself out of his anger were gone in a second. Looking at that face which he both hated and loved, he grabbed her throat and said, ¡°Corinne Carew, I must¡¯ve been too kind to you since you seem to think I have no temper whatsoever and that I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Corinne tried to push the tightening hand away from her neck but s, she could not, not matter how hard she tried. Her face gradually turned red as she started coughing. ¡°Jeremy¡­ Holden¡­ you¡­¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡®Has he gone insane? Is he trying to kill me?¡¯ thought Corinne. She was right in the sense that Jeremy really was trying to kill her so that she would not exist. to frustrate him so much anymore. However, that feeling did notst long. He finally loosened his grip when he saw her gasping for air. ¡°Corinne, were all the things I said to you a joke to you?¡± Corinne looked at him with trembling eyes. If anything, she thought she was the joke. How could she have believed all the things he said to be true? She thought he was being sincere with her. She even believed she was the only woman he had ever loved and yet, he secretly had a kid with another woman. How foolish of her¡­ Jeremy¡¯s phone suddenly buzzed, effectively breaking the impasse they were in. Jeremy nced at the caller ID and after thinking about it for a few seconds, he finally let go of Corinne and answered the call. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked. It was too quiet inside the car to the extent that Corinne could hear Anya¡¯s speaking from the other end of the phone even without the use of a speaker. ¡°Jeremy, where are you? Joey has been throwing a tantrum and crying for you ever since you left.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you put him to bed first?¡± Jeremy asked with a frown. Anya replied helplessly, ¡°But-¡± However, Jeremy did not wait for her to finish talking and simply hung up the phone. He then impatiently threw his phone to the side. It was obvious he was annoyed at the interruption. Seeing him acting so patronizing toward Anya made Corinne lose even more respect for him. ¡®All men are the same. They only like what¡¯s new and will cast the old aside as soon as the opportunity presents itself.¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very nice of you to hang up on Miss Anya like that. She and the baby sounded like they really needed you.¡± Jeremy looked at her coldly. ¡°You can spare your lecture.¡± Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that since I have no right to interfere in your affairs. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll be hard for me to face anyone should any misunderstanding arise from me sitting in your car right now.¡± Jeremy stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°And what misunderstanding would that be?¡± Corinne¡¯s mouth twitched a little before she answered, ¡°I¡¯m worried that other people will say that I seduced a married man, or that I wouldn¡¯t let you pick up Miss Anya¡¯s call or go home to your wife and kid.¡± Jeremy frowned and stared right into her eyes. ¡°Miss Carew, it seems like you¡¯re the one who has misunderstood ¡¯cause that kid isn¡¯t¡­¡± Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Corinne¡¯s phone rang just when Jeremy was in mid-sentence. She carried her phone in her hand since her gown had no pockets. She raised up her hand and saw the caller ID to be ¡®Hubby ¡®Should I answer it? Wait a minute¡­ Hubby?!¡¯ She was visibly confused. ¡®When did I save my husband¡¯s number? No, the question should be, when did I ever get myself a husband?¡¯ ¡°Is this why you ran away from home a month ago?¡± Jeremy asked sullenly. The question pulled Corinne out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Jeremy was looking down condescendingly at her phone screen. His eyes were tinged with a kind of suppressed anger that looked as if he was about to kill someone. Corinne had never seen that kind of expression on his face before so she was understandably shocked. Jeremy smiled bloodthirstily and said sarcastically, ¡°I have it to hand it to you, Miss Carew. You¡¯ve managed to snag a new husband in just one short month!¡± Corinne was speechless. She was still reeling from the shock of it all. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to pick up the call?¡± Jeremy asked coldly. Instead of picking up the phone, Corinne hung up the phone. The only usible exnation she could think of was that Aaron was pulling a prank on her. He must have saved his own number under ¡®Hubby¡¯ without her knowledge and called her then. She did not want Jeremy to find out about her connection with Newmoon Group. That was why she did not pick up the phone. ¡®I can¡¯t let Jeremy hear Aaron¡¯s voice.¡¯ Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up the phone? Are you afraid that your new husband will find out that you¡¯re currently with your ex-husband?¡± ¡®Ex-husband?¡¯ Corinne thought it was weird that Jeremy would refer to himself as her ex-husband. His mocking tone made her very ufortable, and after thinking about it, she felt she did not owe him an exnation which was just as well since she was not in the mood to do that either. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pick up his call because we had a fight! I¡¯m not ready to forgive him just yet, ¡°said Corinne angrily. Jeremy was stunned, but he became even more sullen the next second. If Corinne had acted all lovey- dovey with the new husband, Jeremy would have thought she was putting on a show, that the husband was a fake, and that it was all a ruse to make him forget about her. However, the fact that they had a fight¡­ Well, only people who were close to each other and shared their lives together would do that, right? Therefore, that meant she really got herself a new husband. Jeremy¡¯s face immediately turned into ice as did his tone. ¡°Who is he? When did this happen?¡± Corinne cleared her throat awkwardly and answered, ¡°Mister Jeremy, who my husband is has nothing to do with you. Also, you can be rest assured that I didn¡¯t cheat on you or did anything I would be sorry about behind your back during the three months we were together. The reason I left was because our agreement came to its end. I don¡¯t owe you one second more or one second less after the three months are up.¡± Jeremy¡¯s jaw was tense with anger. He looked coldly at her and said, ¡°You think you have it all figured out now, don¡¯t you.¡± Corinne felt a little guilty at lying to him, but at the same time she could not help but use that opportunity to take revenge on him since she could still recall the hurt she felt after finding out he had lied to her too. She lifted her chin proudly and said, ¡°Why, yes I do. I¡¯m d you think that way of me.¡± They had finally exited the highway and Corinne was relieved that the horrible journey hade to an end. ¡°Thank you. Please stop the car and I¡¯ll take the taxi home from here,¡± said Corinne. However, the driver did not stop the car. Tommy pretended to not have heard her too. There was no way they would stop the car without Jeremy¡¯s orders. Corinne realized that so she turned to him and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, might I trouble you to ask the driver to stop the car?¡± Jeremy did not even spare her a nce. Instead, he only spat out two words. ¡°Your address.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡®He¡¯s asking me for my address?¡¯ Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Corinne did not want Jeremy to know where she lived so she said politely, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go through all that trouble to send me home. It¡¯s enough for you to simply drop me off at the exit, and I¡¯ll take a taxi from there.¡± Seeing that she was not going to give him her address, Jeremy simply said, ¡°Drive us back to the mansion.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy.¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s taking me back to the mansion? What¡¯s the meaning of this? Is he out of his mind? I don¡¯t want to go back to the mansion with him.¡¯ Corinne gritted her teeth. She had no choice but to tell him the name of the apartment she was staying in. ¡°Baelon Garden. That¡¯s the apartment I live in.¡± Jeremy gestured with his chin indifferently, signaling Tommy to tell the driver to change course to Baelon Garden. Tommy overheard the conversation between Jeremy and Corinne, and he felt sorry for Jeremy. ¡®Mister Jeremy has been looking all over the ce for Miss Corinne only to learn that she has a new husband. Poor him¡­ How can he ever ept that?¡± Soon, they arrived at Baelon Garden. ¡°Thank you for dropping me home. Please get home safely.¡± After saying that, Corinne immediately got out of the car and ran into her apartment building. Seeing that, Tommy was at a little loss for words. After a while, he turned around to ask Jeremy where to next but realized he had also got down from the car and was following Corinne into her apartment building. ¡®He must be going in to check out Miss Corinne¡¯s new husband¡­¡¯ Corinne got into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor she was staying at. The elevator door was about to close when arge hand suddenly stopped it, causing the elevator door to open once more. Then, Jeremy strode in calmly. Corinne was stunned to see him entering. She frowned unhappily and asked, ¡°Why are you following me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thirsty and was hoping to get something to drink at your ce. Surely you won¡¯t mind that, right?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®What makes him think I won¡¯t mind?! In fact, I mind it very much! Just what the hell is going through that man¡¯s brain?¡¯ The elevator was already going up by then, but Corinne still had not given up. ¡°Mister Jeremy, it¡¯ste, so it won¡¯t be appropriate for me to invite you back to my ce. Think of what the neighbors would say if they saw me, a single woman, and you, a single man, going in together, sowhy don¡¯t you¡­¡± Jeremy tilted his head and looked down at her with his sharp and prating eyes. ¡°Why do you sound so worried? Isn¡¯t your husband at home?¡± Corinne was once again quite speechless. She realized she had no choice but to let Jeremy into her ce because she knew that no matter what excuse she came up with, or how she turned him down, he would not take a no for an answer. That was how overbearing he could be. ¡°Please sit wherever you like, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ll make something for you to drink right away, ¡°Corinne said sulkily after they had gone in and changed into her indoor slippers. Jeremy watched Corinne go into the kitchen before turning around to go into the living room. Instead of sitting down, he looked around and examined every corner of the apartment. ¡°This floor offers an excellent night view from the balcony and theyout is quite good as well. She couldn¡¯t possibly afford to buy an apartment with this quality¡­ Not when she has just graduated. Does this mean she really has a new husband? Did they buy this house after they got married?¡¯ Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. However, he also noticed that there did not seem to be any trace of a man in that apartment. There were no photos of them together including wedding photos. There were no men¡¯s shoes in the foyer. There was nothing a man would use in the living room. Plus, the decorations were mostly geared toward single women. They did not seem like something a couple of newlyweds would have chosen. Jeremy was going over the questions in his mind when he suddenly heard a noiseing from the direction of the bedroom. ¡®Could that be the husband?¡¯ He frowned and snapped his head around. Chapter 518 Chapter 518 A fat cat came out of the bedroom at a leisurely pace. The cat thought its human hade home and wanted to rub itself against Corinne¡¯s legs. When it saw a stranger in the living room, it immediately puffed up its fur and hissed at Jeremy like a mini tiger. ¡°Hiss!¡± Jeremy looked coldly at the cat, unfazed by the cat¡¯s behavior. Corinne came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hand and she nearly burst outughing when she saw her cat trying to threaten Jeremy, though she managed to swallow back herughter. ¡°Mimi,e here. Don¡¯t be rude to our guest.¡± ¡°Meow!¡± Mimi calmed down when it heard Corinne¡¯s voice. It then adorably walked over to Corinne and rubbed itself against Corinne¡¯s leg, asking for attention. Corinne stepped over Mimi as usual and put the coffee on the table. ¡°Here you go, Mister Jeremy. I only have one kind of coffee bean at home, so please drink it even if it¡¯s not up to your taste.¡± She then turned around and stepped over Mimi again and went into her bedroom to change into something that would allow her to move more freely. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After a while, she came out dressed in her loungewear and saw Jeremy was already sitting on the sofa with the cup of coffee in his hand while Mimi kept on hissing at him from a distance. not far away. Jeremy sipped the coffee and mixed in with his dead-pan face was a little displeasure when he looked sideways at the cat. Corinne scooped up Mimi and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind Mimi. It doesn¡¯t like strangersing. into the house.¡± She then sat down with Mimi in her arms, reached for the TV remote, and turned on the TV. The silence between them would not be that awkward if there was the sound of TV. She wondered when Jeremy would finish his coffee and leave. Jeremy took another sip of the coffee and looked at her with the cat in her arms. ¡°Where¡¯s your husband?¡± Something shed across Corinne¡¯s face as she replied awkwardly, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s still at work.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°What kind of job does he have that he has to work into night?¡± Corinne frowned and nced at him from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Mister Jeremy, why don¡¯t you mind your own business?¡± Jeremy smiled coldly. ¡°I¡¯m just curious as to what kind of man would live in a house that¡¯s so¡­ pink.¡± Corinne did not know how to answer him. In fact, she became even more guiltier at lying to him. The apartment was decorated by Xante. She chose pink to be the main color, and the style was very feminine. Xante looked like she was a mature,dy boss on the surface but deep inside, she was still a young girl who loved the color pink. The furniture and decorations were mainly bought by Xante, and they were in various shades of pink. As for Aaron, while he was the respected vice president of Newmoon Group and enjoying his moment of glory in the world of business¡­ At home, he basically had no say in front of Corinne and Xante. In fact, the only room he could decorate in the style that he wanted was his own room. Anything more than that, he would get shot down by the two women. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Another thing was, guys were not typically as clean as girls, so Corinne and Xante asked Aaron to keep his personal belongings in his room in order to keep the living tidy. He was not allowed to disy his garage kit in the space they all shared, nor was he allowed to use his exercise equipment outside of his room. Other than that, he was trained to put his shoes back in the closet as soon as he got home and simrly, to put his indoor slippers back in the same closet when he went out. Did Aaron mind? Not really. He was used to it as the three of them grew up together. Jeremy became even more suspicious of Corinne when he saw that she was trying to avoid the conversation but then, suddenly, he heard the sound of someone entering the door passcode. from the outside of the room. ¡®Someone is back!¡¯ He thought with a frown and proceeded to look toward the door. Corrine knew it was definitely Aaron and it was because she knew exactly that, she became a little worried. She started rubbing Mimi¡¯s head and sighed. She thought that Jeremy would have left by the time Aaron came home but reality turned out to be different. Aaron entered the foyer, ced the food takeout on the closet, and changed into his indoor. slippers. He then raised his head and called out, ¡°Hey, bo-¡± However, he stopped there when he saw Jeremy sitting on the sofa. ¡®What the hell is going on? Hasn¡¯t the boss been trying to avoid this scumbag? Why did she bring him home?¡¯ Aaron looked at Jeremy and Jeremy looked at him. It was obvious they did not think too kindly of each other. Aaron did not dare to say anything as he did not know what was going on, so he threw a questioning look at Corinne. Corinne looked at him and massaged her throbbing temple. ¡®This is getting more and more complicated.¡¯ She did not know what to do either. Mimi jumped down from Corinne¡¯sp and went over to Aaron to rub itself against his legs in a bid for him to pick it up. Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡®This guy knows the passcode¡­ Hees and goes freely as he pleases and the cat seems to be really familiar with him¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes at Corinne and asked, ¡°Is he your husband?¡± Corinne made some sound that could both be taken as a yes and a no. She did not deny it outright as it would be hard to exin why they were living together if they were not married. However, Corinne¡¯s answer was like a shot of bullet straight into Jeremy¡¯s heart. He recognized Aaron to be the vice-president of Newmoon Group because he had dealt with him several times since he had hired Newmoon Group to do the design project for Holden Group¡¯s new building. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Jeremy remembered that Aaron had previously shown interest in Corinne. In fact, he even asked for her phone number in front of Jeremy and proceeded to call her after that. Meaning to say, they stayed in contact since then, and that was how the whole affair started. The quick-witted Aaron was able to guess the situation through Jeremy¡¯s question and the answer Corinne gave him. Thus, he walked up to Jeremy, smiled cordially, and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mister Jeremy. You should¡¯ve let me know you were going toe over. I would¡¯ve had more time to prepare some food and drinks for you.¡± Jeremy-still seated on the sofa-raised his eyes to look at him. He did not beat around the bush as he got straight to the crux of the matter. ¡°When did the two of you start going out?¡± Aaron was very clever. He deliberately walked over to Corinne and put his arm intimately around her shoulders. ¡°Oh, it was a whirlwind romance. It happened less than a month ago. We haven¡¯t had a wedding yet but it¡¯s just a matter of it being sooner orter. Hey, I know, I¡¯ll send you the wedding invitation. You muste to our wedding, Mister Jeremy.¡± No one could tell what Jeremy felt because there was nary a hint of emotion on his face. Instead, he simply got up wordlessly. ¡°Leaving so soon, Mister Jeremy? By the way, thanks for giving Corinne a ride home. It¡¯s gettingte so I won¡¯t ask you to stay, but we¡¯ll definitely treat you to a meal someday. I hope you won¡¯t turn us down then,¡± said Aaron with a smile. Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Jeremy looked at Aaron, who was smiling enthusiastically, and then at Corinne, who was just letting Aaron put his arm around her with eyes filled with bloodthirst. Suddenly, he smiled and said, ¡°Very well then.¡± Jeremy then walked around the coffee table to bypass Corinne and Aaron and strode out the apartment door. Once the door closed with a loud bang, Corinne finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, at the same time, there was also an indescribable sense of suffocation still lingering inside of her. Corinne could not help but shudder when she recalled the cold smile Jeremy gave her before he left. Then, there was his deep, dark eyes¡­ They looked as though something had broken. inside of them. ¡®What¡¯s going on with him? Why did he give me such a look before he left?¡¯ she wondered. She was still trying toe up with the answers to her own questions when Aaron asked her curiously, ¡°Boss, what was going on just now? How does that scumbag Jeremy know where we live?¡± Corinne leanedzily against the sofa. She could finally let her guard down. Instead of answering Aaron¡¯s question, she asked, ¡°Where did you go? Why didn¡¯t you pick up my call?¡± Aaron went to get the food takeout he had left on top of the closet. ¡°I went to get supper for you. I didn¡¯t pick up your call because I left my phone in the car and when I called you back, you didn¡¯t pick up either.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At the mention of that, Corinne suddenly frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°Aaron, why did you change your name in my phone to ¡®Hubby¡±?¡± Aaron was confused. ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you then who else could it be?¡± Corinne asked with a frown. Speak of the devil. At that very moment, Corinne¡¯s phone started ringing and the caller ID showed the name ¡® Hubby¡¯ again. Corinne looked down on the phone in her hand and then looked up at Aaron, who had not even touched his phone since he came home moments ago. ¡®It really isn¡¯t him. Who is it then?¡¯ She answered the phone and said tentatively, ¡°Hello?¡± Immediately, Jason¡¯sughter came from the other side of the phone. ¡°Corinne, have you reached home?¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s mouth started twitching. ¡°So it¡¯s you, Jason!¡± She finally remembered that she gave him her phone to save his number when they bumped into each other in the gallery in Thssa that day. He kept on needling her to give him her number and in the end, she caved. However, she was so busy eating that she did not think twice about giving him her phone. After that, he never called her, so it was not until what happened in the car did she realize what he had done. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s shameless enough to save his own number under ¡®Hubby¡¯ in my phone!¡¯ ¡°Wow, Corinne. You sound really excited to hear from me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really done it this time, Jason!¡± ¡°What? What did I do to make you so angry?¡± ¡°Oh, drop the act! Have you forgotten what you saved your phone number under in my phone? Jason burst out in another round ofughter. ¡°Oh, that! Well, I just thought I should save it under ¡®Hubby¡¯ because you¡¯re going to be my wife sooner orter.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re delusional!¡± ¡°Corinne, are you free to grab a bite with me tomorrow?¡± ¡°No!¡± Corinne then hung up the phone angrily. Jason had spoiled her mood, so after eating the supper Aaron brought home, she took a quick shower and went to sleep. She was unbelievably exhausted¡­ Both in body and mind. The next morning, Lucas came out of the elevator in the Rivera Group with Edmund following close behind him. Chapter 521 Chapter 521 It was not working hours yet so the staff did not arrive. However, someone was already working at the president¡¯s secretary¡¯s desk. Corinne immediately got up and bowed respectfully toward Lucas when she saw himing in. ¡°Good morning, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas paused in his tracks and looked her up and down. ¡°You don¡¯t look the worse for the wear so you must have gotten out alright fromst night¡¯s predicament. Your grit ismendable, Miss Carew.¡± Corinne maintained a smile on her face. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Mister Lucas.¡± Not wanting to see her a moment longer, Lucas then went into his own office. Edmund, however, stayed behind and said quietly, ¡°Ahem, Miss Carew. I hope nothing bad happened to youst night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. Nothing bad happened,¡± said Corinne lightly. ¡°d to hear that.¡± Edmund sighed with pity for Corinne. Last night, Anya cried the whole time because she saw Jeremy holding Corinne in his arms. She could not ept the fact that she might lose him soon. Lucas spent the whole night trying to console her, so he did not sleep a wink which exined his sour mood today. ¡®I don¡¯t me Mister Lucas for not liking Miss Carew since she seems to be the biggest obstacle in Mister Jeremy¡¯s and Miss Anya¡¯s rtionship.¡¯ Anya was the apple of Lucas¡¯s eye so he could never bear to see her being sad and yet that Corinne. For the entire morning, Lucas did not call Corinne into his office nor did he give her any word to do. However, he did ask Edmund to go in a few times. Even his coffee was brought in by Edmund. It was obvious Lucas did not want to see Corinne today and knowing this, she did not go into his office. Instead, she spent the whole morning organizing the files on her phone and ying card games on her computer after that. Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on her desk all of a sudden. Corinne looked up from herputer and was immediately greeted by the dashing face of Jason smiling down at her. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re hard at work.¡± Jason¡¯s presence just brought back into mind all the repercussions that followed after he saved his number under ¡®Hubby¡¯ so she was understandably not that happy to see him. However, she was still at work and had to abide by her professionalism. She got up, smiled cordially at Jason, and said, ¡°Mister Jason, are you here to see Mister Lucas? Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯re here.¡± She then picked up the office phone and dialed Lucas¡¯s office number. Seeing this, Jason immediately pressed the switch hook to prevent the call from going through. ¡°I¡¯m here to see you today.¡± Gone was the professional smile on Corinne¡¯s face and in its ce was an unhappy frown. ¡°You¡¯re here to see me? Well, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re just wasting your time since I¡¯m still working.¡± Jason smiled and said mysteriously, ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be doing that in just a few minutes.¡± He then turned around and went into Lucas¡¯s office. Corinne frowned, wanting to stop him but the door closed before she could do that. ¡®How rude of him. I haven¡¯t even informed Mister Lucas of his arrival. Mister Lucas will hold this over my headter.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. As expected, she was called into the office by Lucas not long after Jason went in. Corinne knew that she made a mistake again, so she brewed two cups of coffee and brought them into the office, thinking Lucas would not be as angry if he had some coffee to drink. She ced each cup of coffee in front of Lucas and Jason before walking over to the side and said dutifully, ¡°Mister Lucas, you¡¯ve asked me toe into your office?¡± Lucas looked at her, picked up the cup of coffee, and took a sip of it. After that, he said unhurriedly, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯ve been officially promoted to be the manager of the sales department from now and your main task is to liaise with Talbot Group in whatever business. we have with them. I hope you use this opportunity to learn from Mister Jason on how to do business.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡®What? Is this happening? I haven¡¯t even done anything in thispany and he¡¯s promoting me to the sales manager?¡¯ Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Corinne asked Lucas why she was suddenly being promoted and he only paid her lip service, saying that with her skills and experiences, she was overqualified to be only working as a secretary. ¡®What kind of half *ss reason is that?¡¯ She instinctively looked at the smiling Jason and thought, ¡®He has something to do with this.¡± Aftering out of Lucas¡¯s office, Edmund brought her to the new office she would be working in from there onwards. He even arranged for somebody to redecorate the office. ¡°Miss Carew, feel free toe to me if you want to change anything in your office. We can redecorate it to any style you like,¡± said Edmund before leaving Corinne alone in her new office. Even Edmund¡¯s attitude toward her changed! Corinne found the whole thing surreal. ¡°Thank you but I¡¯m good for the moment.¡± She sat down on the chair and it was most definitely morefortable than the chair she had when she was just a secretary. However, it would not be convenient for her to look into her mother¡¯s matter if she did not have the chance to get close to Lucas. Knock! Knock! Jason knocked on her door and gracefully walked in. ¡°How do you like your new office?¡± Corinne was indifferent to the whole thing. She did note to Rivera Group to get promoted! ¡°Jason Talbot, just what the hell did you say to Mister Lucas for him to promote me so suddenly?¡± Jason pulled out the chair that was directly across Corinne¡¯s and sat down. He smiled. flirtatiously at her and said, ¡°I told him I¡¯m trying to make you like me so would he be so kind as to promote you for my sake.¡± Unmoved, Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Stop joking and be serious!¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I am being serious! I want you to be my girlfriend!¡± Corinne always knew Jason liked flirting with her so she was immune to his advances. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°What I mean is, what did you tell Mister Lucas to make him promote me? Tell me the truth!¡± Jason¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°I know Lucas the best and I can tell he doesn¡¯t like you. You¡¯ll suffer if you continue to work under him so I told him that you¡¯re going to be my girlfriend in the future and I don¡¯t want my girlfriend to be working as a coffee girl in Rivera Group. Then I asked him to give you a cushier job.¡± Corinne looked at him as if he was nothing but a nuisance. ¡°Jason Talbot, has anyone ever told you just how shameless you are?¡± Jason beamed a dashing smile at her. ¡°Nope. You¡¯re the first.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡°I¡¯ve never treated any other woman like how I treat you.¡± ¡°Haha. That¡¯s what all guys say to the girls that want to get into their beds.¡± Jason was not in a hurry to prove himself so he said, ¡°Time tells. You¡¯ll eventuallye to know that I only ever feel like this toward you.¡± Corinne paid no mind to his feelings and instead asked, ¡°So Mister Lucas agreed to promote me just like that?¡± ¡°Of course not. You know that Lucas is a sly old fox. He only does something if it¡¯s going to benefit him and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s immune to matters of love.¡± ¡°Then how did you get him to promote me?¡± ¡°I told him that his precious little sister would have her biggest threat removed if I can get you to be my girlfriend. Think of how much easier his life would be then and after thinking about it for a few seconds, he finally agreed. Clever of me to use his biggest weakness against him huh?¡± Corinne frowned and asked, ¡°How am I Miss Anya¡¯s biggest threat?¡± Jason looked straight into her eyes and asked, ¡°You have no idea why?¡± Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°Not really,¡± replied Corinne. ¡°Because Anya loves Jeremy more than life itself. She could not and would not live without him. Your existence, however, made Jeremy question the importance of having Anya in his life. Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh please, they already have a kid together so how can I still be at threat to their rtionship? You guys are overthinking about this. Besides, it¡¯s not like Mister Jeremy is the only fish in the sea, and no matter how desperate I am for a man, I would never be a homewrecker!! Jason looked at her in shock, which Corinne noticed, so she asked him, ¡°What? Why are you. looking at me like that?¡± That snapped him out of his shock. He then smiled and said, ¡°No reason. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you around thepany¡¯s shopping mall and then we can have lunch together.¡± ¡°No, thank you. I still have work to do.¡± Jason rapped his knuckles on the table and said, ¡°This is one of your jobs. Many of yourpany¡¯s products are sold in the Talbot¡¯s Department Stores and since you¡¯re the sales manager now, you should do your best to understand the market! I have already informed Lucas that you¡¯re going out with me to do market research this afternoon.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne was speechless. At Talbot¡¯s Department Store. Jason pointed to the row of snacks on the shelf and said, ¡°Look, Corinne, all these products are manufactured by Rivera Group and they¡¯ve been selling like hotcakes in our department store.¡± Corinne looked at the assortments of snacks with a surprised expression on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Rivera Group produces food items too.¡± ¡°Yeah, and they¡¯re delicious but they¡¯re not the main focus of thepany ¡¯cause the profit margin is kinda low. Understandably, you don¡¯t know this since you¡¯ve just entered thepany. Lucas has a special fondness for the snacks manufactured under hispany ¡¯cause Anya has always loved those snacks so Lucas made sure the snacks are well-made.¡± As he was saying that, Jason picked up a shopping basket and threw some of the snacks in before opening a bag of cookies for Corinne to try. ¡°This is one of the ssic sandwich cookies by Rivera Group. Do you want to try?¡± Corinne epted the cookie and her eyes shrank to pinpoint size with just one bite. ¡®This taste, it¡¯s so familiar.¡¯ She felt like an electric shock coursed through all the nerves in her brain and at the same time various images came rushing into her mind but they disappeared as soon as they appeared, causing her to frown. ¡®My head hurts.¡¯ Jason noticed her frowning and looked worriedly at her. ¡°Corinne, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne snapped out of her trance and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just thought this cookie tastes familiar.¡± ¡°Oh. Must be because you ate this before. It¡¯s our best-selling cookie after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Corinne said after thinking about it. The two of them continued to make their way through the department store when suddenly a soft voice came from behind them. ¡°Corinne?¡± Corinne did not even have to turn around to know that it was Anya calling her. ¡®Oh my god, I don¡¯t want to deal with that drama queen today,¡¯ she thought with annoyance. She turned around and saw Anya carrying Joey in her arms while Jeremy stoodnguidly beside them with both of his hands in his pockets. There was no hint of emotions on his handsome face. It was the picture-perfect image of a family of three Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Anya looked happy. She walked up to Corinne and said, ¡°Corinne, what a coincidence to see you here too!¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you can say that,¡± said Corinne indifferently. Anya turned her attention toward Jason hand who still was holding the shopping basket in his and smiled coyly, ¡°Jason, what are you doing here with Corinne?¡± Jason beamed a smile back at her and said, ¡°Corinne has just been promoted to be the sales manager in Rivera Group today. Meaning to say she¡¯ll be in charge of all the products that thepany supplies to Talbot¡¯s so I brought her here to get herself familiarized with the market.¡± Corinne was relieved that Jason told her the truth instead of giving her an answer that could. be taken the wrong way. ¡®Okay, so he does know how to rein it in when there are other people present.¡¯ Anya blinked in astonishment. ¡°Congrattions on the promotion, Corinne!¡± Corinne knew Anya did not mean that so she simply smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Jeremy and I were just browsing through the baby section but didn¡¯t find what we were looking for so now we¡¯re going for lunch. Have the two of you had lunch yet? If not, do you want to join us?¡± Anya then looked at Jeremy and tilted her head innocently. ¡°Is that okay, Jeremy?¡± ¡°Whatever you like,¡± said Jeremy indifferently and without a hint of emotion on his handsome face. Anya smiled as if she was the luckiest woman in the world to have Jeremy before continuing to speak to Corinne in the same enthusiastic tone as before. ¡°Jason, Corinne, let¡¯s go! Jeremy will treat us to lunch.¡± Jason was happy to go to lunch with them but he knew not to make the decision himself. Instead, he looked at Corinne and respectfully asked for her wishes, ¡°How about it, Corinne?¡± Corinne was not interested in having lunch with Anya. Besides, her experiences told her that nothing good would evere out of hanging out with Anya. ¡°Mister Jason, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to bring me here. Unfortunately, I still have some work to do in the office so I¡¯ll head off first but you should stay and have lunch with your friends.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. After bidding farewell to the other two people, she then turned and left. Jason did not want to force her so he was about to leave with her too when Anya ¨C still with Joey in her arms ¨C ran up and stood in front of Corinne. ¡°Corinne, you haven¡¯t had your lunch, right? That won¡¯t do. You can always work after having your lunch. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let Lucas know you¡¯ll go back to the office a bitte ¡¯cause you¡¯re having lunch with me. That way he¡¯ll let the whole thing slide.¡± ¡°Thank you but I prefer eating at thepany¡¯s cafeteria.¡± Anya immediately became crestfallen at Corinne¡¯s insistence to leave. ¡°Corinne, why does it feel like you don¡¯t want to have lunch with me? Do you hate me because of all the misunderstandings we had between us before?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow at her. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this, Miss Anya. I¡¯m just in the mood for something lighter today and don¡¯t want to spoil everyone¡¯s appetite because of that.¡± An innocent smile immediately appeared on Anya¡¯s face when she heard Corinne¡¯s exnation. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great then! Joey is in the mood for something lighter too. We were nning to go to a sushi restaurant and they have lots of sd rolls so let¡¯s go together!¡± Corinne smiled coldly at Anya. She knew the reason Anya insisted on her going with them was because she wanted to show off their happy family of three to her. ¡°This drama queen knows how to pick her audience. Looks like she¡¯s not going to give up until I agree to go have lunch with them.¡¯ Corinne was tired of her nagging so she finally said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go to lunch with you all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Corinne! I knew you¡¯re not one to let what happened in the past affect our friendship now!¡± said Anya happily. Chapter 525 Chapter 525 ¡®Huh?!¡¯ Corinne scoffed inwardly. At the sushi restaurant, Cherry Blossom. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Anya first ced Joey in the baby highchair before passing Corinne the menu and saying warmly, ¡°Corinne, order whatever you want from the menu. There¡¯s no need to be shy around us, okay?¡± Corinne waved her hand and did not take the menu. Jason smiled and took the menu from Anya¡¯s hand and put it between himself and Corinne. ¡°Thank you, Anya. Corinne and I will share a menu, Corinne, what do you want to have?¡± Anya smiled and asked coyly, ¡°Jason, you¡¯re so nice to Corinne. Could it be?¡± ¡°Oh, so you can tell too!¡± said Jason with an equally coy smile. The corners of Corinne¡¯s mouth began to twitch. ¡®And here I thought he knew how to rein it in. Well, it didn¡¯t take long for him to show his true colors.¡¯ While she was looking at the menu, Corinne could feel someone giving her the death stare from across the table and this made her extremely ufortable. The stare seemed to have.e out from eyes so cold that one would be instantly frozen if one was to meet those. eyes. ¡°Jeremy, what do you want to have?¡± Anya, with the menu in her hands, turned to ask Jeremy, only to see him staring at Corinne. Her eyes immediately dimmed but she quickly put on a ¡°happy¡± smile again and repeated her question one more time, ¡°Jeremy, what do you want to have? I¡¯ll help you order it!¡± Jeremy pulled his eyes away from Corinne and replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll have anything you order.¡± Anya smiled sweetly. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll order your usual.¡± That simple little sentence, spoken so casually, revealed just how much she understood Jeremy¡¯s likes and dislikes and at the same time let everyone know just how close they were to each other. Corinne ordered two sd rolls and pushed the menu toward Jason, who ordered another two cold side dishes before gracefully giving back the menu to the waiter. There were not many customers in the restaurant so their food arrived very fast. ¡®Didn¡¯t Anya say her son wanted something lighter? Why did she order fried food for him then?¡¯ thought Corinne. She immediately felt vomit rising to her throat when she smelled the greasy food. Lately, she could not handle the smell of fried food and the hardest thing to control was pregnancy sickness. She turned her face away from everyone and started retching. After patting herself on the chest, she could finally feel the vomit going down again. She then turned around and realized Jason, Jeremy, and Anya were all looking at her weirdly. Corinne cleared her throat, pulled out a piece of tissue, and calmly wiped her mouth with it. Sorry about that. My tummy hasn¡¯t been feeling well these few days so I can¡¯t stand the smell of oil.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, picked up his ss of water, and took a sip of it. As if suspecting her words, his eyes began to darken with focus as he tried to capture every little expression of her face like the all- seeing eye of god. Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Anya hurriedly put on an expression that showed she suddenly realized that she made a mistake. ¡°Sorry, Corinne! I forgot you wanted to have something lighter. It was my mistake to order so much fried food. Waiter! Take all of these fried foods away. My friend here doesn¡¯t like it!¡± Corinne smiled mockingly at Anya¡¯s hypocrisy and waved her hand at the waiter, signaling him to not bother. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You all can eat it since the food is already here. It won¡¯t be good to waste it.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°But,¡± Anya said anxiously. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine. We can just do this.¡± Jason pushed the te of fried food away from Corinne before picking up and putting the cold side dish in front of her. ¡°Here, Corinne, try this. It¡¯s light and refreshing. You¡¯ll have more appetite after eating this.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Corinne nodded and grabbed some of the cold side dishes. However, before the food even got close to her mouth, she immediately covered her mouth and stood up because she felt like throwing up again. ¡°Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom.¡± She hurriedly went to the restroom, leaving the three of them to wonder just what the h*11 was going on with her as they watched her leave. Corinne felt better after she threw up in the toilet. She came out of the toilet, washed her hand in the sink, rinsed her mouth, and finally sshed her face with some water. As soon as she raised her head, she saw Anya standing behind her and glowering at her like a vengeful spirit from the mirror. She stared back at her before straightening herself up. Then she pulled a piece of tissue and slowly wiped her face with it. ¡°Can I help you, Miss Anya?¡± The smile on Anya¡¯s face was stiff and eerie. ¡°Corinne, are you sick, or is there another reason why you¡¯re throwing up?¡± Corinne smiled back at her. ¡°Miss Anya, why are you so interested in my health?¡± Seeing that Corinne did not answer her directly, Anya moved closer to her, and gone was her usual smile. Instead, her angelic little face was riddled with viciousness and aggressiveness. ¡°Corinne, are you pregnant?¡± A hint of panic appeared momentarily on Corinne¡¯s face before she smiled again. Then she turned around to face Anya. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that I am?¡± rm began to fill Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡°I warn you, Corinne. You better not use that kind of tactic to steal Jeremy away from me again! That¡¯ll be despicable of you!¡± Chuckling, Corinne crumpled the tissue in her hand into a ball and threw it into the trash can beside her. ¡°Miss Anya, I could say the same to you. Aren¡¯t you doing just that? You gave birth to a child so that he had no choice but to marry you. You should save the despicable for yourself.¡± Anya¡¯s face turned red with anger. Shepletely dropped her facade of an innocent girl. ¡°Why you! Don¡¯t get too full of yourself, Corinne! Even if you¡¯re pregnant, I can guarantee you¡¯ll lose the baby in that cold, cold womb of yours!¡± she said between gritted teeth. Corinne was amused by her words. She slowly walked up to her and said, ¡°Oh really? And how can you guarantee that?¡± Anya knew she would lose in a fight against Corinne since thetter knew some fighting moves so she did not dare to lift a finger against her. Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Afraid that Corinne was going to do something to her, Anya slowly backed away. ¡°I have Lucas! And he¡¯s willing to do anything for me. He¡¯ll never let a shameless woman like you give birth to Jeremy¡¯s kid ¡¯cause he knows how sad I¡¯ll be if Jeremy leaves me again! Corinne, you should know very well that even if I can¡¯t win against you, my brother will help me get rid of you!¡± Corinne forced Anya to the back of the wall before lifting her fake little face with her fingers. ¡°Tsk! How can such vicious wordse out of such an angelic little face? I wonder what your beloved brother would think if he was to see you like this.¡± Even though Corinne had the upper hand, Anya still managed to retain some sort of boldness. as she snorted confidently. ¡°Hah! Why don¡¯t you go and tell him and see if he¡¯ll believe you! In fact, not only would he not believe you but it¡¯d just make him dislike you even more and he¡¯ll make your life more difficult just to avenge me. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was in total agreement with her words. ¡°Yes, your brother certainly spoils you a lot. It¡¯s such a shame you¡¯re not a good sister since you keep on making trouble for him.¡± Anya smiled arrogantly. ¡°What? Are you jealous of me? Well, it¡¯s pointless of you to do that because let me tell you something, Corinne. You¡¯ll never have a brother or a family who loves you as much as my brother does to me! I won the lottery of birth and this is something you can¡¯t ever change!¡± Corinne looked at the smug Anya in front of her, thinking that she shared the same father as her. Meaning to say, the same blood ran inside their veins but Anya¡¯s family was only Anya¡¯s family and not hers. It was like fate was h*llbent on ying a cruel joke on her. She scoffed disdainfully and said, Yes, you¡¯re right. You have indeed won the lottery of birth. How can I everpete with you? And yet, why does it seem like you keep viewing me as a threat to you, Miss Anya?¡± Corinne¡¯s words hit too close to home. ¡°I just ¡°began Anya. However, Corinne did not want to listen to her bullsh*t anymore so she let her chin. go. That¡¯s enough. Stop making excuses for yourself. You should go tend to your kid instead of spouting nonsense here. He might even be crying for you now.¡± Anya remained standing where she was, ring at Corinne¡¯s tummy. Corinne knew what she was thinking about so she said casually, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if I¡¯m pregnant, it has nothing to do with Jeremy.¡± Anya frowned in rm. ¡°So you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Take a guess.¡± She deliberately gave an ambiguous answer to make Anya go crazy with guessing. Besides, Anya would never believe her if she was to tell her she was not pregnant. It might even make her more suspicious. Corinne was not worried since no matter what Anya guessed, she would never tell Jeremy of her suspicions. ¡®What a cunning b*tch! How am I supposed to guess like this?¡¯ thought Anya. She was not going to let Corinne get the better of her so she said mockingly, ¡°Corinne, you should be ashamed of yourself for changing your mind so quickly. You tried to seduce Lucas after failing to get Jeremy and when you failed to get Lucas, you changed your target to Jason. Why don¡¯t you guess as to what Jeremy thinks of you now.¡± Corinne found what she said amusingly. ¡°What he thinks of me? Well, he can think about me however he wants. You make it sound as if I should care about that.¡± ¡°Well, what you said better be true!¡± said Anya with a scoff. Then a sudden thought urred. to her. She lifted her chin and said, ¡°By the way, I have good news to tell you.¡± She then took out a piece of folded paper from her pocket and opened it up for Corinne to see. I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re pregnant but what I can tell you is, I am pregnant! Jeremy said it¡¯ll be great if this baby is a girl.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes froze slightly when she saw the pregnancy test report with the words ¡®First trimester 40 days pregnant¡¯ and an image of an ultrasound below it. Chapter 528 Chapter 528 ¡®Forty days ago! That¡¯s about the time Jeremy went on that business trip of his. Meaning to say, he was actually with Anya and their kid! I guess him calling me every day to make sure I eat, sleep, and miss him didn¡¯t stop him from having the time to make another kid with Anya!¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne suddenly felt like something was stuck in her throat, making her want to throw up. Previously, it was a biological response but now it was an emotional response. She mentally berated herself for ever trusting Jeremy¡¯s words. For a moment there, she was looking forward to himing back so that the two of them could live happily ever after. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡®He lied straight to my face and like a fool I took it in hook, line, and sinker! What a devious. man he is!¡¯ thought Corinne and even though all those were going on in her mind, she still managed to maintain a calm facade on her face. ¡®Oh well, who of us hasn¡¯t been. young and stupidly in love before? It¡¯s all in the past now.¡¯ After giving herself that pep talk, Corinne smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions to both of you. For your sake, I hope it¡¯s a girl.¡± Anya rubbed her belly proudly as happiness filled her face to the point of overflowing.¡± Corinne, you should know that Jeremy will only admit the kid in my belly as his, whereas if you¡¯re pregnant. Well, that kid would only end up as a b*stard. Can you bear to see your kid being called a b*stard all his life?¡± Instead of being angry, Corinne chuckled. Miss Anya, I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s pitiful here since you¡¯re already given Jeremy two kids but he still hasn¡¯t made you his wife yet.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Anya¡¯s previously smug face immediately turned as ck as thunder. She thought that Corinne would be saddened to see her pregnancy report, but not only did she not seem surprised but she was happily smiling at her. ¡°Mark my words, Corinne Carew. This isn¡¯t over yet!¡± said Anya between gritted teeth before turning around and leaving. She knew she waspletely beaten by Corinne this round. Corinne scoffed, not taking her threat to heart. She knew Anya¡¯s only mission in life is to live for Jeremy and would do anything to keep him by her side to the extent of making false enemies out of Corinne. She was not going to waste any more time on that kind of woman. Suddenly, she rushed to the toilet to throw up again because she was still feeling sick to the stomach. After that, rinsed her mouth and sshed water on her face once more before leaving the restroom. As soon as she came out, she saw a tall,nky figure leaning against the wall with a cigarette between his fingers. ¡®It¡¯s Jeremy! And he¡¯s smoking again! Would it kill him to stop smoking for a second?¡¯ thought Corinne. She ignored him and walked past him without looking at him to go back to her table. ¡°Whose is it?¡± asked Jeremy coldly when she was walking past him. The question was mixed in with a little whiff of cigarette smell. Stunned, Corinne paused in her tracks. She looked sideways at him and asked casually, ¡°Huh? Are you talking to me, Mister Jeremy?¡± Jeremy looked at her. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone else other than you and me here.¡± Corinne pretended to look all around her and said exaggeratedly, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right! What was your question again?¡± ¡°Spare me the act. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you couldn¡¯t possibly think I¡¯m pregnant too, do you? Did you know Miss Anya asked me the same question just now?¡± Jeremy looked into her cunning eyes. There was an unmistakable murderous glint in his eyes. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not pregnant?¡± Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Corinneughed long and hard before looking at him and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, what happened that night was an unfortunate emergency. It wasn¡¯t like we did it because we love each other. Besides, do you think that I¡¯ll get pregnant because of that one time? Why, I might as well buy the lottery with that kind of luck!¡± Jeremy¡¯s suspicious eyes remained fixed on her for a good long while. Seeing that she did not. feel guilty or nervous, he slowly puffed out some smoke, and the suspicion in his eyes dissipated although notpletely along with the smoke into the air. After a few more seconds of silence, he asked again, ¡°Where¡¯s your husband?¡± Corinne was stunned. Shepletely forgot she had a husband. She blinked awkwardly and replied, ¡°He¡¯s, he¡¯s at work, of course!¡± Silence again. ¡°Is Jason pursuing you?¡± Corinne was once again stunned by his question. She did not expect the conversation to veer so quickly to the topic of Jason. What could she say? Jason was indeed pursuing her, and if she denied it, it would make it seem like she was hiding something, Thus, Corinne simply nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Jeremy chuckled drily. ¡°You already have a husband so how can you ept another man¡¯s feelings?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡®ept?¡¯ Corinne frowned. ¡®Is he blind? When did I ever ept Jason¡¯s feelings?¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s insinuation pissed Corinne off so she thought she would y with him a little. ¡°What are you? The love police? I can do whatever I want!¡± Jeremy looked coldly and mockingly at her. ¡°Foolish of me to not see just how ambitious you are to climb the socialdder. You¡¯re always on to the next target huh?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Foolish of me, too, to not realize just how much of a two-timing sc* mbag he is! Why, he even had the time to have a second kid with Anya while keeping me wrapped around his fingers!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s not all for I¡¯ve vowed to give every man a part of me! And there¡¯s nothing you, Mister Jeremy, can do about it!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Corinne, stop being a sl*t!¡± That pissed her off even more so she smiled provocatively and said, ¡°Are you jealous? Do you want me to give you a part of me too?¡± Jeremy red at her but Corinne was unfazed by his anger since she did not n to ever go back to him again. Chuckling, she walked up to him, stood on tiptoe, and whispered gallingly, ¡°Sorry but you¡¯re a little too old for me since you¡¯re pushing thirty. I have no interest in older men, you know, with the generational gap and all.¡± She then plucked the half-smoked cigarette from his fingers and stubbed it out in the ashtray. ¡°You should smoke less ¡¯cause it¡¯s not good for your skin. It makes you look older than you are. Jeremy¡¯s face immediately darkened as his veins looked as if they were about to pop. ¡®So I¡¯m too old for her? Is that why she ran away with another man? That Aaron looks to be the same age as her. Even if he¡¯s older, it¡¯ll only be by a couple of years so there won¡¯t be any generational gap to speak of/¡¯ Her revenge served, Corinne immediately turned around and ignored him. Jeremy remained standing where he was. He fixed his gaze on Corinne¡¯s retreating figure and watched as she threw his cigarette into a trash can before going back to the private dining room as though nothing out of the ordinary happened just moments ago. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡®Did she throw up because she was sick?¡± Jeremy fished out his phone and called Tommy. ¡°Find out if Corinne went to any OB-GYN specialist recently,¡± he ordered coldly. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Jason was nowhere to be seen by the time Corinne got back to the private dining room. She had no idea where he went and since Jeremy did not get back, there was only Anya, who was feeding Joey some soupy rice. They did not have a very good conversation in the restroom. The falling out caused them to shed all pretense of cordiality. Since there was no one else in the room, Anya simply threw at cold nce at Corinne before going back to feeding Joey. Corinne sat down on her seat, picked up a fork with one hand, and took out her phone with another to send a text to Aaron. Suddenly, Anya pressed the bell to summon the waiter to bring in more soup for her. Corinne did not pay too much attention to her behavior as she was too busy replying to the on her phone. messages After a while, a waiter dressed in the restaurant¡¯s uniform came in with a bowl of soup. ¡°Here¡¯s the soup you ordered, ma¡¯am. Please enjoy.¡± The waiter then walked up to Anna when suddenly he tripped and the bowl immediately flew toward where Joey was sitting. It was at that moment Corinne looked up and saw what was going to happen. She quickly got up and tried her best to catch the bowl of soup but she was toote. In the end, the bowl of soup sshed all over the baby highchair and Joey¡¯s face, who immediately broke out in tears as the hot soup dripped down his face. The waiter started panicking and his first instinct was to get the hell out of there, which was exactly what he did. ¡°Stop right there!¡± shouted Corinne. However, the waiter did not stop nor did she try to stop him since it was more important to check on Joey. The waiter could wait after all that was settled. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne put the bowl somewhere else and asked Anya worriedly, ¡°Is he okay? How badly burned is he?¡± Anya did not answer her and Joey kept crying and crying. Corinne noticed Joey¡¯s left eye was starting to swell up. ¡°This can¡¯t be good.¡± Worrying about him, she wanted to take a closer look at Joey¡¯s eye but Anya suddenly pushed her away. ¡°Corinne, what the h*ll do you think you¡¯re doing? Stop hurting my child this instance!¡± Corinne was stunned. She looked at Anya with a disbelief frown on her face. ¡®Why is she saying that when her kid is hurt?¡± The next second, Anya started sobbing uncontrobly. She looked past Corinne and shouted tearfully, ¡°Jeremy, look what happened to Joey!¡± It suddenly dawned on Corinne why Anya was acting like that. She turned around and, sure enough, Jeremy was standing at the door. Jeremy quickly walked over to Joey and saw arge blister forming on his left eye. ¡°What happened,¡± he asked angrily. Anya was still sobbing uncontrobly. However, she still managed to speak clearly, ¡°The waiter was bringing in some soup for me just now when Corinne suddenly snatched the bowl from the waiter¡¯s hand and threw it at Joey¡¯s face!¡± Corinne was mystified and speechless at the same time. Jeremy immediately looked at Corinne with eyes filled with mixed feelings. Anya looked like she was about to have a meltdown. ¡°Corinne, you can take your anger out on me if you¡¯re not happy with me! How can you do something like this to a kid who¡¯s not even one year old yet!¡± Chapter 531 Chapter 531 It had not been a few days since thest simr incident happened and now Corinne had to go through it again? She looked contemptuously at Anya, hating her with every fiber of her being. ¡°There¡¯s no limit to how shameless this woman can be! How can she still think of herself when her child is hurt!¡¯ Although she did not like Anya, it did not mean she would pass on that hate to her innocent child. ¡°That poor kid must be in a lot of pain/ He probably doesn¡¯t understand why it¡¯s hurting so much either.¡¯ Instead of calling out on Anya¡¯s lies, Corinne quickly called for an ambnce. After giving the operator the address, she hung up the phone, and only then did she say, ¡°The waiter was the one who identally tripped, causing the soup to ssh all over your kid. I tried to catch the bowl but I was too late. After that, the waiter legged out of the room ¡¯cause he was afraid of what was going to happen to him.¡± that Anya looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Corinne, how can you lie like that? I saw with my own eyes you snatched the bowl from the waiter¡¯s hand and threw it across the room at Joey. That waiter being falsely used by you! You¡¯ve crossed the line this time!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. poor Corinne was getting more and more annoyed at Anya¡¯s hypocrisy so she coldly said, ¡°Miss Anya, why don¡¯t you tend to Joey first? He¡¯s crying out in pain, for god¡¯s sake.¡± Anya¡¯s face stiffened before breaking out in another uncontroble sob. ¡°Are you using me of not caring about my son? How can you stand there and pretend to be worried about him when you were the one who caused him to be like this? Is this how you repay my kindness for inviting you to lunch? I can¡¯t believe I used to think you were a nice person.¡± Corinne was tired of Anya¡¯s acting so she simply ignored her. Seeing that Corinne was not going to pay her any more attention, Anya tugged at Jeremy¡¯s sleeves and said, ¡°Jeremy, what should we do about Joey? Oh, my poor child!¡± Jeremy calmly checked to see if Joey was hurt anywhere else and was relieved to discover that he was not. After that, he scooped him up and said to Anya, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Let¡¯s bring him to the hospital first.¡± Anya nodded tearfully and said between hups, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡± Corinne blocked Jeremy from leaving and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already called the ambnce and they¡¯ll be here soon. It¡¯ll be faster for you to wait here than to drive to the hospital yourself.¡± Jeremy simply ignored her and walked past her quickly with Joey in his arms. Anya followed behind but she did not forget to throw Corinne a victorious smile before turning her nose up in the air. A chill ran up Corinne¡¯s spine. ¡®How can she still smile like that when her kid is hurt?¡¯ who was taking a call outside. At that moment, Jason was on his way back to the room and he saw Jeremy and the crying Joey in his arms leaving hurriedly with Anya behind them. Bewildered, he immediately asked Corinne what happened when he got back into the room. ¡°Their kid was badly burned by some hot soup.¡± Jason was shocked. ¡°How did that happen?¡± A corner of Corinne¡¯s lips went up. ¡°Would you believe me if I said I was the one who did it?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Jason answered without hesitation. He then looked her up and down with worry in his eyes. ¡°What about you? Did you get burned anywhere?¡± Some of the soup indeed sshed onto her hand when she reached out her hand to catch the bowl. She could still feel the burning pain spreading across her palm. However, she did not want to make a big deal out of it so she shook her head and said, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°No. " Jason was relieved to hear that. ¡°That¡¯s good. We should go to the hospital to make sure Joey is okay.¡± Corinne agreed so she nodded and said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± She pitied the poor child. With a mother like Anya, Corinne would not be surprised if Joey grew up to have traumatic memories of his childhood. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 In the emergency ward. The doctors tended to Joey¡¯s burn and after bandaging up his eye, one of the doctors told Anya and Jeremy to mentally prepare themselves to ept the possibility that Joey would forever have a scar on his left eye since that was where he was the most badly burned. Tears immediately flowed from Anya¡¯s eyes when she heard that. ¡°Oh, my poor, poor child! He¡¯s so young and yet he has to leave with this disfigurement forever! Jeremy, what should we do?¡± Jeremy patiently tried to calm her down. ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s only a possibility. That means there¡¯s a chance it won¡¯t happen.¡± Anya kept crying. ¡°But, what if?¡± Jeremy was losing his patience by then. ¡°He¡¯s a boy so a little scar is nothing! We should be d that he¡¯s fine!¡± Anya could tell Jeremy was not in the mood for her theatrics so she immediately turned off her waterworks and said pitifully, ¡°You¡¯re right. Joey is a boy so a little scar will not affect him in any way. It¡¯s just that, I can¡¯t help but think he doesn¡¯t deserve something like this happening to him.¡± Jeremy ignored her and instead went into the emergency ward to check on Joey. After all, it was more important tofort Joey ¨C who had no idea what was happening than to Anya followed Jeremy into the emergency ward and saw Joey¡¯s left eye covered in bandages. He was not crying anymore though he did look a little dazed as if he was in shock. Seeing him like that reawakened all the hate Anya had for Corinne. She immediately turned around and red at Corinne, who was standing at the door with Jason, before rushing over to her like a bull who saw red. ¡°Corinne, why? Why did you hurt my son? I can ept anything you dish out to me but how can you do something like this to a child so young? Have you no heart?¡± Anya kept shaking and pulling on Corinne¡¯s clothes, not letting her go for a moment, as she repeated the questions over and over again. Seeing this, Jason immediately came to Corinne¡¯s rescue. ¡°Anya, stop it. I understand what you¡¯re feeling but you need to calm down. Besides, I trust that Corinne had nothing to do with this.¡± However, his wordsdid not affectn Anya. Still grabbing hold of her clothes, she said tearfully to Jason, ¡°How can you say that, Jason? I saw It with my own eyes! She was the one who snatched the bowl from the waiter and threw the soup all over Joey¡¯s face. I¡¯m not the type of person who would use another person for no good reason!¡± Although Jason wanted to protect Corinne, he could not do anything against Anya so he was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. Corinne, however, pushed him away. She was going to face Anya¡¯s usationhead -onn. She looked mockingly at her and asked, ¡°Miss Anya, do you even care about your son?¡± Anya became even angrier at her question. ¡°What are you trying to say, Corinne? I¡¯m his mother so of course I care about him!¡± ¡°Oh really? Then why does it feel like punishing me is more important than making sure your son is alright? Why do you keep shaking me like this instead offorting your son?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s ¡¯cause Jeremy¡¯s watching over him so I¡¯m not worried about him! Besides, any good mother would make sure the culprit who did this to her son gets her just punishment!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Corinne looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Miss Anya, you¡¯re behaving like a crazy woman right now. Aren¡¯t you afraid of ruining your demure image?¡± Anya suddenly felt like she was just pped in the face. She was in so much of a hurry to get rid of Corinne that she forgot to keep up her usual facade. ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s understandable for a mother to behave like this when ites to protecting her kid. I can guarantee you no mother would stay calm and gentle in a moment like this. I¡¯ll fight anyone who dares to hurt my son!¡± Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°Then you should fight yourself since you¡¯re the one who hurt him. the most.¡± This caused Anya to descend into hysterics. She glowered at Corinne and said, ¡°How can you show any remorse? You¡¯re an evil, evil woman! Why did you hurt my son?¡± She kept shaking Corinne non-stop as if she went insane. Annoyed, Corinne pushed her away as if she was a disgusting piece of trash. For the life of her, she could understand why Anya insisted on pouring her pointless anger on her. Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Although Corinne only pushed Anya lightly, thetter acted as if the former pushed her very hard. Anya staggered back exaggeratedly and pretended to fall. Her n worked! She wanted Corinne to raise her hand against her to make it more believable that Corinne would do something as insidious as harming Joey. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. A hand reached out to grab her just when she was about to fall to the ground. Anya thought it was Jeremy who saved her, which made her secretly happy. However, when she looked up, she discovered it was Lucas who saved her. Lucas put his arm protectively around Anya after he righted her up. He then red coldly at Corinne and said, ¡°I dare you to push her again.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t push her. I just flung her hand away from my body,¡± said Corinne. Lucas frowned. ¡°I saw everything so there¡¯s no use of you denying it!¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®How can he know what happened when he wasn¡¯t even here, to begin with? He must be making things up.¡¯ Anya was a little disappointed that it was not Jeremy who saved her but Lucas. Still, she did not forget to keep up her pitiful act. Without missing a beat, she buried her head inside Lucas¡¯s chest and said tearfully, ¡°Thank god you¡¯re finally here, Lucas. Joey! Joey! His face will forever be disfigured.¡± Lucas looked coldly at Corinne. ¡°What did that kid ever do to you for you to do something like this to him?¡± ¡°Mister Lucas, I didn¡¯t do what Miss Anya said I did.¡± Lucas scoffed. ¡°And who can prove that you didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You can report me to the police if you want.¡± Corinne thought it through. There was only herself, Anya, and Joey in that room then. As for the waiter, well, Corinne was sure he would nevere clean himself since that would mean he would have to face the consequences. Lucas hated how Corinne could be soissez-faire about the whole thing. He patted Anya lightly on the back to calm her down and at the same time, he fixed his cold gaze on Corinne, thinking of how to punish herter. At that moment, Jason decided toe out and say, ¡°Lucas, there must be a misunderstanding. Corinne has no reason to hurt Joey. I mean, what good would that bring to her? I¡¯m sure the restaurant has cameras all over the ce so you¡¯ll only need to ask your men to check the footage to find out what happened.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already asked my men to check. The restaurant said their cameras have been out of order sincest month so there¡¯s no footage to speak of.¡± Hearing this, Anya cried even harder. ¡°Corinne must have known the cameras were out of order! That¡¯s why she dares to do something so heinous like this toward Joey. Oh, my poor child!¡± Lucas frowned. His heart ached to see Anya so sad. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anya. I¡¯ll make Corinne pay for hurting Joey.¡± Corinne just stood there, seemingly unfazed by Lucas¡¯s death stare. She found the whole thing. ironic. After spending so much time with Lucas at work, she knew very well that he was only rational and cunning when it came to his work and socialization but when it came to his precious sister, Anya. Well, it would not be an overstatement to say his intelligence level would drop to that of a vige idiot. Corinne was in awe of just how much of a sisterplex Lucas had. Lucas gave up on asking Corinne anything because he understood very well that she would not admit to anything so instead, he turned to look at the man who just came out of the emergency ward. ¡°Jeremy, aren¡¯t you going toe over here and say anything?¡± Jeremy justpleted the hospitalization procedure for Joey. He walked over to them, threw Lucas a nce, and then emotionlessly said, ¡°Corinne, can I have a moment of your time?¡± Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Anya immediately started to panic when she heard Jeremy asked Corinne to talk in private. She turned around and looked tearfully at him, ¡°Jeremy, where are you going with Corinne?¡± Jeremy threw her a nce and said, ¡°Go in and watch over Joey for a minute. I promise I¡¯ll settle this matter with Corinne as soon as possible.¡± ¡®Does he mean that he¡¯s going to make Corinne pay for what she did? I mean, of course, he would. I didn¡¯t put up all that act for nothing. He must have believed my story over Corinne¡¯s and is now itching to punish her!¡¯ thought Anya. Thinking of this, Anya nodded her head docilely and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go tend to Joey first and wait for you toe back.¡± Jeremy did not say anything to Anya after that. Instead, he looked coldly at Corinne and barked out an order, ¡°You,e with me!¡± Corinne did not want to talk to him but knew with Jeremy¡¯s character, he would not stop until he got to the bottom of who did that to his son. Therefore, she had no choice but to cooperate with him. After thinking it through, she simply nodded and followed him out when suddenly Jason grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Jeremy, where are you taking her? Corinne will never do something like that. She will never hurt a kid.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and gone was the politeness he usually reserved for his friends. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°You sound as if you know her very well.¡± Jason smiled kindly at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve known her for quite a while so I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s not the type who would do something like this. Though I do wonder why you don¡¯t seem to know her as well as me when you know her longer than me.¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re sure? Based on what? Your gut feeling? Or is it because love has blind you to the type of person she is?¡± Jason¡¯s eyes darkened but he still kept the kind smile on his lips. ¡°Jeremy, can we at least talk nicely about this?¡± ¡°Forget it, Mister Jason, it¡¯s okay. I can settle this myself,¡± interjected Corinne. She did not want to see the two of them fighting over whether she was the type of person who would go around hurting a kid. Those who did not know might even think she was some kind of Helen of Troy, causing two friends who knew each other for years to turn into enemies because of her. Jason frowned and said worryingly, ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Corinne waved her hand nonchntly and immediately followed Jeremy out to the hospital corridor. After reaching the end of the corridor, Jeremy entered the stairwell. Corinne did not even hesitate as she pushed the door and entered after him too. ¡°Ask whatever you want, Mister Jeremy, but I must tell you, my answer is going to be the same no matter what you ask. I didn¡¯t do anything to Joey and you can report me to the police if you don¡¯t believe me. Besides, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen the inside of a police station after someone wrongly used me of doing something I didn¡¯t do!¡± said Corinne as soon as she entered the stairwell. Jeremy did not say anything Instead, he leaned casually against the wall and slowly lit up at stick of cigarette. After taking a puff, he fished out a rectangle box and threw it at her. ¡°Put this on your hand first.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Corinne instinctively reached out her hand to catch the item flying toward her. She then opened her hand and saw it was an ointment to heal burn wounds. Shocked, her pupils. immediately shrank to pinpoint size. ¡®How did he know I burned my hand when I didn¡¯t even tell anyone? Chapter 535 Chapter 535 In any case, Corinne might as well apply the ointment on her burn wounds since Jeremy so kindly gave it to her. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Corinne coolly. She decided to forgo delving into how Jeremy knew her hand. was burned. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. While opening and packaging and applying the ointment on her throbbing hand, she said, ¡°In any case, ¡°The bottom line is I didn¡¯t hurt that kid. It was the waiter who identally threw the hot soup on him.¡± At that moment, Jeremy¡¯s eyes seemed to have lost their focus. He looked at her through the haze of cigarette smoke and asked emotionlessly, ¡°Did I ask you that?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Then why did you ask me to follow you here? Don¡¯t tell me you did that just to give me this ointment.¡± Jeremy did not answer her. He narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger. ¡°Miss Carew, why are you still wearing the wedding ring my family gave you when you¡¯re remarried to another man?¡± Corinne was speechless. She thought it was not urate for him to use the word ¡°remarried¡± since the two of them were never really married in the first ce! ¡®Has he forgotten that ours was only a marriage of convenience? And it¡¯s not like I like this ring!¡¯ ¡°Well, I would have taken it off if I could! But it seems like there¡¯s a contraption keeping this ring stuck to my finger. Why don¡¯t you give me one of those special liquids your family makes and I¡¯ll take this ring right here and right now so that you can give it to your future wife.¡± Jeremy looked coldly at her with caliginous eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that since my future. wife deserves something new.¡± Corinne was stunned but then she quickly frowned. ¡®Is he trying to imply something by saying that? Does he mean he¡¯ll never let his future wife wear something that has been used before or that he¡¯ll never ept a divorced woman as his wife? Wait a minute! He¡¯s making fun of the fact that he has already used me and now I¡¯m just a second-hand good to my husband!¡¯ The thought made Corinne immensely upset. However, she was not going to let him get away with commenting on that so she chuckled coldly and said, ¡°Forgive me for being blunt but unfortunately, your future wife won¡¯t be able to escape her fate of using a second-hand good since you¡¯re a second- hand good yourself!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face stiffened a little before rage broke out all over his face. Hisment was only reserved for the ring and it did not mean what Corinne thought it meant. ¡®Huh! She¡¯s the one who misunderstood me and yet that didn¡¯t stop her froming up with a pback so quickly!¡¯ He red at her for a long while but then thought nothing good woulde out of him arguing with her so in the end, he gruffly said, ¡°You can leave once you¡¯re done putting on the ointment.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Corinne was once again stunned. Thinking she heard wrong, she looked at him in bewilderment and asked, ¡°Are you saying that I can leave, Mister Jeremy?¡± Jeremy puffed out a cloud of smoke. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll handle the rest of the matter so you may leave now.¡± He then threw his cigarette down on the floor and stepped on it before turning around and exiting the stairwell. Corinne remained rooted to her spot. She looked down at the tube of ointment in her hand and thought back to what Jeremy said and his attitude toward her. ¡®This is odd! So he never suspected that I was the one who hurt his son? Did he call me over here just to allow me to escape? Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Anya stayed in the ward to watch over Joey but her mind kept anxiously drifting back to Jeremy. She was not that worried about Joey since the doctor already told her his condition already stabilized and this would not affect his health in any other way. The reason he was hospitalized was because the doctor was worried Joey¡¯s wound would get infected from improper caring so it was best to monitor him for a few days in the hospital. No, what Anya was worried about was why Jeremy asked to have a word with Corinne in private. ¡®Why isn¡¯t he back yet? What the h*11 are they talking about that it needs them to take so long? ¡®thought Anya. Joey fell asleep on the bed due to the overwhelming pain. From time to time, he would make a whimpering noise. ¡®Poor child. He¡¯s not even at the age where he can talk yet,¡¯ thought Lucas, who was standing over the bed and looking down at him with a serious expression on his face. How could he, Joey¡¯s uncle, not be angered when he saw how much pain his nephew was in? ¡®Corinne is the root of all problems! Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes! Not only is she a threat to Anya¡¯s rtionships with Jeremy but there¡¯s a chance she might put her and Joey¡¯s safety at risk.¡¯ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. He regretted hiring her to work for him. Yes, she was a very capable woman at work and yes, she helped his grandfather once before, so Lucas did not want to leave her with no recourse. However, he did not like it when Corinne repeatedly challenged his limits by bullying and hurting Anya! ¡®I must hire someone to get rid of Corinne for the sake of Anya¡¯s safety and emotional health!¡¯ thought Lucas. He then went outside of the ward to make a call. Not long after that, Jeremy came into the ward. Anya¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. She stood up and went to greet him, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re back!¡± However, she quickly realized something was not right. ¡®Why is he back alone? Where¡¯s Corinne?¡¯ Anya took another look behind him to make sure there was no Corinne before asking quizzically, ¡°Jeremy, where¡¯s Corinne? Is she still in denial about what she did?¡± Jeremy looked at her indifferently and answered, ¡°She has already left.¡± ¡°What? She has already left?!¡± said the stunned Anya. Jason ¨C who scrolled through his phone and waited for Corinne toe back ¨C also stood up and walked over to Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, where did Corinne go?¡± Jeremy threw him a nce and answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jason frowned but he let it go at that. He made a mental note to himself to call Corier. Anya¡¯s eyes became filled with resentment and tears. ¡°Jeremy, how could she just leave like that? How could she just leave when she was the one who put our kid into the hospital?!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened when he saw Anya looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Why do you keep insisting Corinne was the one who hurt Joey?¡± Anya was stunned. She raised her head and said woefully. ¡°Because, because I saw she did it with my own two eyes!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°How sure are you about that?¡± Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Anya was unsettled by the way Jeremy¡¯s eyes were boring into her so she started sobbing to cover up her guilt. Her eyes immediately turned red and tears after tears rolled down her cheeks. At that moment, Lucas came back into the ward after finishing up his calls. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Anya ¨C who he never raised his voice to once in his life being questioned by Jeremy in an unkind manner and making her cry. Enraged, Lucas quickly strode over to where Anya was and put his arms protectively around her. ¡°Jeremy, what did you mean by what you just said? Are you saying that Anya would frame Corinne for something she didn¡¯t do?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained indifferent. He looked straight into Lucas¡¯ eyes and said, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is maybe Anya saw the whole thing wrongly.¡± Anya copsed against Lucas and shook her head woefully. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t see it wrongly/ It was Corinne who poured the hot soup over Joey¡¯s face. Jeremy, did she say something to you just now? Is that why you don¡¯t believe me anymore?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you believe me? In your heart, do I strike you as a person who would use somebody of things they didn¡¯t do? No, Jeremy, I¡¯m not that kind of person!¡± Anya started sobbing uncontrobly again and this enraged Lucas even further. ¡°Jeremy, are you suspecting Anya¡¯s character now? How can you believe Corinne¡¯s words over Anya¡¯s when one is trying to deny her wrongdoing in this matter and the other nearly died trying to save you?¡± Jeremy frowned when all the memories of Anya saving him came rushing back into his mind. After that, the look in his eyes softened with guilt when he turned toward Anya again. He did not question Anya anymore but instead said matter-of-factly, ¡°I¡¯ve checked the restaurant¡¯s security camera before I left and the camera itself isn¡¯t broken so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the surveince system that is done. We should be able to retrieve the footage and reveal the truth once we get someone to fix the system.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Lucas thought that was a good idea too. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s get someone to fix the restaurant¡¯s surveince system right away. I, for one, can¡¯t wait to find out what happened ¡¯cause I¡¯m pretty sure Anya is telling the truth!¡± Anya, however, went pale with shock and fear when she heard the surveince system could be fixed. ¡®Sh*t! Everyone would know I was lying once they saw it was the waiter who hurt Joey!¡¯ thought Anya darkly. She never expected the surveince system could be fixed. ¡®If that happens, not only Jeremy will hate me but Lucas will be disappointed in me too.¡¯ All of a sudden, her guilty conscience found her, and she immediately put on a generous act.¡± Sigh! I think we should just let the whole thing slide, Lucas. Since Corinne has already left. Plus, I¡¯m so tired of talking about this and I don¡¯t want you and Jeremy to wrack your brain over this.¡± Lucas¡¯s heart started to ache with how forgiving Anya could be so he said gently, ¡°No, Anya. We can¡¯t let the whole thing slide, not when Joey¡¯s face has been disfigured. You can rest here. with him if you¡¯re tired and leave the rest to me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to make Corinne pay for what she did.¡± Seeing that Lucas insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter, Anya started to panic. She grabbed his arm and said, ¡°No, let¡¯s just forget it, Lucas. I don¡¯t want to take up any more of everybody¡¯s time. Besides, I¡¯m to me in this matter too. This wouldn¡¯t have happened if I didn¡¯t insist on Corinne joining us for lunch and she only hurt Joey because she hates me. It was all my fault and I¡¯ll make sure to stay away from her in the future!¡± Chapter 538 Chapter 538 ¡°Miss Anya, that should be my line. I should be the one who stays away from you in the future. After all, trouble seems to follow me whenever I¡¯m with you.¡± That was what Corinne said aftering into the ward with azy and mocking smile on her lips. Jeremy¡¯s face immediately darkened at her reappearance. He looked at her in a way that asked, ¡°What the hell are you doing back here?¡± Corinne only had to look at his face to know what he was thinking. She simply shrugged and looked him in the eyes in a way that said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong so why should I run away?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Jeremy threw him onest cold nce before looking away. Seeing Corinnee back, Anya immediately came up with a new n. With eyes still glistening with tears, she walked up to her and said, ¡°Corinne, let¡¯s put all this behind us. I¡¯m willing to forgive you as long as you promised not to hurt Joey anymore. I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you even if you still won¡¯t admit what you¡¯ve done.¡± Corinne instantly backed away when she saw Anya walking up to her as if she was nothing but an annoying gnat. She refused to let Anya get any closer to her. ¡°No, don¡¯t forgive me, Anya. ¡®Cause I don¡¯t need it! What I need now is to prove my innocence! ¡°Corinne!¡± Anya pretended to be hurt by Corinne¡¯s refusal to ept her forgiveness. ¡°Please don¡¯t be like this. I want to make things up with you!¡± Corinne had enough of her theatrics so shepletely ignored her. Instead, she looked at Lucas and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, I heard Mister Jeremy say the restaurant¡¯s surveince system could be fixed just now. Can we all go now to get the surveince footage so that I can prove my innocence?¡± Before Lucas could say anything, Anya chimed in again, ¡°Let¡¯s just forget about it, Lucas. Don¡¯t listen to what she says. We should just let her go. I¡¯m so tired and I don¡¯t want to drag this any longer than it has to be. Besides, it¡¯s more important for me to stay here and take care of Joey.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Miss Anya, why does it seem like you¡¯re afraid of seeing what¡¯s in the surveince footage? Even I, the so-called perpetrator, am not afraid so why should you be?¡± Her words hit too close to home, making Anya at a loss for words. Seeing this, Lucas frowned slightly. He was starting to believe that Corinne might be innocent as she did not seem like she had anything to hide whereas Anya was acting a little weird. From the very beginning, Anya was the one who insisted on making Corinne pay for what she did to Joey but she suddenly changed her tune to wanting to let the whole matter slide after Jeremy said the surveince system could be fixed. ¡®Could it be? Anya deliberately lied about the whole thing to make Jeremy hate Corinne so that she could keep him by her side forever?¡¯ thought Lucas. Doubt began to fill his eyes when he looked at Anya. ¡®If that¡¯s really what happened then, just how well do I know this little sister of mine? No, she has always been kind and gentle since young. She couldn¡¯t have be so maniptive overnight!¡¯ Anya started to panic as she noticed the doubt in Lucas¡¯s eyes but she forced herself to think clearly. The more she was suspected, the more she could not afford to mess up. Besides, nothing was set in stone yet so there was still a chance for her to turn this around! She quickly came up with a new n. After putting on a mock angry face, she said to Corinne, I¡¯m not afraid! I¡¯m just doing this for your good and don¡¯t want to see you being punished, that¡¯s all!¡± Chapter 539 Chapter 539 ¡°Corinne, you should know that you won¡¯t be able to get away with what you¡¯ve done once everyone sees what happened in the surveince footage. Lucas will sue you for hurting Joey. I¡¯m giving you a chance to turn over a new leaf ¡¯cause after all that¡¯s said and done, you¡¯ve helped Jeremy with his family before and I see you as a friend so I would advise you to take the olive branch while it¡¯s still being offered to you!¡± The way she spoke was so righteous and affectionate that those not in the know might think. Anya was nothing but a kind-hearted and forgiving little angel. However, Corinne saw through her. She smirked and said, ¡°Miss Anya, your kind gesture is noted. However, I¡¯m the type who¡¯s willing to pay for my own mistake so if the surveince footage showed what you said I did, then I would turn myself into the police station and sit out my prison terms no matter how many years it¡¯s going to be.¡± Anya red at her and inwardly gritted her teeth. However, as the ¡°victim¡±, she still remembered to maintain her big sad puppy dog eyes look. Her back was against the corner now and it would make her very suspicious if she still insisted on not going to the restaurant to view the surveince footage. Even Lucas who was her staunchest supporter forever was starting to doubt her. ¡°Fine! We¡¯ll have it your way!¡± She then acted as if Corinne did not appreciate her effort. After taking a deep breath, she added, ¡°Lucas, I wanted to let Corinne off the hook this time since I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll punish her too severely in your bid to mete out justice for Joey after seeing the surveince footage. ¡°But since Corinne doesn¡¯t seem to appreciate my kindness, and even implied that I was lying, it would be foolish of me to keep worrying about her. In any case, I don¡¯t think I need to be merciful anymore so let¡¯s go to the restaurant now.¡¯ The doubt in Lucas¡¯ eyes finally disappeared after hearing her say that. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then.¡± By then, Joey¡¯s nanny already arrived at the hospital so after giving her a few instructions, Anya could finally leave without worry. Corrine, however, was wary about the sudden change in Anya¡¯s attitude. ¡®She must have something up her sleeve. If not, why would she suddenly not be afraid of being exposed for her lies? She knows the surveince footage would show everyone what happened. With his arm around Anya, Lucas then steered her out of the ward but before they left, he threw a warning nce at Corinne who was deep in thought and asked mockingly, ¡± What are you still standing there for? Don¡¯t you want to prove your innocence? Come on, let¡¯s Bol Corinne snapped out of her thoughts, nodded, and followed them out of the hospital. Jason immediately walked next to her and asked quietly, ¡°Corinne, where did you go just now? ¡± ¡°Nowhere. I just walked around the hospital to clear my head. ¡°Oh. For a moment there, I thought you abandoned me.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°Mister Jason, you¡¯re not a kid anymore so even if I ¡®abandoned¡¯ you, you can still go home alone. Besides, all this doesn¡¯t concern you at all.¡± Jason smiled flirtatiously at her. ¡°No, we came here together so we need to leave here together. That¡¯s what couples do!¡± Corinne was speechless. Jeremy narrowed his eyes when he saw Corinne and Jeremy walking shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. Suddenly, he received a call from Tommy. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I¡¯ve already checked every OB-GYN record in the city and Miss Carew is definitely.¡± Chapter 540 Chapter 540 At the sushi restaurant, Cherry Blossom. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to give you the surveince footage but it¡¯s just that our security cameras have been down for some time so there¡¯s no footage to speak of,¡± exined thedy owner fearfully when Lucas and the others told her their reason foring back to the restaurant. Lucas calmly looked over the security cameras located at the payment counter and the main dining hall. It was exactly as Jeremy said, the security cameras were fine since the on buttons. were all shing green. ¡°We know your surveince system isn¡¯t working so we¡¯ve brought a professional to fix it. We would, of course, require your cooperation in this matter,¡± said Lucas. Thedy owner did not know who they were but could tell from their clothes and demeanor that they were people she could not afford to cross. Then there was, of course, the matter of an incident happening in the restaurant so she did not dare to refuse. ¡°Yes, of course. The restaurant will cooperate with the investigation.¡± Lucas summoned the best software engineer in hispany and gestured with his chin for him to fix the surveince system. The software engineer immediately got to work. He asked permission from the lady owner to go behind the payment counter and then used theputer there to check why the surveince system was not working. Thedy owner stood watching from the side while she kept on bbering about the time she found the surveince system broken, how she asked someone to fix it, but then it broke down again, etc. The software engineer was very good at his job. He quickly found the problem. There was a bug in the code which made the system close itself down as soon as it started up. Within ten minutes, he managed to solve the problem. ¡°All done, Mister Lucas,¡± he said afterpleting the task. Thedy owner was shocked. ¡°Wow! You¡¯ve fixed it and so fast too! You¡¯re amazing!¡± ¡°Now find the footage that shows the four of them dining in the private room,¡± Lucas ordered. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas,¡± responded the software engineer. He then turned around and asked thedy owner, ¡°What¡¯s the name of the private room and the time they were dining inside?¡± ¡°Bamboo Forest! The four of them were dining in Bamboo Forest at around half past twelve noontimes,¡± replied thedy owner honestly. The software engineer nodded and started toggling the time of the surveince footage. However, he soon ran into another problem. Frowning, he said. ¡°Mister Lucas, I can¡¯t find the surveince footage. All the security cameras except the one in Bamboo Forest are working fine. It says here that the security camera in that room has no memory card.¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened. He cast a suspicious eye over thedy owner. ¡°How do you exin this?¡± Thedy owner was just as bewildered as he was. She quickly shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The memory card should be in there. No one has touched those cameras since the surveince system broke down. The cameras are too high for the employees to reach so even the cleaners don¡¯t clean there.¡± Lucas looked at thedy owner to see if she was lying and after confirming she was not, then ordered the software engineer to check the camera in Bamboo Forest. In less than a minute, the software engine came back and said regretfully, ¡°Mister Lucas, there was no memory card in the camera in Bamboo Forest. Someone must have taken it away.¡± Chapter 541 Chapter 541 A frown appeared on Lucas¡¯s face; he was not happy at all. ¡°How could this be? Lucas, don¡¯t you find it weird that the only memory card that¡¯s missing is the one in Bamboo Forest?¡± asked Anya with exaggerated surprise. Lucas thought so too. The surveince system was fixed but there was no memory card in just one of the security cameras. It would be hard-pressed for anyone to see this as a coincidence. Suddenly, he turned around and looked suspiciously at Corinne. Anya finally saw what she was hoping to see in Lucas¡¯ eyes. She, too, followed Lucas¡¯ gaze to look at Corinne. Then she pretended a thought juste to her and said, ¡°Corinne, I remember you were the last one to leave the room after Jeremy and I rushed Joey to the hospital Did you perhaps stay to steal the memory card so there¡¯ll be no evidence of what you did?¡± Lucas became even more suspicious of Corinne after hearing what Anya said. ¡°Corinne, how do you exin this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal any memory card,¡± Corinne said, though it would be hard to convince anyone. since she did not have any proof. Anya shook her head and said in disbelief, ¡°I get it now! Corinne, you must¡¯ve stolen the memory card before we even got into the room. That¡¯s why you so confidently asked us toe here to check the surveince footage to prove your innocence! All this is a ruse to trick us into believing that you¡¯re not guilty. Am I right?¡± As soon as she entered the restaurant, Corinne did nothing but wait quietly by the side to see how things would develop. From the moment Anya suddenly had a change in the attitude of wanting to However, the fact that the memory card was stolen meant that the security camera indeed. recorded what happened in Bamboo Forest at the time they were in it. Meaning to say, Anya¡¯s lies would be exposed and that was why it had to be taken away. ¡®Anya has something to do with the missing memory card. I don¡¯t doubt that she¡¯s afraid to let anyone see what happened. But how did she do it when she was with us this whole time? There are only two possibilities. One, she sent someone to steal the memory card and two, she has bribed someone in this restaurant to clean up her mess!¡¯ thought Corinne. Seeing Corinne saying nothing, Anya came to interrogate her, ¡°Corinne, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you finally willing to admit your wrongdoing? I would have forgiven you if you just admitted what you did at the beginning but you insisted on dragging everyone here and look what happened? I¡¯m afraid even if I¡¯m willing to forgive you now, my brother will not be as merciful as me.¡± Corinne continued to ignore Anya. She knew without a doubt that Anya was the culprit behind. all of this. Instead, she turned around and asked thedy owner, ¡°Excuse me, but can you tell me if any customers used that room after us?¡± Thedy owner shook her head. ¡°No. It was past lunchtime by the time you all left so no customers came in after that.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡®If no customers came in after us then it must be one of the staff here who took the card.¡¯ ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you know where is the waiter that brought the soup for us this afternoon?¡± Corinne asked again. Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Thedy owner became a little defensive. ¡°That waiter should be in the staff dorm right now. He asked for a half-day leave ¡¯cause he wasn¡¯t feeling too well. Why are you looking for him. anyway?¡± ¡°I have some questions I want to ask him about what happened in Bamboo Forest today,¡± Corinne replied. ¡°But I¡¯ve already asked him what happened in Bamboo Forest. He said he had nothing to do with the kid getting burned. Forgive me for saying this, but you all shouldn¡¯t involve my staff in whatever grievances you have with each other. He¡¯s just a young kid who has no choice but toe out and work to support his family.¡± Corinne nodded and smiled to show she empathized with thedy owner¡¯s concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just want to ask him some questions. I promise I won¡¯t make his life any more difficult than it already is.¡± On one hand, thedy owner wanted to protect her staff, and on the other, she did not want to offend her customers so after thinking it through, she called out to one of the waiters who was cleaning up a table and said, ¡°Go to the staff dorm and tell Oliver toe to see me.¡± Very soon after, Oliver came walking into the restaurant with his head drooping. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve asked to see me?¡± ¡°The customers who dined in Bamboo Forest this afternoon want to ask you some questions. but there¡¯s no need to worry ¡¯cause you only need to tell them what you¡¯ve told me,¡± said the Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Oliver raised his head and looked toward where thedy owner was pointing. His face immediately tensed up when he saw Corinne and the others standing there. However, the next moment, he pointed at Corinne and shouted, ¡°Ma¡¯am, that¡¯s her! She was the one who snatched the bowl of soup away from me. I was carrying the soup over to her friend over there when she snatched the bowl of soup away from me and threw it all over the kid who came with them!¡± Everyone immediately turned to look at Corinne with judgment and anger in their eyes. Corine was sure that Oliver was the waiter who brought in the bowl of soup to them. However, it was weird how his story perfectly matched up with Anya¡¯s. Her expression gradually becameplicated, not because everyone was looking at her with using eyes, but because she knew she did not hurt Joey and yet she could not exin why Anya and Oliver, who did not seem like they knew each other, coulde up with the same lie! From this, Corinne could confirm that Anya and Oliver had some secret way of contacting each other to make sure both of their stories synced up. She initially thought what happened to Joey was pure ident, that Oliver ran away because he was afraid of the consequences, and that Anya thought she might as well use this opportunity to frame Corinne, but now she knew things were not as simple as they seemed. The truth was even more abominable. If her conjecture was true, it would mean Anya told Oliver beforehand what he should. say to the others and it would also mean, Oliver did not identally tripped and caused the bowl of soup to fall onto Joey but he did it intentionally and under Anya¡¯s order! ¡®It was not an ident at all. Anya nned this all along just so she could make me look bad. What kind of mother would do this to her child? She¡¯s a monster!¡¯ thought Corinne. She was shocked at the discovery and also shocked at what a person would be willing to do to achieve. ¡°Corinne, the witness already came out with the truth so what do you have to say for yourself? asked Lucas angrily. His patience was at its limits and he wished for nothing more than to lock Corinne up in jail and throw away the key. ¡°Corinne, why don¡¯t you juste clean already? If you do, I promise I¡¯ll ask my brother to go. easy on you,¡± said Anya tearfully. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Corinne slowly came back to her senses. She looked at the furious Lucas and then at the two- faced Anya. Suddenly, sheughed. ¡°Mister Lucas, you can¡¯t call this Oliver a witness.¡± Lucas red at her. ¡°Why not? He and Anya don¡¯t know each other and yet their testimonies. are the same! Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know each other? Ha! Looks like Mister Lucas still doesn¡¯t know how devious his little sister is. Well, let me enlighten him today!¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Mister Lucas, please give me ten minutes and I¡¯ll prove why Oliver cannot be a witness and why we shouldn¡¯t take his testimony seriously.¡± Corinne was not in a hurry to refute Lucas¡¯s words but instead asked him for ten minutes. Lucas agreed to give her ten minutes since it would make a difference to the oue. He wanted to see her suffer through the realization that there was nothing she could do to turn the tables. Anya, too, was confident that she woulde out the winner in this case. After all, she already told Oliver to take out the memory card and destroy it earlier in the day. There was no way Corinne could get out of this, no matter how hard she tried. ¡°You said I was the one who snatched the bowl of soup away from you and poured it all over the kid. Then, answer me this, which hand did I use to snatch the bowl of soup away from you? ¡°Corinne asked Oliver calmly. Hesitation immediately shed across Oliver¡¯s eyes. He instinctively sneaked a peek at Anya. but she refused to look at him. ¡°Everything happened so suddenly that I don¡¯t remember some of the details.¡± Corinne was not in a rush. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t remember. I¡¯m going to ask more questions and I hope you¡¯ll answer them honestly.¡± Oliver frowned. ¡°Ask whatever you want. I have nothing to hide!¡± you a few Corinne looked into Oliver¡¯s wavering eyes and asked, ¡°Did you ever go into Bamboo Forest again after the five of us left the restaurant?¡± Oliver immediately shook his head and answered, ¡°No!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a hundred percent sure about that!¡± Oliver replied resolutely. Corinne nodded. ¡°Great. I need you to remember what you said just now.¡± She then turned around, looked at the software engineer Lucas brought to the restaurant, and asked him politely, ¡°Excuse me, Mister Software Engineer, you sald just now it¡¯s impossible to get the surveince footage of Bamboo Forest since the memory card is missing but could you perhaps show us the surveince footage from other ces?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Then can you please show us the surveince footage of the corridor in front of Bamboo Forest? I want to see if Oliver went into the room again after we have left the restaurant.¡± All the colors immediately drained out of Oliver¡¯s face when he heard what Corinne said. He started to panic and looked helplessly at Anya. ¡®Sh*t! I never thought Corinne would want to check the surveince footage in the corridor!¡± thought Anya. Chapter 544 Chapter 544 ¡°Sure thing.¡± The software engineer immediately sat back down in front of theputer to get the surveince footage Corinne asked for. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Doing that required some time and Corinne was a little tired of standing so she looked around the restaurant for an empty chair she could pull over and sit. However, while she was doing that, she happened to meet Jeremy¡¯s deep, dark eyes. Jeremy followed them to the restaurant because the matter involved his son but he did not insert himself in their investigation. Instead, he situated himself at a round table not far from where they were and lit up a cigarettenguidly as though the whole thing had nothing to do with him and he was only there to watch the show. The cigarette smoke obscured Jeremy from Corinne so it was hard for her to tell what he was thinking. She was starting to wonder whether he cared about Anya and Joey at all. Suddenly, someone passed her a bottle of mineral water. This pulled her out of her thoughts; she looked down at the bottle of mineral water and then up at Jason¡¯s alluring and gentle smiling face. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she epted the bottle of mineral water. She was indeed thirsty. Corinne twisted open the cap and took a sip of the water while sneaking a peek at Anya. ¡®She still looks calm. I have to admit her acting skill is top-notch. That Oliver, however, looks like. he¡¯s about to have a nervous breakdown. Look at his shifty eyes and flicking fingers.¡¯ After a few minutes, the software engineer stood up and reported, ¡°Mister Lucas, Oliver did go into Bamboo Forest once after Miss Anya and her friends left the restaurant. He came out after a minute or so. I¡¯ve already cut out the said footage for you to take a look at.¡± Lucas walked over and watched the surveince footage. Oliver indeed did go into Bamboo Forest 20 minutes before the group arrived at the restaurant for the second time. He then red at Corinne and asked, ¡°So what if Oliver went into Bamboo Forest again? That doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± ¡°Mister Lucas, isn¡¯t this proof enough that he was the one who took the memory card out of the security camera?¡± asked Corinne. Lucas did a double-take of Oliver up and down. ¡°Are you the one who took away the memory card?¡± Oliver immediately shook his head so hard that his eyeballs nearly fell from their socket. ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t me! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Corinne slowly twisted the cap of the mineral water bottle open while shenguidly said, ¡± Oliver, you¡¯re already caught by the security camera to have gone into Bamboo Forest after we left and you¡¯re still trying to worm your way out of this?¡± ¡°I went in to clean the ce up!¡± ¡°Oh, really? only needed one minute to do that? I must apud you for your efficiency but why did you lie just now? Why did you say you didn¡¯t go in after we left when you did? What are you trying to hide?¡± Chapter 545 Chapter 545 ¡°I just forgot about it, that¡¯s all! Do you know how many rooms I have to clean up every day? It stands to reason I¡¯ll forget which is which,¡± said Oliver stubbornly. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne smiled. ¡°Oh my, your memory isn¡¯t that great huh? Now I¡¯m worried whether you¡¯ve ever mixed up the orders you¡¯re in charge of. Though I must wonder why the owner of this restaurant would keep you on the job if your memory is as bad as you¡¯ve implied.¡± Oliver guiltily shifted his eyes away from her. ¡°No! It¡¯s only today my memory isn¡¯t that great cause, ¡¯cause I¡¯m not feeling well. Miss, why do you insist on pushing the me on me when you¡¯re the one who snatched the bowl of soup away from me and poured it all over the kid?¡± ¡°Did I say you have anything to do with that? I¡¯m just asking you where the memory card is.¡± Corinne suddenly smiled but only for a second before her face became serious again. ¡°Oliver, it¡¯s still not too late for you to hand over the memory card now. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call the police and they have ways of finding out who took the memory card. ¡°I do believe that you were cautious enough to wipe away the fingerprints on the security camera but what you might know is, the police became more advanced in recent years so even if you¡¯ve wiped away the fingerprints, you¡¯ll still leave behind some of your skin cells and those can stay in the air for up to 24 hours. ¡°The police would only need to collect some of the skin cells andpare it to the suspect¡¯s DNA to determine whether he¡¯s the perpetrator. This is what they called the Touch DNA method. The police might even suspect you had the intention to hurt the kid if they found out. you were trying to hide the fact that you were the one who took the memory card.¡± Corinne exined everything so confidently that Jeremy, Jason, and Lucas ¨C who were all highly educated ¨C became slightly mystified. They exchanged nces with each other, thinking they must have been living under the rock up till now to have never heard of this method called Touch DNA. However, what they did not know was Corinne made everything up. There was no such thing as Touch DNA. She only came up with all that to scare Oliver into confessing. Oliver who was not that highly educated did not understand the words that came out of Corinne¡¯s mouth. He could, however, tell she was highly educated so he believed her. Thus, he started panicking, thinking the police had the way to put him at the crime scene using his DNA. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! Why would I want to hurt an innocent kid when I have no grievances toward any of you?¡± ¡°Then tell me, did you or did you not take the memory card out of the security camera and if you did, whose order did you do it under?¡± asked Corinne, giving him the final blow. Oliver was sweating profusely. He instinctively nced at Anya and said, ¡°She, she was the one who-¡± The truth was about toe out. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who is she?¡± Oliver looked helplessly at Anya. He was about to break. ¡°She¡¯s, she¡¯s ¡± Suddenly, Anya started coughing vehemently as though something was stuck in her throat. Cough! Cough! Cough! ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Anya?¡± Lucas held her and patted her on the back worriedly. After a while, she finally stopped coughing. Pale in the face, she said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Lucas. I just suddenly smelled the grease and smokeing from the back kitchen, that¡¯s all.¡± Relieved, Lucas said, ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay.¡± However, at the time that Anya was coughing, she secretly gave Oliver a warning look. Oliver was shocked. The sudden threat made him change his mind. Thus, he pointed at Corinne and said, ¡°It¡¯s you! You were the one who ordered me to take out the memory card from the security camera! You said you didn¡¯t want to go to jail for hurting the kid so you paid me a lump sum of money to help you destroy the evidence! And now you¡¯re trying to pin the me on me! How could you do something like this?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®Looks like Anya manages to save herself again.¡± Chapter 546 Chapter 546 ¡°When did I order you to take out and destroy the memory card? Whatmunication. method did I use to do that? Which bank did I use to wire you the money? And just how much did I wire you?¡± Corinne shot out question after question at Oliver to confuse him. She was certain Oliver was lying. ¡®Anya must have somehow threatened him when she was coughing. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have changed his mind. What does Anya have to make him so scared of her?¡¯ However, ast-minute fib would not be perfect. Meaning to say, it would be easy for Corinne to prove that he was lying. Oliver started panicking again and stammered, ¡°You contacted me 30 minutes ago using a social media app, then you wired me 15,000 dors!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Social media app, you say? Surely you must have our chat history then? Why don¡¯t you show it to everyone here.¡± Oliver took a gulp and said, ¡°As if I would still keep the chat history. You¡¯ve ordered me to delete all of our conversations after that.¡± ¡°Is that so? I seem to remember this is our first time meeting so how could you possibly know my social media ount?¡± ¡°You! You came to find me before you left the restaurant and asked for my social media ount. Why are you pretending like that didn¡¯t happen?¡± Corinne snorted coldly. ¡°How could I ask you for your social media ount when you¡¯re already gone by the time I left the restaurant? And even if what you said is true, I asked you for your social media ount and wired you some money in return for destroying the evidence. Then why, when you first saw me, did you use me of snatching the bowl of soup from you and throwing it all over the kid? ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to help me hide the truth since you¡¯ve already epted the money from me? Oliver, don¡¯t you think all the things you¡¯ve said so far are very contradictory and illogical?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Oliver¡¯s forehead becamepletely slicked with sweat by then. Corinne¡¯s reasoning skill was at a level way beyond his, and he was about to lose his ground. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked me to use you since you said that it¡¯ll make it look more believable!¡± Corinne let out a chuckle. ¡°More believable? Why would I want it to look more believable? It¡¯s more believable that you took my money and sold me out after that.¡± Anya started to curse Oliver in her heart. ¡®Just how useless can he be? He can¡¯t evene up with a good lie! I guess I have no choice but to step up now.¡¯ After putting on an expression of pity, as though she could not bear Corinne bullying the underdog, she pulled Lucas¡¯s arms and said with red eyes, ¡°Lucas, look at how Corinne is trying to force the waiter into making a false confession. How can she do that to an innocent person? I think, I think she has gone overboard this time!¡± Lucas looked down on Anya who looked like she was about to cry and frowned, then he turned to look at Corinne impatiently. At that moment, Edmund reported what he found to Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve already checked Oliver¡¯s bank ount and confirmed he received a wire transfer of 15,000 dors around 30 minutes ago.¡± Chapter 547 Chapter 547 That seemed to have sealed Corinne¡¯s fate because, in Lucas¡¯s eyes, there was no more doubt. as to whether she was the real mastermind behind all of this. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Corinne! You can stop trying to worm your way out of this since no one here. will ever believe you again.¡± Still, with the same rxed expression on her face, Corinne looked at him and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, don¡¯t you think none of the usations the waiter threw at me make any sense?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Then tell me, why would a waiter who you have never met in your life suddenly frame you like this?¡± Corinne was disgusted by how Lucas would lose his reasoning whenever the matter involved Anya. She smiled mockingly and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, is there a possibility that the waiter is trying to pass the me to me because he¡¯s afraid of facing the consequence of hurting your nephew? ¡°And also is there a possibility that he took away the memory card in the security camera because he was trying to destroy any evidence that would point to his crime? And if I guessed correctly, the money was wired into his ount anonymously. Meaning to say, anyone could have wired him that money to make his story seem more believable.¡± She then looked pointedly at Anya. It was obvious what she was trying to get at. Anya acted like she was affronted. She leaned anxiously against Lucas and said, ¡°Lucas, why is Corinne looking at me like that? I didn¡¯t do anything to her!¡± Lucas was worried Anya would be frightened by Corinne¡¯s threatening appearance, so he put his arm protectively around her and patted her on the shoulder to calm her down. Then, his face darkened as he red at Corinne. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s a shame as you would have done well for yourself if you¡¯ve just used your brain for something other than this. But now, you only have two options ¨C you either turn yourself in at the police station or I can report you to the police.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Corinne rolled her eyes at him. She was visibly annoyed by Lucas¡¯ blindness to Anya¡¯s antics. ¡® Huh! It¡¯s hopeless for me to think you¡¯ll see the truth for what it is and you¡¯re wrong, there is a third option and that is me proving my innocence!¡± She took a few steps forward and rudely pushed away Lucas and Anya before making her way to the payment counter. Then she said to the software engineer still seated inside, ¡°Excuse but can you please get up? I want to check something.¡± me, For some reason, the software engineer was cowed by the fuming Corinne. However, he did not dare to let her check the surveince footage without Lucas¡¯ permission so he threw a questioning look at his boss. Lucas was unhappy at being pushed by Corinne. Frowning, he gave the software engineer¡¯s silent question some thought before finally giving him a nod. ¡®Let¡¯s see what she¡¯ll try to do this time. She¡¯s a stubborn one, alright.¡¯ After getting Lucas¡¯ permission, the software engineer stood up to make way for Corinne, who immediately sat down and toggled around with the buttons on the surveince system software. ¡®Only the memory card inside Bamboo Forest has been taken out so that means I can use the surveince footage from the other cameras to prove my innocence. Since Anya¡¯s and Oliver¡¯s stories matched up perfectly! The two of them must have met up with each other before this and the most usible time for them to do that was when Anya left the restroom as long as I can find that footage, I can prove the mastermind to be Anya and not me!¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Anya was not worried at all when she saw Corinne busying herself at theputer. She found the whole thingughable. ¡°The memory card in Bamboo Forest has already been destroyed so there¡¯s no way she could find anything even if she spent the whole day in front of thatputer. And up till now, instead of speaking up for her, Jeremy has only been quietly sitting by the side. Seems like he¡¯s disappointed in her which is a good thing for me. All my efforts would have been well worth it as long as he believes Corinne to be the type of evil woman who would hurt an innocent child,¡± thought Anya. She was secretly jumping for joy but on the surface, she let out a helpless sigh before innocently walking up to the counter and said softly, ¡°Corinne, why don¡¯t you just give up your act ande clean with your crime? As I said, I¡¯m willing to ask Lucas to show you mercy you just admit what you¡¯ve done!¡± if Corinnepletely ignored Anya. She did not even raise any of her eyebrows. Instead, she kept her attention focused on theputer and after hitting the enter key twice, she said, ¡°All done!¡± She then raised her hand and waved Lucas over. ¡°Mister Lucas, please take a look at this.¡± Lucas frowned and impatiently walked over to theputer. ¡°What is it?¡± Corinne cut out two surveince footage. She stood up and respectfully gestured for Lucas to sit down. ¡°Mister Lucas, please have a seat first and I¡¯ll show you the footage soon enough. Lucas¡¯s patience was at its limit by then. He sat down with a frown and looked at the video file. disyed on theputer screen, waiting to hear just how Corinne was going to get herself out of this. Corinne stood beside him and leaned over to use the mouse. She clicked on one of the video files and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, this video is around an hour long and it¡¯s from the time I, Mister Jason, Mister Jeremy, and Miss Anya enter and leave the restaurant. It¡¯spiled from all the security cameras situated around the restaurant. ¡°I¡¯m ying the video for you at high speed now, and you can see that I had notmunication whatsoever with Oliver from the beginning to the end. We did not meet before he entered the room with the bowl of soup and nor did I ask him for his contact details before I left the restaurant.¡± Frowning, Lucas watched the video being yed at high speed. He narrowed his eyes, obviously still a little suspicious of Corinne. Corinne noticed this so she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Lucas. The video might be ying at high speed but I can promise you I didn¡¯t edit it beforehand. You can ask the software engineer you brought with you to confirm thister.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Lucas scoffed. ¡°This doesn¡¯t prove anything! You might have met up with the waiter at one of the security camera¡¯s blindspots!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°I know this is quite a stretch. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve prepared another 10-minute footage for you to watch.¡± She then clicked on the other video file. ¡°Mister Lucas, this footage is from the security camera positioned at the entrance of the restroom, and as you can see, after she came out of the restroom, Anya called Oliver over and the ty of them talked for almost five minutes. Do you want to guess as to what they might be talking about?¡± Lucas¡¯s face immediately darkened when he saw the second footage. He then fixed his gaze on Anya, who witnessed everything that happened from the side. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 At that moment, Anya¡¯s expression stiffened and her eyes were wavering with guilt. It never crossed her mind that Corinne would be able to find footage of her and Oliver talking with each other. ¡°Mister Lucas, please take a closer look. Miss Anya¡¯s hand came in contact with Oliver¡¯s hand while they were talking.¡± Corinne rewound the video by around 10 seconds or so and put it in slow-motion. ¡°Look, their hand movements are very obvious. You can see Miss Anya taking something out of her pocket and stuffing it into Oliver¡¯s hand. Mister Lucas, would two people who don¡¯t know each other need to sneak around and pass things to each other while talking?¡± At that moment, Corinne¡¯s tone was filled with sarcasm, but it was not too much. She was just giving Lucas a taste of his own medicine. Lucas did not say anything. Instead, he just watched the two footage quietly while the expression on his face became colder and colder. After that, he stood up and looked deeply into Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡°Anya, do you know this waiter?¡± he asked, choking with mixed emotions. Even though Anya felt guilty, she still remembered to keep up her innocent act. She looked. back at Lucas with her big sad puppy dog eyes and shook her head like a little girl. ¡°No! I don¡¯t know him at all!¡± ¡°Then what were the two of you talking about and what did you pass him? Exin all this now! ¡°Lucas said sternly. Lucas never spoke so sternly to Anya before so it stood to reason she would be frightened. She started to panic, thinking that she might lose Lucas¡¯s trust in her. She knew there was nothing Lucas hated more than being lied to. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She quickly put on a pitiful expression and said tearfully, ¡°Lucas, I told the waiter I wanted to add some things to our order! I swear I didn¡¯t say anything else to him!¡± Lucas did not say anything but it was obvious he did not buy Anya¡¯s exnation. Corinne smiled. ¡°What a weird kink you have, Miss Anya, to order food in front of a restroom and for five minutes at that. I wonder what you ordered?¡± The expression on Anya¡¯s face became unnatural but still, she did not break. She quickly thought of an exnation and tearfully said, ¡°Corinne, can you not mock me? I saw you throwing up in the restroom so I thought I¡¯ll ask the waiter whether the restaurant serves anything easier on the stomach. I remembered you said your stomach isn¡¯t feeling that well so I wanted to order something lighter for you.¡± Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Corinne raised her eyebrow and smiled. ¡°And so, what did you order for me? Howe I never saw any of that on the table just now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t order anything ¡¯cause the waiter said we¡¯ve already ordered too much. It won¡¯t be good to waste food. So, I decided to take his advice and not order anything in the end.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is you¡¯ve talked to the waiter for five minutes and came away not ordering anything? Mister Lucas, do you have anything to say about that?¡± Amongst all the otherplicated emotions, one stood out above the rest and that was the disappointment in Lucas¡¯s eyes. He did not answer Corinne. Instead, he sternly asked Anya. another question, ¡°Anya, what did you give the waiter just now?!¡± Anya looked tearfully at Lucas. ¡°I was just giving him some tips. Is that so wrong?¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Just some tips?¡± Anya nodded innocently. ¡°Yes! I thought I should give him some tip because he spent all that time patiently rmending food for me but I didn¡¯t order anything in the end.¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the waiter advised you against ordering more food since we¡¯ve already ordered so much? And now you¡¯re saying he spent all that time rmending what to order? Besides, it¡¯s normal to give tips so why do you act like you¡¯re doing something illegal?¡± Anya knew every word of Corinne¡¯s was aimed to unravel her lies so she ignored her and focused all of her theatrics on her brother. ¡°Lucas, you know I have a habit of giving the wait staff tips, right? I did it secretly because I wanted to make sure his colleague didn¡¯t see it; that way he can have the tip all to himself.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at Anya¡¯s innocent face. He could not do it. He could never think of his precious little sister as a scheming, maniptive b*tch. ¡°Hmph! Mister Lucas, if you believe her half-*ss exnation then I have nothing else to say. You might as well call the police now,¡± said Corinne. Lucas frowned and then turned around to look at the dazed and panicking Oliver. ¡°You. Tell me what did the two of you talk about and what did she stuff into your hand!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Oliver was about to repeat what Anya told him when Corinne cocked her head, smiled, and said, ¡°Oliver, might I remind you that this is yourst chance, to tell the truth. Mister Lucas here will call the police if you dare to trick or lie to us again. He won¡¯t stop until he gets to the bottom of the truth of who hurt his nephew.¡± Oliver¡¯s heart started pounding in his chest. He never expected things would be soplicated and was frightened by then. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have been blinded by all that money. How am I going to get myself out of this?¡¯ The pressure from both sides caused him to hesitate. However, thinking he would get leniency if he came out with the truth, he finally decided toe clean. ¡°Miss Anya called me over because-¡± Lucas¡¯ face tensed up. ¡°Because of what?¡± Here, Oliver nervously stole a nce at Anya and saw her ring at him as if warning him not to say anything that would put them both in trouble. ¡®What should I do? She¡¯s got something over me!¡¯ thought Oliver. Previously, Anya came to this very restaurant with her friends and witnessed him stealing at customer¡¯s phone and putting it in his pocket. The security camera did not pick up anything because it happened in one of its blindspots but Anya recorded the whole thing on her phone. This incident, coupled with the temptation of money, gave him the impetus to work together with Anya to frame Corinne. At first, he refused because he did not want to hurt an innocent child but Anya threatened to report him to thedy owner with the video as evidence, which he knew would result in him losing the job. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 It took a long time for Oliver to get this job. Plus, the temptation of 15,000 dors was just too much so he agreed to carry out Anya¡¯s n in the end. However, when it came time to do it, he could not. He struggled with the thought of doing it when he saw the innocent and cute Joey and this caused him to identally trip, sending the bowl of soup flying into the air. Scared, he immediately ran out of the room. ¡®It was a good thing Miss Corinne managed to touch the tip of the bowl or else that kid would have been burned even more badly,¡¯ thought Oliver. ¡®I might as well tell the truth since this is. even more serious than stealing the customer¡¯s phone.¡¯ Lucas noticed Oliver and Anyamunicating through their eyes. He frowned and ordered, Don¡¯t look at her! Tell me the truth. What did she say to you when the two of you were standing in front of the restroom?¡± Oliver was frightened by the threatening aura being emitted by Lucas. This and his guilty conscience made him dare not to hesitate or hide anything anymore. It was the time, to tell the truth. ¡°She asked me to find an opportunity to hurt the child and toter pass on the me to Miss. Corinne. And if I do that, she¡¯ll give me 15,000 dors. Then she stuffed 150 dors into my hand as a deposit.¡± Lucas¡¯s ¨C who always acted calmly in every situation eyes immediately shrank to pinpoint size and he staggered back in disbelief when he heard what Oliver said. ¡®Oh, Anya! My sweet, innocent, and kind sister! How could she do something so insidious and cold- blooded? Did she hurt her child just so she could frame her love rival? Even if that child. is not hers. He¡¯s still an innocent child! How could she bear to do something like this?!¡¯ thought Lucas. Anya tearfully shook her head. ¡°No! No! It¡¯s not like that. He¡¯s lying!¡± Lucas red at her. ¡°Anya, how could you?! Joey¡¯s not even one yet!¡± Tears rolled down Anya¡¯s cheeks as she repeatedly shook her head. ¡°Lucas, it¡¯s not like that! He¡¯s lying! Joey is my kid and I love him so much so I¡¯d never do something like this! Besides, isn¡¯t it weird that the waiter would suddenly change his story? Corinne must have put him up to it! They¡¯re working together to frame me!¡± She then stared angrily at Oliver and said, ¡°You! Why are you framing me like this? What proof do you have? Did Corinne give you money? Is that why you¡¯re telling all these lies?¡± Oliver¡¯s guilty conscience got the better of him and he was unwilling to cooperate with Anya anymore. He looked at her in disbelief and said, ¡°Miss Anya, when are you going to drop the act? You were the one who bribed me to hurt your kid. There has never been any contact between me and Miss Corinne!¡± Anya red at him with reddened eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the chat history? Where¡¯s the wire transfer record? What proof do you have? All you have going for you are your words!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Oliver was a little taken aback. He frowned and said helplessly, ¡°How can I have. when you asked me to delete everything after wiring me the money?¡± ¡°You have no chat history, no wire transfer record, no nothing! And yet you dare to frame me? Anya turned around, buried her face into Lucas¡¯s chest, and sobbed loudly. ¡°Lucas, they¡¯re working together to frame me. How could I possibly do something as evil as hurting Joey when I love him so much? Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Lucas looked down at the sobbing Anya without a hint of emotion on his face and unlike previously, he did not pat her on the back nor did he try tofort her with words. At that moment, she was as good as a stranger to him. Corinne chuckled at how Anya was still trying to keep up her theatrics. ¡°Miss Anya, Oliver couldn¡¯t produce any chat history or wire transfer record either when he was using me but that didn¡¯t stop you from advising me toe clean or to give up the struggle. So don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a hypocrite for saying he¡¯s lying now that the finger is pointed at you?¡± Anya leaned pitifully against Lucas and said, ¡°I¡¯m not a hypocrite ¡¯cause I¡¯m different from you. I¡¯m Joey¡¯s mom and as his mom, I would never bribe someone to hurt him. Corinne, just how much do you hate me for you to concoct such an evil n to frame me?¡± Even up till then, Anya was still trying to y the victim though Corinne was not surprised because she knew it would be impossible to hope that someone like her ¨C who would do anything to achieve her goal ¨C would suddenly discover her conscience. Instead of wasting her time arguing with Anya, Corinne simply crooked her index finger to ask Oliver to come over. ¡°Oliver, give me your phone.¡± Oliver was first stunned but then he quickly brought out his phone and gave it to Corinne. Anya was not worried that Corinne would find anything on Oliver¡¯s phone because she confirmed Oliver deleted anything that would incriminate himself and her after receiving the wire transfer. She was confident that anyone would havee up empty-handed in this situation. However, after tapping around the phone screen, Corinne then passed the phone to Lucas. ¡± Mister Lucas, please take a look at this.¡± Anya¡¯s heart started to race. ¡®What¡¯s she showing Lucas?¡¯ Lucas frowned and took the phone from Corinne¡¯s hand. Not even one secondter, his eyes suddenly shrank to pinpoint size. Corinne sessfully recovered the conversation between Oliver and Anya. Lucas scrolled down the phone and read every word in the chat box. He came to the point where Anya texted Oliver 30 minutes ago. [Go to Bamboo Forest now and take out the memory card in the security camera. I¡¯ll wire you 15,000 dors right away if you do that] Oliver¡¯s reply was, [Miss Anya, I¡¯ve already taken out the memory card and flushed it down the toilet. For your reference.] Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. A video was attached. [I¡¯ve already wired you 15,000 dors. Delete me from your friend list and make sure you delete this conversation too. And oh, you do know what to sayter, right?] [Yes, of course. Don¡¯t worry.] Every word in that conversation was like a stab in Lucas¡¯s heart. He always saw Anya as a kind and gentle girl. She was the apple of his eye and he did not mind. being wrapped around her little finger. No one was allowed to bully or hurt her as long as he was alive. He poured every affection he had toward Luna into Anya and now he regretted ever spoiling her so much for her to be a vicious and two-faced b*tch! ¡®Luna would have never turned out like Anya!¡¯ he thought Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Lucas pushed away Anya emotionlessly. This was the first time he ever pushed her away so she started to panic. ¡°Lucas, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Lucas coldly threw the phone at her and said, ¡°See for yourself!¡± Anya caught the phone and all the colors immediately drained out of her face when she saw the content. ¡®How is this possible? How did she recover the chat history?¡¯ ¡°No! Lucas, this must be fake! I didn¡¯t send anything like that! I didn¡¯t! It must be fake! You can¡¯t possibly believe I¡¯d do something like that.¡± Even with the conclusive evidence staring her right in the face, Anya still insisted that it was fake. However, how could it be fake when the conversation was not screenshots? It was as real as it gets. Lucas looked at the hysterical and unrepentant Anya and thought how unlike she was from her previous gentle and kind character. Suddenly, a smear of disgust appeared in his eyes. ¡®When did she be like this?¡¯ Corinne yawnedzily, looked at Anya, and said to Lucas, ¡°If you think the conversation is fake, you¡¯re more than wee to ask the software engineer to check or take it to the police station to authenticate it. But I can tell you what the answer will be regardless.¡± ¡°Corinne Carew, stop trying to make Lucas lose his trust in me! I get it now. You must be jealous that I have someone who dotes on me so much that you came up with this idea to drive a wedge between us!¡± Anya red vehemently at Corinne before turning to Lucas crying and pleading, ¡°Lucas, you have to believe me! Don¡¯t be swayed by that fake conversation. They¡¯re working together to frame me, I tell you!¡± Lucas frowned in both disgust and disappointment. ¡°Anya, I can tell the conversation isn¡¯t fake. I might have thought you¡¯re still saveable if you admit your mistake and sincerely repent right now but you¡¯ve let me down.¡± Never in her life would Anya imagine the brother who doted on her would ever find her repulsive. So shocked was she that her heart turned into ice. ¡°No! Lucas, I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t! It¡¯s Corinne! She¡¯s the one who-¡± Lucas pinched the space between his brows, not wanting to waste his breath on this unrepentant little sister of his. He started to me himself for spoiling her too much. ¡®It¡¯s all fault that she turned out like this.¡± ¡°Lucas, you have to believe me! I didn¡¯t!¡± Anya kept crying and crying until her eyes suddenly rolled backward and she passed out. The shock was just too much for her to bear. Fortunately, Edmund caught her in time because if not, she would have hit her head on the floor. Seeing Anya about to fall, Lucas instinctively reached out his hands to catch her, but in the end, he quickly pulled them back because he did not want toe in any physical contact with a stranger who disappointed him so much. Edmund propped Anya up and asked, ¡°Mister Lucas, what should we do with Miss Anya?¡± Lucas was feeling a mixed bag of emotions. There was worry, annoyance, and helplessness. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Take her to the hospital.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Edmund scooped Anya up and quickly walked out of the restaurant. Lucas, too, started to make his way outside, thinking that was the end of the matter. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Corinne. Lucas stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at Corinne unkindly. ¡°Yes?¡± Corinne walked up to him and looked at him with her clear, bright eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you and your sister owe me an apology?¡± she asked solemnly. Lucas frowned and narrowed his eyes. For a moment there, he thought she was joking. ¡°You want me to apologize to you right now?¡± Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Corinne nodded without hesitation. ¡°Yes. Since your sister has pretended to pass out, and we all know it¡¯s impossible to wake person who¡¯s pretending to pass out, you need to apologize on her behalf as well!¡± Lucas was speechless. No one ever so brazenly asked him to apologize to them before. At that moment, Jeremy who was sitting not far away smoking a cigarette smirked. He narrowed his eyes slightly in both admiration and sarcasm as he watched Corinne trying to extract an apology out of Lucas. ¡®She¡¯s still as spunky as ever. No matter where she is or who she is going up against, she never backs down from a fight to uphold justice for herself and others. Lucas has certainly met his match this time,¡¯ thought Jeremy. He puffed out some smoke rings. The more he admired Corinne, the more unhappy he became. This was because it was the same spunkiness that made her ignore his feelings and run away without telling him to get married to another man. At that moment, looking at Corinne, the amusement in Jason¡¯s eyes became even stronger.¡¯ She might look like a cute pushover but it would be foolish for anyone to mess with her alright. Interestingly, she would dare to make her boss apologize to her.¡¯ After a long while of silence, seeing that Corinne was not joking, Lucas¡¯ face darkened as he said coldly, ¡°On behalf of my sister and I, we would like to apologize to you, Miss Carew. There. Are you happy now?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Yes. I ept your apology. And aspensation for framing me, be so kind as to give me the rest of the day off?¡± Lucas frowned and red at her in disbelief. The smile on Corinne¡¯s lips became even wider as she exined, ¡°The whole matter has exhausted me so I¡¯d like to go home to have a rest. I trust that an understanding and generous person like you will allow me to do that, right?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Lucas never met such an opportunistic woman before! He scoffed and said, ¡°Yes, go home and rest all you want. If it pleases you, you don¡¯t ever have toe to the office again.¡± Corinne put on a professional smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to arrive at the office on time tomorrow. See you then, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas was speechless. He narrowed his eyes and red at Corinne coldly for a minute though he did have to admit to himself that he admired her attitude of being neither too humble nor too overbearing. However, he would not fall in love with her just because of that. After that, he walked around Corinne and strode out of the restaurant.. Corinne shrugged, not taking his attitude to heart. She then smiled at thedy owner and said, ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am, for taking up your time. We¡¯ll be leaving then to let you get on with your business.¡± Thedy owner did not know the dynamics between Corinne and the rest of the group so she simply smiled and said some perfunctory words. ¡°d I could be of some help!¡± Having drunk too much water, Corinne wanted to go to the restroom. As soon as she turned around, she saw Jeremy was gone from his seat. He must have left to go check on Anya. She did pass out after all so it¡¯s understandable that he would be worried about her,¡¯ she thought. She let out a scoff before walking leisurely to the restroom. Aftering out of the restaurant, Corinne wanted to call a taxi to send her back but was unable to because the entrance was blocked by two head-turning luxury cars. One of the cars was Jeremy¡¯s usual ride a limited edition high-spec McLaren other was Jason¡¯s streamlined sedan, and though not as ostentatious as Jeremy¡¯s car, nheless very expensive. However, what was even more attractive than the two cars was their owners. Jeremy, with both of his hands stuffed inside his pants¡¯ pockets, was standing in front of his car. His expression was one of sternness and coldness. ¡°Get in!¡± he said coldly as soon as he saw Corinneing out of the entrance. Chapter 555 Chapter 555 The dashing Jason, however, was leaning gracefully against his car. He crooked his finger at Corinne and said, ¡°Come here, Corinne. I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Who the h*ll do these two men think they are? Car models? Anyway, what is Jeremy still doing here? Didn¡¯t he go to the hospital to check on his baby mommy?¡¯ An impatient frown appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face when he saw Corinne taking her sweet time making her decision. With darkening eyes, he said coldly, ¡°Come over here, Corinne!¡± Jason was not going to let him win. He beamed an alluring smile at Corinne and said, ¡°Choose me, Corinne. I have chocte in the car for you.¡± Corinne was once again speechless. The passersby kept looking at them and some of them even stopped what they were doing to watch how the drama of two guys fighting over a girl would unfold. Faced with the choice of two high-quality guys, who would the girl choose? Corinne raised her eyebrow. She first looked at the man on the left, and then at the man on the right. Having made up her mind, she started walking toward them. Everyone had their eyes fixed on her and what they saw made thempletely speechless. What happened was Corinne passed through the gap between the two men¡¯s cars, and walked straight to the subway station not far away. She did all that without even sparing her nce at the two men. Meaning to say, she did not choose either of them! The onlookers could not help but feel disappointed. Here was a girl who had a choice between two wealthy guys and yet she chose the subway station? Why, she would be set for life if she chose either of them! ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because she knows she¡¯s pretty enough to get any guy,¡¯ they thought. The crowd did not disperse even though the show was over. Some of them stayed for the cars and the others stayed for the handsome guys. However, that did notst for long and they started to slink off when they sensed the cold aura Jeremy was giving off. No one could tell what he was feeling as there was nary a hint of emotion on his face. He silently watched Corinne walk past him and toward the subway station. After that, he was about to get into the back seat of the car and the driver so respectfully opened the door for him when Jason suddenly shouted, ¡°Jeremy, wait!¡± Jeremy stopped in his movement and looked toward Jason disdainfully, waiting for him to say something. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Jason walked up and beamed a friendly but provocative smile at him. ¡°Jeremy, I think you should go to the hospital to make sure Anya is okay.¡± Jeremy looked up at him and said, ¡°That¡¯s not something for you to worry about.¡± Corinne, who initially wanted to take the taxi home, had no choice but to take the subway after the fiasco with the two men. It was a good thing it was not the rush hour or else it would be ufortable for her, a pregnant woman, to be squeezed around in the carriage. Thirty minutester, she finally reached her destination. She exited the subway station at a leisurely pace and started to make her way home. While passing through a quiet alley, she suddenly found herself engulfed in pitch-ck darkness. Someone put a sack over her head! ¡°Boss, this the woman, right?¡± Chapter 556 Chapter 556 ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. She looks exactly like the woman in the photo Sir sent. Tie her up!¡± ¡°But, boss! This girl looks quite pretty. It¡¯s it such a pity to kill her right away?¡± ¡°You just can¡¯t keep it in your pants when you see a woman!¡± ¡°Haha. I¡¯m telling the truth! She¡¯s a beautiful young woman. She might even be an innocent girl. It¡¯s simply too wasteful to just kill her straight away!¡± ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s Sir who personally ordered to get rid of this woman this time, so we must do it efficiently with no frills. There¡¯s no time for you to mess around!¡± After Corinne¡¯s head was covered with a sack, her arms were twisted to her back by an incredibly strong man and were tied tightly with a rope. Facing such a situation, she did not put up a strong resistance. She just asked very calmly, Hold on. Did you guys get the wrong person?¡± It was the man who was addressed as the boss who asked her, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Corinne Carew? You¡¯re the one. We didn¡¯t get the wrong person. You¡¯re the one we¡¯re looking for!¡± Corinne was quite confused. ¡°May I know why you want to capture me?¡± ¡°Because you offended someone. Someone doesn¡¯t want to see a person like you appearing on this piece ofnd!¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about that. Your life¡¯s going to end soon anyway. It¡¯s pointless for you to know so much!¡± Another man¡¯s tone sounded like he felt it was a pity. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, miss. Seeing that you¡¯re so pretty, I¡¯ll do it quickly and do my best to make you morefortable when your life ends!¡± Upon saying that, the man with incredible strength dragged her into a quiet alley. Judging from the sound, it seemed that he took out a sharp weapon. Corinne¡¯s hands were tied and her head was covered in a sack, so she could not see her surroundings and was disadvantaged. She could tell that these few people were not trying to kidnap her but to take her life straightaway, leaving her no room for discussion at all. It was very hard for her to escape from a situation like this! Was her life going to end without a clear reason and in the hands of these few people, whos She still did notplete the mission of helping her mother find out the truth about the past, and she had a baby in her belly that she had to protect! Right when Corinne was urgently thinking of a countermeasure, the screeching of a car as it came to an abrupt halt interrupted her train of thought! After that, she heard footsteps approaching, steady and speedy. The boss of the group got angry because their mission was interrupted. ¡°Who are you? You¡¯d better mind your own business if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± The other party did not say anything. The footsteps got closer and closer, and they got heavier and heavier! In the next second, Corinne heard an aggressive fight happening. There was no way to tell if the person who cameter was a friend or a foe. Taking advantage of the chaos, Corrine moved to a corner alone and quickly used the edge of the wall to rub against the rope on her wrist, trying to first free her hands to defend her against the bad guys! At that moment, a group of footsteps hurried off, and the surroundings became quiet. It seemed that one of the parties ran off after a defeat. Corinne did not wish to fall into the hands of the party that was remaining again, so she rubbed the ropes even faster! She sensed a person with an imposing air was approaching her, but the ropes around her wrist just would not break. She was anxious that she broke out a sweat on her forehead. Suddenly, the sack on her head was taken off and tossed aside. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Thank God the rope finally broke at that moment as well! Before she could even see the face of the person clearly, she swung her fist fiercely at that person. In the end, her fist was caught by a rough hand, then a familiar man with a familiar deep voice said in a mocking tone, ¡°How could you bite the hands that feed you, Miss Corinne?¡± It was after Corinne regained her senses that she saw the man standing across from her-who took the sack on her head away-was Jeremy! Her highly vignt mind instantly became at ease, and she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Why are you here, Mister Jeremy?¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Jeremy looked down at her, staring coldly. ¡°I asked you to leave when we were at the hospital, but you didn¡¯t. I asked you to get into my car at the entrance of the restaurant, but you refused. I saved you, yet you repaid my kindness by being ungrateful and trying to hit me? I think you might only learn to be careful if you were killed by those people just now!¡± ¡°Who says I was being ungrateful? I didn¡¯t know it was you who came just now!¡± Corrine frowned as she suddenly realized something was wrong. ¡°Hold on. What do you mean? You seem to have long known someone wanted to attack me.¡± Jeremy¡¯s silence implied that he admitted it. It seemed like he did not wish to bother telling her too much. He just turned around and walked out of the narrow alley. Corinne did not get an answer, so she quickly caught up to him and asked again, ¡°Do you know who¡¯s the Sir those people spoke about?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Jeremy lowered his head to lit a cigarette and hummed indifferently without looking at her at all. ¡°Tell me, who is it?¡± Corinne wanted to know very badly who had such a huge grudge against her that the person wanted to take her life! ¡°Your boss.¡± Jeremy¡¯s voice was t. Corinne stopped in her tracks, feeling shocked and very confused. ¡°It¡¯s Lucas? Did he hire someone to kill me? Why?¡± Jeremy was walking slightly ahead of her. He took a puff of his cigarette, then said slowly,¡± Anya was once bullied by two ssmates in middle school. The two girls vanished into thin airter and are still not found today.¡± Corinne was dumbfounded. What Jeremy meant was that Lucas did not hesitate to have someone get rid of the people who bullied his precious sister to seek justice for her. Therefore, Jeremy already could tell that Lucas wanted to kill her when they were at the hospital. That was why he called her away, giving her a chance to first leave. It was also because he was sure she would get in trouble on her way home that he asked her to get in hist car in front of the restaurant. However, she did not cooperate with him at all. ¡°Is Mister Lucas so merciless?¡± Corinne was not willing to believe her half-brother was such a heartless man, even though she would not acknowledge him as her brother. Jeremy looked askance at her. ¡°Do you think Lucas is some good guy?¡± Corinne felt silent. She never thought Lucas was a good person, but she did not expect him to be so extreme. He would go to the lengths of killing people to help his precious sister avenge her. ¡°Also, stay away from Jason as well in the future!¡± Jeremy added indifferently. What did this have to do with Jason? Corinne was dazed, then she frowned. ¡°Mister Jeremy, do you think nobody other than you is a good person in the world?¡± Jeremy shot her a nce coldly, then said in a cold and deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m not a good person either.¡± Corinne snickered. ¡°So I see you know it yourself!¡± There was a cigarette in between Jeremy¡¯s well-defined fingers, and he was surrounded by smoke. He turned his head a little, squinting at her. ¡°Whether I am a good person or not depends on who I am dealing with.¡± At first, Corinne was stillughing, but she got so ufortable as Jeremy stared at her meaningfully, she could only smile. It seemed that Jeremy was not expecting her to understand. He sneered, puffing out a cloud of smoke while looking ahead. Looking at his side profile as he smoked, Corinne felt he was handsome, but she frowned. ¡± Mister Jeremy, you should smoke less. This is already your sixteenth cigarette today!¡± Jeremy was slightly dazed. He stopped in his tracks a little, then looked toward her. His deep gaze was unfathomable. ¡°What did you say?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne suddenly regained her senses and figured out that what she said was not quite right. She turned her head and said after a pause, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± She sped up as she wanted to put distance between herself and Jeremy and go their ways! Jeremy, however, raised his hand to block her path. Squinting his deep, fathomless eyes, he asked again, ¡°Why did you count how many cigarettes I¡¯ve had, Miss Corrine? Were you caring about me?¡± Chapter 558 Chapter 558 As Jeremy closed in on her, Corinne¡¯s bright eyes shifted awkwardly. ¡°Because I hate the smell of cigarettes!¡± Jeremy frowned, bending over to lean closer toward her. He exhaled a puff of smoke above her head as if he was bullying her, then said with a slightly mocking tone, ¡°If you hate the smell of cigarettes, stay away from me.¡± Upon saying that, he put out his cigarette by rubbing it against the wall behind Corinne, then he threw it into the trash can in front of him, hitting a bullseye. Corinne hugged the wall as she walked, to begin with, so after Jeremy stopped her and closed in on her, she leaned back until there was no way she could retreat anymore. At that moment, Corinne was almostpletely in the man¡¯s arms with her back against the wall and his arm above her head. She frowned, exhibiting resistance, and red at the man unhappily, ¡°How am I supposed to stay away from you with you being like this? Please move, Mister Jeremy, and I¡¯ll certainly stay away from you!¡± The man seemed to have seen through something in her eyes. He squinted, exuding a dangerous air. ¡°Are you very nervous, Miss Corinne?¡± Corinne was speechless. He was so close to her that he already went over the limit for a normal social distance. Anybody would be nervous in that situation! Jeremy did not n to retreat. He stared into her eyes as if he was not going to stop until he pierce through her soul. There was practically no space between them as they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, filling an unusual air around them. Jeremy kept feeling that this woman did not seem like she was truly already married. It seemed like she hid something. ¡°Dear, I¡¯ll get jealous if you stand so close to another man in front of our home!¡± Suddenly, a man¡¯s gentle yet usatory voice could be hearding from another direction. It was Aaron. Aaron looked at them, smiling with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Mister Jeremy, could you please stay away from my wife? I¡¯m an easily jealous man. I don¡¯t like other men getting too close to my woman!¡± Jeremy frowned. He was just suspecting if Corinne was in a false marriage earlier. At that moment, he saw her husband appearing, looking jealous. The bit of suspicion he had waspletely dispelled. He pulled back his arm that was pushing against the wall and straightened his back, letting Corinne go. It was only then Corinne could break herself free. She immediately distanced herself from the dangerous man and walked to her subordinate, Aaron. Aaron¡¯s acting was superb. He held her shoulders and said gently, ¡°Dear, why did you trouble Mister Jeremy to take you home again? It¡¯s not good to keep troubling others. You have to call me next time and ask me to pick you up. Got it?¡± Corinne could not help but be made speechless by Aaron¡¯s acting. However, she had to cooperate with him. ¡°Oh, I got it! Were you in a meeting just now? I was afraid I¡¯ll interrupt you! I just met Mister Jeremy not too far away in front. He helped me drive a few evil people with ill intentions. We then wandered here together!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!¡± Aaron smiled gently and thoughtfully at Corinne, then he looked up at the man with a sullen expression in the near distance. Putting on a fake smile, he said, ¡® What a helpful person you are, Mister Jeremy. You liked to rescue the damsel in distress and. send another person¡¯s wife home so much!¡± His words sounded like he was iming his rights over her a little. Feelingplicated, Jeremy shot a nce at Corinne, who was standing beside another man, then he looked at Aaron with a cold, harsh gaze. ¡°If you care about your wife, have a few more people protecting her these few days, don¡¯t let her go to work, and fulfill your responsibility as a husband!¡± ¡°My wife is working purely because of her interest. I respect her, so of course, I will also do my best to fulfill my responsibility to her. Even if I amcking in any way, there¡¯s no need for you. to do my job for me!¡± The tension between them rose as they spoke to each other. Jeremy looked at Aaron, who was looking down at him indifferently from the corner of his eye, then sneered a little, exuding a murderous air around him. ¡°If you don¡¯t give others a chance, nobody will be able to do your job for you!¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Upon saying that, the man turned around, got into the car that slowly followed behind him, and left. It was after Aaron saw Jeremy¡¯s car disappearing at the end of the street that he looked at Corinne, asking seriously, ¡°Boss, what happened? Why did Jeremy take you home again? Also, you said some people with ill intentions wanted to attack you just now. Is that true?¡± Corinne felt relieved after Jeremy left, but she was notpletely rxed. She waved her hand in exhaustion and said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story! I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s talk after I take a rest at home for at while!¡± At that same time, Tommy sat in the front passenger seat of the moving car, turning his head to look at Jeremy at the back, who looked sullen. Tommy felt so pressured that he did not dare to say anything. However, when Jeremy got out of the car to save Corinne, he forgot his phone in the car. Annie happened to call at that time, and Tommy was afraid that it was an emergency, so he answered the call for Jeremy. Tommy had no choice but to convey Anne¡¯s message to Jeremy. After he prepared himself for a while, Tommy bit the bullet and said, ¡°Sir, Miss Anne called just now. She said it¡¯s her mother¡¯s birthday today, and she asked you to head over for dinner tonight to celebrate with her.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Annie¡¯s mother was Jeremy¡¯s cousin and the eldest girl in Jeremy¡¯s generation on his mother¡¯s side of the family. She was almost 20 years his senior. Jeremy¡¯s mother was gone since he was still in his childhood. Annie¡¯s mother showed Jeremy great care and concern, so she was like a parent to him. Tommy did not get a response from Jeremy after a long time, so he plucked up his courage and asked again, ¡°Sir, do you want to go to Miss Anne¡¯s home, or would you like to head back to the estate?¡± Jeremy seemed to have regained his senses. He slowly looked up and ordered without any expressions, ¡°To the Levine family mansion.¡± Ever since the rascal was no longer in the estate, it felt deste even if he were to return, so he hardly went back there during that period. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± After Tommy received the order, he turned to signal the driver to turn the car around. Anne carried a te of big crabs out of the kitchen in the Levine family mansion. She was beaming as she was in a good mood. She ced the te of crabs in the middle of the table. Looking at the ample amount of food. on the table, she kept feeling that it was still not enough. Therefore, she looked back and shouted toward the kitchen, ¡°Mom! You and Missus Zall should prepare a few more dishes. Uncle Jeremy will bring Corrine over today! This is the first time she ising over to our home, we must give her a warm wee!! Annie¡¯s mother walked out with a bowl of sd, looking mildly annoyed at her daughter who did not do much other than create trouble. ¡°I got it! You¡¯ve said that more than ten times! Don¡¯t forget that your mother, myself, is the birthday girl today! You even asked me to prepare so many dishes without worrying that I¡¯ll be too tired!¡± Annie grinned and went to her mother. She hugged her mother¡¯s arm and said while acting cute, ¡°I know you¡¯ve done plenty, Mom! But the food I make is terrible. The only food I can prepare is crabs. Otherwise, I would have prepared all the food myself! I¡¯m mainly afraid the food I whip up is so disgusting that Uncle Jeremy and Corinne would run away in fear!¡± Chapter 560 Chapter 560 ¡°Mom, you know how dispirited Uncle Jeremy was for the past month or so! She finally found Corinne after searching so hard for a month, we can¡¯t be a burden to Uncle Jeremy. If Corinne ran off because of our poor hospitality, then Uncle Jeremy is going to be very pitiful!¡± Annie¡¯s mother smiled helplessly and lovingly, ¡°Alright, stop nagging! I know you feel sorry for your uncle. I will treat Corinne cordially!¡± Annie smiled, feeling happy. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± At that moment, she heard the sound of a car pulling into the front yard. She got so excited that she let go of her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom! That must be Uncle Jeremy and Corinne! Hurry up and prepare more food. I¡¯ll first go out to greet them!¡± Upon saying that, Annie ran with excitement. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Annie¡¯s mother shook her head while smiling helplessly, then she returned to the kitchen to prepare food with the housekeeper. When Annie rushed out to the front yard, Jeremy just got out of the car after the driver respectfully opened the door for him. ¡°You¡¯re here, Uncle Jeremy! We¡¯re having a feast today!¡± Anne said,ing up to him with a smile. ncing at her indifferently, Jeremy hummed as an acknowledgment and walked into the mansion. Annie did not find it strange. She got used to her uncle being cool and distant. He was like that since she was a child. She did not follow Jeremy into the mansion. Instead, she ran to the car in excitement, opening the door to search for someone. While getting the car door, she nagged, ¡°How can Uncle Jeremy act like this? How can he not wait for Corinne and go inside on his own? Hmph! He¡¯s not even afraid that she¡¯ll dump him and run away again! Corinne, I¡¯m here to wee you!¡± However, after she opened the door, she did not see the person she expected inside the car. ¡°Where¡¯s aunt?¡± Anne poke her head into the car, but she saw nobody in the back seat. She looked at the front, and she only saw the driver and Tommy. The driver and Tommy turned around as well, looking at her in surprise. Tommy said, ¡°Miss Annie, who are you looking for?¡± Anne said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Corinne! Didn¡¯t shee with Uncle Jeremy?¡± Tommy looked upset. He then cautiously instructed Annie, ¡°I¡¯ll remind you, Miss Annie. It¡¯s better for you to not mention Miss Corinne in front of Mister Jeremyter.¡± Annie frowned. She got a little unhappy when she realized things were not how she anticipated. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Could it be that Uncle Jeremy and Corinne didn¡¯t get back together after they got reunited?¡± Tommy shook his head regretfully. ¡°So don¡¯t mention Miss Corinne in front of Mister Jeremy. You¡¯ll affect his mood.¡± Anne could not figure out what was going on. If she were to ask Jeremy, he certainly would not tell her since he was a man of few words. Therefore, she immediately got in the car and asked Tommy about everything! ¡°What exactly is going on? He has already found her, but why didn¡¯t the plot develop as scripted? Could it be that Uncle Jeremy is still cool and distant to Corinne, and he didn¡¯t coax his wife who ran away from home toe home?¡± Tommy frowned with aplicated expression. ¡°It¡¯s not Mister Jeremy¡¯s fault.¡± Annie got even more confused. ¡°It¡¯s not Uncle Jeremy¡¯s fault? So it¡¯s Corinne¡¯s fault then? She¡¯s such a good person, what fault would she have?¡± Tommy knew it was not his ce to discuss his employer too much. However, Annie had a reckless character, so he was afraid if he did not tell her, she would keep mentioning Corinne in front of Jeremy after she went insideter and get him all worked up. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 ¡°Miss Annie, Miss Corinne is someone else¡¯s wife right now, so it¡¯s not appropriate for Mister Jeremy to make any moves on her or have any rtions with her anymore. Don¡¯t mention her after you go inside later, got it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Annie was so shocked, she stood up, forgetting that she was in a car. She instantly bumped her head against the roof of the car and she let out a small cry in pain. Tommy was speechless when he saw that. ¡°Miss Annie, are you alright?¡± Feeling irritated, Annie rubbed her head which was in pain. She could not be bothered about the pain anymore as she asked anxiously, ¡°How could Corinne be someone else¡¯s wife? She hasn¡¯t gotten a divorce from Uncle Jeremy, has she? How could she marry someone else?¡± Tommy sighed helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s like this. Miss Corinne and Mister Jeremy were never officially married back then. Mister Jeremy only wanted to get married back then to brush off his grandfather. Therefore, there¡¯s no such thing as a divorce.¡± Annie looked resentful because her uncle failed to meet her expectations. ¡°Uncle Jeremey¡¯s hopeless! Never mind that he did not get officially married to her at first, but after he and Corinne got together, he still did not quickly take his wife to get a marriage certificate! Corinne is so adorable. There must be a bunch of people pursuing her. Look at the situation now! She¡¯s taken by someone else!¡± Tommy put on a forced smile. ¡°Miss Annie, seeing that Mister Jeremy is your uncle, just don¡¯t mock him at this juncture, and especially don¡¯t bring this up in front of him.¡± Annie frowned. She was very happy about this. She was very fond of Corinne! Even if her uncle gave up on his wife, Annie would not want to give up on her idol, Corinne! After giving it a thought, Annie asked again, ¡°Tommy, tell me, who did Corinne marry this time?¡± Tommy said, ¡°The vice president of Newmoon Group-Aaron Rhode.¡± Annie looked like she was plotting something. ¡°Newmoon Group. Aaron. Alright! I¡¯vemitted that to my memory!¡± Tommy had a faint feeling that something bad was going to happen. Feeling worried, he asked, ¡°Miss Annie, what are you preparing to do?¡± Anne put on a wicked grin. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you! Anyway, don¡¯t worry. I have a way to help Uncle Jeremy get Corrine back!¡± Upon saying that, Annie got out of the car, looking cool, and entered the mansion. Tommy was confused. Annie said she has a way to help Jeremy get Corinne back, but how? Corinne was already a married woman at that moment. If Jeremy were to still go after her, then he would be the home-wrecker. As far as Tommy could tell, both Jeremy and Corinne were both people with high principles. None of them would take that first step! Therefore, what exactly was Annie going to do? She better not create some trouble. In the afternoon the following day, Annie brought her resume to Newmoon Group to apply for a job. She wanted to see how the vice president named Aaron looked and if he was more handsome than her uncle. How dare he stole Corinne away from her uncle! Other than that, she mainly wanted to investigate if Aaron and Corinne were truly married. She had a feeling that Corinne was not the type that liked to get married, so how could she get married so quickly after she just left Jeremy? She emailed her resume to the Human Resources Department of Newmoon Groupst night. Someone from the department called her that morning, notifying her toe for an interview. The Newmoon Group was quite efficient, but Annie just had no clue if she would be able to be that vice president! Annie entered the elevator and selected the floor stated on the address the Human Resources Department sent to her.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 562 Chapter 562 When it got to Annie¡¯s turn, she entered the room for the interview at the Human Resources Department and greeted the three interviewers. She introduced herself, then sat down, waiting for their questions. The three interviewers looked at her beautiful resume, then looked at each other as if they found it a little surprising. After that, the interviewer sitting in the middle looked up at Anne¡¯s outstanding image, asking with slight confusion, ¡°The previouspany you¡¯ve worked for is the Holden Group?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You were able to work at such a goodpany like the Holden Group, so why did you resign? ¡± Annie smiled and said, ¡°Nothing in particr. I just felt I didn¡¯t have a future there. I wanted to try a new job and challenge myself.¡± Her words made the three interviewers even more confused. Holden Group was known for being a company that was hard to join and had great benefits, yet there was someone who felt that she did not have a future working in thepany. After Annie graduated college, she was given the easiest position at the Holden Group by her uncle. The pay was high and the workload was light. It was usual for her toe inte and leave early. Everybody in thepany knew she was the president¡¯s niece, so nobody dared to have an opinion about her work ethic, much less dock her pay. Truth be told, she truly felt she did not have much of a future in the Holden Group. Because of her uncle, everybody in thepany was courteous to her, and her direct superior also did not dare to give her too much work. She was usually just arranging, stapling, and looking for documents. Other than that, she just spent her remaining time loafing around. She felt that she was going to wither away soon! The interviewer sitting in the middle asked her again, ¡°Miss Annie, may I know what position you would like to apply for at ourpany?¡± ¡°Any position would do. It¡¯ll be fine as long as I can join your esteemedpany!¡± Anne was distracted. She kept staring at the peopleing and going outside the ss door, noticing and observing any man that might be the vice president, Aaron. ¡°Any position would do?¡± The interviewers started to look at her with hostility. They felt she came to the Newmoon Group to pull a joke and a prank! After they looked at each other, all three of them unanimously agreed that Annie was not serious about joining thepany. Also, she had a frivolous attitude and did not have enough respect for the Newmoon Group. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Therefore, one of the interviewers said to her rudely, ¡°What if it¡¯s the position as a cleaner, would that be fine by you too?¡± ¡°Cleaner?¡± Annie frowned as she was a little surprised. The interviewer sneered. ¡°Yes, we urgently need a cleaner, so you can start immediately.¡± Annie gave it a thought, then her eyes lit up. ¡°Alright. Cleaner it is. I¡¯ll take it!¡± A cleaner was responsible for cleaning the premises, so she would be able to go anywhere with ease, which was exactly what she wanted! The interviewers looked at the young woman and found her incredibly absurd. They even question if she was serious about it. ¡°Miss Annie, are you sure you want to join the Newmoon Group as a cleaner responsible for cleaning thepany? Annie said with great enthusiasm. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure! I¡¯m here to challenge things I¡¯ve never done before, so please give me a chance!¡± Her unusual demand for the job stunned the three interviewers. ¡°Alright, you may start tomorrow!¡± Annie rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Let¡¯s not do it tomorrow. I¡¯ll just start today!¡± The interviewers looked at her with great confusion. ¡°Are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Yes, may I know where I should go to get the paperwork done toe on board? I already can¡¯t wait to get to work, so I¡¯ll start cleaning immediately!¡± One of the interviewers looked baffled. ¡°Uhm, you may turn left after heading out the door to get the paperwork done.¡± ¡°Alright, thank you!¡± Annie got up. After she shook their hands to thank them, she left in excitement to get the onboarding paperwork done. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 All three of the interviewers remaining in the room just looked at each other. ¡°I feel this girl is a little suspicious!¡± ¡°She¡¯s most probably another girl who¡¯s here for the vice president.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Maybe. Mister Aaron has always been a chick ma!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of girls who came to get a job here for the sake of getting close to Mister Aaron, but she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s even willing to be cleaner!¡± At the same time, Corinne came to the Rivera Group to work on time as well that day, and she spent the whole morning preparing the sales n for the quarter. After she was done, she brought the sales proposal into Lucas¡¯s office. There was already a new secretary at the entrance of the office. She was a young and fine girl, and she was cking off and scrolling on her phone. Corinne went over and asked naturally, ¡°Is Mister Lucas in?¡± Regaining her senses, the new secretary quickly put her phone down and stood up. However, once she saw that it was Corinne, she immediately looked sullen and sat down again before looking down at her exquisite nails. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Why are you looking for Mister Lucas?¡± Corinne looked at the secretary indifferently. Corinne did not know her, but it was clear that she knew Corinne, and she was hostile toward her for some reason. Corinne said, ¡°I have a document for Mister Lucas to go through.¡± The secretary tapped on her desk. ¡°What document? Just leave it here. I¡¯ll bring it in and hand it to Mister Lucaster.¡± Corinne did not cooperate. ¡°I need to exin the data and content of the document to Mister Lucas in person, so please help me notify him!¡¯ The secretary rolled her eyes at her before reluctantly calling the extension. After the call was answered, the annoyance the secretary had toward Corinne disappeared. She immediately changed into a respectful and gentle tone, saying, ¡°Mister Lucas, Miss Corinne from the Sales Department is here to see you. She said she has a document for you to look through!¡± Lucas¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end of the call, saying three indifferent words, Let her in.¡± After hanging up the call, the secretary raised her chin unhappily and said in annoyance, ¡°Go on in!¡± Corinne smiled. She did not care about the secretary¡¯s attitude at all. That was because she knew the secretary would notst long in this position. Lucas was an incredibly strict person, so how would he allow a secretary with such a work ethic to work under his nose? She must be a secretary that was temporarily transferred to fill the position. She would soon be gone from the Rivera Group. Corinne opened the door and entered Lucas¡¯s office. Lucas was not the only one in the office that day. The youngest son of the Riveras, Sunny, was also there. Sunny was sitting not far away from his brother at the side of the desk and was working hard on the specimens papers. It seemed that he encountered a question he did not know how to answer as he was looking troubled and scratching his head. Corinne nced at Sunny calmly, then she looked toward her boss very seriously and politely and walked up to hand the documents to him. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve done a sales proposal for the quarter ording to the market search I conducted with Mister Jason yesterday. Please look through it and see if it¡¯s alright.¡± Sunny was thinking about the question when he heard Corinne¡¯s voice, he immediately stopped writing and was shocked when he looked up. ¡°Corinne, why are you here at my brother¡¯spany?¡± Chapter 564 Chapter 564 While epting the document from Corinne, Lucas shot a cold nce at his brother. ¡°Do your work.¡± Having been scolded by his brother, Sunny lowered his head sullenly to continue working on the specimen paper, not daring to make another sound. Lucas skimmed through the sales proposal Corinne prepared, looking slightly dazed. After that, he squinted as if he seemed to be impressed by her business acumen. After a moment, he raised his eyebrow, looking at her slightly suspiciously. ¡°You did this yourself?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. I had some ideas after doing market research with Mister Jason yesterday, so I did this sales proposal for you to have a look at. If there¡¯s no problem. with it, I¡¯ll implement this n.¡± Lucas sneered while surveying her. ¡°It¡¯s not bad, but it¡¯s unnecessary!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Why?¡± Lucas closed the file and tossed it aside. ¡°Food products are just an extremely small business to the company. We¡¯re not expecting to make a name for ourselves with food products, and we don¡¯t need to market or promote them too much to improve sales.¡± ncing at the document that was tossed aside on the table, Corinne smiled without feeling like she suffered a setback and still voiced out her view, ¡°You¡¯ve given me the position as the sales manager, but you didn¡¯t give me too much authority. The bigger businesses of thepany are out of my reach. However, since I¡¯m holding this position, I still have to do my job and carry out my duty as best as I can. I didn¡¯t want to be a sales manager that loafs around, so I did this sales proposal. Whether to implement it or not, that still depends on your view. ¡°Also, I heard food production is just something of sentimental value to you because your precious sister loves the snacks ourpany produces. That¡¯s why Rivera Group has always been maintaining a small batch production all these years. Since it¡¯s something an important loved one of yours likes, it will be loved by even more people if we can expand and make it better. I believe your sister would feel acknowledged and would resonate with them when she sees that many people like the same snacks as her. She would probably be happy because of that! ¡°Of course, that¡¯s just my personal view and is for reference only.¡± Hearing what Corinne had to say, Lucas squinted, looking at her with an indescribable strange gaze. Corinne interpreted that gaze as a sense of dissatisfaction toward her as a person and also the fact that she was still alive and well. The people Lucas sent yesterday failed to get rid of her. She escaped from death by the skin of her teeth, and she came to work unscathed the following day. Lucas must have been fuming at that moment when he saw her! Lucas fell silent for a long time before he said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll think about your sales proposal. You may leave now!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Corinne turned and left, not saying anything else anymore. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Sunny looked up and nced at Corinne¡¯s back. He frowned as he felt it was very strange. What exactly was going on? Why was she working at her brother¡¯spany? When Corinne came out of Lucas¡¯s office, she happened to bump into Anya, who came to look for her brother. Anya was carrying some things, and they should be food from the looks of it. She was standing at the door, chatting with the new secretary with a smile. Unlike the way she treated Corinne, the secretary was ingratiating herself with Anya. She kept complimenting Anya¡¯s beautiful appearance and good-liking clothes. She was polite. The door made a little sound as Corinne came out, so naturally, both of them looked toward her. Both of their faces instantly got unfriendly when they saw Corinne. One of them was filled with disgust while the other was filled with hostility. Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Corinne wanted to ignore them, so she automatically walked past them. ¡°Corinne!¡± Anya called out to her in a gentle voice. Corinne stopped in her tracks, turning her face. ¡°Is something up again, Miss Anya?¡± She was mocking her by adding the word ¡°again,¡± insinuating that she did plenty in the past. It also had a tinge of warning implied, telling her she better not create trouble again! Anya came to Corinne with a smile as pure as the driven snow, then deliberately asked, Corinne, why did you ignore me when you saw me?¡± What was there for them to talk about after Anya framed Corinne yesterday? ¡± Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I saw you and Mister Lucas¡¯ secretary were having an enjoyable conversation, so I didn¡¯t want to interject.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Anya¡¯s pure smile got broader. She took a step closer and tip-toed to reach Corinne¡¯s ear as Corinne was taller than her. Then, she spoke in a voice so soft that only Corinne could hear, ¡°Corinne, you won yesterday! However, don¡¯t be smug yet. The best part is yet toe! Didn¡¯t you like to drive a wedge between my brother and me? Let me tell you. something then, that¡¯s what you¡¯re incredibly wrong about! My brother loves me the most. Ever since childhood, no matter what mistakes I¡¯ve made, he would forgive unconditionally, loving me just the same and tolerating me! An illegitimate daughter like you who was never loved by anybody and liked by your family since childhood would never understand the happiness I have!¡± She was smiling as she said that, but the words that came out of her mouth were unkind. The juxtaposition of the two created an extremely creepy feeling. However, Corinne sneered instead of getting angry and said with a faint smile, ¡°Mm-hmm. I can tell that Mister Lucas truly loves you very much.¡± Anya put her feet firmly on the ground, raising an eyebrow at Corinne in an arrogant yet sweet manner while beaming. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can tell! So don¡¯t waste your effort trying toe at me through my brother! It¡¯s useless!¡± Corinne was still smiling. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired, Miss Anya? You¡¯re acting a fake character and image every day. You use your family and friends to create trouble, and you plot against all the women who might threaten you, treating everybody as your enemy. Honestly speaking, are you truly happy and secure? ¡°In my opinion, a secure and fulfilled person probably wouldn¡¯t be like you, who would go to any lengths to guard everything you already have. I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re feeling very anxious and insecure deep down. Because you know everything you have now can be shattered at just a slight touch. The love and tolerance you were surrounded with what you¡¯ve traded by putting on an act and ingratiating yourself. You don¡¯t have the confidence that you can still have this status and protection when you let your true colors show and be yourself. Therefore, you are more afraid than anybody to lose it all, am I right?¡± Anya¡¯s smile stiffened, unable to say anything for a long time. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne raised his hand and patted her shoulder with a frivolous yet heavy touch. ¡°Miss Anya, if you have time to target me, you might as well do some good deeds to give your child some blessings!¡± Upon saying that, she walked past Anya and returned to her office. Anya almost lost herposure. Every single word Corinne said earlier got to her and exposed the deep fear she had deep down! Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Anya red at Corinne¡¯s back coldly before hiding her vicious expression. When she turned around, her usual gentle and sweet smile was on her face again. She said to the new secretary in front of Lucas¡¯s office, ¡°Sienna, please help me keep an eye on things at Lucas¡¯s end in the future! You know how many women want to approach my brother using work as an excuse. I don¡¯t wish for him to be harassed by those women with ill intentions who would bring unnecessary trouble to him.¡± Sienna nodded in full support. ¡°I understand, Miss Anya! Don¡¯t worry. I would do just that. I¡¯ll secretly notify you if anything were to happen here, especially the actions of a certain sales. manager. I definitely won¡¯t let her have a chance to harass Mister Lucas!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I feel reassured that you¡¯re here! Sienna, I feel you¡¯re very special. You¡¯re unlike those tacky women. Wishing you all the best!¡± Anya gave her a friendly smile before turning around to enter Lucas¡¯s office. The secretary named Sienna blushed. She was feeling happy deep down and letting her imagination run wild. Anya told her she was different from other women and wished her all the best. Did that mean Anya did not mind her approaching Lucas? Did she have a chance to be Lucas¡¯s wife? Would Anya agree to let her be her sister-inw? If that was the case, then Anya was as nice as she was rumored to be. She was not haughty at all! When Anya entered Lucas¡¯s office, carrying the thermos sk, Lucas was frowning and looking at the specimen papers Sunny just finished. The more he looked at it, the more he looked at it the harder he frowned. ¡°What have you been learning in school all these years? How could you not know how to solve the most basic calction?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny was looking fearful, hanging his head and not daring to say a single word. He did not know how to solve any of the questions at all, but he did not dare to not answer them in front of Lucas, so he was just blindly taking a guess. Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. He was not willing to admit that this ipetent, unintelligent brat was a member of the Riveras and his brother! At first, Lucas wanted to check his mistakes and teach him what he did wrong. In the end, he did not see a single question that he got right after going through the entire paper! taught him for so many years, yet he only had the standard of an elementary school student. He was hopeless. Lucas threw the paper back to Sunny with a darkened expression. ¡°Redo the whole thing!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Sunny was so frightened, he was holding his breath. Then, he redid the paper quietly with his head hung. Seeing that, Anya sighed helplessly as well before waking over. ¡°Lucas, are you tutoring Sunny on his homework? Don¡¯t get so angry. I brought both of your some mushroom soup. Take a break from work and first have some soup. Take a breather.¡± Lucas looked up when he heard her voice, still looking upset. ¡°Why did youe to the office again? Your child is injured and still at the hospital. Who¡¯s looking after the child if you¡¯re not staying at the hospital?¡± Anya was stunned. Lucas¡¯s attitude made her feel very uneasy. He never spoke to her in such a cold and upset tone before. Ever since Corinne revealed that it was Anya who bribed the waiter from the restaurant, Lucas looked at Anya with an icy gaze and did not talk to her much anymore. Anya exined softly. ¡°I¡¯ve asked Rosie and the nanny to look after Joey for me. I was thinking that you were working very hard, so I wanted to bring some soup for you. I purposely asked the nanny to make more of the soup when she was making it for Joey! Lucas, you must be tired from work. Have some soup to replenish your energy, alright?¡± Lucas nced at the thermos sk in her hands. He looked down indifferently and said, ¡°Joey has scalding injuries on his body. Don¡¯t let him have too much greasy food.¡± Anya looked a little sheepish. ¡°I know, Lucas. I-¡± Chapter 567 Chapter 567 ¡°Alright. Leave the soup. You should go back to the hospital and be with the child,¡± Lucas cut her off, then he picked up the document on the table and looked through it. His cold attitude. clearly showed that he did not wish to talk to her anymore. The document in his hand happened to be the sales proposal Corinne just submitted. Looking at the well-organized words and data, Lucas could not help but think about what Corinne said before she left, regarding whether or not they should expand the sales of the food products. He was thinking that if his sister, Lama, was still alive, would she have never had these food products before because they were not promoted well enough? If she managed to have her favorite childhood snacks, would she start reminiscing about their past and think of returning home to visit her brother? Perhaps the sales proposal Corinne drew up could be implemented. Seeing that her brother did not wish to listen to her or even take another look at her anymore, Anya felt very awkward standing in the office. She had no clue what to do as she was stuck in at very difficult position. Sunny-who was working on the papers at the side-also felt that something was very wrong with the atmosphere in the room. He looked up and nced at his sister, then he looked at his indifferent brother. He felt that something was very strange. He sensed something was very weird when he was at homest night. Ever since their childhood, his brother always doted on his sister the most. His brother would almost always go along with whatever his sister said! However, for some reason, his brother did not respond to his sister muchst night. At that moment, his brother was so cold to his sister. This never happened in the past. What exactly was going on at that moment? Anya gave it a thought, then she walked forward to put the thermos sk on Lucas¡¯s desk. After that, she said to his younger brother gently, ¡°Sunny, stop working on your specimen paper for a moment. Go outside and take a break. I have something I want to say to Lucas now. Come backter to have the soup with Lucaster.¡± ¡°Oh, alright!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. That was exactly what Sunny wanted. He truly had no idea how to answer the question on the specimen paper. He would only get scolded by his brother if he stayed in the office. Suddenly, his sister gave him a chance to leave, so without hesitating at all, he put down his pen and rushed out of there! After Anya saw that Sunny left, she turned around to look at Lucas, who was perusing the document seriously. Anya hesitated for a moment, then said with a catch in her throat. ¡°Lucas, do you hate me now?¡± Hearing his sister choking back a sob, Lucas looked up at her with a sense of exhaustion in his complicated gaze. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t cry so easily. You¡¯re twenty now. You¡¯re no longer a child. You should know that crying would not resolve any problems¡± Anya truly sensed an impending doom. Her brother would always immediately cheer her when he saw her cry in the past. However, he did not do that that day. He was even a little annoyed that she cried. ¡°Lucas, I know what I did yesterday was wrong. I¡¯ve been bad! But you have never given me a chance to exin myself! I was forced to do it. I truly couldn¡¯t think of any other way anymore. Lucas picked up something questionable. He frowned and said, ¡°You were forced to do it? Who forced you?¡± Anya wiped her tears, feeling aggrieved. Then, she told him the story she made up in advance, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this method to drive Corinne away, but she bragged to me in the restroom that she was pregnant, and she said it was Jeremy¡¯s baby! I panicked. How could Ipete with her? Lucas, my body can never bear a child anymore, so how can Ipete with Corinne who has a healthy and fertile body? If Jeremy finds out she¡¯s pregnant, he¡¯ll push Joey and me aside. I was so scared. I was so afraid that Corinne would use her pregnancy to steal Jeremy away from me. That¡¯s why I became a fool for a moment and used such an extreme method. I¡¯m sorry, Lucas! I know I was wrong. I know I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Lucas was dazed. Corine was pregnant? Chapter 568 Chapter 568 After Sunny ran out of the office, he asked the secret at the door, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s the office for thedy who went in to deliver a document to my brother?¡± Sienna stood up. ¡°Mister Sunny, are you asking about Corinne?¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the one!¡± Feeling a little confused, Sienna asked, ¡°Mister Sunny, why are you looking for Corinne? Do you know her very well?¡± Sunny frowned in annoyance. ¡°Do I have to tell you why I¡¯m looking for her?¡± Sienna quickly waved in a panic, smiling apologetically, and said, ¡°Oh, no. No, no. I was just asking. Well, go straight ahead, turn right then turn left, and you¡¯ll arrive at the sales manager¡¯s office. Corinne¡¯s there. Do you need me to take you there?¡± ¡°No need!¡± Sunny said coldly, then he immediately went straight ahead and turned left to look for her office as he could not wait anymore. After Sunny found the sales manager¡¯s office, he leaned against the door to look inside. It was after he confirmed Corinne was in there that he immediately walked in! ¡°Hey! Corinne!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Hearing something entering, Corinne who was ying solitaire on herputer-nced at Sunny, totally unfazed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? May I help you with something?¡± Sunny walked over with arrogant strides, then he craned his neck to nce at herputer monitor. ¡°You¡¯re something. How dare you y games at work?¡± Corinne looked at her cards with focus as she could not care less. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my tasks in advance, so what¡¯s wrong with having a bit of entertainment?¡± Sunny sneered, but he said nothing. He did not care if Corinne was working hard or cking. He sat on the chair across from Corinne¡¯s desk and asked while looking right at her, ¡°Corinne, where have you been for the past month?¡± Corinne still looked like she could not be bothered. Her eyes were fixed on her monitor. ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere. I just wandered around everywhere.¡± Sunny could not wrap his head around it. ¡°Wander around everywhere? Since you¡¯ve left, why did you come back again to work at my brother¡¯spany?¡± ¡°Because your family¡¯spany has good benefits, high sry, and good prospects, so I came to apply for a job.¡± Sunny¡¯s eyebrows were tightly furrowed. He squirted and stared at her, feeling extremely doubtful. ¡°Would you need that bit of sry?¡± While clicking on the card with her mouse, Corinne curled her lips and replied, ¡°You are a rich kid who¡¯s out of touch with reality, Mister Sunny. Of course, office workers like us need a sry. Otherwise, how are we supposed to feed ourselves?¡± Sunny was not convinced by her at all. Looking like he was interrogating a criminal, he crossed his arms arrogantly and said, ¡°Hmph! How are you just an office worker? You were previously. a Missus Holden. You have all the money in the world! Even if you truly wanted to work, you could have asked Jeremy to let you have a random position at the Holden Group. Why would you need to run away from the Holdens and thene work at my family¡¯spany?¡± Corinne did not wish to exin too much to a kid like him, so she yawned because of boredom. ¡°Are you done with your homework, Mister Sunny? Why are you so free that you¡¯re here trying to get to the bottom of my business?¡± Sunny sneered. ¡°My sister is here and she¡¯s talking to my brother in his office! I came out and had nothing to do, so I came to have a chat with you. Is that now allowed?¡± Corinne chuckled, nodding a little. ¡°It¡¯s certainly allowed. This is your family¡¯spany. Of course, you can do whatever you want!¡± Sunny felt that her attitude was terrible as she was just brushing him off. He got angry for some reason and gritted his teeth. ¡°Corinne!¡± Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Corinne was still distracted and ying her game. ¡°Yes, Mister Sunny. Go ahead. I¡¯m listening! Sunny got up and put his arms on her desk, leaning closer to her, and questioned her, ¡°Tell me the truth. Why did you leave the Holdens?¡± Hearing this question, Corinne stopped moving her mouse for a moment so brief it was barely noticeable. Then, she pursed her lips a little, still not batting an eye. ¡°I¡¯vepleted my mission, so of course, I should leave.¡± Sunny¡¯s handsome and youthful eyes were filled with confusion. ¡°Mission? What mission?¡± It was only then nced at him indifferently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know this for a long time? Mister Jeremy was never serious about marrying me from the beginning. He was just asking me to help him deal with the elders in his family! I¡¯vepleted my mission after that, so if 1 don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll truly be your sister¡¯s love rival, won¡¯t I?¡± Sunny was taken aback, staring at the way she looked as she said it so casually. He pursed hist lips, wanting to say something, but he held his tongue. At that moment, someone knocked on Corrine¡¯s office door. Lucas¡¯s secretary, Sienna, poked her head into the room and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, Miss Anya has left. Mister Lucas sent me to ask you to go back to the office and continue doing your homework!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Sunny had a slight headache and felt troubled as soon as he heard he had to return to do his homework. ¡°Alright, I got it. You may first return. I¡¯ll have a few words with Miss Corinne, then I¡¯ll return on my own!¡± ¡°Alright, Mister Sunny!¡± Sienna replied to Sunny respectfully. At the same time, she nced at Corinne in annoyance, then surreptitiously rolled her eyes at her! Corrine was truly a piece of work. It was no wonder why Anya wanted to prevent her from getting close to Lucas. She wanted to marry above her station so much that she wanted to seduce a kid like Sunny! How disgusting! Figuring that Sienna was almost gone, Sunny immediately grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand which controlled her mouse. ¡°Corinne,e on! Come with me!¡± ¡°Huh? Why should I go with you? Mister Lucas didn¡¯t ask for me!¡± Corinne wanted to reject him, but unfortunately, Sunny was stubborn. He already dragged her out of her office without giving her a chance to resist. Sunny did not have time to tell Corinne too much. It was after he ran and dragged her into the elevator that was about to close that he let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they made it to the elevator, and there was nobody in there. Corinn shook his hand off. ¡°Sunny, what¡¯s the matter with you? Why did you drag me out?¡± Sunny said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back and do the homework. I don¡¯t know how to solve any of the questions at all. I¡¯ll be getting an earful if I go back¡± Corinne looked at him as if she was looking at someone crazy, and she did not know what to say, ¡°You could have just left yourself. Why did you pull me out of there with you?¡± Feelingpletely justified, Sunny said, ¡°Because I don¡¯t have money on me. If I ran out on my own, I won¡¯t have money to hail a cab home!¡± Corinne was quite speechless. ¡°Mister Sunny, you shouldn¡¯t have been so shellfish! I¡¯m now absent without leave because of you, which means I¡¯m going to be scolded by your brother along with you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sunny sneered. ¡°Enough with the act, Corinne! I know you didn¡¯t join the Rivera Group to work at all, so why do you care if you¡¯re absent!¡± Corinne was slightly dazed as she looked at Sunny in slight surprise. She never expected this dumb boy would have moments when he was smart. He could tell, could he not? How could he tell? Sunny turned his face and stared at Corinne seriously. His expression was saying that nothing could be kept from him because he was smart and wise. ¡°Tell me! Are you in love with my brother?¡± Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Corinne was speechless. As expected, she overestimated his intelligence. With a sound of a ding, the elevator arrived and the door slowly opened. Corinne reached out her hand to select a floor again, preparing to go back upstairs on her own. At the same time, she said to Sunny indifferently, ¡°Mister Sunny, if you don¡¯t want to go back. to face Mister Lucas, you can leave.¡± Sunny wanted to leave but not on his own. Instead, he dragged Corinne out of the elevator with him. After she was dragged out by him again, Corinne frowned helplessly. ¡°Mister Sunny, can you not bother others when they¡¯re working?¡± Sunny did not agree with her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve finished everything you¡¯ve supposed to do? Why are you in such a hurry to go back?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Are we the same? You¡¯re a son of a wealthy man and I¡¯m just a person working for a paycheck. If I leave my position without permission, my sry will be docked, do you understand?¡± Sunny acted like a spoiled, willful child and said, ¡°However much they dock from your pay, just pay you double in the future! In any case, you can go back now. Hang out with me for al while!¡± As he said that, Sunny grabbed Corinne¡¯s arm and dragged her out of the building, not allowing her to resist. ¡°Hey,¡± Corinne felt nothing other than speechless. After they left the Rivera Group, Sunny pulled Corinne into a can and went straight to a famous antique store downtown. When they arrived at the destination, Corinne looked at the endless array of antiques inside the store, then she nced at Sunny with a slight surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to like these aged things when you¡¯re still a young student.¡± Sunny was carefully picking out the antiques from the shelf. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who likes it. I¡¯m just picking out a birthday gift for my grandpa!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow, feeling bored. ¡°You coulde on your own if you want to pick out a gift for your grandpa. Why did you make mee with you?¡± Sunny picked up a pair of small walnut sculptures to take a look at, then he said shamelessly, ¡± I don¡¯t have money, so I brought you here to first help me pay for it!¡± Corinne was at a loss for words. Corinne¡¯s gaze instantly turned to disgust as she looked at him. ¡°Mister Sunny, where is your conscience? I¡¯m working for a paycheck at your family¡¯spany, yet you asked me to first help you pay for the things you want to buy?¡± Sunny said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. All my cards have been frozen by my brother, and he forbade my sister from giving me money! But my grandpa¡¯s going to be celebrating his sixty- sixth birthday tomorrow, and my family¡¯s going to celebrate with him. My grandparents have been very nice to me, so I won¡¯t want to go empty-handed! Corinne, just help me pay first. I¡¯ll pay you back in the future!¡± Corinne picked up a small wooden horse carved out of mahogany to have a look. As if she was lost in thoughts, she asked, ¡°Are the grandparents you mentioned, your mother¡¯s parents?Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny¡¯s expression was slightlyplicated as he shook his head. ¡°To be precise, they are not my grandparents. They are my brother¡¯s grandparents. Both of them have no blood rtions with my sister and me. Because, you know, my sister and I are my brother¡¯s half-siblings who share the same father. My biological mother¡¯s parents passed away many years ago. Corinne frowned when she heard that. Lucas¡¯s maternal grandparents were her mother¡¯s parents. Inferring from some rumors back then that Corinne learned, her mother was wrongfully used by the Riveras back then and was kicked out of the Riveras. Logically speaking, if that was the case, her mother¡¯s family and the Riveras should be holding a deep grudge against each other. How could they still get along so well, and the Riveras could even go celebrate her grandfather¡¯s birthday together? Could it be that her mother¡¯s family. did not care about her mother as well? Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Corinne could not wrap her head around it. Sunny chose the pair of small walnut sculptures in his hand. He said, ¡°I am not rted to my grandparents by blood, but they¡¯ve been quite good to me all these years. They are just not too nice to my sister.¡± Corinne was still spacing out. Sunny thought she was worried about paying for him in advance, so he seriously promised her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay you back! My brother said he¡¯ll restore my cards¡¯ limits after 1 pass all my subjects.¡± Corinne regained her senses and immediately burst outughing. ¡°You might as well just tell me straight away that you won¡¯t return the money to you, then!¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t look down on me. I¡¯ll be able to pass them sooner orter!¡± Corinne did not care about his results. After giving it a thought, he said, ¡°I can help you pay for the gift, and you don¡¯t have to repay me! However, you have to promise to do one thing as a trade.¡± Sunny looked at him with his eyes widened. ¡°What do you want me to promise you?¡± Corinne said, ¡°Take me to your grandfather¡¯s birthday party tomorrow!¡± Sunny was stunned, feeling very confused. ¡°Why would you want to attend my grandfather¡¯s birthday party? Corinne said, ¡°I¡¯m curious and bored, and I just want to attend a party to have fun! What do you say?¡± After Sunny gave it a thought, he said, ¡°Alright! Deal! I¡¯ll take you!¡± Both of them had reached an agreement. Corinne then paid and bought the pair of small walnut sculptures for Sunny. It was not expensive, but it was not cheap either. It was about 150. dors. When both of them walked out of the antique store with the gift that was wrapped, a ck Mercedes- Benz MPV happened to pull up at the entrance. The car was a limited edition and was equivalent to a certain man¡¯s identity. As soon as Corinne saw that car, her heart sank for a moment. She could not help but herself, ¡®It¡¯s a small world. How can I bump into him here as well?¡¯ Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The driver got out and opened the door respectfully. Then, Jeremy got out of the car in an elegant and rxed manner, stretching his tall figure and having extraordinary air about him. ¡°Jeremy!¡± Sunny was very surprised to see him appearing there. Jeremy shot a nce at Sunny and hummed indifferently as an acknowledgment. After that, he fixed his cold, fathomless gaze on Corinne. ¡°Why are the two of you here?¡± asked Jeremy. Sunny answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a birthday gift for my grandfather. Corinne¡¯s working at my brother¡¯spany now. I saw that she had nothing to do, so I asked her toe along with me!¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Hmph! Who has nothing to do? This brat made it sound so simple!¡¯ Jeremy looked at Corinne with an unfathomable gaze that seemed to exude a hint of dissatisfaction. Then, he asked Sunny in an indifferent tone, ¡°How did you get here?¡± Sunny said, ¡°We took a cab here!¡± Jeremy squinted. ¡°Wait for me then. I¡¯ll give both of you a liftter.¡± Of course, Sunny was more than happy when he heard that he did not have to pay for a cab. ¡± Sure! Jeremy, why are you here? Are you also here to buy something?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± The man did not say anything else. He put his hands in his pockets and entered the antique store in big strides. Just as Sunny wanted to follow Jeremy into the store. He thought of something, and he turned to look at Corinne. Seeing that she was looking a little dazed, he waved his hand in front of her eyes. ¡°Hey! What are you thinking about?¡± Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Corinne regained his senses. ¡°Nothing. You can wait for Mister Jeremy here. I¡¯m going to go now.¡± Upon saying that, she wanted to first hail a cab to leave. However, Sunny stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re going to leave now? Jeremy said he will give us a liftter. Why do you want to spend money hailing a cab?¡± Corinne said, ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry to go back to the office.¡± Sunny did not budge. ¡°Why are you in a hurry? Didn¡¯t you already finish your work?¡± Corinne was speechless to hear that. ¡°I¡¯ve finished my work for the morning, but I still have work to do in the afternoon! Mister Sunny, do you think working is easy?¡± Sunny did not believe the reason she gave him at all. He stared at her face with his handsome eyes, assessing and inquiring. ¡°Corinne, could it be because you¡¯re afraid to face Jeremy that you¡¯re in such a hurry to leave?¡± Corinne was at a loss for words. Sunny thought he saw through her and he raised his chin. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You know my sister and Jeremy are together now, so you can¡¯t ept it? I¡¯ve given you a word of advice a long time ago. I¡¯ve told you that you and Jeremy are not suited. He will choose my sister in the end. You didn¡¯t believe me!¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Mister Sunny, can you please not use your imagination to judge other people¡¯s thoughts?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Sunny said proudly, ¡°Who¡¯s imagining things? If it¡¯s not what I said, then just wait with me for Jeremy to give us a lift! Otherwise, you are hiding something!¡± Corinne was truly made speechless by Sunny. In the end, she was pulled back into the antique store by Sunny again. Jeremy was already sitting by the coffee table in the store, having coffee quietly while waiting. It was the owner of the store who personally came to entertain him. ¡°Have a look at this, Mister Jeremy! This is an antique vase from the seventeenth century that I deliberately transferred from the southwest region. Do you like it?¡± Jeremy nced at it, then said in an indifferent but straightforward manner, ¡°Alright. Pack it up.¡± The owner was delighted as soon as he heard that. ¡°Alright. Here, pack this vase up for Mister Jeremy. Do it carefully!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± said his staff. Out of curiosity, Sunny leaned in to look at that rare vase as well. Corinne did not get closer. She was very reluctant to leave in Jeremy¡¯s car, to begin with. However, she could not do anything to Sunny, so was dragged back into the store again. If she sneaked off, then she truly would not be able to exin herself anymore. It would look as if she was very guilty and did not dare to face Jeremy! It was not that she did not dare to face him, she just did not want to. However, since she was already dragged back into the store, she just went along with the flow. Therefore, she started to wander around the antique store. When she was bored, she picked up the small wooden horse that she saw earlier and carefully appreciated the craftsmanship while holding it. The small wooden horse was carved exquisitely, but the surface was a little worn; it must have been the work of its previous owner. The color was very dark and the polish was shiny. She liked the horse very much. She was hesitating earlier if she should buy it. However, after giving it a thought, she felt there was much use for it. At that moment, the staff of the antique store came over and said to her, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. The item in your hands was bought by another customer. May I have it so I can pack it up?¡± Did somebody buy it? Corinne looked at the staff, then she looked around the store again. Other than herself and Sunny, there was only one other customer in the store-Jeremy. Could he be the one who bought it? At that moment, Jeremy was still sitting in aid-back manner by the coffee table in the store. As an important customer that was hard toe by, there was no need for him to shop around himself. The owner would have his staff bring the most precious items in the store to him for him to pick, which made him look like a ruthless capitalist. Also, Jeremy¡¯s deep-set eyes were squinting a little, seemingly looking in her direction but maybe he was not. Corinne looked away. Feeling a little disappointed, she handed the small wooden horse to the staff. Without looking at the man anymore, she walked to a further ce to look at other items. Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Her slender and petite figure was blocked by the shelf. Jeremy frowned a little. After he bought everything he wanted, Jeremy did not have the interest to look at other items. anymore, so he got up. The owner of the antique store quickly saw him off respectfully. ¡°Thank you foring, Mister Jeremy. Pleasee again if you need anything else. I¡¯ve already had my staff load the vase carefully into your car.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Jeremy walked out slowly. Seeing that Jeremy was walking out, Sunny called out to Corinne, and they both left and got into Jeremy¡¯s car together. After they got into Jeremy¡¯s car, Corinne sat quietly by the window, scrolling on her phone. Sunny was in between her and Jeremy. Sunny had a temper of a typical child. He could not hold his thoughts in, so he asked curiously, ¡°Jeremy, is the vase you bought just now a birthday gift for my grandfather?¡± Jeremy looked out the window without any expression, and he only hummed to answer him. Sunny was very happy. ¡°I figured it out on my first try! That¡¯s because I¡¯ve never heard you have an interest in antiques before. My grandfather, on the other hand, loves to collect these aged, old things the most! He definitely will like it!¡± Sunny went on and on himself, talking about a few of his grandfather¡¯s collections in his collection room. Jeremy did not respond to him. Corinne did not say anything either. She just scrolled on her phone and was lost in thoughts. She could tell from the conversation of the people next to her that Jeremy would probably be attending the birthday party tomorrow as well. In other words, she had to meet him again tomorrow. The more she wanted to avoid him, the harder it was for the do it. How annoying! The antique store was not too far from the Rivera Group, so they arrived very soon. Both Sunny and Corinne then got out of the car. ¡°Thank you, Jeremy! See you at the birthday party tomorrow!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy nodded a little without any expression at all, then he rolled up his window. The ck Mercedes-Benz gradually sped up and drove off. After they watched Jeremy¡¯s car leave, Sunny jutted his chin out at Corinne arrogantly, ¡°Saw that? Jeremy is such a cool and distant person, but he still purposely gave me a lift. Do you know why?¡± Corinne looked calm and bored. ¡°Beats me.¡± Sunny stuck his chin out even higher as he could not conceal his smugness. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s because he treats me as his brother-inw. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so nice to me!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Is that so? I remember the Riveras and the Holdens are on bad terms with each other, why is Mister Jeremy also attending your grandfather¡¯s birthday party tomorrow?¡± Sunny exined to her, ¡°The Riveras and the Holdens are on bad terms, but my grandparent¡¯s family is not in conflict with the Holdens. They have always been friendly to each other all these years.¡± While talking, they entered the elevator together to head upstairs. When they came out of the elevator, Sunny followed Corinne to her office again. That was because he did not have the guts to go back to his brother¡¯s offices. He was afraid that he would be scolded. However, there was no way he could hide forever! Sunny walked confidently to Corinne¡¯s office, but as soon as he opened the door, he waspletely frozen, his expression looked terrible, and he felt a chill down his spine. Seeing that he stood at the door without moving at all, Corinne knew someone was in her office. Therefore, she walked forward to take a look and saw Lucas sitting in her office. Lucas was sitting at Corinne¡¯s desk. The expression on his handsome face was unfathomable, and his tone was t, ¡°Where have the two of you been?¡± Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Sunny said sheepishly, ¡°Lucas, I got tired after doing the homework this morning, so I went out for a stroll. I wanted to let my brain take a break for a while.¡± ¡°You got tired after doing the homework?¡± Lucas sneered as if he heard a terrible joke. He squinted his eyes, looking strict. ¡°You didn¡¯t get a single question right, yet you dare to let your brain rest. If your brain takes any more rest, it¡¯s going to rot. What¡¯s the difference between that and having no brains at all?¡± Sunny hung his head, feeling ashamed. ¡°I-¡± Lucas red at his brother in disappointment. ¡°Go and do your homework now. You at least have to solve two questions correctly before I return. Otherwise, your card is not going to just be temporarily frozen!¡± ¡°Alright. I got it!¡± Sunny turned around dispiritedly. He was very embarrassed after being reprimanded, so he did not dare to take another look at Corinne before he left in a hurry. After Sunny left, Corinne saw that Lucas was still firmly seated at her desk, having no intention to get up and leave at all. Corinne entered and asked with a faint smile, ¡°Would you like a coffee, Mister Lucas?¡± Lucas was not smiling at all. He just looked at her sternly and indifferently. ¡°Corinne, what exactly do you want to do?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m only asking if you want coffee, Mister Lucas. What else can I do?¡± An indifferent disdain gleamed in Lucas¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Corinne, you¡¯re just trying to find your catch by casting your to see who¡¯s taking the bait now. You didn¡¯t even spare Sunny, who is still in high school. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve gone over the board? Let me remind you. Don¡¯t waste your effort on him. Even if you truly make that silly boy fall in love with you, without my permission, you still can¡¯t be a part of the Riveras!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Mister Lucas, I realized you and your siblings truly belong to a family. The way you judge others is surprisingly identical. All of you took me for an easy woman who¡¯s exhausting all the ways to find a man so I can climb the socialdder! Let me make myself clear once again. I only came to the Rivera Group for work. Even if I have some other intentions, it¡¯s not to marry into the Riveras. Therefore, you may rest assured. I have no interest in you, much less your brother! Even if you beg me to be a part of your family one day, I won¡¯t say yes!¡± Beg her to be a part of the Rivaras? Lucas felt that not only was she overly optimistic, but it was ridiculous. They absolutely would never beg me! He did not say anything. He looked at Corinne¡¯s face for a while before moving his gaze downward. He stared at her belly, which still looked t, squinting with a cold gaze. ¡°Corinne, there are some things that I didn¡¯t spell out, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m clueless about it. The truth wille to light someday. I hope that you truly know your ce. Take the initiative to do whatever you¡¯re supposed to do, and don¡¯t make me intervene to help you.¡¯ Corinne was stunned. She did not quite understand what Lucas meant. However, she could feel his murderous eyes staring coldly at her belly, making her feel extremely ufortable. ¡°Your words are too profound. I need to think about it properly.¡± ¡°You are a smart person, Miss Corinne. I believe you¡¯ll get the right answer soon. You¡¯d better not disappoint me.¡± Upon saying that, Lucas stood up elegantly, not intending to stay in her office any longer. When he walked past her, he said, ¡°You were absent without leave during working hours. Your pay today is gone.¡± Corinne was speechless. She was dragged out of the office by Sunny to help him pay for the gift earlier. At that moment, her pay was docked by Lucas. Corinne truly had nothing to say anymore! Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. As expected, she and the Riveras just simply could not get along! Chapter 575 Chapter 575 She should just forget it. She had to just endure it for the sake of investigating her mother¡¯s past. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She would be able to see her mother¡¯s parents-in other words, her grandparents-tomorrow. She should be able to inquire about some things that happened back then from her mother¡¯s family. She would be able to get one step closer to the truth. When Lucas got to her office¡¯s door, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning his head a little, and said, ¡°Also, I¡¯ve thought about it. The sale proposal you did this morning can be executed, so prepare to implement it.¡± After Corinne regained her senses, she smiled very professionally and said, ¡°Alright, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas did not reply anymore. He just went straight out of her office. Everybody left, so Corinne was the only person left in the office. She sat at their desk and subconsciously touched her belly. It was very t, and she was not showing up yet. However, why did Lucas¡¯s words earlier sound like he already knew she was pregnant and was indirectly telling her to terminate her pregnancy? Did Anya say something to him in the morning? If that was the case, Anya took the fact that Corinne might be pregnant seriously as she simply did not want to spare any possibilities. ¡°Corinne!¡± Just as Corinne was preparing for the implementation of her sales proposal, Sunny barged in! However, he came while carrying his homework this time. Corinne frowned as she was interrupted, then she looked up at him. ¡°Why are you back again?¡± Sunny immediately sat down, tossing his homework in his arms on the desk. Looking sullen and irritated, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get any of the questions right, so my brother kicked me out of his office!¡± Corrine picked up one of his practice tests and took a look at it as she was curious. She then frowned, feeling speechless. Not only was his handwriting illegible, but he did not get a single question right and was absurdly wrong. ¡°Mister Sunny, may I know how you have been getting by in school all these years?¡± Sunny Jutted his chin out arrogantly and sneered. ¡°School Is very boring. sses are worse. I can¡¯t help but feel sleepy as soon as I hear the teacher teaching. Also, I never wanted to go to school anyway! I want to be a professional gamer. The stuff I learn in school ispletely useless to me!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow, looking at him with great disapproval. ¡°Sunny, your family is wealthy. However, no matter how wealthy they are, your share of the properties you¡¯ll get is finite. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you¡¯ll exhaust it if you don¡¯t make more of it. In the future, no matter if you are to take over your family¡¯s business or if you would follow your dream and be a professional gamer, you¡¯ll need knowledge and intelligence to sustain yourself. There are infinite things for us to learn. It¡¯s only if you master enough knowledge that you can support yourself!¡± Sunny was slightly dazed as he looked at her. He heard what she said, but he was not willing to submit to her. He frowned. ¡°Ahem. Corinne, are you lecturing me?¡± Corinne looked away and chuckled. She looked at her monitor and continued typing away on her keyboard, preparing for her presentation file. ¡°I don¡¯t have the right to lecture you. I just can¡¯t stand your attitude toward learning!¡± ¡°Hmph! You must be great! Aren¡¯t you a top student? If you¡¯re so capable, teach me until I get it, then!¡± Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Sunny crossed his arms, and he even put his legs on Corinne¡¯s desk arrogantly, which was a stark contrast to how he dared not make a sound in front of his brother. Corinne, however, did not even bother looking at him. She just concentrated on her work. Seeing that Corinne did not respond, Sunny frowned in dissatisfaction. He sat up straight and knocked hard on her desk. ¡°Hello! Corinne, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Corinne nced at him casually. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You can tell me straight if you want me to help you with your homework!¡± Sunny blinked awkwardly, then sneered arrogantly. ¡°Did I say I wanted you to help me with my homework?¡± ¡°Oh. I must have read too much into it, then.¡± Corinne did not look at him anymore, continuing to do her work. Seeing that she did not react again, Sunny¡¯s air of arrogance got a little weaker. ¡°Corinne, my brother has frozen all of my cards, but there¡¯s an important esportspetition in Camrod City that I want to participate in at the end of the month. I don¡¯t even have the money to buy a train ticket now!¡± While typing, Corinne said, ¡°Mister Sunny, I¡¯ve already paid for your grandfather¡¯s gift today. You¡¯re not thinking of borrowing money from me to participate in the esportspetition, are you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Sunny felt that he was quite embarrassed, so he hung his head. ¡°No! I¡¯m not trying to borrow money from you. Fine, I just want you to help me with my homework! My brother said he would only allow me to participate in the esportspetition if I pass all my midterms next week ¡°Well, I heard you were a top student at the University of New Capital City back then. You should be very good at studying, right? Teach me how to improve my grades quickly so I can brush my brother off! The professionalpetition at the end of this month is very important to me. I absolutely can¡¯t miss it!¡± Corinne looked up at his face and saw how rare it was for a person as stubborn as him to swallow his pride for the sake of his dreams. ¡°I¡¯m very busy now. I don¡¯t have the time.¡± Sunny said with great sincerity, ¡°I can wait for you to tutor me after you¡¯re done. Corinne, I¡¯m begging you, please!¡± Corrine looked at him again. It was not easy for a prideful young man like him to be willing to beg her for the sake of his dreams! It was unclear if it was because they were slightly rted by blood, Corinne always felt she had a special responsibility for Sunny. He often created trouble for her back then, but she did not hold him ountable for it. Also, she did not dislike him. After falling silent for a moment, Corinne picked up the homework that Sunny threw on her desk and looked at them. ¡°Your foundation¡¯s too terrible. It¡¯s practically impossible if you want to improve your grades to the point of passing within a short period.¡± Sunny scratched his head, feeling troubled. ¡°How long would it take for me to reach the passing level?¡± Corinne pondered for a moment, then said, ¡°I can teach you, but the mastery of the knowledge will depend on your efforts! I will only make time to exin one question to you. now, then you¡¯ll have to use simr forms to think about the other questions. You first have to master the basic knowledge, only then you can figure the rest out on your own. Whether you¡¯ll get it or not depends on yourself! Sunny nodded with his might. ¡°Alright! Hurry up and teach me then. My brother is very mad now. I have to at least get one question right to cate him!¡± Therefore, Corinne temporarily put her work aside and beckoned Sunny over with her finger, asking him to sit closer and listen. Sunny was never so thirsty for knowledge before, so he cooperatively pulled his chair to sit close to Corinne. Corinne took out a nk piece of paper and a pen, then she picked a rathermon question from Sunny¡¯s homework and took it apart. She drew up a simple and easily understandable diagram and exined it to him, part by part. At first, Sunny looked troubled, but as he listened more, his frown disappeared because he realized he could easily absorb whatever Corinne exined! Chapter 577 Chapter 577 It was strange. Lucas spent a lot of money hiring various famous tutors for him, but no matter how they broke the questions down to exin to him, he could never understand them. However, after Corinne exined them with the diagrams she drew, he understood it easily! After she was done exining one question, Corinne slid the paper to Sunny. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve exined the question to you. All of these forms apply to what you¡¯ll be tested on now. You need to pick the forms yourselves for the rest of the questions. You don¡¯t have to show it to me after you¡¯re done. You can just show it to your brother straight away!¡± It was so rare for Sunny to be so obedient. He took the practice test that was almost shredded into pieces by his brother earlier and redid the whole thing. Doing his homework next to Corinne was not as nervous and stressful as doing it next to his brother. After Sunny became rxed, it was easier for him to focus and think. He went from. not understanding most of the questions at first to understanding the meaning of the questions and knowing how to solve them. After he was done, he followed Corinne¡¯s request and did not have her check it through for him. He just said gratefully, ¡°Thanks! I think I can solve them a little better now. I¡¯ll let my brother see if I¡¯ve got them right now!¡± Corinne hummed indifferently as an acknowledgment. Then, while busy working, she said, ¡® Mister Sunny, I have a friendly suggestion for you. You¡¯d better make time to work on your handwriting. Even an elementary school student could write better than you!¡± Sunny¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m just writing in cursive. What do know about it?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She did not care if he listened or not. She just truly could not stand his handwriting, so she had to say something. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. When Sunny got to the door, he suddenly turned around. Using his cursive handwriting, he scribbled his phone number on a piece of paper, handed it to Corrine, and said, ¡°Here you go! This is my number. Call me when you get off work. Since I¡¯ve promised to take you to my grandfather¡¯s birthday party with me, I¡¯ll keep my word!¡± Corinne nced at the phone number on the paper, then she epted it and smiled. ¡°Alright! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°See you tomorrow!¡± Sunny left in a hurry while carrying his homework. He desperately needed to get his brother¡¯s approval and cate him! Otherwise, not only would he not be able to go to the esportspetition at the end of the month, but his brother might pull some strings and cancel thepetition in a rage! He would be finished then! His brother truly had that ability, and it would simply be a piece of cake for him! Sunny cautiously entered Lucas¡¯s office, handing the practice test that he amended to his brother, who looked sullen. ¡°Lucas, I can solve them a little better now. Have a look!¡± Lucas was skimming through the document for work. He said coldly, ¡°Take it away. I don¡¯t have the time to get angry at you now.¡± Sunny gasped, then he plucked up the courage and put the paper closer to his brother. ¡°Lucas, I know how to answer them now. Help me check if I got them right. If I still got them wrong, I¡¯ll get my a¡¯s home!¡± Lucas took a deep breath, then he grabbed the test paper in annoyance. He nced at it with a sullen expression, then he became slightly dazed. He frowned and looked at his brother suspiciously. ¡°You did this yourself?¡± Chapter 578 Chapter 578 ¡°Yes, I did it myself.¡± Sunny nodded, then he asked nervously, ¡°Lucas, did I get it right this. time?¡± Unexpectedly, Lucas mmed the test paper on the table. ¡°What I want is for you to improve yourself, not to resort to cheating!¡± Sunny was frightened. He instinctively took a step back, saying innocently, ¡°Lucas, I didn¡¯t cheat!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know how to solve one question just now, yet you could solve so much after going out for a while?¡± Lucas red at Sunny, feeling disappointed that he failed to live up to his expectations. ¡°Who are you trying to fool?¡± How could he believe that Sunny did it himself? Not only did Sunny get all the questions wrong, but he was absurdly wrong. Lucas could tell at a nce that Sunny did not even know the basic knowledge at all. That was why there was not even a need to correct his mistakes and exin them to him! At that moment, after he corrected his mistakes on this paper, he almost got 80 percent of the question right. Just with Sunny¡¯s intelligence alone, he could not do it! Seeing that his brother was questioning him, Sunny figured that he should have gotten quite a lot of them right, which led his brother to believe that he cheated. Therefore, he quickly exined, ¡°Lucas, I answered them myself. Corinne has taught me a form that could be applied to all equations. I understood it, then I used the form to think and answer the questions! If you don¡¯t believe me, I will do a new practice test to show you!¡± Corinne was the one who taught him? Lucas was slightly taken aback. He frowned and asked with his guard up, ¡°Why did she tutor you?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Sunny answered honestly, ¡°At first, she didn¡¯t want to teach me as well. It was after I begged her that she made time to exin one question to me. Because I heard she was a top student at the University of New Capital City, I thought she might have some shortcuts, and I begged her to teach me how to improve my grades fast.¡± Lucas fell silent for a minute and his eyebrows got even more tightly furrowed. ¡°Stay away from her in the future!¡± Lucas was confused. ¡°Why? I feel she¡¯s quite nice. Also, the way she exins is very simple and easy to understand.¡± Lucas sneered. ¡°Do you know how to judge a person? Who is she to you? Why would she teach you for nothing? You¡¯re not a child anymore. Be more mindful and don¡¯t trust anybody so easily!¡± Sunny said, ¡°Alright. But if she¡¯s bad, why are you keeping her in thepany?¡± Lucas was suddenly at a loss for words. ¡°This is a business among adults, a child like you shouldn¡¯t ask so much about it! Have Edmund take you home and continue with your revision. You should prepare for your test next week!¡± Sunny pursed her lips. ¡°Lucas, about my card-¡± Lucas¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to mention your card to me before you pass your test.¡± ¡°Alright, I got it!¡± Sunny sighed sadly. He then carried his homework in his arms and went to look for Edmund. After Lucas watched his brother leave, he looked down at the test paper in his hands again, his eyebrows were still tightly furrowed. It was an extraordinary feat for Corinne to improve Sunny¡¯s grades by a level in such a short period. However, why did she want to help Sunny with his homework? If what she said was true, and she did not wish to marry into the Riveras, then what exactly did she want? What exactly was she thinking? With her intelligence, she could make a name for herself no matter where she went, so why did she come to the Rivera Group for her so-called high sry? Feeling a little tired, Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose. Every time he felt both physically and mentally exhausted, he would think of his mother and sister, having no clue if they were alive or dead. He reached out and touched the photo on his desk. Recently, the feeling that his mother and sister were still alive was getting stronger for some reason. He once tried to push his luck by sending people to search for his mother¡¯s and sister¡¯s remains. At that moment, however, he had a feeling as if they were by his side, watching him. In the afternoon the following day, Corinne was almost done making arrangements for the implementation of her sales proposal. She leaned against the back of her chair and grabbed her phone to look at the time. It was ten minutes from the time she got off work, so she called Sunny. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Sunny¡¯s haughty voice could be hearding from the other end of the call. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± Corinne said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Mister Sunny.¡± Hearing that it was Corinne, Sunny¡¯s tone got slightly better. ¡°Corinne, have you gotten off work?¡± Corinne said, ¡°Soon. There¡¯s another ten minutes to go.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll go over to pick you up now. Get in the car from the alley near thepanyter. Remember to avoid being seen by my brother!¡± Sunny reminded her carefully. Corinne had a different interpretation of that. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything shameful, so why should I deliberately avoid being seen by Mister Lucas?¡± Sunny stammered a little, ¡°Well, because my brother doesn¡¯t like me getting too close to you. I can¡¯t let him know it¡¯s me who brought you to Grandpa¡¯s birthday party! Just avoid him. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get an earful from my brother again!¡± Corinne sneered mockingly. ¡°So that¡¯s what it is¡± Sunny seemed to feel that it was not nice, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it too much. My brother has a little misunderstanding about you now. He won¡¯t think this way anymore after he truly gets to know you.¡± Corinne smiled and did notment on that. ¡°Alright. Call me when you¡¯re near thepany. ¡°Alright!¡± Sunny arrived very quickly. He got there in just 15 minutes. Following the location Sunny sent to her, Corinne found the alley near the Rivera Group and got into the car. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Felix¨CSunny¡¯s minion who was responsible for taking care of him-was the driver, and Sunny was sitting at the back with his legs crossed. Seeing that Corinne had gotten into the car, Felix sized her up with a disapproving gaze. ¡°Hey! Are you going to attend my grandfather¡¯s birthday party dressed like this, Corrine?¡± Corinne was wearing a suit. She took off her jacket, so she was only wearing a white shirt. She looked simple and regressed but a little too casual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with dressing like this? I¡¯m just going there to join in the fun with you. There¡¯s no need for me to decked out in fancy clothes, is there?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°You¡¯re quite a weird person, Corinne!¡± ¡°Huh? How am I weird?¡± ¡°You want to seduce my brother, but you don¡¯t dress up! Do you know how many women are coveting my brother? How are you going to stand out and let him fall for you like this? Corinne was exasperated. ¡°Is there a possibility that I¡¯m interested in your brother at all?¡± Sunny frowned as he thought about it, then he believed her since she said she was not interested. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, then! I was hoping you can be my brother¡¯s wife!¡± There was a pause before Corinne raised her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Sunny told her bluntly, ¡°Because after you marry my brother, you won¡¯t be a threat to my sister¡¯s happiness anymore!¡± Corinne was speechless. As expected, he was still thinking that for the sake of her precious sister! Sunny added, ¡°But it¡¯s mainly because you¡¯re different from those flirtatious and tacky women that could be seen everywhere! I find you quite interesting. We¡¯re on the same wavelength, so we have things to talk about! I don¡¯t want my brother to marry a drama queen in the end. I would be annoyed!¡± Corinne was utterly exasperated, so much so that she did not know how to react. How could she be on the same wavelength with him? If she was, she would be as silly as him! Soon, the car arrived at the entrance of the Lovce¡¯s residence. Sunny looked out the window and his eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s car. It¡¯s so rare to see him arriving so early as well!¡± Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Corinne looked in the direction of Sunny¡¯s gaze when she heard what he said. Jeremy just got out of the car. He was in a dark suit, his hair was slicked back, and he had deep-set and well- defined features. He was exuding a mature and dangerous air. She knew she would bump into him there that day, but she just did not expect it would be ast soon as she arrived. Sunny got out of the car in excitement. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here early too!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Jeremy responded, shooting a barely noticeable nce at Corinne, who was getting out of the car after Sunny. Corinne did not look at him. She just looked around, taking in the environment of Lovce¡¯s residence. Sunny said, ¡°Jeremy, my sister is already here. She must be waiting for you! Come on, let¡¯s get inside together!¡± It was lively in the Lovce¡¯s residence. Quite several guests already arrived. One by one, they surrounded the couch, giving Edgar his gifts and wishing him a happy birthday. Sunny went over with his gift as well. ¡°Happy birthday, Grandpa. This is my gift to you!¡± Edgar looked at the gift his grandson handed to him-it was a pair of small walnut sculptures. With a strict but loving expression, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a child who¡¯s still in school. You shouldn¡¯t have given me a gift!¡± Sunny emphasized, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m already eighteen. I¡¯m a grown-up now!¡± Edgar frowned. ¡°You¡¯re still in high school no matter what. Why is a brat like you pretending to be an adult?¡± Everybody in his family knew he was yet to be epted by any college, so Sunny felt guilty and ashamed. He pursed his lips, feeling too embarrassed to reply. At that moment, Tommy walked forward and gave Edgar a rectangr box. ¡°Mister Edgar, this is from my employer, Jeremy. May you be blessed with good health and hope you¡¯ll have many more years to come!¡± Edgar smiled, looking up to give a signal. His assistant beside him walked forward and epted the gift. ¡°Thank you, Mister Jeremy.¡± Edgar looked up at Jeremy, his eyes were filled with admiration. ¡°Jeremy, how has your grandfather been recently? He should be almost fully recovered after the surgery, shouldn¡¯t he?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Thank you for your concern. My grandfather is recovering well. When he returns to the country, I¡¯ll have someone bring him over to have a catch-up with you.¡± Edgar smiled. ¡°Alright. Your grandfather¡¯s not someone who can stay put, so he must have long been tired of lying in bed for so long! When he returns, we¡¯ll go golfing and get our bodies moving!¡± Jeremy replied politely and chatted with Edgar a little. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here!¡± Anya¡¯s clear, bright voice could be heard. Dressing in an exquisite dress embellished with diamonds, Anya walked out of the crowd, looking very beautiful and sweet. She came to Jeremy, looking up as if she was looking at her dreams, her eyes filled with a sense of longing. ¡°I thought you would be upied by work today, so you¡¯ll only beingter!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do today,¡± Jeremy said indifferently. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Anya smiled sweetly. Turning to look at Edgar, who was sitting on the couch, she said gently, ¡± Grandpa, I¡¯ve prepared a special birthday gift for you. You¡¯ll love it when you see itter!¡± Edgar, however, ignored Anya and did not respond to her at all. He just turned to talk to his assistant next to him. Feeling a little embarrassed, Anya forced herself to maintain a decent smile. The world revolved around Anya when she was with the Riveras, but she was a nobody among the Lovces. Nobody took her seriously. Edgar and his wife were not her grandparents. The Lovces were her father¡¯s ex-wife¡¯s family. Anya, on the other hand, was a child from her father¡¯s second marriage. She was not rted to the Lovces at all. Therefore, it was understandable for the Lovces to be indifferent toward her. However, the Lovces were very good to her brother, Sunny, who also had no blood rtions with the family. They practically loved him like he was their grandson, but they had always ignored her. Anyapletely could not understand why they would treat them so differently! Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Anya was even deliberately imitating the missing Luna¡¯s habits and preferences all these years. She also had a cherry red mole between her eyebrows as Luna did. She did all that for N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. pour the sake of recing Luna¡¯s position in her family¡¯s heart and letting them all their affection for Luna into Anya alone instead! Her brother, Lucas, for example, did it. He treated her as his sister, doted on her, tolerated her, and satisfied her every whim. However, none of the Lovces took pity on and loved her because she was a little like Luna. Anya was reluctant to admit defeat, and she did not give up either. She was scheming to ingratiate Edgar and his wife. That was because the Lovces were an important family among the wealthy families, and they were also friends with the Holdens for generations. If she was able to win the favor of the Lovces, she would gain a lot of connections. She would also have more support in marrying into the Holdens in the future. Therefore, she worked hard, trying to make Edgar and his wife love her like she was their long -lost granddaughter or let her be their granddaughter straightaway. Unfortunately, she never seeded all these years. ¡°Mister Edgar,¡± someone suddenly said in a deep voice. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. A gentlemanly and elegant middle-aged man wearing a gray suit walked over slowly. As soon as Edgar saw the man, his kind expression immediately darkened, and he said in annoyance, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The man said with a humble and caring attitude, ¡°It¡¯s your birthday today, so I brought you some supplements for you to improve your health.¡± Edgar said angrily, ¡°Take it away! We don¡¯t need your things!¡± The middle-aged man did not get angry. He just sighed helplessly, then he handed the gift box containing the supplements to Edgar¡¯s assistant, instructing him, ¡°Tell Missus O¡¯Brien to let them take these after dinner. Don¡¯t let them have too much or it¡¯ll be bad for their health instead.¡± The assistant nodded and epted the gift. Once he gave him the gift, the man had the self-knowledge to not stay any longer, so he said respectfully, ¡°Mister Edgar, I won¡¯t disturb your birthday party anymore. I¡¯ll visit you again another day.¡± Edgar waved his hand in disgust. ¡°Just go! Hurry! Don¡¯te to our home if nothing happened. You¡¯ll just make me upset!¡± The man did not say anything. It seemed that he got used to it. He turned around calmly and was prepared to leave. By that time, Sunny and Anya already came to the man. Sunny said, ¡°Dad!¡± Anya said, ¡°Daddy, are you leaving already?¡± Maxwell nodded at his children. ¡°Stay here and celebrate your grandfather¡¯s birthday. Sunny, don¡¯t make trouble and make your grandfather angry. Anya put on anotheryer. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Sunny said, ¡°Oh, I got it. I¡¯m not a child, I won¡¯t make trouble!¡± Anya nodded. ¡°Alright, Daddy. I will put on a jacketter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my children.¡± As an outsider, Corinne stood nearby, watching their situation from a safe distance. The middle-aged man was Maxwell. In other words, he was her father. Corinne had quite aplicated feeling seeing her father for the first time and she sneered. The man looked like he was in his 40s. He looked very well-dressed and not tacky. He was not fat and had no beer belly. He was tall and had well-defined features. He just had some wrinkles. at the corner of his eyes, which were the results of aging. When Corinne was observing him, Maxwell was also walking toward her. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Maxwell felt that someone was looking at him. He looked in the direction of that gaze and got slightly stunned as he was taken aback. He was attracted by a familiar bearing of the girl who was around Anya¡¯s age. He became slightly dazed as if he thought of the past. However, he did not look at the girl for too long, and he walked straight out the entrance. Corinne¡¯s gaze did not follow him to continue observing either. Herplicated expression finally returned to calmness. Maxwell once hurt and betrayed her mother, giving her mother no way out but to run away from home with her when she was still at a very young age. That was why Edgar disliked him so much! Corinne had no memories of her father, not even a blurry shadow. She figured this jerk probably did not take good care of her much when she was a child. Therefore, for a child, there was nothing to remember about him! ¡°Emily!¡± Just when Corinne was spacing out and lost in thoughts, a pair of aged hands suddenly grabbed her tightly! She was shocked and she looked up to see that it was an olddy. The olddy looked worried as she looked at her. ¡°Emily, why are you home sote after school? You went somewhere to y again, didn¡¯t you?¡± Corinne was stunned, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I think you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else- The olddy seemed to not hear what she said. She just went on talking to herself, ¡°Emily, you¡¯re not allowed toe home sote in the future. You¡¯ll make your father and I worry!¡± At that moment, Maxwell already got to the door, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks when he heard his mother-inw calling out Emilly¡¯s name. He turned around and saw his mother- inw, Gertrude, was talking to the girl earlier who had an outstanding air to her Corinne said a little helplessly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else. I¡¯m not the Emily you¡¯re looking for!¡± The olddy who looked kind furrowed her eyebrows and started lecturing her, ¡°Enough, Emily. Stop going against your father and me! You have to listen to us. You¡¯re not allowed to hang out with that brat from the Riveras anymore! You can tell he¡¯s a heartless person by the look on his face. You¡¯ll get hurt if you get together with him!¡± Both Maxwell and Corinne were at a loss for words. Corinne could tell the olddy¡¯s identity by inferring from what she said. The olddy was Maxwell¡¯s wife, which meant she was Corinne¡¯s grandmother. Her grandmother seemed to have mistaken her for her mother. Emily was her mother¡¯s name. Sunny ran over to pull the olddy away. ¡°Grandma, you got the wrong person again. She¡¯s my friend and not Emily!¡± Gertrude shook her head and said in a slightly eager and excited voice, ¡°Emily! She¡¯s Emily! Emily is back!¡± Sunny felt hopeless. ¡°Grandma, she is not!¡± Edgar cleared his throat loudly, then he came to them. ¡°Stop it, Gertrude! You¡¯re frightening the children!¡± Gertrude looked at Edgar, tears of sorrow welling in her eyes. ¡°Edgar, it¡¯s Emily! She¡¯s back. Emily is back.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. She¡¯s back, she¡¯s back!¡± said Edgar, going along with her. He seemed to have gotten used to that. He walked over and pulled his wife to his side before he looked to see the young girl his wife insisted on pointing at. Edgar was stunned. Which family was she from? How could she look so simr? Corinne blinked. Because she truly felt a little awkward being stared at, she smiled and let out a peal of forcedughter. Gertrude¡¯s eyes were reddened and her face was covered in tears. ¡°Edgar, it¡¯s Emily! Look, Emily has returned.¡± Edgar regained his senses and sighed deeply. ¡°Mm-hmm. I saw it. I did. Gertrude, it¡¯s time to take your medication. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to first have your medication, then we¡¯lle and see Emily after that.¡¯ Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He coaxed his wife while making her turn around. He was trying to first calm his wife down. Corinne looked at their backs with slight confusion and mixed feelings. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Sunny sighed and exined to her, ¡°My grandma has Alzheimer¡¯s, so she often mistakes people for someone else.¡± Corinne nodded, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± At that moment, Gertrude-who already walked off-turned around to look at Corinne, asking, ¡°Emily, what would you like for dinner tonight?¡± Corinne feltplicated that she was mistaken for her mother. After giving it a thought, she smiled at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have my favorite!¡± Gertrude smiled with tears. ¡°Alright! Pork roast it is. It¡¯s your favorite! I¡¯ll have Missus O¡¯Brien go and get some pork shoulder now.¡¯ Edgar turned around and looked meaningfully at Corinne as well, then he brought his wife upstairs for her medication. Feeling a little troubled, Sunny continued exining to Corinne, ¡°My grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer¡¯s after my father¡¯s ex-wife went missing. Her condition is unstable. You weren¡¯t frightened just now, were you?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Maxwell initially already wanted to leave, but he came back again. He surveyed Corinne with at complicated gaze, and he asked his son, ¡°Sunny, this is?¡± Sunny was a little surprised that his father came back. He said, ¡°Dad, she¡¯s my friend and also Lucas¡¯ employee!¡± Maxwell and Corinne looked at each other. ¡°Hello, Mister Maxwell. I¡¯m Corinne Carew. I¡¯m currently working in Mister Lucas¡¯pany.¡± ¡®She¡¯s a Carew?¡¯ Maxwell nodded a little. ¡°Mm-hmm. Nice to meet you.¡± Before he left, he gazed deeply at Corinne again. This girl had a very simr bearing as his ex- wife, Emily. It was no wonder his mother-inw would mistake her for Emily. However, she was more like her long-lost daughter, Luna. It was just that his daughter, Luna, had a signature cherry-red mole between her eyebrows, but this girl did not have one. She just happened to resemble Luna a little. How could she be Luna? He was not able to find Luna in the whole world all these years, so how would she appear on her own? Maxwell did not say anything else. He just gave Sunny a few reminders before turning to leave Lovce¡¯s residence. A faint smile appeared on Corinne¡¯s face. Did Maxwell think of her long-lost mother as well when he looked at her earlier? Would the jerk feel any guilt at all when he thought of the ex-wife he betrayed? Would he? Corinne felt cold. It was as if someone was staring at her with a cold and sharp gaze. She subconsciously looked up and her eyes met Jeremy¡¯s fathomless eyes! Jeremy was standing there, looking at her coldly. His gaze was unfathomable. Did it find it fun to keep staring at another woman when Anya¡¯s next to her? Hmph, men! At that moment, Edgar came down the stairs slowly with the help of his assistant.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He looked at Corinne with his aged but bright eyes, surveying her from top to bottom. ¡°Who are you, youngdy? How old are you? What¡¯s your name? Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Corinne smiled at him and answered politely, ¡°Hello, Mister Edgar, I am Corinne Carew. I¡¯m twenty this year.¡± Edgar squinted, looking carefully at her as if he was lost in thoughts. ¡°Twenty. Your parents are?¡± Corinne said, ¡°Ie from an ordinary family. You probably don¡¯t know my parents, but they are both alive and well. They are living in New Capital City.¡± If Edgar were to ask for more details, she would say her parents are Marvin and his wife. He never treated the Carews as her family, but she did not wish to reveal the true situation with her family there and attract unnecessary suspicion. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Edgar nodded. ¡°My wife didn¡¯t frighten you, did she? It¡¯s because you resembled our long- lost daughter and granddaughter a little that she mistook you for someone else.¡± Corinne smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I wasn¡¯t frightened. I understand her feelings very well. It¡¯s also my honor to bear a little resemnce to your daughter and granddaughter.¡± Edgar looked at the girl before his eyes with an attitude that was neither arrogant nor humble, then he looked at what she wore. She was not dressed up like the other youngdies out there who insisted on wearing dresses that showed their legs and arms in the middle of winter. She was wearing a white shirt and straight-fit pants. It was very simple, and she did not look like she deliberately dressed up to attend the party. However, she was very spirited. She looked like she was full of vigor, which was rarely seen in young people at that age. Edgar could not help but like and admire this girl named Corrine, whom he just met, a little. more. He nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°Corinne, you said your parents are in New Capital City. That means your grandparents must also be in the same city, am I right?¡± Corrinne shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have grandparents. I¡¯ve never met them before.¡± Edgar had a sense of pity in his eyes as he looked at Corinne. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, are you willing ¡°You¡¯re here too, Corinne! I never expected that you¡¯ll also be attending my grandfather¡¯s birthday party!¡± Anya suddenly walked over to greet Corinne with a smile, cutting Edgar off. She did it intentionally because knew what Edgar wanted to say, and she would not let that happen! Edgar was going to ask if Corinne was willing to be like a granddaughter to him. Gertrude¡¯s Alzheimer¡¯s got more and more severe in the past few years, so she mentioned the names of their long-lost daughter, Emily, and granddaughter, Luna. every day, and she almost forgot about everybody and everything else. Therefore, Edgar had the intention to take a girl who looked like their long-lost daughter or granddaughter into his family to keep his wife apanied, relieving his wife¡¯s condition. However, Edgar had high standards. He was unsatisfied with all the girls who were rushing in to be his granddaughter, and he was unhappy with the girls his family and friend introduced as well. Therefore, this matter was dragged out without being resolved. Anya kept feeling that as long as she put in the effort to imitate Edgar and Gertrude¡¯s daughter¡¯s and granddaughter¡¯s habits and character and deliberately make herself look like how Emily looked in old photos with makeup, she certainly could make her grandparents happy! However, that did not happen. Edgar and Gertrude did not even take another look at her at all. Edgar never considered letting her, his ¡°granddaughter,¡± help with his wife¡¯s condition. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Edgar saw Gertrude mistaking Corinne for her long-lost daughter earlier, so he got an idea to take Corinne in to be like a granddaughter to them! Fortunately, Anya was present, and she was alert enough to cut Edgar off, not giving Corinne a chance to say yes! What a joke! If Corinne managed to get the Lovces as her connection, even if she would just be like a granddaughter to them, it would make the family background of a country bumpkin. like Corinne more presentable! She would then have more confidence to steal Jeremy away from Anya, would she not? How could Anya allow Corinne to walk over to her? It was impossible! Corinne answered Anya indifferently, ¡°I heard that it¡¯s Mister Lucas¡¯s grandfather¡¯s birthday today, so I came to celebrate with him after work.¡± Anya was having iparably wicked thoughts, but she was smiling incredibly sweetly. Without bothering if Corinne was willing or not, she went up and linked arms with Corinne.¡± Is that so? I have to thank you for purposelying over to celebrate my grandfather¡¯s birthday, then!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Miss Anya. It¡¯s something I should do.¡± Corinne looked calm. She just wanted to pull her arm away from Anya, but Anya was hugging it with all her might and would not let go. How could Anya let go so easily and let Corinne find a chance to talk to Edgar? She stood in front of Corinne and turned to say to Edgar in a sweet voice, ¡°Grandpa, you must be tired from standing! Have a seat and take a break! The special birthday gift I¡¯ve prepared for you will appear on the stageter. You and Grandma would certainly love it very much after you see it!¡± Edgar¡¯s gaze darkened, ncing at Anya without any emotions. He was still ignoring Anya¡¯s ingratiation. As he was interjected by Anya, Edgar did not wish to finish what he wanted to say anymore. He then signaled his assistant to help him to take a seat. Anya watched Edgar walk away slowly, but she still did not let go of Corinne¡¯s arm. At that moment, Sunny got curious, so he came up to her and asked, ¡°Anya, what¡¯s the gift you¡¯ve prepared for Grandpa? It¡¯s so mysterious!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Seeing that Edgar left and did not continue talking to Corinne about taking her in as a granddaughter anymore, Anya surreptitiously felt she got her way. She smiled at her brother and said, ¡°Be patient, Sunny! You¡¯ll find outter!¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°What exactly is it? I want to know now!¡± Anya winked at her brother. ¡°Be good, Sunny. You have to listen to me. Boys can¡¯t have a look at my gift in advance, but girls can!¡± Anya turned her face and looked at Corinne with a sweet smile. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ll take you to have a look at the birthday gift I¡¯ve prepared for Grandpa!¡± Corinne knew Anya was about to make trouble again. She had no time to deal with this drama queen, so she pulled Anya¡¯s hands away from her, shaking her arm in disgust after she freed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Anya. I¡¯m not free now.¡± Unexpectedly, Anya leaned closer to her once again and started to act cute to her. ¡°Corinne, just help me take a look! It¡¯ll be quick. I want to hear your opinion before Grandpa and Grandma see the gift!¡± Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Corinne still did not budge. She wanted to avoid Anya like the gue. ¡°Miss Anya, since it¡¯s a gift you¡¯ve poured your heart into preparing, how would there be a problem? Also, even if I gave you some suggestions after I¡¯ve taken a look now, it¡¯s toote for you to make amends! It¡¯s the thought that counts. As long as you have the thought, what others think doesn¡¯t matter. I think there¡¯s no need for me to help you take a look at it anymore.¡± Anya, however, got closer with an innocent expression, wanting to take Corinne¡¯s hand again. ¡°You¡¯re right, Corinne! It¡¯s the thought that mattered the most. But, I hope this thought of mine could be perfect! Also, of course, you can give me suggestions now, and I still have time to make amends! That¡¯s because I have two options prepared as a gift for Grandpa. I have a bit of trouble making a decision, so I still haven¡¯t finalized and picked one of the ns for Grandpa to see! That¡¯s why I wanted to ask you to help me pick which is better! Corinne, the gift is in the rehearsal room behind the stage. I won¡¯t take up too much of your time!¡± Corinne did not care that Anya was begging her by acting adorable when she had other movies, so much so that Corinne felt a little annoyed! However, she could not hit her. Therefore, Corinne kept retreating like she was avoiding doom, then she deliberately hid behind a tall man, using the man to block Anya off and stop her from pulling her again. Anya chased after Corinne, but as expected, she did not get any closer after she was blocked by the tall man. Looking up at the man affectionately, she said in her usual gentle voice, ¡°Jeremy, let me pass. I just want Corinne to help me take a look at the gift I¡¯m giving Grandpa!¡± Jeremy, however, did not move to make way for her. He just looked down at Anya and said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s an outsider. She¡¯s just here to join in the fun. There¡¯s no need for you to insist on having an outsider take a look at the gift you want to give your grandfather¡± Corinne was stunned. She was subconsciously taken aback when she heard the man say was an outsider, then an icy sneer appeared on her face. she Anya, on the other hand, was ted deep down when she heard the man say she was an outsider. It seemed that Corinne was alreadypletely an outsider to Jeremy! She felt relieved! Anya pretended to look a little troubled, then she obediently did as Jeremy told. ¡°Alright! Jeremy, I was just having a dilemma about which clothes are more suitable to wear on stageter, so I wanted to ask Corinne to help me pick clothes since she¡¯s also a girl.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy squinted, but his tone was still the same. ¡°Not all women know how to pick out clothes. If you want someone to help you pick out clothes, you at least have to find someone who¡¯s dressed decently to help you and not randomly grab a woman.¡± Corinne frowned. What did he mean? Was he saying he was not dressed decently and said she had no taste in picking clothes? Hmph! Hearing what Jeremy said, Anya was even more certain that Jeremy disliked Corinne very much at that moment. Therefore, she did not refute him. She just pursed her lips and smiled sweetly, then she tugged on the man¡¯s shirt and said softly, ¡°Jeremy, what you said made sense! Why don¡¯t you help me pick out the clothes then? I trust your taste the most!¡± Before Jeremy answered her, Sunny frowned and protested, ¡°Anya, didn¡¯t you say that only girls are allowed to take a look in advance at the gift you¡¯ve prepared for Grandpa? Why are you letting Jeremy help you now? Is Jeremy a girl?¡± Anya¡¯s face stiffened. Then, she smiled bashfully and scolded her brother awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re still a child, Sunny! Jeremy and I are adults. He can give me some more mature suggestions!¡± Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Sunny crossed his arms and sneered, feeling annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m a grown-up now. I¡¯m a child! You have double standards, and you¡¯re favoring your lover over your brother!¡± Anya¡¯s face flushed. She was very embarrassed after her brother roasted her. However, she still looked happy, which showed that she did not hate being teased like this at all. However, the man next to her did not have any reactions at all. It was as if he was not the person who was teased along with Anya. Anya looked up at the man¡¯s expressionless face and asked, ¡°Jeremy, can you go pick out the clothes with me now?¡± Jeremy fell silent for two seconds before he answered her indifferently, saying two words, ¡± Let¡¯s go.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Anya nodded in delight. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take you there. It¡¯s behind the stage!¡± Jeremy put his hands in his pocket and walked toward the stage. He did not turn back and nced at Corinne, who hid behind him and used him as a shield. Anya walked next to Jeremy. As she walked off, she suddenly turned back to look at Corinne and smiled like a winner unting her victory. Corinne felt relieved to have gotten rid of Anya. As for Anya¡¯s boastful smile, she did not take it seriously at all nor did she mind one bit. Sunny pursed his lips, walking up to say, ¡°Hey! My sister asked you to help and take a look at her gift earlier, but why didn¡¯t you go? You¡¯re so unappreciative! She wasn¡¯t even willing to show it to me when I said I wanted to see it!¡± Corinne shot a nce at Sunny indifferently. ¡°Why should I go have a look? It¡¯s a gift she prepared for your grandpa and not me. What can I do even if I saw it? Also, by the looks of it, the gift your sister prepared seems to be very grand. Everybody would be able to see it sooner orter, so why do you need to see it in advance?¡± Sunny said, ¡°Hmph! You make sense!¡± Corinne was not purely uninterested in seeing the gift Anya prepared. She was mainly trying to prevent Anya from taking this opportunity to frame her again. The situation was different from the past. This was her mother¡¯s family, and they were at her mother¡¯s father¡¯s birthday party! She was not there to reunite with her family, but she also did not want anything to happen because of her arrival and ruin her grandfather¡¯s birthday party. Corinne experienced many times the means Anya could pull. She had the face of an angel and Anya probably had some trap set up and was waiting for her to fall in when she insisted on bringing her along to help her take a look at her gift earlier! Fortunately, Jeremy was an effective shield. He put her down earlier, but he indeed rescued her from a difficult point. At that moment, Sunny¡¯s expression suddenly turned terrible. ¡°Crap! My brother is here. I have to go hide. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be ushered home to do my homework again! Remember this, Corinne. You absolutely can¡¯t let him know I was the one who brought you here!¡± Corinne nodded, signing okay to him. Then, she watched as Sunny sped off. It did not look like a meeting between brothers at all. It looked more like a rat seeing a cat! Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Corinne focused her gaze and turned to look at the door of the banquet hall. Lucas was wearing a suit in a light color, walking in slowly with elegant steps. It looked as if he was born to stand out. One by one, all the guests went up to have a toast with him and greet him. It just looked like at group of admirers surrounding their revered figure. There was also a group of people who surrounded and cozied up to Jeremy when he just came in earlier. However, because Jeremy was too cold and he was not friendly to them at all, those people were sensible enough to step aside, not daring to disturb him anymore. Lucas, however, was very different from Jeremy. He was very good at dealing with those people who were ttering him. He raised a ss to them, nodded, and smiled, and he tactfully responded to people who were cozying up to him. However, while he was smiling and chatting with them, he was also exuding a barely noticeable indifference, and he did not smile. with his eyes. While Corinne looked at Lucas, he also unintentionally saw her, who was not supposed to be there. His gaze was frozen for a second, but he recovered very quickly and continued toasting and talking to an elderly man next to him without looking at her anymore. Corinne shrugged her shoulders and did not look at him anymore as well. She slowly moved her gaze away and carefully looked around the banquet hall. The majority of the people who attended the party that day were people in their middle ages. There were rtively fewer younger people. Because the party was designed to cater to people in their middle ages, it was not the kind of fashionable party that young people liked. There was no dance floor and no high-ss, elegant music apaniment by an orchestra. Instead, a vintage stage was built in the hall. The person who was performing on stage to celebrate Edgar¡¯s birthday was a famous opera singer from New Capital City that they hired with a hefty sum. Edgar was famous for being a fan of the opera. Corinne did some homework beforeing, so she was not surprised by the ssical style of the party. However, how many young people in that day and age could sit down quietly and watch an opera that was passed on for more than 100 years? The majority of them politely hang around for a while after giving Edgar his birthday gift, then they made up an excuse and left. It was too torturous for the young people to sit and watch the opera with the elderly people! Corinne, however, was different. She was always very interested in ssical music. When she was living in the countryside during her childhood, there was an old man who was a fervent fan of the opera. He would carry a bulky recorder to the entrance of their vige and y opera music. After that, he would learn to sing along to the tape. When Corinne was staying at the convent during her childhood, she had no television to watch and no peers to y with. Also, she finished reading all of the books in the library at the convent very quickly. When she was truly bored, she would run off to watch the old man sing. After listening to it for some time, she also felt it was very interesting. Therefore, she did not feel like it was torture to stay at the party and watch the opera at that moment. She even felt that it was very good. Also, Lovce¡¯s residence gave her afortable and friendly feeling! She was thinking that her mother must have brought her here before when she was a child. She must have experienced a good and heart-warming time at her mother¡¯s home. Unfortunately, she could not remember specific situations. It was just a feeling that was left in her subconscious. Thinking of that, Corinne looked at Edgar. He was sitting with a few people around his age, chatting and discussing the segment of the opera that was happening on the stage. Edgar looked like he was in good health and good spirits. It was when his missing daughter and granddaughter were mentioned earlier that he looked a little sorrowful. Corinne felt a little indescribable pain. Her mother must have been a precious daughter who was very loved by this family in the past. Unfortunately, she married the wrong manter and wasted her life. ¡°Why are you here?¡± When Corinne suddenly heard Lucas¡¯ questioning her, Corinne regained her senses and did not panic. She turned to look at her boss calmly and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯m here to celebrate your grandfather¡¯s birthday.¡± Lucas stared at her unhappily and frowned. ¡°Who was the one who brought you in?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Corinne said, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Anya.¡± Sorry, she lied! This was because she promised Sunny that she would not tell Lucas that it was Sunny who brought her in. However, if she said no one brought her in, and she sneaked in on her own, not only was this exnation impossible to believe, she might immediately get kicked out. Therefore, she could only lie that it was Anya who brought her in! Only by mentioning Anya, Lucas would be helpless. Even if he was unhappy, he could never bring himself to reprimand his precious sister! ¡®It¡¯s Anya who brought Corinne in?¡¯ Lucas frowned. It was as Corinne expected, Lucas would not me Anya; and out of respect for his beloved. sister, he did not immediately get someone toe chase her out. Suddenly, Edmund rushed in. After giving it a thought, he saw where his employer was and immediately rushed over. ¡°Mister Lucas, there is a phone call for you. It¡¯s urgent!¡± Lucas impatiently shot a cold nce at Corine, then he held out his hand to ept the phone. from Edmund. ¡°What? Found? Where?¡± Lucas said these short words in a clear-cut manner and quickly turned around to go to a quieter spot for the rest of the phone call. He did not return after that. Corinne listened to opera music alone for a bit in the banquet hall, and she also almost had theyout of the whole residence observed. She stood up and wandered around, trying to see if she could find any clues to start her investigation regarding her missing mother. While wandering around, she saw an exceptionally huge piece of a family portrait done in oil painting at the residence. There were a lot of people in the painting, about ten of them. Corrine did not know most of them, but she could only recognize Edgar, Gertrude, her mother and Maxwell, and Lucas, who looked to be almost around ten years of age. She was also in it. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Only that at the time, she was still a baby being held in her mother¡¯s arms. Corinne would never be mistaken about the brushwork of this painting, it came from her mother¡¯s hands. This was a family portrait hand painted by her mother. At that time, she was most probably a newborn, and she had a family and her mother by her side. It is a pity that life was unpredictable. She did not know what exactly happened after that, but her mother was used as an indiscreet woman and was kicked out of the family. Her mother then had to flee with her when she was still at a young age. After that, she was also separated from her mother, and she has not seen her ever since! There was one thing that Corinne did not quite understand-if her mother was wrongly used by Riveras and kicked out of the family, then why did she not go back to her family home? Why did she not leave Corinne with the Lovces, and instead entrusted her to an old ssmate who was not rted to her by blood at all? Whatever happened that year, there were too many suspicions, and however she thought about it there were too many things that did not add up. Suddenly, Corinne felt that there was something wrong. She quickly turned her head, and there was a hidden figure trying to run off sneakily. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Corrine hurriedly caught up to that figure, and with a lunge, she blocked in front of him. He was a man dressed in a servant¡¯s uniform. He was not very young, appearing to be in his 40s. ¡°Who are you? Why are you running away?¡± With his path blocked off, he shook his head a little unnaturally and said, ¡°I am an old servant here, I- I¡¯m not running away. I¡¯m just in a hurry to take some things from the kitchen and bring them to the banquet hall.¡± Corrine squinted her eyes. ¡°It was obvious that you were staring at me in secret, and you only ran off when you were found out by me!¡± The servant shook his head fervently. ¡°No, I did not!¡± Corrine raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t want to be truthful, do you? Then I shall report you as a pervert to the head of your household!¡± He panicked and quickly said, ¡°No, please don¡¯t! I didn¡¯t mean any harm!¡± ¡°Then tell me the truth, why were you spying on me just now?¡± ¡°I-I just feel that your side profile looks a lot like the young miss who went missing lots of years ago, so when I saw your face I was a little out of it. I thought that she was back. That¡¯s why I stared at you for so long. But when you turned your face, I realized I mistook you for her. I felt so awkward and wanted to leave immediately. I¡¯m sorry to have offended you!¡± After Corrine heard his exnation, she loosened up, and she became calmer, ¡°Young miss? Is she the woman holding the baby in that portrait?¡± He nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her.¡± Corrine looked at the portrait from afar. ¡°Do I look like her?¡± Talking about the young miss in his mind, a respectful and longing expression appeared on his face, and he said, ¡°Yes, the side of your face looks like her when she was young, but seeing you from the front, although there is a little bit of resemnce, you do not look exactly like her.¡± Seeing that he seemed to have a crush and secret admiration for her mother, Corrine let out a sigh out of sympathy and continued to ask inquisitively, ¡°Why would she go missing?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The servant frowned and said with resentment, ¡°She married a bad husband, and that family- ¡°Corrine, why are you inquiring about all of these?¡± A sudden voice of an unfriendly woman was heard, and it interrupted what the servant was about to say. Corrine turned her head and saw Rosie-who was very dressed up-walking toward them with crossed arms and an arrogant look on her face. Her gaze was vignt as if guarding against a thief. The servant saw that a guest wasing, so he took this chance to quickly take his leave. Seeing that he left without finishing saying what he had to say, Corrine could not help but feel that it was a pity. She had a feeling that if she could let him finish what he wanted to say, maybe she could have gotten more new clues about the truth of her mother¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Corrine, I¡¯m talking to you! What is your purpose for asking about Lucas¡¯s mother at Mister Maxwell¡¯s birthday party?¡± Rosie asked aggressively. Corrine snapped out of her thought and looked at herzily. ¡°I saw that the woman in the portrait is so beautiful and got a little curious, so I was just asking.¡± ¡°Just asking? I think you have an ulterior motive!¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes were not only filled with her hatred toward Corrine but also with a heavy defense against her. ¡°I just heard from Anya that you were also here for Mister Maxwell¡¯s birthday, and I knew things were not as simple as that! You have nothing to do with the Lovces, so why are you here? And here you are, secretly inquiring about Lucas¡¯s mother! Corrine, are you getting any silly ideas about Lucas, and want to know more about his family background so that you can use it to your advantage?¡± Corrine rolled her eyes and was toozy to exin herself. She turned and walked away! ¡°Stop right there! You are not allowed to leave!¡± Rosie shouted at her. Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Corinne turned a deaf ear to Rosie and continued to walk forward. Rosie, in her high heels, caught up with Corinne andshed out harshly, ¡°You failed to win Jeremy¡¯s heart, Corinne, and you¡¯ll fail to win Lucas¡¯s heart too! Someone as poor as you can probably only marry those nouveau riches in the countryside. ¡°Quit dreaming about winning the hearts of these rich men! Can¡¯t you look at yourself and stop trying to snatch away my man or Anya¡¯s man?¡± Corinne nodded curtly. ¡°Fine! No problem! Can you get out of the way now?¡± Rosie was speechless because of how little of an effect her words had. ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude, Corinne?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already promise you I won¡¯t snatch the men you¡¯re after? What else do you want me to do?¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°Rosie, Corinne,¡± Anya¡¯s tender voice interjected, ¡°What are you two arguing about?¡± Corinne and Rosie looked in the direction of the voice simultaneously and saw Anya dressed in a gorgeous costume. Her exquisitely done hair and makeup made her look somewhat unrecognizable at first nce. Rosie asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go on stage and perform Mister Edgar¡¯s favorite part? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m too nervous, Rosie,¡± Anya said, ¡°I decided to go to the bathroom beforeing up. I heard your voices when I came out of the bathroom, so I came over to see why you and Corinne were arguing.¡± Rosie red at Corinne but did not want to affect Anya¡¯s mood before the performance and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We weren¡¯t arguing. You should get ready for your performance!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that!¡± Anya smiled. She then looked at Corinne and asked, ¡°I need to prepare for my performance soon! My gift to Grandpa is a performance of his favorite piece, ¡®A Love Entranced¡¯. I¡¯ve been practicing for a long time for this day! What do you think of my appearance?¡± Corinne looked at her and smiled. ¡°It does suit you very well.¡± ¡®You¡¯re such a good actress, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡¯ ¡°Really? Well, Jeremy said that I look amazing too! I actually wanted your help in deciding whether to sing ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯ or ¡®A Love Entranced¡¯, but you weren¡¯t there, so Jeremy chose ¡®A Love Entranced¡¯ for me. I honestly prefer ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯ because of Consort Aileen¡¯s character, but Jeremy thought the piece was a little too sad to be sung at my grandfather¡¯s birthday banquet. What do you think?¡± Corinne looked indifferent, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about these things, so you should just listen to Mister Jeremy.¡± Anya¡¯s eyes were filled with happiness. ¡°Okay! You should head over, Corinne. I¡¯ll be performing soon, so maybe you and Rosie can watch my performance with each other.¡± Corinne was not interested in the slightest, but Rosie did not want to ruin her best friend¡¯s expectations. She red at Corinne before pulling her away. ¡°Off you go. You¡¯d better not be ungrateful now that Anya invited you!¡± Rosie whispered into Corinne¡¯s ear in a voice that only Corinne could hear! Rosie¡¯s main reason for bringing Corinne with her was to ensure that Corinne did not run around by herself and start prying for information from the Lovces. It would also stop Corinne from getting a chance to hit Lucas up, and keeping Corinne under close watch would always be the safer option! Corinne frowned and did not want to go, but she did not resist because Rosie had been following her the entire time, making it difficult to inquire about the Lovces. As the three of them walked down the stairs together, Anya suddenly stumbled and fell down the stairs. ¡°Anya!¡± Rosie was startled and immediately ran over to help. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you okay? Anya¡­¡± Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Anya groaned in pain and had a horrified, aggrieved look on her face. ¡°Corinne! W-w-why did you push me?¡± Rosie was taken aback when she heard that and looked angrily at Corinne. ¡°You¡¯re up to no good again, Corinne! What a vicious woman you are, harming Anya time and again!¡± Corinne¡¯s hands were hanging naturally by her sides, and she was stunned when facing the usations from Anya and Rosie. Her lips twitched slightly, and she let out a soft snort. ¡®Here we go again!¡¯ Anya tried every means to get Corinne to go to the birthday earlier, but since there was little sess with the present, she pulled off one of her usual tricks. It was the same boring ploy that she used to do in the past. Rosie carefully helped Anya up and asked, ¡°How are you feeling, Anya? Did you hurt yourself?¡± Anya had tears in her eyes, and she looked rather weak. ¡°Rosie¡­ My foot¡­ It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Your foot? Oh no¡­ Could it be a fracture? What do we do now?¡± Rosie checked Anya¡¯s foot anxiously, but there did not seem to be anything wrong with it externally. She expressed her worry at Anya¡¯s situation while ring unreasonably at the ¡® culprit¡¯ Corinne. That was when she saw the sarcastic sneer on Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°How can you still smirk at this moment? What kind of heartless person are you? Anya didn¡¯t provoke you and even invited you to see her performance, but you returned the favor by being so ruthless as to push her down! You¡¯re an evil b*tch, you know that! Lucas won¡¯t forgive you if Anya¡¯s foot suffers a fracture!¡± Corinne remarked indifferently, ¡°Show your evidence. Do you have any evidence to prove that I pushed her?¡± Rosie then said angrily, ¡°I was right beside Anya. I can bear witness to what happened! Why would Anya tumble down the stairs if you hadn¡¯t pushed her? Do you have any idea how hard Anya practiced for her performance today? There¡¯s no way she¡¯d hurt herself intentionally before her performance!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Who¡¯s to know for sure?¡± Rosie gritted her teeth angrily and pointed at her. ¡°You¡­¡± ?? Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Anya pulled Rosie¡¯s arm weakly and said, ¡°Enough, Rosie. You can¡¯t win an argument against her. Could you help me up, please? I think I¡¯d still be able to go on stage.¡± Rosie shot a cold re at Corinne and tried her best to help Anya stand up. Anya struggled to stand up, but she could not do so and sat back down on the ground in pain. ¡°Ah! It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Anya! What happened?¡± ¡°My¡­ My legs are weak¡­¡± ¡°Ah? What should I do now¡­¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Lucas asked in a stern voice as he walked over with firm footsteps. Rosie raised her head when she heard his voice, and it was as if she had seen a glimmer of hope as she said, ¡°You came at the perfect time, Lucas! Corinne pushed Anya down the stairs, and Anya kept saying that her foot hurt. I¡¯m worried that she might¡¯ve suffered a fracture¡­¡± Lucas then rushed forward and ran over to help Anya, who was already dressed up in her costume and did her makeup. ¡°What happened to you, Anya?¡± Anya¡¯s voice was very weak, and she tried her best to refrain from crying so her tears would not ruin her makeup. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but my foot hurts. Help me up, Lucas. I still need to go on stage to sing for Grandpa¡­¡± Lucas frowned worriedly. ¡°Why are you even thinking about going on stage when you can¡¯t stand up? Be a good girl and get your foot checked!¡± Then, Lucas carried Anya up, turned his head, and ordered sternly, ¡°Call the Lovces¡¯ family doctor, Edmund!¡± Chapter 593 Chapter 593 ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Anya struggled stubbornly in Lucas¡¯s arms, and tears started to well up in her eyes. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine, Lucas! I need to perform! I¡¯ve already told Grandpa I¡¯ve prepared a special gift for his birthday. He¡¯ll be very disappointed in me if I don¡¯t show up onstage. You know how long I¡¯ve taken to prepare this gift, Lucas¡­¡± Lucas frowned and chastised, ¡°Be a good girl, Anya! I¡¯ll exin the situation to Grandpa for you. Nothing is as important as your health right now, so stop making such a big fuss!¡± Anya cried, ¡°No, Lucas! I don¡¯t want to! I¡¯ve been looking forward to this for a long time! I don¡¯t want to give up now¡­ Let me go, Lucas! I want to go on stage! I want to perform! I swear I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Anya iled about, hindering Lucas from moving forward. Nothing he said could persuade her, and there was nothing he could do about her situation. Rosie looked at the situation, feeling worried about her best friend¡¯s injury and the headache that her dream man Lucas had to face. She got angrier with every passing thought, and once her rage had reached its peak, she went over and shoved Corinne forcefully, causing thetter to stagger several steps. ¡°You¡¯re the cause of all this, Corinne! Look at what you¡¯ve done to Anya. You¡¯ve made all of Anya¡¯s sacrifices go to waste, and you need to take responsibility for this!¡¯ Corinne stood firm, brushed the spot Rosie touched, and said, ¡°Miss Rosie, I hope you¡¯ll be more respectful with your words and how you carry yourself. I refuse to entertain baseless usations, and I won¡¯t take responsibility for something I did not do.¡± Her continued refusal to admit her wrongdoings angered Rosie to the point of wanting to push her a second time. However, Corinne seeded in calmly avoiding her. Rosie failed to ce her hand on Corinne and almost fell face-t to the ground! ¡°H-how dare you avoid me?! Anya hurt her foot because you pushed her down! You¡¯re the reason she can¡¯t perform now, and you¡¯re still being so smug with me?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lucas stared coldly at Corinne with mixed feelings of gloom and anger. He kept quiet for the time being and focused entirely on his sister¡¯s injury. Corinne sensed Lucas¡¯s condemning gaze and felt like laughing when she saw Anya¡¯s stubborn refusal to deal with the injury. Other people could not see it, but Corinne could tell that Anya was simply putting on an act to make Lucas feel heartbroken for her. That way, Lucas could get angry at Corinne and chase her away. ¡°I didn¡¯t push Miss Anya. You can call the police if you don¡¯t believe me and let them Investigate the situation. I have no issues cooperating with an investigation, but I won¡¯t ept this unfounded me to be put on me.¡± Rosie snorted coldly. ¡°No evidence, you say? Just because there aren¡¯t any surveince cameras here doesn¡¯t mean you can get away with it! I¡¯m a witness, and the police will ept my testimony when they¡¯re here! You wanted me to call the police, didn¡¯t you? Well, just wait! I¡¯ll do just that!¡± Corinne remained calm and fearless while waiting for Rosie to call the police. However, Anya stretched out her hand while she was still in Lucas¡¯s arms, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t call the police, Rosie. Corinne probably didn¡¯t mean to do it, and I don¡¯t want there to be any trouble at Grandpa¡¯s birthday party, especially not when it would be an embarrassment to everyone. Just forget it and put your phone away.¡± ¡°But, she¡­¡± Rosie knew that Anya had a good point since calling the police at the old man¡¯s birthday party would only ruin the moment. Even so, she was unwilling to let that damned Corinne leave just like that. Despite her aggrievance, Anya insisted, ¡°Could you juste here and persuade Lucas to let me go? I need to go on stage. If I can¡¯t make it, then¡­¡± Lucas¡¯s expression sank, and he hugged the injured Anya tightly to keep her from moving.¡± Anya!¡± Anya continued to insist on going onstage despite the injury, and Rosie felt sorry for her best. friend and was just as worried about her as Lucas was. All of a sudden, an idea popped up in Rosie¡¯s mind, and she said with a smug expression, You¡¯re the reason for Anya¡¯s injury, so since she can¡¯t go onstage, Anya might be kind enough to let you off the hook if you can help salvage the situation!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow and asked curiously, ¡°Salvage the situation? How?¡± Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Rosie red at Corinne and said, ¡°Is that so difficult to understand, Corinne? I¡¯m asking you to go onstage and take Anya¡¯s ce to sing ¡®A Love Entranced¡±!¡± Corinne frowned slightly. ¡°Me? Taking her ce for the performance? How is that helpful?¡± Rosie rolled her eyes confidently and said, ¡°It¡¯s very helpful! You¡¯ll be using heavy makeup when you¡¯re singing on stage, so no one can tell that you¡¯re not her if they don¡¯t look carefully! You can just go on stage, sing the song as Anya, and we¡¯ll treat it as if Anya was the one who came on stage to sing for the old man. No one will notice anything!¡± After hearing Rosie¡¯s idea, Anya pondered it momentarily and soon understood her best friend¡¯s intentions. Rosie deliberately tried to make a fool out of Corinne with the performance. It did not take a genius to figure out that a poor country girl like Corinne could never belt out an opera. Corinne¡¯s family finances and childhood environment hindered her from taking opera lessons. Once on stage, she would make a fool of herself by singing nonsense, and Edgar hated those who did not appreciate opera by singing out of tune and butchering his beloved ssics. Anya had made many preparations and practiced hard just to please Edgar with her special birthday gift. However, judging from Edgar¡¯s attitude toward her that day, she knew that she would not win his favor regardless of how well she sang, and if she failed to sing to his satisfaction, he would probably shun her even more. Therefore, Anya had never nned to go on stage to sing. She merely wanted to use the opportunity to create a ¡®reason¡¯ for why she could not go on stage because that would cause Lucas to get angry at Corinne and immediately chase Corinne away. Anya could see that Edgar had entertained the idea of treating Corinne like a granddaughter after his wife mistook her for their daughter earlier. If they went ahead with Rosie¡¯s idea of getting Corinne on stage to sing in Anya¡¯s ce and ruin the old man¡¯s beloved ssic, he would get angry and drop the idea of treating Corinne like a granddaughter. A hint of sinisterness shed in Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡®If I can¡¯t win the old man¡¯s heart, then that b* tch Corinne will have even less of a chance to do so!¡¯ She did not veto Rosie¡¯s suggestion and merely feigned concern. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re putting Corinne in a tight spot¡­¡± Rosie did not take that advice to heart. ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m asking her to sing a song, not forcing her to be executed! There¡¯s no way you can go on stage with that injured foot, so why don¡¯t you just let Corinne take your ce?¡± Anya nestled in her brother¡¯s arms and looked helplessly at Corinne. ¡°In that case, could you¡­. ¡°No.¡± Corinne refused without hesitation, then cocked her eyebrow and looked at Rosie. ¡°If you want someone to help with Miss Anya¡¯s present, then why don¡¯t you-her best friend-go on stage and take her ce?¡± Rosie¡¯splexion soured, and she blinked her eyes diffidently as she said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to sing!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Corinne found that veryughable. ¡°Do you expect me to be able to do something that even you can¡¯t do?¡± Rosie doubled down on her remarks. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know how to sing, you¡¯d still be better than me! My specialty is dancing. I can¡¯t even sing a tune, let alone an entire opera! Besides, I have to take care of Anya offstage, so there¡¯s no way I can take her ce on stage!¡± Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Corinne was not persuaded and was adamant about refusing. At that moment, Lucas finally said in a stern and impatient tone. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop causing trouble! If Anya can¡¯t take the stage, getting someone else to take her ce is unnecessary. Grandpa isn¡¯t going to me anyone. I¡¯ll just exin Anya¡¯s situation to him.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After hearing what Lucas said, Corinne could not be happier to be freed from that. pressure. Anya insisted tearfully, ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare any other gifts for Grandpa aside from this performance¡­ Even if Grandpa doesn¡¯t me me for not giving him a proper present, it¡¯d still leave him with a bad impression of me in the future. That¡¯s why I need toplete the performance for him¡­¡± Lucas frowned and gazed down at his stubborn sister. ¡°Listen to me, Anya. Your health is more important than anything. If you want to sing the opera you¡¯ve practiced for Grandpa, you can always do so another day. There will be more opportunities for you to sing for him in the future!¡± Anya started struggling again. ¡°No! It¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s birthday today, and the performance will lose its significance if I do it on a random day. I¡¯ve already told Grandpa that I prepared a special gift for him, so I can¡¯t break my promise! Jeremy¡­ He¡¯s waiting in the audience to see my performance too. I don¡¯t want to disappoint either of them¡­¡± Lucas¡¯s gaze turned gloomy. ¡°Anya!¡± Rosie walked up to Lucas and Anya before standing up for her best friend, ¡°Anya¡¯s still determined to go on with the performance, and if we don¡¯t find someone to go on stage toplete the performance for her, she won¡¯t listen to you and cooperate to get her injuries. checked!¡± That was when Lucas finally began to consider Rosie¡¯s suggestion. Anya might be a demure girl, but she had a very stubborn temper and was determined to see. through something that she had her heart set on. Evidence of that could be seen in her decision to marry Jeremy ever since she was still a child. What Rosie said made sense because Anya would not cooperate with the treatment even if she was forced to be sent to the hospital. That would make things even more troublesome. looked Lucas was worried about Anya¡¯s injury, so after taking everything into consideration, he up and nced coldly at Corinne before ordering, ¡°Get yourself ready to take the stage as Anya¡¯s recement.¡± Corinne did not answer her boss as rudely as she did to Rosie and Anya. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d butcher the gift your sister has so painstakingly prepared?¡± Lucas said coldly, ¡°What matters to an older person is not whether you sing well, but whether you poured your heart into it. Just sing a couple of lines and do your best for Anyal¡± Roste agreed and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t, then Anya¡¯s mind won¡¯t be at ease when she gets her foot injury checked on. Will you be able to bear the consequences if she suffers from any seque due to thete treatment?¡± ¡°Are you all certain you want me to take the stage for Miss Anya?¡± Anya looked at Corinne with pleading eyes. ¡°I¡¯m injured now, Corinne. I can¡¯t go on stage. I¡¯ll be very grateful if you can go on stage and help me salvage the situation! You have such a nice voice, so I¡¯m sure you can sing a tune well. I trust that you¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± Corinne looked at Anya, then at her boss Lucas, and thought about it before sighing helplessly, ¡°Okay then. Since my boss insisted, then I as an employee-can only do as told. You can¡¯t me me if I don¡¯t sing well, though.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t! Thank you for your willingness to help me!¡± Anya said gratefully, then turned to Rosie, ¡°Could you please help me bring Corinne to get her makeup and dress ready? We¡¯re running out of time!¡± Rosie nodded with a triumphant smile on her face. ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t worry, Anya, I¡¯ll bring her there right away!¡± Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Rosie nced again at Corinne with disgust and barked sarcastically, ¡°Why are you spacing out? Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll bring you to get your makeup done!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne sighed, nodded helplessly, and followed Rosie as thetter led her backstage. Lucas stared coldly at Corinne¡¯s rear figure and narrowed his eyes. He did not care much about Corinne¡¯s potential performanceter, but he simply felt that Corinne¡¯s reaction was a little odd. Things were bound to happen whenever Corinne showed up, and there was always some trouble in the offing. All he could hope for was that she would not ruin his grandfather¡¯s birthday party that day. Had he not been forced to calm his younger sister¡¯s emotions so she could get her foot injury. checked up, he would not have allowed Corinne to stay around, let alone perform on stage. At that moment, Edmund finally arrived with the Lovces¡¯ family doctor. ¡°Sir, Doctor Kingsley is here,¡± Edmund said. He then looked worriedly at Anya while she was still nestled in Lucas¡¯s arms. ¡°How is Miss Anya doing?¡± Lucas¡¯s face remained calm as he exined, ¡°Her foot is injured pretty badly, and she can¡¯t walk anymore. Have Doctor Kingsley check her to see if there¡¯s a fracture.¡± ¡°Okay. Right this way, doctor. Please have a look at Miss Anya¡¯s foot.¡± The family doctor stepped forward and suggested, ¡°Sir, perhaps you shouldy her down on a stable tform so she could rx a little. We¡¯ll be able to examine her better that way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas carried Anya into a nearby guest room and gently ced her on the sofa so the doctor could examine her injuries. Anya was no longer as stubborn as before. She obeyed her brother obediently and cooperated with the doctor as he checked her foot. Unbeknownst to everyone, a sinister yet subtle smile appeared across her innocent little face. The truth was that her foot did not hurt at all, and it was never hurt in the first ce. It was all fake! ¡®Corinne, oh, Corinne! I¡¯m excited to see what will happen once you go on stageter!¡¯ Edgar hated it when bad singers took to the stage and made a mess out of a song, and he that would hate Corinne to the core once she butchered the song. That could be enough to stop darn Corinne from doing her best to associate herself with the powerful and to achieve her dreams of securing power, wealth, and glory! ¡°Do you feel any pain here?¡± the doctor asked, pressing her ankle. Anya winced in agony and lied, ¡°It does hurt a little, but it¡¯s much better than before. The pain was really bad when I fell down the stairs earlier¡­¡± ¡°What about here?¡± The doctor pressed other parts of her foot. Anya¡¯s answer was the same ¡®It hurts a little.¡¯ After a thorough examination, the doctor frowned and stood up. ¡°Sir, Miss Anya¡¯s ankle is just a little sprained, and there aren¡¯t any fractures. The injury isn¡¯t very severe, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Just apply some sprain ointment, and she¡¯ll recover slowly after some rest. Remember not to let her walk too soon, though.¡± Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Lucas nodded in relief after hearing what the doctor said. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Anya had a sudden thought and said, ¡°I¡¯m still a little worried about Corinne¡¯s performance, so since the doctor already checked my foot and said that I¡¯m fine, I¡¯d like to go and watch it.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the doctor advising you not to walk for now? Be obedient.¡± Anya pouted pitifully. ¡°I really want to watch the performance¡­ Please just take me there, Lucas. I just want to have a look.¡± Lucas frowned for a moment and said, ¡°Not a chance. Corinne will perform under your guise, so aren¡¯t you afraid that someone might spot you in the audience?¡± Anya was stunned since she hadpletely forgotten about that point. She wanted to see Corinne make a fool of herself and show up just in time to prove that the person on stage was someone else instead of her. ¡°Lucas¡­ I just want to watch her from a distance¡­ We don¡¯t have to be in the audience. We can just watch from a distance¡­¡± All Lucas cared about at that moment was her sprained foot. He did not give her any room for negotiation. ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn, Anya. Our priority now is to get the doctor to apply some of the ointment. on your foot. Then you can get some rest and recuperate.¡± ¡°But, Lucas¡­¡± Anya called out for Lucas coquettishly, and tears filled her eyes again. Lucas frowned and did not give in. When Edmund saw the stalemate between Lucas and Anya, he thought momentarily before. stepping forward and saying, ¡°Miss, you need to listen to your brother and have a good rest. go there and stream it live from my cell phone for you to watch. That way, you can see her performance from here.¡± I¡¯ll Anya was not too happy when she heard that, but as soon as she saw her brother¡¯s unyielding expression, she felt that Edmund¡¯s idea was pretty good and decided to settle for the next best option. She then nodded and said, ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you for the trouble, Edmund.¡± Edmund replied respectfully, ¡°No thanks necessary. It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Anya had always given off the vibe of being approachable and understanding, so almost everyone who knew her believed she was a genuinely humble and angelic girl. Everyone who had met her had a positive impression of her and liked her a lot, including Edmund. Lucas did not stop Edmund either. He merely looked at his once well-behaved younger sister, who was bing more and more troublesome, and he had mixed feelings as his eyes narrowed slightly. There was even a touch of irritability and lethargy between his brows. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Backstage, Corinne has already done her makeup and put on her outfit. Rosie looked at Corinne¡¯s appearance after having make-up and could not help but feel that Corinne was more charming than Anya. As a result, Rosie felt even more disgusted and jealous, prompting her tosh out angrily, ¡°Remember to give it your all and sing well once you go on stage. Don¡¯t embarrass Anya!¡± Corinne looked in the mirror, cocked her eyebrow, and looked at the domineering-looking Rosie, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m not very good at singing, but you insisted on letting me rece Miss Anya on stage. If you¡¯re worried I¡¯d embarrass myself, I might as well not take the stage at all!¡± Rosie became anxious again. ¡°You¡­ Your makeup¡¯s done, so why are you arguing about it at this sort of time? The other performances have already started, so what do you expect the other performers to do if you don¡¯te on stage soon?¡± Corinne stood up slowly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯m supposed to go on stage and sing ¡®A Love Entranced¡¯? Why am I dressed like Consort Aileen? Why am I wearing the dress she wore when she sang ¡®Farewell, My Love!?¡± Rosie brushed her question off by saying, ¡°Anya is still wearing the dress for ¡®A Love Entranced¡¯, and it¡¯s inconvenient for her to take it off after her foot was injured. You have no choice but to sing ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯! It¡¯s not like they¡¯re any different. Why are you still being picky when you¡¯re supposed to help fill in?¡± Corinne sighed worriedly. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to make a fool of myself on Miss Anya¡¯s behalf then! As soon as she listened to the drum beat from the front, she took a deep breath to prepare herself before reluctantly stepping onto the stage. As soon as Corinne went on stage, a triumphant smile unfurled across Rosie¡¯s face as she waited in anticipation to see how badly Corinne would perform. Rosie left the backstage area expectantly and went to the audience to witness the best part of the performance. Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Rosie went off stage, nced at the audience, and walked over to sit in the first row behind Edgar and Gertrude. The second elder of the Lovces was Lucas¡¯s grandfather. If she could strike up a good rtionship with the old man and his wife, then it would almost certainly benefit her in her future rtionship with Lucas. Rosie exchanged greetings with the elders in a very respectful and polite manner before taking her seat. She looked up at the stage and saw Corinne making an appearance. ¡®Let the show begin!¡¯ Corinne led the other dancers on stage with a firm stride and raised her voice to sing. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Farewell, my love. Farewell, my love. We must go our separate ways. Remember this farewell, keep our memories in your heart, and think back to our time before our farewell¡­¡± Her voice did not break, she was not out of tune, and she nailed every single word correctly. Her voice was crisp, and those in the audience who were chatting while listening to the performance could not help but fall silent as they focused their attention on ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ on the stage. Rosie was dumbfounded, and the eager expression she had earlier had faded away. She even wondered if she was hallucinating. She had no idea that Corinne could have such a professional voice. Rosie listened carefully again and confirmed that she was not hearing things. Corinne was genuinely singing very well! ¡®But how?! How could a country bumpkin like Corinne sing an opera so well? Someone of her background would never have been able to learn it!¡¯ The middle-aged and elderly VIP guests were already apuding for ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ with eyes filled with admiration. However, Rosie still refused to believe that Corinne would be the singer who sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯ so wlessly. It could not have been possible! Something was gravely wrong. Rosie lost herposure, stood up, and stared at the girl in the costume of Consort Aileen. Her eyes widened even more in disbelief as she listened to Corinne sing. ¡®It¡¯s Corinne! There¡¯s no doubt about it! It¡¯s her¡­ That country bumpkin can sing opera, and she sang so perfectly too! Didn¡¯t she say she couldn¡¯t sing very well?!¡¯ At that moment, someone in the audience smiled and asked Edgar, ¡°Edgar, what¡¯s the name of this woman ying ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯? She sings amazingly well! Where did you find her?¡± Edgar also looked at ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ on stage in amazement. His pupils trembled, and he was so focused on the performance that he did not hear the question raised by his friend. The singer sang in such a unique manner, and her movement-not to mention her voice and figure-left everyone in awe. In addition, her portrayal of ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ had a charm simr to his daughter Emily, who had been missing for many years. ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯ was her favorite y, and when she was young, she had the opportunity to learn from an opera master because her parents-being fans of opera-were good friends with that opera master. Emily admired Consort Aileen¡¯s boldness, so it was no surprise that her favorite opera was Farewell, My Love¡¯. She frequently performed it whenever there were art performances at her school. The ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ on stage looked remarkably like Emily as a young child singing on stage -her movements, charm, and voice were somehow very simr. Edgar felt that the singer looked like his daughter, and Gertrude shared the same view too. Gertrude stared at ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ with tears in her eyes, and she almost choked up as she said, ¡°It¡¯s Emily¡­ Emily¡¯s singing her favorite piece.¡± Upon seeing his wife¡¯s reaction, Edgar could not help but feel a touch of heartbreak as he stretched out his hand and held his wife¡¯s trembling shoulders. He calmed her down with a deep voice and said, ¡°Not so loud, honey. Let our Emily finish her song.¡± Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Upon hearing Edgar¡¯s words, Gertrude-whose mental state faltered slightly-went nk. momentarily. She suppressed her urge to rush up and hug her ¡®daughter¡¯, nodding quietly.¡± Yes, we can¡¯t interrupt her when she¡¯s so focused on her singing. Emily doesn¡¯t like to be interrupted¡­¡± At the end of the pieces, the actors left the stage after a curtain call. Gertrude watched as her ¡® daughter¡¯ left her sight, and her mood started spiraling out of control as she got up anxiously to try and get on stage to chase after her daughter. Edgar had anticipated she would do that, so he grabbed his wife just in time and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere, Gertrude. Emily won¡¯t leave again.¡± Afterforting his wife, he turned around and instructed the servants waiting beside him, ¡± Get ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ toe here right away!¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The servant responded and went immediately. Upon seeing that, Rosie-who had just snapped back to her senses-suddenly had a bad feeling. She initially wanted Corinne to make a fool of herself in public, but she never expected Corinne to be that good of a singer who even received the approval of Edgar and Gertrude. The old couple even wanted to meet her! Rosie could not let that happen. Edgar was very satisfied with Corinne¡¯s performance, and he would have a good impression of her if he knew she was ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯. That would only fuel Corinne¡¯s ambitions to advance her social status. Having considered that, Rosie immediately stepped forward and feigned a smile as she intervened, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice, Mister Edgar? The opera singer who yed Consort Aileen earlier was Anya! She worked incredibly hard just to give you this special gift!¡± Edgar was startled to hear that. ¡®Did I hear her correctly?! ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ was yed by Anya? I didn¡¯t notice it at all!¡¯ Suddenly, Edgar remembered the so-called ¡®special gift¡¯ Anya had mentioned she had prepared for him. She mentioned that it was something he would almost certainly love. As it turned out, the gift she prepared was that performance. A trace of disappointment shed across Edgar¡¯s eyes after discovering that ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ was Anya. Nevertheless, he smiled with appreciation and said softly, ¡°Well, she was very considerate to prepare this gift. It isn¡¯t easy for one to train their voice that well.¡± At this time, Gertrude-who was already a little anxious because she could not meet her¡¯ Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. daughter¡¯-asked impatiently, ¡°Edgar¡­ Why hasn¡¯t Emilye here yet? Please find her. I want to see her¡­¡± Edgar brieflyforted his wife before telling Rosie, ¡°Please tell her toe over. Let her know that I have something to say to her.¡± Rosie smirked and nodded, ¡°Okay, sir! I¡¯ll get Anya toe and meet you right now!¡± Rosie hurried backstage and happened to run into Corinne. She stood angrily in front of Corinne and said, ¡°Stop! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Corinne had not had the time to remove her makeup and costume yet, so she replied inly, ¡± Someone just informed me that Mister Edgar wanted to meet the singer, so I¡¯m going over right now.¡± Rosie stared at her disdainfully, ¡°What business do you have meeting him? Don¡¯t forget that. you just took Anya¡¯s ce, and Mister Edgar wants to meet Anya. The person he saw on stage. was Anya-not you. Don¡¯t you take this opportunity to make a name for yourself!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows nonchntly. ¡°Are you saying that I don¡¯t need to meet him?¡± Rosie snorted arrogantly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You have no right to! Just stay here and don¡¯t go. anywhere. It¡¯s none of your business! Anya will be going to meet the man!¡± Corinne shrugged indifferently. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll remove my makeup since I don¡¯t need to go!¡± After finishing her words, she turned around, yawned, and returned to the dressing room to remove her makeup. Rosie frowned unhappily and had a particr disdain for Corinne¡¯s arrogance. As she nced at Corinne¡¯s back in disgust, she turned to look for Anya and intended to ask her best friend to be ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ and meet Edgar. Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Anya was being kept under close watch after Lucas arranged for someone to ensure she was resting and recuperating in the room. Her face had turned pale, and the expression on her innocent and angelic face became incredibly distorted. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She had watched Corinne¡¯s performance of ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯ through a video call with Edmund her brother¡¯s subordinate-and the result left her surprised, astonished, and jealous. Corinne¡¯s performance was not as terrible as she expected. On the contrary, it was so breathtaking that the guests in the audience apuded her! ¡®How is this happening?! How could Corinne-a woman who was born in the countryside-be able to sing an opera that well? She can sing better than me even though I¡¯ve been practicing secretly for a few months! Damn it! This isn¡¯t the result I wanted!¡¯ What Anya had expected was Corinne to butcher the very essence of opera with terrible singing. As a result, it would trigger Edgar into chasing her away due to his anger from the performance! s, Corinne¡¯s performance was so amazing that she would have received even more appreciation from Edgar. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Had she known that Corinne would be so good at singing, she would never have agreed to let the woman go on stage to rece her in the first ce. ¡®It would¡¯ve been better for me to ask my brother to get Corinne to leave so that such an unfortunate turn of circumstances would not happen!¡¯ Anya immediately regretted her decision. At that moment, Rosie knocked on the door and came in. She looked at Anya in distress and asked with sincere concern, ¡°How¡¯s your foot? What did the doctor say after checking up on you?¡± After seeing her best friend enter the room, Anya immediately changed her expression to a smile and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Rosie. The doctor says I¡¯ve just got a minor sprain. It¡¯s nothing serious. I¡¯ll be fine with a bit of rest. Rosie then nodded reassuringly, ¡°Sure. I¡¯m just worried that your foot would be severely injured by that scheming Corinne!¡± Anya¡¯s smile soured at the mention of Corinne¡¯s name, but she still maintained her temper in front of Rosie despite being very dissatisfied with her. It was all Rosie¡¯s fault for suggesting that Corinne go on stage to sing in her ce. Without that, Corinne would not have had a chance to perform at all. There were times when her idiot of a best friend caused more trouble than good! Rosie did not realize her best friend¡¯s repulsion toward her and said instead, ¡°Mister Edgar sent me here to invite you over and meet him. He said that he had something to tell you!¡± Anya, who was still very much angry about Corinne stealing the limelight, was stunned momentarily. Surprised, she sought confirmation and asked, ¡°What? Grandpa wants to meet me to tell me something?¡± Rosie nodded. ¡°Yes! He liked the performance so much that he wants to meet ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ in private!¡± Anya frowned softly and blinked in surprise. ¡°But isn¡¯t ¡®Consort Aileen¡¯ supposed to be Cor-¡± Rosie knew that Anya was going ask, ¡®Isn¡¯t Consort Aileen supposed to be Corinne?¡¯, so she immediately interrupted her sentence and said, ¡°Consort Aileen is you, Anya! Did you forget that Corinne performed as you earlier? I¡¯ve already told Mister Edgar that you¡¯re the singer who yed Consort Aileen and that it was your carefully-prepared birthday gift for him. The ¡® Consort Aileen¡¯ that Mister Edgar wants to meet is you, of course!¡± Having heard what Rosie said, Anya suddenly realized that she had been so angry at Corinne¡¯s wonderful performance earlier that she forgot that Corinne performed under her name. Chapter 601 Chapter 601 With that, the unhappiness In Anya¡¯s heart suddenly dissipated. From what happened, Rosie¡¯s stupidity was perhaps not so severe as to bepletely useless in every situation. At the very least, she still had value during that critical moment! Anya¡¯s expression became cheery, and she smiled softly, ¡°Thank you for putting in a good word for me in front of Grandpa!¡± Rosie then said, ¡°No biggie, Anya! We¡¯re the best of friends, so you can bet on me to stop Corinne from seeding and showing off in your name! That darn b*tch must¡¯ve pushed you down on purpose earlier so you couldn¡¯t go on stage, and she could use that opportunity to show off! Don¡¯t worry, Anya, I¡¯ve already told someone to watch her take off her make¨Cup backstage, and I¡¯ll make sure she won¡¯t get the chance to say anything to Mister Edgar!¡± Anya smiled reassuringly and remembered that she was supposed to portray herself as a kind¨Chearted person. She thus said hypocritically, ¡°Don¡¯t say that about Corinne, Rosie. I don¡¯t think she did it on purpose¡­ ¡°As if anyone would believe that! You¡¯re just too naive, Anya, and you think too kindly of her!¡± Rosie felt that her best friend was too kind and too gullible, and since they would both be sisters¨Cinw in the future, her desire to protect Anya was even stronger after she had made up her mind to do so. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about Corinne anymore. She¡¯s a bringer of bad luck! Anyway, we should be going soon. I asked someone to send a wheelchair over since your foot is injured and you still can¡¯t walk. I¡¯ll push you to see Mister Edgar so you can hear what he wants to say to you.¡± Anya nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas had arranged several servants to look after her there and left to deal with someone else. His absence made it much easier for her to deal with the servants, and they did not object when they saw Anya being pushed out on a wheelchair. Rosie pushed Anya toward the elder Lovces and said, ¡°Mister Edgar, I brought Anya to meet you!¡± Edgar looked over with a dignified expression and scrutinized Anya, who was sitting in a wheelchair with her makeup. He noticed something was not right and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t you sing¡± Farewell, My Love¡® earlier? Why are you wearing the costume for ¡®A Love Entranced¡°?¡± Anya was indeed wearing the costume for ¡®A Love Entranced¡® because the costume for ¡®Farewell, My Love ¡®was at Corinne¡¯s ce. Since she still had a ¡®foot injury¡®, it would be inconvenient for her to meet Corinne and change into the appropriate costume. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Furthermore, changing her makeup was very troublesome and time¨Cconsuming, and it would not be ideal to keep the old man waiting for too long lest he became impatient. However, she and Rosie had already thought of a reasonable exnation to bolster their cause. Rosie began by saying, ¡°This is what happened, Mister Edgar. It was Anya who put on the costume because she wanted to sing ¡®A Love Entranced¡® as the encore for you. She had just managed to put on the costume when she was called to meet you.¡± Edgar narrowed his old but sharp eyes and said, ¡°Is that so? Then why is she sitting in a wheelchair? How did that happen?¡± Anya was the one who answered him and exined with a distressed expression, ¡°Forgive my rudeness for not being able to stand up and talk to you. I was careless earlier because I was in such a hurry to get off stage and change my costume that I sprained my ankle¡­¡± Edgar stared at her pitiful appearance for a while, and the doubts in his heart had beenpletely dispelled He felt a bit of pity and appreciation for her despite never liking her in the past, and he had a kind expression as he spoke. ¡°Well, your grandma and I appreciate your effort. You sang very well earlier, and since you¡¯ve hurt your foot, there¡¯s no need for you to go on stage and sing ¡®A Love Entranced¡®. You can always do so once you¡¯ve recovered.¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Edgar had always been extremely indifferent toward Anya, so hearing him speak to her in such a concerned tone overwhelmed her. She nodded obediently and touchingly before saying sensibly, ¡°My injury isn¡¯t serious, and I can still sing for you if I really want me to. I know you¡¯re very worried about me, and you probably won¡¯t be in the mood to listen to me sing right now. I promise to sing for you in the future! ¡°While recovering from this injury, I¡¯ll train my voice again and aim to sing ¡®A Love Entranced¡® in as perfect. a rendition as possible for you and your wife in the future!¡± Edgar listened to Anya¡¯s filial response with an unprecedented look of appreciation. He nodded slightly. and said, ¡°Sure. But since you¡¯re still going to have to recover from your injury, you must make sure to take extra care. There¡¯s no need to strain your voice too much. You¡¯ve already sung very well today!¡± Hispliment was not simply out of politeness but out of a genuinely objective evaluation. The performance was impable, and he was not the only one who felt that way¨Cthe apuse from all the guests earlier was a testament to ¡®her¡® ability. Based on ¡®her¡® performance that day, one could expect that ¡®her¡® performance of ¡®A Love Entranced¡® would be just as wless. As a longstanding fan of opera who valued talent above all else, Edgar¡¯s perception of Anya had changed tremendously. He did not like her very much in the past and even had a very bad impression of her. He always felt that Lucas¡¯s half¨Csister was something of a hypocritical, conniving moment. Though she always did things to perfection, it always seemed to have an ulterior motive and was not very sincere.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After hearing her voice which she had so painstakingly trained, he finally realized she was a very thoughtful child. Perhaps he had formed a prejudiced bias against her in the past and misunderstood her. He sighed, for he had been trying to find some psychologicalfort all those years for his wife who suffered from Alzheimer¡¯s. He had been searching for a girl who resembled his missing daughter whom. he wanted to treat like his own so she could spend more time with his wife. Anya¡¯s thoughtfulness made him realize he no longer needed to find someone else for that role. She would be a good fit since he already knew her and would be more at ease with someone in the family rather than an outsider. Moreover, she looked more or less like their missing granddaughter, Luna, in particr, the mole between .her eyebrows. The simrity would probably contribute to a feeling of closeness with his wife who suffered from Alzheimer¡¯s. In the future, he could allow Anya toe to the house as Emily to keep his wifepany, talk to her, and sing opera for them. That could alleviate her longing for her daughter and slow down her mental deterioration. At that moment, Gertrude nced anxiously at the stage and wanted to leave. ¡°Emily¡­ Emily left¡­ We need to look for Emily¡­¡± Edgar returned to his senses, hurriedly grabbed his wife, who was about to leave, andforted her. Emily¡¯s here. She didn¡¯t leave! Look here. She¡¯s here! She¡¯s always been here!¡± He said, pointing to Anya in the wheelchair to his wife. Gertrude looked over, and her restless eyes finally fell on Anya¡¯s face. She frowned and then stared at Anya for a while. Anya¡¯s clothes were different from those of the girl who yed Consort Aileen on stage earlier, which might be the reason that the olddy took a step back in repulsion instead of going closer. No, it¡¯s not her¡­ She¡¯s not Emily¡­¡± Upon seeing his wife retreating instead of approaching Anya, Edgar found it a little strange and raised his brows worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Gertrude? Didn¡¯t you want to see Emily?¡± Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Gertrude had a repulsed gaze in her eyes, and she shook her head vigorously while saying, ¡°I want Emily. not her¡­ She¡¯s not Emily¡­¡± Edgar frowned when he heard that and felt very puzzled ¡®Why isn¡¯t she recognizing her Anya, who had finally gained Edgar¡¯s trust only to face such rejection from Gertrude, could not help but feel a little quilty. She looked up, nced at her best friend Rosie to ask for help, and had the expression of being at a loss to beckon her best friend into helping her. Rosie sensed Anya¡¯s signal for help and immediately spoke up for her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°It¡¯s her, Madam Gertrude! She¡¯s the one who yed Consort Aileen on stage and performed the opera, but you probably don¡¯t recognize her now. She¡¯s changed into a different costume and put on a different style of makeup. ¡°She was going to sing another piece, which is why she¡¯s dressed differently from earlier. Please don¡¯t get anxious. Take a deep breath and have a closer look.¡± Edgar also calmed his wife¡¯s agitation as he coaxed, ¡°Yes, Gertrude! Look carefully. She was the one you wanted to meet earlier. How could you not know what Emily looks like?¡± After hearing everyone¡¯sments, Gertrude looked at Anya again under the guidance of her husband and stared at Anya¡¯s face carefully before finally being convinced. ¡°Emily?¡± Edgar winked, motioning for Anya to say something. Anya was smart enough to figure out that the old man wanted her to temporarily y the part of their daughter¨Cher Aunt Emily¨Cto appease Gertrude for the time being. That was exactly what Anya aimed to achieve. As long as Gertrude relied on her like she was their missing Emily, the Lovces would be a stronger support for her in the future, aside from the Riveras. Anya¡¯s eyes then turned red, as if she was touched by the mncholy, and then tried to hold Gertrude¡¯s hand as she said softly, ¡°It¡¯s me, Emily! I¡¯m back, Mom¡­¡± ¡°Emily!¡± Hearing Anya call out ¡®Mom¡® transported Gertrude to the time when her daughter was still with her many years ago. Tears filled her eyes instantly, and she held Anya¡¯s hand tremblingly. ¡°Emily¡­ My Emily¡­ You¡¯ve suffered so much¡­¡± Anya leaned her head on Gertrude¡¯s body, and the corners of her lips curled slightly in a triumphant arc. Edgar felt sad but relieved when he saw that scene. It was a good thing that his wife was very epting of Anya. It would be of great help to fill her longing for her missing daughter. Before the tear¨Cjerking scene could end, a faint and nonchnt voice was heard. ¡°Excuse me, excuse me!¡± Everyone was taken aback and looked at the source of the voice. Corinne had somehow appeared and smiled calmly after interrupting them. When Rosie and Anya saw Corinne¡¯s sudden appearance, they could not help but feel a little vignt. ¡°Why is this b*tch here?! Is she going to sabotage us again?¡± Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Corinne¡¯s lips curled up slightly, and she said to Anya with a smirk, ¡°Miss Anya, I¡¯ve already taken off Consort Aileen¡¯s costume and folded it up on the make¨Cup table backstage. Remember to get someone to collect it from thereter. ¡°The costume looks so well¨Cmade; it seems to be a dress with high¨Css tailoring. It¡¯s best if you could get someone to check the costume and put it away. I won¡¯t be responsible if it gets lost or if someone else damages it!¡± Corinne spoke calmly and nonchntly, but the atmosphere around her suddenly did not feel right anymore. Anya¡¯s and Rosie¡¯s expressions stiffened, and they were unsure how to react at that moment. They could only re at Corinne secretly while anxiously observing Edgar¡¯s reaction. Edgar¡¯s warm expression had turned cold, and he nced at Anya sitting in a wheelchair with an innocent face before looking at Corinne, who had already removed her makeup. He then frowned and sank into a pensive silence. Corinne smiled innocently at the old man, and when she saw that Anya did not respond, she asked again,¡± Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, Miss Anya? I¡¯ll take it that everything¡¯s fine then. In that case, I¡¯ll be leaving. See you around!¡± After ending the conversation with Anya, Corinne made a point to bow politely and bid goodbye to the two elders. ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s a great honor to be able to attend your banquet here today. I¡¯ll leave you to enjoy the celebrations. Goodbye.¡± She then turned around and prepared to leave. At that moment, the dazed Gertrude seemed to have suddenly awoken from a dream and stretched out her hand to grab Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s Emily¡­ She¡¯s Emily! Don¡¯t go, Emily¡­.¡± Corinne froze for a split second when she heard the name ¡®Emily¡®, but she neither stopped walking nor turned around to look at the olddy. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. As soon as the olddy started to make a fuss, Edgar returned to his senses, helped his wife up, and called out, ¡°Wait!¡± Corinne finally stopped walking, turned around, and smiled politely. ¡°Were you talking to me, sir?¡± Edgar asked her pensively, ¡°I heard what you said earlier. Does that mean you had just taken off Consort Aileen¡¯s costume not long ago?¡± Corinne nodded naturally. ¡°Yes.¡± A frown unfurled across Edgar¡¯s face. ¡°Does that mean¡­ The girl who just sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡® on stage was you?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows, but rather than rushing to answer the old man¡¯s question, she gazed at Anya¡¯s face as thetter sat in the wheelchair. Anya was stiff and pale, and she was also staring at Corinne with those seemingly calm eyes brimming with threats and hints. She was warning Corinne that it was best not to speak any nonsense. Corinne could understand what Anya meant to say, but she remained indifferent to it and answered Edgar truthfully. ¡°Yes. I sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡® in ce of Miss Anya on stage earlier. Apologies for not meeting the highest standards in my performance.¡± After getting that answer, the old man¡¯splexion sankpletely. His renewed impression of Anya disappeared instantly, and he disliked her much more than before. He was also especially annoyed at himself because he had just believed in a lie. Edgar¡¯s stern eyes red at Anya and Rosie, who had both been working in tandem, and he snorted heavily before asking in a cold voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were the one who sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡°?¡± Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Anya tried her best not to look guilty, but her expression was very awkward as she responded to Edgar ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡± Rosie¨Ccollected her thoughts rapidly and spoke for her best friend. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Corinne¡¯s nonsense, Mister Edgar. She couldn¡¯t have sung Farewell, My Love¡® earlier. Does she look like someone who could sing opera? She¡¯s just an ordinary employee in Lucas¡¯s company who came from a poor background in the countryside. She wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to learn opera because her family is so poor!¡± Rosie then turned to Corinne, red at her, and belittled her sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous because you saw Anya getting the apuse and appreciation from Mister Edgar and the guests. That¡¯s why you came over to take the credit and make yourself known! ¡°Do you think anyone will believe your one¨Csided statement that you were the singer earlier? The other performers can testify that the one who just came on stage was Anya!¡± Rosie¡¯s ¡®righteousness¡® made Edgar a little skeptical. He frowned and asked, ¡°Which one of you sang Farewell, My Love?¡± Before Corinne and Anya could answer, Rosie spoke up again. ¡°It was Anya, of course! You shouldn¡¯t listen to Corinne¡¯s nonsense because of her questionable character. She works for Lucas but doesn¡¯t put any effort into her work. All she does is seduce men to try and climb the socialdder! ¡°She tried and failed to seduce Anya¡¯s boyfriend, Jeremy, and she failed again when she tried to seduce Lucas! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s with her, but she came here today to seduce and deceive other men! ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll have someone gather the other performers to prove that the one who appeared on stage for Farewell, My Love¡® was Anya!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Before long, Rosie sent someone to call the performers over. As expected, Rosie had spoken with them beforehand, so they all insisted that the one who sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡± was Miss Anya. That was also why Rosie was so confident in sending someone to call them over there. Corinne did not bother to exin, so she simply smiled and shrugged. ¡°Sure. Then, just treat what I said as a lie. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll happily take my leave.¡± Rosie secretly smiled triumphantly. ¡°You think you can y dirty with me? Keep dreaming if you think you can steal the limelight from Anya! You¡¯d better scram!¡± However, Edgar did notpletely forgo his suspicions and narrowed his sharp eyes to tell Corinne,¡± Wait. Don¡¯t go just yet!¡± Corinne stopped again. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with, sir?¡± Rosie became a little when she heard that and interjected, ¡°Mister Edgar, why do you need to ask her to stay when it¡¯s been proven that she¡¯s lying? Just tell her to get lost!¡± Edgar nced at Rosie with a stern gaze. ¡°People can lie, but their voices can never liel Since both im they sang ¡®Farewell, My Love¡®, let¡¯s have them sing a couple of lines for me. I can tell who the real singer is by their voice!¡± Anya, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, faced yet another crisis. Her face was stiff, but she tried her best to maintain herposure and pinched her best friend¡¯s hand, whose n backfired severely. Rosie could sense Anya¡¯s grudgingness and began to panic. She did not expect things to end up that way. so she hurriedly said, ¡°Mister Edgar, Anya¡¯s sprained her foot, and the doctor told her to rest. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to sing anymore.¡° Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Edgar did not buy her story. Face darkening, he scoffed and said, ¡°She hurt her leg, not her vocal cords. Don¡¯t worry. She just needs to sing notes to prove her singing ability. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking her to do something that¡¯ll tire her out.¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°But- ¡°There¡¯s no but!¡± Edgar was bing impatient. He ignored Rosie and nced at Anya sharply before turning to look at Corinne again. ¡°So? Which one of you will sing first?¡± Anya knew it would be hard to get out of it, so she forced a smile and said, ¡°Actually. It doesn¡¯t matter who gets to sing first! Corinne, which of us do you think should sing first?¡± Corinne looked at Anya. Although Anya smiled sweetly, her eyes were filled with guilt and menace. It was obvious she was telling her to get out there as soon as possible so she would not lose the good impression she had given Edgar. Corinne found itughable. ¡®Is she really threatening me when her fake image is about to be exposed? As if I¡¯ll ever be scared of her!¡¯ The audience began to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°Who is that girl? How dare she steal the limelight from Miss Anya?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her.¡± ¡°She said she was the one who sang ¡®Farewell, My Love. Is that even possible?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, but I think it¡¯s totally possible for Miss Anya to sing it since she¡¯s so talented.¡± ¡°Yeah, Miss Anya must¡¯ve practiced very hard to gift that song to Mister Edgar. As for that girl we¡¯ve never seen before¡­ I wonder whose daughter would be this shameless. She must be trying to steal the credit to get close to Mister Edgar.¡± ¡°Oh my, how stupid can she get? Does she really think Mister Edgar would be that easily fooled? She must be panicking because Mister Edgar has asked her to prove herself.¡± .¡±Yeah, we only have to wait and see to know who¡¯s lying.¡± Amidst the sound of whispering, Corinne finally opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Hell would freeze over before Corinne let Anya have her way. She hated how Anya knew no shame to the extent of pretending to be Emily in front of Gertrude. Emily is the name of my mother! Anya doesn¡¯t deserve to have that name. She¡¯ll only sully my mother¡¯s good name with her character.¡± Anya¡¯s face immediately darkened when she heard Corinne would go first. Viciousness nearly spilled from her eyes while she secretly gritted her teeth. Corinne cleared her throat casually and burst out in a bright and clear song. The part she had chosen to sing was one of the harder parts of the song, but it sounded the same as it was yed on the stage. The audience¡¯s expression immediately changed when they heard Corinne¡¯s singing. Edgar, too, knew who the real singer was. He looked admiringly at Corinne, and the doubt in his heart dissipated. After that, he looked coldly at Anya and said, ¡°Miss Corinne has finished singing. You¡¯re up, Miss Anya.¡± Miss Anyaughed awkwardly. Frowning, she pretended to open her mouth but then closed it again to clear her throat. ¡°Grandpa, I must¡¯ve hurt my vocal cords earlier. My throat is feeling a little sore. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to sing like this¡­¡± Chapter 607 ? Again, Edgar did not buy her story. Instead, he asked, "Would someone please get her a ss of water?'' Anya was speechless. After drinking the water brought by the servant, she did note up with any more excuses; she had no choice but to sing. ''I''ve been practicing for a few months, so I should be as good as Corinne... thought Anya. She sang the same verse as Corinne, but her voice broke at the end, making the audience giggle. Anya was horribly embarrassed. She had never felt so humiliated, so she quickly tried to exin herself. I''m sorry, Grandpa! My throat is really sore, so-" "Oh, really? Your throat is sore, huh?" Edgar heartlessly interrupted her. "You sang so beautifully when you pretended to be Consort Alleen. Do you really take me for an old fool? Do you think I can''t tell your voice is totally different from hers?" Anya''s eyes reddened. She looked like she was about to cry. "No! Grandpa, I''m not lying. It''s really because of my sore throat...I..." Edgar frowned and barked, ''Hmmph! Even up until now, you won''t admit your mistake? I, Edgar Lovce, hate nothing more than a maniptive, scheming person. Get out of my face and go back to your own family. You''re not to call me Grandpa'' anymore, nor can you ever step into my house again. Don''t ever tell anyone we''re rted in any way. I don''t have a granddaughter like you!" Anya did not expect things to turn out like that. She immediately broke out into tears. "Grandpa... I know what I did was wrong, but believe me when I say I really wanted to sing for you. I had no choice but to let Corinne rece me after I hurt my leg. I put on this show just for you..." Rosie quickly came to her defense as well. "What Anya said was true, Mister Edgar. She really wanted you to enjoy this gift, but Corinne hurt her-'' "That''s enough! How dare the two of you still try to fool me? I might be old, but I''m not stupid!" Edgar coldly cut them off. He was beyond angry. Tears rolled down pitifully on Anya''s cheeks. She wanted to say something more but did not. Her voice became weak as she tried again to appeal to Edgar. "Grandpa..."Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. However, Edgarpletely ignored her. Upon seeing that, Corinne smiled. She was no longer worried that Edgar would be hoodwinked by Anya and Rosie, so she left the party. Corinne did note to steal Anya''s limelight. It would be meaningless for her to do that. She exposed Anya''s ploy because she could not bear to see Edgar and Gertrude being used by her. Since that was done, she could finally leave in peace. "Wait, Miss Corinne. Might I have a moment of your time?" Edgar''s deep voice came from behind Corinne. Corinne stopped walking and turned her head around. She cocked her head and asked politely, "What can I help you with, Mister Edgar?" Edgar looked at her with a thoughtful smile on his face, and his voice softened when he said, "Pleasee to the study with me. I have something to ask you." Corinne raised her eyebrow. After thinking about it, she simply said, "Okay." She did not think it was the right time to tell Edgar that she was his granddaughter yet, but at the same time, she did not bear to tum down his request. She figured she could follow him to the study to see what he had to ask her. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Anya-sitting in her wheelchair-dug her nails into her palms angrily when she saw Corinne following Edgar to the study. At that moment, Sunny stepped out from the crowd and asked in confusion, ¡°Anya, why are you in a wheelchair? Rosie, what happened?¡± Afraid of being asked to check his homework by Lucas, Sunny had been hiding in the family room ying games with his cousins, and by the time he came out, a crowd had already gathered. Not knowing what happened, he immediately went up to see. Rosie was still angry about the whole thing. ¡°That b*tch Corinne pushed Anya down the stair, causing her to twist her ankle. I wonder who¡¯s the b*stard who brought her to this party!¡± Sunny frowned in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. Rosie, you shouldn¡¯t speak nonsense! Corinne would never do something like that.¡± Anya snapped out of her trance and looked up vehemently at Sunny upon hearing his response. The pain in her heart intensified, and there was an unprecedented look of gloominess in her eyes. Sunny had never seen her looking like that, so he was suddenly at a loss for what to do. ¡°Anya, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sunny, I wasn¡¯t speaking nonsense! I saw what happened with my own two eyes. It¡¯s not like I was just pulling things out of thin air in a bid to frame Corinne,¡± said Rosie angrily. Sunny was not in agreement with her. ¡°Rosie, you do know you¡¯ve framed her before, right? I don¡¯t even understand why you keep on bullying her. What did she ever do to you to deserve such treatment from you?¡± Rosie nearly choked with anger. ¡°Sunny, why don¡¯t you just admit you¡¯ve been brainwashed by Corinne!¡± A look of unhappiness shed across Sunny¡¯s face. ¡°No, I¡¯m not brainwashed by her! I just think that she¡¯s not the type of person to do something like this. Besides, why would she push Anya down the stairs right in front of your face? If Corinne really wanted to hurt Anya, she would¡¯ve done it when no one was looking. No one would be that stupid enough to leave a witness. There must be a misunderstanding¡­ Just like all the misunderstandings you had with her previously,¡± Stumped, there was nothing more Rosie wished she could do than to knock him on the head. ¡°Why, Sunny, you little¡­¡± Anya was at a point where she was about to burst into a tirade, but she did not want to lose control in front of so many people. Instead, she forced herself to calm down. That¡¯s enough, Rosie. Let him be. Be mindful of the guests here¡­ We wouldn¡¯t want to end up bing theughingstock of the party, would we? Let¡¯s go back to the guest room.¡± Rosie was the one who came up with the n to humiliate Corinne, though she never expected that Anya would be the one who ended up being humiliated. Feeling guilty, she quickly said, ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll push you back to the guest room now.¡± She then started pushing Anya¡¯s wheelchair, but she suddenly stopped when she saw Corinne and Edgar returning from the study. Rosie and Anya looked toward Corinne, wondering what Edgar could have possibly talked to her about because it took them no time to return. At that moment, Edgar led Corinne to the stage. He smiled at the confused guests and announced, ¡°My honored friends and family, thank you foring to my birthday party. I would like to take this opportunity to announce some good news to you all. ¡°Miss Corinne, thedy standing right beside me here, will be a member of the Lovce family from now on. My wife and I have already epted her as our honorary granddaughter.¡± Gasps and the sound of awe rippled throughout the room. No one saw thating at all. After they had quietened down, a thunderous apuse followed, and each guest congratted Edgar and Corinne. Everyone there knew Edgar and Gertrude had never gotten over the pain of losing their daughter and granddaughter, so it was good for them to take Corinne, who seemed to make them happy, as their honorary granddaughter.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Sunny was as shocked as anyone. ¡°Damn it! How did this happen? Does Grandpa actually ept Corinne as his granddaughter? Doesn¡¯t that make her my ¡®cousin¡¯ then?¡± At that moment, Anya¡¯s face had darkened. Unable to keep up her innocent act, she red furiously at Corinne. ¡®Screw you, Corinne! Go to hell! You piece of sh¡¯t, Corinne! How dare you steal what should have been mine away from me? If it weren¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve been the one standing on that stage receiving praise from Grandpa. Corinne, you b*tch! Mark my words, I will make you pay for what happened today if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± To prevent herself from exploding in front of others, Anyaposed herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m tired. Rosie, take me back to the quest room!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Rosie, too, was furious at Corinne¡¯s sudden good fortune, but s, there was nothing she could do about it. She pushed Anya away from the crowd with the thought ofing up with a countermeasure once they returned to their room. Corinne followed Edgar down from the stage after the announcement had ended. He then introduced her to some of his close rtives one by one. It took her a while to find an opening to extricate herself, leaving Edgar alone to bask in the glow of congrattions from the others. Sunny walked over to her and asked interrogatively, ¡°What did you do, Corinne? Why did my grandpa suddenly make you his granddaughter?¡± Corinne walked to the buffet table and picked up a ss of juice. She took a sip before jokingly answering, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Grandpa must¡¯ve thought I was cute, so he asked me to be his granddaughter.¡± Sunny rolled his eyes and scoffed. ¡®I admit she¡¯s cute. Not only that, she¡¯s beautiful, ssy, real, quirky, and loveable, but even so¡­ Grandpa isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d take in someone he met for the first time as his granddaughter. That¡¯s totally impossible.¡¯ Corinne continued sipping her juice casually. It was as if she was not shocked at how things turned out. After entering the study, Gertrude kept holding on to Corinne¡¯s hand as though she was afraid Corinne would suddenly run off. Edgar got straight to the point of wanting to make her their honorary granddaughter, to which she refused. He asked her why, and she gave him a usible enough reason, However, he then pointed to the mentally unstable Gertrude and told Corinne about her condition, hoping she could reconsider. Corinne hesitated a little when she looked down at Gertrude¡¯s hand tightly gripping hers while she continuously muttered Emily¡¯s name. It was not that she did not want to tell them she was indeed their long-lost granddaughter. Corrine feared that doing so would make it harder for her to dig up what happened in the past. The people who worked in the dark to destroy all the evidence of how they hurt her mother could possibly take more precautions. However, since it was only an honorary title¡­ Her identity should still be safe, right? It was difficult for Corinne to reject Edgar¡¯s kindness, and she was also worried about Gertrude¡¯s mental state. After thinking it through, she finally agreed. Edgar hoped that she would spend at least one day a week with Gertrude, who had Alzheimer¡¯s. Corinne also agreed to that since it was nothing too difficult for her to carry out. Chapter 610 Chapter 610 How could Corinne say no to her own grandparents? Not only did they have to bear the pain of losing their daughter and granddaughter, but they even had to endure the loss brought on by Alzheimer¡¯s disease. ¡®Mom will definitely be sad to see Grandpa and Grandma like this¡­ thought Corinne. Sunny rubbed his chin and asked, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re my honorary cousin from now on?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and gave him a side-eye. ¡°Yeah. Are you happy about it?¡± Sunny lifted up his chin and said arrogantly, ¡°Tsk! What¡¯s there to be happy about? It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t. already have a sister of my own.¡± Corinne simply chuckled at his response, turned around, and walked away. Sunny frowned before chasing after her. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to spend some time with Grandma Gertrude.¡± Sunny lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and matched her stride for stride. ¡°Wait for me. I want to go with you.¡± Corinne looked sideways at him. She did not stop him but simply let him be. Meanwhile, after Rosie pushed Anya into the guest room, she immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Anya. It¡¯s all my fault. Things wouldn¡¯t have ended this way if I didn¡¯t suggest that Corinne should rece you on the stage to sing ¡®Farewell, My Love¡±.¡± Without an audience, Anya could not keep up her pretense anymore. Her face instantly darkened. She gritted her teeth, scoffed, and said, ¡°Yes, it was all your fault! You stupid, foolish girl! Why do you always screw things up for me?¡± Rosie was shocked. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean that, Anya.¡± Rosie was sincerely apologizing to Anya, and in return, she called her a stupid and foolish girl? What happened to the usual kind and forgiving Anya? She had never heard Anya speak like that, so it was understandable that she thought she had misheard her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Anya¡­ I¡¯m really sorry. My intention was to help you to get rid of Corinne¡­ I thought Mister Edgar would get angry at her once he saw how bad she was at singing. I never expected her to know how to sing opera Anya red vehemently at Rosie beforeughing mockingly at her. ¡°You wanted to help me? Well, look how things turned out! Corinne has be their honorary granddaughter. She¡¯ll definitely act cockier in front of me now that she has the Lovce family¡¯s backing!¡± Rosie felt really guilty, but more than that, she felt shocked. ¡®This isn¡¯t the Anya I know! The Anya I know is a sweet little angel¡­ Not this vicious harpy in front of me.¡± ¡°Anya, what¡¯s the matter with you¡­¡± Frowning, Rosie looked at Anya as though she was a stranger. Noticing the expression on Rosie¡¯s face, Anya gritted her teeth in annoyance. She tried topose herself, and the next second, she managed to put on her usual kind and gentle look on her face. *Ahem¡­ Don¡¯t get this the wrong way, Rosie. I¡¯m not angry at you. I¡¯m angry at Corinne! Besides, you should know that I rarely get angry¡­ but Corinne went overboard this time.¡± Rosie was a little taken aback. She looked at Anya, who had returned to her usual self and felt relieved, albeit a little confused. ¡®Thank God. She¡¯s back to normal.¡¯ ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay for you to get angry at me. After all, I¡¯m mostly to me for creating the opportunity for Corinne to be Mister Edgar¡¯s honorary granddaughter.¡± Anya pushed herself closer to Rosie and held her hand intimately. ¡°Rosie, I don¡¯t me you. I know you were only trying to help me. The only bad guy in this situation is that cunning and maniptive Corinne!¡± Chapter 611 Chapter 611 ¡°I thought she was a good person, so I always treated her with respect as though she was my sister, but she kept challenging my limits repeatedly¡­ ¡°Not only that, she tried to steal everything I hold dear. I might have a good temper, but that doesn¡¯t mean. I¡¯ll allow anyone to take advantage of me like that. When pushes to shove, it¡¯s time I stand up to her!¡± Rosie nodded in agreement. Anya was her ride and die. ¡°Anya, what should we do now? We can¡¯t let Mister Edgar take her in as his granddaughter!¡± A sinister glint shed across Anya¡¯s eyes before she cooed pitifully, ¡°Rosie¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do either. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t win against Corinne¡­ You know how formidable a foe she is too.¡± Rosie was not going to give up like that. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we should let her get away with it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually more worried about you, Rosie¡­¡± said Anya meaningfully. ¡°You¡¯re more worried about me?¡± repeated Rosie in confusion. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Anya put on a worried expression and said, ¡°Yeah¡­ I think it¡¯ll affect you more now that Grandpa has made Corinne his honorary granddaughter. You do know my rtionship with Jeremy has be more stable after we adopted Joey¡­. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem interested in Corinne anymore, so it doesn¡¯t matter whether she has the Lovces¡¯ backing. That¡¯s why Corinne has changed her target to Lucas! I know you¡¯ve always held a torch toward him, so I¡¯m worried about you. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that Corinne¡¯s target is now my brother? She tried to get into Rivera Group because she was trying to get closer to him! Now that she¡¯s be Mister Edgar¡¯s granddaughter¡­ ¡°Who knows, one day Grandma might be really happy with her and want to make Corinne her real granddaughter, and the way to do that is to marry her off to Lucas¡­ That means you won¡¯t have a chance with him anymore since my parents have always listened to my grandparents whenever my brother¡¯s marriage is concerned.¡± Anya¡¯s analysis sounded very logical; Rosie started to panic. ¡°What?! That¡¯s impossible. Corinne doesn¡¯t deserve to marry Lucas!¡± Anya sighed helplessly. ¡°Rosie, no matter what happens, know that you¡¯re always my first choice as a sister-inw. However, I can¡¯t help you to be Lucas¡¯ wife should my grandparents decide to make Corinne their granddaughter-inw.¡± Rosie¡¯s biggest dream in life was to marry Lucas, and she believed that Anya would help her achieve that dream. However, it never crossed her mind that Corinne would suddenly be her most significant obstacle. Under Anya¡¯s influence, Rosie immediately became threatened by Corinne¡¯s existence. The look in her eyes became absolutely vicious. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°Anya, don¡¯t worry about me. I have an idea to get rid of Corinne!¡± Anya pretended to stop her. ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t do anything reckless,¡± she lied. Rosie gritted her teeth. ¡°Well, she¡¯s forcing my hand! No one is allowed to marry Lucas other than me!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s not allowed to marry me?¡± drawled someone from outside. The door suddenly opened. Lucas had just finished his work and hade to find Anya. Both Anya and Rosie were shocked to see himing in, but they managed to quicklypose themselves. ¡°What were the two of you talking about? Why do you look so pale?¡± He strode toward Anya gracefully. and asked her gently, ¡°How are you feeling, Anya? Is your leg any better? Chapter 612 Chapter 612 ¡°Lucas!¡± Anya¡¯s eyes immediately reddened. She wrapped her arms around Lucas¡¯ legs and burst into heaving sobs. Her sudden outbursts shocked him. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Why are you crying? Does your leg hurt? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital right away!¡± Some problems had arisen within thepany, so Lucas had been in a phone meeting in another room. upstairs the entire time. He did not know what had happened downstairs. ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not my leg¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can tell me.¡± Lucas bent down and stroked her back to try to calm her down. Anya kept crying. She wanted him to think she was too heartbroken to speak properly. Seeing that she was too overwhelmed to speak, Lucas turned to Rosie and asked, ¡°Rosie, what happened. to Anya?¡± Rosie became a little shy whenever Lucas was around. After thinking about it, she answered, ¡°Lucas, Corinne bullied Anya again. That girl has really gone overboard this time.¡± ¡°Her again? What did she do this time?¡± Lucas asked with a frown. ¡°You know how she was the one who pushed Anya down the stairs, right? Seeing that Anya couldn¡¯t go up the stage anymore, I asked Corinne to stand in for her to sing ¡®Farewell, My Love¡¯, but everything went downhill after that. Mister Edgar found out Anya lied to him about who really sang the song, and she got a really bad scolding from him. ¡°Corinne must¡¯ve pulled some dirty tricks after that. Mister Edgar announced to everyone that he had taken her in as their honorary granddaughter right after that. As a result, Mister Edgar shunned Anya, telling her to never show her face around him again. Do you see why Anya is so sad now?¡± Lucas was a little shocked. ¡®What? Grandpa took in Corinne as his honorary granddaughter? Why would he do that when he just met her for the first time? This doesn¡¯t sound like his usual cautious self. ¡°I have to hand it to Corinne. I can¡¯t believe she managed to make Grandpa like her so much in such a .short time. She must have an ulterior motive behind all this¡­ What could it be?¡¯ ¡°Where is Corinne now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably still with Mister Edgar and Madam Gertrude. Lucas, be careful of her. She¡¯s the type who¡¯d do anything to achieve her goal. You must stop her. Otherwise, she¡¯ll think she can get away with anything now that she has their support. This also means Anya will forever have to live under her thumb.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes, cocked his head at the door, and ordered, ¡°Edmund, bring Corinne to me.¡± Back in Edgar¡¯s study, Corinne yed chess with Gertrude. She hoped the game would stimte the olddy¡¯s brain and help slow down her Alzheimer¡¯s. Meanwhile, as the star of the party, Edgar was still in the banquet hall with the guests. Sunny was in the study too, and he would help Gertrude with the game from time to time. Suddenly, someone knocked on the study door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Sunny asked. Edmund recognized Sunny¡¯s voice and immediately said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Mister Sunny.¡± Sunny immediately felt guilty when he found out Edmund was standing outside the door. ¡°Umm¡­ What can I help you with, Edmund?¡± ¡®Did Lucas ask him to drag me back to do my homework?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Is Miss Corinne inside? Mister Lucas asked me to bring her to him. He has something he wanted to talk. to her about,¡± Edmund replied. Sunny heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that. He pointed his chin at Corinne and said, ¡°Hey, Lucas is looking for you.¡± Corinne put down her chess piece and got up. ¡°Grandma, Sunny will stay here with you while I step out for a moment, okay?¡± Seeing she was about to leave, Gertrude became a little anxious. She, too, stood up and followed her behind. Corinne went over, put her hand on Gertrude¡¯s shoulder, and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯ll still be close by. I¡¯lle backter to continue ying with you.¡± Gertrude was still worried, but she nodded like a docile little girl. ¡°Come back quickly, okay?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± After that, she left the study. Sunny sat down in her seat and flipped the chess board, ¡°Grandma, this isn¡¯t fun at all. Let¡¯s y Go instead!¡± Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Sunny would never admit to himself or anyone else that he did not know how to y chess. Corinne followed Edmund into Lucas¡¯ study. As soon as she entered, she realized Anya and Rosie were also there. Anya was crying in her wheelchair while Rosie kept passing tissues andforting her. Noticing that Corinne hade in, Rosie immediately red at her vehemently. Corinne paid no mind to them. Instead, she looked at Lucas, who leaned casually but authoritatively against the sofa, sipping a cup of piping hot coffee. She walked up to him and asked, ¡°You were looking for me, Mister Lucas?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Did you push Anya down the stairs?¡± ¡°No,¡± Corinne answered without hesitation. Lucas¡¯ eyes turned cold. ¡°Why did you tear down Anya earlier?¡± ¡°I was just telling the truth,¡± said Corinne calmly. Lucas scoffed. ¡°Why did Grandpa take you in as his honorary granddaughter? What¡¯s that all about?¡± ¡°I refused when he asked, but he insisted, so I was left with no choice but to ept his kind gesture.¡± Lucas scoffed again. ¡°You make it sound like you were forced into it.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Kinda.¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes turned ice cold. Previously, Lucas would sometimes admire Corinne¡¯s working capability. There were rare asions when he would feel affectionate toward her, though he still did not know why. He did not think she was one of those scheming women. However, after seeing her climb her way slowly into the Lovces¡¯ heart, he found it harder and harder to believe she had no ulterior motive at all. Lucas stood up and threw the hot cup of coffee on Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Carew, go somewhere else if you¡¯re thinking of worming yourself into some wealthy family¡¯s heart. I trust it won¡¯t be hard for you to do that with your ability and all. However, you¡¯ve chosen the wrong family. to do that, and as long as I¡¯m here, I won¡¯t let you have your way.¡± What Lucas did caught Corinne off guard. She instinctively closed her eyes to prevent the coffee from getting into her eyes. She waited until the hot coffee had dripped down from her chin and unto the ground. before slowly opening her eyes. ¡°Mister Lucas, thank you for recognizing my talent, but I had no n on doing what you¡¯re using me of doing.¡± Lucas looked coldly at her. ¡°You know best what you have in mind. There¡¯s no use arguing with me. We don¡¯t wee you here. You may leave now.¡± Corinne would have fought him then and there if it was not for not wanting to ruin Edgar¡¯s birthday party. Not wanting to waste her time arguing, she simply took a deep breath and turned around. ¡°Wait!¡± Lucas called after her. Suppressing her impatience, Corinne asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have toe to work tomorrow. Your position has been officially terminated from Rivera Group,¡± said Lucas monotonously. Both Rosie and Anya smiled victoriously when they heard that. ¡®We¡¯ve won!¡¯ Corinne did not say anything. She simply chuckled and left the room calmly. ¡®I have no need of a brother who cannot tell a fake person from a real person!¡± she thought. The coffee dripped everywhere as she walked out of the room. It was a really pitiful sight. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t go back to study to y chess with Grandma¡­ I might scare her like this, and then things would get worse¡­ It¡¯s best if I leave ande back another day to visit her.¡¯ She deliberately chose a route with no people to leave the mansion because she did not want to attract any attention. However, it just so happened Jeremy used the same route too.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Corinne regretted choosing that route. Annoyance surged up her heart. She did not want Jeremy to see her like that. If they were in a ce with many people, she could have pretended not to see him and left without even sparing him a nce. However, there were only two of them on the empty path, so there was no way she could have pretended not to see him. ¡®Talk about rotten luck,¡¯ she thought while sighing. The distance between them became shorter and shorter¡­ Closer and closer. Jeremy¡¯s hands were in his pockets. He strode steadily toward her without any expression on his face. He locked his gaze on her and looked her up and down with narrowed eyes. Corinne had to acknowledge him since they were face-to-face with each other. She simply looked casually at him and politely nodded before brushing past him. Suddenly, she quickened her steps. ¡°Stop right there,¡± said Jeremy in his deep voice. His tone had no emotions, yet it carried an overbearing oppressiveness. Corinne stopped walking, but she did not turn around to look at him. ¡°Can I help you, Mister Jeremy?¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± Corinne was unhappy with how he ordered her around, so she did not do as he said. ¡°Sorry, Mister Jeremy, but I¡¯m heading to that door over there, so there¡¯s no need for me to turn around.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Jeremy frowned and remained silent. Instead, he walked over and positioned himself in front of her. He was so much taller and wider than her that Corinne¡¯s view waspletely blocked. All she could see was his broad chest. She did not want to meet his gaze, so she did not look up at him. ¡°Just say whatever you want to say to me, Mister Jeremy.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. He looked down condescendingly at her, and his face darkened even more when he realized she was not looking up at him. After silently looking over her drenched hair and coffee-stained clothes for a few seconds, he coldly asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I identally sshed coffee all over myself. I¡¯m actually on my way home to change,¡± Corinne lied. Jeremy¡¯s eyes narrowed into a sharp line. ¡°Just how did you manage to get coffee on your hair too?¡± It was obvious nothing could get past Jeremy. Corinneughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°You know how clumsy I can be. Thanks for your concern, but I¡¯ve got to run now. Ciao.¡± She tried walking around him to get away as fast as possible, but Jeremy stepped to the side to block her from leaving. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m going to ask you onest time. What happened?¡± asked Jeremy threateningly and impatiently. Corinne was starting to get impatient as well. She did not understand why Jeremy insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy to fool him. I guess I have no choice but to tell him the truth.¡± Ultimately, she looked up at him ringly and said, ¡°I made Miss Anya sad, so Lucas decided to fire me.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°He was the one who did this to you too?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®The only reason he¡¯s forcing me to tell him the truth is because he wants to see me humiliated. Why, he must think I¡¯m nothing but aughingstock. Oh well, sticks and stones.¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy, can I go now that I¡¯ve told you what happened?¡± ¡®Seeing as Mister Lucas poured coffee on me to help Miss Anya take revenge¡­ Even though Mister Jeremy¡¯s really protective of her, he should just let me go, right?¡¯ ¡°Yes, you can,¡± uttered Jeremy coldly. Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Corinne immediately walked around Jeremy and almost ran out of there. However, she had only taken a few steps before a strong hand reached out and grabbed her roughly on the wrist. Shocked, she turned around to look at Jeremy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Instead of stopping her, Jeremy dragged her toward the exit. Confused, Corinne instinctively tried to shake off his grip, but she was no match for his strength. Failing to do that, she kept cursing him and asking him what he was doing to her. Jeremypletely ignored her and continued to drag her until they came to the parking lot situated behind the mansion. He then pulled open the car door and shoved her inside. ¡°Stay here until Ie back,¡± he ordered. After that, he closed the car door with a bang. Corinne frowned anxiously and rubbed her wrist, which was red from Jeremy¡¯s grip. She then looked outside the window at his retreating figure. Annoyed, she pondered to herself. What the hell is he doing? Why did he drag me here and throw me into this car? Wait a minute¡­ Why should I listen to him? Only a fool would do that.¡¯ She reached out to open the door only to discover that it was locked. She pushed the door button in a bid. to unlock it, but it was of no use as the door remained locked. Annoyance and anger red up inside of her. She turned toward the front of the car to look for the unlock. button and discovered another person in the car with her. Edmund sat in the driver¡¯s seat, looking at her with confused and resigned eyes. 1 Corinne frowned and said, ¡°Edmund, open the door now.¡± Although Edmund did not know what happened between Jeremy and Corinne, he knew not to do anything. unless specifically instructed by Jeremy. ¡°Miss Corinne, you heard what Mister Jeremy said too. I don¡¯t have permission to let you out of the car. It¡¯s best if you wait for him to return, or it¡¯ll be my job on the line.¡± Corinne was speechless. She understood where he came from, so she decided not to make his life difficult. However, that did not mean she was not still angry. -¡°What gives Jeremy the right to lock me in here? We don¡¯t owe each other anything, and we¡¯ve got nothing to do with each other anymore. How dare he interfere with my personal freedom?! When will he ever change that self-centered character w of his? Does he think he can control anyone just because he¡¯s rich and powerful? Hmmph!¡¯ ¡°Here, Miss Corinne.¡± Instead of opening the door, Edmund respectfully passed her a packet of wet tissues. Corinne¡¯s hair was still wet from the coffee. ¡°Thank you!¡± she said as she epted the wet tissue. She may as well clean the coffee off herself since she could not go anywhere. Edmund looked on courteously as Corinne dried her hair. ¡°Miss Corinne, forgive me for asking this, but may I know where you¡¯ve been all this while?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was busy cleaning herself up, so she replied absent-mindedly, ¡°My agreement with your boss has ended, so I can go anywhere I want. That means I don¡¯t have to report my whereabouts to any of you.¡± Edmund fell silent for a while before saying, ¡°Mister Jeremy has been looking all over for you. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Corinne paused what she was doing for a second and simply said, ¡°I know.¡± Edmund was stunned. ¡°If you knew, why didn¡¯t youe back to talk to him? Surely any misunderstanding could be cleared up if you just talked to Mister Jeremy face-to-face * In the time he worked for Jeremy, Corinne was the first woman Edmund had met who never took Jeremy seriously. It was only after getting to know her that he realized she was not the type of girl whose mission in life was to marry into a wealthy family, nor did she intend to gain fame and status with the help of a man. In fact, marrying into the Holden family held no allure to her at all. Simply put, Corinne was a straightforward, down-to-earth, independent, and mysterious girl. She knew what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it. In the three months she lived in Holden¡¯s estate, she never once overstepped her boundary. She did her part in pretending to be Jeremy¡¯s wife and did not attempt to use the Holden family¡¯s influence or power to do anything else. In fact, she showed great hesitation in letting others know she was Jeremy¡¯s wife. Corinne had always acted indifferent toward Jeremy. They slept in separate bedrooms, and she showed no interest in climbing into his bed or trying to ckmail him into marrying her for real by getting pregnant with his child. It was because of all that and more that Jeremy¡¯s cold, cold heart started melting little by little until he found himself falling madly in love with her. Edmund had witnessed Jeremy¡¯s changing attitude toward Corinne. He knew that Jeremy had never shown anyone else except for Corinne the level of patience he had shown her, or the way he smiled gently at her, or the way he would let her win just to see her happy, or the time and effort he took in nning in confessing his feelings for her¡­.. In fact, Jeremy never smiled at Anya-who had saved his life-in the way he smiled at Corinne. He seemed to tolerate her rather than actually liking her. Thus, Edmund could not figure out what happened between Jeremy and Corinne, who seemed to be going great, to make thetter suddenly disappear a month ago. In the month that Corinne had left, Jeremy went on with his life as usual, but sometimes, Edmund would catch him sighing haplessly or zoning out. It was as if his soul was anywhere else but with him. ¡®Mister Jeremy must be saddened to learn Miss Corinne married someone else when it took all that effort to finally find her¡­ Oh, why, Miss Corinne? Why did you run away when Mister Jeremy has been nothing ¡°but good to you?¡¯ Edmundmented to himself. Corinne closed her eyes and fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, a smirk appeared on her face, and she said indifferently, ¡°Edmund, I admire your loyalty to Mister Jeremy, but here¡¯s a little advice for you. It¡¯s not enough to be only loyal, but one has to be ethical too.. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Mister Jeremy is atrocious for making me believe he¡¯s serious about me when he already has a child with Miss Anya? I know you¡¯re loyal to him, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to ask me to be his mistress! ¡°Besides, he can get any girl he wants with his money and status if he¡¯s looking for some excitement. He only needs to crook his finger, and many girls will throw themselves at him. As for me, I don¡¯t have the Interest nor the time to do that, so please ask him to go find someone else to toy around with!¡± It suddenly dawned on Edmund that Corinne¡¯s departure had something to do with Joey. ¡°Miss Corinne, it seems like you¡¯ve misunderstood. Mister Jeremy-¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Edmund stopped himself from going further. He wanted to exin the whole thing to Corinne, but it was tooplicated. Besides, it was not in his ce to tell her more than he should. Corinne did not pursue the matter further. She busied herself with getting every drop of coffee off her before throwing the tissue into the trash can in the car. Then, she looked outside the window and yawnedzily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if there¡¯s a misunderstanding since we were never meant to be together in the first ce. Our working rtionship ended as soon as the agreement was up. It¡¯s best if we leave each other alone to live out the rest of our lives from now on,¡± said Corinne eventually. Edmund frowned. ¡°I guess she¡¯s right since she¡¯s married to another man now. It¡¯s not like I can ask her to divorce her husband to be with Mister Jeremy, but¡­ It¡¯s so sad how Jeremy is mistakenly thought of as a scumbag¡­¡¯ Thinking of that, Edmund suddenly made up his mind to clear Jeremy¡¯s name. ¡°Actually, Miss Corinne, Joey isn¡¯t-¡± However, before he could finish his sentence, Jeremy suddenly pulled open the back door and got into the back seat. In an instant, the whole car was filled with his murderous aura. Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Edmund swallowed back what he was about to say to greet Jeremy. ¡°Wee back, Mister Jeremy.¡± ¡°Thank you. Take us out of here now,¡± Jeremy said coldly. ¡°Wait,¡± said Corinne. She turned to look at Jeremy and said angrily, ¡°Mister Jeremy, why did you drag me into your car? I¡¯m going to get out if you can¡¯t give me a good reason!¡± Jeremy did not look at her. Instead, he lowered his eyes and took out an exquisite metal cigarette holder from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He opened the holder with his slender fingers, plucked out a cigarette, and tapped it on the holder out of habit. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Why? Do you find yourself disgusted to be sitting in my car?¡± Jeremy asked mockingly. The way he spoke made it obvious to Corinne that he was itching for a fight. She frowned unhappily and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. It¡¯s just I don¡¯t want anybody to get the wrong idea. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re close enough to share the same car.¡± ¡°We¡¯re. Not. Close. Enough. Man, this girl really knows where to hit for it to hurt!¡¯ thought Jeremy. He did not light up his cigarette. Instead, he looked at her coldly and said, ¡°I dare you to repeat that we¡¯re not close enough. Have you forgotten that we¡¯ve shared the same bed before?¡± He hinted at that fateful night when they had no choice but to sleep together. Shame turned to anger. Corinne wanted to curse him, but her anger turned to shock when she looked at Jeremy¡¯s face. ¡°How¡­ How did you get hurt?¡± There was a bruise at the corner of Jeremy¡¯s lips and an obvious wound on his left brow. The most serious of his injuries was his left eye, which was bleeding internally. ¡°What happened? Who would dare to hurt him so badly? Aren¡¯t they afraid of the repercussions?¡± wondered Corinne. Jeremy did not seem to mind his injuries. He simply said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just happened to bump into something.¡± -Corinne red at him. ¡°Oh, please. What could you possibly bump into to hurt yourself like this?¡± Jeremy nced at her and chuckled coldly. ¡°Why do you sound so surprised? Weren¡¯t you the one who spilled coffee all over your hair?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡°Ugh! He¡¯s so annoying!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened to you, but you should go to the hospital since your eye is bleeding.¡± Even though Corinne said that out of kindness, there was still an inexplicable tightness and difort in her heart Jeremy narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll listen to you. Let¡¯s both go to the hospital for a check-up.¡± ¡°Both?¡± An rm bell went off inside Corinne¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m not hurt, so why do I need to go too?¡± Jeremy stared quietly at her before his gaze traveled slowly down her t stomach. After two seconds of silence, he said meaningfully, ¡°To see if you have in your possession something that rightfully belongs to my family.¡± Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Corinne immediately understood what Jeremy implied, causing her to instinctively avert her eyes away from his. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I take anything that belongs to your family?¡± After saying that, she quickly opened the door in a bid to get out of the car. However, just like the first time, she failed to do that because the door was locked again. Jeremy moved closer to her, so close that she could feel his warm breath on her neck. ¡°Why are you panicking if you said you didn¡¯t steal anything?¡± Corinne was shocked by his closeness that she suddenly went limp with numbness. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Get away from me!¡± Her instinct caused her to push him away, but instead of doing that, she identally punched his left eye, exactly where he was bleeding. Jeremy let out a muffled groan, and his hand immediately shot up to cover his left eye. The pain was so intense that his brows became tightly drawn. Seeing that made Corinne panic even more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do that. Is your eye okay?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened, and he stared at her coldly with his good eye. ¡°What do you think?¡± Corinne mentally berated herself for being so clumsy. Her usually calm voice actually started to waver when she said, ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry. Does it still hurt?¡± ¡°Of course, it still hurts!¡± ¡®It must be very painful for a man like him to admit it! Oh no, he¡¯s not going to go blind, is he?¡¯ The more Corinne thought about it, the more worried she became. Not caring about anything else, she quickly turned to look at Edmund-who was staring at them with his mouth agape-and ordered, ¡°What are you still waiting for? Take Mister Jeremy to the hospital now!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Of course!¡± Edmund snapped out of his shock and immediately started the car. On the ride to the hospital, Corinne never once asked to be let off the car. Instead, she kept a watchful eye on the road. ¡®Good thing there¡¯s no traffic. Please let it be this way all through the hospital so we can arrive faster.¡± After that, she looked at Jeremy, and worry started rising in her heart again when she saw him still covering his eye with his hand. She moved closer to him and asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Mister Jeremy, why don¡¯t you put down your hand so I can -check on your eye?¡± Jeremy raised his right eyebrow. He looked at her suspiciously and said nothing. Instead, he simply moved his hand away to show that he had heard her. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Corinne straightened herself up to meet him at eye level before leaning forward. ¡®Seems like he¡¯s bleeding more than before¡­¡¯ She felt a stab in her heart as she frowned and looked worriedly at Jeremy. ¡°How painful is it?¡± she asked in a small voice. ¡°It¡¯s excruciating,¡± replied Jeremy coldly. ¡®He¡¯s in pain! What should I do? Corinne looked to her left and right for something to help ease his pain, but there was nothing like that in the car. Running out of ideas, she turned to thest resort. ¡°Why don¡¯t I blow on it to help ease the pain?¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback at her suggestion. He did not say yes or no, so Corinne took his silence. as consent. She moved closer to him and blew carefully on his eye. Jeremy quietly closed his eyes to enjoy the moment. Corinne¡¯s warm breath tickled his eyelid. The whole thing felt like afortable eye massage, and it certainly helped ease the pain. Seeing the knot between his brow loosening, Corinne knew her idea was working, so she continued to blow on his eye when suddenly, Jeremy opened his eyes. The pair found themselves looking straight into each other¡¯s eyes. They were immensely close to each other-so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breath on their skin Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Corinne blinked awkwardly and quickly moved her eyes away. She then sat back down In her seat. ¡°Umm¡­ Please bear with the pain a little if your eye still hurts. We should be arriving at the hospital soon.¡± Jeremy did not say anything. Instead, he leaned back against the seat and looked at her. At that moment, Corinne felt conflicted. On the one hand, she did not want to have anything to do with. Jeremy, but on the other, she was very worried that she had caused him to go blind. She dug her fingers anxiously into her palm when Jeremy suddenly called out her name. ¡°Corinne.¡± She thought his eye was hurting again, so she quickly turned toward him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did the paine back again?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked probingly at her. ¡°What¡¯s your real rtionship with Aaron of Newmoon Group?¡± The sudden question caught her off guard. There she was, worrying about his eye, and he asked her something like that. ¡°It¡¯s like I told you. He¡¯s my husband, and I¡¯m his wife.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes were burning by then as though wanting to burn her lies away. ¡°Is he a real husband or a fake husband?¡± Corinne was shocked again. ¡°Why is he asking me that? Could it be that he knows I¡¯m lying?¡± Guilt began to fill her heart, but that did not make her change her answer. ¡°Real¡­ Real husband, of course.¡± She told herself she had no choice but to keep up with the lie because that was how lies worked. Once one told a lie, one had toe up with another five lies to keep the first lie going. Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Oh, really? Then, why isn¡¯t there a marriage record in the City Hall?¡± Corinne did not know how to answer him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°What? You can¡¯te up with another lie anymore?¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy, don¡¯t you find what you did intrusive? What right do you have to look into my private affairs like that?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression became nonchnt but threatening nheless. ¡°Oh, I have no right. I just did it to satisfy my curiosity.¡± Corinne frowned and red at him in annoyance and anger. ¡°Well, let me satisfy that curiosity of yours. It¡¯s not weird that you can¡¯t find our marriage record in the City Hall since we registered our marriage abroad!¡± ¡°Which country?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something for you to know.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°From what I know, there¡¯s no record of you flying out of the country too.¡± Corinne took a deep breath and said, ¡°That¡¯s because we took my husband¡¯s private jet, so you won¡¯t find any record of me at the airport.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Do you love him?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Yes. I love him very much.¡± She told the truth. She had always loved Aaron and Xante too. However, the love she had for thern was not romantic, but it was the kind that grew because ever since they were little, they had been through so much together. She loved and depended on them like they were her brother and sister. Jeremy¡¯s eyes immediately darkened at her answer. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯d better not lie to me!¡± Corinne cleared her throat to hide her guilt. ¡°Why would I lie to you? Besides, why don¡¯t you worry more about your eye instead of asking me all these pointless questions?!¡± Jeremy did not say anything anymore. He simply threw her a cold nce before closing his eyes to rest. Ten minutester, the car stopped in front of the hospital.. Edmund turned around and said, ¡°We¡¯re here, Mister Jeremy. Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Jeremy was probably in a lot of pain since he did not even light up his cigarette, which he held between his fingers throughout the entire car ride. After the car stopped, he casually threw the cigarette into the trash can before getting out of the car. Corinne looked at him getting out of the car while a multitude of emotions fought to dominate her heart. Hesitating a little, she said, ¡°Umm¡­ I won¡¯t be getting out of the car with you. I¡¯ll wait here for your results. toe out, and I¡¯m willing to pay whatever medical fees you¡¯ve incurred because of me.¡± Jeremy paused in his movement and turned his head slightly to look unhappily at her. Seeing that, Edmund quickly cleared his throat and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, I think it¡¯s best you apany Mister Jeremy to see the doctor. It won¡¯t be safe for him to walk around alone with his eye hurt, and I can¡¯t park the car here since it¡¯s the emergencyne for the ambnce. I have to park the car somewhere else.¡± Corinne looked outside the car window and realized what Edmund said was right. They were indeed parked in the emergencyne. ¡°Fine, but¡­ Pleasee find us as soon as you¡¯ve parked the car. There¡¯s an urgent matter I need to attend to at home.¡± Edmund sneaked a peek at Jeremy¡¯s increasingly darkening face. It was then that he decided to lie to Corinne. ¡°Okay, Miss Corinne. I¡¯lle to look for you and Mister Jeremy as soon as I¡¯ve parked the car.¡± Thus, Corinne grudgingly got out of the car. She sighed heavily as she looked at the car away. ¡°Just how much do you not want to be with me?¡± asked Jeremy mockingly. His voice pulled her away from her thoughts. She looked up at him and chuckled dryly. ¡°I just think there¡¯s no need for us to spend time alone given our non-existent rtionship.¡± To that, Jeremy gave no reply. Instead, he scoffed, turned around, and headed inside the hospital. Left without a choice, Corinne followed him into the hospital. ¡®A man born with a silver spoon like him probably doesn¡¯t even know how the admission process in the hospital works!¡¯ thought Corinne while rubbing her temples. ¡®I¡¯ll need to take care of him until Edmundes back. First things first, I need to sign him in, get him a queue number, and bring him to the doctor.¡¯ She quickly found the registration counter. The nurse there asked her in a bored tone, ¡°Which doctor do you want to see?¡± ¡°The ophthalmologist,¡± said Corinne. ¡°The OB-GYN specialist,¡± said Jeremy. Corinne was stunned, and so was the nurse at the registration counter. She frowned and looked at the two of them. ¡°Are the two of you together?¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s mouth twitched a little. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re together.¡± ¡°Then, which doctor do you want to see? The ophthalmologist or the OB-GYN specialist?¡± ¡°The ophthalmologist,¡± insisted Corinne. ¡°The OB-GYN specialist,¡± insisted Jeremy. The nurse frowned unhappily. ¡°This is no time to joke around. There are people waiting in line behind you. Come back when the two of you decide which doctor you want to see.¡± Corinne felt embarrassed for taking up the nurse¡¯s time. She red at Jeremy and said, ¡°Shut up and let me do the talking.¡± She returned to the counter and said politely, ¡°Sorry about that. You can ignore what he said. We¡¯d like to see the ophth-¡± However, Jeremy inserted himself between Corinne and the nurse before she could finish speaking.¡± Please put us down for both the ophthalmologist and OB-GYN specialist. Thanks,¡± he said sternly. The nurse was starting to get angry at their antics. However, all of her anger turned into awe when she looked up at Jeremy¡¯s handsome face. ¡°O-okay. Please wait a moment.¡± Not even a minuteter, the nurse gave them two numbers-one for the ophthalmologist and the other for the OB-GYN specialist. Corinne epted the number with a darkened face. After thanking the nurse with a fake smile, she immediately walked past Jeremy to give way to the people lining up behind her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She waited until she came to an empty ce before exploding in rage.. ¡°Curse you, Jeremy!¡± Chapter 621 Chapter 621 ¡°What?¡± asked Jeremy indifferently as if he did not think he did anything wrong. Corinne red at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re a guy so why did you ask for the OB-GYN¡¯s number? Aren¡¯t embarrassed at all?¡± Jeremy looked down at her condescendingly and smirked. ¡°The OB-GYN is for you.¡± She knew what he was getting at and an rm bell instantly went off in her head. She frowned and took a deep breath topose herself. After squeezing out a smile on her face, she said, ¡°Thank you but I don¡¯t need to see an OB-GYN specialist. I¡¯ve always made sure to keep my s*x life clean so I have no problemn. down there¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Although Edmund did not find any record of Corinne having visited any OB-GYN specialist, Jeremy was suspicious of her ever since he saw her retching for no good reason. The fact that she was trying to avoid. the whole conversation made him even sure she was pregnant. ¡®She¡¯s pregnant huh and it¡¯s mine. He was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what! Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± Jeremy smiled faintly at her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a stranger around me. We were married after all so take this check-up as my treat.¡± Corinne was speechless. What the hill? I¡¯ve been treated to a meal by others many times but this is the first time I¡¯ve evere across someone treating me to a check-up! Ugh, forget it! The most important. thing now is to take him to see the ophthalmologist.¡¯ She devised a n to leave as soon as Jeremy finished checking up on his eye. H¡¯ll would freeze over before she went to see the OB-GYN specialist with him in tow. In the ophthalmologist¡¯s room. The elderly ophthalmologist spread open Jeremy¡¯s left eye and shone a shlight on it to do a thorough check-up. Corinne, who was standing at the side, asked, ¡°How is it, doctor? Is his eye okay?¡± The elderly ophthalmologist put down the shlight and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing serious. The internal bleeding is caused by an external impact. I¡¯ll prescribe an anti-inmmatory eye drop which he needs to use three times daily and the blood clot should go away after a few days. Corinne breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear and thank you for prescribing the medicine for him.¡± After that, Corinne went to the dispensary with the elderly ophthalmologist¡¯s prescription in hand. When she came back, she passed the eyedrop to Jeremy and asked, ¡°Do you want to do it yourself or do you need my help?¡± Jeremy nced at the eyedrop and instead of taking it from her, he simply crossed his legs and leaned back his head on the hospital chair, waiting for her to serve him. Corinne was speechless. What a spoiled man!¡± She scoffed, walked up to him, and roughly lifted his chin so that it¡¯ll be easier for her to put the eyedrops into his eye. After that, she twisted open the cap of the eyedrop, used her other hand to spread open his left eye, and dripped the eyedrop in. ¡°All done. Remember to use the eyedrop again before you go to sleep. Starting from tomorrow, you¡¯ll need to use it three times per day. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going now,¡± said Corinne while putting the eyedrop in Jeremy¡¯s hand. She then turned around and left without looking back. However, she did not manage to take a step before Jeremy pulled her back by the wrist. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It¡¯s your turn to do the check-up now.¡± Chapter 622 Chapter 622 ¡°Please stop joking around, Mister Jeremy. Why do I need to go for a check-up when I¡¯m not sick?¡± Corinne mustered all her strength to pull her hand away from his grip but failed to do so. She was on the brink of exhaustion. ¡®Where¡¯s that Edmund? Why isn¡¯t he back here yet?¡¯ she thought. ¡°Just what are you afraid of, Corinne?¡± Jeremy stood up and pulled her to him. He looked straight into her eyes condescendingly as though he was trying to read her mind. Feeling guilty, Corinne subconsciously shifted her gaze away from his. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into this, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯m just worried that I might bump into someone! know. Imagine what my husband would think then? Me; A married woman, going to see an OB-GYN specialist with someone else other than my husband! Why, that would ruin both of our reputations!¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Why should we worry about what our husbands or others think of us when we have done nothing wrong? Let¡¯s go, Miss Corinne.¡± ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m not going!¡± Corinne dragged her feet across the floor and put up a fierce struggle. However, her resistance only served to fuel Jeremy¡¯s suspicion. He was almost a hundred percent sure that his guess was right. Unable to drag Corinne, he simply scooped her up and strode confidently toward the OB-GYN department with her in his arms. There was no room for Corinne to fight back or escape throughout the whole journey. and just like that, she was carried to the OB-GYN department for a blood test. ¡®Sh*t! He¡¯s too smart for me to fool! What should I do now? Would he ask me to get rid of the child once he found out I¡¯m pregnant? But this pregnancy was an ident though I can see why, given our non- existent rtionship, he would ask me to get rid of the baby. However, in the two months she was pregnant, she caught feelings for the baby. She saw the baby as hers alone and not hers and Jeremy¡¯s. She wanted to give birth to the baby so that she would have a family of her own but now it seemed like there was a chance she might lose the baby. She wanted to run away from the OB-GYN specialist¡¯s room but Jeremy was keeping a close watch over her as if he knew what she was nning to do. He was also sitting in a way that would prevent her from .running anywhere. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The seconds ticked by and each of them felt like years to Corinne. After a while, the result of the blood test came out. The OB-GYN specialist looked at the result and smiled happily. ¡°Congrattions, Miss Carew. You¡¯re going to be a mom!¡± Corinne inhaled sharply when she heard that. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked at her with great interest. ¡°Miss Corinne, how do you exin this?¡± Corinne looked down at her hands in guilt. ¡°I-¡± ¡®Why is he asking that when he already knows what¡¯s going on? What else does he want me to say? That I¡¯m going to have a virgin birth?¡¯ At that moment, the OB-GYN specialist looked at the energetic couple with the blood test result in her hand and said, ¡°The two of you should refrain from having Intercourse at the moment since the pregnancy is only twenty days into the first trimester. It¡¯s best to wait until the pregnancy has stabilized before having any intercourse.¡± Jeremy was stunned and the fire in his eyes immediately went out. He snapped his head around and asked the OB-GYN specialist, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but how long did you say she has been pregnant?¡± The way he was staring at her caused a chill to run up her spine. ¡°Twe- twenty days. The baby isn¡¯t stabilized yet so it¡¯s better to wait until then.¡± Jeremy instantly lost hisposure. He grabbed the blood test result to confirm what the OB-GYN specialist said was true. There, staring back at him were indeed the words ¨C 20 days into the 1st trimester. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Twenty days. ¡®That means she got pregnant after leaving me! The baby in her tummy belongs to her and her husband!¡± Jeremy was gripping the paper so hard that his knuckles started to make popping sounds. He gritted his teeth and flung the paper coldly toward Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°You know how to y it close huh, Corinne! It didn¡¯t take you long to get pregnant with another man after leaving me, did it!¡± ¡°How rude of him!¡¯ Corinne was angry at the way he was talking to her. She picked up the blood test result and looked at it quizzically. ¡°Why does it say I¡¯m pregnant for twenty days only? What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ She was as confused as anyone else because she should be two and a half months pregnant by then. Plus, she was with any other man apart from Jeremy so how could she get pregnant again? All of this happened so unexpectedly but after thinking about it, she thought it might just as well since she could use this to end things with Jeremy once and for all. She took a breath to collect her thoughts before beaming a smile at Jeremy, ¡°Thank you for bringing me here for a check-up, Mister Jeremy. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have found out I was pregnant. I can¡¯t wait to go back home and tell my husband the good news so may I go now?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡®How could she be so heartless? Is this all a game to her? She might as well don¡¯t say anything,¡¯ thought Jeremy. His face darkened and he red at her vehemently. ¡°Get out of here! I don¡¯t ever want to see you again so make sure you never show your face around me in the future!¡± he said between gritted teeth. Even though Corinne did not want to have anything to do with him anymore, she still feel saddened to realize that they ended things with a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not the loose woman he thinks I am.¡± She pursed her lips into a thin line, thinking whether she should clear up the misunderstanding but then decided not to since that would just make everything messier. ¡°I should just let the whole thing slide. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re together anymore so he can think whatever he wants of me. It¡¯ll just make my life more difficult if I exin everything to him now. The most important thing is to keep the baby safe.¡¯ ¡°Fine. I promise to never show myself around you again.¡± She then turned around and strode out of the suffocating room. -Jeremy, too, left the OB-GYN room. He looked like he went through hell and back. Not knowing where he could vent his anger, he closed his eyes weakly and took a deep breath. He felt as if his soul was sucked away from his body; his brain was all jumbled up. Having no choice but to put his hand on the wall for support, he then copsed on the hospital chair, He then dropped his head helplessly into his hands. Just a few minutes ago, he happily thought the baby Corinne was carrying inside of her to be his and that it was conceived on that fateful night. Then he would have a reason to ask her toe back to him. However, reality punched a hole in his ce. The baby was not his! ¡®How could she get pregnant so fast with another man? No woman has ever yed me like this! Twenty days. That means she hooked up with him straight after she left me. Is that how she sees me? That I¡¯m nothing to her? Huh! You¡¯re going to pay for this, Corinne.¡¯ At that moment, in a secluded corner, a woman in a wheelchair was watching him quietly from the dark. Suddenly, a sinister smile broke out on her innocent-looking face. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Anya was seated in her wheelchair and smiling sinisterly and smugly. It was a good thing Lucas brought her to this hospital. If not she would not have seen Jeremy and Corinne going into the OB-GYN department together. Thus, she bribed the OB-GYN specialist to tamper with the blood test result because she knew Jeremy would not pay any attention to her and Joey anymore once he found out Corinne was pregnant with his kid. No way was she going to let that happen! Jeremy must think Corinne is a loose woman after finding out the baby she¡¯s carrying isn¡¯t his. He¡¯ll stop thinking about her now. Ha! You failed to steal Jeremy away from me this time, Corinne Carew.¡± Suddenly, Rosie¡¯s voice came from behind her. ¡°Anya, why did youe here without telling me?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Anya turned her wheelchair around and beamed an innocent smile at Rosie. ¡°Oh, I came out to get some fresh air ¡¯cause I was feeling a little suffocated in the ward How¡¯s my brother, Rosie?¡± Rosie frowned with sadness at the thought of Lucas¡¯s injuries. She could not bear to see someone she loved getting hurt like that. ¡°The doctor put him in a cast. He said there is some minor bone breakage that would require him to take some bedrest for a while. Edmund is currently taking care of him as we speak ¡± Anya pretended to sigh sadly and said, ¡°I hope he won¡¯t suffer any after-effects from this. It never crossed my mind that Jeremy would fight with Lucas because of Corinne.¡± At the mention of ¡®Corinne the instigator¡¯, Rosie could not help but grit her teeth in hatred. *Jeremy always respected Lucas so the fact that he would start a fight with him must be because Corinne said something to drive a wedge between them. That Corinne is nothing but a menace! The more Rosie thought about her, the angrier she got. How she wished she could strangle that woman there and then! As usual, Anya put on her weak and helpless act. ¡°I also think Corinne went too far this time. She caused both Jeremy and Lucas to get hurt! I wonder if Jeremy is okay? Did he go to see a doctor?¡± ¡°And you too, Anya! Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re in a wheelchair because of her too! Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. She¡¯s just bad luck! Just wait! I swear I¡¯m going to get someone to get rid of her once and for all,¡± said Rosie angrily. Anya secretly smiled when she saw Rosie getting all riled up about Corinne. Yes, this is exactly what I - want. I hope this stupid woman gets rid of Corinne quickly so I don¡¯t have to do it myself. This way I can keep my hands clean so no one will ever suspect me.¡± However, she had good reason to be very afraid after witnessing what happened in the Lovces today. The three of them ¨C Anya, Lucas, and Rosie ¨C were chatting in the guest room when a knock suddenly came from the door but before any one of them could open it, Jeremy barged in with a bang, grabbed Lucas by the cor, and punched him in the face. Lucas, who was punched for no reason, became blinded by anger, and without even thinking about it, he punched Jeremy back. Thus, the two men ended up in an all-out brawl. They were evenly matched in strength and both of them sustained quite several injuries. Even though the two families did not get along, they always maintained the basic etiquette on the surface. Therefore, nothing as unseemly as a big fistfight ever urred between the two families. Everything happened so fast that it shocked Anya and Rosie. They quickly called Edmund over to break up the fight. Lucas wiped the blood away from the corner of his lips and stared at Jeremy contemptuously. ¡°You dare to betray my sister and raise your fist against me for a wild girl who dumped you? Jeremy, have you gone insane?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice. ¡°You do well to remember that no matter what she did, you¡¯re not. allowed to touch Corinne! You and the whole Rivera Group would die by my hands if you dare to so much as look at her wrong!¡± After that, he got up, straightened his tie, and cracked his neck. He then walked out of the room without even looking back at anyone, leaving the shocked girls and injured Lucas in his wake. Anya always knew Corinne was important to Jeremy but it was only then she realized just how important she was to him. ¡®Did he lose his cool and rush over her just to avenge her?¡± Thus, it was easy to see why Anya was jealous of Corinne and why she wanted her dead. ¡®I must get rid of her as soon as possible! she thought. Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Meanwhile, Corinne came home in a taxi. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Throughout the whole taxi ride, her mind flitted between Jeremy¡¯s injuries, the look he gave her before she left, and the misunderstanding between them. ¡®Gah! This is so frustrating! she thought. Mimi came to rub her legs as soon as Corinne entered the door.. Corinne changed into her indoor slippers before scooping Mimi up and burying her head against its fur. Only then did she feel a bit better. Aaron was brewing coffee in the kitchen. Seeing her back home, he asked, ¡°Why are you back so early? Did you get anything out of the party?¡± Corinne sat down on the sofa with Mimi in her arms and leaned backzily. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± Although she was forced into being the Lovces¡¯ honorary granddaughter, it could still be counted as getting something out of the party since it would be easier for her to look into all that happened in the Lovce family. Aaron sensed something was off about her so he asked, ¡°Then why do you look so sad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired,¡± Corinne replied weakly. Aaron passed her a ss of warm milk. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you dance too much at the party?¡± Corinne epted the ss of milk but not before rolling her eyes at him. She then took a sip of the milk and told him everything that happened at the OB-GYN department. Aaron raised his brows in rm after hearing her story. ¡°Someone must have tampered with the blood test result but who could it be?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°If I guessed correctly, it should be Anya. After all, only she would do something like this. After thinking about it, Aaron nodded in agreement. ¡°Actually she has helped you in a way. If not, Jeremy would have found out you¡¯re carrying his kid!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Well, he already thinks we¡¯re married so we might as well let him think you¡¯re carrying my baby. It¡¯s the perfect setup to dispel any suspicions he might have of us.¡± ¡®He¡¯s right again, but,¡¯ Corinne looked down listlessly at her hands as the milk in her mouth became bitter. Aaron knew she was down so he moved closer to her and asked, ¡°Be honest with me, boss. You still care about him, right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re sad that he thinks you¡¯re a loose woman.¡± Corinne could not bring herself to tell him just how hurt she was. Ever since she was young, she never cared about what others thought of her so she did not understand why she cared so much about what Jeremy thought of her. ¡®Ughhhh!¡¯ Not wanting to think about Jeremy anymore, she changed the topic. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Aaron, I¡¯m hungry. Go make something for me to eat!¡± ¡°Sure thing!¡± Aaron did not dare to pry any further into her love life so he quickly went to the kitchen but on the way, he said, ¡°By the way, this year¡¯s World Hacker Conference will be held here. I heard Ghostlord is going to attend too. Do you want to go?¡± ¡®Ghostlord! The world¡¯s number one hacker¡¯ thought Corinne. He was her idol and she always wished to meet him. She was not in a good moodtely so she thought she should cheer herself up by going to see her idol. ¡®And if I don¡¯t get to see him. Well, I¡¯ll just take it as a way to get my mind off things.¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go! Where is the venue going to be?¡± Corinne asked. Chapter 626 Chapter 626 A few dayster, in Kanton City. Corinne took an early flight to Kanton City to attend the World Hacker Conference. Now that she was in a different city, she did not have to deliberately hide from Jeremy; she could take public transportation without worrying she would bump into him. Coincidentally, Xante was in Kanton City for business so she arranged for someone to pick Corinne up at the airport. Corinne did not n to stay in Kanton City for long so she did not bring much baggage. She only packed with her the things that would fit into a backpack. She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked casually to the exit. ¡°Corinne!¡± someone suddenly shouted out her name. She instinctively stopped walking and looked toward the direction of the sound. A man wearing sunsses was walking toward her. He immediately took off his sunsses to reveal his handsome baby face as soon as he was standing in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s you, Corinne! What are you doing here in Kanton City?¡± ¡®Ah, it¡¯s Sunny!¡¯ Corinne raised her eyebrow and lookednguidly at him. Instead of answering his question, she asked, ¡°If I remember correctly, today¡¯s a school day so what are you doing here?¡± Sunny blinked at her; the guilt on his face was apparent. ¡°Umm, I have something urgent to do today so I asked the school for an off day.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Oh? Are you sure you¡¯re not cutting ss?¡± Sunny was not the type to lie. He scratched his head in frustration and said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯m cutting ss but I have a good reason for doing that!¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°I just got news from a hacker friend of mine that the World Hacker Conference would be held in Kanton City today.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re going to the conference too? Are you even invited?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sunny shook his head ruefully. ¡°No, only the top hackers are invited to this kind of conference. I¡¯m a newbie and haven¡¯t made a name for myself yet so I¡¯m not on the guest list.¡± Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°Then how are you going to join if you¡¯re not invited? Do you know how tight the security will be? Even if you managed to sneak in, do you know what would happen if they found you inside? They would not hesitate to get rid of you to prevent you from leaking out the members¡¯ identity.¡± Sunny was not afraid. He lifted his chin proudly and said, ¡°So what if I¡¯m not invited? I¡¯m pretty sure my master¡¯s name is on the guest list! Do you know who my master is? She¡¯s Jade Rabbit, one of the top hackers in the world. I do believe they¡¯ll let me in if I tell them I¡¯m going in to find my master.¡± Corinne was speechless. This naive kid doesn¡¯t know how cruel the world can be! But wait a minute! The master he¡¯s referring to seems to be me! I don¡¯t seem to recall ever agreeing to his master.¡± She decided to change tack. ¡°You¡¯re a student so you should be in ss. Now I¡¯m going to let you choose, Are you going to go back yourself or should I inform Mister Lucas of your whereabouts and ask him to send someone to pick you up?¡± Sunny started to panic at the mention of Lucas. ¡°Corinne, why are you being like this? I wouldn¡¯t have told you the truth if I knew you were going to be like this. Please don¡¯t tell my brother. He was injured recently so I wouldn¡¯t want to bother him with things like this. Besides, this is none of your business.¡± Corinne was surprised. ¡°Your brother was injured recently? What happened?¡± she asked quizzically Tsk! How in the world would that condescending man who thinks he¡¯s too good for everyone to get hurt at all? This is a rare thing.¡± Sunny pouted and said, ¡°It happened at my grandpa¡¯s birthday party. Jeremy threw a punch at Lucas out of nowhere and not one to take a punch for no good reason, he fought back. Then the two of them ended up in an all-out fistfight. Lucas came away with a broken arm and I heard Jeremy got hurt pretty seriously too.¡± Corinne was shocked. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 It happened during Grandpa Edgar¡¯s birthday party? So after shoving me into his car, Jeremy left to fight Lucas? No wonder he came back with all those injuries on his face. But why would he do something like that? Could it be he¡¯s trying to make Lucas pay for pouring coffee on me? No, that can¡¯t be it. As Joey¡¯s dad, he should be siding with Anya. He¡¯d never hurt her brother for a woman like me, would he?¡± Seeing Corinne all zoned out, he waved his hand in front of her. ¡°Hey, what are you thinking about? Have you gone dumb?¡± Corinne snapped out of her trance andposed herself before looking sternly at Sunny and ordering him. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go to the World Hacker Conference. You¡¯re too young for that so go home. now or else I¡¯ll tell on you to your brother!¡± After that, she did not wait for his reply; she simply turned around and walked out of the airport. Sunny was a little cowed by her threats but he did not want to give up the chance to attend the World Hacker Conference so he decided to chase after Corinne to beg her not to tell Lucas. However, there were simply too many people walking around the airport so he eventually lost sight of Corinne. Corinne got in the car and made her way to the World Hacker Conference. Not long after, her phone rang. It was from Xante. As soon as she picked up the phone, Xante¡¯s rmed voice came from the other end. ¡°Boss, something happened.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°The bodyguard I hired to protect you has just reported to me that a suspicious car is tailing you.¡± ¡®Someone is following me?¡¯ Corinne immediately looked out of the back windshield. There was indeed a car following her closely. Her eyesight was good enough to let her see Sunny sitting in the passenger seat. He was pointing at her car and saying something, most probably to drive faster, to the driver. ¡®What an annoying kid! Doesn¡¯t he listen to anyone? Corinne sighed with resignation and annoyance. ¡°I see the car tailing me. It¡¯s a taxi.¡± ¡°Do you want me to take care of it?¡± After thinking about it, Corinne replied, ¡°No. The passenger is Sunny Rivera. He poses no threat to me. However, he¡¯s h*llbent on getting into the World Hacker Conference to have a look. Xante, you¡¯re to stop him from attending no matter what but make sure you don¡¯t hurt him.¡± ¡°Got it, boss. Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Meanwhile, in the taxi. Sunny started to panic when he saw the luxury car in front of him getting further and further away. It seemed like he was about to lose Corinne. ¡°Excuse me, mister, but can you please drive faster? You¡¯re not getting any money from me if you lose the car in front of us!¡± Chapter 628 Chapter 628 ¡°Boy, you do know you¡¯re in a taxi and the car in front of us is a luxury car, right? How can a rundown car like mine ever catch up to a car that costs hundreds of thousands?¡± the taxi driver asked helplessly. This made Sunny panic even more. Of course, he knew the car in front of him was a luxury car and not only that, it was the top-of-the-range limited edition model released by a brand called BG for their centennial anniversary. The car, called ¡®Carnival¡¯, was the only one of its kind in the world so even the rich. could not buy it if they wanted. Before this, Lucas had his eyes on the car. He even flew to BG headquarters to order it directly from the owner but unfortunately, the car was already bought by a mysterious buyer who wished to remain anonymous. Therefore, Sunny found it odd to see Corinne getting into Carnival at the airport. ¡®Corinne knows the owner of Carnival? I wonder what their rtionship is! No! I must find out why she came to Kanton City.¡± After thinking about it, Sunny decided not to make the taxi driver¡¯s life difficult. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Fine, whatever. We don¡¯t have to tail them so closely but just make sure we follow them at a distance where we can still see them.¡± ¡°Sure can do,¡± said the taxi driver chirpily. However, Sunny and the taxi driver suddenly heard a bang and the entire taxi started to shake. The taxi driver pulled on the emergency brake and looked up in the rearview mirror only to see someone crash into them. Frowning, he got out of the car to scold the driver who crashed into them. ¡°Are you blind? How could you possibly run into me when there¡¯s so much space in the road? Do you even know how to drive?¡± The other driver got out of the car. He was a tall and burly man. ¡°So what if you run into you? You have no right to talk to me like that!¡± he said fiercely. The taxi driver did not expect to receive this kind of attitude from someone who crashed into his car and it made him even madder. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you? How can you be angry at me when you¡¯re the one who crashed into my car? You better keep your attitude in check.¡± The burly driver lifted his chin. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! You should¡¯ve seen meing and changed into the otherne!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What?! You must be kidding me, right? It¡¯s the driver at the back who¡¯s responsible for keeping a distance from the car in front of them!¡± ¡°Oh pipe down! It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t afford to pay you for the damage! How much could this rundown cheap piece of trash be worth?¡± The taxi driver felt humiliated. ¡°Why you!¡± Seeing Corinne¡¯s car getting further and further away from him, Sunny quickly got down from the taxi to urge the taxi driver, ¡°Hey, can you stop arguing for a moment? Just take down that guy¡¯s number and get back into the taxi! We need to catch up with that car!¡± The taxi driver was at the peak of his rage by then. ¡°Sorry, kid. But I have to deal with this so you should find another taxi.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sunny was taken aback. ¡®Get another taxi? We¡¯re miles away from the airport and we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere. How am I supposed to find another taxi here?¡± Sunny walked up to the taxi driver and said, ¡°Please, mister. Forget about this guy. I¡¯m willing to pay for the repair as long as you take me to where that car is going.¡± ¡°This is not about money! This is about this guy here being unreasonable. He was the one who ran into me but he¡¯s brazen enough to say it¡¯s my fault. I can¡¯t stand this kind of bullying so I must wait until the traffic policee here to teach this piece of sh*t a lesson,¡± said the taxi driver righteously. The burly driver walked up to the taxi driver and puffed out his chest. ¡°Who are you calling a piece of sh*t? The taxi driver was not threatened by him at all. ¡°You! I¡¯m calling you a piece of sh*t!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Chapter 629 Chapter 629 The burly driver and the taxi driver started cursing each other nonstop. Not knowing what to do, Sunny looked at them withplete shock. ¡®Sigh! Guess I have no choice but to find another taxi,¡¯ he thought. Not holding out much hope, he looked around his surroundings and as expected, there was not a single taxi in sight. He was in the throes of his despair when a red sports car suddenly stopped in front of him. The driver was a woman with curly hair flowing down from the top of her head. She was dressed in a solid color silk spaghetti-strap dress. Everything about her face was exquisitely painted while her lips were zing with a passionate red color. The woman threw him a flirtatious smile while merriment danced in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you get yourself into an ident?¡± ¡°Are you blind? Isn¡¯t it obvious what happened?¡± said Sunny angrily. He was in no mood to talk to anyone. Instead of getting angry, the woman simply smiled. ¡°Where are you going, kid? It¡¯ll be hard for you to get another taxi here so why don¡¯t I give you a ride?¡± Sunny was a little taken aback. ¡®Has my luck turned?¡¯ He looked at the woman¡¯s car and saw that it was a roadster. ¡®This car is faster than the taxi. I just might be able to catch up to Corinne.¡¯ After thinking it through, he immediately nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that would be lovely. Thanks!¡± He then walked over to the passenger seat, opened the door, and got in like a gentleman. The woman did not seem to mind hisck of social etiquette. She flipped her hair seductively and asked, ¡± You still haven¡¯t told me where you¡¯re going, kid.¡± Sunny crossed his arms and said, ¡°Follow that Carnival.¡± Xante smiled. ¡°Sure thing. Hold on to your seat.¡± She stepped on the elerator and the roadster flew off like a rocket. It was a good thing Sunny put on his seatbelt because if not he would have been flung out of the car. ¡®D*mn! This woman drives fast! But it¡¯s a good thing since we¡¯ll be able to catch up to Corinne like this.¡± Meanwhile, the burly man instantly put away his vicious expression and shut his mouth as soon as the red roadster sped off. The taxi driver stopped shouting too when he saw the other party suddenly fell silent. Instead, he fished out his phone and said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯m going to call the police so that they can teach you a lesson.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Unexpectedly, the burly driver had a change of attitude. He immediately bowed down to the taxi driver and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened. I shouldn¡¯t have said what I said in the heat of the moment. I would like to officially apologize to you. Here¡¯s some money to cover the repair and emotional damage I¡¯ve caused you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.¡± He passed a check that was filled in to the taxi driver. The taxi driver was understandably surprised by the 180-degree change in attitude. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering if he was imagining things. However, his eyes became as wide as saucers when he saw the number written on the check. It was not a small sum at all. It was as much as he made in a year driving a taxi! ¡°Ahem. Do you feel sorry for what you did?¡± the taxi driver asked doubtfully. ¡°Yes. I promise I won¡¯t ever do something like this again,¡± said the burly driver sincerely. The taxi driver was not an unreasonable man either, but of course, the money certainly did help smooth things along, so he said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll forgive you this time but make sure you¡¯ll be more careful in the future. Also, wait, where did he go?¡± The taxi driver was about to share his 20 years of driving experience but when he looked up, he saw the burly driver gone. ¡°He must have driven off when I was counting the zeros on the paycheck.¡¯ He looked down at the check-in his hands again. Scratching his head, he muttered, ¡°What the h*ll was that all about?¡± Chapter 630 Chapter 630 The red roadster was speeding very fast along the road. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s that car over there! Follow that Carnival!¡± Sunny pointed excitedly at the car Corinne was in as soon as it came into sight. ¡°Hurry! Don¡¯t lose it.¡± Xante immediately stepped on the elerator and the car shot off toward Corinne¡¯s car. The distance. between the two cars got shorter and shorter. Sunny was impressed by the car¡¯s speed. He turned toward Xante and said, ¡°Not bad at all! Your car is certainly very fast.¡± ¡°Yeah, it does its job well,¡± Xante replied with a smile while keeping her eyes on the road. Her curly hair was flying softly in the wind, making her look free-spirited and sexy. At that moment, Sunny could not help but be stunned by her beauty but he quickly snapped out of it. He fixed his eyes back on the road and it was then, he realized something was wrong. Without him realizing it, Xante caught up to Corinne¡¯s car. They were already driving past it! Sunny¡¯s smile froze on his face. He snapped his head back to look at the Carnival behind him. ¡°Hey! The car is behind us. Slow down!¡± he said in a panic. Xante raised her eyebrow and looked at him innocently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to follow that car?¡± Sunny was not amused. ¡°I said to follow it not to surpass it! I want to see where that car is going. This isn¡¯t a race you know. Hurry up and slow down the car now! Bring your car to the back of that Carnival!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Xante said with a nod. She did as he said and slowed down her car. However, instead of catching up with their car, the Carnival turned into another highway. Seeing this, Sunny started panicking even more. ¡°What are you waiting for? Turn around and follow that car!¡± Xante shrugged helplessly. ¡°Kid, have you forgotten we¡¯re on a highway? There¡¯s no turning back or stopping on a highway.¡± Realizing this made Sunny angry. He pounded the car dash and cursed, ¡°Sh*t!¡± ¡°I was so close to finding out who Corinne came to find in Kanton City. I can¡¯t believe I let the chance slip away like this. Argh!¡± Xante quietly looked at the disappointed and angry Sunny and said, ¡°Sorry I can¡¯t help you with the car chase but what I can do now is to bring you to your next destination.¡± As angry as he was, Sunny did not dare to take out his anger on someone who so kindly gave him a ride when he needed it most. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s my fault for not giving you clear instructions. Can you please drop me off at Eden International?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Eden International was where the World Hacker Conference was being held. He told himself it was okay to lose Corinne but it was not okay to miss the World Hacker Conference which he wanted to go to for the longest time. He would die happy if he got to meet his master, Jade Rabbit, today. ¡°Sure thing,¡± said Xante. She then drove him to Eden International. At that moment, there were not a lot of cars on the highway so the only sound they could hear was the sound of the wind. While driving, Xante sneaked a peek at the baby-face Sunny. Raising her eyebrow, she asked cautiously, Kid, who¡¯s inside that car and why did you want to follow It?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I wasn¡¯t going to do anything bad. I know the person inside that car and I just want to find out what she¡¯s doing in Kanton City.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a girl?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Xante, chuckled. ¡°Is it someone you like?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°No way! She¡¯s my cousin. I¡¯m just worried she¡¯s being fooled by some rich man seeing as she has gotten into such an expensive car.¡± Xante found the whole thing funny. ¡°Umm, is there a possibility that the car is owned by your cousin?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! She didn¡¯te from a wealthy family. Besides, why would she go out and work if she can afford a car like that?¡± ¡°Maybe she only took the job to kill time. It could be like a hobby for her.¡± Chapter 631 Chapter 631 ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. My cousin grew up poor. She had to rely on schrships to get her through school.¡± Xante chuckled. ¡°I see. She¡¯s lucky to have a cousin who cares about her so much.¡± Sunny lifted his chin proudly and said, ¡°Of course!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Half an hourter. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Xante pointed to the building in front of them with her chin. Sunny immediately frowned when he saw the sign ¡°Eden International Spa Center¡°. ¡®Gah! This is so frustrating!¡® he thought. Out loud he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you must have gotten it wrong. The ce I want to go to is Eden International Private Club, not the Spa Center.¡± Xante smiled. ¡°Is that so? Forgive me but I only know this particr Eden International.¡± Sunny was speechless. ¡®Ugh, forget it. I¡¯ll just take a taxi to Eden International Private Club!¡® ¡°In any case, thank you for giving me a ride. I won¡¯t take up any more of your time then. Ciao! ¡± said Sunny before getting out of the car. However, he did not get far when he heard a heavy thudding sounding from behind him. He instinctively looked back and his eyes immediately widened when he saw Xante on the ground. ¡®What happened to her?¡® Sunny shook himself out of his shock and quickly ran over to help Xante up. ¡°Hey, miss! Are you okay?¡± Xante looked like she was having trouble breathing. She opened her eyes weakly and said, ¡°It hurts. I can¡¯t find, my medicine.¡± ¡°What medicine?¡± asked the panicking Sunny. ¡°My, my asthma medicine,¡± answered Xante with some difficulty. ¡®She has asthma! This is serious. She could die without her medicine!¡® thought Sunny. He knew how serious the condition could be since he saw firsthand what it did to his ssmate so he quickly scooped her up and said, ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ll take you to the hospital now. You¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Sorry to trouble you, kid. Thanks for doo- doing this.¡± ¡°You should stop talking now or else it might get worse.¡± Sunny carried her to her car and put her in the passenger seat. He then got in the driver seat, turned on the GPS, and quickly drove her to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, on the other side. Eden International Private Club was the world¡¯s top¨Cnotch members¨Conly entertainment club. Every member had to go through a very stringent review to get their very own unique code number which they could use to get into the club. The Carnival stopped in front of the entrance and the usher respectfully opened the door for Corinne to get up. She was disguised in a costume and mask so no one could tell who she was. She let out a tired yawn. ¡®Man, I¡¯m exhausted! Shouldn¡¯t have taken such an early flight. Well, at least I¡¯m here. I wonder if Ghostlord is here too?¡¯ Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Corinne followed the usher into the private club. The World Hacker Conference was held on the highest floor of the building. She took the elevator up and noticed how tight the security was. This was good since it meant no one could sneak in nor could anyone leak out the members¡® information. After arriving at the venue, the usher bowed and went back downstairs, leaving Corinne to enter alone. It was dark inside, unlike other conferences. Every attendee was registered under their hacker name so that they could keep their real identity a secret. They were only there to learn the newest hacking technique from each other, not to make friends. The dim light meant it would be easier for the attendees to conceal what their masks could not. For example, the look in their eyes. It was very lively and crowded inside. It was more like a masquerade party than a conference, except that everyone was dressed in a simr style. In the middle of the hall, there were groups of people chatting and drinking with each other, and further back was a man giving a lecture on the technical aspects of the new system on top of a mini stage. ¡°Look! That code belongs to Jade Rabbit!¡± ¡°So Jade Rabbit is here too!¡± ¡°Jade Rabbit has been keeping a low profiletely. I still remember how she hacked into Eravale¡¯s national defense system and changed their slogan just for the fun of it!¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive!¡± Corinne smiled at her adoring fans before walking over to where the stage was. She found an empty seat and sat down to listen to the lecture being given on stage. However, she found herself dozing off after a while so she looked around to find something to do. Everyone around her started whispering amongst themselves. ¡°If Jade Rabbit is here, does that mean Ghostlord is here too?¡± ¡°Yup, he¡¯s here too!¡± ¡°Where is he? Howe I don¡¯t see him?¡± ¡°Look there! He¡¯s sitting by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window over there.¡® ¡°Wow! He¡¯s so tall. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s over six feet tall!¡± ¡°Yeah. Look at how long his legs are. His body is just perfect. I do believe he¡¯s someone very important in real life. I wonder what he looks like under that mask?¡± ¡°I want to get to know him so bad! But why is he sitting there all alone? Why won¡¯t hee over and talk to us?¡± ¡°Well, it is lonely at the top. Look at the vibe he¡¯s giving out. It¡¯s so cold. No one would ever dare to approach him first. Hey, why don¡¯t you strike up a conversation with him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m scared.¡± Their conversation alerted Corinne of Ghostlord¡¯s presence. She turned to look at him. ¡®Yes, it¡¯s him alright.¡® She met him a few years ago in an offline forum and the two of them shared their opinions about the world of hacking. Coincidentally, they shared the same views on many things but sadly, Corinne did not get to talk to her idol for long since he did not stay for long. Therefore, she mentally reminded herself to take this rare opportunity to learn as much from Ghostlord as possible. Giving up the boring lecture, she walked over to Ghostlord, who was quietly savoring his drink. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Seeing her making her way to Ghostlord, the other attendees started whispering excitedly amongst themselves. A meeting between the two best hackers in the world was certainly a sight to behold! ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ghostlord.¡± Corinne greeted him in a voice that was altered by the voice changer. There was no way anyone could know what her real voice sounded like. Ghostlord looked up. His face was half covered by the gold mask he was wearing, leaving only his chin and thin lips for others to see. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Ghostlord immediately knew who Corinne was when he looked at the member code number disyed on her chest. He nodded at her and said, ¡°Yeah. Hello.¡± His voice was altered by the voice changer to sound like a heavy mechanical sound. Corinne smiled. ¡°Why are you drinking here alone? You should go talk with other people.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in doing that,¡± Ghostlord said after taking a sip of his wine. Corinne nodded and said, ¡°True. I don¡¯t find it interesting either.¡± She walked up to the chair that was positioned across from where he was sitting and asked politely, ¡°Is it okay if I sit with you?¡± Ghostlord nodded and gestured gracefully with his hand for her to take a seat. ¡°Please do.¡± Corinne pulled out the chair and sat down. ¡®I¡¯ll take it as he doesn¡¯t mind talking to me since he didn¡¯t ask me to go away.¡® She suddenly recalled something. ¡°Ghostlord, I remembered you told me you¡¯re married and your wife keeps you on a very tight leash thest time when we were both online. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t sure whether you can join this conference. So I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. How did you manage to get your wife¡¯s permission?¡± Ghostlord who was sittingnguidly ¨C suddenly sat up straight when he heard what she said and his eyes became unbelievably cold under the mask. Corinne sensed something was off. ¡®Did I say something wrong? I was only trying to make small talk,¡® she wondered with a frown. After a few seconds of silence, Ghostlord coldly said, ¡°My wife and I have divorced.¡± He then finished his wine in one go and closed his eyes tiredly. ¡®What? That¡¯s fast!¡® thought Corinne but out loud, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± She was embarrassed by her social faux pas and to show how sorry she was, she picked up the bottle of wine on the table and poured him a fresh ss. ¡°No worries,¡± said Ghostlord coldly. He did not have any intention to me her but then again he was already in a bad mood. Normally Corinne would not have the desire to pry into her idol¡¯s personal life but because she was troubled by rtionship problems recently, she could not help but ask out of nowhere, ¡± What¡¯s the reason for the divorce?¡± Ghostlord picked up his ss and sipped the wine. Then he scoffed self¨Cdeprecatingly and said, ¡°She ran off with another man.¡± shouldn¡¯t have asked him that.¡® ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked further.¡± Ghostlord did not seem to mind. He took another sip of the wine and looked at her indifferently. ¡°What about you? Didn¡¯t you just get married? How¡¯s married life treating you?¡± Corinne simply shrugged andughed self¨Cdeprecatingly at herself too. ¡°I¡¯m actually in the same situation as you. My husband and I have divorced too.¡± Ghostlord¡¯s eyes went through a subtle change. He narrowed his eyes and asked her the same question she asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the reason for the divorce?¡± Lately, the feeling of him not understanding women gued him so he wanted to find out what was the mostmon reason a woman would ask for a divorce. Tommy told him that day Corinne thought he was the father of the child Anya adopted and that was why she left him. However, he still could not fathom how she could leave him as if he meant nothing to her. She moved on to another guy seamlessly and even had a child with him, showing her resolve to start a new life. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡®I guess it would be pointless to exin myself to her now since I¡¯m not her husband anymore. It¡¯s not like she cares about the truth anyway, but how could she get married to another guy within such a short period? Does she have no heart?¡® thought Ghostlord. Corinne had no idea that Ghostlord was Jeremy nor did she know what he was thinking right now. She simply sighed and answered honestly, ¡°I found out he had a kid with another woman. outside of our marriage. No way was I going to ept that so I divorced him.¡± Ghostlord was a little taken aback. He suddenly looked sharply into Corinne¡¯s eyes and discovered that they looked familiar. Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Corinne did not understand why Ghostlord would suddenly stare at her like that. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that? Did my mask happen to fall off?¡® She instinctively touched her face to make sure the mask was still on it. Ghostlord¡¯s deep, dark eyes suddenly sent rm bells ringing in her head. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Corinne made sure she was well¨Cdisguised beforeing to the conference. She paid attention to every little detail including her eyes. She put on a pair of realistic -looking blue color contact lenses that made her look like she was born with blue eyes. Ghostlord kept staring at her for a good long while before turning his gaze away. For a moment there, he thought Jade Rabbit¡¯s eyes looked like Corinne¡¯s but after taking a closer look, he discovered they were of a different color. ¡®I¡¯m overthinking. How can Jade Rabbit possibly be that little rascal?¡® After regaining his senses, he sighed nonchntly. He then raised his ss and said, ¡°Drink with me.¡® Corinne wanted to have a drink too but thought she should not since she was pregnant. Thus, she shook her head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I can¡¯t drink due to some personal reason. Is it okay if I drink tea instead?¡± Even though Corinne¡¯s voice was altered by the voice changer, Ghostlord could still tell she was in her early twenties. He smiled to show he understood. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thanks. Here¡¯s to us having a happy divorce!¡± said Corinne with a smile. She then clinked her ss with his and downed the content in one go. ¡®A happy divorce?¡® Ghostlord chuckled softly to himself before downing the wine to drown out his pain. They were two people in the same boat. Both of them tacitly stopped mentioning each other¡¯s sad past and changed the topic to hacking technology. However, even though Ghostlord managed to follow Corinne¡¯s words, he never once put down his wine ss. Instead, he downed one ss of wine after another as though he was still saddened by the thought of his ex¨Cwife running off with another man. At that moment, Corinne was regaling him with hertest discovery, something about a loophole found in the upper management¡¯s system, when she suddenly realized it was a long while before she received any acknowledgment from Ghostlord. She looked up and saw him slumped in his chair with his eyes closed. She stopped talking and tentatively called out his hacker name, ¡°Ghost lord?¡± He did not reply to her nor did he move an inch. ¡®Is he drunk?¡® Corinne could not tell for sure since he had his mask on. She got up, gave his body a light push, and called out his hacker name again. The result was the same. Corinne lifted his gloved hand, pushed up his sleeve, pulled off his glove a little to reveal his wrist, and put her finger on his pulse. With what little medical knowledge she had, she quickly confirmed Ghostlord was fine, albeit a little drunk. She looked at the empty wine bottle and empty whiskey bottle on the table and frowned. ¡®No wonder he¡¯s drunk! He mixed his alcohol. He must be really sad about his cheating wife letting his guard down here. Isn¡¯t he afraid someone would find out who he is? Is it weird I find him kinda cute? I mean, he¡¯s the most talented hacker here, and yet he couldn¡¯t even solve his rtionship problem. Hmm, the question is what should I do now?¡® Due to Ghostlord being out for the count, Corinne could not ask him whether he came with any other people who could bring him home. She stood there waiting for a while to see if anyone woulde and im him but nobody did. She became at a loss for what to do. It was not like she was close enough with Ghostlord to know where he lived but then again, she could not leave him like that. What if someone came to take off his mask and found out who he was? That would be as good as leaving him to die since there was a bounty on his head. Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Corinne worshiped Ghostlord since she was young. This coupled with her sympathy for him as a fellow in arms made it impossible for her to leave him to the wolves. However, she had no idea how she was going to carry the drunk and heavy out of the venue. After taking a deep breath, she got down to work. She put his arms around her shoulder and slowly dragged his body out of the club. A trail of whispers followed her but she could not care less what the others were saying about her and Ghostlord. Corinne was rife with exhaustion after finally getting Ghostlord to the parking lot. The driver got down from the car to help her and it took two of theirbined efforts to shove the six feet three inches man into the car. After getting into the car, the driver turned around and asked her respectfully, ¡°Miss Corinne, where do you want to go now?¡± Corinne panting heavily by then. She turned to look at the sleeping man beside her and said with resignation, ¡°Xante has already booked me a hotel room, right? Let¡¯s go there first.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Corinne.¡± At the most famous five¨Cstar hotel in Kanton City. The driver helped Corinne carry Ghostlord into the elevator, then her suite, and then finally into her bed. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Miss Corinne, can I help you with anything else?¡± asked the driver. ¡°No, that will be all. Thanks for your hard work.¡± Corinne waved her hand to dismiss the driver. Only she and Ghostlord were left in the room. She looked at the drunk masked man on the bed and felt conflicted. Logically speaking, they were not close so it was more than enough for her to bring him to the hotel. She should just leave him alone and wait somewhere else for him to wake up and get home by himself. However, she was worried he would suddenly throw up. He did have a lot to drink and there. was a chance he might choke on his vomit since he was very, very drunk. If that were to happen, the blood would be on her hand since she was the one who brought him to the hotel. It would be worse if the police were involved since it would mean both of their hacker identities would be exposed. ¡®Ahh, what should I do? I think I should just wait here for him to wake up in case anything happens.¡® She was massaging her temples when a sudden thought urred to her. She walked slowly to the bed and stared at the mask on Ghostlord¡¯s face as though she was in a trance. Then, before she knew what she was doing, she reached out her hand. ¡®I have been given this chance by heaven itself!¡® thought Corinne. Yes! She was thinking of taking off Ghostlord¡¯s mask. ¡®This is it. This is my chance to find out who he is.¡® Suddenly, her phone rang. The moment was gone. She fished out her phone and saw it was Xante calling her. She turned around and walked some distance away before answering the call. ¡°What¡¯s up, Xante?¡± ¡°Boss, are you still at Eden International?¡± ¡°Nope. I left a few moments ago. There was nothing of interest at this year¡¯s conference.¡± ¡°Then can youe to the hospital for a while? Sunny got hurt and I don¡¯t know what to do?¡± said Xante in a rare admission of helplessness. Corinne frowned. ¡°What happened? Where is he hurt? Didn¡¯t I say to not hurt him?¡± Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Xante sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t us, boss. He crashed into a ss door himself and broke it. The doctor says he has a mild concussion and he¡¯s still unconscious as we speak.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s mouth started twitching. ¡®Seems like the reason Sunny¡¯s still alive until now is ¡®cause his family protected him very well. It¡¯s no wonder Lucas keeps such a close eye on him. Sunny does give the vibe of easily dying if no one is watching over him.¡® ¡°Okay. I understand the situation now. Keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn¡¯t run around when he wakes up. I¡¯ll be at the hospital soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. You can certainly count on me.¡± After hanging up the phone, Corinne turned to look at Ghostlord. She had a change of heart. ¡®It would be hical of me to take off his mask. I mean, he¡¯s unconscious and the number one fear of a hacker is for other people to find out their identity.¡® She decided it was in her best interest to keep Ghostlord¡¯s identity a mystery since he was her idol after all. ¡®I should make a move to the hospital to see how Sunny is doing.¡® Corinne walked over to Ghostlord to look for his phone so that she could inform his family to pick him up but she came up empty¨Chanded. After thinking about it, she asked room service to bring her some anti¨Changover medicine. She fed the medicine to the still¨Cunconscious Ghostlord and waited for a while for it to take effect before checking his pulse again to make sure he was okay. ¡®He should be fine,¡® she thought before leaving the room. She checked herself into another room on another floor. There she undressed herself, took a shower, changed into her normal clothes, and made her move to the hospital. While waiting for the elevator to reach her floor, she checked her phone for the hospital address Xante sent her and discovered it was not too far away. Ding! All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The elevator door opened and Corinne saw Lucas and Edmund standing behind one another inside the elevator. Lucas immediately frowned with displeasure when he saw Corinne standing outside the elevator door. Corinne, too, was surprised to see him there. She smiled and nodded politely at him. ¡°Fancy seeing you here, Mister Lucas.¡± She then got into the elevator, stood casually to the side, and pressed the close button. The elevator door slowly shut close, trapping them inside. They could not ignore each other¡¯s existence in such a small space but Corinne did not mind as she busied herself with replying to Xante¡¯s messages. Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at her nonchnt side profile. ¡°Miss Corinne, can you tell me what¡¯s your ultimate aim here?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback by the sudden question. She raised her brow and looked at him. quizzically. ¡°What do you mean what¡¯s my ultimate aim?¡± She stopped going to work ever since Lucas told her not to on the day of Edgar¡¯s birthday party. On one hand, she was fired and on the other, she thought it was pointless to keep working there and risk Lucas¡® ire because it would be more difficult than ever to look into her mother¡¯s disappearance after Lucas became highly suspicious of her. Besides, she came up with a n B and that was to look into the Lovce family. However, due to her recent low mood, she did not find the time to visit Edgar and Gertrude. Meaning to say, she made no progress in finding out the truth about her mother¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about when you¡¯re the one who engineered a fake run¨C in with me in this hotel,¡± said Lucas with a mocking smile. Corinne frowned and looked at Lucas with a hint of disbelief on her face. ¡°You¡¯re reading too much into this, Mister Lucas. It just so happens I¡¯m staying at this hotel too.¡± ¡°It just so happens eh?¡± Lucas chuckled drily. ¡°As if I would be foolish enough to believe that it was only a coincidence that we just so happen to run into each other in another city.¡± Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Lucas found it highly suspicious that a young woman who came from an impoverished background and who just recently graduated would have the money to stay in a five¨Cstar hotel. A corner of Corinne¡¯s lips started twitching. ¡°Mister Lucas, please don¡¯t tell me you think I have a crush on you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have a crush on me or not but let me warn you, you better not do anything you shouldn¡¯t, or else things could end up very badly for you,¡± said Lucas with a threatening smile. Corinne smiled and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not plotting anything if that¡¯s what you¡¯re implying and if you don¡¯t believe me, well, that¡¯s not my problem.¡± At that moment, the elevator door opened again and around a dozen or so people surged in. Most of them had aptop in their hands and some of them wereughing and talking to each other. They seemed to be on their way to attend an event together. Corinne was suddenly pushed to the innermost corner of the elevator and through the rush, someone identally stepped on her foot. ¡°Umm, excuse me but can you please move your foot? You¡¯re stepping on me!¡± The man who stepped on her foot was not part of the group of event¨Cgoers. He was already in a bad mood due to how crowded it was inside the elevator so he turned around and looked at Corinne impatiently. However, his eyes widened in surprise as soon as heid eyes on her face. He then quickly moved his foot away and said smilingly, ¡°Sorry about that, gorgeous. I didn¡¯t see your foot there. I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The man moved closer to her and started flirting with her. ¡°By the way, are you alone?¡± Corinne took in the way he was looking at her pervertedly and immediately decided to ignore him. She pretended to be busy with her phone but the man would not let up so easily. He moved even closer to her and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, gorgeous? Which room are you in? Maybe I cane by for a visit if you¡¯re feeling boredter.¡± Corinne was visibly disgusted by the man but she had nowhere to run or hide in the crowded elevator. Thus, in her cold voice, she said, ¡°I came here with my friend.¡± The man looked disappointed. ¡°Oh, can we exchange phone numbers then? That way I can ask you out for dinner.¡± Corinne did not even spare him a nce as she said, ¡°No, thanks.¡± The man beamed another perverted and confident smile at her before moving even closer to her. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like this. Fate has brought us together so we need to cherish it.¡± Corinne¡¯s face turned as ck as thunder. Ignoring him, she pressed her body against the elevator wall to get away from him. She came across this type of man before and knew that the more she talked to him the more he would think he had a chance with her. It was all very repulsive. However, the man became visibly upset at being ignored by Corinne. His pride could not take the hit so he decided toe up with a ruse.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Suddenly, he shouted, ¡°Hey, stop pushing me!¡± even though no one was doing that. Then, he lurched toward Corinne and put his arms on both sides of the walls to effectively trapped her in between. ¡°Hey gorgeous, sorry but I was pushed by the other people. Don¡¯t you worry though, I¡¯ll protect you from them,¡± he said with a fake smile. His righteous¨Csounding words were in contrast to his behavior as he pressed himself against Corinne¡¯s body to take advantage of her. Corinne was incensed by what he was doing. She frowned with disgust and shook her wrists to loosen them up. ¡®Wait for it, Corinne. The elevator might break if I hit him here. You¡¯ll have your chance to beat up this pervert as soon as we¡¯re all out of the elevator,¡® she said to herself. However, before the elevator door even opened, a cold and deep voice rang out. ¡°Get away from her.¡± The man was a little taken aback by the sudden intrusion. ¡®Who¡¯s saying that? It sounded like a man¡¯s voice.¡± Chapter 638 Chapter 638 ¡°I said, get away from her!¡± came the deep voice again and this time, it was louder than ever. The pervert finally found the source of the voice. He turned to look in the direction it came from and discovered it belonged to a handsome man who was a head taller than him. For a second, he lost his confidence. ¡°Ahem. This is none of your business.¡± There was no visible sign of anger on Lucas¡® handsome face. He calmly looked down at the pervert and repeated the four words in a neutral tone, ¡°Get. Away. From. Her.¡± Despite his neutral tone, the aura Lucas was emitting was threatening enough to send a chill up the pervert¡¯s spine. Everyone turned to look at them, waiting to see how the drama would unfold. The pervert became a little scared. He could tell Lucas was someone who he should not mess with but his ego would not allow him to humiliate himself in front of everyone. Thus, he decided to challenge Lucas. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you to her? Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something you need to know. All you have to do is to get away from her now!¡± The pervert found his attitude odd. ¡®Do they know each other? If they do, why aren¡¯t they standing together? This must mean they don¡¯t know each other!¡® He sneaked a peek at Corinne, who was still trapped between his arms, and realization immediately dawned on him. He broke out in a grin and said, ¡°Hey dude, take a number if you want to flirt with this gal too. Sorry to say but you¡¯re toote. I was the one who saw her first.¡± Lucas did not say anything else. Instead, he simply narrowed his eyes. ¡°Ahhh!¡± The pervert suddenly screamed out in pain. Judging by his contorting face, he must be in a whole lot of pain. The reason behind this sudden development was none other than Lucas. Just now, he mped down his hand on the pervert¡¯s wrist, twisted it to the back, and pulled him away from Corinne. Pain shot through the pervert¡¯s body and it was only then he was willing to surrender. ¡°Gah! It hurts! Dude, please let me go and we¡¯ll talk this out. You know what? You can have her. With the pervert¡¯s wrist still in his grip and without sparing him a nce, Lucas turned to Corinne and ordered, ¡°Come over here and stand beside me!¡± Corinne blinked a few times before squeezing herself through the gaps to stand beside him. Even though she was not on good terms with Lucas, she would take him over the pervert any time since one had morals and the other did not. ¡®Ugh! Why is the elevator moving so slowly? Why haven¡¯t we reached the first floor yet?¡® she could not help but wonder. Lucas used his other hand to lightly push Corinne to the back so that he could act as her shield before letting go of the pervert. As soon as he got his freedom back, the pervert massaged his wrist and said unrepentantly, ¡® Dude, did you need to do that? It¡¯s not like you know the girl anyway. Besides, you could still have your chance with her if she decides to turn me down. You didn¡¯t need to choose violence.¡± Lucas looked down condescendingly at the pervert and thought, ¡®No wonder he¡¯s single! Even I, as a man, could not stand his misogynist attitude. He¡¯s not fit to be called a man!¡® Ding! The elevator door finally opened. Feeling like they should not continue watching the drama unfold, the crowd immediately got out of the elevator and started to discuss with each other what they saw in a hushed tone. The pervert was about to get out of the elevator too but when he recalled how he was humiliated just moments before, he stopped himself. Before leaving, he red at Corinne and spat at her. ¡°Bah! It¡¯s all your fault, you good¨Cfor¨Cnothing cheap *ss woman. I wouldn¡¯t even sleep with you even if someone paid me to do that!¡± After saying that, he swaggered out of the elevator. However, he did not even get far when his arm was suddenly twisted to the back again. This time, the force caused his shoulder to dislocate. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 The pervert started crying from the pain. ¡°Ouch! Dude, what are you doing? You¡¯re going to break my arm if you don¡¯t let go! Why are you still doing this when I¡¯ve already said you can have that girl? Let me go!¡± ¡°What did you say just now?¡± asked Lucas emotionlessly. The pervert¡¯s eyes became shifty with guilt. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you anyway.¡± Lucas did not say anything. Instead, he put more force into the twist, causing the pervert to yelp out in pain. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have said that to her. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to take advantage of her. It¡¯s all my fault! I¡¯m nothing but a shameless piece of sh*t!¡± Lucas pushed the pervert to the ground before casually stepping on his arm, causing it to crack sickeningly. After that, he looked down on him like he was a piece of trash and said coldly, ¡°Flirting is built on the respect given to the other party. Thus, what you were doing was not called flirting but xual harassment!¡± He then shook his hand as though he touched something dirty before walking out of the elevator. Naturally, Edmund followed him out and so did Corinne. She stepped over the pervert¡¯s broken arm, leaving him to strenuously climb up from the ground himself. The pervert held his broken arm and looked up at the retreating figures with tears rolling down his cheeks. In the end, his previous confidence waspletely reced with humiliation. Corinne trotted quickly up to Lucas in the hotel lobby and said politely, ¡°Thank you for saving me from that pervert, Mister Lucas.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Lucas threw her a cold nce and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for you, Miss Corinne. I just thought I should get rid of that sc*m for the good of society.¡± Corinne was not surprised by his reaction. She nodded once and said, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it for me but you still saved me nheless so thank you.¡± Lucas did not have to do anything in the first ce since Corinne was prepared to beat up the pervert herself as soon as the elevator door opened. He did, however, saved her the trouble of dirtying her own hands. She thanked him out of ethical consideration. It was only right for her to do since he helped her. Besides, she wanted to be a good example for the baby she was carrying inside of her. Lucas looked at her probingly and asked, ¡°What are you doing in Kanton City?¡± Corinne, of course, would not tell him she came for the World Hacker Conference so she simply smiled and told him a half¨Ctruth that was based on her real itinerary, ¡°A friend of mine recently got admitted into the hospital here so I came to visit him. I¡¯m actually in a rush so forgive me for making a move first. Bye, Mister Lucas.¡± Corinne jogged off and got in a taxi. Seeing this, Lucas narrowed his eyes suspiciously and thought, ¡®I hope she¡¯s telling the truth. She better not be plotting something.¡® After Corinne got in the taxi, Edmund walked up to Lucas and asked worriedly, ¡°Mister Lucas, is your arm okay? You seemed like you didn¡¯t hold back your strength in dealing with the pervert at all.¡± Lucas¡¯s arm still did notpletely recover from the fight he had with Jeremy. The reason it was not in a cast was because he had an important project to inspect today so he took the cast off temporarily. ¡®I hope he didn¡¯t hurt his arm again just now,¡® thought Edmund. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Lucas nonchntly. He swung his arm around but then suddenly frowned with pain. ¡®Okay, it still hurts. Why did I butt myself into that woman¡¯s business anyway?¡® It was as if he could not bear to see her being bullied by anyone. Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Corinne arrived at the hospital. Sunny was staying in the most expensive single¨Cupancy ward. He was unconscious on the bed with a bandage wrapped around his forehead. His brows were knitted tightly together as though he was having a nightmare. Corinne looked at the idiotic Sunny with her brow raised. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he awake yet?¡± Xante pinched the space between her brows and sighed. ¡°The doctor said the force of the impact was really strong so it might take him a while to wake up.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°How did a big boy like him crash into a ss door in broad daylight?¡± Xante was left quite speechless by Sunny¡¯s idiocy too. ¡°Remember when you asked me to make sure he doesn¡¯t get to go to the World Hacker Conference? Well, I pretended to fall sick to distract him and it worked ¡®cause he was the one who brought me to this hospital. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°However, when he went to the dispensary to get me some medicine, he was in so much of a rush that he didn¡¯t see the spotless ss door in front of him and so he crashed into it. The ss door immediately shattered into a million pieces and the doctor said with that kind of impact, he was lucky that he was lucky to not havee away with broken bones.¡± Corinne was speechless and the corners of her mouth kept twitching. She did not know what to say to that. Sunny was a kind¨Chearted kid by nature, though he could be arrogant and bad- tempered sometimes, but his heart was really in the right ce. Otherwise, he would not have been in such a worried state over a woman he just met to run into a ss door. It was also the reason why Corinne never really resented him for making her life difficult because she knew he was just trying to protect Anya. Lucas, however, was a different story. She hated him with all her guts. Xante med herself for what happened to Sunny. ¡°Sorry, boss. It was all my fault. I should¡¯ve kept a close eye on him.¡± Corinne turned to Xante and put her hand on her face. ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. I know how clumsy he can get so he only has himself to me so don¡¯t you worry about it, okay? You can leave the rest to me and carry on with your day now.¡± Xante smiled. The look in her eyes showed that she respected Corinne as someone she could depend on. She still had to go back to thepany to do some work so she nodded and said, Okay. I¡¯ll make a move first. I¡¯lle pick you up tonight and we can go back to the hotel together. Don¡¯t forget we have an early flight back to New Capital City tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Corinne said and then she saw Xante off with her eyes. There was only her and the still¨Cunconscious Sunny in the ward. She pulled over a chair to the bed and sat down on it. From time to time, she would look up from her phone to check on Sunny. ¡®Ghostlord should be awake by now. Maybe he has even left the hotel room? I hope everything¡¯s okay on his side,¡® she thought. A few hours passed without anything happening when suddenly Sunny weakly called out his sister¡¯s name. ¡°Anya!¡± Corinne, who was previously on her phone, raised her brow and turned to look at him. ¡°Anya!¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes were still closed, yet he kept repeating Anya¡¯s name over and over again with a frown on his head. Corinne reached out her hand and patted him not¨Ctoo¨Cgently on the face. ¡°Wake up! Your sister is at home waiting for you.¡± Sunny did not wake up. Instead, the frown on his forehead became even deeper as though his nightmare just turned for the worse. He suddenly grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go, Anya!¡± Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Even though Corinne knew Sunny was calling for Anya, she still became a little startled when he grabbed her hand as if his life depended on it. ¡°I''m not your sister. Wake up and see who I am!" Sunny shook his head. ¡°Anya, I didn''t betray you! I just wish you''ll stop bullying Corinne ¡®cause she''s quite a nice person.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback to hear that. ¡®Is he helping me in his dream?¡¯ ¡°Anya, No!" Sunny suddenly woke up in fright; his face waspletely covered with sweat. Corinne, who was sitting beside his bed, looked at him and asked, "So you''ve finally woken up.¡± Sunny turned to look nkly at her and then at his surroundings before finally looking down at the hospital gown he was wearing. ¡°Why am I here?¡± ¡°You ran into a ss door and hurt yourself.¡± Shocked, he tried to think back to what happened before he found himself lying on the hospital bed. What he remembered made him blush with embarrassment. After all, it did sound very foolish of him to run into a ss door. "Ahem. It was an honest mistake. By the way, where''s the woman?" Corinne raised her brow and asked, "What woman?" ¡°The woman I brought to the hospital ¡®cause she was having an asthma attack." ¡°Oh, she left after she got the all-clear from the doctor. She told me to tell you thanks." Sunny lifted his chin proudly. "So you know the only reason I got hurt was because I was trying to save someone.¡± Corinne smiled. "Yes, and heaven will reward you for that. You should be celebrated as a hero.¡± Sunny''s embarrassment at hurting himself lessened after receiving the praise from Corinne but then he sensed something was not right.He looked at Corinne quizzically and asked, ¡°How did you know I was in this hospital?" Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. After two seconds of silence, Corinne came up with a lie she knew Sunny could ept. "The hospital has big data on the national transport system and they used that to track me down ¡®cause I was thest person you talked to at the airport.¡± "Oh, that makes sense. It''s impressive how technology has progressed to the point where it would be this easy to find a person,¡± said Sunny with awed innocence. Corinne smirked and said, "Yes, and that''s why you need to study hard. Otherwise, you''ll be left behind by the times.¡± "Huh!" Corinne got up to pour a ss of water for him. "What were you dreaming about just then? You looked like you were really scared.¡± Sunny epted the ss of water and frowned with lingering fear when he recalled the nightmare he had. "I dreamt that Anya came to find you because of Jeremy and then she, she stabbed you out of rage. I was so scared.¡± Corinne did not know what to say. Sunny quickly came to Anya''s defense. ¡°It was only a dream. Anya would never do something like that in real life!¡± ¡°Oh really?" Corinne asked with a mirthless smile. Sunny nodded seriously. "Yes, of course! Anya''s the best but, you know how obsessed she is with Jeremy, right? It''s best if you don''t steal him away from her again. Otherwise, I don''t know what stupid thing she would do to get him back.¡± Corinne sat back down, crossed her leg, and yawnedzily. " I don''t need you to tell me that. Besides, when did I ever steal Jeremy away from Anya? Haven''t I already left him?¡± Sunny pouted. "Indeed, your physical presence is no longer with him but you still have a hold over him!" Corinne raised her brow. "Hold? What hold?" Sunny scoffed. "I''m talking about the hold you have over his heart!¡± Corinne was surprised to hear that. Her eyes flickered as she asked curiously, "What hold do I have over his heart? Howe I never knew about this?¡± Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Sunny frowned in consternation. "Jeremy must have developed feelings for you during the three months you were together. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have treated you so well. He became depressed after you left and it took him a long while to get out of it. Now that things are going well with him and Anya, I hope you''ll leave them alone. Compared to you, Anya needs Jeremy more since her health is failing as we speak.¡± ¡®Jeremy was depressed because of me?¡¯ Corinne thought with disbelief. ¡®Huh! So what? He brought it on himself. Serves him right for tricking me into believing he has feelings while he goes around ying a happy family with Anya and Joey. He''s probably just depressed because I called him out on his bullsh*t and he couldn''t take the humiliation.¡¯ Sunny stared at Corinne pointedly, causing a frown to appear on his face. ¡°Corinne, there are plenty more fish in the sea. You can be my sister-inw if you''re interested in Lucas. He''s every bit as good as Jeremy. Hill, I''ll even help you to get him in the bag.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s mouth started twitching. ¡®So this kid is willing to sacrifice his brother to secure his own sister''s happiness.¡¯ "Don''t worry, Mister Sunny. I won''t steal your sister''s man because I have better things to do than that and thank you for your kind offer but I''ll take care of my own love life. You should know there are plenty of guys lining up at my door so you can keep your beloved brother to yourself." Sunny was a little peeved at Corinne''s refusal of Lucas. He scoffed and said. "Oh, I''m very well aware you don''tck any suitors at all ''cause I saw someone pick you up in a luxury car at the airport.¡± Corinne did not deign to give him an exnation. She was perfectly okay with letting him think whatever he wanted. Seeing Corinne unfazed by his little jabs, Sunny became even more upset at not reaching his goal so he said angrily, " Corinne, do I need to remind you of the many women who got thrown away after the rich men got bored of them? Men like that will never take responsibility for the women they used. It''s fine if you don''t like Lucas but that doesn''t mean you should just ept any man thates your way! That''s how you end up getting hurt. In fact, why don''t you just marry me? I promise to treat you right as long as you don''t fight over Jeremy with Anya!" Corinne looked at Sunny, who was sporting an expression of a martyr, with her brow raised. "You make it sound like I''m forcing you to marry me." Sunny pouted. "No, I don''t mind doing that since I like you in a way. It''s just that-" ¡°Just what?" ¡°I have no intention of ever getting married in this life but I''m willing to make you the exception.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, please. I have no interest whatsoever in marrying you even if you''re willing to make me the exception in your no-marriage rule.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sunny frowned, puffed out his chest childishly, and asked angrily, "Corinne Carew, what''s wrong with marrying me? What gives you the right to look down on me?¡± Corinne tapped him lightly on his temple and said, ¡°Because there''s nothing inside your head, that''s why.¡± ¡®D*mn her! How dare she call me stupid?¡¯ Sunny became so furious that it caused his brain to go nk with rage and his face turned as ck as thunder. Seeing this, Corinne decided she should stop joking around with him. ¡°Fine, I won''t tease you anymore. Neither you nor your brother has to sacrifice yourself to secure Anya''s happiness ¡®cause I have no interest in getting back with Jeremy.¡± The pause in the sentence was only a few seconds long but it took Corinne all of her effort to finish her sentence. Even though she sounded really firm in her resolve, she still could not help but feel her heart tightening whenever she thought of Jeremy. Hearing this, Sunny''s eyes immediately lit up. "Really?" Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Corinne nodded. ¡°Really.¡± Sunny looked at her. For some reason, even though he sessfully extracted a guarantee out of Corinne, he still could not help but feel conflicted about the whole thing. Corinne did not want to talk about Jeremy anymore so she absent-mindedly changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I saw your brother in Kanton City today.¡± Sunny¡¯s pupils immediately shrank to pinpoint size and the ss of water dropped from his hand. It was a good thing Corinne managed to catch it because if not, the water would have sshed all over the hospital bed. Sunny took a gulp fearfully as though he saw a ghost. ¡°Did you tell him I¡¯m here too?¡± he asked cautiously. ¡°Not yet.¡± Corinne ced the ss of water on the bedside table. ¡°I was just going to ask you whether I should tell your brother so that he coulde here and bring you home for some bed rest.¡± Hearing that, Sunny heaved a long sigh of relief before shaking his head vehemently to let her know that under no circumstances should she tell his brother he was in Kanton City too. ¡°No! Don¡¯t you dare tell Lucas! I¡¯ll go home by myself tomorrow.¡± However, before Corinne could say anything, the ward door was suddenly pushed open, and in walked Lucas at a leisurely pace. ¡°Do you seriously think just because she doesn¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t find out you¡¯re here in Kanton City too?¡± Lucas questioned him sternly. Sunny was shocked to see Lucas standing in front of him; a chill immediately ran up his spine. ¡°Lucas! What, what are you doing here?¡± he asked fearfully. Without waiting for his reply, he turned to re at Corinne vehemently. Corinne was just as surprised as he was. She shrugged, put out her hands, and said, ¡°I swear to god that I wasn¡¯t the one who told him you¡¯re here.¡± Lucas nced coldly at Corinne, who he ran into moments before. After that, he walked unhappily to the bed and looked down condescendingly at the poor Sunny. ¡°How stupid do you have to be to run away from home? It hasn¡¯t even been 24 hours yet and look where you¡¯ve ended up!¡± Sunny tried to exin himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t run away from home, Lucas, I just wanted to have some fun in Kanton City. I swear I was going to go back tomorrow.¡± Lucas chuckled coldly. ¡°Have some fun? Does that include hurting yourself in the head?¡± Sunny could not help but feel Lucas was being overly harsh on him. ¡°It was an ident/ A woman was having an asthma attack and I was in a rush to help her so, I ran into a ss door.¡± Lucas did not have the patience to listen to his exnation so he coldly cut him off. ¡°You can¡¯t even take care of yourself and yet you want to help someone else? You should help yourself first before helping others. Who do you think you are? A hero? It¡¯s important to know your limits!¡± Sunny dropped his head and fell silent. He thought Lucas would forgive him or even praise him a little for doing something kind but all he got in return was a scolding. He tried hard to keep his tears in but s, he failed to even do that. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. His head dropped even lower in a bid to prevent others from seeing him crying. As embarrassing as it was, he could not stop himself from crying. Corinne frowned when she saw the nket slowly getting stained by Sunny¡¯s tears. After thinking about it, she decided to say something to defuse the situation. ¡°Mister Lucas, if I may?¡± Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Lucas turned toward her. ¡°Go on. Spit it out.¡± Corinne got up and looked at him with resolve in her eyes. ¡°Mister Lucas, I think there¡¯s something wrong with the way you¡¯re disciplining Mister Sunny.¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°Miss Corinne, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you again so soon. Why, it was just moments ago we ran into each other at the hotel. I haven¡¯t even asked you what you¡¯re doing here and yet you dared to question the way I discipline my brother? In any case, who made you the queen of discipline?¡± The contempt in Lucas¡¯s voice was obvious but Corinne was unfazed by it. She continued to look at him indifferently and said, ¡°I might not know everything there is to know about disciplining a child but I do have first-hand experience of what it feels like to grow up in a house that gives out bad disciplinary actions so I thought I should warn you to stop doing what you¡¯re doing or else you¡¯lle to regret it in the end.¡± Lucas pulled out a chair, sat down on it, rested his elbow on the support, and ced a side of his face on his hand. ¡°Then what do you suggest I do instead? Tell me, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows and nced at Sunny, who was acting like a mouse who saw a cat, before casting her calm and sharp eyes back at Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, I know you¡¯re doing this in the hopes that Sunny would turn out to be a decent human being but don¡¯t you think attacking his self-esteem is not the way to go about it? He¡¯ll only learn to doubt. or even hate himself whenever he runs into a problem in the future.¡± Sunny was stunned. He looked up at Corinne with surprise. He never imagined Corinne would understand. what he was feeling and stood up to his brother for him. Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Mister Sunny got hurt because he wanted to save a woman from an asthma attack. In any case, you should have praised him for helping others and then gently let him know that it¡¯s important to take note of his surroundings before helping others. What you shouldn¡¯t have done was indiscriminately deny everything he did as you did just now.¡± Lucas quirked up his brow. ¡°If a person wants to be praised by others, he must first ensure no one can find faults with what he has done. What he shouldn¡¯t expect is for others to hold a lenient attitude toward him.¡± Corinne did not dare to straight up tell Lucas how harsh he was being so she said, ¡°No one is perfect. Mister Lucas, you shouldn¡¯t put pressure on Mister Sunny to be perfect. You can certainly hold yourself up to that standard but you have no right to ask others, not even your brother, to uphold the same standard as you! ¡°Each of uses to this world with our unique personality. Mister Sunny having a bad personality or - being poor in studies doesn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be able to go on to live a great life. He¡¯s very talented in e-Sports and he can make a name for himself by using that talent. Wouldn¡¯t it be good for him to let him do what he likes while he¡¯s still young? ¡°No one has the right to define what sess looks like for other people. You don¡¯t have to be sessful to be happy. Some people are living happily as we speak, even though they don¡¯t have the usual markers of sess. As his elder, don¡¯t you want your brother to live a happy life?¡± Sunny listened dazedly to all that Corinne had to say, causing his gloomy eyes to gradually light up. He looked at her in both disbelief and gratitude. ¡®She has said everything I wanted to say to my brother! It¡¯s as if she could see into the very core of my being!¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Lucas, however, remained unmoved by the barrage of self-reflective questions. He simply narrowed his eyes at her monologue. No one could tell whether he heard what Corinne said. Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Lucas stared fixedly at Corinne for a while before finally, politely but coldly, saying, ¡°Miss Corinne, what you said only applies to kids of regr folks and not for kids born into the Rivera family. Those that carry. the Rivera name, like Sunny himself, are tasked with a great burden on their shoulder. Thus, he can¡¯t just do whatever he wants. Do you understand now?¡± What Corinne hated the most was the way Lucas thought he was better than everybody else just because he was lucky enough to be born into a wealthy and prominent family. ¡°We¡¯re all humans on this earth. No one is better than anybody else! You say he¡¯s tasked with a great burden on his shoulder but have you ever asked if he wanted that? No matter how self-righteous you made the whole thing sound, it still doesn¡¯t make it right for you to impose your wishes on another person! I used to think life would be better for me if I was born into a wealthy family. Then I could do whatever I wish to do without ever having to worry about making ends meet. Well, you¡¯ve certainly proved me wrong. I would rather live a life of poverty if it meant I get to choose what I want to do with my life!¡± Lucas¡¯s eyes turned ice cold while his face flickered with displeasure. ¡°Are you done talking? If you are, then I highly suggest you leave this room this instant.¡± Corinne was not done. She smirked and asked, ¡°Mister Lucas if you think your disciplinary method is so great, why does it seem you¡¯re not happy with the way Sunny has turned out? Have you ever asked yourself that question? ¡°You should since you¡¯re the one who single-handedly raised him to be who he is. When you berate him for how he turned out, it¡¯s equivalent to you berating yourself for failing to bring him up properly. Don¡¯t you see just how fallible you are too? So how can you ask Sunny to be perfect?¡± Lucas frowned. She managed to hit a sore spot of his. His face darkened and his lips were drawn into a tight line. ¡°I can tell Sunny is afraid of you. While fear might make him do what you want him to do, it¡¯ll never be able to extinguish the dreams he holds dear in his heart. One day, when he¡¯s all grown up, you¡¯lle to realize that he wants to have nothing to do with you nor does he want to live the way you want him to live anymore. By then, it¡¯ll be toote for you to see that the worst way to discipline someone is to mentally beat them into submission.¡± Lucas red coldly at her. After a long while of silence, he suddenly smiled in a way that did not reach. his eyes. ¡°Well said. I¡¯ve certainly learned something new today. However, might I remind you to mind your own business? An outsider like you shouldn¡¯t butt your nose in my family¡¯s business.¡± Corinne shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right. It is none of my business but I¡¯ve already said what I said and since you¡¯re here now, I can leave Mister Sunny to you. There¡¯s an urgent matter I need to attend to so forgive me for making a move first.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. -She did not wait for either Lucas or Sunny to say anything and simply turned to leave the room. However, after taking a few steps, she stopped and turned around. ¡°By the way, Mister Lucas. Please remember topensate the hospital for the ss door Mister Sunny broke today.¡± Both Lucas and Sunny were speechless. Under their watchful gaze, Corinne turned back around, pushed open the door, and walked out of the ward at a leisurely pace. Sunny watched as the door closed with a click; the shock in his heart lingered on. Everything Corinne said shook him to the very core. ¡®Bravo Corinne! Has she always had this side to her? Ugh, I shouldn¡¯t have bullled her because of Anya.¡¯ ¡°How did you end up with her in the hospital? Didn¡¯t I say to stay away from her?¡± Lucas questioned him sternly, effectively pulling him away from his thoughts of gratitude toward Corinne. Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Sunny regained his senses and answered Lucas honestly, ¡°Umm, we just so happened to bump into each. other at the airport. We parted ways after exchanging a few words and I saw her again when I woke up in the hospital.¡± ¡°She came to the hospital without you telling her to?¡± Lucas asked suspiciously. Sunny nodded. ¡°Yes. I was still unconscious when she arrived at the hospital so there was no way I could¡¯ve asked her toe.¡± ¡°Then how did she know you¡¯ve been admitted to the hospital?¡± ¡°She said the hospital has ess to the national traffic system which allowed them to track her down. They thought she must be my friend since I¡¯ve spoken to her at the airport so they asked her toe here. Lucas frowned. ¡°The hospital has ess to the national traffic system?¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± Lucas did not know what to say to that. All he could think about was how stupid Sunny was to be so easily fooled by Corinne. I was right to think she has some ulterior motive to show up here at Kanton City.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes and fished out his phone from his pocket to make a call. ¡°Edmund, find out why Corinne came to Kanton City today and pull up all the ces she had been to since her arrival.¡± After that, he put away his phone and looked sternly at Sunny. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Corinne used to bully Anya. I forbid you to have any contact with her. I wouldn¡¯t want you to be brainwashed by her.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°But Lucas, she would never do something like that! She¡¯s not the type of woman you think she is! I know her. She¡¯s very kind and she gave me her word that she¡¯ll never steal Jeremy away from Anya.¡± ¡°She gave you her word eh?¡± said Lucas mockingly. ¡°And what would she give in return should she break her promise? Don¡¯t tell me it was only a verbal agreement?¡± ¡°Umm, yeah. That¡¯s exactly what it was.¡± ¡°Sunny, how stupid could you be? A verbal agreement isn¡¯t binding! No one would take it seriously.¡± Sunny drooped his head sadly and said in a small voice, ¡°I trust her no matter what.¡± Lucas frowned and scoffed coldly at that idiotic little brother of his. Meanwhile, Corinne took the elevator to the first floor and was walking quickly past the emergency department on her way out of the hospital in a bid to check on Ghostlord. However, she slowed down her pace when she heard a little girl crying her heart out. She instinctively looked in the direction where the cries wereing from and saw a little girl of about five to six years old stumbling around and crying loudly for her mother, ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± Corinne became worried for the little girl due to her having first-hand experience of losing her mother and also because she was going to be a mother herself. ¡®Why Is she all alone? Where are her parents?¡¯ she wondered. She followed the little girl to the emergency ward to see what was going on. As soon as she was there, she saw the little girl chasing after one of those mobile hospital beds that was being hurriedly pushed by a group of medical staff in front of her. After taking a closer look, Corinne realized the hospital bed waspletely covered in bright red blood. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. The nurse who was in the ambnce with the patient was reporting the situation to the doctor. ¡°Serious. car crash. The patient lost a lot of blood and needs an emergency blood transfusion.¡± ¡°Do a blood test on the patient and notify the blood bank of the blood type needed for the transfusion,¡± said the doctor to one of the medical staff. The hospital bed was then pushed into the emergency ward. ¡°Mommy! I want my mommy! Mommy, don¡¯t leave me!¡± However, Lilin was toote. The emergency room¡¯s door was already closed shut by the time her stubby little legs managed to carry her there. She pounded on the closed door anxiously. Lilin looked like she was about to have a meltdown. Not long after, a nurse walked out of the emergency ward with a frown on her face. She dragged Lilin to the side and said, ¡°Listen to me, little girl. You have to behave yourself so that the doctor can focus on saving your mommy.¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Lilin was still reeling from the shock of the car ident so she could not take in anyone¡¯s words. She cried even louder and shook her head fiercely. ¡°I want my mommy! I want my mommy! I want to go inside. to my mommy!¡± The nurse was at a loss for what to do. She tried to coax her gently. ¡°The doctor is trying to save your mommy right now. You just have to wait here until shees out since kids are not allowed into the emergency ward. Be a good girl and listen to me. Wait here quietly. You might affect your mommy¡¯s treatment if you keep crying and shouting like this.¡± Her words did not affect Lilin. She continued to cry for her mother. ¡°Mommy! I want my mommy!¡± The nurse became frustrated. She was at her wit¡¯s end. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Corinne asked after she came over. The nurse looked at her and sighed helplessly. ¡°There was a serious car ident on Third Avenue. This little girl¡¯s mother sacrificed herself to protect her. My guess is she¡¯s not going to make it out of that room alive.¡± Corinne¡¯s face became glum when she heard the nurse¡¯s prognosis. ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave this child with me? I¡¯ll wait here with her while you go back inside to do your work.¡± The nurse looked like she was just saved. ¡°Oh, thank you so much! She has been pounding on the door so much that it¡¯s greatly affecting the doctor¡¯s work. I was at my wit¡¯s end trying to get her to calm down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee. I was just here visiting a friend so I don¡¯t mind staying a bit longer to make sure the kid is alright, Corinne said casually. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll leave her to you then.¡± The nurse smiled gratefully at her before hurrying back to the emergency ward. ¡°I want my mommy! I want my mommy!¡± The little girl started crying again when she saw the nurse going back into the emergency ward. She tried running after her but was stopped by Corinne. Corinne got down to her level and put her index finger to her lips. ¡°Shh! We have to be very quiet, okay? Your mommy will be out very soon so let¡¯s just wait here for her.¡± Lilin was a little startled by Corinne¡¯s appearance though that did not stop her tears from falling down her cheeks. ¡°My mommy¡¯s bleeding a lot.¡± ¡°I know, sweetheart and the doctors and nurses are trying their very best to save her. They¡¯re going to give her some new blood so don¡¯t you worry about it, okay? Speaking of that, you wouldn¡¯t want your mommy to worry about you too, right? So let¡¯s put away those tears and wait here quietly, okay?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m scared, scared she¡¯s going to die!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Corinne patted her lightly on the head in a bid to make her feel better. ¡°She¡¯s not going to die. Don¡¯t worry. Your mommy loves you very much so she won¡¯t ever leave you alone.¡± Lilin finally calmed down. She nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right! My mommy will never leave me alone!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name, little girl?¡± ¡°Lilin!¡± ¡°Okay, Lilin. Can you promise you¡¯ll be a good girl and wait here quietly for your mommy toe out?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Lilin immediately stopped crying though Corinne noticed her hands were still tightly clenched into a fist. At that moment, a nurse ran into the emergency ward and said, ¡°Bad news! The blood bank is running low on supplies so no blood type matches the patient¡¯s!¡± A doctor came out sweating profusely and took off his mask to breathe in some fresh air. ¡°Why is the hospital running out of blood at this time? Contact other hospitals nearby to see if they could spare us some blood!¡± The nurse who ran in also came out and said worriedly. ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted everyone but there are no matching blood types in all of the hospitals nearby.¡± The doctor frowned. ¡°Then what can we do? The patient is in a very critical condition and would no doubt die if she doesn¡¯t get the blood transfusion right now.¡± Lilin overheard their conversation. She quickly rolled up her sleeves and said, ¡°Mister Doctor, you can use my blood! I have the same blood type as my mommy. Please use my blood to save her!¡± The doctor¡¯s heart broke a little when he saw how young Lilin was. ¡°Sorry kid, but we can¡¯t use the blood of immediate family members,¡± he said apologetically. Corinne came over and asked, ¡°What blood type is her mom¡¯s?¡± ¡°Rh-negative,¡± replied the nurse. ¡°I¡¯m Rh-negative. You can use my blood.¡± The doctor was surprised by her generosity. He looked her up and down and asked, ¡°May I know what¡¯s your rtionship with the patient?¡± Chapter 648 Chapter 648 ¡°The patient and I are strangers. I just so happen to pass by here and am willing to donate my blood,¡± Corinne replied. The doctor was awed by her generosity. ¡°It¡¯s certainly rare toe across someone as kind as you nowadays. Quick, take this kind of samaritan to do a blood test. You have my permission to collect her blood once the resultes back clear.¡± ¡°Yes, Doctor Kingsley,¡± said the nurse with a nod. Corinne followed the nurse to the blood collection room. She brought Lilin along with her because she was worried the little girl would start crying outside the emergency ward again. Lilin knew Corinne was going to donate blood to her mother, so she docilely followed her to the blood collection room. The little girl never so much as made a peep along the way. After collecting a sample of Corinne¡¯s blood, the nurse immediately sent it to theb for testing. Her result came back with the confirmation of Corinne being Rh-negative so the nurse got ready to collect. more of her blood for the transfusion. Corinne sat there, rolled up her sleeves, and stretched out her arm for the nurse to plunge the needle in. The nurse inserted the needle into her vein and the transparent tube was instantly filled with blood. After a while, the nurse noticed something was wrong so she asked worriedly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay? You don¡¯t look too good. Is there any medical history I should know about?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m perfectly healthy though I am two months pregnant.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The nurse was shocked. ¡°What? You¡¯re pregnant? Oh no! You can¡¯t donate your blood then.¡± She then quickly ripped off the tube and pressed a cotton ball onto Corinne¡¯s wound. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m confident about my health. A little blood donation wouldn¡¯t hurt me or the baby. Please continue,¡± Corinne assured the nurse. The nurse shook her head and said, ¡°No, I won¡¯t allow you to donate your blood since it¡¯s not rmended to do that while you¡¯re pregnant. This is very risky of you. What if this affects the baby in your tummy?¡± Corinne had in her possession some medical knowledge and knew her own body very well. Therefore, she was sure it would not harm her to give a little more blood. Lilin reminded her of her young self. Even now, she could vividly remember the helplessness she felt when she was left alone in the hospital waiting for her mother toe back. Oh, how she so vehemently wished some grown-up was there to help her look. for her mother at that time. She started shuddering uncontrobly at the thought of suddenly losing her mother. Having experienced that, she could not possibly forgive herself if she was to leave Lilin alone to fend for herself in the hospital. Therefore, she swore to herself that she would save Lilin¡¯s mother no matter what. ¡®Poor child. I can¡¯t bear to see a kid as young as her losing her mother/ I can always nurse my body back to health after this but the same can¡¯t be said about Lilin¡¯s mother,¡¯ she thought. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know my own body very well. Please continue to collect the blood,¡± she said to the nurse. ¡°No! I won¡¯t do it no matter what!¡± The nurse looked at the half-full blood bag. ¡°This might not be enough but it¡¯s good enough for emergency use. As for the rest of the blood, I¡¯ll try my best to look for other sources.¡± Lilin listened to the conversation between Corinne and the nurse. Even though she was still a kid, she understood what was going on. She looked tearfully at the nurse and asked, ¡°Miss Nurse, is my mommy going to be okay? I heard you say that we wouldn¡¯t be able to use thisdy¡¯s blood because she¡¯s pregnant. The nurse wanted tofort her but she did not want to lie to her either. She sighed helplessly and said, ¡± If we can¡¯t find enough blood, your mommy might not- ¡°Hey Lilin, don¡¯t worry. Your mommy is going to be fine. I¡¯m going to make sure she¡¯ll get all the blood she needs, okay?¡± interjected Corinne. The nurse was surprised. She looked at Corinne with disbelief. ¡®Is she for real? Or is she just trying to make her feel better?¡¯ Lilin¡¯s eyes immediately lit up; gone was the despair from her little face. ¡°Really? Are you going to find some blood for my mommy?¡± Corinne patted her gently on the head and said, ¡°Yup. I¡¯ve never lied to anyone so just wait here for me toe back, okay?¡± Corinne did not me the nurse for doing her job. The nurse only meant well after all and everyone knew how dangerous it would be for a pregnantdy to donate blood Chapter 649 Chapter 649 It was understandable that the hospital would not let a pregnant woman donate blood. They were just doing the responsible thing after all. Thus, Corinne was left with no choice but to look for someone who could spare some Rh-negative blood. The reason why Corinne was so confident she could find someone like that was that, at that very moment, two people were rted to her by blood in this very hospital. One of them was Lucas and the other was Sunny. Lucas, especially, had a very high chance of having Rh-negative blood since they came from the same mother. Corinne left Lilin with the nurse; she promised the little girl she would be back within ten minutes, and then she went to look for the two brothers. Meanwhile, back in the most expensive private ward room which was located on the topmost floor of the hospital, Lucas was still lecturing Sunny about his studies, his hobby of secretly hacking into other people¡¯s systems, and so on. Sunny listened to Lucas with his head drooping and would say ¡®Yes, Lucas¡¯s from time to time to show that he was listening. Suddenly, the ward door swung open, bringing with it a gust of cool wind from the corridor. ¡°What blood type do the two of you have?¡± Corinne asked hurriedly.. Both Lucas and Sunny were confused by her sudden question, However, Sunny¡¯s confusion soon turned to joy. He was very happy to see Corinne back. ¡°I¡¯m Rh-negative. Why?¡± Corinne did not bother to find out Lucas¡¯s blood type since Sunny already told her he was Rh-negative. She immediately walked over to him and said, ¡°A little girl¡¯s mother has gotten into a car crash and she requires an emergency blood transfusion. Pleasee down with me right away to donate your blood.¡± Sunny nodded without hesitation since it was a life-and-death situation. ¡°Okay. Lead the way!¡± he said as he was getting out of bed. ¡°No, I won¡¯t allow it!¡± said Lucas in a tone that left no room for refusal. Sunny immediately paused in his movement before turning around to look fearfully at Lucas. ¡°Lucas! This is someone¡¯s life we¡¯re talking about!¡± Lucas threw him a cold nce before looking at Corinne contemptuously. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about the patient, why don¡¯t you donate your blood? Why did you have toe all the way here to ask us to donate our blood?¡± he asked mockingly. Corinne put out her arm for them to see the needle wound on her skin. ¡°I did donate but the hospital wouldn¡¯t let me donate anymore. The patient is in critical condition right now so I was left with no choice. but toe here and ask the two of you for help.¡± Lucas raised his eyebrow and looked at her questioningly. ¡°And why wouldn¡¯t the hospital let you donate any more blood?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m-¡± She stopped herself from spilling out the truth. ¡®Now¡¯s not the time to tell them I¡¯m pregnant.¡¯ Sunny was starting to panic. Frowning, he mustered up his courage to say, ¡°Lucas! You can ask her all the questions you wantter, What¡¯s important now is to save the little girl¡¯s mother!¡± Lucas red at him. ¡°I order you to stay in your bed. Make one step out of this room and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never get to see all yourputers or the things you¡¯ve stored in your hard drives.¡± Hearing this struck fear into Sunny¡¯s heart. Hisputers and the things stored in his hard drives were. his babies, his dreams! It took him years to gather the information inside of them. ¡®What should I do now? Lucas never makes any empty threats. He¡¯ll do as he says.¡¯ Seeing Sunny subdued, Lucas then turned his attention to Corinne. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, may I have a word with you outside?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 650 Chapter 650 ¡°Why would Lucas want to talk to me alone at a time like this? I wonder what is he going to tell me.¡± Corinne was a little reluctant to talk to Lucas since she already confirmed Sunny to be Rh-negative. Thus, there was no need to waste her time on Lucas. Sunny was more naive than Lucas. That was why he was willing to donate his blood. Lucas, however, would ask for something in return for his blood. ¡°Mister Lucas, can we talk about whatever you want to talk about at ater date? I don¡¯t have the time. now,¡± she then turned to Sunny and said, ¡°time is of the essence. Let¡¯s go!¡± Sunny wanted to go with her but chose to stay where he was when he saw the look Lucas was giving him. Corinne frowned when she saw Sunny not moving. She turned to look at Lucas and the man simply stared. back at her. ¡°He won¡¯t go with you unless I¡¯ve explicitly given my permission,¡± he said indifferently. ¡°You have two options now, Miss Corinne. One is to step outside and listen to what I have to say and two is for you to leave this ce.¡± Talk about a rock and a hard ce. Corinne took a deep breath and said between gritted teeth, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll listen to what you have to say.¡± Lucas broke out with a satisfied smile. ¡°Very well then. This way please.¡± Corinne followed him out, leaving Sunny alone in the ward to anxiously wait for them toe back. Outside of the ward. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯m pressed for time here so do make it quick,¡± said Corinne. ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Miss Corinne, you mentioned just now the hospital wouldn¡¯t let you donate any more blood. Could it be because you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Corinne did a double take and fell into silence. How did he know I¡¯m pregnant? Wait a minute! It¡¯s not surprising for him to know that at all. I mean, Jeremy made a fuss about bringing me to the hospital to do a pregnancy test after leaving the Lovces¡¯ house that day. With his status and penchant for suspicion plus Anya¡¯s egging, it would be easy for him to get his hands on her pregnancy report.¡±, Lucas did not seem to mind Corinne¡¯s refusal toe clean with an answer since her silence was all the answer he needed to confirm his suspicion. The only thing for him to do now was to negotiate a deal with her. ¡°Miss Corinne, it¡¯s risky for Sunny to donate his blood right now on ount of his injuries.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Corinne frowned at him. ¡°He only needs to donate half a bag since I¡¯ve already donated half a bag. That amount would not put his health in danger at all.¡± Lucas was unmoved by her pleas. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t allow even that much.¡± Corinne saw no hope in his cold, cold eyes. ¡®Gah! I shouldn¡¯t have pinned my hope on him or Sunny. Think, Corinne. What else can you do? ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m unwilling to do so,¡± Lucas added when he saw Corinne turning around to leave. Corinne paused in her tracks. She turned around and looked at him with her eyebrow raised; her surprise at the sudden turn of events was mixed with some wariness. ¡®Why would he, a pompous *ss, be willing to donate his blood to those he thinks is beneath him?¡¯ ¡°Miss Corinne, my blood type is also Rh-negative so it¡¯ll work on the patient as well.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you juste out and say what you¡¯re hoping to get out of this?¡± Corinne asked bluntly. She knew Lucas was not the type to do something nice for someone without asking for something in return and she was right; Lucas was indeed hoping to get something out of this. He looked down condescendingly at her. Suddenly, an ambiguous smile appeared on his handsome face. ¡°I¡¯ll make this simple for you. I¡¯ll donate however much blood you want if you promise to get rid of that baby in your belly.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Why do you want me to get rid of my baby?¡± Lucas smiled. ¡°You and I both know very well who¡¯s the father of the baby inside of you. I will not allow you to give birth to something that will threaten the happiness of my sister. Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Corinne waspletely speechless. The absurdity of the situation gnawed at her bones like a bitingly cold wind. The image of Lilin sobbing her heart out while she was waiting for her mother toe out of the emergency ward appeared in her mind, causing her to take a deep breath and say, ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡±. Lucas let out another satisfied smile. ¡°Your resolve impresses me, Miss Corinne. I trust that I have your word. Let¡¯s go.¡± Corinne nodded, turned around, and headed straight to the elevator. Lucas followed her into the elevator and just like that the two of them made their way down to the blood collection room. It was eerily quiet in the elevator as there were only two of them inside. Lucas thought he should say something to break the silence so he casually asked, ¡°Are you friends with the car crash victim.¡± ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t even know who she is,¡± replied Corinne emotionlessly. This surprised Lucas very much. He looked at her in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t know who the car crash victim is? Did you seriously agree to get rid of your baby just to save a stranger?¡± Corinne nced at him. ¡°She has a daughter about five or six years old. My heart breaks just thinking about all the hardships she has to go through if she loses her mother at such a young age. Thus, I¡¯m willing to do whatever I can to help her.¡± Her words struck a sympathetic chord in Lucas¡¯s cold, cold heart. He started to think about Luna, who until now he still had no idea whether was dead or alive. I wonder if mom is still alive? I hope she is for Luna¡¯s sake It was a long while before Lucas regained his senses. Before this, he never believed anyone would be kind enough to save a stranger. He thought all the news reports about kind people doing kind things for others were fake. ¡°Mister Lucas, what are you still standing there for? Don¡¯t tell me you regret your decision to donate blood?¡± asked Corinne with a frown when she noticed Lucas did not follow her out of the elevator. The question pulled Lucas out of his reverie. He noticed the elevator door was wide open, prompting him. to quickly step out. ¡°No, I don¡¯t regret my decision. I¡¯m the type who always makes good on his promises.¡± ¡°Good to hear that.¡± In the blood collection room. The nurse did not expect Corinne to have found a blood donor so quickly and a handsome one at that. She was so stunned by Lucas¡¯s good looks that she lost her mind for a few seconds. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she quickly put on a stern expression and matter-of-factly drew some blood from Lucas¡¯s finger so that she could check whether his blood waspatible with Lilin¡¯s mother. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The blood test result soon came out and the nurse reported, ¡°Your blood type is Rh-negative which means we can use your blood for the transfusion.¡± Lucas gracefully rolled up his sleeves and presented his arm to the nurse. This was the first time the nurse was ever so close to a good-looking man like Lucas so she found it hard to reign in her desire to throw herself at him. After inserting the needle, she forced herself to turn away from him so that she would not have to see his dashingly handsome face. ¡°Miss Corinne, the hospital would like to thank you for helping us look for an Rh-negative blood donor. If it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t have found one so quickly since this blood type is very rare. Thanks to you, this little girl¡¯s mother now has a fighting chance of surviving.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I¡¯m just d to be of help.¡± Lilin started crying again when she heard what the nurse said, but this time, it was out of happiness and gratitude. After wiping her tears away, she sped Corinne¡¯s hands and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Miss. Thank you for saving my mommy¡¯s life.¡± Corinne looked at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. Thank that man instead.¡± Lilin nodded and turned to look at Lucas. ¡°Thank you, Mister, for donating your blood to my mommy. I promise to repay you one day.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to repay me. You can, however, repay thedy that brought me to you,¡± said Lucas indifferently. After a while, the blood bag became full and the nurse hurriedly brought it to the emergency ward. Lucas threw the cotton ball into the trash can, gracefully rolled his sleeves back down, and stood up from the chair. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness came over him. ¡°If a perfectly healthy man like me gets dizzy from donating some blood then surely the effect would be ten times worse for a pregnant woman like Corinne?¡¯ he thought with a frown. He turned to look at her and asked curiously, ¡°Why do you insist on donating blood when you¡¯re pregnant? Aren¡¯t you worried something¡¯s going to happen to you or the baby? Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Corinne leaned casually against the wall and said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ve always been very healthy so I know my body can handle this much. Besides, I¡¯ll only need to take some supplementster to be as good as new. Thank you for asking though.¡± However, Lucas noticed her face was gradually getting paler by the moment. He frowned and said mockingly, ¡°Well, you certainly treat others better than you treat yourself.¡± For some reason, Corinne could not help but think he was denigrating instead of praising her but she could not care less even if he was. Instead, she said seriously, ¡°Mister Lucas, can I uphold my end of the bargain on another day? Even though my body is perfectly alright, I still think it¡¯s best not to have surgery right after donating blood.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Miss Corinne, are you trying to go back on your words?¡± Corinne shrugged and chuckled drily. ¡°If you insist, I don¡¯t mind doing it right now.¡± An indescribable feeling akin to pity started to rise in Lucas¡¯s heart when he saw how pale Corinne¡¯s face became. ¡®Wait a minute! Am I feeling sorry for this girl in front of me?¡¯ His pity immediately turned into annoyance. He waved his hand and said, ¡°Oh, forget it. You can get rid of the baby another day. Besides, you¡¯re right. I wouldn¡¯t want the blood on my hands should anything happen to you on the operating table. To avoid anyplications, it¡¯s best to have the surgery another. day.¡± Corinne pulled the corners of her mouth into a fake smile. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Mister Lucas.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve got what you want, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± After straightening out his sleeves, he then added, ¡± Be back in New Capital City in three days. Someone from my side will contact you then. We¡¯ll arrange for the best hospital and the best surgeon to do the surgery so that it won¡¯t affect your chances of having kids in the future. I hope you won¡¯te up with another excuse to not do the surgery then, Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne looked at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Lucas. You have my word.¡± With that, Lucas left the room. From all outward appearances, he looked like a gentleman but inside, he was made up of nothing more than ruthlessness and coldness. He did not care whether Lilin¡¯s mother made it out alive of the emergency ward. No, all he cared about at that moment was for that thing in Corinne¡¯s tummy to disappear forever so that nothing could ever threaten Anya¡¯s chances of getting married to Jeremy. Corinne remained standing where she was, thinking, while subconsciously stroking her belly. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s the matter? Are you feeling alright?¡± Someone suddenly pulled her hand. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at the little girl in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, sweetheart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so happy to hear that. Miss, now that we have enough blood, does that mean my mommy is going to be alright too?¡± ¡°Yup. Your mommy is going to be perfectly alright. Let¡¯s go and wait for her toe out of the emergency ward. Chapter 653 Chapter 653 ¡°Okay!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Thus, Corinne and Lilin left the blood collection room and went to wait outside the emergency ward for Lilin¡¯s mother to be wheeled out. As soon as they stepped out of the blood collection room, the two nurse interns on duty started gossiping with each other. ¡°Hey, did you hear that? It sounded like the good-looking man who came to donate his blood is asking Miss Corinne to get rid of her baby.¡± ¡°I know, right? Sigh, and here I thought there was finally a good-looking man who was decent too. Well, turns out he¡¯s just another deadbeat sc*mbag who doesn¡¯t want to take responsibility for his child.¡± The nurse intern on the left curled her lips and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re romantically involved with each other. They look more like siblings to me. Don¡¯t you think they bear a passing resemnce to each other?¡± The nurse intern on the right gave her question some thought before replying, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, they do look alike! But it could be because they were together for so long that they started to resemble each other. Besides, what kind of brother would ask his sister to get rid of her baby? That just doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± The nurse intern on the left insisted on her point of view. ¡°Why not? I mean, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for al brother to ask her sister to get rid of the baby if he doesn¡¯t approve of the baby¡¯s daddy? We¡¯re talking about his sister¡¯s long-term happiness after all.¡± The nurse intern on the right mulled over what the nurse intern on the left said. ¡°I guess it kinda makes sense when you put it that way. But have you heard the way they address each other? They called each other Mister Something and Miss Something. No siblings would ever speak so formally with each other so I still don¡¯t think they are brother and sister.¡± The nurse intern on the left always thought of herself as someone with good instincts and that coupled with herpetitive nature made it hard for her to simply drop the topic. She was thinking about how to convince the other nurse intern that she was right when her eyesnded on the blood test result. A sinister glint immediately shed across her eyes. ¡°Since you insist on your point of view and I mine, why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± ¡°A bet? What bet do you have in mind?¡± asked the nurse intern on the right curiously. ¡°Let¡¯s bet whether the two of them are siblings or a couple. The loser promises to quit this job so that the winner would be able to get a full-time position in this hospital.¡± ¡°And how are we going to know for sure whether they¡¯re siblings or a couple? Are you going to hire a private investigator to look into their rtionship? I should warn you though. That good-looking guy doesn¡¯t look like hees from an ordinary background. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be h¡¯ll to pay if he finds out we¡¯ve hired a private investigator to look into him.¡± ¡°You silly woman, we don¡¯t need to hire a private investigator!¡± said the nurse intern on the left confidently. ¡°Have you forgotten that we have in our possession their blood samples? We only need to secretly take the blood samples to do a DNA test to know who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong.¡± The nurse intern on the right widened her eyes in horror. ¡°Have you gone insane? You do know what you¡¯re suggesting is illegal, right?¡± ¡°Oh, please. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to use their blood samples to do bad things. No one would even know they¡¯re missing if you don¡¯t tell. Besides, if you¡¯ve proven to be right, I¡¯ll drop out of this internship which means you get to be the one to go on to have a full-time position in this hospital. Didn¡¯t you insist they be a couple just moments before? Why are you being a chicken about it now?¡± ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s bet on it! But before that, we have to swear on our lives that no one but us can know about this. Promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone about this bet, no matter who lost or who won in the end.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You have my word.¡± After hashing out the details of their, bet, the two nurse interns then secretly took some blood from each of the samples. Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Meanwhile, outside the emergency ward. After a seemingly unending hour passed, the emergency ward door finally swung open, and the medical staff wheeled out the unconscious patient on the hospital bed. ¡°Miss Corinne, we¡¯ve managed to save the patient thanks to you,¡± said the chief physician. Corinne nodded and said nonchntly, ¡°d to be of help.¡± Lilin threw herself onto the hospital bed. She looked sadly at her mother and kept crying, ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± The nurse bent down tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, little girl. Your mommy needs all the rest she can get. You can talk to her after she wakes up so be a good girl and let her rest.¡± Lilin nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be a good girl and do as you say.¡± Corinne walked Lilin to her mother¡¯s ward. ording to the medical staff, the hospital managed to contact Lilin¡¯s family members, who were rushing over to the hospital as they spoke, they were expected to arrive in the afternoon. Corinne was relieved to know someone would being over to take care of Lilin and her mother. She took that as her cue to leave. After walking out of the hospital, she took out her phone and made a call to Xante. ¡°Xante, book me a flight back to New Capital City now.¡± To say Xante was surprised would be an understatement. ¡°Boss, you want to fly back to the city today? Aren¡¯t you going to wait for me to go back together?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Sorry, no can do. Also, it¡¯s too risky for me to stay at the hotel you¡¯ve booked for me since my identity might get exposed. Make sure to clean up every trace of my existence from the hotel¡¯s record ¡± ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve already asked the hotel and they said the masked man you brought back left on his own ord some time ago. Also, all the check-in details I gave the hotel are fake so it doesn¡¯t matter if they. gave away your details.¡± ¡°Well done. Now book that flight for me.¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± I¡¯m so happy to hear that Ghostlord is okay. I do wonder when will I be able to see him again, thought Corinne. Back in the hospital ward. Lilin¡¯s mother was slowly waking up. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± cried Lilin, who waited quietly by the side all this while, happy when she saw her mother opening her eyes. Though still feeling a little weak, Lilin¡¯s mother still managed to smile at her. ¡°Lilin, you must have been really scared, but don¡¯t you worry anymore, ¡¯cause I¡¯m all okay now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay now, mommy! By the way, Mommy, we have to make sure to thank thedy who donated her blood to save you!¡± Lilin¡¯s mother nodded. ¡°Ah, so I was saved by a kind samaritan/ How lucky of me!¡± At that moment, a nurse came in to check on her condition. When the nurse was doing a temperature check, Lilin¡¯s mother took the opportunity to ask, ¡°Excuse me, Miss! My daughter told me I was saved because a kinddy donated her blood to me so may I ask where she is now? I want to thank her for saving my life.¡± ¡°Oh, thedy you¡¯re asking about has left the hospital already. She¡¯s something alright. Did you know she still insisted on donating her blood even though she was pregnant? You don¡¯t get toe across someone as kind as her every day. I mean, you¡¯re really lucky to have her as a blood donor since the hospital¡¯s blood bank was running low on supplies.¡± Lilin¡¯s mother was shocked. ¡°What? She still insisted on donating her blood even though she was pregnant? Oh my! How could I ever repay her for her kindness?¡± Not long after the nurse left, the door swung open again, and in walked a man who looked to be in his early forties. ¡°Daddy!¡± Lilin ran up to him. ¡°Daddy, Mommy¡¯s got the owie!¡± Lilin¡¯s father bent down to scoop her up. He immediately sighed with relief when he saw his wife lying awake on the hospital bed. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re alive! I don¡¯t know what Lilin and I would¡¯ve done without you!¡± he said after walking over to her. Lilin¡¯s mother scoffed and said, ¡°Oh, please. I bet you were hoping I was dead so you could look for a younger and prettier woman to rece me!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t seriously still be angry at me,¡± said Lilin¡¯s father helplessly. The car crash happened because Lilin¡¯s parents had a big fight over some misunderstanding. In a fit of rage, Lilin¡¯s mother drove away with her daughter in the car to get away from her husband. Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Brian Addison refrained from starting another argument with his wife since she still did not fully recover from her injuries. He simply sat by her bed with Lilin in hisp and kept apologizing to her. The hospital dean personally came over to greet Brian when he got news of his arrival. ¡°Mister Brian, I didn¡¯t know thisdy here was your wife.¡± Brian stood up and shook hands with the hospital dean. ¡°Thank you for saving my wife¡¯s life!¡± ¡°You¡¯re most wee but we¡¯re just doing our jobs.¡± ¡°By the way, my wife told me ady insisted on donating blood to save my wife¡¯s life even though she was pregnant. Where is thatdy now?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t there when it happened but I did hear about thedy you¡¯re talking about. I¡¯m not sure who she is, but what I can tell you is she registered her name under Corinne Carew.¡± ¡°Corinne CarewQ That¡¯s more than enough for me to go on. I¡¯ll arrange for my men to look for her so that I can thank her properly.¡± The hospital dean nodded. ¡®I do hope Mister Brian manages to find her. That girl deserves all the good karmaing her way.¡¯ Even though Brian might look like a schr, he was an exceptional figure who yed for both sides of thew. The hospital dean did not doubt that Corinne would greatly benefit from being the Addisons¡¯ savior. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. A few dayster. Corinne deliberately chose a bright and sunny day to drop by the Lovces¡¯ house, since she promised Edgar that she would visit Gertrude whenever she was free. She also took the opportunity to ask the old servants there for information about her mother. ording to the old servants she asked, Emily spent the first few years happily married to Maxwell. After that, they started fighting more and more and Emily would often bring Corinne and Lucas back to the Lovces¡¯ ce to stay for a few weeks. Their quarrel started because of a woman. Her name was Phoebe Stewart and she happened to be Emily¡¯s best friend and the mother of Anya and Sunny. Corinne also learned Phoebe married Maxwell not long after Emily went missing. With this information in hand, Corinne deduced Phoebe must have engineered Emily¡¯s disappearance for herself to marry Maxwell. ¡®I guess the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Anya must have learned how to pull off those shady tricks from her mother,¡¯ thought Corinne. She turned down Edgar¡¯s offer to have his driver send her home and simply walked out of the mansion¡¯spound. There was a ck car parked outside the Lovces¡¯ mansion and before Corinne could even wonder who it belonged to, Edmund got out of the car and said matter-of-factly to her, ¡°Miss Corinne, I¡¯m here on Mister Lucas¡¯ order. I¡¯m to bring you to the hospital for your surgery.¡± Corinne raised her brow and silently stared at him for a good long while. ¡°Rest assured, Miss Corinne, that everything in the hospital is prepared to give you the best possible oue from the surgery. We¡¯ve even gotten you all the supplements you would need to have for a speedy recovery,¡± Edmund added. ¡°Mister Lucas sure is thoughtful. Well then, what are we waiting for?¡± said Corinne sarcastically. She then got into the car without hesitation. Meanwhile, Tommy was reporting to Jeremy in his office. ¡°Mister Jeremy, the hotel in Kanton City was unable to give us any information about Jade Rabbit because all of her check-in details were fake and all the surveince footage with her in it were erased.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremy took a sip of coffee and thought, ¡®Oh well, I guess that¡¯s that. Since we¡¯re both hackers, she must know how important it is to keep our identities hidden so even if she manages to catch a glimpse of my face, I trust she wouldn¡¯t be going around leaking my identity to other people. However, if she does, there¡¯s a high chance her own identity would be exposed and I¡¯ll be able to deal with her then.¡¯ ¡°With that said, we did discover something that should be of interest to you, Mister Jeremy. During our investigation, we found out Miss Corinne visited a hospital in Kanton City the same day you were there.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face immediately darkened at the mention of Corinne. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s she doing there?¡± ¡°Apparently, she went there to donate her blood.¡± ¡°Donate her blood?¡± repeated Jeremy with a frown on his face. His eyes gradually darkened as he thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t she pregnant? Why would she suddenly go to another city to donate her blood?¡¯ Chapter 656 Chapter 656 ¡°Yes, Miss Carew donated some blood to a woman who was in a car ident and was in urgent need of a blood transfusion.¡± ¡°Why was she in Kanton City that day?¡± Tommy shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t find any other traces of Miss Corrine¡¯s actions, but that day, the eldest son of the Riveras also donated blood to the woman in the car ident at the Kanton City Hospital. Moreover, the eldest son of the Riveras was still in the central women¡¯s hospital in New Capital City. The obstetric hospital made an appointment for Miss Corrine to inducebor, and the operation is scheduled for today.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes sharply, ¡°Why did Lucas make an appointment for her to inducebor?¡± Tommy said solemnly, ¡°Sir, the Sir of the Riveras has always loved his sister the most. Maybe he thinks. that the child in Miss Carew¡¯s belly has something to do with you, so-¡± Jeremy froze slightly, his pupils shrank, and he suddenly realized what was important, ¡°Go check it out right away, the hospital where I took Corrine for the pregnancy test that day, is the result of the pregnancy test tampered with by the Riveras!¡± Tommy was also stunned, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll investigate right away!¡± After answering. Tommy hurried away. Jeremy remembered the bewildered and surprised expression on Corrine¡¯s face when he saw the pregnancy test results that day. He put down the coffee in his hand and got up, picked up his coat, and walked out of the president¡¯s office quickly! The secretary at the door stood up respectfully and asked, ¡°Mr. Holden, where are you going? The meetingter-¡± ¡°Cancel it!¡± Jeremy said the word cold and hurried into the elevator with a tense expression. Central Maternity Hospital. Corrine followed Edmund to the door of the operating room that Lucas specially reserved for her. Lucas was not there, but Anya was sitting on the waiting chair at the door. In front of Edmund, Anya stood up with a look of unbearable expression and said hypocritically. ¡°Edmund, is it too cruel for my brother to do this? The child in Corinne¡¯s stomach is still life no matter what!¡± Edmundforted her and said, ¡°Miss Anya, this matter is what Mister Lucas has already agreed with Miss Carew, and it has nothing to do with you, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Anya sighed helplessly, ¡°Then let me talk to Corinne alone!¡± Edmund nodded and automatically retreated to a farther ce. Anya turned her back to Edmund, showing a triumphant smile from an angle that only Corrine could see. ¡°Corrine, look! I don¡¯t even need to take action, and the evil seed in your stomach will still not be born!¡± Corrine¡¯s expression shifted subtly, and she curled her lips slightly, ¡°So?¡± The arrogance on Anya¡¯s face could not be restrained, ¡°So I won. I beat you!¡± Corrine raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Oh? Do you think you won?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Anya said with a smile, ¡°Of course, I won! Once you¡¯vepletely lost the child in your belly, you won¡¯t have any value worth clinging to in Jeremy¡¯s eyes!¡± That day Jeremy took her to the hospital for an examination, and the pregnancy test results confirmed that Anya tampered with it. To win Jeremy¡¯s heart, Anya knew no bounds! Anya is Phoebe Stewart¡¯s daughter! Phoebe was the so-called ¡®good¡¯ best friend who once drove her mother to a dead end, causing her to leave the Riveras and take over their nest. Presumably, her mother also suffered from Phoebe¡¯s maniptions back then. Her mother was treated like a precious jewel by her grandparents, and she never experienced the wickedness of human hearts. She had a kind and pure nature, so she must have been manipted by Phoebepletely. Chapter 657 Chapter 657 As she pondered, Corrine¡¯s eyes filled with a shallow sense of hatred as she looked at Anya. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯ve won! But you didn¡¯t win against me. You¡¯re only victorious because you have a brother who is willing to stand by you, regardless of right or wrong!¡± Brother. Corrine never felt such irony in those two words before. Lucas was her biological brother, but he stood on the side of the person who drove their mother to a dead end. He even doted on and protected that person¡¯s daughter. Lucas¡¯s intelligence was wasted on his work! Hmph, traitor! Anya smugly reveled in her confidence. ¡°Do you envy me for having a good brother? It¡¯s something you¡¯ll never have! Good fortune is not something to envy, as it cannot be obtained! Now, you better go inside. and get rid of the child. Maybe I¡¯ll show some kindness and make sure my brother doesn¡¯t trouble you in the future!¡± Corrine chuckled lightly. ¡°Kindness, do you possess such a thing, Miss Rivera?¡± Anya¡¯s expression stiffened, and after giving her a fierce re, she turned around and shouted to the people behind her, ¡°Edmund, Corrine says she¡¯s ready to go into the operating room!¡± Edmund responded and approached to make arrangements. Corrine was then escorted by medical personnel into the operating room for a painless induced abortion. Anya restrained her smile as she sat outside the operating room, patiently awaiting good news. Her eyes and heart were filled with a sense of almost certain triumph. As long as Corrine no longer had that child in her belly, she would not pose any threat anymore! She did not want her future married life with Jeremy to be disrupted. If Corrine, that despicable woman, returned with her illegitimate child and imed recognition, she would bepeting for Jeremy¡¯s affection and the Ho family¡¯s wealth! She would not allow such a thing to happen! However, just as she reveled in her confidence, a tall figure suddenly appeared in the hospital corridor. Anya¡¯s face showed astonishment. ¡°J-Jeremy, why, why are you here?¡± Jeremy did not even look at her and walked past her, ignoring the objections from the medical staff. With a cold expression, he forcefully kicked open the door of the operating room! TET Corriney on the operating room bed, with the anesthesiologist ready with the dosage, and prepared for injection. Suddenly, someone burst in, startling the medical staff! ¡°Who is this? How dare you barge into the operating room!¡± *Please leave immediately and don¡¯t interfere with our surgery!¡± Several medical staff members stepped forward to drive the intruder away, but the ran waved them off coldly and walked up to the operating table, looking down at the girl who was about to undergo surgery. Corrine, lying on the operating table, was surprised to see Jeremy appear, then furrowed her brows. Mister Jeremy? It¡¯s not appropriate for you to barge into the gynecological operating room like this, right?¡± Jeremy red down at her, his expression dark. ¡°The child belongs to both of us. The decision of whether the child lives or not is not yours alone! Get up and get out!¡± Corrine blinked in astonishment. What did he just say? Seeing her standing still and not moving, Jeremy simply lifted her from the bed and turned to leave. Corrine was stunned for a moment but didn¡¯t struggle. She let the man carry her out. Anyway, she had no intention of really getting rid of her child. The medical staff in the operating room already prepared everything. Today, they were just putting on a show to make Lucas and Anya think that the child was aborted. This was to prevent the Rivera siblings from constantly worrying about her pregnancy and causing trouble whenever they had the chance! However, Jeremy¡¯s intrusion was indeed unexpected. She did not expect this man to show up here. Outside the operating room, Edmund, apanied by the Riveras¡¯ bodyguards, stood in their way. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Edmund said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, the surgery hasn¡¯t taken ce yet. You can¡¯t take Miss Corinne away from here!¡± Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Jeremy calmly looked at Edmund and said, ¡°If you have an issue, get your master to find me at the Holden Group! Now, all of you step aside!¡± Edmund hesitated. It would not be ideal to sh with the Holdens head-on. Mister Jeremy would not want the situation between the two families to worsen because of Miss Anya. Considering the gravity of the situation, Edmund raised his hand, gesturing for his subordinates to step. Jeremy, expressionless, carried Corinne and walked through the group of people led by Edmund. Anya, however, pitifully approached them, wearing a worried expression. She asked, ¡°Jeremy, is Corinne alright?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow and looked at Anya, sincerely admiring her acting skills and adaptability. Just a moment ago, she had a fierce expression as if she could force a miscarriage, and now she pretended to care about her? When men encounter such delicate and pitiful women, they can¡¯t help but believe that they are the most unfortunate angels in the world, right? Corinne moved slightly, preparing to jump out of the man¡¯s embrace so as not to hinder their communication. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. However, to her surprise, Jeremy tightened his hold on her and did not let her move. The man¡¯s ink-ck eyes coldly stared at Anya, as he spoke without any intonation, ¡°Miss Anya, you saved my life and I¡¯m grateful, but I hope you understand that it doesn¡¯t mean you can do as you please! Don¡¯t take my tolerance toward you as capital to interfere in my marital issues!¡± Corinne was stunned. Did Jeremy speak to the mother of his child like this? Anya panicked, her eyes turning red in despair. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯ve misunderstood me! It¡¯s not what you think. It was my brother who forced Corinne toe here, and I came to stop him. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Edmund.¡± Jeremy ignored her and bypassed her, carrying Corinne, and left withrge strides. Corinne, being forcefully held by the man, turned her head and nced at the weeping Anya behind her, hint of disdain shing in her eyes. Anya is even more despicable than she imagined. When she encountered a problem, she immediately betrayed her beloved brother and portrayed herself as the innocent one. She¡¯s truly selfish and self- serving to the extreme! Unfortunately, most people still can¡¯t see through her wickedness and are easily deceived by her act of innocence and kindness! Just like Edmund, who went over to console her. After leaving the hospital, Corinne became restless and wanted to get out of the man¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mister Jeremy, please let me down! I haven¡¯t had the surgery yet, I can walk on my own!¡± Jeremy ignored her plea and held her tightly, continuing to move forward. Tommy drove the car in front of Jeremy and hurriedly got out of the car to open the door for him. The man carried the girl and went straight in. The ck Maybach slowly drove out of the hospital courtyard, and Tommy conscientiously raised the privacy partition between the front and back seats, ensuring privacy for Mister Jeremy and Miss Corinne to have a proper conversation and sort things out. Inside the car, Corinne finally managed to break free from the man¡¯s embrace and sat down beside him, tidying up her wrinkled clothes. ¡°Mister Jeremy, where are you taking me this time?¡± The man sat beside her, resting his elbow on the window sill, supporting his forehead with one hand, emanating azy yet dangerous aura. ¡°Nowhere special, let¡¯s have a good chat in the car,¡± he said in a tone that was neither warm nor cold, making it hard to gauge his emotions. Corinne did not look at him and absentmindedly hugged her arms, gazing out of the window at the flowing street scenery. ¡°Mister Jeremy, whatever you want to talk about, go ahead!¡± ¡°Why did you agree to Lucas¡¯s request to abort the child in your womb?¡± the man asked her. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 He asked this question, indicating that he already investigated the ins and outs of the matter. Corinne pursed her lips and truthfully replied, ¡°On that day at the hospital, Lucas happened to have the same blood type as a victim of a car ident. I saw that the victim¡¯s daughter was young and pitiful, so I wanted Lucas to help by donating blood. But he negotiated with me and demanded that I terminate the pregnancy. In my desperation, I agreed.¡± Jeremy coldly snorted, ¡°May I ask, Miss Corinne, did you obtain my permission before deciding to terminate my child?¡± Corinne furrowed her brow and her gaze trembled with guilt. ¡°What child of yours! Please, Mister Jeremy, do not jump to conclusions. The child in my belly has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°Turn around and look at me when you speak!¡± The man¡¯s tone became more severe. Corinne took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and turned her face to stare at him with wide eyes. She repeated, ¡°The child in my belly has nothing to do with you!¡± Seeing her like this, Jeremy¡¯s brows furrowed displeasingly as he coldly red at her. ¡°Fine, even if it¡¯s not mine, Miss Corinne, you and your husband have such a good rtionship, how could you bear to terminate the child?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes drifted a bit, and she fabricated a lie, Because, because we nned on being childless, terminating the pregnancy was already part of the n!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, her chin was gripped by the man¡¯s rough,rge hand, lifting it. ¡°Keep making up stories! Go on!¡± Corinne blinked her eyes and looked away, toward the window. ¡°I-I¡¯m not making it up!¡± She could only maintain a defiant stance with her words, but she felt childish and foolish. Why couldn¡¯t she be moreposed in front of Jeremy? Every time, she ended up looking like a passive fool! It was so frustrating! Jeremy stared at her for a moment before releasing her pointed chin, coldly tossing a sealed envelope. made of rough paper in front of her. ¡°Take a look?¡± Corinne was a little confused. What was this about? She picked up the cowhide envelope and pulled out a stack of photos. In each photo, there were scenes of that brat Aaron going in and out of hotels with the girls he recently dated, being intimate and openlyughing. Corinne suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her temples. That brat, Aaron, told him to restrain himself recently, yet he was still ying around like this! She put the photos back into the envelope and awkwardly tugged at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Apologies for the embarrassment, Mister Jeremy. When I go back, I will talk to that damned fellow in our family and tell him to restrain himself in the future, not to be so brazen!¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The man narrowed his eyes and stared at her, sneering. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re quite magnanimous! Your husband is carousing outside, yet as a newlywed wife, you don¡¯t seem the least bit angry?¡± Corinne forced a dryugh. It¡¯s better to take it lightly. How many men in this world don¡¯t fool around? If he¡¯s had his fun and knows toe back home, that¡¯s already good enough!¡± The above was purely made up to deceive Jeremy! That¡¯s not what she thought! Unmarried men and women can y around however they want, but once you¡¯re married, you have responsibilities. You have to control your desires and have zero tolerance for infidelity! p! p! Within the enclosed space of the car, two crisp apuse suddenly sounded. Jeremy gave her a round of apuse. ¡°Miss Corinne, you¡¯re truly ¡®virtuous¡¯! But why weren¡¯t you so magnanimous with me before? Just because of a little misunderstanding, you abandoned me directly and left without a word!¡± Corinne was confused and speechless. Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Looking at her dumbfounded expression, Jeremy squinted his eyes and coldly snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t you still know what you misunderstood?¡± Corinne regained her senses and looked at him. ¡°Tell me, what did I misunderstand about you?¡± The man did not speak but took out a file from the storage bag on the back of the front seat and handed it to her. What is this again? Corinne raised an eyebrow in confusion and reached out to take the file. Inside, she found a document filled with characters resembling tadpoles, a foreignnguage she happened to understand. The title read¡¯ Adoption Agreement¡¯, and the small print below revolved around adoption-rted content. In the upper left corner of the document was a 2-inch passport photo, and the boy in the photo was the same child Anya carried around before. It was an adoption? Corinne furrowed her brow, raised her head, and looked at Jeremy with doubt. ¡°If it¡¯s just an adopted child, why did I hear that child call you ¡®Daddy¡¯ so naturally?¡± The man supported his forehead with one hand. ¡°That child was adopted from abroad. He¡¯s young and doesn¡¯t speak much, and he doesn¡¯t understand English. So when he first came, he could only say ¡°Daddy¡¯ and ¡®Mommy¡¯ to everyone.¡± Corinne thought for a moment. ¡°Is that so? So Jeremy and Anya don¡¯t have a child, and there¡¯s nothing else?¡± The man nced at her sideways. ¡°Even if you saw a situation that confused you, didn¡¯t you think about asking me what¡¯s going on? You didn¡¯t give anyone a chance to exin and just left casually! Miss Corinne, do you think this is the right way to handle things?¡± Corinne became a little annoyed and red at him. ¡°Who said I didn¡¯t ask? At that time, I wanted to ask. you! I even called you, but you lied to me and said you were still abroad! If you weren¡¯t feeling guilty, why did you lie back then?¡± Jeremy hesitated slightly, and a fleeting hint of vulnerability crossed his handsome andposed face. The man felt guilty, so he straightened his posture and cleared his throat. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, it was my fault. I intended to exin the whole situation to you face to face because I was afraid I couldn¡¯t rify things over the phone, and I didn¡¯t want you to get angry.¡± Corinne sneered, ¡°Lies are still lies, and now you¡¯re emphasizing reasons as if you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll get mad? The way you put it, it sounds like everything is my fault, and you¡¯re acting all wrong!¡± Although Jeremy exuded a strong presence, he could not argue with her. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. I am. It¡¯s my fault!¡± The man gently lifted her under his arms and pulled her close, cing her on hisp. Corinne wrinkled her nose in disdain. ¡°What are you doing? Mister, let me warn you! We have no rtionship now, and you better show me some respect!¡± Instead, the man tightened his grip around her waist. ¡°You stubborn girl, can¡¯t I be a little aggrieved? You heartless little thing, you just left without saying anything, abandoning me alone. You don¡¯t want this old man anymore!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t run away. After our coboration ended, I left reasonably!¡± Corinne struggled against the man like an uncooperative child, using all her strength to break free from his grasp. However, her efforts were futile against the physically dominant man. The man¡¯srge hand cupped the back of her head, gently but firmly pressing it against his shoulder, making her behave. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. At the same time, his deep and maic voice coaxed her. ¡°Be good and listen to me first. I know I was wrong; it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have gone to adopt a child with Anya without informing you in advance. It caused a misunderstanding, and I was in the wrong Upon hearing his sincere apology and exnation, Corinne paused, ceasing her strong resistance and bing quiet. Chapter 661 Chapter 661 The man continued, ¡°I know it¡¯s very wrong for a married man to apany another woman to adopt a child, so I didn¡¯t know how to tell you. But I couldn¡¯t refuse Anya¡¯s request either because she saved my life years ago by sacrificing herself and was poisoned, resulting in irreversible damage to her body. She can never conceive again. So I¡¯ve always felt deeply indebted to her and tolerated some of her inappropriate behaviors.¡± Corinne rxed and lowered her gaze, listening to him speak. ¡°You asked me before what Anya lost because of me. I didn¡¯t say it because I promised the Riveras that I wouldn¡¯t disclose the fact that their Miss Anya can¡¯t conceive and couldn¡¯t tell anyone. But I was wrong. You¡¯re not just anyone; I should have been honest with you and told you all this earlier.¡± A strange sense of bitterness filled Corinne¡¯s heart. She was even a little unustomed to seeing this cold and dominant man speaking so humbly in front of her. Jeremy held her tighter as if he was still worried and afraid that she might be angry and run away again. ¡°Anya always said that she loves children and wants to have her own. But she can¡¯t conceive anymore. Later, she asked for my help. She wanted me to apany her to an adoption agency abroad to adopt a child. The reason is that they don¡¯t require marriage there, and couples in a rtionship are allowed to adopt. She said that as long as I help her with this favor, it would settle the debt of saving my life back then, and she won¡¯t disturb our lives anymore.¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Before you appeared, Anya used to cling to me, and I could tolerate it to some extent. But after you came into my life, it would be unfair to you if I continued to have excessive contact with other women. So, I¡¯ve always hoped to make up for my debt to Anya as soon as possible, and that¡¯s why I agreed.¡± Corinne frowned upon hearing this and raised her head to nce at him. ¡°Butter on, weren¡¯t you frequently with Anya and that child?¡± Jeremy sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve never raised a child before, so I didn¡¯t anticipate there would be so many problems involved in raising one. I oversimplified things.¡± ¡°After returning to the country, Anya said she couldn¡¯t tell her family about the adoption for the time being. She was afraid they wouldn¡¯t understand and would send the child away. She asked me to temporarily arrange a ce for her and the child to live. ¡°There were also many issues with raising the child. Whenever she encountered something she didn¡¯t understand, she would call me in a panic, asking me what to do. I arranged childcare experts for them gradually.¡± ¡°However, she still asionally called me, asking for help with different excuses. After all, I was the one who helped her adopt the child, so I had a responsibility. If there was something I could do to help, I would try to go there.¡± ¡°But it was just to lend a hand. Usually, after helping them solve the problem, I would leave. Other than that, there was nothing more.¡± Hmph! Corinne sneered inwardly. This was Indeed a tactic that Anya would use. After the man finished exining, he asked her, ¡°Do you have any more doubts? I can exin everything clearly.* Corinne shook her head. ¡°No.¡± The man sat up straight. ¡°You have no more questions, but I do. Now it¡¯s my turn to ask you!¡± Corinne blinked. ¡°What other questions do you have?¡± The man narrowed his sharp eyes and stared at her trembling eyshes. ¡°What is your rtionship with Aaron Rhode from Newmoon Group?¡± Corinne looked embarrassed and opened her mouth. ¡°We- we¡¯re husband and wife.!¡± The man furrowed his brow. ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Corinne pouted, ¡°Fine, we¡¯re just friends.¡± Upon hearing her speak the truth, the thorn in the man¡¯s chest was finally pulled out. ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡± the man asked, displeased. Corinne¡¯s mood becameplicated. She turned her face away and intentionally avoided looking at him. ¡°At that time, I thought you and Anya were a couple, and you had a child. So I just hoped you wouldn¡¯t bother me anymore. I don¡¯t want to be a third party for you.¡± The man coldly snorted, ¡°In your eyes, am I the kind of man who would find a mistress outside?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t judge a person by their appearance! I¡¯ve only known you for three months. How can I determine what kind of person you are?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the man made a move. Corinne instinctively recoiled her neck, afraid of being hit. However, her hand was only firmly grasped by the man¡¯s rough andrge hand! Jeremy pulled her hand into his suit jacket and gently rubbed her palm, cing it on his chest. Her palm immediately felt the warmth of his chest and the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat. Her heart trembled! What was he doing? The man¡¯s deep voice sounded, ¡°Do you want to take it out and see?¡± Corinne was stunned and met his affectionate gaze in astonishment. They locked eyes for a while, and she asked, ¡°Mister Jeremy, do you like me?¡± Suddenly, the man leaned in, his tall nose tip touching hers, gently caressing it. Corinne could feel the man¡¯s heartbeat racing in the palm of her hand. Each beat struck her palm one after another. Suddenly, the man leaned close to her ear and whispered, ¡°Do you still need me to answer your question?¡± Corinne remained silent. Jeremy, with a hint of stubble on his cheek, gently brushed against her fair and tender cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t know when it started, but whenever I¡¯m near you, this ce beats so fast it feels out of control. Tell me, do I like you?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyshes trembled. She could not admit that she felt the same way. Whenever she was near this man, her heart would beat uncontrobly faster, and she could not maintain her usual composure. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. -The man sighed. ¡°If I had any control over it, I wouldn¡¯t let a heartless little thing like you affect me so much that life feels meaningless. Little girl, don¡¯t run away. You can¡¯t escape.¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses, blinked, and smiled. ¡°Mister, I didn¡¯t expect you to be quite skilled!¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hmm? Skilled at what?¡± Corinne shrugged and raised her hands. ¡°Skilled at coaxing people! Regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, your whole performance just now worked on me!¡± Jeremy frowned, displeased. ¡°Corinne, listen carefully. Every word I said and every action I made just now came from the bottom of my heart! I have no experience and don¡¯t understand emotions. I say whateveres to mind. Don¡¯t overthink it!¡± His gaze was stern and sincere, instantly shattering Corinne¡¯s intention to sever any ties with him. She knew very well that this man¡¯s status and position would bring her unnecessary troubles, yet she could not push him away anymore. Perhaps this was what they called. Wise people don¡¯t fall in love, but it¡¯s difficult when she meets someone like him. Now that she knew he had no connection or child with Anya, Corinne had to admit that she still foolishly held feelings for this man! She sighed, realizing that her hand was still pressed against his chest. On a whim, she asked, ¡°Mister, when you said you had no experience, does that mean I¡¯m the first woman in your life?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the man answered candidly, the words slipping out. Chapter 663 Chapter 663 He sensed his heartbeat in the palm of his hand, steady and without any signs of nervousness or deception. Corinne, however, revealed a somewhat intriguing expression and said, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re already in your thirties and have never been in a rtionship before?¡± Jeremy kept a calm face and coldly replied, ¡°Busy, no time.¡± Corinne furrowed her brows and said, ¡°A man like you, remaining single for 30 years, such a handsome face went to waste! I bet you were quite a heartthrob when you were young. What a pity! What a waste of your prime years without anyone to enjoy them!¡± The man¡¯s eyes darkened, and he asked, ¡°Am I that old now?¡± Corinne looked at him, dressed in a tailored suit with mature and masculine features, and in her heart, she thought he looked handsome. But she intentionally nodded without giving him face and said, ¡°Well, just, okay, I guess.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression turned serious, and he tightened his grip around her waist as a punishment. He leaned in closer to her face and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I may be older now andcking in rtionship experience. But as I¡¯ve gotten older, I can exercise and take care of myself for your sake. Experience can also be umted slowly with you. We can ¡®adapt to each other and ¡®discover¡¯ together, hmm? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Upon hearing the emphasized words ¡®exercise¡¯, ¡®adapt, and ¡®discover from the man, Corinne suddenly. blushed and said, ¡°Cough, what are you saying! I don¡¯t understand!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, looking at her blushing face, a hint of teasing shed in his eyes. The girl just teased him, and now she was blushing? The man chuckled indulgently and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t understand. Tonight, I will personally show you and exin everything clearly. I promise you¡¯ll understand it perfectly.¡± Blushing, Corinne punched him and eximed, ¡°You have no shame!¡± With a hint of warmth in his eyes, Jeremy sneered, ¡°Seems like you understood after all. Not so naive!¡± Corinne remained silent. Ugh, men! As they continued talking, he started driving without any consideration for manners. When it came to driving, as a girl, she definitely could not argue with him, an older man! Corinne naturally changed the topic and turned to look at the surroundings outside the car window. ¡°Uh, so where are we going now?¡± Jeremy replied calmly, ¡°To the ce where you currently live.¡± Frowning, Corinne became alert once again. ¡°Mister! Why are you going to my ce?¡± Jeremy remainedposed, his demeanor natural. ¡°To apany you in packing your belongings and then take you home.¡± Corinne showed resistance on her face. ¡°Did I agree to that? Besides, that ce is already my home, and I have no intention of moving!¡± Hearing her say that it was her home, a shadow crossed the man¡¯s brow. He did not get angry and spoke in a calm tone, but it carried an unquestionable dominance. ¡°Whether you agree or not, I won¡¯t allow you to live under the same roof as any other man.¡± Corinne did not think about what would happen between her and Jeremy in the future, let alone moving back to the Holdens. ¡°Mister, I already told you. Aaron and I are just friends! You also investigated him, so you should know that he only likes those sexy models in the pictures. I¡¯m not his type!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Mister, I haven¡¯t agreed to anything with you yet! You can¡¯t interfere with my life!¡± Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked at her, coldly sneering, ¡°Miss Corinne, you are carrying my child in your belly, yet you keep insisting that we have no rtionship? Tell me, which normal man can ept his child¡¯s mother living with another man?¡± Corinne remained silent, unable to respond. She knew she could not let this man know she was pregnant. 1 Once he found out, whether the child stayed or not, this man would never let her go. Soon, Tommy drove the car to the residential area where Corinne lived Baelon Garden. ¨C Corinne was released from the man¡¯s arm and got out of the car, walking sullenly toward the entrance. The tall and stern man followed behind her, walking in sync with her, going upstairs together. At this point, she understood clearly that it was impossible to shake off the man behind her. She gave up struggling and let the man follow her. Entering the house, Corinne reluctantly said, ¡°Sir, please make yourself at home. I¡¯ll go pour you a ss of water,¡± As she spoke, she attempted to walk toward the kitchen, but she could not take a step forward. The man raised his hand and grabbed the back of her cor, like holding a powerless little rabbit, and said coldly, ¡°No need for the trouble. I don¡¯t drink water. Now all you need to do is pack your belongings, the sooner, the better!¡± Corinne frowned, showing an unwilling and dissatisfied expression. The man naturally sensed her defiance, and a hint of threat appeared in his eyes. ¡°Do you want to pack. your things yourself, or should I do it for you?¡± Corinne stiffened her neck, pursed her lips, and still refused to speak. To move her away, the man remained resolute. Regardless of whether she was willing or not, he no longer wasted words and released his grip on her cor. With a stern face, he took determined steps toward her room. He knew which room was hers. He remembered that thest time he came, she went straight into the master bedroom to change. clothes. However, seeing Jeremy going to pack her luggage, Corinne furrowed her brows helplessly and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. ¡°No! Mister, you don¡¯t need to bother! I¡¯ll pack it myself. Just wait for me in the living room!¡± She did not doubt for a moment that this man would personally pack her luggage for her. However, her bras and underwear were all in the wardrobe. If she let this man help her pack, he would see those private items, which would be incredibly embarrassing. ¡°Mm.¡± Jeremy nodded in satisfaction and did not move forward. He put his hands in his pockets and turned to walk toward the living room, temporarily waiting there for her. Well, it seemed that she had to move today! Corinne rubbed her throbbing temples and let out a long sigh, resignedly walking into her room. Being entangled by such a domineering man, she had no other choice but to obediently pack her luggage and follow him, then think things throughter. Living room. Jeremy sat expressionless on the sofa, supporting his forehead with one hand, lost in thought. He waited quietly for the little girl who was packing her luggage toe out. Recalling thest time he set foot in this ce, he thought that the girl got married to someone else. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. His heart twisted like a knife, and he was so angry that his lungs felt like they were about to explode. At this moment, although his mood was still far from good, it was at least slightly better than the previous time. He confirmed that the little girl was still single and did not marry someone else. Jeremy calmly surveyed this house which displeased him with his dark eyes. All things considered, the decoration was quite good. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 However, because this is the ce where Corinne lives with other men, he finds everything here extremely unpleasant. There is a small bookshelf next to the sofa with some books on it. The man, bored, casually picked up a magazine and flipped through it. Meow~ Suddenly, a cat¡¯s meow sounded near him. The man looked up and saw a white, chubby cat looking at him very warily. The cat¡¯s chubby body movements were also full of caution.. Jeremy furrowed his brow and looked thoughtfully at the unfriendly cat. He never owned a pet and did not like anything with fur. However, thinking that this cat was raised by that little girl, the man developed a bit of a soft spot. After pondering for a while, the man closed the magazine in his hand, sat up straight, and extended a large hand, beckoning to the chubby white cat with a cold tone, ¡°Come here.¡± Meow!!! The cat did not approach and even bared its teeth at the man. Seeing this, the man became somewhat displeased. If the cat merely disliked him, it would be fine, but he clearly remembered that the cat was very affectionate toward a person named Aaron Rhode that day. His woman¡¯s cat liked getting close to other men. Who could be happy about that? Just then, there was suddenly some movement outside the door, the sound of someone entering the password on the lock. The door opened, and Aaron walked inzily, stretching his waist. When he saw the unfamiliar man sitting in the living room, Aaron¡¯s rxed posture froze for a moment. After a few seconds, he regained hisposure, quickly straightened his arm, tidied himself up, and put on a natural smile, pretending. ¡°Oh! What a rare guest! Mister Jeremy, howe you have the time to visit our house today? Where¡¯s my wife? Howe she didn¡¯t know to pour a ss of water for our esteemed guest? That¡¯s a bit rude!¡± Upon hearing the word ¡®wife¡¯ from Aaron¡¯s mouth, Jeremy¡¯s sharp eyebrows noticeably furrowed. He lazily and dangerously leaned against the back of the sofa, casually crossing his long legs, and coldly stared at Aaron, asking him, ¡°Who is your wife?¡± Being unfriendly questioned in return, Aaron faintly felt a sense of unease. Was Mister Jeremy here to pick a fight today? Aaron subconsciously nced in the direction of the master bedroom. The door was open, and he saw his wife inside, though he was not sure what she was busy with.. After some thought, Aaron smiled unchanged, ready to adapt to any situation. ¡°Mister Jeremy, haven¡¯t you already met my wife before? She¡¯s Corinne Carew!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes into a line exuding a murderous aura. ¡°Is that so? Are you sure she¡¯s your wife?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Aaron felt the pressure from the other party. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure! Mister Jeremy, your memory isn¡¯t that great, huh? When you visited our homest time, my wife and I formally introduced her to you. Ha, husband and wife!¡± Jeremy sneered, his gaze mocking. Aaron unwillingly walked over and sat down on his sofa. ¡°Mister Jeremy, we¡¯re both men, and we should be able to understand each other. There are some things I¡¯ll just say straight to you. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t wee you, but Corinne is too adorable, and you, as a grown man, always visit when I, the male. homeowner, am not at home, it¡¯s easy to cause misunderstandings between me and my wife. So, I¡¯ll trouble you not toe if there¡¯s nothing important next time.¡± Jeremy replied, ¡°I indeed won¡¯te again.¡± Chapter 666 Chapter 666 ¡°Thank you very much, Mister Jeremy, for your willingness to cooperate!¡± Aaron could sense that Jeremy¡¯s words were not as simple as they seemed, but since he did not know the specific situation, he could only respond ordingly. Both men fell silent, but the atmosphere between them was extremely tense as if the calm before a storm. Fortunately, Corinne timely broke the ufortable ¡®tranquility¡¯ in the living room bying out of the bedroom with her luggage. ¡°Mister, I¡¯ve packed my bags!¡± Jeremy remained expressionless, simply nodding slightly in response as he walked toward her from the sofa. Aaron also stood up, his face filled with ¡®tenderness¡¯ as he asked, ¡°Darling, why are you holding at suitcase? Where are you going without telling your husband?¡± Corinne nced at Aaron, who was still acting affectionate and helplessly tugged at the corner of her mouth. ¡°Enough! Don¡¯t call me ¡®darling¡¯ anymore, the cover is blown!¡± Aaron was speechless. Damn, the cover is blown?! Corinne no longer paid attention to Aaron and looked up calmly at Jeremy. ¡°Mister, we can go now!¡± To keep the peace, she had to quickly pull Jeremy away to prevent this man from bing overbearing and causing trouble for Aaron. Jeremy lowered his gaze and looked at the small suitcase she was holding, raising an eyebrow and reminding her in a deep voice, ¡°What about the cat?¡± The cat? Corinne was momentarily stunned but quickly understood his meaning. She lowered her head and looked at Mimi obediently squatting at Aaron¡¯s feet. ¡°Um, we¡¯re not taking the cat. It¡¯s getting old and doesn¡¯t like moving to new environments. I¡¯lle back often to see it.¡± She would have toe back here often in the future? Jeremy¡¯s brow furrowed, but he did not say anything. He simply took the suitcase from the girl¡¯s hand and then wrapped his long arm around her, gently gripping her shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Aaron watched the possessive gesture of the man named Huo toward Corinne and felt a strong sense of oppression. Mister Jeremy¡¯s deration of sovereignty could not be more obvious! Until Jeremy held Corinne and left, Aaron still did not understand the situation. Did he just leave like that? Didn¡¯t the boss say not to have any connection with that scumbag from the Holdens anymore? Bang! The door of another room suddenly opened, and Xantezily poked her head out, looking like she just woke up. Aaron snapped back to reality and furrowed his brows. ¡°Xante, I didn¡¯t know you were home!¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep enough. Didn¡¯t go to thepany today.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Aaronined, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe out earlier? The boss was taken away by Jeremy!¡± Xante said, ¡°I heard.¡± Aaron asked, ¡°Xante, do you think the boss went with Jeremy willingly?¡± Xante brushed her medium-length curly hair and leaned against the door frame of the room, casually adjusting her gold-rimmed sses. There was a hint of deep meaning in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t try to guess the boss¡¯s thoughts. We won¡¯t understand even if we do.¡± Aaron pondered for a moment and thought it made sense. ¡°By the way, how did Jeremy find out that our marriage with the boss was fake? Didn¡¯t we act so lovingly before?¡± Xante looked at him disdainfully and rolled her eyes. ¡°With your promiscuous behavior outside, do you think you can escape Jeremy¡¯s scrutiny?¡± Aaron realized that he blew their cover and felt quite embarrassed. He shrugged. ¡°Well, sorry about that! But I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯m not one to abstain from pleasure. I need to seek happiness in every moment of my life!¡± Xante gave him a disdainful look. ¡°Take care of yourself!¡± Holden¡¯s estate. On the way, Corinne sat obediently in the car, being very well-behaved. She already knew that struggling was pointless. At most, it would give that man next door an excuse to physically confine her. Chapter 667 Chapter 667 ¡°Never mind, why bother!¡± She got off the car in the courtyard of the Holden¡¯s estate. Tommy went to the backpartment to fetch her luggage, while Corinne stood by the car, gazing at this long-lost ce without making a move for a long time. Jeremy, with his hands in his pockets, looked down at her from a higher position, squinting his eyes. ¡± What are you standing there for? Don¡¯t you want to go in?¡± That¡¯s right, she did not feel like going in! Corinne nced at the man and then strode toward the main gate of the Holdens on her own. Knowing the man¡¯s temperament, if she didn¡¯t move, he would just lift her up and forcefully carry her in again! Jeremy watched Corinne¡¯s slender figure, obediently cooperating but not looking so happy, and his brows furrowed in contemtion. Then, he followed her and went inside. Seeing their master walk away, the few servants who were sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard. threw away their brooms and gathered together, buzzing with excitement. ¡°Did you see? Miss Corinne is back!¡± ¡°It is Miss Corinne who¡¯s back!¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy has finally found Miss Corinne!¡± Once upon a time, they did not show much respect for Miss Corinne without a background. They thought she was just a woman brought back temporarily by Mister Jeremy to report to Grandpa. Later, they gradually realized that Mister Jeremy treated that Miss Corinne differently, and they were slowly won over by Miss Corinne¡¯s unique charm and began to genuinely respect her from the bottom of Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. their hearts. They missed Miss Corinne when she left home, and now they were genuinely happy to see her return. safely. In the dining room. Francine Holden was enjoying the afternoon tea prepared by the servants. She recently had exams at school, and it was only after her grandfather and grandmother agreed that she coulde back to the country. She only returned a few days ago. Eating her dessert and hearing the servant say that her brother returned, Francine was quite happy. Her brother did note home in the past few days, and she did not see him for a long time! As she walked out of the restaurant, her expression turned sour again! It was because she saw that her brother was not the only one who came back. Walking in front of her brother was that annoying Corinne! Didn¡¯t they say that Corinne already left? How did shee back again? Francine doubted her own eyes, rubbed them hard, confirmed that she wasn¡¯t mistaken, and then asked unhappily, ¡°Brother, why did you bring this unruly woman home again?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened, and his ink-like eyes narrowed sharply, ¡°What did you call her?¡± Francine¡¯s spine chilled, ¡°Um!¡± In her heart, her sister-inw was always Anya Rivera, the sister of the Riveras! Anya was the kindest to her. Whenever there were beautiful clothes or bags, she would always buy an extra one for her. Unlike Corinne, a country bumpkin who could not even stand on the same level. She previously caused her to be locked up andter taken abroad by her grandmother for discipline! She did not want to call Corinne her sister-inw! Reluctantly, Francine squeezed out from between her teeth, ¡°Hello, my sister, Corinne.¡± Corinne nodded lightly and bypassed her, heading straight upstairs. She naturally knew that Francine¡¯s use of the term ¡®sister¡¯ was insincere, so she politely gave a response but did not feel the need to be falsely polite with her. Jeremy nced at Francine and then followed Corinne upstairs. Francine felt that something was not right, she couldn¡¯t even enjoy her afternoon tea anymore. She immediately ran back to her room and dialed the number of her beloved sister-inw, Anya, to report! ¡°Anya!¡± On the other end of the phone, Anya¡¯s voice was very gentle, ¡°Francine, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Anya, it¡¯s not good! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with my brother. He brought that annoying Corinne back to the Holdens again!¡± ¡°What? Jeremy? He brought Corinne back to the Holdens?¡± Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Francine said indignantly, ¡°Exactly! I saw Tommy carrying a suitcase when he came in. That must be Corinne¡¯s luggage! Hmph! Corinne is shameless. She left voluntarily, and now she¡¯s running back to seduce my brother, trying to ruin the rtionship between you and my brother! I think her intentional disappearance before was just a ploy to make my brother want her more!¡± On the other end of the phone, Anya¡¯s expression was as grim as it could be. She tightly gripped her phone and gritted her teeth. She thought that today she would sessfully get rid of the time bomb in Corinne¡¯s belly and have no worries in the future. But she never expected that Ayin would suddenly appear and carry Corinne out of the abortion operation room! What¡¯s even more infuriating is that this incident seems to have brought them back together? It¡¯s truly maddening! Anya was seething with anger. With this turn of events, everything she carefully nned before was all for nothing! After waiting for a long time without a response, Francine grew curious. ¡°Anya, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? My brother brought Corinne back. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± How could she not be worried? She was nearly going mad! Anya regained herposure, forcing a calm and magnanimous tone despite her unpleasant expression. ¡°Francine, Grandpa Huo, and Grandma Huol are going back to the country soon, right? Jeremy must have brought Corinne back to appease them. After all, I haven¡¯t been epted by grandfather and grandmother yet, so I can understand Jeremy¡¯s actions.¡± Francine was always simple-minded and could not detect Anya¡¯s facade of good character. She had a hint of impatience as if she was anxious. ¡°Anya, you¡¯re too easygoing! If any woman dared to approach my boyfriend like that, I would have lost patience and found a way to teach her a lesson. Let¡¯s see if she dares to do it again!¡± In a ce where no one could see, Anya¡¯s eyes revealed her rarely-seen malicious and vicious side. Yes! She needed to teach her a lesson! Corinne refused to take the hint, so she had to be forced into submission! ¡°Francine, I¡¯m making you worry about me and your older brother again! Although I trust Ayin¡¯s character, I still hope you can keep an eye on him for me, just to prevent him from.¡± Anya deliberately paused, leaving Francine to imagine the rest. Francine thought his ideal sister-inw finally understood, and she solemnly promised, ¡°Anya, don¡¯t worry! I will keep a close watch on my brother and make sure that Corinne doesn¡¯t take advantage of him! If anything happens, I¡¯ll report to you immediately!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m counting on you, Francine!¡± ¡°No trouble at all! Besides, Anya, I¡¯ll go check on my brother and Corinne right now, and keep an eye on them!¡± Francine hung up the phone in a rush. Anya dropped her gentle fake smile and gnashed her teeth with anger, wishing to tear Corinne, who was currently with Ayin, into pieces! At that moment, someone knocked on her door. Anya regained herposure and adjusted her sweet voice as she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Anya.¡± Rosie Sutton¡¯s voice came from outside the door. Anya said, ¡°Oh, Rosie! Come in!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Rosie opened the door and walked in, noticing that her best friend Anya seemed a little off. She asked. with concern, ¡°Anya, what are you doing? Why do you look so upset? Are you not feeling well?¡± Anya shook her head and forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit tired! Rosie, why are you here? Do you need something from me?¡± Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Rosie¡¯s eyes shimmered slightly, ¡°It-it¡¯s nothing! I just came to see if your previously sprained foot is feeling better?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s much better now. I can walk normally, but I still can¡¯t engage in intense physical activity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As Anya looked at Rosie, a hint of imperceptible disdain hid in her gaze. She easily saw through Rosie¡¯s intentions. Rosie always admired her brother, Lucas, and she would often find excuses toe to their house and y with her, but it was all to get closer to her brother! Staring at this ¡®good friend¡¯ who was infatuated with her brother, Anya suddenly came up with a n! She quickly organized a lie and then pretended to sigh with sorrow, ¡°Rosie, it¡¯s good that you came now. There¡¯s something, as a friend, I think I must tell you.¡± Rosie blinked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± With a mncholic expression, Anya said, ¡°This morning, I went to the Central Maternity Hospital.¡± Rosie looked worried. ¡°Anya, what happened? Is there something wrong with your health? You were perfectly fine, why did you suddenly go to the obstetrics and gynecology hospital?¡± Anya shook her head and affectionately held Rosie¡¯s hand. ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s not me who went to the hospital; it¡¯s my brother who asked me to go there to apany a girl who¡¯s getting an abortion.¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°An abortion? Lucas, why would he make a girl get an abortion? Who is that girl?¡± Anya pretended to sigh deeply. ¡°It¡¯s Corinne. She¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°What? Corinne! But what does Corinne¡¯s pregnancy have to do with Lucas?¡± ¡°Rosie, don¡¯t you understand yet? If the child in Corinne¡¯s belly has nothing to do with my brother, why would he interfere and make Corinne get an abortion? You still don¡¯t know my brother. He never gets involved in matters that are unrted to him.¡± Upon hearing her best friend¡¯s words, Rosie exploded, ¡°How could this be! That despicable Corinne got pregnant with Lucas¡¯s child?! How could Lucas touch her! No! I don¡¯t believe it! Lucas would never touch. that wicked woman!¡± Anya looked pained and helpless, ¡°Rosie, please calm down and let me exin. Recently, Corinne inexplicably started working at my brother¡¯spany, and then she went to my grandparents¡¯ house to show off and get close to them. Her intentions toward my brother are quite clear, and you should have noticed it long ago.¡± ¡°As far as I know, about a month ago, she found an opportunity to secretly give something to my brother and seduced him that night. My brother was half asleep and only then did he-¡± ¡°But who would have thought that after that one night, she became pregnant with my brother¡¯s child!¡± ¡°Sigh! Fortunately, my brother has no intention of keeping the child in Corinne¡¯s belly, so she couldn¡¯t manipte him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why my brother asked me to go to the hospital today to supervise Corinne and ensure that she gets rid of that child that shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Hearing that the man she admired and loved since childhood was vited by Corinne through such despicable means, Rosie was trembling with anger and grinding her teeth. ¡°That wicked Corinne is shameless! If she can¡¯t have Jeremy, she turns her attention to Lucas! She is going to extremes just to marry into a wealthy family and rise like a phoenix on a branch! I feel disgusted on behalf of Lucas for that one night!¡± ¡°Fortunately, Lucas would never look at a woman of such low caliber. Letting her get an abortion serves her right, it¡¯s her own doing!¡± However, Anya furrowed her brows in worry and said, ¡°But today, Corinne didn¡¯t go through with the induced abortion because she changed her mind halfway and ran away.¡± Rosie eximed, ¡°What?!¡± Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Anya nodded. ¡°Yes, she promised my brother that she would abort the child, but she changed her mind when she got on the operating table, and I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± Rosie became furious upon hearing this. ¡°What? Does she still want to keep Lucas¡¯s child? Doesn¡¯t she realize that she¡¯s not worthy of him? Anya, quickly tell me where that wretched Corinne is right now! I¡¯ll go find her! We absolutely cannot let that despicable woman keep Lucas¡¯s child and give her a chance to force a marriage with him!¡± Anya lowered her head in despair, pretending to wipe away tears. ¡°Just now, Jeremy¡¯s sister Francine called me. She said Corinne went to the Huo family to find Jeremy again.¡± Rosie couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°What? Corinne went to the Holdens to find Jeremy again? What is she trying to do?¡± Anya looked dejected as if her clothes were trampled upon. Her voice carried a hint of helplessness and a sob. ¡°I think it¡¯s because Corinne felt that she had no chance with my brother, so she turned back and wanted to please Jeremy again.¡± Rosie, who always valued herdylike image, could not help but swear angrily. ¡°Damn it! Corinne is truly despicable! She¡¯s carrying Lucas¡¯s child, yet she dares to seduce Jeremy! How could there be such a woman in this world!¡± Anya sighed. ¡°I used to think that Corinne was just a bit strong-willed but not a bad person. Who would have thought she would be like this? Sigh!¡± Rosie¡¯s resentment toward Corinne grew stronger. ¡°This Corinne just won¡¯t give up. If she¡¯s not clinging to Lucas, she¡¯s after Jeremy. We can¡¯t drive her away!¡± Anya suddenly ground her teeth with a sinister look on her face and sneered. ¡°If we can¡¯t drive her away, we can make her disappear from this world forever!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Rosie¡¯s expression froze, doubting if she misheard. How could Anya, who was always gentle and innocent, speak with such a malicious tone just now? ¡°Anya, did you just say you want to make Corinne disappear?¡± Anya already put away her gloomy expression. She lifted her head, revealing her usual innocent and easily. bullied deer-like appearance. She sighed and said, ¡°Rosie, I was justining casually! How could we make Corinne, such a lively person, disappear?¡± ¡°Ah! Sometimes I wish I had magic so that I could send the annoying people to live on another. Then she would nevere and bother our boyfriends again! In that case, I could be with Jeremy smoothly, and you could marry my brother as you wished.¡± After hearing this, Rosie¡¯s doubts about her best friend¡¯s personality disappeared. She truly felt that her best friend was overly pure and kind-hearted. She wanted to use magic to send bad people to live on another, rather than cursing them to hell! However, making Corinne disappear from this world did not require magic. It could be easily achieved through physical means. Rosie pondered for a moment, and a cold light shed in her eyes. ¡°Anya, don¡¯t worry, I will fulfill your wish for you!¡± Anya pretended to be puzzled. ¡°Rosie, what are you going to do?¡± Rosie smiled mysteriously and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know what I did when you hear the good news! Anya, I¡¯ll leave now ande to see you another day!¡± ¡°Rosie!¡± Rosie seemed to have some urgent matters to attend to. After speaking, she hurriedly turned around and walked away without even stopping when Anya called her name. Watching Rosie¡¯s impulsive and foolish figure, a cold smirk of anticipation curled up at the corner of Anya¡¯s lips. She easily employed the strategy of using others as tools to kill. Hopefully, this time, Rosie would put in some effort andpletely get rid of that damn Corinne, sparing them from further trouble in the long run! Suddenly, the recently closed door of the room was slowly pushed open again, and a little child poked his head inside and nced around. Upon seeing Anya in the room, the little child happily entered, reaching out his hand and acting spoiled.¡± Mommy! Mommy! Carry me!¡± Chapter 671 Chapter 671 It was Joey. Previously, she kept pestering Jeremy to apany her in adopting a child from overseas. However, the child still did not have an official name. Lately, she was not interested in taking care of the child herself and has left it to the nanny to handle all day long. Mostly, she was toozy to take care of the child! This child used to have some value for her as a major excuse to cling to Jeremy and briefly hold his attention. But things are different now. Jeremy already knows that Corinne is carrying his child, so he won¡¯t care about this adopted child without a blood rtionship. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Thus, this child has be a burden, with no utility or value left. Anya never truly loved this child, aside. from considering it as a tool for her benefit. She never had any genuine affection for the child. All the tenderness and maternal gestures she disyed toward the child in the past were only an act put on for Jeremy! When there was nobody around, she could not be bothered to pretend anymore! At this moment, Anya is in a bad mood, and looking at this child who is no longer of any use to her only. makes her angrier! When the childes over wanting a hug, Anya, devoid of any love, impatiently pushes away Joey, who was still unsteady on his feet. ¡°Get away! Stay far away from me! You little brat, all you do is eat and cry all day long. Aren¡¯t you tired of being annoying?¡± Joey fell to the ground,pletely shocked and helpless, looking at his mother with a bewildered expression, then bursting into tears, feeling deeply wronged. Anya felt annoyed and extremely bothered by the loud crying of the child. In frustration, she reached out and forcefully pinched and twisted the flesh on Joey¡¯s body. ¡°Crying, crying, crying! All you know is crying! I have so many people serving you, taking care of your food and drink every day. What else do you have to cry about? Let me tell you, if it weren¡¯t for my kind heart in adopting you, you would still be eating scraps in that impoverished orphanage. Would you be able to enjoy such good food now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ungrateful! Generally speaking, people of your lowly status have no right to step foot into the Riveras. You should be grateful to me instead of crying all the time!¡± ¡®That¡¯s enough! Stop crying! Cry some more, and I¡¯ll use a needle to end you! Shut up, do you hear me? Are you going to cry or not?¡± While Anya scolded, she continued pinching and twisting different parts of Joey¡¯s body, venting her pent- up frustrations. However, Joey had no understanding of what he did wrong to make his mother angry. He only knew that he was in pain from being pinched, so he Instinctively cried even harder, ¡°Waah!¡± The more the child cried, the more fiercely Anya pinched him. This was not the first time Anya treated Joey like this. Whenever she was unhappy, she liked to vent to the child, resorting to physical abuse and sometimes even using needles on him multiple times. Of course, she only did these things when nobody else was around. Lacking a sense of security and understanding of the world¡¯s rules, Joey believed that he could not resist what his mother did to him. So even though he cried, he would still seek reliance and call out to Anya as his mother. ¡°Why is the child crying? What¡¯s going on?¡± Lucas, hearing the child¡¯s agonizing cries, forcefully pushed the door open and entered the room! At this moment, Anya¡¯s hand was still firmly pinching the child. Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Anya only hesitated for a moment before quickly releasing her grip on the child¡¯s hand. She remained calm and discreetly covered the red marks on Joey¡¯s body that she caused, then gently pulled him closer to her embrace, soothingly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry, Mommy is here! Joey, don¡¯t cry, everything is fine!¡± Faced with the sudden change in his mother¡¯s emotions, Joey¡¯s crying subsided slightly, but he still felt. very confused about what he did wrong. Lucas approached, his clear and thoughtful eyes filled with doubt. ¡°Anya, what happened? Why is the child crying like this?¡± Anya looked up, her expression innocent and harmless. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re back! It¡¯s, it¡¯s nothing. Joey identally fell and hurt himself just now. I wasforting him.¡± The perplexity between Lucas¡¯s eyebrows dissipated, and he gently touched Joey¡¯s head. ¡°A real man should be strong. You can¡¯t cry over a little bump or scratch!¡± Joey¡¯s face was tear-stained as he looked up at his uncle, With his limitednguage ability, he could not express his own experience, but he felt wronged and pouted his lips. Suddenly, his mother¡¯s hand pinched him again, not too lightly or heavily. Joey¡¯s fearful gaze once again turned to Anya. In the face of her mother¡¯s warning gaze, he dared not cry anymore or show any reaction. He was afraid of his mother, but he also loved her. He still remembered when his mother came to the orphanage to pick him up. At that time, he thought his mother was very beautiful, and she would bring him lots of delicious food, change him into cleanText ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. clothes, and gently y with him. Since he could remember, he was roughly confined with other children in the orphanage, never experiencing such gentle care from anyone. However, after he was adopted, his mother of his became somewhat unpredictable. Sometimes, he did not even know what he did wrong to make her unhappy, and she would pinch him, hit him, and scold him. He did not mean to make his mother unhappy. He loved seeing his mother¡¯s gentle smile toward him! Joey snapped out of his thoughts, anxiously pursing his lips, and tried to please her. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry! Joey is sorry! Joey is sorry!¡± Anya smiled gently at him. ¡°Hmm, good boy! Mommy isn¡¯t angry. Silly child, how could Mommy be angry with little Joey!¡± Upon hearing his mother say she wasn¡¯t angry, Joey finally felt a bit relieved. Anya continued, ¡°Good boy, go outside and find Auntie who will take care of you for a while. Mommy needs to talk with Uncle. I¡¯lle to find youter.¡± Joey understood his mother¡¯s words and nodded obediently. He then clumsily walked outside to find his caretaker. After watching Joey leave, Anya stood up, looking somewhat mncholy, and turned to her brother.¡± Lucas, I¡¯m sorry. You asked me to apany Corinne to the hospital today for her surgery, but I failed to watch over her.¡± Lucas¡¯s face grew serious. ¡°Edmund already told me about today¡¯s Incident. It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s Corinne being too cunning.¡± Helplessly, Anya let out a sigh. ¡°Brother, just now Jeremy¡¯s sister, Francine, called me. She said Corinne has already gone back to the Holden¡¯s estate with Jeremy. Jeremy doesn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± As she spoke, her voice choked up, sounding pitiful and aggrieved. Lucas furrowed his brow and gently patted her shoulder, soothing her in a warm voice. ¡°Anya, don¡¯t worry. Anything you want, including people, I guarantee they will be yours. No one can take them away from you.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Anya pounced into her brother¡¯s embrace, acting coquettishly, filled with reliance. Lucas held his sister tightly. He truly felt heartbroken for his sister, thinking how she, at such a young age, was unable to have her child due to a man¡¯s actions and was callously abandoned by that same man. It was unfair and pitiful. As her older brother, how could he stand by and watch his sister suffer like this?! Meanwhile, at Holden¡¯s estate. Francine was crouching outside the bedroom door, eavesdropping on the activity inside. What were Jeremy and Corinne doing in there? Why couldn¡¯t she hear any sound at all? Chapter 673 Chapter 673 In broad daylight, are they not supposed to be sleeping? Inside the room. Corinne stood in the center of the room, aimlessly looking around. This room was Jeremy¡¯s bedroom, the same room they used as their fake marriage bedroom before. The furnishings in the room appeared exactly as they did before she left, without any changes. However, her mindset was different upon returning. On the side. Jeremy¡¯s face showed no emotion as he coldly watched her,manding, ¡°You smell like disinfectant. Go take a shower and change your clothes!¡± Corinne snapped back to reality, lowering her head to examine her attire. She lifted her arm and sniffed her sleeve, indeed detecting the scent of hospital disinfectant. When she was at the hospital earlier, she already entered the operating room wearing a surgical gown. provided by the nurse. Although she was quickly carried out of the operating room by this man, she did not have a chance to change back into her clothes, and the smell of disinfectant lingered. However, as soon as this man entered the room, he ordered her to take a shower. Doesn¡¯t that easily give people the wrong idea? Corinne furrowed her brows, feeling that staying in the same room with this man left her with nothing to say and was quite suffocating. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. It would be good to hide in the bathroom for a while! Without saying a word to the man, Corinne went directly into the bathroom, locked the door, and filled the tub with water. She intended to pass the time in the bathroom and hoped that by the time she came out, the man would have something to do outside! As she soaked in the bathtub, she fell asleep. She was not sure how much time passed when she vaguely heard the sound of water running. Corinne struggled to open her eyes and woke up. Before her, there was a tall and imposing figure, dressed neatly,zily, and leisurely sitting at the edge of the bathtub, looking down at her. She did not react for a while, but when she realized that she was taking a bath naked, she suddenly fell asleep, curled up her legs and hands to protect her chest, stared at the man in embarrassment, and said, Mister, I¡¯m taking a bath, you, you What are you doing here? You hooligan!¡± There was calm teasing in the man¡¯s eyes, and his slender fingers with well-defined joints reached into the water and flicked a few times, ¡°Miss Corinne, you took a bath for more than an hour, even if it was washed with boiling water, the water would have cooled down by now. I couldn¡¯t help it, so I came in to see if someone drowned.¡± Corinne blushed with displeasure, and said angrily, ¡°Then I thank you for your concern first! Now you can see that I am alive and well! Please get out immediately!¡± The man was unmoved, and just sat by the bathtub and looked at her with dignity. Corinne could not even get up and put on her clothes like this! Don¡¯t talk about it, even if she moves a little, she may be spotted by this man! No, before she woke up, she was seen! Ah! Damn, she locked the door! Corinne gritted her teeth, ¡°Mister Jeremy, I just want to take a good bath right now, okay? It¡¯s rude and shameless for you to barge in like this!¡± The man did not seem to think there was anything wrong with him. ¡°I knocked on the door.¡± Corinne twitched the corners of her mouth irritably. ¡°After knocking on the door, you can enter the bathroom at will? Mister Jeremy, if it were you taking a shower instead, I knocked on the door and ran in without waiting for your consent. What do you think? Is that okay with you?¡± Jeremy said bluntly, ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne was speechless. The man narrowed his eyes subtly, and added, ¡°If it¡¯s you, you don¡¯t have to knock on the door.¡± Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Corinne faced the provocative gaze of the man, her eyshes trembling slightly, and her heart suddenly fell into chaos. She, who was always eloquent and persuasive, suddenly did not know what to say. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you, you need to leave quickly!¡± She just wanted to drive him away and pointed her finger at the door of the bathroom. Due to her excited gesture, the man¡¯s gaze shifted downward, narrowing his eyes. That subtle look in his eyes was cunning like a wolf. Corinne suddenly realized that in her excitement, she did not forget to cover her chest. Embarrassed, she let out a scream, curled up into a ball, and hugged her knees tightly! ¡°Jeremy Holden! You shameless person!¡± The little girl rarely called him by his full name so directly. It seemed that she was truly angry. However, the manughed, amused by her confused and angry appearance. He raised his hand and with his rough fingertips, pinched her pointed chin, lifting her blushing little face. ¡°I still prefer hearing you call me ¡®Mister¡±.¡± Corinne felt both embarrassed and indignant. Her skin was burning, and her delicate shoulders showed a fragile beauty. She was defenseless, so she had no escape. She had topromise. ¡°Alright, Mister, I beg you to leave. first. If there¡¯s anything you want to say, wait until I¡¯ve put on my clothes.¡± The man was relentless, still holding her chin, lightly pinching and teasing. ¡°You even fall asleep absentmindedly while taking a bath. Did you also act so carelessly when you were living with Mister Aaron? Letting people see youpletely naked without even realizing it? Hm?¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. As his words reached the end, the man¡¯s tone was almost interrogative. Corinne furrowed her brows unhappily, hugging her knees tightly in the warm water of her bath, ensuring that her crucial points were not exposed. She retorted irritably, ¡°No way! Do you think everyone is as ruffianly as you, barging in while someone is taking a shower?¡± The man¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°I¡¯m ruffian? What about Mister Aaron, a good friend of yours, Miss Corinne, who takes different women to different hotels every day? Isn¡¯t he considered a ruffian?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression froze, and she felt somewhat guilty due to Aaron¡¯s questionable personal life. She awkwardly twitched the corner of her mouth and said, ¡°Aaron may be a bit promiscuous, but he has no interest in me, and he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to me.¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow, ¡°Are you so sure he wouldn¡¯t dare? What kind of deep affection and friendship. do you two have that makes you trust his character so much?¡± -Corinne pursed her lips, ¡°I want to get dressed first before talking to you! Mister, even if you have a hobby of chatting while being naked, I don¡¯t!¡± Jeremy¡¯s face was serious, but there was a dark light in his eyes that seemed to be a smile, ¡°I¡¯m wearing clothes, how can I be chatting while naked?¡± That¡¯s right! He was clothed! You b*stard, what a bully! Corinne almost cried because of his anger, ¡°You, do you want to go too far!¡± Seeing the little girl wrinkled up in anger, the man could not bear to tease her anymore, he stretched out his long arms to reach for the towel, threw it into the bathtub, and gave it to her. The bath towel was soaked, soaked, and floated on the water in the bathtub. Corinne quickly grabbed the bath towel and draped it over her body, wrapping her whole body up. Only then did she feel a little bit more secure, not as invisible as before? After wrapping herself up, she got up and wanted to get out of the bathtub. However, before he could stand up, he was pushed back by the man¡¯s big hand again, She looked up at the man dissatisfied, ¡°Mister, why don¡¯t you let me go out? Chapter 675 Chapter 675 The man¡¯s stern gaze resembled that of someone scolding a careless child as he disdainfully lectured,¡± You haven¡¯t even washed the foam out of your hair properly, and you¡¯re in such a hurry to go out!¡± Corinne paused for a moment, remembering that she fell asleep in the bathtub while washing her hair and did not rinse it off. She pouted and issued her ultimatum, ¡°If you don¡¯t go out, how am I supposed to wash?¡± Jeremy did not waste time on idle talk. He reached out and grabbed the showerhead, half- commanding, ¡± Close your eyes.¡± Corinne hesitated. Why should she close her eyes? Could this man be nning to help her wash her hair? Would he be so attentive? ¡°What are you staring at? Close your eyes!¡± the manmanded again. Annoyed by his reprimand, Corinne felt displeased but obediently closed her eyes. Fine, she would endure this momentary calm and not challenge this man! Otherwise, he might act without principles and take away her bath towel! Seeing her obediently close her eyes, the man tested the water temperature from the showerhead and then positioned it over her head, letting the warm and gentle water flow onto her hair. With his otherrge hand, the man gently and patiently gathered her hair, making sure to wash away the foam hidden among the strands. Perhaps it was true that a woman became less clever during pregnancy. This little girl was not as sharp as she used to be, appearing dazed and confused. Jeremy could not bear to leave her alone in the bathroom to bathe, given her current state of confusion. The reason he entered while she was bathing was by no means to peep at her. She was in the bath for too long, not responding when he knocked on the door. It was only then, as a last resort, that he used the key to open the door and check on her. Considering her pregnancy and her current dazed state, he did not want her bathing alone. What if she slipped and fell? It would not be a trivial matter! Her hair was gently gathered by the man¡¯srge hand, asionally receiving gentle massages on her scalp. With the warm water adding to thefort, Corinne felt like a contentedzy cat, thoroughly satisfied and almost sleepy. Thinking that there would not be any foam in her eyes, she secretly opened her eyes and stared at the handsome man who condescended to wash her hair, feeling dazed for a while. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Who would have thought that Jeremy, the proud son of the Holdens who stood above all, would personally take care of her hair in private? It was truly unimaginable! Noticing the girl¡¯s infatuated gaze, the man lowered his eyes and suddenly met hers. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± he asked, his tone both flirtatious and mocking. Corinne felt a bit shy and blinked unnaturally. ¡°Um, can¡¯t I just look at you?¡± The man squinted his eyes, his tone ambiguous and sarcastic. ¡°Am I good-looking?¡± Corinne admitted frankly, ¡°Um, you¡¯re quite good-looking.¡± The man¡¯s gaze darkened, and he stared at her aggressively. ¡°You think I¡¯m good-looking, yet you run to other men? It seems that in Miss Corinne¡¯s eyes, I¡¯m not the most attractive one!¡± Corinne tugged at the corner of her mouth, feeling speechless. After going in circles, the conversation returned to its original topic. If Jeremy was so concerned about Aaron¡¯s presence, it was possible that he would cause trouble for Aaron and hispany in the future. Considering this, Corinne decided to be honest and confess, ¡°Mister, to be precise, Aaron and I are from the same hometown. We grew up together in the same vige, just like close friends who are as familiar as family. So, there can never be any romantic feelings between us. He¡¯s like a younger brother to me!¡± Upon hearing her voluntary exnation, the man was quite surprised but responded with a dark, unhappy chuckle. ¡°So, you¡¯re childhood sweethearts, huh?¡± She nodded. ¡°Um, something like that!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression turned serious as he turned the question around. ¡°Then, what is your rtionship. with Newmoon Group? Chapter 676 Chapter 676 ¡°I have a small share in the Newmoon Group.¡± She spoke cautiously. Jeremy looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze, a small share, or a substantial one? After discovering that Corinne and Aaron were living together, he sent Tommy to investigate the background of the Newmoon Group. Newmoon Group had a clean background and started from scratch. It was the most eye-catching rising star among domestic enterprises. Within a few years, it rapidly rose and was almost on par with the major family-owned conglomerates in the Capital. Its strength should not be underestimated. However, their President, Xante, and Vice President, Aaron, were not the true owners of Newmoon. 60 percent of the shares were held by a mysterious major shareholder who never appeared in public. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ording to the investigation, that elusive major shareholder was a young girl. He long knew that Corinne was not as simple as she appeared. Now, learning that she held thergest share of Newmoon Group in her hands, he did not even find it surprising. Given this girl¡¯s education, abilities, intelligence, and a touch of ambition, it was not surprising that she independently built some industries at such a young age. What surprised him now was that the little girl was willing to slowly tell him some truths. In the past, she often babbled nonsense to him, deceiving and guarding against him, not allowing him to understand her situation too well. However, now, regardless of her motives, her willingness to tell him the truth indicated that he could get closer to the real side of this little girl than before and hold onto her more tightly. If one day she tried to run away again, he would not be clueless and wander around like a headless fly. While the man was deep in thought, he continued washing the girl¡¯s hair without pausing. His distinct joints gently gathered the water from the showerhead and poured it down onto the back of her head, carefully ensuring that not a single drop entered her eyes. Seeing Corinne nervously observing his reaction, as if afraid of making him angry? Jeremy could not help but soften his heart, letting go of his frustration over her month-long escape, lies, and concealment, all at once. What more could he do if he could not let go? Hit her? He could not bear to. As the man let go of his frustrations, he teasingly remarked, ¡°No wonder Miss Corinne never liked money. It turns out she didn¡¯tck money at all and is a hidden wealthy woman.¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s ambiguous words, Corinne rolled her eyes at him and said, ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like money? Where is it written that someone would dislike having too much money? You, as a capitalist, should understand the concept that money makes the world go round!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and asked with a meaningful tone as he held her hair, ¡°Money makes the world go round?¡± Corinne nodded, ¡°Yes! Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯srge hand, which was gathering her hair, grabbed the back of her head, and he asked with a hint of meaning, ¡°Then if I give you all my money, can I buy you to carry me around, Miss Corinne?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes lit up, revealing a glimmer of greed for money. ¡°All of it? How much is that?¡± She asked about the amount? Jeremy was not using flowery words this time, ¡°The entire Holdens, including myself, is yours.¡± The man looked at her with starry eyes, earnest, not joking. His overly sincere gaze startled Corinne, and it took her a while to regain her senses and say, ¡°Uh, that¡¯s too much. I can¡¯t afford to take it! I¡¯m not a god, and even if I sold myself to you and took all your assets, I don¡¯t think I carry you around!¡± Chapter 677 Chapter 677 The man threw the shower head casually, held her wet little head with both hands, and sat on the edge of the bath, leaning over and getting closer, his deep voice carrying some fatal temptation. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°You can carry me, it¡¯s not difficult. You just need to push me lightly, and I will turn around by myself.¡± The distance between the two suddenly drew too close, Corinne was stunned, and her breathing was stagnant. How the kiss happened, she did not even know. Corinne only knew that her brain was humming, and it was all messed up. In both ears, I could only hear the sound of rushing water and the man¡¯s rapid and steady breathing. She felt as if she was about to be swallowed into a ck hole, and she was powerless to resist, as the unbearable heat surrounded her. Originally, the water in the bath was already cold, but now the water is hot because the faucet was turned on by the man long ago, and the hot water was slowly pouring out, and the drain below was also discharging the cold water at the same speed. It was gradually being reced by hot water. She was just woken up by the sound of running water. Mister was afraid that she would catch a cold, so he came in and changed the hot water for her. At first, Corinne instinctively pressed her hands against the man¡¯s shoulders, not epting his sudden attack, but slowly, she felt as if she was captured, and her two wet little arms unconsciously hooked on the man¡¯s neck. She no longer resisted, faced her inner feelings directly, and began to slowly respond to the man¡¯s turbulent kiss, even unwilling to be outdone. The wild beating of the heart, the staggered breathing, the wet friction, and entanglement, made the two people who were separated for a long time because of misunderstanding wish to rub each other into their bodies. Corinne hooked his neck, and suddenly had some bad thoughts, deliberately leaned a bit, and pulled him into the bathtub! Bang! The man fell into the bathtub, and the water suddenly overflowed. The bathroom seemed to be flooded, and it was wet everywhere. Jeremy put his hands on both sides of the mischievous girl¡¯s head. His body was suspended in the warm. bath water, so as not to let his body overwhelm the little girl under him. The man looked down at her condescendingly and scolded her severely with heavy eyebrows. ¡°Are you crazy? What if it hits your stomach?¡± Corinne blinked, her eyes sparkling, her face was full of mischief and joy after a sessful prank, ¡°You were the one who went crazy first! Who told you to kiss me first? Just a little bit!¡± Looking at her cute and hateful little appearance, Jeremy¡¯s pupils shrank, his throat was so dry that he could not bear it, and the kiss fell again like a devouring entanglement, exchanging each other¡¯s hot breath. This annoying little thing almost killed him! Corinne punched him, ¡°Mister,e here¡± Embracing each other in the water seems to be closer than in the air, tightly fitting and intimate. If the kiss continues like this, the bloody man will almost be unable to bear it. Jeremy gathered together rationally, propped up hisrge body, and finally separated from her with some unfulfilled intentions. The man¡¯s big hand gently touched the girl¡¯s head, stabilized his messy breath, and coaxed her in a low voice, ¡°Okay, get up, wash up, and get dressed, if you keep making trouble, you will catch a cold!¡± Corinne kissed like a drunk, her face was pink in confusion, her eyes were full of misty tears, and her little hands tightly grasped the man¡¯s drenched shirt that was clinging to the muscles of his chest, ¡°I don¡¯t want! The man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and he could not help pecking her lips again, ¡°What don¡¯t you want? Huh?¡± Corinne¡¯s voice was hoarse due tock of oxygen, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go!¡± Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Jeremy was stunned, the fire that was forcibly extinguished just now suddenly ignited again. The corners of the man¡¯s lips were slightly drawn, and he stared deeply at the little girl under him, ¡°Are you inviting me in, Miss Corinne?¡± At such a moment, the man still wants to tease her! Corinne was a little angry, it only took a moment to turn from emotional to angry! She wrinkled her small face, let go of the little hand that was holding onto the man¡¯s clothes, and pushed him away, ¡°I didn¡¯t! Go away! Leave me alone!¡± At this moment, she is very cute, like a little daughter-inw who is having a tantrum with her husband. She was no longer as indifferent to everything as she used to be. She no longer remains unruffled by favor or humiliation. Everything was just a performance to please him, devoid of any genuine emotions. The man liked her like this, so he pressed the little guy¡¯s naughty little hands, stopped fighting with her, and coaxed, ¡°You little rascal, I¡¯m happy to be invited, but no, you are in your special period, and I can¡¯t bully you. Did a special period mean she was pregnant? All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Corinne was stunned for a moment and met the man¡¯s gentle eyes, her heart was pounding, and she lowered her eyes shyly like a ghost. ¡°The doctor said that you can bully, as long as you¡¯re not heavy- handed.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was very small, and in the end, she was too shy to hear what she was muttering. However, the man understood everything. The ck pupils in the handsome cold eyes trembled, like breaking a ring, he picked up the small waist of the girl in the bathtub. Heat swept through their bodies. With the gentle entanglement, it spreads out little by little in their bodies, and a gorgeous flower bloomed. When the man carried the girl out of the bathroom, the sky outside already turned dark. Young people in love always surrender tirelessly to tenderness, forgetting about time. The man carefully ced the girl by the bedside and pulled a nket to wrap her up, as she was only wearing a bathrobe. Then, he gently took a dry towel and softly wiped her still damp long hair. Just like a parent taking care of a child. However, Corinne was already too tired to sit still. Her body was so sore that she couldn¡¯t even straighten up. Despite the man¡¯s gentle care and attention throughout the process, she was physically exhausted from one climax after another. She wasn¡¯t very cooperative and didn¡¯t want to bother with drying her hair. She copsed on the bed, as if her strength drained away, simply wanting to have a good sleep. While Jeremy was wiping her hair, he suddenly disappeared. Lowering his gaze, he saw the little girl wrapped in the nket, already lying down and asleep.. The man looked down at her from above, furrowing his brows. ¡°You can¡¯t lie down now. Your hair needs to be dried before you can sleep!¡± Corinne was toozy to move and grumbled, ¡°No need to dry it, I¡¯m tired.¡± Seeing her like this, the man¡¯s eyes filled with tenderness and affection, but he had no intention of indulging her and letting her sleep like that. ¡°No, listen to me. Get up and sit properly to dry your hair.¡± Corinne found it troublesome and was extremely sleepy, not wanting to pay any attention to him. Helpless, the man bent down and held her waist, lifting her forcefully to make her sit upright again. As if the girl lost all her bones, as soon as he released his grip, she could not support herself, and Jeremy let her lean against his own body. Looking at the exhausted little one, the man could not help but feel a bit regretful for hisck of restraint in the bathroom. He was too rough with her. However, no matter what, her hair had to be dried before she could sleep, or else she would catch a cold and have a headache the next day. Bringing the hairdryer over, the man-made Corinnezily lean against his chest and held her in a hundred percent careful manner, gently blowing her hair. Her hair was long, and it took a long time to dry. Finally, the man¡¯s distinct fingers gently touched her hair, confirming that it was dry enough. He put down the hairdryer and said in a warm voice, ¡°Okay, now you can lie down and sleep.¡± However, in the absence of the noise from the hairdryer, the rumbling sound from Corinne¡¯s stomach became incredibly clear in the quiet room. Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Corinne awkwardly pursed her lips and rubbed her stomach. The man¡¯s eyebrows lifted with a hint of amusement. ¡°Hungry?¡± he asked. Corinne nodded. ¡°Mm, hungry!¡± He whispered to her, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± She looked up at him, a sudden idea popping into her head. ¡°I want to eat the food made by you, Mister!¡± Jeremy furrowed his brows. This little girl was trying to give him a hard time. He did not know how to cook anything. However, this was the first request from the little rascal that he just regained, so how could Jeremy not dote on her? ¡°Alright, wait for me. I¡¯ll learn how to cook something for you.¡± Corinnezily opened her arms. ¡°No need to wait, I want to watch you make it, Mister!¡± The man squinted his eyes. Was this little rascal energized again? Bending down, he received her beckoning arms and embraced the little girl in his arms. He patted her Small backside and said, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not tired enough yet. You still need some straightening up!¡± Hearing the emphasis he put on the word ¡®straightening up¡¯, Corinne got scared immediately. She jumped off the man in fear. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it anymore, I don¡¯t want it.¡± She could not handle it anymore. She could not bear it! Seeing her frightened and wanting to run away, the man chuckled and held the struggling little one tightly. ¡°Good girl, I won¡¯t tease you anymore! Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat the food I make? I¡¯ll make it fresh for you now, and you can watch!¡± Corinne finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodding her head. Then she obediently leaned on his broad shoulder, allowing the man to hold her and move around without wanting to exert any strength of her own. Francine squatted outside her brother¡¯s room for several hours, but she did not hear any sounds. It was not until she saw her brother, Jeremy, carrying Corinne like a child anding out of the room, heading. downstairs. Francine frowned disapprovingly and muttered, ¡°She¡¯s such a sly fox, seducing my brother as soon as shees back!¡± She surreptitiously followed them and covertly recorded the entire scene with her phone, including her brother going to the kitchen to personally cook for Corinne. She then sent thetest information to Anya. The Riveras. Anya watched the video sent by Francine, her eyes turning red with anger. She gritted her teeth and fiercely threw her phone to the ground! The loud noise of the phone hitting the floor woke up Joey, who just fell asleep. The child looked at his angry mother in confusion. Anya was consumed by jealousy. She never imagined that Jeremy, such an indifferent and proud man, would one day personally cook for a woman! She was supposed to be the one who made Jeremy unconditionally gentle and amodating! What was sheckingpared to Corinne? Joey did not know what happened and Innocently crawled over to soothe his mother. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry.¡± However, Anya did not appreciate it. Irritated, she pushed him away. ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t bother me!¡± As a result of this push, Joey fell directly off the bed, hitting the back of his head on the sharp corner of the nightstand! Anya was toozy to get off the bed to help the child. After realizing there was no movement for a long time, she impatiently nced at the floor. Suddenly, her pupils dted, and shepletely froze! N?velDrama.Org owns this. There was blood all over the floor. A lot of blood. Was the child dead? Chapter 680 Chapter 680 In the kitchen of the Holden¡¯s estate, Corinne was indulgently ced on a clean countertop by a man who would not let her lift a finger. Watching the man¡¯s somewhat unskilled knife work while he chopped vegetables, Corinne leisurely swung her still tender and sore legs and teased, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re a grown man, and you still don¡¯t know how to cook?¡± The man nced at her and retorted, ¡°Do you think I need to know these things?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. Well, for someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth, with clothes and food readily avable, they indeed did not need to bother with such trivial matters as cooking and household chores. Corinne crossed her arms and said, ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t need to before, but in the future, you how to do laundry and cook!¡± better learn The man continued dicing the tomatoes with a hint of amusement in his eyes. ¡°Why is that?¡± Corinne replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Because if you want to start a family, you need to learn to take care of your wife and children!¡± The man snorted lightly while cutting the tomatoes. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t know how to doundry or cook, I won¡¯t let you do it. I¡¯ll arrange for someone else to take care of all that for you. And as for me, I¡¯ll take care of you in ways that others can¡¯t.¡± Look at him! Why is he changing the subject again? Corinne felt her cheeks flush but pretended not to understand, avoiding his topic of driving. ¡°Well, I also don¡¯t like having people around me all the time, disturbing my life! Honestly, I¡¯m not used to living in a house with so many servants like Mister¡¯s. I prefer the atmosphere of just family members living together, taking care of, and worrying about each other. Mister, if you want to be with me, you have to get used to a life without servants in advance! You can¡¯t expect me to do all the household chores alone; I won¡¯t be your free nanny!¡± The girl continued to speak eloquently, her words flowing smoothly from her small mouth. The man hesitated for a moment, raising his head to look at her intently, his eyes narrowing with a hint of deep contemtion. This mischievous and troublesome little girl barely did anything, yet she was already trying to instruct and train this older man in various matters. But her words struck a chord deep within him. She was considering their future together, making ns for a life that included him. It was truly the most touching deration of affection. The man snapped back to reality and gently brushed the tip of the girl¡¯s nose with arge hand. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to you! From now on, I¡¯ll be your free babysitter, washing your clothes and cooking for you, taking care of you, you little rascal. Is that eptable?¡± Corinne rubbed her nose against his hand and wrinkled her brow in disgust. ¡°Mister, your hands smell like onions!¡± The man found her amusing and deliberately pinched her nose again. ¡°That¡¯s because of the cooking I do for you, little rascal. Understand?¡± Corinne angrily swatted hisrge hand away. ¡°Then stop fooling around and cook already! I¡¯m starving!¡± The man stopped fooling around and finished chopping the tomatoes. He humbly sought advice, ¡°Tell me, what should I do next?¡± Corinne nced at the chopped vegetables on the cutting board and directed him, ¡°Alright, the green. onions and tomatoes are ready. Now, beat two eggs to make an egg mixture, heat the pan with oil, and stir -fry the eggs first!¡± The man nodded and followed her instructions. Although he never personally cooked before, his years of dominating the business world endowed him with a meticulous work ethic. Under Corinne¡¯s guidance, he smoothlypleted each step. Corinne watched the tall and handsome man stir-frying the eggs with a sense of contrast, and an uncontroble smile of sweetness crept up on her lips, bringing rity to her heart. Although she was reluctant when Mister forcibly brought her back to the Holden¡¯s estate, now, as she quietly watched him, she felt an indescribable sense of reassurance and warmth. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Since she was young, Corinne was abandoned at her rtives¡¯ countryside home. They did not want to take care of her, so she ended up going to a nunnery and grew up there, relying on their meals. Therefore, she alwayscked a sense of belonging. She had no ce that made her feel like it was her home, no sense of rootedness that she could rely on. Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Jeremy, this man who just stayed by her side, made her feel an unprecedented sense of security. belonging, andfort. It¡¯s hard to exin, very subtle. With this man, it seemed like she could recklessly bully him. ¡°Try the taste, how is it?¡± The man¡¯s deep voice interrupted her thoughts. Corinne snapped back to reality and saw the man using a fork to feed her a mouthful of freshly cooked tomato and egg sauce noodles. She obediently opened her mouth, about to taste his cooking skills. However, before the noodles reached her mouth, she felt an ufortable gaze. She turned her head toward the kitchen door and found a row of maidservants standing there, peeking and whispering. Their mouths were gaping, bigger than hers as if they were all stunned. Only the butler, Bowen Hoover, seemed rtively calm. Corinne pulled the corners of her mouth, forced a smile, and kindly said to everyone, ¡°How about everyone joins in and has a taste?¡± Jeremy followed the little girl¡¯s gaze and looked over, his expression turning cold. Instantly, the maidservants became solemn and quickly waved their hands as if they were escaping. How could they dare to eat Mister Jeremy¡¯s food? They were unworthy! Miss Corinne was amazing. As soon as she came back, she made Mister Jeremy, who never touched kitchen utensils, willingly cook for her. This was truly a rare sight! It was like Mister Jeremy was pampering her like a baby! The maidservants dispersed, and Bowen also turned and left. An expression of satisfaction appeared on the old man¡¯s face. It¡¯s good that Miss Corinne is back. Mister Jeremy finally has a bit of humanity on his face! ¡°God knows how terrifying Miss Corinne¡¯s face has been every day since she ran away from home over a month ago. The atmosphere in the mansion is no better than hell, suffocatingly oppressive. Now, we finally have Miss Corinne¡¯s purification, which is great! With no one watching, Corinne finally opens her mouth and eats the tomato and egg stir-fried noodles made by the man. The man feeds her another bite and smiles, asking. ¡°How is it? Are you satisfied with the taste?¡± Corinne smacks her lips and says, ¡°Hmm! It¡¯s already pretty good to make it like this for the first time, but there¡¯s still room for improvement!¡± Her desire for a word of praise remains unfulfilled. The man pretends to be displeased, coldly retracting the mouthful of noodles he was about to feed her and eating it himself. Corinne furrows her brows and protests. ¡°Mister, why are you eating my noodles¡± The man coldly snorts, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there¡¯s room for improvement? If it¡¯s not tasty, why eat it?¡± Corinne pouts, ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± Jeremy keeps a stern face and refuses to give her more. To eat, Corinne knows how to adapt. She smiles yfully and says, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re amazing! So impressive! Can you let me have the noodles?¡± Jeremy deliberately holds the bowl out of her reach but leans closer, his ambiguous warmth brushing against her ear. ¡°Oh? Tell me in detail, which specific aspect am I impressive?¡± Ha! Men! Corinne blushes and says, ¡®It¡¯s that part.¡¯ As she speaks, she seizes the opportunity to snatch the bowl of noodles, turning a blind eye to him and protecting her food. ¡°It¡¯s all mine now!¡± The man chuckles, no longerpeting with her, allowing her to eat in peace. It¡¯s the first time she has cooked, and the little girl is being so supportive. It gives him a face. At that moment, the man¡¯s phone suddenly rings. Jeremy takes out his phone, and nces at the caller ID, his gaze darkening. Almost instinctively, he looks at the reaction of the little girl beside him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Corinne did not even need to ask to know who it is. While eating her noodles, she rolled her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Anya calling, right? Are you not going to answer? Chapter 682 Chapter 682 He did not want to answer this phone call. However, if he did not answer, it would be as if he was hiding something from the little girl. Just when he just brought the little girl back, Jeremy did not want any misunderstandings to make her angry. If he couldn¡¯t see her tomorrow and she ran away again, it would be troublesome. So, the man directly answered the call on speakerphone. From the other end of the phone, Anya¡¯s voice trembled with a crying tone, sounding flustered and panicked. ¡°Jeremy, where are you?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°At home.¡± ¡°Jeremy, do you have time toe over? I need you.¡± ¡°Not convenient.¡± Anya heard the man¡¯s resolute refusal but did not give up. She pleaded while crying, ¡°Jeremy, I know it¡¯s not good to disturb you like this all the time, but now Joey is missing! Wuwuwu! I searched everywhere I could, but I can¡¯t find him anywhere. I don¡¯t know what to do now! Jeremy, do you think something happened to Joey?¡± Upon hearing this, Jeremy¡¯s brow furrowed. The child was missing? Beside him, Corinne finished half a bowl of noodles, put down her chopsticks, and casually interjected, Go and take a look. After all, that child was adopted by you and Miss Anya together, Mister, you also have a share of the guardianship responsibility.¡± Jeremy did not respond to Anya¡¯s tearful cries over the phone. He simply hung up and gazed deeply into Corinne¡¯s eyes. ¡°Little girl, you have to believe that child.¡± Before the man could finish his sentence, a slender finger pressed against his lips, silencing him. Corinne looked at him calmly. ¡°Mister, you don¡¯t need to exin. I understand, and I won¡¯t get angry.¡± Jeremy hesitated for a moment, feeling touched by the young girl¡¯s understanding. Corinne continued, ¡°However, you need to carry me upstairs first so I can change clothes. I want to go. with you and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Jeremy gently lifted her, holding her in his arms. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll apany me.¡± He cursed himself inwardly. Why did he fear her anger and choose not to tell her about adopting the child? If he exined it properly, she would have understood and wouldn¡¯t have left without a word. This young girl had a broad-mindedness when it came to right and wrong. It was he, as a grown man, who narrowed his perspective. As he carried her out of the kitchen, Corinnezily wrapped her arms around Jeremy¡¯s neck. ¡°Mister, this is ourst chance. From now on, you can¡¯t keep anything from me, or else I will truly never forgive you!¡± The man ran hisrge hand through her hair. ¡°Alright, I promise you that there will never be any more secrets between us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± After changing their clothes, they left together and got into the car, heading toward the Riveras. However, not long after their car left the vicinity of Holden¡¯s estate, a ck van emerged from a nearby alley in the darkness, quietly following them from behind. Chapter 683 Chapter 683 The Riveras. A servant entered respectfully and reported, ¡°Mister Lucas, Miss Anya, Mister Jeremy of the Holdens have arrived!¡± Anya, feeling helpless due to Joey¡¯s disappearance, leaned against Lucas¡¯s chest, sobbing uncontrobly. When she heard that Jeremy came, she regained some spirit and sat up straight, looking toward the entrance. Sure enough, the tall and slender figure of Jeremy walked into the living room of the Riveras. Unfortunately, he was not alone. He was apanied by Corinne, who he held gently by the hand. Anya¡¯s eyes, which just lit up, froze for a second. Her face turned gloomy, and she clenched her fists tightly. At the same time, her crying grew louder. Lucas, who also saw Jeremy leading Corinne toward them, wore an extremely displeased expression in his eyes, with a cold face and furrowed brows. At a time like this, Jeremy brought that woman, Corinne, along. Wasn¡¯t it enough for Anya to suffer such a blow? Jeremy led Corinne to stand in front of the Rivera siblings. His expression was serious as he asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened? Have you found the child?¡± Anya wiped her tears and sobbed, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re here! Joey, still hasn¡¯t been found.¡± Jeremy furrowed his brows, his eyes filled with deep intelligence. ¡°He was perfectly fine, how could he suddenly disappear?¡± Choking back her sobs, Anya exined, ¡°I put Joey to sleep at night. Once I saw he was asleep, I went to the bathroom for a moment. But when I came out, Joey was gone! I searched everywhere, but couldn¡¯t find him.¡± Jeremy narrowed his long gaze. ¡°What about the surveince at home?¡± Concerned about his sister¡¯s unstable emotions, Lucas gently patted her shoulder tofort her, then took over the conversation. ¡°We¡¯ve checked the surveince at the main gate and around the walls. It¡¯s confirmed that the child didn¡¯t leave during this time.¡± Jeremy said, ¡°Since we are certain that the child didn¡¯t run away, he must be hiding in some corner of this mansion. Get a few search dogs and search carefully! ¡°Jeremy, what should we do? I¡¯m really worried about Joey. He¡¯s so young, what if something happens?¡± Anya stood up weakly, as if seeking support, and leaned toward Jeremy like a floating duckweed. Jeremy seemed to have anticipated this and timely took a step back, moving behind Corinne, consciously avoiding any suspicion. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As a result, Anya almost leaned on Corinne, but fortunately, she stopped herself in time. However, her face could not help but show a hint of embarrassment and awkwardness. Corinne looked at Anya approaching and remained calm, politely smiling at her. ¡°Miss Anya, even if you¡¯re heartbroken from losing the child, you should seekfort from the appropriate person. Mister Jeremy is a married man and should maintain his husbandly virtues. It¡¯s not convenient for him tofort you.¡± Anya felt mocked and showed a face of misunderstood grievance. She sobbed pitifully, ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t mean that, I just lost my bnce.¡± Corinne chuckled, watching Anya¡¯s skilled act, and lightly sneered, ¡°Is that so? You lost your bnce, huh? Well, you should be careful in the future. When you can¡¯t stand steady, lean against the wall, not on someone¡¯s husband. Otherwise, you might fall to the ground easily.¡± Anya¡¯s face turned stiff and pale. ¡°You!¡± Lucas¡¯ could not stand seeing his sister being ridiculed and stepping forward, saying, ¡°Corinne, you have no right to speak here!¡± Before Corinne could react, Jeremy¡¯s arm swiftly embraced her from behind, his tone calm but filled with a threatening undertone, ¡°Lucas, you¡¯d better watch your attitude when talking to my wife!¡± ¡°Wife?¡± Lucas¡¯s refined and elegant face contorted into an extremely angry sneer. ¡°Jeremy, you have ruined my sister¡¯s lifelong happiness, and yet you¡¯re to bring up wife in front of her, hurting her heart! What kind of a man are you?!¡± Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Jeremy remained silent. Years ago, to save his life, Anya selflessly extracted the snake venom from her own body, forever sacrificing her ability to be a mother. This was a debt he would always owe to the girl, and he could not fulfill Anya¡¯s emotional needs. Therefore, when Lucas used him in such a way, he had no words to respond. Corinne raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, if you truly care about your sister, it is more important to help her find her beloved son than to focus onpeting with me for a man¡¯s heart here!¡± Lucas red at Jeremy, his gaze turning cold as he looked at the eloquent Corinne, filled with disgust and anger. It was all because of her! Anya was tormented back and forth by this little girl Corinne, to the point where she was on the verge of a breakdown. He wished he could strangle her! At that moment, several household servants gasped for breath as they returned from somewhere within the estate to report. ¡°Mister Lucas, we¡¯ve searched everywhere, but we still haven¡¯t found the child!¡± Upon hearing this unfavorable oue, Anya began to sob, ¡°Where could Joey have gone? My Joey!¡± Lucas snapped back to his senses, turning to his subordinates with a stern frown. ¡°Have you searched all the rooms in the house?¡± One of the servants stepped forward and answered, ¡°Young Master, we have searched all the ces we could, except for the two special rooms upstairs. We didn¡¯t dare enter without your permission.¡± When the two special rooms upstairs were mentioned, aplex look flickered in Lucas¡¯s eyes. After a moment of silence, he waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look at those two rooms upstairs. In the meantime, bring a few search dogs andb through every corner of the house!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± The servants received new orders and went down one after another to carry them out. Lucas wearily pinched his brow and then turned around, speaking gently to Anya, ¡°Anya, brother will go. upstairs to take a look. Don¡¯t worry, we will find the child.¡± Anya understood that her brother was nning to go to those two ¡®special¡¯ rooms upstairs to see if Joey was there. She pondered for a moment, wiped away her tears, and nodded, saying, ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you let Jeremy go with you to those two rooms and search for Joey? Joey likes Jeremy the most. If he¡¯s hiding somewhere in those rooms, as soon as he sees Jeremy, he will obedientlye out!¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Regarding his sister¡¯s suggestion, Lucas instinctively showed resistance. Normally, he did not allow anyone from the household to enter those two ¡®special¡¯ rooms casually. How could he easily ept an outsider entering? But seeing his sister¡¯s anxious and pale face, Lucas couldn¡¯t bear to refuse. He turned his head, coldly looking at Jeremy, who just had a heated argument with him earlier, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go,e with me to search.¡± Jeremy had no reason to refuse, but he was concerned about the young girl beside him. He lowered his gaze, looking at her. Corinne was a clever person. From the conversation between Lucas and their servant just now, she understood that those two so-called ¡®special¡¯ rooms upstairs were not ces anyone could casually enter. Therefore, she obediently sat down on the sofa, understanding the rules. ¡°Mister, you go ahead! I¡¯ll wait for you here!¡± she said. The man smiled knowingly and gently patted her head, sternly yet tenderly admonishing. ¡°No running around,¡± Corinne obediently nodded, ¡°Okay, I understand!¡± She rarely behaved so docile because she knew how to act appropriately and wouldn¡¯t engage in verbal sparring with the man during such a time. With that, the two men went upstairs together, moving away. With no one else present, Anya¡¯s tearful appearance disappeared, reced by a gloomy re directed at Corinne! Every action and gesture from that wretched woman, Corinne, in the presence of Jeremy pierced Anya¡¯s eyes like thorns! Corinne was aware of Anya¡¯s re, but she simply ignored it, not bothering to pay attention Chapter 685 Chapter 685 She leanedzily on the sofa in the Riveras¡¯s living room, yawning idly, and looked around the surroundings with boredom. Is this the Riveras? It used to be the ce where she was born. Huh, she has no impression of this ce at all! ¡°Corinne, can we talk privately?¡± Anya suddenly spoke to her. Corinne was not interested in falling into her trap. ¡°No need for privacy. I¡¯m toozy to move. Just say it here! This is your home, and I¡¯m not afraid. What are you afraid of?¡± Anya could not persuade her, gritted her teeth, and said, ¡°Corinne, I have underestimated you before, but I won¡¯t give up just like that!¡± Corinne did not want to engage in discussions about winning or losing with her. She could not care less aboutpeting with someone like Anya. However, there was one question she wanted to ask Anya. ¡°Miss Anya, there¡¯s no one else here. Tell me the truth! Did you lose the child, or are you faking it?¡± Using that innocent child to entangle Jeremy was Anya¡¯s usual tactic. Corinne had reasonable doubts about the authenticity of the child¡¯s disappearance today. However, Anya, with her eyes red, wiped away the tears she shed, ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? My precious child is missing! Sob! sob!¡± Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Corinne did not believe her tears. ¡°If it¡¯s true, instead of crying here, as a mother, shouldn¡¯t you personally go and search for the child? Even if the child isn¡¯t your biological child, you should at least take responsibility for their safety!¡± Anya¡¯s face changed, damn it! Corinne indeed found out that the child was adopted! ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! Joey is not my biological child! But even if he is adopted, he will always be the bond between me and Jeremy! Jeremy is a responsible and good man, so he will never abandon the two of us. mother and son! Corinne, don¡¯t even think about taking Jeremy away from mepletely. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s impossible!¡± Corinne did not think much of the existence of the adopted child. She just looked at Anya with ack of understanding. ¡°Miss Anya, aren¡¯t you tired of this?¡± Anyaughed crazily. ¡°I¡¯m not tired! What¡¯s there to be tired of? I¡¯m willing to pay any price to keep Jeremy by my side because I love him!¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, what you have isn¡¯t called love.¡± Anya was defiant. ¡°If this isn¡¯t love, then what is? No one loves Jeremy more than me, including you!¡± Corinne looked at her with a gaze as if she was looking at a madwoman. ¡°What you have is called. perversion! Anya stood up in anger. ¡°Corinne, you wicked woman, what do you understand! One day, Jeremy will realize that I am the one who loves him the most!¡± Corinne felt speechless andzily smiled. She did not want to bother this crazy woman. Anya red at her, stomped her foot, and then turned around unhappily. She was probably going to find that child. After a while, a maid brought a cup of coffee to Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, please have some coffee.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Corinne happened to be thirsty, so she took the coffee and was about to drink it. Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a touch of red liquid on the white coffee cup, and she paused. The texture of that red liquid did not look like a beverage. Corinne became wary and touched the red liquid with her fingertip, then brought it to her nose for a sniff. This was- It was a smell of blood? How could there be blood?! Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Corinne wanted to ask the maid who just brought the coffee whether it was the blood from the chickens and ducks ughtered by the kitchen staff. But when she looked up, she realized that the maid already walked away, and no other servants were waiting around. Corinne furrowed her brows in confusion, thinking about the pitiful child who was always manipted by Anya. Could Anya have harmed that child again? With this thought in mind, she stood up and followed the direction the maid went. Corinne followed the maid until they reached the main kitchen of the Riveras. However, no servants were bustling about in the kitchen. The countertops were cleaned spotlessly, and there was no trace of any poultry being ughtered. If the blood on the coffee cup was not from a fowl, could it be human blood? Could it belong to that child? What was even more peculiar was that the maid who entered ahead of them was now nowhere to be found, even though Corinne saw her enter first. Corinne became increasingly suspicious of the situation in the kitchen. She cautiously looked around, and apart from the emptiness, there did not seem to be anything unusual. Suddenly, her gaze inadvertently fell to the floor, and she saw red blood droplets on the kitchen floor. Not just one or two drops, but several droplets close together, suggesting that they were left behind by a bleeding person or animal passing through this area. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Corinne furrowed her brows in alertness and followed the direction indicated by the blood droplets. The droplets led to a tightly closed, somewhat old iron door at the far end of the kitchen. She had a suspicion in her heart. Could the missing child be locked inside? Was there bloodshed? Murdered? Corinne felt shock but did not act rashly. This was the Riveras¡¯s residence, and there were some matters she could not directly intervene in. So she decided to call someone from the Riveras to come and investigate. However, as soon as she turned around, she was immediately startled! Anya stood behind her, her face pale, her expression sinister and twisted like a deeply resentful female ghost, holding a sharp chisel in her hand. Corinne instinctively took a step back and calmly asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Anya suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Corinne, you came at the right time! Please help me!¡± A furrow formed between Corinne¡¯s brows, not ruling out the possibility that Anya was acting again. ¡°Help you with what?¡± Anya continued crying as if she genuinely experienced some kind of fright or shock. Her shoulders trembled violently. ¡°I just went to the kitchen to look for Joey. I thought maybe the mischievous child went there to hide and eat snacks. Then I saw blood on the floor!¡± She pointed at the bloodstains on the ground, her face filled with fear, and her fingertips trembling. Corinne nced down at the blood droplets she was pointing at and then looked back at her. ¡°And then? What do you want me to do?¡± Tears streamed down Anya¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s Joey¡¯s blood! So I followed the blood stains and they led me to the front of that storeroom. I wanted to open the door and take a look.¡± ¡°But I couldn¡¯t open the door, no matter how hard I tried! I was worried that Joey was injured and trapped Inside, so I exerted force to pull the door open. Unexpectedly, I heard a rough man¡¯s cough from inside!¡± ¡°Corinne, there¡¯s someone in that room! Someone has taken Joey hostage! They¡¯re inside there.¡± Chapter 687 Chapter 687 ¡°I want to save my son, my precious little one! Corinne, please help me, help me break open that door together!¡± Anya eximed, raising the chisel in her hand in excitement. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Corinne watched Anya¡¯s distressed and desperate state, squinting her eyes, feeling skeptical. At this moment, Anya did indeed seem different from her previous acts. It did not seem like she was pretending. If what Anya said was true, there might be a man inside that utility room who possibly took her child hostage. Could it be a burry? The thief was discovered by the child and, fearing the child¡¯s cries would alert the adults in the house, resorted to harming the child to silence them. Considering this, with the safety of the child at stake, Corinne temporarily set aside her biased perspective of Anya and calmly advised her: ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly for now. Even if we break open the door, it won¡¯t solve the problem if someone is holding your son, hostage. It might even provoke the person to take extreme measures and harm your son! We don¡¯t know the situation inside the door or how many people are in there, so we should first call the people in your house before making any decisions!¡± After speaking, Corinne prepared to go find someone from the Riveras. However, Anya grabbed her, her eyes filled with panic, her voice trembling, ¡°No need to call anyone. I¡¯ve already called my brother. He and Jeremy wille right away! Corinne, we can¡¯t leave. If we go, what if the bad person inside takes the opportunity to escape with my precious child?¡± Anya¡¯s grip stopped Corinne in her tracks, plunging her into deep thought. Anya¡¯s concern is indeed valid. Both of them going out would provide an opportunity for the bad guys to escape, but it wouldn¡¯t be safe to leave one person here alone either.. Since she mentioned that she already called her brother, Lucas, let¡¯s wait here for a while! Corinne agreed to stay behind. ¡°Alright! But no one should act recklessly until your brother and the others arrive!¡± Anya, for once, agreed with her. She nodded and tremblingly said, ¡°Corinne, can you help me hold onto this for a moment? In case someone inside suddenly rushes out, you can defend yourself. My emotions. are too overwhelmed, and I can¡¯t summon the strength.¡± Saying that Anya directly stuffed the sharp chisel into Corinne¡¯s hand! Her action was too quick, and Corinne had no choice but to catch it. If she did not catch it, the chisel would have dropped to the ground and hit her foot! However, Corinne caught the chisel but did not have time to react to the next step when Anya suddenly seemed to lose her mind. She ran toward the storage room as if going crazy, shouting as she ran, ¡°Joey, don¡¯t be afraid! Mommy¡¯s here to save you.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Not good! What is Anya up to? What is she doing? Did she forget about the agreement they just made?! She saw Anya rush over like a gust of wind and immediately yank open the door of the storage room! Contrary to her previous description of the door being difficult to open, it was almost effortlessly pulled. open! Whoosh! Various misceneous items poured out from the storage room, and a child¡¯s body rolled out and fell among the clutter! Then, Anya¡¯s piercing scream echoed throughout the Riveras. ¡°Joey!!!¡± Seeing something was wrong, Corinne quickly approached and saw the motionless and pitiful little child lying in the heap of objects. Her pupils contracted, and she took in a sharp breath! Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Anya fell to her knees with a thud, holding her lifeless child, unable to contain her sobs. ¡°Joey, my Joey, wake up! Open your eyes and look at Mommy! Mommy is sorry, Mommy came toote! Joey, sob, sob!¡± As a pregnant expectant mother, Corinne could not help but feel a pang in her heart witnessing the separation of mother and child. At the same time, she remained cautious, raising her eyes to observe her surroundings, wary of whether there were others in the misceneous room. Anya¡¯s screams quickly drew the attention of many people. ¡°Anya, what happened?¡± Lucas hurriedly ran in and his face turned solemn upon seeing the scene. 1 Anya continued to sob while holding the child, on the verge of copse as if her breath was about to give out. ¡°Brother! Joey, he has stopped breathing, sob, sob!¡± Lucas quickly squatted down and reached out to feel the child¡¯s breath, but there was no sign of life. His hand trembled slightly, he closed his eyes in grief and took a deep breath. Jeremy entered afterward and his pupils contracted upon seeing the scene. ¡°What happened?¡± Hearing the man¡¯s voice, Anya raised her head, tears streaming down her face as she said, ¡°Jeremy, our Joey, he was murdered!¡± Jeremy¡¯s brows furrowed, he froze for a moment, then he kneeled down and gently touched the child¡¯s small hand. It was still warm, but the child already lost his breath. Although he only adopted this child with Anya not long ago, despite having no blood rtion, he felt deep sorrow and regret. N?velDrama.Org owns this. A very obedient child, not even two years old yet. Lucas suddenly opened his eyes, regained his senses, and stood up, loudlymanding the people. around him: ¡°Investigate! Go and investigate now! Find out who dares to attack my family. I will make their whole family pay with their lives!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± Someone responded and left, while the others remaining felt sorrow and silently mourned for the prematurely deceased child. At that moment, Anya, who was emotionally distraught, suddenly cried out, ¡°Brother, there¡¯s no need to send anyone to investigate. The killer is right here. I saw it!¡± Anya¡¯s words caused an uproar among those present. People looked at each other in disbelief. Lucas¡¯s expression faltered. ¡°Anya, you saw it? Tell me, who is it?¡± With teary eyes, Anya looked at Corinne standing nearby, her gaze filled with sorrow and resentment. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± Corinne was silently praying for the unfortunate child, but she was suddenly used of being the killer. She furrowed her brows in surprise, but upon seeing Anya¡¯s excellent acting skills, she was not entirely surprised. Lucas froze, his angry gaze coldly directed at Corinne. ¡°Is it you who did it?!¡± Jeremy, who was squatting beside the child, also turned to look at her. His deep and inscrutable eyes revealed no emotions, his position unclear. The gazes of the crowd were filled with anger as they red at Corinne, the ¡®culprit¡¯ who could heartlessly harm a child. Due to Anya¡¯s words, Corinne instantly became the target of everyone¡¯s usations. She regained her composure and calmly stated, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡± Anya looked at her in utter despair. ¡°Corinne, the murder weapon is still in your hands. How can you deny it? Chapter 689 Chapter 689 As she spoke, Anya withdrew her hand, which was holding the back of Joey¡¯s head, and showed the blood on her hand to everyone. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes. You used that thing in your hand to hit my little Bao¡¯s head! He¡¯s still so young, how could you do such a thing!¡± Following Anya¡¯s lead, everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards Corinne, who was still holding the chisel in her hand, further confirming their belief that she was the murderer! Faced with res from everyone, Corinne lowered her head and looked at the chisel that Anya forcefully handed her. She understood. This was a trap, a carefully designed set-up! It started from the moment Anya invited her to talk a step into the living room just now. However, she did not fall into the trap at first. Anya then sent another maid, who deliberately used a bloodstained coffee cup to lead her to this meticulously designed ¡®crime scene¡¯. One could only say that Anya¡¯s acting skills were truly outstanding! The way Anya showed concern for the child, worrying to the point of copse and panic just now, really made her believe it was genuine. She thought that apart from using her, Anya also cared about the safety of that child! However, Anya, to frame her, actually took the life of an innocent child. Her methods were too ruthless, too inhumane! At this moment, Corinne admitted that she was wrong. Her mistake was that she previously regarded Anya as a human being! Anya continued to sob and said, ¡°Corinne, I know you and Jeremy have reconciled today, so you¡¯re worried that Joey¡¯s presence will interfere with your rtionship. But you shouldn¡¯t harm a child like this! Joey was adopted by Jeremy for me from abroad. I exined it to you earlier in the living room, and I promised you that neither I nor Joey will ever disturb you and Jeremy in the future. Why can¡¯t you let Joey go?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a child who¡¯s not even two years old,¡± Anya lied without hesitation, not even batting an eye. Corinne looked at her mockingly and coldly retorted. ¡°Miss Anya, do you also know that he¡¯s just a pitiful child under two years old? Did you show him any mercy when you used him?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Faced with Corinne¡¯s sharp question, Anya¡¯s eyes flickered guiltily. She did not respond to Corinne¡¯s words but turned her face away and, with a face full of grief and anger, addressed Lucas and Jeremy. ¡°Brother, Jeremy, I don¡¯t think Corinne will admit it! So let me tell everyone how things unfolded!¡± ¡°This is what happened-¡± ¡°I just managed to find Joey in the kitchen after a lot of effort. The child is mischievous and hid there to y hide-and-seek alone.¡± ¡°Because I was worried and angry, I lectured him about not doing this again, as it would make his mother very worried. Joey is a good boy and promised me that he wouldn¡¯t do it again!¡± ¡°But at that moment, Corinne suddenly appeared here. l¡¯asked her why she was there, but she didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she took the chisel in her hand and ruthlessly struck the back of Joey¡¯s head with it. I watched helplessly as Joey copsed right here, unable to do anything! Sob, sob, sob!¡± ¡°I never expected that Corinne would harm Joey. I couldn¡¯t even stop her in time. She killed my Joey!¡± ¡°It was her, it was Corinne who killed Joey! My poor Joey died so tragically.¡± As Anya described the so-called events, she broke down into loud sobs, as if crying would increase the credibility of her words. Whoever cries is considered right? Ironically, that¡¯s how reality is. Everyone believed Anya¡¯s words, overwhelmed by the grief of losing a child. Lucas wholeheartedly believed his sister¡¯s words. Exercising his good upbringing, he suppressed his resentment and anger and asked coldly, ¡°Corinne, do you plead guilty?¡± Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Corinne raised her gaze calmly. ¡°I¡¯m innocent, why should I admit to anything?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes darkly. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then why were you holding the murder weapon?¡± Corinne lifted the chisel in her hand. ¡°Are you talking about this? Miss Anya forcefully gave it to me, saying it was for self-defense!¡± Lucas found her unreasonable. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t you find these words you¡¯re sayingughable?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression remained calm. ¡°I¡¯m speaking the truth. If you find the truthughable, then it¡¯s your problem, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas¡¯s face darkened, believing that her current attitude was not only an attempt to escape me but also a challenge to their family¡¯s authority. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ll give you another chance to confess. I can still let you bear the consequences of your actions. Otherwise, I¡¯ll make your whole family pay!¡± Corinne looked at him unperturbed, feeling a tinge of irony and amusement in her heart. Make her whole family pay? Does this so-called ¡®whole family¡¯ refer to those with blood ties? If so, then this Mister Lucas would probably be the first to die! If it doesn¡¯t refer to blood rtions, it doesn¡¯t matter even more. She doesn¡¯t have any so-called family, to begin with. ¡°Whatever.¡± The word softly spoken by Corinne left Lucas shocked and bewildered. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She doesn¡¯t care about implicating her own family? Does that mean there¡¯s no one she cares about in this world? Anya, taking advantage of her brother¡¯s position, choked up and questioned, ¡°Corinne, are you suggesting that I handed you the murder weapon to kill our precious Joey?¡± Corinne nced at Anya. ¡°As for what I mean, Miss Anya should know better than anyone.¡± Anya cried with a grievance, ¡°I don¡¯t understand! How could Iprehend your baseless words? Corinne, not only do you refuse to admit your guilt, but you also nder me as an aplice. I am Joey¡¯s mother! How could I help someone else harm my child?¡± Corinne looked at her disdainfully, ¡°Miss Anya, crying loudly won¡¯t deceive everyone! This chisel was handed to me by you! At that time, you imed to suspect that your son, Joey, was being held hostage in this storage room, and you couldn¡¯t open the door no matter what.¡± ¡°You asked me to help open that door, I believed your words and was afraid that rashly opening the door would enrage the person inside and harm the child, so I advised you not to act recklessly.¡± ¡°Then, you handed me this chisel, saying I should hold it for self-defense since you didn¡¯t have the strength to carry it. And then, you suddenly went crazy and directly opened the door of this storage room that you imed couldn¡¯t be opened, and your son fell out from inside.¡± ¡°From beginning to end, I never even touched him. I think no one knows better than you, Miss Anya, what exactly happened to your son!¡± Anya wore a face of unjust usation and indignation, ¡°Corinne, aren¡¯t you guilty of telling such lies? Doesn¡¯t your conscience ache? When did I say those things to you? Stop making up stories!¡± Who is it that lies without guilt? Who is it that doesn¡¯t feel pain in their conscience? Huh, the thief uses others of being a thief! Corinne nced at Anya and felt disgusted. Anya did not finish yet and pretended to wipe away her tears, turning to the man beside her who did not speak for a long time and said, ¡°Jeremy, I know that all the kindness you¡¯ve shown me over the years was because I once saved your life. I¡¯m not asking you to repay the debt of saving my life now. I only beg your to help us seek justice for Joey. He can¡¯t be unjustly killed like this.¡± Chapter 691 Chapter 691 Jeremy stood up the moment Anya spoke, his imposing figure seemingly unforgiving as he walked toward Corinne. Anya¡¯s flushed gaze followed the man¡¯s figure, secretly hoping that he would give Corinne a hard p. Everyone watched intently, and they inwardly felt that the son of the Holdens was going to stand up for Miss Corinne and seek justice¡­ The man did indeed reach out his hand. His rough,rge hand gently brushed away a few strands of hair that fell on her eyes, his deep voice carrying a hint of reproach as he spoke, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to wander alone?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°¡­ Right, I forgot.¡± The man said nothing else. He took off his coat and draped it over the girl. The kitchen in the Rivera household had its window open for venttion, allowing the night breeze to blow in, which could easily cause a cold. Corinne felt a weight on her shoulder and looked at the suit jacket draped over her form. At this moment, it was more than just a suit jacket to prevent her from catching a cold; it was also a gesture of absolute trust, a confirmation that no matter what happened, he would firmly stand by her side. She was momentarily stunned before she looked up at the man again. There was not a trace of doubt in Jeremy¡¯s eyes. She had not expected this man to trust her so much. Anya¡¯s acting was too convincing, and she was also his savior. He had a filter of gratitude toward Anya, and she did not me him. Surprisingly, Jeremy did not fall for Anya¡¯s trick, which was truly astounding. She rxed and leaned tiredly into the man¡¯s arms. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Mh. I¡¯ll take you home to sleep now.¡± The man patted her head gently, then turned with his arm around her shoulder, leading her away. The unexpected turn of events surprised everyone. Was the son of the Holdens openly amodating a murderer? As they watched Jeremy gently embrace Corinne and walk toward the kitchen door, Anya¡¯s expression turned incredibly ugly, her fingernails already digging into the palms of her hands. Joey was dead, yet Jeremy remained unaffected! He wholeheartedly believed in Corinne! ¡°Why?¡± Why on earth is this happening? Did Corinne put some curse on Jeremy?! ¡°Stop! You caused the death of a member of the Riveras. Who agreed to let you go?¡± As soon as Lucas spoke, a group of Rivera servants lined up in front of them, blocking their way. Jeremy stopped and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who needs permission for me to leave?¡± Lucas walked over and circled him to face him, frowning and giving him an irrational look. ¡°Jeremy, even at this point,All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. you¡¯re still protecting this treacherous woman. She¡¯s a murderer!¡± Jeremy remained unchanged. ¡°She just exined what happened. She didn¡¯t kill anyone. Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± Lucas was taken aback for a moment, then said seriously, ¡°You believe her just because she said so? Even in court, murderers don¡¯t readily admit their crimes! Jeremy, when have you be so foolish? Do you really think a cunning woman like her has any true feelings for you?¡± Jeremy replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Whether or not she¡¯s sincere, I believe her.¡± Seeing how unyielding Jeremy was, Lucas had no intention of showing mercy anymore. ¡°Your belief in her is useless because you¡¯re not thew!¡± After saying that, he coldly turned and ordered his subordinates, ¡°Call the police!¡± Crack! Suddenly, the sound of something breaking in the corner was heard. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s hiding over there?!¡± Chapter 692 Chapter 692 A maid hiding behind the kitchen refrigerator was dragged out by one of the Riveras¡® servants. The servant brought the maid in front of Lucas and threw her harshly to the ground. ¡°Speak. Why were you sneaking around back there?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The maid fell to the ground, her face filled with panic. She stammered, ¡°M¨CMister Lucas, I¨CI didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡® Lucas looked down at her, his eyes filled with cold scrutiny. The servant standing beside him questioned her on behalf of his master, ¡°You better be honest to Mister Lucas! If you didn¡¯t do anything, why were you hiding?¡± The maid shrank back in fear, her voice trembling as she kept her head down, not daring to look at anyone. ¡°Because I was afraid¡­¡± Seeing the maid speak hesitantly, the servant was about to rebuke her. However, Lucas raised his hand, stopping the rough interrogation by his household servant. He took a step forward and asked the maid, ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± The maid, as if experiencing a great mental shock, shook her head in a panic. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡­ I saw it, I saw everything¡­¡± Lucas arrowed his eyes. ¡°What did you see? Speak without worry. As long as I¡¯m here, you don¡¯t need to be afraid.¡± The maid lifted her head and looked at Lucas¡¯s exceptionally handsome face, her cheeks involuntarily turning red. No woman could resist thefort of such a handsome, charming man in her moments of vulnerability. Moreover, this man was her master, wielding absolute authority. The maid thus calmed down quickly. ¡°Mister Lucas, I saw Miss Corinne killing Miss Anya¡¯s child! She was so terrifying, holding a chisel in her hand and ruthlessly striking it on the child¡¯s head! ¡°After she killed Miss Anya¡¯s child, she warned Miss Anya to stay away from Mister Jeremy in the future, or she¡¯ll be next. At that time, I wanted to call for help to save Miss Anya, but I was too afraid. My legs turned weak, and I was afraid that Miss Corinne, whomitted the crime, would kill me off as I was a witness, so I fearfully hid, not daring to make a sound¡­ It was then, Mister Lucas, you arrived with the others! ¡°Luckily, you came early. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid Miss Anya would¡¯ve suffered a tragic fate, too!¡± As the maid finished, Lucas¡¯s cold, fierce gaze turned toward Corinne, wondering if she would show any remorse after being used. However, Corinne merely furrowed her brow slightly, appearing somewhat regretful. Corinne¡¯s reaction disappointed him. He no longer expected her to repent and instead looked at the man standing beside Corinne. ¡°Even an eyewitness hase forward. Jeremy, do you still believe in that woman by your side?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was solemn as he tightened his grip on the girl¡¯s shoulder, showing no signs of wavering. ¡°This eyewitness is someone from the Riveras. Her testimony is only one¨Csided andcks credibility.¡± Lucas sneered disdainfully. ¡°Do you think someone from our side would unjustly frame her for no reason?¡± Jeremy remainedposed. ¡°The human heart is unpredictable.¡± Lucas snorted. ¡°Jeremy, if you truly understand the unpredictability of the human heart, the person you should be most wary of is the heart of Miss Corinne who¡¯s by your side. Don¡¯t let her hurt you.¡± Jeremy¡¯s deep eyes grew serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡® Lucas then looked at Corinne indifferently. ¡°Corinne, do you have anything else to say now?¡± Corinne remained remarkably calm. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say. Call the police.¡± Chapter 693 Chapter 693 The maid who came out to testify against her was the one who came to the living room and brought her a cup of coffee, and she was the one who followed the maid into this kitchen. After she came in, the maid disappeared. She was initially puzzled by how a person could vanish like that, but she finally understood. The maid had hidden behind the refrigerator in advance, waiting toe out and provide false testimony. Hmph. It appeared the maid was also Anya¡¯s pawn. What a meticulously nned trap. Corinne was indeed speechless. There was nothing much to say, and the testimonies and the evidence were against her. The only option was to hand it over to the police and have them professionally investigate the matter and clear her name. When the police and forensic experts arrive, they would determine the time of the child¡¯s death and the true cause. Only then would the culprit be revealed. N?velDrama.Org owns this. With the maid she arranged in advance standing up to use Corinne, Anya felt like victory was in her hands. However¡­one look at Jeremy made her realize he still trusted Corinne. Her heart twisted with jealousy. Resentful, Anya gritted her teeth and embraced Joey with deep sorrow, sobbing as she said, ¡°Brother, since Corinne refuses to admit her crimes, let¡¯s do as she wishes and call the police. We can¡¯t let my little treasure¡¯s death remain a mystery!¡± Lucas had no intention of showing mercy to Corinne, who showed no remorse. He thus signaled to his subordinates to call the police. Corinne yawned wearily and said, ¡°They¡¯ve called the police, Mister, so let¡¯s wait here a bit longer and cooperate with the investigation.¡± Jeremy lowered his gaze and looked at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were tired?¡± Corinne shrugged helplessly. ¡°Even when tired, I still need to cooperate with the investigation. I want to be aw¨Cabiding citizen.¡± Jeremy lovingly patted the little girl¡¯s head and could not help but feel distressed. He regretted bringing her here tonight. They had just made up, yet she was sucked into this mess. After someone from the Riveras reported the incident to the police, Corinne unintentionally caught a glimpse of a provocative smile on Anya¡¯s face. How could she smile while holding her deceased son in her arms? Unfortunately, that twisted smile disappeared in an instant, seen only by Corinne. No one else noticed Anya¡¯s true nature. Upon seeing Anya¡¯s triumphant smile, Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she envisioned the next dilemma she would face. Since Anya had carefully orchestrated this trap today, she must have taken into ount all the risks cunningly and meticulously. Most likely, the forensic experts and the police were already part of her n. This was evident from Anya¡¯spleteck of fear of the police. Corinne should have realized that there was no ce beyond Anya¡¯s reach. It was impossible to rely on those who had been bribed by Anya to uncover the truth and restore her innocence! This time, she had truly been careless. She had mistakenly believed that Anya still had a trace of motherly instinct left for the child, and that was why her acting fooled her. Amid her worries, Corinne suddenly noticed a slight movement of the finger of the deceased child being held by Anya. It was very subtle, but it was not an illusion. Was the child¡­still alive? Corinne¡¯s pupils constricted, and she quickly walked over, crouching down to feel the child¡¯s pulse. Chapter 694 Chapter 694 ¡°Corinne, what¡­ What are you doing again? My Joey has died! What else do you want to do to him? Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Corinne wasted no time with Anya¡¯s words and instantly pried her hand that tightly held the child. ¡°Don¡¯t get in the way. I want to see if your son can still be saved!¡± Anya stared at Corinne, shocked, then became more guarded against Corinne¡¯s actions as she shouted, ¡°What? You want to see if Joey can still be saved?! Corinne, how can you act so well!? It was you who killed my Joey, and now that my brother has reported to the police, youe here pretending to save him? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too pretentious? ¡°Is it because the police areing soon, and you want to destroy the evidence in advance? ¡°Brother! She¡¯s trying to harm Joey¡¯s body. Quickly, help me drive her away!¡± ¡°Corinne, stop right there!¡± Lucas¡® expression turned ruthless as he quickly approached to protect his sister, but Jeremy¡¯s raised arm stopped him halfway. Blocked on his path, Lucas stood still, narrowing his eyes in displeasure. ¡°Jeremy, can¡¯t you see what that woman is doing? She doesn¡¯t even respect the boy¡¯s body!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained emotionless. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to touch her!¡± Lucas felt him unreasonable and directly waved away Jeremy¡¯s arm to break through. At this moment, Corinne grabbed the child¡¯s hand and confirmed that the child still had a pulse, albeit very weak. She turned around and said, ¡°Mister! Call an ambnce!¡± Upon hearing the girl¡¯smand, Jeremy swiftly let go and allowed Lucas to pass, then took out his phone and dialed the emergency number. When Lucas reached his sister¡¯s side, Corinne had already stood up and walked away. Corinne stood up and looked at the people around her, quickly selecting those who could be of use. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. It was then she saw Lucas¡® trusted subordinate, Edmund, standing not far away, and she quickly walked toward him. The servants of the Riveras all looked down on her and would not listen to her. Edmund, on the other hand, had previously interacted with her in their work. Although he was Lucas¡® trusted subordinate, he had a decent character, so he should be willing to help! She approached Edmund and solemnly said, ¡°Mister Edmund, do you know if there is any first¨Caid kit in the household?¡± Most houses had first¨Caid kits for bruises and minor injuries. One wasmonly kept in households. Edmund looked at her cautiously and bewilderedly, then answered, ¡°There should be.¡± ¡°Then please go find one as soon as possible,¡± she said, entrusting him with the task. ¡°The sooner, the better!¡± Edmund¡¯s brow furrowed and he looked at Lucas, silently asking for his master¡¯s opinion, but Lucas was busyforting his sister and gave him no affirmation nor refutation. Seeing this, Edmund considered for a moment and nodded at Corinne. ¡°Wait here.¡± Edmund thus swiftly went to find the kit. Seeing Edmund leave, Corinne turned and exchanged a nce with Jeremy. The man slightly nodded at her. An ambnce had been called and would arrive soon. Their bodies and mindsmunicated without the need for words, understanding each other implicitly. Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Corinne walked over to Anya¡¯s side, intending to take the child from her arms andy him t on the ground. However, Anya held onto Joey tightly, pretending to be pitiful in Lucas¡® embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my child! Corinne, I beg you, please stop hurting my child!¡± Corinne had no interest in watching her perform this pitiful act. Without even raising an eyebrow, she calmly said, ¡°I should still be able to save this child¡¯s life. If you truly love your child, it¡¯s best to listen to me andy his body t.¡± It was easy to imagine that Anya would not cooperate. She simply did not believe that Corinne could save the child, and even if she did believe, she did not want this child to survive. Seeing that Anya still refused to cooperate, Corinne no longer expected this hypocritical woman to have a change of heart. She thus reached out to snatch the child herself. The child was very weak, and being tightly held by Anya like that would surely lead to his final breath being snuffed out! Fearful that Corinne would take Joey, Anya hurriedly moved toward her brother¡¯s embrace while holding the boy, saying, Brother, she wants to take my child away! Help me!¡± Lucas could not bear it any longer. He pushed Corinne away and angrily rebuked, ¡°Corinne, will you never stop? Haven¡¯t your parents taught you the most basic manners? Do you not understand how to respect the deceased?¡± No matter how stable her center of gravity was, Corinne stood no chance against a strong man¡¯s shove, and she thus fell back. Fortunately, Jeremy was right behind her and reached out in time toThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. support her, preventing her from falling and getting hurt. After helping Corinne steady herself, the man stared coldly at Lucas, exuding a dangerous chill. Corinne knew that Jeremy was angry, so she quickly pulled his hand, indicating that he should not get involved. It was not the time for him to argue for her. Saving the child was their priority! Corinne no longer bothered tomunicate with the deceitful Anya and addressed Lucas, ¡°Mister Lucas, if you still want your sister¡¯s child to survive, it¡¯s best to listen to me!¡± Lucas¡® eyebrows wrinkled in displeasure. ¡°Is this a game to you, Corinne?¡± How could he believe that Corinne could bring a lifeless child back to life? Corinne knew Lucas would not believe her, so she said, ¡± Desperate times call for desperate measures. If the childes back to life, everyone will be happy. If not, you can continue to hold me responsible for everything. So why not give it a try, Mister Lucas, just in case?¡± Looking at Corinne¡¯s meticulous, stern expression, it did not seem like she was joking. What she said also made some sense. Just in case¡­ Doubt rose in Lucas¡® heart. After thinking for a moment, he held his sister¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Anya, Joey is already in this state. Why don¡¯t you let her try?¡± Anya certainly did not agree. ¡°But Lucas¡­¡± Lucas patted his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Rest assured, if she fails to save Joey, I¡¯ll make her pay twice the price and ensure justice for Joey.¡± With her brother¡¯s persistence, Anya could no longer resist. Reluctantly, she released Joey and followed Corinne¡¯s instructions toy the child t on the ground. Frankly, she had doubts. Was Corinne truly that knowledgeable in treating injuries? Could she bring Joey back to life? If so, would the boy not reveal the truth about his head injury? If that were to happen¡­ No. Impossible! How could Corinne bring a dead person back to life? She was just struggling in herst moments, trying to deceive them! Anya sneered inwardly, eager to see what tricks this wicked woman Corinne could still y. Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Although Lucas agreed to let Corinne try to revive Joey, he did not let his guard down. He stood aside and observed, instructing the servants around him to record the entire process on their phones. When the police arrivedter, the video would be handed over to them to prevent Corinne from making any moves for the sake of exoneration and then denying themter. The child had beenid t, and Corinne squatted on the ground, reaching out to open Joey¡¯s eyelids and check. Then, she carefully performed some basic life-saving measures for him. Anya leaned weakly against her brother¡¯s arms, sobbing as she stared at Corinne worriedly. Honestly, she could not care less about Joey; it was all an act for Lucas and Jeremy to see. However, only her brother cared for her. Heforted her softly, holding her tightly. Jeremy, on the other hand, had not nced her way once! Anya sneakily nced at that man who was beyond her reach. Jeremy stood on Corinne¡¯s side, standing tall and straight like a carefree cypress tree. His hands were casually tucked in his pockets, his head slightly lowered, and his gentle yet powerful gaze unwaveringly fixed on the girl squatting on the ground, performing CPR on the lifeless Joey. At this moment, Jeremy looked much like the protective male protagonist who willingly stayed by her side, unwavering and without doubt. As Anya watched on, she felt an intense sting. She used to think that as long as she drove Corinne away, Jeremy would stay by her side. However, she finally understood that as long as Corinne did not disappear from this world, Jeremy¡¯s eyes would never be on her. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Thus, Corinne must die! She had to die! At this moment, Edmund returned, holding a small bottle and handing it over. ¡°Miss Corinne, this is the first-aid kit you asked for.¡± Corinne quickly stood up and took the bottle, hastily unscrewing it. Anya saw the cheap bottle and immediately took advantage of the situation, crying out in a mixture of urgency and anger, ¡°Corinne, you said you could save my Joey, but you¡¯re using this basic first-aid to save him? This is a joke! How could basic first-aid revive Joey?¡± As she spoke, tears rolled down from her innocent deer-like eyes. She turned to her brother, seeking sce. ¡°Brother, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have trusted her! Joey has stopped breathing, but she¡¯s using this cheap kit on him. How could medicine in first-aid kits possibly bring the dead back to life?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyebrows furrowed. He felt uneasy as he looked at his sister¡¯s sorrowful appearance. He stared at Corinne and asked, ¡°Corinne, can you really do it?¡± Corinne merely stared at the siblings before she resumed. She poured out all the contents in the kit and squatted, smearing some powder onto the wound on the back of the child¡¯s head. Then, she dug out a small red pill from under the pile of medicine. Ordinary people would not know that there was such a hidden treasure in the first-aid kit. This was the one thing she truly needed! Corinne pried open Joey¡¯s mouth and ced the pill inside, then had someone bring some water and slowly administer it. The crowd watched eagerly, all their eyes fixed on the child lying on the ground, waiting to see if there would be any movement. However, even after moments had passed, Joey showed no reaction, remaining as motionless as a corpse. Chapter 697 Chapter 697 Everyone¡¯s expectant gazes gradually dulled with disappointment, mixed with a hint of frustration as if they had been yed with. The servants of the Riveras started to snap in frustration. ¡°There¡¯s no movement at all. How can there be any sign ofing back to life?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust her! She¡¯s just ying tricks!¡± ¡°The boy no longer breathes. How could hee back to life just by swallowing some mysterious pill? If that was possible, hospitals would¡¯ve closed down long ago!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She exaggerated to give herself a chance. That woman is clearly toying with us!¡± Lucas¡¯ expression darkened, as the situation unfolded as expected. He squinted at Corinne, waiting to see if she would feel ashamed. Anya saw the result she had hoped for and secretly chuckled. Then, she cried with sorrow. ¡°Corinne, have you had enough? My Joey has already passed, yet you continue to torment his body! Just hurt me if you¡¯re so bitter, but don¡¯t torment my child anymore!¡± Corinne remained silent, her eyebrows furrowed as she fixed her gaze on the child thatid the ground, hoping he coulde back to life. She refused to give up and reached out to pinch his philtrum. With no response from Corinne, it seemed as if shecked any reaction. Taking advantage of the atmosphere, Anya decided to act as she pounced on Corinne out of sadness, anger, and agitation. She grabbed Corinne¡¯s hands and vigorously shook her, pleading, ¡°Corinne, spare my child, okay?! I beg you, I¡¯ll kneel for you! Is that enough?!¡± Upon seeing this, Jeremy immediately reached out and pulled Anya. ¡°Hold yourself a little!¡± When Anya felt the man¡¯s touch, she fell right into his trap. She leaned against him, tears streaming down her face as she looked at him with anguish. ¡°Jeremy, are you going to stand there and watch Corinne torment Joey¡¯s body? Although Joey has no blood ties to us, he truly thinks we¡¯re his parents! Have you forgotten how adorable he was when he called you ¡®Daddy¡¯? Are you so indifferent to our Joey because of Corinne?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes dimmed with aplicated expression. He remained silent. for two seconds, then pushed Anya away, who had lost her strength leaning on him, and helped her stand. upright. After that, he let go of her hand. ¡°Calm down. The situation hasn¡¯t concluded yet.¡± Anya was heartbroken, her despair evident on her face. ¡°Jeremy¡­ What do you mean, the situation hasn¡¯t concluded yet? Joey is dead! As Joey¡¯s guardian and father, shouldn¡¯t you be the first one to seek revenge for him? Why do you choose to side with the person who killed our child?¡± Lucas stepped forward and supported his sister, snorting coldly. ¡°Forget it, Anya. Don¡¯t expect this man to have a conscience! He can even ignore your lifesaving grace, let alone an adopted child!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Aplex and indescribable expression appeared on Jeremy¡¯s face as he red at Lucas pointedly. At this moment, the air felt stifling, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. All of a sudden¡­ ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡± Suddenly, the sound of a child coughing echoed in the air, and the tense standoff between the two men. was broken. The onlookers¡¯ discussions came to a halt, and everyone immediately focused on the child on the ground. They saw the child, who had lost his breath, furrowing his brow in pain. He opened his mouth and coughed intermittently. He woke up! He actually woke up! Chapter 698 Chapter 698 Joey opened his eyes, but having just survived a near¨Cdeath experience, he looked sickly pale, and he appeared weak even as he regained consciousness. After the shock, those from the Rivera immediately surrounded the child, showing their concern. Corinne felt herself rxing as she watched Joey regain consciousness. She stood up and moved back, leaning against Jeremy as she sighed in relief. Jeremy, on the other hand, said nothing as he gently caught her as she leaned into his embrace, smoothing her hair. Amid her shock, Anya continued to y her role. She squatted beside the child, wiped away her tears, and said, ¡°Oh my god, Joey¡­ You¡¯re awake! I thought you were gone, my boy¡­ You don¡¯t know how scared I was!¡± At first, Joey had a confused expression, staring nkly at his surroundings, not understanding what had happened. However, when Anya approached to hold him, he immediately showed a terrified expression as if he had seen something dreadful, and he immediately burst into tears. Anya stiffened at this, but she continued to embrace the child¡¯s shoulders, coaxing, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Joey! Mommy is right here!¡± Anya¡¯s presence did notfort him. Instead, he cried even louder and tried desperately to crawl away from her on the ground. Unfortunately, he was too weak and could not get up. Observing this, Lucas¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. However, due to his sister¡¯s erratic behavior, he did not think much of it. ¡°Anya, your emotions are too intense right now, which might upset the child. Don¡¯t approach him for now. Let Joey calm down, and he¡¯lle to you.¡± Anya blinked with a guilty conscience, pretending helplessness as she nodded. ¡°Alright, then. I hope my Joey is really fine now¡­ I¡¯ll be happy enough.¡± In fact, what she was really worried about was not Joey¡¯s physical condition but whether he would say something inappropriate after waking up instead. If Joey revealed the truth, that his head injury was caused by his own mother, how would Lucas and Jeremy view her in the future? This was terrible! Who would have thought that a deceased child could be brought back to life?! Corinne must have been a witch! Otherwise, how could she possess such extraordinary abilities that defy logic? She had used witchcraft on Jeremy before, and at this moment, she used resurrection techniques to revive this child! However, Corinne did not possess any resurrection technique. It just so happened that she had some knowledge of basic medicine and knew some obscure facts that ordinary people did not. Although a first¨Caid kit wasmonly found in every household, most people were unaware that it hid a hidden pill inside the bottle cap of the regr medicinal powder. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The ingredients of the pill were a top¨Csecret form, and its exactposition was unknown. When Corinne lived in the nunnery as a child, she once saw the nun who took her in to use that pill to revive a critically injured person who had lost vital signs, and she remembered that scene ever since. However, the pill could only be used for patients in critical condition and should not be used indiscriminately for minor injuries. When used correctly, it could save a person¡¯s life. The prerequisite was that the person taking the medicine must still have vital signs. Fortunately, the child fought hard for his life and survived. Chapter 699 Chapter 699 The ambnce and police cars arrived at the Riveras¡® simultaneously. The medical staff were the first to rush in, examining the child¡¯s injuries and inquiring about the measures taken by the family. They praised the family for their effective rescue, stating that otherwise, the child might not have been saved! When the doctors praised them, Lucas nced at Corinne with aplex expression in his eyes. Because the child had lost a significant amount of blood, the wound on the back of his head needed to be stitched up. The medical personnel lifted Joey onto a stretcher and took him to the hospital for further examination and treatment. Lucas instructed Edmund to apany the child while he stayed to coordinate with the police. Anya did not go with the ambnce to apany Joey because whenever she approached the child, he would cry out in fear. The medical staff had to persuade her to step out of the vehicle and not to further upset the child. She could only get out of the car, but she was worried about what the child might say to Edmund along the way. After the paramedics took the injured child away, the police approached and asked, ¡°Mister Lucas, someone from your family reported that someone killed the boy here, correct?¡± Lucas nodded and described the entire incident to the police. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The police were somewhat surprised and said, ¡°So you mean the child isn¡¯t dead and has been saved?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Lucas calmly and elegantly replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but because the child¡¯s injuries are severe, he needs to receive treatment at the hospital first. Once his condition stabilizes, we can cooperate with your investigation.¡± The police nodded in understanding and continued with their routine questioning. ¡°So, who do you suspect harmed your child? Do you have any leads?¡± Lucas¡¯s expression becameplicated, and after a moment of silence, he turned his gaze toward Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s her.¡± The police and their colleagues all turned to look at Corinne, who stood not far away. ¡°You suspect thisdy ofmitting the crime. Do you have any evidence?¡± ¡°We have eyewitnesses. My sister and our family¡¯s servant both saw hermitting the act.¡± After understanding the situation, the police walked toward Corinne with a serious expression and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Corinne calmly replied, ¡°Myst name is Carew, and my name is Corinne.¡± One of the police then said, ¡°Corinne Carew, someone has reported that you¡¯re suspected of intentional homicide. Now,e with us to the station for questioning.¡± Corinne was unsurprised by this oue and prepared to cooperate, going with them. Suddenly, Jeremy¡¯srge hand grabbed her shoulder, stopping the girl who was about to leave. The man coldly nced at the police, then narrowed his eyes at Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, howe you didn¡¯t mention how she disregarded your obstruction and saved the child? You didn¡¯t even say a word about it to the police.¡± Lucas¡® eyebrows furrowed as he replied, ¡°She did save Joey, but that doesn¡¯t prove she didn¡¯t harm anyone in the first ce.¡± The police were rather confused by this and paused before asking, ¡°What does that mean? Are you saying this girl killed the child first and then revived him?¡± Lucas walked over, stood in front of Jeremy and Corinne, and answered, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what happened.¡± Jeremy looked at Lucas expressionlessly and coldly said, ¡°If she truly did hurt someone, why would she save them? What¡¯s the logic behind all this? Does it make sense to you?¡± Chapter 700 Chapter700 Lucas was at a loss for words. He could not make sense of the logic behind all this, but to him, of Corinne¡¯s previous actionscked logic as well. For example, her sudden appearance at the Riveras¡® job interview, or her presence at his grandfather¡¯s birthday banquet without. any reason. Moreover, both Anya and the maid witnessed Corinne¡¯s actions firsthand. Could it be fake? ¡°I know why Corinne made such an effort to save Joey, Lucas,¡± interjected Anya. As everyone turned to look, they saw Anya, with red eyes, walking in from outside. She nned to apany Joey to the hospital with the medical staff, but because the child had an extreme reaction as soon as he saw her, the medical staff advised her to stay behind, and she had to come back. Lucas frowned when he saw her returning alone and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the hospital? Where¡¯s Joey?¡± Anya walked to her brother¡¯s side, wiped away her tears, and said, ¡°Edmund is with Joey at the hospital, so I feel relieved. We can go to the hospitalter to see Joey together. Now, I want to see the mastermind who hurt Joey brought to justice. Otherwise, as a mother, I¡¯ll feel too guilty and won¡¯t be able to face my child¡­¡± She choked up again as she spoke, evoking sympathy from those present. After being advised against going in the ambnce, Anya calmed down a lot. She thought for a moment and came up with a n. With Joey already taken away by the ambnce and temporarily unable to reveal anything detrimental, this was the time to firmly establish Corinne¡¯s intentional homicide charge. They would deal with the child at the hospitalter. Children were easier to handle; there were ways to prevent them from talking nonsense. Seeing her sister¡¯s swollen eyes from crying, Lucas¡¯s heart ached slightly. ¡°Anya, what did you say you knew?¡± Anya gently wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with sorrow and resentment as she red at Corinne. ¡°Lucas, I know why Corinne saved Joey. The answer is simple: it¡¯s because she got scared when she heard our family reporting the incident to the police. She was afraid of facing severe punishment for causing someone¡¯s death, so she had a change of heart and saved Joey!¡± As she said this, beads of tears rolled down Anya¡¯s face, and she pleaded with the officers. handling the case, ¡°Officer, I saw the whole situation. It was she who hit my son¡¯s head with a chisel, and my son fell to the ground unconscious! Even though she revived my son afterward, it doesn¡¯t negate her initial motive to kill. She should be charged with attempted murder! This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Officer, I beg you to bring this culprit to justice. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid my son will be subjected to her harm again someday! ¡®Children¡¯s brains are still developing at this stage, and after such a heavy blow to the head, who knows if there will be anysting effects? There cannot be another incident like this! ¡°If my testimony alone isn¡¯t enough, there¡¯s our maid. She witnessed what happened, too! You can question her!¡± The maid quickly stepped forward and spoke up for her boss. ¡°Yes, officer! I saw it, too. It was Corinne who used a chisel to hit Miss Anya¡¯s child! It was her!¡± The officers nodded. ¡°Miss Anya, we have understood the situation you described. We¡¯ll definitely bring the perpetrator to justice and give you an exnation.¡± Then, the officers sternly looked at Corinne. ¡°Corinne Carew, if you have anything to defend yourself with, you can say it at the police station. Now,e with us!¡± Corinne did not resist being taken away by the police, but Jeremy would not allow her to move an inch. Jeremy held the girl¡¯s shoulder and applied a slight force, preventing her from moving. Looking at the officers, the man¡¯s gaze was dominant and indifferent. ¡°If you want to take her away, have your chief call me first.¡± Chapter 701 Chapter701 A few officers recognized the prominent figure of the Holden family and became uneasy. Well¡­ Mister Jeremy, please don¡¯t make our job difficult. We¡¯re just following the procedures¡­ ¡± The man snorted, his ink¨Cck eyebrows dangerously raised. ¡°Following procedures? Just based on the one¨Csided words of the Riveras, you want to take my wife as a murder suspect? Is there an arrest warrant?¡± What? This girl named Corinne was actually Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife?! The officers were officially stumped. When they saw this girl standing beside Mister Jeremy, they thought she was just a new lover he happened to bring along. They never expected her to be his legitimate wife! They could not afford to offend her. Should Miss Corinne truly be innocent, not only would their fate be at stake, but even their department could not bear the consequences! Lucas could sense that the police were wary of the Holdens. His brow furrowed as he stepped forward, saying, ¡°Jeremy, the police only want to take Corinne with them for further questioning; they¡¯re not trying to arrest her! If she is truly innocent, the police will naturally let her go home. Don¡¯t you respect thew here?¡± Jeremy coldly nced at him, and both sides were at a standoff. It was difficult for the police to mediate. At that moment, Lucas¡® phone suddenly vibrated. He softened his sharp gaze, took out his phone, and checked. It was a call from Edmund. Worried that something was wrong with the child¡¯s condition, Lucas did not hesitate and immediately stepped aside to answer the call. Lucas asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? How is the child doing now?¡± Edmund hurriedly replied, ¡°Mister Lucas, the child is fine. You don¡¯t need to worry!¡± Upon hearing that the child was okay, Lucas¡® brow slightly rxed. ¡°Alright. Is there anything. else?¡± Edmund remained silent for a few seconds before speaking with a somewhatplicated tone, ¡°Mister Lucas, Joey just said that it wasn¡¯t Corinne who harmed him, so¡­.I thought I should tell you that to avoid wrongly using Miss Corinne.¡± Lucas¡® brow furrowed again, his clear eyes tightening. ¡°Joey said that? How did he say it?¡± Edmund gave a detailed ount of Joey¡¯s situation to Lucas. After ending the call, Lucas narrowed his eyes with aplex expression before turning around. His expression was heavy as he said, ¡°Officers, you can go back for now. Today¡¯s incident was just a misunderstanding. I apologize for having youe here for nothing.¡± The sudden turn of events caught everyone off¨Cguard. The police, on the other hand, felt relieved upon hearing that as they felt they were stuck in a difficult position. After all, both the Riveras and Holdens were not easy to deal with. If this incident turned out to be a misunderstanding and both sides were willing to settle it privately, they would have fewer troubles. The leading officer waved it off. ¡°It¡¯s alright. If there¡¯s any further development, feel free to contact us anytime.¡± Lucas courteously nodded. ¡°Certainly. Someone, escort the officers properly.¡± A servant promptly stepped forward, courteously leading the police officers out. Anya looked bewildered as she watched the officers leave so easily. She could not help but ask in dissatisfaction, ¡°Brother, why did you let the police go just like that? Joey was deliberately harmed today! I saw it with my own eyes. How can it be a misunderstanding?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chapter 702 Chapter702 Lucas¡® sharp gaze was fixed on his beloved younger sister who had been spoiled since childhood. ¡°Are you sure you were there and saw everything?¡± Anya felt rather guilty as she met her brother¡¯s gaze and showed a hint of grievance.¡± Positive! Do you still not believe me, Lucas?¡± Lucas narrowed his elegant eyes, a trace of doubt lingering in his eyes regarding his sister.¡± Then why did Joey himself say that Corinne didn¡¯t harm him?¡± Joey said that? Anya¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment, and she quickly realized that the phone call her brother received earlier was from Edmund. Joey must have said something to Edmund, who ryed it to her brother over the phone! She did not know what Joey specifically said, so Anya could not help but feel flustered, but she showed no slip¨Cups outwardly. ¡°Lucas, Joey is still so young. He can¡¯t even speakplete sentences yet! How could he clearly describe in words what happened? Edmund must¡¯ve misunderstood Joey¡¯s meaning!¡± The doubt in Lucas¡® eyes did not dissipate. ¡°Joey doesn¡¯t needplicated descriptions, but Edmund showed him a photo of Corinne and asked if the person in the photo harmed him. Joey consistently shook his head and said no.¡± Anya blinked nervously, her eyes turning red. ¡°Lucas, Joey had his back turned to Corinne when the attack happened. He didn¡¯t see the attacker, so it¡¯s normal that he doesn¡¯t know who the culprit is! I saw everything, and it wasn¡¯t just me who saw it. Even our family¡¯s maid saw it! Speaking of the maid who initially crouched down in a suspicious manner, Lucas did nce at the kitchen maid standing nearby. Initially, he had not paid attention to what the maid was doing, but he finally got a good look at her. This maid was responsible for making nourishing soups for Anya on a daily basis, and they were close. Was it possible, then¡­that they both conspired in advance? Lucas did not want to think badly of his sister, but Anya had framed Corinne because of Jeremy before. Of course, Anya sincerely repented and begged for forgiveness at the time. N?velDrama.Org owns this. As an older brother, he wanted to believe that his sister was just momentarily confused and truly realized her mistake, that she would not do it again in the future. However, a simr situation urred again, and this was even worse, nearly resulting in loss of life! If Anya was the instigator of this incident, she would be truly deranged, capable of using even her own child¡¯s life for her own benefit! The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. Lucas furrowed his brow tightly and continued, ¡°Edmund said that the child kept crying when they arrived at the hospital. To calm him down, he showed him your photo, hoping that the image of his mother would soothe his emotions. However, as soon as Joey saw your photo, he broke down crying and kept saying he was scared. Why do you think that is?¡± At this moment, Lucas¡® gaze toward his sister was filled with skepticism. He did not want to believe that his sister, whom he had spoiled since childhood, could possess such sinister intentions and be so ruthless. However, he thought of Joey¡¯s reaction upon seeing Anya after waking up. How could the child be afraid of his mother if Anya had not done something terrible to him? Lucas could note up with a reasonable exnation to justify this situation. Under her brother¡¯s doubtful gaze, Anya could no longer maintain her facade of calmness. Unnaturally, she blinked and forcefully exined, ¡°Joey saying he¡¯s scared¡­must be because. he was traumatized after being hurt, and it left an indelible shadow in his heart. When he saw my photo, he must¡¯ve wanted to find his mother and could only cry since I wasn¡¯t around¡­¡± Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Lucas felt like the girl before him, the same one he watched growing up, was very unfamiliar. There were some things he did not want to dwell on anymore. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not lying to me, Anya.¡± Not probing further, Anya breathed a sigh of relief, but she still felt uneasy. It seemed like her brother was very disappointed in her, as if he did not trust her anymore. Lucas felt exhausted after all themotion. He no longer looked at his sister and turned to Jeremy and Corinne, saving. ¡°Jeremy, you can leave now. Thankfully, Joey is fine. Let¡¯s consider today¡¯s incident wrapped up.¡± Jeremy sneered, ¡°Wrapped up? You say it so easily. You¡¯ve treated my wife like a murderer for so long, and you now want to let it go Lucas frowned. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to pursue it anymore. It doesn¡¯t mean that Corinne ispletely innocent! Jeremy, are you not willing to back down at all?¡± A hint of irony appeared in Jeremy¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know what kind of person you are, Lucas someone who pays attention to every detail. If you had even a little certainty, you wouldn¡¯t let my wife off so easily! It¡¯s obvious that you now realize your judgment was wrong, so you want to settle it peacefully!¡± Lucas¡¯ expression darkened, and his jaw tightened. ¡°What do you want, then?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy gently caressed Corinne¡¯s head as if protecting a child, not budging an inch. ¡°I want you to admit your mistake to my wife and apologize to her properly Lucas¡¯ eyebrows furrowed, and he nced at Corinne. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck, Jeremy!¡± He, the esteemed young master of the Riveras, was being asked to admit his mistake and apologize to that girl in front of all the household servants? What a joke! Jeremy stared at him unforgivingly. ¡°Lucas, if you consider yourself a man, you should. apologize for your misjudgment!¡± Lucas¡¯ face turned extremely unpleasant. Suddenly, an elderly voice broke the deadlock in the kitchen. ¡°Cough! What¡¯s all this noise?¡± Upon hearing the voice of the old man, the Rivera servants all showed reverence, quieting down, and even the whispered discussions ceased. Before long, an old man leaning on a cane was helped slowly into the kitchen. The old man looked at the bustling scene in the kitchen with a puzzled frown. ¡°I just went out. for a stroll and came back to find no one in the living room. Why are you all gathered in the kitchen?¡± Corinne recognized him at a nce; he was Lucas¡¯ grandfather. He was the blind old man she met before. At that time, the old man was annoyed by a car upying the sidewalk and angrily struck it with his cane. The owner of the car happened to return and was about to confront the old man. Corinne, on the other hand, happened to pass by and helped the old man deal with the unscrupulous car owner. She remembered that the old man was blind at that time, but it seemed like his eyes were fine. Could he finally see? Chapter 704 Chapter 704 ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯re back!¡± Anya immediately ran up to her grandfather upon seeing him returning, wiping away her tears in an aggrieved manner. Cedric Rivera nced at his granddaughter, whose eyebrows were furrowed and had reddened eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? How did you end up crying again? You¡¯re such a child, alwaysining about this and that, or crying, endlessly over trivial matters! Your grandmother and 1, at our age, have never been as difficult to please as you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anya trailed off. She had hoped to receivefort and support from her grandfather, but instead, she was met with a lecture full of disdain. Anya felt embarrassed and could not find a way to respond. Although she had been pampered at home since childhood, with her parents, older brother, and younger brother treating her like a precious gem, her position as a granddaughter to her grandparents was slightly inferior to that of her older brother Lucas and younger brother Sunny. She always felt that her grandparents favored boys over girls. ¡°Grandpa, I didn¡¯t cry on purpose. It¡¯s because someone came to our house and caused trouble today¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa, it was just a small incident that¡¯s been resolved. You don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Lucas. walked over, forcefully interrupting Anya¡¯s attempt to express her grievances to their grandfather. He gave Anya a stern gaze and addressed Cedric, ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯ve had a long day. Let them assist you in going upstairs to rest.¡± Cedric did not like the sight of this talented eldest grandson either and snorted. ¡°I think this girl is spoiled by you, my boy! She¡¯s be so fragile, crying over every little thing. She could. break from a gust of wind!¡± His words made Lucas¡¯ brow furrow, and he started to reflect on whether he had truly spoiled his sister all these years¡­. Seeing that there was nothing unusual in the kitchen and not wanting to delve deeper, Cedric gestured for his attendants to assist him and prepared to go upstairs to rest. As Cedric turned to leave, the people in the kitchen dispersed. Corinne yawned wearily. ¡°Mister, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go home and sleep.¡± The man looked down at her, his heart aching as he furrowed his brow. ¡°Is that it?¡± Knowing that the man was referring to being wrongly used of murder by the Riveras, Corinne shrugged indifferently. ¡°Well, forget it. We can¡¯t wake someone who¡¯s pretending to be clueless anyway.¡± Corinne was referring to none other than Lucas. As a shrewd and quick-witted CEO, he feigned ignorance, even though he knew very well that the situation might very well be his sister¡¯s fault. He wanted to downy the seriousness of the matter to protect her. Lucas, who was escorting his grandfather out of the kitchen, suddenly stopped and turned back, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Jeremy and Corinne. How could he not hear the sarcasm in Corinne¡¯s words? Lucas¡¯ mood worsened, and a trace of displeasure flickered in his eyes. However, since his grandfather had not gone far yet, he could not express his true feelings. Meanwhile, Anya, who was still in the kitchen, stared at Jeremy and Corinne. She watched as her beloved man spoke softly and kindly to another woman, and her heart burned with jealousy, corroding and bubbling like sulfuric acid All her carefully nned actions today had gone to waste N?velDrama.Org owns this. Why should Corinne always be able to turn danger into safety? D*mn it! While Corinne no longer wanted to dwell on it, Jeremy did not n to let the matter rest. The Riveras had wrongly used her and bullied her, and this was not the first nor the second time! They needed to be taught a lesson, or they would not understand the severity of the situation! : However, Jeremy did not intend to waste any more time in the Riveras¡¯ residence. His priority was to take the exhausted Corinne home. They could deal with the Riveraster. Jeremy followed her lead and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡± Chapter 705 Chapter 705 Jeremy held Corinne¡¯s hand and led her slowly toward the door. Just as they stepped out of the kitchen, a cane swung through the air, clearly aimed at Corinne! N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy reacted quickly, intercepting the cane and shielding the girl behind him. When he looked closely, it turned out to be Cedric Rivera. Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°And what does Mister Cedric want to do?¡± Lucas, too, showed surprise. ¡°Grandpa?¡± Ignoring them, Cedric stared fixedly at Corinne with a weathered, sharp gaze. He pulled his cane from Jeremy¡¯s grip and pointed it at Corinne. ¡°Were you the one speaking just now?¡± Corinne was also startled with a hint of confusion on her face. Why did the Riveras react so dramatically one after another? She regained herposure and nodded. ¡°Yes, I was the one speaking. Is something wrong?¡± Cedric trembled, his gaze intense and piercing. He scrutinized Corinne from head to toe with an enigmatic air. ¡°Young girl, have we met somewhere before?¡± Facing the old man¡¯s question, Corinne did not rush to answer. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and nced at Lucas beside her. As expected, she saw a hint of wariness in his handsome, aloof eyes. If she were to admit that she had met the old man before and exin the circumstances of theirst encounter, it would seem like she was seeking recognition from the old man, and someone as broad- minded as Lucas would think she was trying to climb the socialdder by deliberately getting close to his grandfather! After a moment¡¯s thought, Corinne did not really care if the old man remembered her or not. She thus shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before. You must¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡± Her answer made Lucas pause slightly, his gaze filled with a hint of inquiry. Not wanting to linger any longer, Corinne walked past the old man¡¯s cane, took Jeremy¡¯s hand, and continued walking past Cedric. ¡°Wait!¡± The solemn voice of the elderly Rivera patriarch stopped her again. Corinne halted and turned around. ¡°Is there anything else, old man?¡± Cedric straightened his cane back on the ground and took a couple of steps closer to her. ¡°I remember now. You¡¯re the young girl who helped mest time. I remember your voice-no mistake about it!¡± Corinne was speechless. This old man was quite impressive, being able to recognize her just by her voice.. Lucas should have seen it this time. It was not her trying to make small talk with his grandfather; it was the old man who recognized her first! The stern expression on Cedric¡¯s face gradually transformed into a benevolent smile. ¡°Young girl, have you been out of the country during this time? My grandson has been looking for you for a long time. He kept telling me that he couldn¡¯t find you in the country!¡± The old man was looking for her? How strange. She nced at Lucas beside her and understood one thing: it was not that Lucas could not find her, but he simply did not want his grandfather to have any contact with this country girl, so he made up an excuse that she could not be found. ¡°Mister Cedric, may I ask why you¡¯re looking for me?¡± she asked, turning the question back at him. Chapter 706 Chapter 706 Cedric looked at Corinne with eyes of admiration and awe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing serious. I just want to see what my young savior looks like.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t call me that. I¡¯m not a savior at all. I just happened to be passing by when you were in need of help. Anyone would have done the same thing.¡± ¡°Of course you are my savior. If it weren¡¯t for you that day, I would¡¯ve been beaten up by that shameless woman and ended up in the hospital. H*ll, I might even have ended up dead.¡± Corinne simply smiled since she did not know what to say. Cedric smiled happily. ¡°Come and let¡¯s have a talk in the living room, child. Is there anything you would like to eat or drink? I¡¯ll make sure the kitchen only serves the finest for my savior!¡± Corinne was speechless. She disliked the Riveras from the bottom of her heart. Even though she was rted to them by blood, she could not help but see them as her enemy since not one of them came to her mother¡¯s defense in the past, which resulted in her being cast out of the family. However, she still did not have the full picture of what happened back then so she could not avenge her mother yet. Cedric insisted she stayed for tea and Corinne failed to extricate herself from his invitation so in the end she simply nodded and agreed to stay and chat which prompted him to immediately order the servants to bring out the good stuff before leading Corinne to the living room. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Jeremy kept quiet throughout their conversation and followed Corinne into the living room. As for Lucas, he was unhappy at the turn of events but knew he could not go against his grandfather¡¯s wishes to drive away an honored guest. At that moment, Anya came over and asked quizzically, ¡°Lucas, what¡¯s going on? Why is Grandpa calling Corinne his savior?¡± Lucas was not in a good mood so he looked coldly at Anya, who felt more and more like a stranger to him, and said angrily, ¡°Anya, you still haven¡¯t exined yourself to me. Go back to your room now and you¡¯re only allowed toe out when you¡¯ve decided toe clean with me! No matter what, you must give me a reasonable exnation by the end of today.¡± Anya¡¯s heart sank. ¡®So Lucas doesn¡¯t believe me at all? What should I do? What can I say to make him believe me?¡¯ Before going up to her room, Anya threw Corinne a reproachful look. She immediately gritted her teeth angrily when she saw how kind Cedric was being toward Corinne. ¡®D*mn you, Corinne! Isn¡¯t it enough you stole my man away from me and now you want to steal my Grandpa too?!¡± After they sat down in the living room, the maids immediately brought out some tea and fruit. Cedric looked kindly at Corinne and said, ¡°Child, thest time we met, my eyes still hadn¡¯t recovered from a chemistry experiment that went wrong which caused me to temporarily lose my eyesight. It was only recently that I managed to see things again and I¡¯m so d to see that you¡¯re as beautiful as I imagined!¡± Cedric kept looking at Corinne while nodding his head. For some reason unknown to him, he took an instant liking to her. Lucas, who was sitting on the armchair, thought it was inappropriate for his grandfather to stare at a lady like that so he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Ahem. Hey, Grandpa!¡± Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Instead of turning his attention to Lucas, Cedric simply smiled and asked Corinne, ¡°Corinne, how old are you?¡± Corinne took a sip of tea before answering, ¡°I¡¯ll be twenty this year.¡± ¡°Twenty? Why, that¡¯s perfect!¡± Cedric nodded satisfactorily before his expression became solemn. ¡°If I guess correctly, you¡¯re probably still single, right? Well, it¡¯s a good thing I know an excellent guy who¡¯s still single too. Do you want me to introduce him to you?¡± Corinne smiled and said, ¡°1¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy, child! It¡¯s best for a woman to get hitched as soon as possible¡¯ cause otherwise all the good men will be taken and all that¡¯s left will be crooks and sc*ms!¡± added Cedric. Jeremy frowned when he heard this. He took a sip of tea before sneaking a peek at Corinne. The corner of Corinne¡¯s mouth started twitching. She never expected the reason Cedric asked her to stay was so he could set her up with a guy. Cedric seemed to be on a roll as he started selling the good points of the guy he wanted to introduce to Corinne. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re my savior so I¡¯ll never introduce any guy who I don¡¯t think is worthy enough for you. It just so happens an old professor friend of mine has a grandson who¡¯s a professional singer with his own albums! Meaning to say he¡¯s one of those idols who¡¯s worshiped by young women like you. He¡¯s not only good-looking but he can sing and dance as well! Not to mention he came from a really good family. I know all this because I watched him grow up. He¡¯s definitely a good man who you can spend the rest of your life with.¡± Corinne was about to turn down the offer when Cedric suddenly burst forth with the guy¡¯s name. ¡°He¡¯s called Eddy Wilde. I must say he¡¯s quite popr. You can look him up online if you don¡¯t believe me. There are loads of his photos and videos online. One look at them and you¡¯ll know I wasn¡¯t lying when I said he¡¯s very good-looking.¡± Corinne initially felt resistance to the idea of Cedric wanting to set her up but her eyes immediately lit up when she heard the name. ¡°Are you talking about the Eddy Wilde? The lead singer of the band The Heartthrobs?¡± she asked in astonishment. Cedric nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the name of the band he¡¯s in! So you heard of him too?¡± Of course Corinne heard of him. She only ever worshiped two celebrities in her life, one being Ghostlord, who she admired for his hacking skills and the other being Eddy, whose songs had gotten her through the dark and lonely days of her teenage years. ¡°Mister Cedric, can you really get me a meeting with Eddy?¡± Corinne asked excitedly. ¡°Of course! Didn¡¯t I already say I want to introduce him to you? What do you say?¡± However, before Corinne could say anything, they all heard a cold and deep coughing from next to her. Jeremy was clearing his throat and the cold aura he was emitting could be felt from every corner of the living room. It was only then Corinne remembered Jeremy was in the room as well. She nced at him and saw he was not looking too well. Jeremy was sipping on his tea and looking at her threateningly as if daring her to say yes to Cedric¡¯s offer. ¡®If I guess correctly, Mister is probably angry,¡¯ thought Corinne with a pout. She then turned back to Cedric and said, ¡°Thank you for the kind offer, Mister Cedric, but I already have a boyfriend.¡± Cedric looked at her in disbelief. ¡°What? You already have a boyfriend? Tell me who it is this instant! I want to see if that guy is worthy of you!¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Corinne graciously held Jeremy¡¯s hand in hers. ¡°Mister Cedric, this is my boyfriend. I¡¯m pretty sure you know him already so I won¡¯t go into a long introduction.¡± Cedric looked at the two of them in disbelief. ¡°What? This old chap is your boyfriend? Didn¡¯t you call him Mister just now? I thought he¡¯s just a rtive of yours.¡± Jeremy was initially happy with Corinne¡¯s performance but his face turned cold again when Cedric referred to him as an ¡°old chap¡±. ¡®My, Mister Cedric really doesn¡¯t hold back his thoughts, does he? Not to mention he seems to get overly emotional very fast,¡¯ thought Corinne as she looked helplessly on at Cedric¡¯s reaction. After that she smiled wryly and said, ¡°I called him Mister because he¡¯s a bit older than me. We¡¯re not rted in any way. He¡¯s really my boyfriend.¡± Cedric kept shaking his head. ¡°What a shame for a young girl like you to be dating an old and boring man like him.¡± Lucas, who was initially in a bad mood, could not help butugh when he heard that and this caused Jeremy¡¯s eyes to darken as he looked daggers at him. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s not toote to listen to my advice. Break up with him while the two of you are still not married and I¡¯ll introduce hot and young guys to you,¡± said Cedric in a tone that seemed to imply Corinne was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. Jeremy could not hold it back any longer. He inteced his fingers with Corinne and put it up for everyone to see to show that she belonged to him. ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble but we¡¯re already married. Sorry for thete introduction, Mister Cedric, but this here is my wife.¡± Cedric frowned. He was well aware Jeremy was in the room as well but he chose to ignore him on ount of the bad blood between the two families. ¡®Isn¡¯t he fooling around with Anya? Don¡¯t tell me he has changed his target to Corinne this time?¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy pulled Corinne up with him and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte so we, the Holdens, will make a move now. Do take care, Mister Cedric. Goodbye.¡± Jeremy made sure to emphasize on the words ¡°the Holdens¡± to warn everyone not to have any funny business. After that, he put his arm around Corinne and led her out of the mansion. Seeing this, Cedric could not help but feel like Corinne was being led like amb to the ughter and this made him very, very mad. Thus, he got up from the sofa and chased after them with his cane and shouted, ¡°Corinne, Eddy is a really open-minded guy so he won¡¯t mind if you¡¯re divorced so let me know if you want me to set the two of you up.¡± Jeremy suddenly paused and his cold aura manifested into thousands of metaphorical icy arrows that plunged deep into everyone¡¯s heart. Lucas frowned and said helplessly, ¡°Grandpa, what are you doing? You never strike me as an old geezer who butts his nose into other people¡¯s business.¡± Cedric sat down with a huff when he saw Corinne and Jeremy had already left the mansion.¡± I¡¯m not butting into other people¡¯s business. I went to visit Mitchell, that old professor friend of mine, and he¡¯s in critical condition. He doesn¡¯t have much time left and his dying wish is to see his grandson get married but Eddy keeps on meeting one wrong girl after another¡­ It¡¯s so rare toe across an honest and kind-hearted girl like Corinne nowadays so I hope to introduce her to Eddy and who knows¡­ they might end up married which will surely make Mitchell happy.¡± Lucas fell silent. He understood where Cedric wasing from but what he could not understand was his opinion of Corinne. ¡°Grandpa, what makes you think Corinne is an honest. and kind-hearted girl?¡± Cedric immediately rolled his eyes at him. Chapter 709 Chapter 709 ¡°Ohe on, I¡¯ve been alive longer than anyone here and have met countless people so don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be easy for me to tell what a person is like with just one nce? Besides, who are you to judge her? Have you ever wondered why I never thought of setting you up with her? Well, it¡¯s because you¡¯re not worthy of her at all!¡¯ Lucas¡¯ eyebrow shot up. ¡°How am I not worthy of her?¡± Instead of looking at Lucas in a grandfatherly manner, Cedric revealed a face riddled with disgust. ¡°As your grandfather, I know how devious you are despite the gentlemanly image you try to portray! Even if I set you up with the best girl in town, you¡¯ll onlye to treat her like she¡¯s a worthless piece of trash so it¡¯ll be a grave sin for me to set you up with Corinne. Unlike Eddy, who¡¯s a good kid even though he¡¯s ate bloomer and a little too obsessed with his music. Corinne will definitely end up happy if they¡¯re together. Such a shame though¡­. How did a good girl like her end up with that son of a b*tch?¡± Lucas simply smiled, though it was one that did not reach his eyes and continued to sip on his tea. He was in agreement with Cedric¡¯s opinion of Jeremy but then again it was not like his own grandfather had a good opinion of him either. ¡®What kind of grandfather would talk about his own grandkid like that?¡¯ However, the mention of Eddy brought back a memory from the past. Lucas remembered the two families went way back to the point where they had agreed to an arranged marriage between the two grandkids when they were still babies. However, it was not Anya who was promised to Eddy but Luna and since she went missing, the two families had no choice but to put the marriage aside. Cedric did have the idea of trying to salvage the arranged marriage by offering to rece Luna with Anya but anyone and everyone in their circles knew Anya was madly in love with Jeremy since young so he crushed the idea in the end. Ever since then, Cedric had carried the guilt with him. He felt like he owed the Wildes and now that Mitchell was terminally ill and did not have long to live, Cedric made it his mission to find a good girl for Eddy so that Mitchell could die in peace. ¡®Grandpa is known to be picky and he¡¯s never taken a liking to Anya ¡¯cause he thinks she¡¯s not good enough¡­ It¡¯s rare to see someone has caught his attention to the point of him wanting to set her up with Mitchell¡¯s grandson. Come to think of it, it¡¯s rare to see Jeremy getting all worked up like that too. My, it was certainly a sight to behold,¡¯ thought Lucas with a smirk. Meanwhile, inside the ck car parked outside of the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Jeremy twisted open a bottle of mineral water for Corinne and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you regret what you did just now?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and epted the mineral water. ¡°Why should I regret anything?¡± Jeremy opened another bottle of mineral water for himself and drank two mouthfuls before answering her, ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking forward to go on a date with that Eddy guy? I bet you¡¯re regretting turning down Mister Cedric¡¯s offer.N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Corinne rolled her eyes and said, ¡°As if!¡± Jeremy smiled neutrally. ¡°You¡¯re really not regretting your decision? I mean, would you have agreed to meet up with Eddy if I wasn¡¯t there in the room?¡± Corinne mulled over his question while drinking her water. Blushing, she finally nodded and said, ¡°Most probably.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Huh! At least you¡¯re honest.¡± Corinne met his gaze straight on with her clear and bright eyes. ¡°I admit I do want to meet him but not because I want to marry him. The feelings I have toward him are simply those of a celebrity and fan¡­ Besides, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask for his autograph.¡± Jeremy frowned, threw back his head, and downed half of his bottle in one go. Corinne stared at his side profile and wondered if he was jealous. After thinking about it, she frowned and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any celebrity you worshiped when you were little? Like¡­ you don¡¯t want to get into bed with them but like them just because.¡± ¡°I had no childhood when I was little,¡± said Jeremy gloomily. At that moment, he was recalling how he saved Corinne from falling to her death when they were both at Castle Horse Ranch and the conversation he had with her while the two of them were trapped at the bottom of the cliff. Corinne, with a face filled with awe and adoration, told him, ¡°The celebrity I worshiped when I was 18 was called Eddy Wilde. I would listen to his songs over and over again and I even fantasized about marrying him one day¡­ ¡®She was the one who told me she fantasized about marrying Eddy!¡¯ thought Jeremy. Even though they were only partners at that time and he had not even confessed his feelings to her, it still made him unhappy to hear the woman he loved freely admit she wanted to marry another man in the past. However, at that moment, Corinne was still reeling from the shock of what Jeremy said. ¡®He had no childhood?¡¯ She stared at his handsome face for quite a while and suddenly realized she had no idea what he went through in his youth. It was not hard to imagine what Jeremy went through though. Being born in a prominent family such as his would mean he was tasked with the burden of ensuring the entire family¡¯s prosperity would continue; therefore, he would be subjected to all sorts of training and education. ¡®Mister probably didn¡¯t have any freedom when he was young so it stands to reason he would say he didn¡¯t have a childhood,¡¯ thought Corinne. While it was true Jeremy did not want any material stuff but his parents did not coddle him at all. In fact, he was subjected to all kinds of high standards and high pressure from all those around him. Only then would he be able to be the fearless and powerful business tycoon he was today. Corinne could not help but feel pity for Jeremy when she thought how lonely he must have felt in his own home. This despite herself having a harsh childhood too. In fact, their childhood was no better than each other¡¯s. Her attitude toward him softened a little at this so she took the time to softly exin, ¡°Mister, Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I only like Eddy for his songs, not his person! I¡¯ll stop following him if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± Jeremy was a little surprised by her change of attitude. His cold expression immediately warmed up a bit as he looked at her in disbelief. ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± Corinne knew Jeremy¡¯s anger came from a ce of jealousy. It was a little childish, sure; but she thought it cute too since she never saw this side of him. She beamed a smile at him and said, ¡°Mister, do you have any work of art you could show me?¡± ¡°My own work of art?¡± Jeremy repeated with a raise of his brow. Corinne¡¯s eyes began to sparkle. ¡°Yeah! I mean you¡¯re talented in so many areas so I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re good in art too. I might evene to worship your work of art if you can just show them to me and then who¡¯s to say I won¡¯t fall madly in love with you then?¡± Chapter 711 Chapter 711 ¡°This little rascal is definitely trying to make fun of me,¡¯ thought Jeremy while looking at Corinne¡¯s impish face. He narrowed his eyes and slowly got closer to her. ¡°Well, haven¡¯t you already got my work of art on you?¡± he asked while lightly tickling her tummy. The warmth of his hand immediately seeped through her clothes and into her skin, causing her to blush. Corinne instinctively pushed his hand away. ¡°Mister, behave yourself! We¡¯re in a car for Chris¡¯ sake.¡± Jeremy finally smiled when he saw how embarrassed Corinne was. He kissed her lightly on the lips before looking deeply into her eyes and said, ¡°I forbid you from caring about our age gap and running away with another young man in the future.¡± Corinne was slightly surprised by his words but then she smirked and said, ¡°Well, that depends on how happy you can make me. Otherwise, I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t pull the plug on you when you¡¯re lying on your deathbed and run off with another man.¡± Jeremy did a double-take. ¡®Why this little rascal!¡¯ However, Jeremy found it hard to get angry at her since she did imply she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He pretended to be angry as he pinched her cheek. ¡°How dare you!¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Of course I dare! I can go ask Mister Cedric to set me up with Eddy now if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± She then pushed him away and pretended to get out of the car. ¡°Come back!¡± ordered Jeremy with a frown on his face. He pulled her back into the car. Corinne did not put up a struggle. Instead, she turned around and kissed him straight on the lips. This was her first time kissing him first so she was not sure how to go about it; her kiss was tentative and probing at the same time.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The sudden kiss shocked Jeremy. His pupils immediately shrank to pinpoint size and his body immediately stiffened up before he grabbed the back of her head so that he could ease himself into it. The kissee became the kisser in the end as Jeremy showed him how it was done. Corinne was the first to pull away from the kiss. She felt her face go numb and she was actually panting from theck of oxygen. Still blushing, she looked at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister. I won¡¯t go on a blind date with anyone nor will I run off with another man.¡± Jeremy threw her a lustful smile as he brushed her face with his slender fingers. ¡°You¡¯re mine and even if you try, you can never escape from me. Not in this life or the other!¡± he said in a tone that was both gentle and dangerous. Corinne saw the deadly possessive look in Jeremy¡¯s eyes and unlike the previous times, she was not as afraid of it as she was now. In fact, she found it gave her a sense of security and warmth. After that, the car started and they made their way back to the Holden¡¯s estate. However, unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by the mysterious van again. After sending his grandfather back to his room to rest, Lucas went to one of the two special rooms upstairs alone. In this special room, there was a beautiful pink bed, an exquisite dressing table, and plushies of various sizes. This was the childhood room of Luna, his long- lost sister. Chapter 712 Chapter 712 There were two special rooms upstairs in the Riveras¡¯ mansion. One was the room where Emily used to sleep in with Maxwell, and the other was the room where Luna used to sleep in. These two rooms had remained the same as they were 15 years ago and no one was allowed to step inside the two rooms without Lucas¡¯ permission. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Lucas closed the door, pulled out the chair from under the dressing table, and sat down on it. The little chair was too small for a man who was over six feet tall. Still, it contained precious childhood memories in it. There was a ten-year age gap between him and Luna. When he was young, he spent more time with Luna than his parents did with her. Every night, he would be the one to read stories to lull her to sleep. It was such a peaceful family life back then. Later, Maxwell was caught having a secret family outside of the marriage, causing Emily to fall into deep anguish. The two of them fought more and more with each fight getting more and more violent. Every time they fought, Lucas would carry Luna back to her room and read stories to distract her from the fight so that she would not be frightened by what was happening outside the rooms. Things seemed to get worse after that as the rumors of Luna not being Maxwell¡¯s daughter started to spread. One day, while Lucas was in school, in a bid to dispel the rumors going around outside, his grandparents took Maxwell and Luna to do a paternity test. Emily saw that as an insult to her and to Luna too so she refused to let her go. That event was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back and the trust between Maxwell and Emilypletely crumbled into dust. After that onest violent fight, Emily left the Riveras with Luna and the two of them were never seen again. A yearter, Maxwell took another wife who had a daughter that was the same age as Luna and that little girl was none other than Lucas¡¯ beloved stepsister ¨C Anya Rivera. Even though Lucas was still a kid who had no say in the things that went on in the family, he stubbornly refused to let Phoebe and Anya stay in the room where Emily and Luna used to stay. Maxwell, to his credit, respected Lucas¡¯ wish and thus, he moved to another room with Phoebe. In the beginning, Lucas did not ept Anya as his stepsister and even though they lived under the same roof, he would pretend both Phoebe and Emily did not exist. After some time, he noticed Anya bore many simrities with Luna. Her movement, expression, words, and even the cherry-red mole between her brows reminded him of Luna. It did not help that Luna loved to follow him wherever he went and no matter how coldly he treated her, she would still look at him as if he was the best thing in the world. Slowly, he came to ept Anya and in the end, he poured all of the affection he reserved for Luna on Anya. He made sure Anya never had to suffer any sadness or hurt but now he came to realize Cedric was right ¨C Anya had been spoiled rotten by Lucas! ¡®Anya seemed to have gone to the point of no return in her quest to make Jeremy hers. She¡¯s no longer the kind-hearted girl I used to know. In fact, the scheme she pulled had be more and more vicious¡­ I can¡¯t believe she would hurt Joey like that just so she could frame Corinne. She¡¯s be so evil that I don¡¯t think there¡¯s ever a chance of her redeeming herself anymore,¡¯ thought Lucas. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Knock! Knock! A knock was suddenly heard outside the door. ¡°Mister Lucas, it¡¯s me,¡± said Edmund. Lucas snapped out of his trance and said, ¡°Come in.¡± Only then did Edmund dare to enter Luna¡¯s room. The tired-looking Lucas pinched the space between his eyebrows. ¡°How¡¯s Joey doing?¡± ¡°The doctor said Mister Joey¡¯s head injury is quite serious as there were signs of him experiencing a mild concussion. After stitching up his head and giving him some medicine, the doctor advised us to bring Mister Joey home to recuperate since he didn¡¯t seem to be too happy to be staying in the hospital. It¡¯s best if Mister Joey can stay in a ce where he¡¯s most familiar while he¡¯s healing. The only precaution we need to take note of is to make sure no wateres in contact with his wound and to bring him back to the hospital every day for the nurse to change his bandage.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡®That poor kid. He has been injured so many times, with each time more serious than the previous, ever since he was adopted by this family.¡¯ ¡°Did the doctor say what was the thing that caused the injury?¡± ¡°He said it doesn¡¯t look like Mister Joey was cut by a weapon and that his injury was most likely caused by him bumping his head into a table with sharp corners.¡± Lucas knitted his brows together. He had just received confirmation about his suspicion and yet he could not help but feel disappointed. ¡®So it turns out Anya was lying and Corinne wasn¡¯t the one who hurt Joey after all.¡¯ At the same time, he was feeling a little relieved because there was a slim chance Anya was not the one who hurt Joey either. The little kid could have identally bumped into a table and Anya decided to use this to frame Corinne. While it was still very evil of Anya to do that, it was not as evil as hurting her own child. ¡°There might be hope to make her see the wrongs in her way after,¡¯ thought Lucas. He proceeded to make a mental note to himself to keep a close eye on Anya and to teach her how to be a decent human being to prevent the same thing from happening again. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, Edmund said, ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve arranged for Mister Joey to stay with the nanny in her room since he seemed very frightened to be in Miss Anya¡¯s room.¡± Lucas frowned again. This makes Anya even more suspicious. Joey has been resisting Anya ever since he woke up¡­. Could it really be Anya who hurt him?¡¯ Thinking about all this made Lucas¡¯ head hurt. ¡°Okay, thanks for that. That¡¯ll be all. You may leave now.¡± However, Edmund stayed where he was. He still had something to report to Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, we¡¯ve already found the pocket watch you lost in Kanton City.¡± The pocket watch was given to him as a birthday present by Luna 15 years ago. On the watch face, she had personally written the date of his birth and a picture of him, though it looked nothing like him since she was still a child who was still learning to draw. Nheless, he treasured the pocket watch very much and kept it on him all the time since it was one of the few things she had given him. However, he discovered the pocket watch was gone after he came back from Kanton City. Lucas looked up and asked, ¡°Where did you find it?¡± A weird expression shed across Edmund¡¯s face before he answered, ¡°We found it in the blood collection room in the hospital where you donated your blood. A nurse saw it and picked it up. You must have dropped it when you were taking off your suit jacket.¡± Lucas nodded. He did not think too much of it; he was just d the pocket watch was found. However, Edmund did not look relieved at all. ¡°Mister Lucas, I found something odd in the surveince footage when we were looking through it to find your pocket watch.¡± Lucas raised his brow and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°After you donated your blood, the two nurses on duty secretly stole some of your blood from the sample but fear not, we¡¯re looking into the matter as we speak.¡± Chapter 714 Chapter 714 Lucas¡¯ expression instantly turned sharp and serious. ¡°The nurses stole my blood sample?¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°Yes. I think this is a really serious matter so I¡¯ve already arranged for our men to escort those two nurses back to New Capital City.¡± Lucas stood up and straightened up his suit. ¡°Where are they now?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°They¡¯re kept under watch in the basement.¡± ¡°Bring me there now!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± In the basement. Although it was called the ¡°basement¡±, it was nheless very richly decorated with all the furniture one would need to livefortably. The only drawback was it was too cold down there so the Riveras rarely went down there. At that moment, the two nurses were locked up in one of the rooms. They were shivering, crying, and hugging each other since no one bothered to exin to them what was going on. One of them was on the verge of having a breakdown when suddenly she plucked up the courage to kneel in front of the two bodyguards watching over them. ¡°Please, Sir. I¡¯m just a poor girl who came from a poor family. There¡¯s no money to be gained. from kidnapping me so please let me go. I swear I won¡¯t report this to the police if you just let. me go,¡± she pleaded. The other nurse also knelt down in front of the bodyguards and said, ¡°I alsoe from a poor family. In fact, my father had to borrow money from our rtives to pay for my school fees and till now, we haven¡¯t even cleared the debt. So you see, Sir¡­ there¡¯s really no use in kidnapping us two¡­ Won¡¯t you please find it in your heart to let us go?¡± The bodyguards were trained to remain unmoved by any sort of begging. In fact, they did not even spare them a nce, no matter how they cried and pleaded. Suddenly, sounds of footsteps could be hearding from outside the door and not long after, the door swung open. Edmund proceeded to enter and flicked his chin at the bodyguards to signal them to leave the room. The bodyguards immediately nodded and backed out of the room respectfully. The two nurses thought Edmund was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and they immediately backed away in fear, wrapped their trembling arms around each other, and looked at Edmund. Ignoring them, Edmund pulled a chair to the middle of the room before going out to ask Lucas toe in. Lucas walked in slowly and threw a cold, sharp nce at both of the nurses, which was enough to send them crying and shaking again. The two nurses immediately recognized Lucas. How could they not when he was the most handsome man she had evere across in her life? They began to whisper amongst themselves. ¡°It¡¯s him! The handsome man who came to donate his blood at the hospital that day.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s the mastermind behind our kidnapping? Why would he do such a thing like this?¡± ¡°Do you think he brought us here to be his s*x ves?¡± ¡°What the h*ll? Is that all you could think about at a time like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that we might end up dead at all?¡± ¡°Well, what else could it be? I mean¡­ I don¡¯t remember ever crossing him.¡± Lucas sat down gracefully on the chair and epted the coffee Edmund passed him. He took a sip before saying, ¡°What are the two of you talking about? Why don¡¯t you speak up so that I can join in the conversation?¡± The nurses found Lucas to be less intimidating than Edmund so they decided to say what was on their mind. ¡°Mister Lucas, we remember you. You came to our hospital to donate your blood not long ago so it should be safe to think that you¡¯re a good person who wouldn¡¯t hurt the innocent, right?¡± Chapter 715 Chapter 715 The nurse on the right kept nodding her head. ¡°Yes! I can tell you¡¯re a good person, Mister Lucas!¡± Lucas smiled emotionlessly. ¡°Whether I¡¯m a good person depends on how you answer what I¡¯m going to ask youter.¡± The nurses exchanged confused nces with each other. They had no idea what Lucas was getting at. However, they told themselves they would do whatever Lucas asked of them as long as he promised to let them go. ¡°Mister Lucas, we¡¯ll do anything you ask. Please, we¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know and we promise to not hold anything back.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know.¡± Lucas took another sip of his coffee before saying, ¡°I heard the two of you stole a little of my blood sample. Is that true?¡± The two nurses immediately tensed up when they heard the question. It never crossed their mind they would be brought in for that matter! They knew what they did was illegal and against the Hippocratic oath of do no harm so they made sure to not leave any trace of their crime so how was it possible that Lucas knew about it? Their silence was as good as admitting their sins. Frowning, Lucas asked them a couple more questions, ¡°What were you nning to do with my blood? Were you going to use them for illegal gene editing or to sell my organs?¡± The two nurses immediately waved their hands and said, ¡°No, this is all a misunderstanding, Mister Lucas. Us lowly nurses have no such skill or connection to do those things you speak of. ¡°She¡¯s right. Besides, we will never dare to do something like that.¡± Lucas raised his eyebrow as he bore them down with his cold, cold eyes. ¡°Then why did you. steal my blood sample?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± said the nurse on the left hesitantly. ¡°Umm¡­¡± said the nurse on the right tentatively. ¡°The two of you better tell the truth. You can kiss your family goodbye if I find out any of you lied to Mister Lucas!¡± threatened Edmund. N?velDrama.Org owns this. The two nurses had just joined the workforce after graduation. Being young, they did not need Edmund to tell them twice before quicklying out with the truth. ¡°Sorry, Mister Lucas, but we let our curiosity get the best of us. We took some of blood your sample because we wanted to do a DNA test on you and another person. I swear we weren¡¯t going to do anything bad with your blood sample,¡± said the nurse on the left. The nurse on the right kept nodding her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s true! We just wanted to do a DNA test. We didn¡¯t know it was wrong for us to do this and we¡¯re really sorry about this! Please forgive us.¡± Lucas was shocked to say the least. Their confession sounded so ridiculous that he could not Chapter 716 Chapter 716 ¡°How could the two of you vite the confidentiality of your patient of which you swore to uphold as nurses? Does the Hippocratic oath mean nothing to you? You two should be ashamed to call yourself nurses!¡± said Lucas harshly. His words caused the two nurses to drop their heads in shame. ¡°Mister Lucas, we know what we did was wrong¡­ but we hope you can find it in your heart to keep this to yourself ¡¯cause we¡¯re both just interns¡­ If words get out, it¡¯ll damage the hospital¡¯s reputation and countless innocent, hardworking, professional medical staff would suffer because of us. I know I¡¯m unworthy for this profession so I promise I will resign from the hospital when I get back.¡± When the first nurse had finished speaking, Lucas raised his brow and looked at the other nurse indifferently. ¡°She said she would resign from the hospital. What about you?¡± The other nurse dropped her head remorsefully and said, ¡°Mister Lucas, I was already going to resign from the hospital since I lost the bet. You have my word that I would never work as a nurse again after leaving the hospital.¡± Lucas¡¯ heart had been hardened by years of battle in the world of business so he was unmoved by the nurses¡¯ tears. The one belief he had held on through the years was that a grown person should always face the consequences of their mistakes. ¡®What they did was absolutely preposterous! How could they take my blood to do a DNA test without my consent just to satisfy their curiosity? I need to make sure they¡¯ll never sully the good name of a nurse again!¡± Lucas turned to Edmund and said, ¡°Arrange for someone to interrogate the two of them again. Check if their recent activities match up with what they said and find out if there¡¯s any other suspicious thing happening in the hospital. Once that¡¯s all done, you can hand them over to the hospital in Kanton City and leave the hospital dean to punish them as he sees fit. Letting them resign is too light a punishment for what they did.¡± Lucas wanted the two nurses to receive their just punishment and be fired from the hospital so that they would have a record of what they did. This would ensure they could never find another medical job as long as they lived. He was sure only then would the two nurses learn. their lessons. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± said Edmund. Lucas put down his coffee and got up from the chair. He did not want to waste any more time on this matter. However, a sudden thought urred to him when his handnded on the doorknob. He immediately snapped his head back and stared fixedly at the two nurses. ¡°Who did you say lost the bet just now?¡± ¡°It was me, Mister Lucas,¡± said the nurse who lost. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Lucas¡¯ eyes started to waver. ¡°And what did you say my rtionship with Miss Corinne was?¡± ¡°I said you and Miss Corinne were a couple while she said you and Miss Corinne were brother and sister. The DNA test came out with a conclusive result showing the two of you to be brother and sister so I lost the best. Mister Lucas, I¡¯m really sorry for thinking you were one of those deadbeat sc*mbags who would abandon their unborn baby at the first sign of trouble when in actual fact you¡¯re a caring brother who wanted only the best for his sister¡­¡± The nurse was so focused on apologizing and exining herself that she did not notice Lucas¡¯ eyes had turned blood red with anger. He quickly walked up to her and pulled her up roughly by the cor. ¡°Tell me one more time! What did the DNA test say is the rtionship between me and Miss Corinne?¡± The nurse was shocked by his anger. She did not know what she had said wrong to incur his wrath. ¡°It says¡­ you and Miss Corinne¡­ are brother and sister.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the DNA report?¡± roared Lucas with a darkened face. Chapter 717 Chapter 717 ¡°We destroyed the DNA report as soon as we had read it¡­ because we didn¡¯t want to leave any trace of our crime. Mister Lucas¡­ are you okay?¡± asked the nurse fearfully. Lucas¡¯ face was stiff with rage. ¡°Let me ask you one more time. Are you sure the DNA test says Corinne and I are brother and sister?¡± ¡°Yes. A hundred percent sure because losing the bet means I have to resign from the hospital so I made sure to read and reread the result and it says on the report as clear as day that you and Miss Corinne are indeed brother and sister.¡± Lucas fell into a shocked silence when he heard that. After a long while, he let go of the nurse who immediately broke into tears after that. Lucas¡¯ hands were trembling non stop as he was still reeling from the shock of the news. All this while, he thought the reason he could not bear to hurt Corinne was because she had saved Cedric from getting beaten up by the influencer before. That was why he continued to show her mercy again and again. Edmund, too, was shocked by the news since the one woman Lucas hated with all his guts turned out to be his long-lost sister who he had been searching for the past 15 years. He walked up to Lucas and asked cautiously, ¡°Mister Lucas, are you okay?¡± Lucas clutched his chest to stop the terrible feeling that was spreading inside of him. After taking a deep breath, he ordered, ¡°Get me some conclusive evidence as fast as you can!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. Leave this to me,¡± said Edmund with a nod. Lucas pulled open the door and stumbled out of the room in a daze. Seeing this, the two nurses immediately got down on their knees to beg for mercy since they had no idea what would be of them. ¡°Mister Lucas, please forgive us! We know what we did was wrong but can you please let us go? ¡°Mister Lucas, please let us go! We promise we¡¯ll never do something like this again.¡± However, Lucas never once looked back at them no matter how they pleaded. A whileter, the two bodyguards came back to keep watch over them. The next day at four in the morning. Edmund rushed back to the Riveras¡¯ mansion and knocked on the door of Lucas¡¯ study. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come in,¡± came Lucas¡¯ tired voice from inside the study. The light in the room had been on the entire night. In other words, he had not slept a wink at all. Edmund pushed open the door and solemnly presented Lucas with a DNA report. ¡°Mister Lucas, we collected some of Miss Corinne¡¯s hair from the office she used to upy and arranged for the DNA report toe out as soon as possible. ording to the report in your hand, Miss Corinne¡¯s DNA perfectly matches those of Miss Luna.¡± Lucas¡¯ bloodshot pupils immediately shrank to pinpoint size. At that moment, the DNA report only confirmed what the two nurses said so he was not shocked or surprised anymore. He had been sitting inside the study the whole night, recalling every instance where he treated Corinne awfully in the past. Chapter 718 Chapter 718 ¡®All these years I¡¯ve been searching for Luna and she happened to be right under my nose. Oh, how god loves to y around with my life,¡¯ thought Lucas. ¡°That means I, her own brother, had not only wronged her again and again but teamed up with others to hurt her, bully her, pour coffee over her, and even forced her to get rid of the baby inside her belly!¡± moaned Lucas regretfully. Edmund just stood there. He was at aplete loss at what to do. ¡°Umm¡­ Mister Lucas, you shouldn¡¯t be so hard on yourself since you had no idea Miss Corinne was actually Miss Luna¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m so d I finally found her but I won¡¯t me her if she doesn¡¯t ept me as her brother¡­ not after all the things I did to her,¡¯ thought Lucas. He rested his forehead in his palm and took a deep breath. ¡°Where is Corinne now?¡± ¡°She went back with Jeremy and they should be sleeping right now.¡± Lucas nodded nkly. ¡°I want to see her tomorrow. Make it happen.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lucas looked up at him and said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t force her to meet with me if she doesn¡¯t want to. Make sure you only treat her with the utmost respect.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Lucas. I know what to do.¡± Lucas pinched the space between his brow before waving tiredly as a way of telling him he could leave the study which was exactly what Edmund did. The next morning, the first thing Corinne saw when she opened her eyes were Jeremy¡¯s eyes staring back at her. She was used to sleeping alone since young so seeing a man beside her caused her to jump up in fright and to instinctively back away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I scare you?¡± asked Jeremy with a frown when he saw how she reacted. It was only then Corinne remembered she had moved back to Jeremy¡¯s ce and their rtionship had progressed by leaps and bounds. Even though they had done the deedst night, she still could not help but blush at the sight of him. ¡°Ahem. What time is it now? Don¡¯t you have to go to work?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°How can I go to work when someone is sleeping on top of me?¡± Corinne frowned in confusion. She then looked down and discovered the pillow she thought she was sleeping on was actually Jeremy¡¯s arm! She chuckled wryly and said, ¡°You could¡¯ve pulled out your arm while I was sleeping. It¡¯s not like my head is made of stone, making it impossible for you to move your arm.¡± ¡®Why, this little rascal never misses a chance to tease me huh!¡¯ Jeremy pretended to be angry as he pinched her cheeks. ¡°Why can¡¯t you take my gesture as me wanting to be nice to you? I wanted to let you sleep a bit longer since you looked so tired after what we didst night. I didn¡¯t dare to move my arm ¡¯cause what if doing so woke you up?¡± His words brought back the memory of what they didst night, which immediately made Corinne blushed even more. She sat straight up and said, ¡°Okay, you can take away your arm now that I¡¯m wide awake.¡± Jeremy sat up too and stretched his arms to warm them up. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the use-me-and- lose-me kind of girl eh? But I seem to recall how tightly you were gripping me with your legs.st night¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s face immediately turned as red as a tomato with embarrassment and she could not help but cut in, ¡°Stop right there, Mister!¡± Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Jeremy roared withughter. He had won this round. He reached out his hand and booped her on the nose. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll stop here, I need to go to work anyway so that we¡¯ll have enough money to raise the baby.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Jeremy tousled her messy hair before throwing off the nket. He then went to the closet to get his clothes. ¡°You should get out of bed to have your breakfast and for lunch you¡¯ll only need to let Bowen know what you wish to eat and he will ask the kitchen to make it for you. As for dinner, wait for me to come back so that we can have it together.¡± The bed immediately became more spacious after Jeremy got out of it. Corinneid back down and stretched her whole body out like azy cat as she absent-mindedly said, ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Jeremy kept nagging her to be mindful of what she put into her mouth since she was not only feeding herself but the baby too. He¡¯s certainly different from when I first met him. I still remember how cold and quiet he was then and now that I get to know him better, he¡¯s actually quite the nagger! Ugh, he has been nagging me ever since I woke up,¡¯ thought Corinne. Only when Jeremy went to wash up in the bathroom did Corinne get to enjoy some peace and quiet. She curled herself inside the nket in a bid to make herself fall asleep. Jeremy came out of the bathroom after he was done changing into his work clothes and what should he see but Corinne dozing off in bed. He frowned and walked up to her, Corinne was about to fall asleep when she felt her chin being lifted up by a rough hand and the next thing she knew, her lips were smothered by Jeremy¡¯s lips. Her eyes widened in surprise. She quickly pushed him away and wiped the kiss away from her lips. ¡°Mister, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth yet!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Jeremy with a flirtatious glint in his eyes. He then proceeded to smother her lips with his own again. He loved how tight Corinne kept her lips close because then he could slowly probe them open with his tongue until they gradually gave way to allow him inside her mouth. In fact, it did not take long before Corinne gave up the fight and let him do whatever he wanted with her. That was just how good of a kisser Jeremy was. Only when her breathing became erratic did Jeremy let go of her. He looked at her as he was drunk and asked, ¡°Do you want to follow me to work?¡± Corinne was slightly hyperventting then. She quickly shook her head and said, ¡°No. It¡¯s so boring there. I would rather sleep at home.¡± Oh, how Jeremy wished he could carry Corinne around in his pocket. That way he would be able to be with her 24/7 but s, that was not possible. Not wishing to tire her out, he simply gave her a peck on the forehead and said, ¡°Okay, then just stay home and sleep all you want. Make sure you don¡¯t run off anywhere while I¡¯m working, you hear?¡± ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t even take a stroll outside? No! You have no right to keep me locked up In this house,¡± said Corinne with a frown. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy kissed her on the corner of her lips before saying, ¡°Of course you can take a stroll outside but make sure you keep me updated on your whereabouts so I can find you anytime I want.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Okay fine. I won¡¯t simply run off so just go to work already. By the way, you really need to work on this clingy attitude of yours¡­ ¡¯cause I don¡¯t know how long I can take it.¡± Jeremy frowned and shoved his hand inside of the nket to tickle her. ¡°Well, you have no choice but to live with it since you were the one who seduced me into marrying you.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Stop tickling me!¡± cried Corinne as she curled herself up into a ball. Jeremy pulled out his hand and said, ¡°Be a good girl, okay? I¡¯m going off to work now. Remember to have your breakfast after you wake up.¡± Corinne pulled the nket up to cover her mouth and nose, leaving only her bright eyes visible, as though she was afraid she would be attacked by Jeremy¡¯s kisses again. She then snaked out one of her hands from under the nket and waved him goodbye. ¡°Bye bye. Have a nice day.¡± ¡°Oh my god. She¡¯s just too adorable!¡¯ thought Jeremy. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he tried to control the lust burning throughout his body. Afraid that he would ravage Corinne if he stayed a second longer, he quickly turned around, grabbed his suit jacket from the chair, and left the room. Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Aftering out of the bedroom, Jeremy checked the time on his watch. ¡°Let her sleep for now. You have my permission to wake her up at ten so that she could have her breakfast,¡± said Jeremy to Bowen, who was standing not far away in anticipation of his orders. Bowen bowed and nodded deferentially. ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy. You can rest assured Ma¡¯am would be well taken care of.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Jeremy then strode toward the staircase but he stopped when he came to the first flight down. He turned his head around and added, ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t eat too much junk food or cold drinks.¡± Bowen had never seen this side of Jeremy so he was understandably shocked. After a while, he finally said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± Jeremy found himself to be missing Corinne even before he left the house. He had never missed someone so much in his life. ¡®So this is how it feels to love someone so much that can¡¯t even bear to be a second apart from her¡­¡¯ you Corinne¡¯s sudden disappearance previously had left an indelible scar in his heart. He was so traumatized by what happened that it had be a sort of neurosis for him. He looked at the closed bedroom for a while as though worried about the same thing happening before finally going down the stairs. After Jeremy left, Francine came out of the corner unhappily. She had heard everything he said to Bowen. ¡®Bowen, do this for Corinne. Bowen, do that for Corinne. Pah! He¡¯s going to spoil her rotten.¡¯ Francine did not understand why Jeremy cared about Corinne so much. How could Corinne, a country hick, everpete with Anya, a socialite? Francine had been against Corinne from the get go. She wished Jeremy would marry Anya instead of Corinne. Therefore, she thought it was a good time to get rid of Corinne now that Jeremy was out of the house. With this thought in mind, she walked brazenly up to Jeremy¡¯s bedroom and was about to knock on the door when Bowen stopped her just in time. ¡°Miss Francine, your brother has left a clear order to let Ma¡¯am sleep until ten. You can find her then should you have something to discuss with her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the missus of the household! Who the h*ll does she think she is? Why do I need to wait for her to wake up? It¡¯s really unbing for a married woman to behave like this. Let me teach her how the women of the Holden family should conduct herself!¡± shouted Francine angrily, who deliberately raised her voice so that Corinne could hear. ¡°Please don¡¯t be like this, Miss Francine. Mister Jeremy will be very angry if he found out about this and then you¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll suffer,¡± said Bowen helplessly. Francine was not going to take his advice. She lifted her chin proudly and said, ¡°No. My brother will never take her side over mine ¡¯cause at the end of the day, she¡¯s just an outsider. So kindly get out of my way, Bowen.¡± Francine pushed Bowen to the and proceeded to bang loudly on the bedroom door. ¡°I¡¯ming in, Corinne!¡± Without waiting for Corinne¡¯s permission, Francine then barged inside the bedroom. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Bowen could not stop her this time and considering the fact Corinne was still sleeping, he thought it would be inappropriate for him to go in. He quickly summoned several maids and ordered them to drag Francine out of Corinne¡¯s bedroom but to their horror, they discovered Francine had locked the door. ¡®What the h*ll is Miss Francine doing in there?¡¯ Bowen quickly went to look for the spare key. When Francine entered the bedroom, she saw Corinne was wide awake and scrolling through her phone on the bed. Corinne¡¯szy demeanor infuriated Francine. The thought of Corinne being all comfortable while she herself was locked up in the detention center for half a month sent her into a raging frenzy. Chapter 721 Chapter 721 ¡®Gah! I hate her so much!¡¯ thought Francine. She stood with her arms akimbo and shouted, ¡± Hey, you! Put on some clothes and get up from the bed now!¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± Corinne asked with a quirk of her eyebrow. She went back to her phone after throwing an indifferent nce at Francine. She was not surprised by her sudden appearance in her room because she heard everything that went outside the room just moments ago. ¡°You¡¯re asking me why? Well, let me tell you why! As a woman of the Holden family household, you¡¯re prohibited from staying in bed past a certain time. Tsk, I guess what they say is true. Poor people are poor because they¡¯rezy,¡± replied Francine. Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°I married your brother, not you. What makes you think you can control me when he can¡¯t even control me?¡± Francine red at her and said haughtily, ¡°And what makes you think I can¡¯t control you? You can¡¯t fool me into thinking you¡¯re really my sister-inw since I know the two of you aren¡¯t really married in the legal sense! In other words, you¡¯re still an outsider and as an outsider, you have to listen to everything 1, Francine Holden, tell you to do!¡± Corinne smiled and nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m all ears. What do you want me to do?¡± Francine crossed her arms and said, ¡°I want you to get up from your bed now and do some work around the house to earn your keep!¡± ¡°Work? What work?¡± asked Corinne curiously. ¡°Clean the bathroom, do theundry, cook some meals¡­ Whatever. Just do something! Or are you so blind as not to see there are so many things you can do around the house?¡± ¡°But we have professionals for that¡­ so I don¡¯t see why I should do all that work.¡± ¡°While that¡¯s true, you should still do some work as Jeremy¡¯s wife. If not, what¡¯s the point of him marrying you? We have wasted enough time talking. Get up now and mop the whole house,¡± said Francine with a frown. Corinne had been holding up her phone toward Francine this whole time. At that moment, she looked lazily at the screen, pouted, and said, ¡°Mister, you heard all that, right? Seems like I¡¯m not wee here at all. In fact, your sister is treating me worse than all those mother-in-ws portrayed in soap operas.¡± ¡°Give her the phone,¡± said Jeremy coldly. Francine immediately tensed up with horror when she heard Jeremy¡¯s voiceing from the phone. It was then she realized Corinne was not actually ying on her phone. Instead, she was recording her! ¡®Sh*t! I¡¯ve forgotten how devious she can be!¡¯ thought Francine. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne remainedzily slumped against the head rest. She smiled and crooked her finger toward Francine. ¡°Come. Your brother is asking for you.¡± A chill ran up Francine¡¯s spine but she did not dare to defy Jeremy¡¯s order. ring all the while at Corinne, she walked up to the bed and took the phone from her. Jeremy was on his way to the office in his chauffeured car. ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± ¡°Pack up your things. I¡¯ll send someone over to take you to your mom¡¯s ceter,¡± said Jeremy emotionlessly. That was when Francine knew she was in big trouble. She and Jeremy shared the same father but unlike his mother, her own mother had remained on the periphery all this while due their grandparents¡¯ unwillingness to ept her into the family. The only reason Francine could live in the Holden¡¯s estate was because Jeremy allowed her to do so since she was a Holden after all. Not to mention, it was quite rare for the Holdens to have a daughter amid their midst. ¡®Does that mean Jeremy doesn¡¯t want me anymore? Is that why he¡¯s sending me back to live with my mom?¡¯ thought Francine. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to go live with my mom!¡± she cried out to Jeremy. ¡°Then apologize to Corinne this instant!¡± Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Francine sneaked a peek at Corinne, who was yawningzily on the bed. No way could she put down her pride and apologize to that country hick. ¡°Jeremy, 1. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°It¡¯s either you apologize to her or you pack up your things,¡± said Jeremy coldly In the end, Francine¡¯s fear of her brother overpowered her unwillingness to apologize to Corinne She immediately conceded defeat and bowed her head toward Corinne ¡°Sorry. Corinne I shouldn¡¯t have said all the things to you and I promise to not make the same mistake again. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and ask Jeremy not to send me away Corinne looked sideways at her and waved her away ¡°Give me back the phone You¡¯re dismissed I¡¯m dismissed? Who does she think she¡¯s talking to? The maids? Francine nearly blew up at Corinne¡¯s impudence but s, she could not since Jeremy was still watching her every move from the phone Not daring to go against Corinne¡¯s wishes anymore, she docilely passed the phone to her before leaving the room with her head bowed Corinne made sure Francine had left the room before turning her attention back to the handsome man in her phone. ¡°Mister, why is your sister so different from your sheined ¡°There, there Don¡¯t be angry anymore. I¡¯ll make sure to teach her a lesson after I¡¯m back from work,¡± said Jeremy softly. ¡°I¡¯m not angry¡¯ I just can¡¯t stand all the noise she was making ¡± Corinne yawned before adding. ¡°By the way, when will you be back?¡± She immediately realized something was not right after the question came out of her mouth. She blinked awkwardly and tried to cover up her mistake ¡°Umm What I meant to ask was¡­¡± Jeremy was slightly taken aback by the whole thing but then he suddenly smiled. ¡°I can go back now if you want.¡± Corinne cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. I was just asking. I¡¯m going to go back to sleep now. Have a nice day at work.¡± She immediately ended the video call and threw her phone to the side after that. ¡®Gah! That was so embarrassing¡± she thought as she covered her face with her hands. ¡°Why did I have to go and ask him when he¡¯sing back? He hadn¡¯t even left ten minutes ago I hope he doesn¡¯t niss him Oh Corinne, you¡¯ve certainly be a silly brained little girl, haven¡¯t you? miraute is it really so wrong to miss him so much? Gah what should I do? Corinne buried her head into the nket the two of them sharedst night in a bid to get a whiff of jeremy After some time, she gradually dozed off Bowen had finally found the hay and was making his way to Corinne¡¯s room when he saw Francine walking out with her head bowed. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Thank God you¡¯re out, Miss Francine! I hope you didn¡¯t make Ma¡¯am angry.¡± Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Francine frowned unhappily and said, ¡°All you care about is Corinne this and Corinne that. Why don¡¯t you ever ask if I¡¯m okay?¡± Bowen was shocked into silence by her sudden outburst. Francine¡¯s recent humiliation caused her tosh out at Bowen and the servants. ¡°Huh! You would do well to remember you work for the Holden and not the Carew! What an ungrateful bunch of jerks you all are¡­ siding with an outsider instead of me.¡± Bowen thought it was wrong for her to say that but still he kept quiet. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m purposely siding with Ma¡¯am¡­.. Miss Francine shouldn¡¯t have barged into her room like that in the first ce. The other servants thought the same way as Bowen that Miss Francine had really gone overboard this time. Francine went back to her room in a huff and the more she thought about what happened, the angrier she became so she decided to call Anya to vent her anger. Her call quickly went through and Anya¡¯s usual gentle voice could be heard from the other side of the phone. ¡°Hey, Francine. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ugh, Anya! Guess what happened? The entire household has been taken over my that b*tch Corinne. She thinks she can do anything she wants just because she has Jeremy on her side!¡± said Francine angrily. ¡°Francine¡­ slow down. Tell me what happened. What did Corinne do to make you so angry?¡± Anya asked between gritted teeth. After thinking about it, Francine muttered along the lines of, ¡°She didn¡¯t really do anything to me but¡­ everyone is treating her as if she¡¯s the mistress of the household while I get the short end of the stick. Moreover, she speaks to me like she¡¯s speaking to a servant ¡¯cause she knows. my brother will always take her side over mine. Ughhhh, I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± ¡°What? She speaks to you as though you¡¯re a servant? Francine, that¡¯s absolutely vile of her. Is Jeremy at home? Why didn¡¯t he say anything about it?¡± asked Anya in mock kindness. ¡°He already went to work and that shameless woman is actually still sleeping in my brother¡¯s bedroom. Besides, even if he¡¯s at home, he¡¯ll only help her instead of me! Anya, you have no idea just how obsessed my brother is with that woman right now. In fact, she has him totally wrapped around her little finger! Even a love potion would not be as effective as whatever she¡¯s feeding my brother to make her fall so madly in love with her. Why did you let her steal my brother away from you? Are you going to just stand by and do nothing? I really don¡¯t want a country bumpkin for a sister-inw¡­¡± Anya balled her hand into a fist when she heard Corinne was sleeping in Jeremy¡¯s bedroom but she managed to keep her voice gentle as she said, ¡°Francine, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I end up with your brother or not but no way am I going to let Corinne get away with treating you like a servant. I¡¯ll head over to your houseter to talk to her about it.¡± Francine was touched by Anya¡¯s gesture. ¡°Oh, thank you, Anya! You¡¯re the best. Wait a minute Why do I hear a child crying in the background?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s ¡¯cause Joey¡¯s crying. He¡¯s not feeling well at the moment,¡± said Anya awkwardly. ¡°Hey Francine, I¡¯m going to hang up now. See youter, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± After hanging up the phone, Anya turned to the crying Joey ¨C who was currently curled up in fright in his nanny¡¯s arms with annoyance written all over her face. ¡°Stop crying, Joey. It breaks mommy¡¯s heart to see you like this. What do you want to eat? Mommy will ask the servant to buy it for you, okay?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Anya was only pretending to care about Joey since it would be suspicious if the little baby continued to recoil in horror whenever he saw her. However, her effort ended up being futile since Joey seemed to only cry harder after she took a step toward him. Joey was crying so hard that his nanny started to worry that he would choke from ack of oxygen so she said, ¡°Miss Anya, why don¡¯t you keep some distance from Mister Joey for a while since I¡¯m quite worried his crying would make the injury on his head worse. You can carry him all you want when his head is all better.¡± Anya had always found Joey annoying in the first ce and his crying only served to make her even more annoyed with him so she waved her hand and said, ¡°Fine. You look after him. I¡¯m going to go out for a while.¡± The nanny secretly sighed with relief before saying, ¡°Yes, Miss Anya. I¡¯ll make sure Mister Joey is well taken care of.¡± Anya nced at the still-crying Joey and thought, ¡®Ugh, he¡¯s getting more and more annoying each day. The only reason I chose him that day was because he looked cute¡­ but he turned out to be so hard to raise. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t return him¡­¡± Chapter 724 Chapter 724 After Anya went out, the nanny kept patting Joey on the back to calm him down. ¡°There, there, little guy. There¡¯s no need to be scared anymore ¡¯cause your mommy has left the room already.¡± It was only then Joey dared to turn around and his crying gradually subsided once he had confirmed Anya was, indeed, not in the room. Seeing this, the nanny sighed. It was quite obvious to her that Anya did not love Joey at all since she would only pretend to care about him when there were other people in the room with them and when there were not¡­ she would show her true colors. ¡®Poor Joey¡­ Not only did he lose his parents at such an early age, but when everyone thought he was set for life on ount of being adopted into a wealthy family, his mother only sees him as a means to achieve her goal. Sigh¡­ It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if his life only gets harder from now on,¡¯ thought the nanny. Meanwhile, back at the Holden¡¯s estate. Corinne was woken up from her sleep by the sound of a ringing phone. She groggily made a reach for her phone and put it against her ear. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Good morning, Miss Corinne,¡± came a man¡¯s serious voice from the other end of the phone. Being still half-asleep, Corinne did not recognize the voice so she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Edmund.¡± ¡®Oh, it¡¯s him!¡¯ This woke Corinne up a little. ¡°Yes? What do you want?¡± Edmund could tell her from voice that Corinne had just woken up and he became rightfully worried that he was the reason for that so he cautiously asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important since what¡¯s done is done. Just tell me what you want.¡± ¡°Please forgive me if I happened to wake you up¡­ but Mister Lucas had asked me to arrange a private meeting with you. He wanted to apologize for the misunderstanding that urredst night.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Corinne frowned. She was not happy at being woken up for something as trivial as this. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He doesn¡¯t need to apologize to me. I¡¯m going to hang up now.¡± ¡°But Miss Corinne-¡± She did not even wait for Edmund to finish speaking before hanging up the phone. She then threw her phone and went back to sleep. However, someone knocked on the door at that precise moment.. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s already past ten. Mister Jeremy had instructed me to wake you up for breakfast at this time,¡± said Bowen respectfully. Corinne yawned while stretching her arms over her head. ¡®Looks like I¡¯m not going to get the sleep I want today¡­¡¯ She smoothed down her hair, got off her bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up. Bowen smiled kindly at Corinne when he saw hering out from the room. ¡°Ma¡¯am, your breakfast is on the table. Mister Jeremy specially hired a nutritionist to make breakfast for you. What would you like for lunch today? You can let me know now so that I can arrange for the food to be made for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picky so anything¡¯s fine. Though I wouldn¡¯t mind some homey dishes,¡± Corinne replied as she walked down the stairs. ¡°Okay, Miss Corinne. I¡¯ll ry your message to the kitchen.¡± Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Bowen followed her to the dining room. Once there, he took a step before her and said, ¡± Ma¡¯am, here¡¯s your bre¡­ Huh?¡± What he saw shocked him for there were two women eating the breakfast specially prepared by the nutritionist for Corinne. ¡°Miss Francine, didn¡¯t you already have your breakfast? Why are you eating Ma¡¯am¡¯s breakfast?¡± Bowen asked with a frown. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Francine continued eating while she said, ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know this was her breakfast. The food has been sitting out here without anyone touching them so I thought the kitchen made it for my friend who has so graciouslye to visit me. Plus, it would be a shame if the food went cold before anyone got to enjoy them. She then piled on some bacon on Anya¡¯s te. ¡°Here, Anya. It¡¯s so rare for you to drop by our house so make sure you eat more, ¡®kay?¡± While doing that, she secretly threw a provocative nce at Corinne. As for Anya, she ate one bite after another as though showing off to Corinne who Francine¡¯s favorite person was. Corinne simply looked at them with an indifferent smirk on her face. After drinking some milk, Anya got up and pretended to be embarrassed. ¡°Oh no. I didn¡¯t know this was your breakfast, Corinne. So sorry. I was kinda hungry just now and thought I might as well join Francine since she asked me whether I¡¯ve had my breakfast yet¡­ I hope you won¡¯t get mad at us, Corinne. I swear we didn¡¯t mean to eat your breakfast¡­¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and smiled for a second. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re the guest so you should eat first.¡± The word ¡®guest¡¯ caused the fake smile on Anya¡¯s face to stiffen. ¡®Ugh¡­ Francine is right. She hasn¡¯t been back for a day but she¡¯s already acting like she¡¯s the mistress of the household! How dare she use the word guest on me to show off her position in the Holden family?! Pah! She¡¯s not worthy of being called Missus Holden. The only thing she¡¯s good at is using Jeremy¡¯s power to bully other people!¡¯ Bowen sighed helplessly when he saw the tes were already half-empty. ¡°Umm¡­ Ma¡¯am, please have a seat while I go and ask the kitchen to remake the breakfast for you.¡± Corinne nced at the breakfast spread on the table and knew it would take a while, not to mention, very troublesome for the kitchen to make another for her. Moreover, she did not want to sit at the same dining table with Anya because she could not stomach her face. Thus, she waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Bowen. I¡¯ll order some takeout.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t do. They¡¯re not only unhealthy but unclean too. Besides, it¡¯ll only take a moment for the kitchen to make breakfast for you. Corinne shook her head. ¡°Please, Bowen. There¡¯s really no need to go through all that trouble. I¡¯m not going to eat it even if you ask the kitchen to make me another one. In fact, tell the kitchen to get lunch ready and I¡¯ll settle my own breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh fine¡­ I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to prepare some of your favorites for lunch then.¡± ¡°That would be lovely. Thanks.¡± Bowen sighed again before turning to go to the kitchen. As soon as he had left, Francine burst into laughter. ¡°Haha! Did you hear that, Anya? She said she¡¯s going to order takeout. No sane wife of a wealthy and powerful man would ever order takeout. That¡¯s poor people¡¯s food.¡± Anya smirked and continued eating Corinne¡¯s breakfast. She was in total agreement with what Francine said. ¡°Anya, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never ever ordered takeout before, right? ¡®Cause socialites like us will never eat those cheap food reserved for themoners,¡± Francine added. ¡°Even on the low asion we order takeout, it¡¯s in the form of professional chefs, who only use the freshest and highest quality ingredients, coming to our house to cook for us. Unlike some country bumpkin who I bet has never eaten anything good in her life so she has to make do with eating junk food!¡± Chapter 726 Chapter 726 While Francine was spouting all that nonsense, Corinne had already sat down in the living room. She shut out Francine¡¯s voice and started ordering for takeout with her phone. Francine was incensed that her words had no effect on Corinne so she raised her voice even more and said, ¡°Say, why is it taking her so long to order takeout? Could it be that she¡¯s so poor that she has no choice but to choose the cheapest takeout?¡± Anya could not hold back herughter anymore but she quicklyposed herself and said fakely, ¡°Francine, don¡¯t be so rude. We should respect other people¡¯s lives, no matter how they choose to live.¡± Francine rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it like it is. A country bumpkin like her can never compare to us socialites Even if she manages to seduce my brother using her beauty, she¡¯ll never have the same worldview or values as us so my bet is their rtionship will neverst long. It¡¯s time for her to wake up and get out of this house!¡± Corinne did not pay any mind to Francine¡¯s ridicule at all. She had just finished ordering her takeout and at the same time, Jeremy received notification of the payment order. In the throes of passionst night, Jeremy told her all of his bank ount password and even gave her several of his debit cards to show he meant it when he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Although Corinne did not reallyck money, it was still nice to get to spend her boyfriend¡¯s money some times. Francine continued on mocking while Corinne ignored herpletely. Thetter leaned back on the sofa and turned on the TV. Suddenly, a ss of milk appeared before Corinne. She looked up and saw it was Anya who brought it to her. Anya smiled at her innocently. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯ll take some time for your takeout to arrive. Why you drink some milk first? I wouldn¡¯t want you to go hungry.¡± don¡¯t Corinne looked down at the ss of milk. There was an obvious lipstick mark on the rim. ¡®Eww How could she offer someone something that she already drank?¡± Corinne calmly and lightly pushed the ss of milk away. ¡°Thanks but I¡¯m not hungry. You should drink it yourself,¡± she said with an indifferent smile. Anya sat down disappointedly beside her and said, ¡°Why won¡¯t you drink it? Is it because I¡¯ve drunk it already? I thought you wouldn¡¯t mind since you don¡¯t seem to mind being together with a man I was with first.¡± Anya¡¯s tone made Corinne want to punch her in the face but she managed to control herself. She raised her eyebrow and looked sideways at her. ¡°A man you were with first?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Anya beamed a sunny smile at her. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m talking about Jeremy, of course. I was with him for so many years and yet you didn¡¯t seem to mind. In fact, you used every trick in the book to steal him from me so I don¡¯t get it¡­ Why would you mind that I¡¯ve already drunk the milk?¡± Corrine knitted her brows together. ¡°He slept with you before?¡± Anya nodded. ¡°That goes without saying. Did you think he was a virgin? It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out how impossible that is. He¡¯s a man, after all. Plus, with his looks and status, he would neverck women throwing themselves at him and no man could ever resist that kind of temptation.¡± Corinne stared at Anya with a darkened expression so much so that Anya thought Corinne was really angry. Suddenly, Corinneughed as though she had heard a funny joke. ¡°Miss Anya, do you seriously think I¡¯ll ever believe anything you say after you¡¯ve lied to me about Joey being Jeremy¡¯s kid?¡± Anya¡¯s expression stiffened for a second before sheughed hysterically. ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t sleep with me, do you seriously think a hot blooded man like him never bedded any other woman other than you?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I have ways of testing whether a man is still a virgin. Thus, I can I¡¯m the only woman he has ever slept with.¡± Anya frowned. ¡°You have ways of testing? How? I know it¡¯s possible to know whether a woman is a virgin but never heard of a way of testing a man¡­. Corinne, are you sure you¡¯re not just being delusional here?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not but I can¡¯t share the method with you either since it concerns Jeremy¡¯s privacy. All you need to know is he was a virgin before he slept with me.¡± At that moment, Corinne¡¯s face was overflowing with confidence and happiness, causing Anya¡¯s face to darken immensely. Anya clutched the ss in her hand even tighter to the point of almost breaking the ss. Oh, how she wished she could rip apart Corinne right now. She remembered how, this one time, she pretended to be drunk and took off all her clothes in front of Jeremy only to have him. ignore herpletely. Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Jeremy simply ordered Anya to put her clothes back on and left the room. Anya knew jeremy was not the type of guy to sleep around since she had witnessed the length he would go to to uphold his own principles. However, she could not understand why Jeremy was willing to let go of his principles for someone like Corinne. Suddenly, Corinne received a call from an unknown number. She thought the delivery person had arrived so she answered the call without reservation ¡°Hello¡± However, no sound came from the other side of the phone for a good long while ¡°Hello? Who is this? Can you hear me?¡± Corinne asked with a frown ¡°Yes¡­ I can hear you¡­¡± The cold and awkward voice was that of a man¡¯s and Corinne immediately recognized it to belong to Lucas Corinne was a little surprised that Lucas would actually call her using his own private number. She nced at the scheming Anya beside her, wondering if Lucas was calling her for his sister¡¯s sake again. She narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Are you free toe out and meet me today? I have something I want to tell you.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not free,¡± said Corinne without hesitation. If possible, she would rather not have anything to do with Anya and Lucas since trouble seemed to follow her whenever those two appeared. Lucas must have guessed what she was thinking because he quickly shouted, ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up the phone just yet!¡± Corinne¡¯s finger stopped just an inch above the ¡®End Call¡¯ button. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell me what you want to say to me over the phone?¡± Lucas sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for all the troubles I¡¯ve caused you recently¡­ but Corinne, can you pleasee out and meet me? I have something really important to tell you and I swear it won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡± While Corinne was talking on the phone with Lucas, Anya never once stopped ring at her. After thinking about it, Corinne said, ¡°Fine. You can drop by where I am if ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t go there. Can we meet outside instead?¡± ¡°You can forget all about it then.¡± you want.¡± Corinne immediately hung up the phone after that. ¡®Something fishy is definitely going on. First, Edmund called to tell me Lucas wanted to meet me, then the devil himself called me personally¡­ Not to mention, he called me Corinne as though we¡¯re very close to each other!¡¯ Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Once Anya saw Corinne hanging up the phone, she beamed her signature ¡®I¡¯m so kind¡¯ smile at her again. ¡°Corinne, you sure are one busy woman. Was that a guy who called?¡± Corinne put away her phone, grabbed a cushion from the sofa, and hugged it to herself. ¡°Yeah, it was indeed a guy,¡± she saidnguidly. A hint of ridicule shed across Anya¡¯s doe-like innocent eyes. ¡°Does Jeremy know that you¡¯re still in contact with other guys?¡± Corinne yawned and said, ¡°Most probably not.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t? That¡¯s not good. Rumors will spread like wildfire if words get out about you inviting a man over while Jeremy¡¯s is outside working.¡± Corinne turned to look at Anya with her brow raised. ¡°Miss Anya, are you threatening me right now?¡± ¡°Of course not. Why would I ever threaten you? I¡¯m just being nice enough to warn you of the consequences,¡± said Anya sweetly. Corinne smirked. ¡°Fine. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re threatening me or warning ¡¯cause I don¡¯t care if you tell everyone you know that I¡¯ve invited a man over. In fact, you can even call Jeremy and tell him now if you want.¡± Seeing Corinne not panicking caused Anya to secretly grit her teeth in anger. Anya actually well aware Corinne was not hiding any improper rtionship since she was bold enough to ask a guy over the house. The only reason she said what she said just now was to rile her up but s, she did not seed in doing that. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not the type to spread rumors about other people and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Jeremy either,¡± said Anya with a smile. ¡®Huh! She¡¯s not the type to spread rumors about other people? As if! She must be plotting something again¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. After throwing Anya a side-eye, she decided not to prolong the conversation anymore. Thus, it was a good thing that at that moment a servant came in with her takeout in hand. ¡± Ma¡¯am, your delivery order has arrived.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Thanks. You may leave it here.¡± The servant put the takeout on the coffee table and left the living room. After throwing off the cushion, Corinne went to unwrap her food. ¡°Miss Anya, do you want some?¡± Anya threw a disgusted nce at the takeout before squeezing a fake smile on her face, saying, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m quite full already.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne smiled nonchntly at her and said, ¡°Then if you don¡¯t mind, can you please go away? I don¡¯t like to have an audience while I¡¯m eating.¡± The fake smile on Anya¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Umm¡­¡± At that moment, Francine entered the living room and said, ¡°Anya, why are you sitting there with Corinne? Come here. Don¡¯t you know those cheap takeouts are made with ingredients that had gone bad? You wouldn¡¯t want to get sick from them, would you?¡± She then pulled Anya up from the sofa and dragged her out the living room but before they left, Anya managed to shove the ss of milk into Corinne¡¯s hand. Chapter 729 Chapter 729 ¡°Take this ss of milk, Corinne You can drink it to make the food go down easter.¡± As Anya said this, she pretended to lose her footing. With a sway of her body, the milk in the ss spilled onto Corinne¡¯s takeout ¡®Oh no! My ramen. I didn¡¯t even get a bite before the mill got in¡­ thought Corinne. Anya covered her mouth in mock surprise. ¡°Oh no! I¡¯m so sorry, Corinne. I didn¡¯t mean to spoil your food¡­¡± Corinne simply stared at the ramen soup which had turned white from the milk. Francine burst out in a vindictiveughter when she saw how disappointed Corinne looked. Of course, she did not forget to show concern to Anya either ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to her, Anya. In fact, you should worry more about yourself. I hope you didn¡¯t knock into furniture just then Anya shook her head and said anxiously, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Francine¡­ But I feel so bad for spoiling Corinne¡¯s food¡­¡± ¡°Oh, please. It¡¯s just a little milk. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s very particr about her food anyway. I mean, I¡¯m willing to bet a hundred bucks that the milk from our house is a hundred percent cleaner than the takeout food she ordered.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Francine. In any case, this is all my fault.¡± On the surface, Anya might sound like she was really remorseful about what she did but deep inside, she was actuallyughing. gleefully. She turned to Corinne and said, ¡°I hope you¡¯re not angry with me, Corinne. I¡¯m really sorry. and I¡¯m willing topensate you for the food. In fact, I¡¯ll give you double what you paid for.¡± ¡°No. That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said Corinne. After that, she picked up the takeout container and without warning, poured all of the content on top of Anya¡¯s head. The burning sensation from the hot soup caused Anya to yelp out in pain. She stared at the soup dripping down her eyes and broke down. Francine was shocked too. ¡°What the hell are you doing, Corinne? Have you gone insane?¡± she shouted angrily. Corinne brushed her hand absent-mindedly as though she was trying to get rid of some dirt. Then she smiled and gushed, ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to do that. For a moment. there, it was as if my hands had a mind of their own and well¡­ I hope you¡¯re not angry at me, Miss Anya.¡± Anya took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Francine walked up to Corinne vehemently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to us! You did that on purpose. Why, I¡¯ve never met a person as rude as you in my life. Apologize to Anya now!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Corinne yawned and asked, ¡°Apologize to her? Why should I do that when I didn¡¯t do it on purpose?¡± Corinne could take whatever they dished out to her but not when it came to her takeout! God knows how long she had been craving for some ramen soup¡­ and yet that Anya dared to ruin it by pulling a stunt like that? It was totally unforgivable of her to waste good food like that! After composing herself, Anya put on her innocent act again. ¡°Corinne, I really didn¡¯t mean to spoil your takeout and I even offered topensate you double of what you paid for¡­ So was it necessary to take revenge on me like this?¡± Corinne shrugged. ¡°Miss Anya, I wouldn¡¯t really call that revenge since just like you, I didn¡¯t. mean to pour the ramen soup on you. Plus, I never once med you for being so clumsy so why are you ming me now? Forgive me for saying this, but aren¡¯t you being a little double standard right now?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Anya was unable toe up with a retort. Chapter 730 Chapter 730 Francine red hatefully at Corinne. Then she turned to Anya and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Anya. We¡¯ll deal with this crazy womanter. It¡¯s more important for you to change into something, clean right now. Follow me to my room.¡± Anya nodded and followed Francine up the stairs. Midway through, she turned around to re sinisterly at Corinne. Her message was clear, there would be h¡¯ll for Corier. Corinne smiled back at her for two seconds before summoning, the maids toe clean up the floor. Bowen happened to see the tail end of what happened just now when he came out of the kitchen. He sighed helplessly, walked up to Corinne, and asked concernedly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t I ask the kitchen to make you a sandwich? That shouldst you until lunch.¡± Corinne was indeed hungry. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay. It doesn¡¯t have to be anythingplicated. Actually, an egg sd sandwich would do.¡± ¡°As you wish, Ma¡¯am.¡± Bowen was about to go to the kitchen when a servant came running in. ¡°Mister Bowen, Mister Lucas has dropped by to visit Ma¡¯am.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you talking about Mister Lucas from the Rivera family?¡± asked Bowen with shock. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly who I¡¯m talking about,¡± said the servant with a nod. Bowen found this odd since the two families rarely dropped by for a visit on ount of the bad blood between them. Anya was the exception of course since she was so smitten with Jeremy. Lucas dropping by was in itself already very odd but then to say he hade to visit Corinne? ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Lucas hase by to visit you. Should I let him in?¡± asked Bowen worriedly. ¡°Yes. That would be perfectly alright,¡± Corinne said with a nod. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Bowen gestured for the servant to escort Lucas into the living room. Not long after, Lucas was brought into the dining room. Corinne, who was seated at the dining table, smiled faintly at him. ¡°Well, it didn¡¯t take you long toe here at all.¡± Lucas came alone. He stood at the threshold with his back ram-rod straight. However, there was none of the usual confidence in his eyes. In fact, those eyes of his seemed to be clouded by a multitude of emotions. ¡°I happened to be around the neighborhood when I called you.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Corinne nodded and smiled. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if we talk in the dining room since the living room is being cleaned up right now.¡± Lucas looked deeply at her with eyes filled with guilt before nodding and saying, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s perfectly okay. I don¡¯t mind talking here.¡± ¡°Great! Please have a seat then, Mister Lucas.¡± Out of politeness, Corinnezily gestured for Lucas to take a seat. ¡°To be honest, I thought you¡¯re going to make a fuss about talking in a room filled with the smell of food.¡± A servant immediately pulled out the chair opposite Corinne. Lucas said nothing as he slowly walked over and sat down. Before the two of them could say anything, the maid brought out a te of sandwich from the kitchen and ced it in front of Corinne. Chapter 731 Chapter 731 Lucas frowned when he saw the sandwich. ¡°It¡¯s already sote in the morning and you haven¡¯t had your breakfast yet?¡± Being really hungry, Corinne picked up the sandwich and took a bite before saying, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a long story. A lot of things happened that prevented me from having my breakfast in peace. You have no idea what I had to go through to be able to eat this sandwich right now. You probably had your breakfast already so forgive me for not offering you any.¡± Lucas did not mind because he did note here to eat. More importantly, he was worried for her. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, Corinne. A te of sandwiches is hardly nutritious enough to grow a healthy baby. Not to mention you should have your breakfast earlier.¡± ¡°Like I said, something happened to prevent me from having breakfast earlier. Besides, it¡¯s going to be lunchtime soon,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. Lucas checked the time on his wristwatch. ¡°It won¡¯t be lunchtime for another two more hours. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to go hungry until then.¡± Corinne waved the sandwich in front of him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m eating, aren¡¯t I?¡± Lucas frowned and turned to look at Bowen usingly. ¡°Is this how you all have been taking care of her all this while?¡± Bowen did not get why Lucas was so angry but even so, he kept his tone polite as he answered, ¡°Mister Lucas, things are not as they seem. All the ingredients are delivered to the kitchen. three times a day and ording to mealtimes. This morning, the kitchen along with the nutritionist prepared a very lavish breakfast spread for Ma¡¯am but due to some reason¡­ she didn¡¯t get to eat it. And since the ingredients for lunch haven¡¯t been delivered yet, the kitchen. can only make the sandwich with what they have¡­¡± Lucas looked at the in sandwich in Corinne¡¯s hand before turning back to ask Bowen, ¡°Then does the kitchen have any oatmeal and dried nuts or berries?¡± ¡°Yes, the kitchen does keep a supply of grains and dry foods in the pantry. Only fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood are freshly delivered three times a day so the kitchen doesn¡¯t keep any stock of those ingredients.¡± Lucas stood up and said, ¡°Great. Prepare the oatmeal and dried nuts or berries for me. I¡¯m going to use them to cook something.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Bowen was slightly taken aback. After a while, he finally said, ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. Please wait a moment.¡± Corinne continued to chew on her sandwich while looking at Lucas with her eyebrow raised. What the h*ll is going on? Is he really going to cook something in this house? This isn¡¯t like him at all.¡¯ Lucas took off his suit jacket and walked into the kitchen while rolling up his sleeves. Bowen had no idea what was going on too. ¡®What exactly is happening here? Did Mister Lucas specially drop by just to cook something?¡¯ While thinking of that, Bowen quickly instructed a servant to report this turn of events to Jeremy. While Lucas was busying himself in the kitchen, Corinne could be found leaning against the kitchen doorway, chomping on her sandwich and watching Lucas curiously. ¡°Mister Lucas, I never knew you could cook,¡± said Corinne. Lucas was hovering over the stove and stirring the pot. After a few seconds of silence, he finally said, ¡°To be honest, I only know how to cook a few of my sister¡¯s favorite dishes since. she would beg me nonstop to y house with her when we were young.¡± Corinne did a double take before continuing to chew on her dry sandwich. A hint of coldness shed through her eyes as she chuckled softly. ¡°Well, I guess I have Miss Anya to thank for getting this chance to try your cooking.¡± Jeremy suddenly stopped stirring the pot. He then turned around and looked at her weirdly with reddened eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wait outside? All these fumes wouldn¡¯t be good for the baby. I¡¯ll bring out the food once it¡¯s done.¡± Corinne shrugged and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll leave you to it then.¡± She then went back to the dining room. ¡®Did Lucas take the wrong medicine today? Or is this another one of his tricks to make me give up Jeremy so that Anya can have him? Well, in any case, things are surely getting interesting.¡¯ Chapter 732 Chapter 732 Fifteen minutester, Lucas brought out a hot bowl of oatmeal and ced it gently in front of Corinne. ¡°Here. Try some.¡± Corinne looked at the oatmeal before picking up the spoon to stir it, revealing some dried nuts and berries within it. She looked at Lucas and asked, ¡°Oatmeal with nuts and berries?¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Yeah. You need all the vitamins you can get now that you¡¯re carrying a baby inside of you. This used to be your favorite when you were¡­¡± Hearing this, Corinne suddenly felt a shockwave coursing through her body, causing her to knit her brows together and her eyes to waver as the realization dawned on her. Lucas found it hard to continue when he saw the frown on Corinne¡¯s face so he stopped speaking, worried that revealing what he knew then would affect her appetite. ¡°Ahem. What I meant to say was, eat the oatmeal while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Corinne regained her senses and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± She narrowed her eyes, scooped up a spoonful of oatmeal, blew on it before putting it in her mouth. ¡®Oh my god! This is delicious!¡± The oatmeal was unexpectedly up to her taste and the sweetness level was just right. However, she had no recollection of ever eating this when she was young. Lucas sat back down in his original seat and gently looked at her. His eyes seemed to contain within a thousand storms as he tried to suppress all the emotions of finally finding his long- lost sister. ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡± he asked softly and tentatively. Corinne gave him a nod of approval and was about to praise him when¡­ ¡°Lucas! What are you doing here?¡± cried Anya from the stairs. She quickly ran down the stairs, made her way to the dining room, and looked at Lucas curiously. Lucas was surprised to see Anyaing down from the stairs too. ¡°Anya, what are you doing here?¡± he asked with a stern frown on his face. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Anya averted her gaze out of guilt. ¡°Umm¡­ I came here to find Francine. What about you? Why did youe?¡± She found it extremely strange that Lucas would show his face around the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Francine, who had followed Anya down the stairs, immediately knew the reason for Lucas¡¯ visit as soon as she laid eyes on him. ¡°Need you ask, Anya? Lucas must¡¯vee here to bring you home,¡± she said confidently. After thinking about it, Anya thought that must be it too; otherwise, what other reason would be strong enough for Lucas to personallye here to the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Even though she had no idea how Lucas knew she was there, one thing she was sure of was Lucas must have been worried sick about her to make hime all the way to bring her home. This made Anya very happy since she thought Lucas was still mad at her for what happened to Joey yesterday. Now she could finally rest easy with the knowledge that no matter what, her brother would always believe her, forgive her, and love her. Corinne stopped speaking and put all of her attention on finishing the bowl of oatmeal in front of her the moment Anya and Francine came into the dining room. Chapter 733 Chapter 733 Seeing Corinne enjoying her food so much infuriated Francine. Thus, she decided to make her life difficult. ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m so d you¡¯vee! Guess what happened just now? Corinne poured an entire bowl of piping hot ramen soup on Anya¡¯s head. Not only did that dirty Anya¡¯s clothes but her face got burned too! So I had no choice but to take Anya up to my room to wash up and change into a clean set of clothes.¡± After Francine had finished speaking, Anya knew it was her cue to pretend to be forgiving. ¡± Lucas, please don¡¯t be too harsh on Corinne. She didn¡¯t mean to and I¡¯m fine¡­¡± she said. tearfully. Lucas frowned and looked unhappily at Corinne. ¡°Why did you order takeout when the kitchen. had already prepared avish breakfast spread for you?¡± Anya and Francine were stunned by Lucas¡¯ question. Initially, they were waiting expectantly for Lucas to blow up at Corinne so the question really caught them off guard. In fact, they could not help but feel like Lucas had gotten the wrong point. Corinne was really enjoying the oatmeal. She smacked her lips and said, ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have to order takeout if our guest didn¡¯t happen to eat thevish breakfast spread that was specially prepared for me and I wouldn¡¯t have to make do with the sandwich if our guest didn¡¯t happen to spill some milk into my ramen.¡± A deep frown immediately appeared on Lucas¡¯ forehead. ¡°The only guest that was here before me is¡­ Anya! So she¡¯s the culprit that caused Corinne to miss her breakfast?¡¯ Anya secretly became happy when she saw the anger rising in Lucas¡¯ face. ¡®Yes! He¡¯s finally going to blow up at Corinne!¡¯ She thought it was a given Lucas would take her side since that was how it had always been. Thus, she did not think twice about fanning the fire. ¡°Lucas, I didn¡¯t mean to eat Corinne¡¯s breakfast. I swear I didn¡¯t know it was hers. I was feeling a little dizzy from low blood sugar so Francine offered me some food¡­. ¡°And I didn¡¯t mean to spill the milk into Corinne¡¯s takeout. I was worried she would choke on the ramen so I brought her some milk but I lost my bnce on the way and identally spilled the milk into her ramen¡­ ¡°I did apologize to her immediately and promised topensate double of what she paid for the food¡­ but her anger must¡¯ve gotten the better of her since she poured the ramen over my head¡­ but I understand where she¡¯sing from so please don¡¯t get angry at her, Lucas¡­ It was all my fault in the first ce.¡± Anya¡¯s voice became more and more weepy as she went on to the point of her nearly dissolving to full on crying. Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. He stared at Anya coldly and scoffed. ¡°So you do know what you did was wrong.¡± Not getting the usual preferential treatment from Lucas caused Anya to do a double take. She looked up at him in shock. ¡°Lucas¡­?¡± ¡°Why did youe here when you know you have low blood sugar? You should have rested at home!¡± Lucas lectured sternly. Anya did not understand why Lucas was acting that way. It took her a while to snap out of her shock. ¡°Lucas, I didn¡¯t know I was going to get low blood sugar beforeing here. But now that I think about it¡­ It must be because I¡¯ve forgotten to have breakfast at home¡­¡± exined Anya feebly. Lucas was unmoved by her exnation. ¡°So what are you doing here instead of staying at home to take care of Joey?¡± A hint of guilt shed across Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡°Umm¡­ The nanny is taking care of Joey so I thought I¡­¡± ¡°Not only is Joey severely injured but he nearly lost his life yesterday and yet you don¡¯t seem to worry about him at all! If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d have thought the nanny is Joey¡¯s adopted mother instead of you!¡± ¡°Lucas, I¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this. Chapter 734 Chapter 734 Lucas¡¯ head started to throb with a painful headache. He could not believe how irresponsible Anya was being. He pinched the space between his brows and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re doing here. You¡¯re to go home this instant!¡± Anya could tell Lucas was being serious. She nodded docilely as she walked up to him. ¡°Lucas, I know I shouldn¡¯t have left Joey alone ande here¡­ I promise I¡¯ll spend some time with him. once I¡¯m home. Let us go back now, Lucas.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Lucas remained seated where he was. ¡°Edmund is outside. He¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± Anya was shocked and hurt at the same time. ¡°Lucas, aren¡¯t you going to go home with me?¡± ¡°I still have some unfinished business here so you go home first.¡± ¡®What? So he didn¡¯te to bring me home?¡¯ thought Anya with shock. She looked at where Lucas was sitting and discovered that opposite him was¡­ Corinne! ¡®Did hee here to find Corinne?¡¯ The more she thought about it, the more the whole thing seemed off to her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind waiting for you to finish your business here, Lucas. I¡¯d rather wait so that we can go home together.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. Just go home now. Besides, I¡¯ll be going straight to work after this, said Lucas impatiently. At that moment, Anya could note up with any more excuse to stay behind even though she really wanted to hear what Lucas had to say to Corinne so she simply said, ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Before she left, she looked at Francine pointedly. Seeing this, Francine was first shocked but then realization dawned on her. ¡°Anya, Wait for me. I¡¯ming with you!¡± Anya was speechless and a corner of her mouth started twitching. ¡°That silly girl! Why is sheing with me? I want her to stay and eavesdrop on Lucas and Corinne¡­ Gah! What an idiot!¡¯ Francine had no idea that she had gotten the wrong message. She linked arms with Anya and the two of them walked out of the mansion. ¡°Anya, what¡¯s the matter with Lucas today? I thought he came to bring you home¡­ No?¡± whispered Francine. Anya secretly rolled her eyes beforeughing fakely. ¡°Beats me¡­ Maybe there¡¯s something he needs to tell Corinne.¡± Francine gave Anya¡¯s answer some thought when inspiration suddenly struck her. ¡°Oh, I know! Your brother must¡¯vee here to put pressure on Corinne to leave my brother so that you can get him back!¡± Anya mulled over the possibility of that happening and came to the conclusion that it was wholly possible since Lucas had always worried about her prospect of marriage. ¡®Yes, he must havee here to pressure Corinne into giving Jeremy back to me.¡¯ After Anya and Francine had left, Bowen and the other servants had the self-awareness to leave the dining room too so that Corinne and Lucas could talk in private. Lucas quietly looked at Corinne who was still focused on eating her oatmeal. ¡°How¡¯s the taste? Do you like it?¡± he asked gently. Corinne nodded happily and said, ¡°Yup! This is super delicious.¡± Happy to receive praise from Corinne, Lucas smiled and said, ¡°Seems like your favorite food hasn¡¯t changed from when you were little.¡± Corinne was slightly taken back by what he said. She looked up at him and calmly said, ¡± Really? I have no recollection of ever eating this though.¡± A frown appeared on Lucas¡¯ forehead for a second. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it weird that I know what your favorite food was when you were little?¡± Corinne smiled and said, ¡°I do find it weird. So are you going to tell me how you know?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Lucas solemnly said, ¡°Corinne Carew, you¡¯re actually my long- lost sister and your name is Luna Rivera.¡± Corinne calmly ate another spoonful of oatmeal before saying, ¡°I know.¡± Chapter 735 Chapter 735 ¡°You knew?¡± asked Lucas with shock. ¡°Yup,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. ¡°When did you know?¡± asked the confused Lucas. ¡°Not long after I met you.¡± Her answer confused him even more. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Corinne curled her lips into a mocking smile. ¡°Would you have believed me if I told you then? Haven¡¯t you always seen me as a wanton social climber? Think about it¡­ What would you think if I suddenly tell you I¡¯m actually the long-lost sister who you¡¯ve been looking for all this time? You¡¯ll most likely see me as a devious woman who¡¯s willing to lie and cheat my way into your family, right?¡± Lucas¡¯ immediately tensed up because he knew he had behaved absolutely horribly toward Corinne in the past. ¡°I admit I did hold some biases against you then and I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I¡¯m sorry, Corinne. Can you please ept my apology?¡± Corinne put down her spoon and waved her hand. ¡°No. Don¡¯t say sorry to me, Mister Lucas. This isn¡¯t like you. You should just let things stay as you are. You¡¯re Anya¡¯s brother and not mine!¡± Lucas understood Corinne had every good reason to hate him but still he tried to convince her otherwise. ¡°Corinne, we will forever be tied together by our blood so no matter what you say, I¡¯ll always be your brother.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne leaned back on her chair and looked at him coldly. ¡°Mister Lucas, you¡¯re right. We are rted by blood but that doesn¡¯t mean anything to me. In fact, we¡¯re nothing but strangers who just so happen to havee from the same womb. We have nothing inmon other than that. You might even say we are two people who live in a totally different world from each other.¡± ¡°I know what I did to you in the past is really unforgivable and you have suffered a lot because of that but can you please find it in your heart to give me a chance to make it up to you? Please? ¡°begged Lucas. Corinne chuckled drily. ¡°Let¡¯s cast aside the fact we¡¯re brother and sister for a moment. Mister Lucas, I know you don¡¯t like to associate with an unruly country bumpkin like me and simrly, I don¡¯t like someone like you who thinks he¡¯s better than everyone else just because he was lucky enough to be born in a wealthy family. We don¡¯t share the same values and we don¡¯t have the benefit of having grown up together so there¡¯s really no need for us to force ourselves into taking up our sibling roles.¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± Lucas tried to exin. In all fairness, he actually admired Corinne but because of all the things that happened between her and Anya, he could not help but hold some prejudice and hostility toward Corinne. As for Corinne, she finally knew why Lucas hade to visit her today. ¡®So that¡¯s why he has been hounding me for a meeting¡­¡¯ Even though she did not know how Lucas found out about her identity, she did not want to waste her time in listening to him asking her to forgive him. ¡°Thank you for making me this oatmeal. I¡¯m lucky to have tasted your cooking,¡± said Corinne with a calm and polite smile. ¡°I can make it for you again if you like¡­¡± said Lucas softly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary. Once is enough. Now if you¡¯ll please excuse me, I¡¯m feeling a little tired so I won¡¯t ask you to stay for lunch. Bowen, please see Mister Lucas off.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Bowen took a step forward and added, ¡°Mister Lucas, this way please.¡± Lucas wished to stay a bit longer but could not bring himself to do so after thinking about all the horrible things he had done to Corinne in the past. Thus, he sighed helplessly, stood up, and said, ¡°I¡¯lle visit you again another day.¡± ¡°No, thank you. I prefer if you don¡¯t evere again. Don¡¯t forget, Mister Lucas, I¡¯m now Jeremy¡¯s wife. Your family and his family has always hated each other so it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t ever contact each other again.¡± Lucas was unable toe up with a retort so he simply turned around with resignation. He was walking out of the dining room when Corinne suddenly called out to him, ¡°Wait!¡± Thinking she had changed her mind, Lucas immediately stopped walking and turned around to look at her expectantly. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 Corinne looked at him cordially. ¡°Do you still remember when I used to work in Rivera Group for a few days before you fired me?¡± At the mention of that, Lucas became filled with shame and he quickly said, ¡°You cane back to work for Rivera Group if you want. I¡¯ll give you any position you want and you can start at any date of your choosing.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re mistaken, Mister Lucas. What I meant to tell you is I hope you can pay me the sry you owed for those few days ¡®cause I don¡¯t like working for free,¡± said Corinne with a smile. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Lucas did a double take and looked at her with mixed feelings. ¡®So it¡¯s not about the money after all. She just wants to make it clear that we have nothing to do with each other. In other words, she doesn¡¯t want to ept me as her brother!¡® Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t want to give me the money?¡± Lucas snapped out of his shock. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m willing to give you whatever amount you want.¡± He then took out his wallet from his pocket and signed a check for her. Seeing this, Corinne mockingly said, ¡°Are you trying to buy me off with a check again?¡± Lucas paused in his movement as he suddenly recalled the times he bought Corinne off with a check. Once again, he became filled with guilt and shame. He quickly put away the cheque and said, ¡°I can wire you the money if you don¡¯t like getting cheques from me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take cash, thanks. You don¡¯t need to go through all the trouble of writing a check or wiring me the money since the amount from working those few days isn¡¯t that big.¡± After a few seconds of silence, Lucas said, ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of cash on me right now but I¡¯ll ask Edmund to deliver it to youter.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°How much do you have right now?¡± Lucas showed her the money he had in his wallet. ¡°Around 275 dors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± Corinne stood up, walked over to Lucas, took his wallet off him, and counted 200 dors. ¡°ording to the marketbor rate, 200 dors would be more than the fair amount for the few days I¡¯d worked but since I¡¯d cinched a deal for thepany, we¡¯ll just count the remainder as a little bonus for me. Is that okay with you?¡± That amount of money was chump change for Lucas. Besides, money was not the important thing right now. He fixed his gaze at Corinne, hoping against all hope that she would change her mind. ¡°Luna¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. My name is Corinne Carew,¡± interrupted Corinne. She did not like to be called by her old name. Lucas had no choice but to follow her wishes ¡°Corinne, I know it¡¯ll take some time for you to ept me as your brother and to forgive all the things I did to you in the past so I¡¯ll try my best to give you some time to think about it. However, I hope you can remember toe to me if your inws or Jeremy ever make trouble for you I promise to protect you from now on. Corinne smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Mister Lucas. Unlike Miss Anya, I can protect myself. Plus, no one in their right mind would dare to mess with me anyways.¡± There were so many things Lucas wanted to say to her but he did not know where to begin so he simply looked at her with a forlorn expression and with tired, bloodshot eyes. At that moment, Bowen took a step forward and said politely, ¡°Mister Lucas, our Ma¡¯am would like to rest now. Please allow me to escort you out.¡± Lucas sighed heavily. He then threw a nce at Bowen before turning around to leave. Aftering out of the Holdens¡® mansion, Lucas saw his car was still parked at the gate. ¡®Why is Edmund still here?¡® Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Lucas narrowed his eyes, walked up to the car, and got into it. Anya and Francine were sitting in the backseat talking about something but they immediately stopped when Lucas got into the car. Anya, who was now sandwiched between Lucas and Francine, turned to him and said, ¡°Oh, Lucas, you¡¯re back!¡± Lucas was exhausted by then. He leaned back on the seat and rubbed the space between his brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to go home first?¡± Anya pouted sadly and tried to exin, ¡°You¡¯ll be without a car if I go home first so I ask Edmund to wait for you¡­¡± To this, Lucas simply made a nomittal sound before closing his eyes and falling silent. Francine, who could not contain her curiosity anymore, poked her head out to ask, ¡°Lucas, how did the conversation with Corinne go? Did you manage to convince her to leave my brother?¡± Lucas frowned and opened his eyes to take a nce at her. ¡°You sound like you really want her to leave your brother.¡± Francine nodded. ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t you want that too? I mean, the only way Anya can be with my brother is if Corinne breaks up with him! Lucas, I know you would do anything for Anya so you must get rid of any obstacles that stand in the way of Anya¡¯s happiness.¡± Lucas threw a warning nce at her. ¡°Miss Francine, why don¡¯t you mind your own business? And from now on, I don¡¯t ever want to hear you speak ill of your sister¨Cinw again. Otherwise, I would be the one to punish you even on Jeremy¡¯s behalf.¡± Francine was dumbfounded. ¡°Lucas¡­? What¡¯s the matter with¡­¡± Anya, too, was dumbfounded. ¡®Did I hear wrongly? ¡®Cause for a moment there I heard Lucas address Corinne as Francine¡¯s sister¨Cinw¡­ What¡¯s going on right now? Why does it seem like Lucas has completely gone over to Corinne¡¯s side?¡® ¡°Miss Francine, we don¡¯t wee members of the Holden family in our car so please get out of the car right now,¡± Lucas added rudely. Francine could feel the oppressive aura, that was no less than that of Jeremy¡¯s, emitting from Lucas¡® body. Scared, she quickly and awkwardly got out of the car, dashing her ns of hanging out with Anya at her ce. Edmund immediately drove off with Lucas and Anya in the car after Francine got off. ¡°Lucas, what did you talk to Corinne about?¡± Anya asked in a fake rxed manner. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± said Lucas coldly. He was not in the mood to talk to Anya. Anya moved herself closer to Lucas and in her usual act¨Ccute tone said, ¡°I know it¡¯s none of my business but please just tell meeee¡­ If not, I¡¯ll certainly die with curiosity. I mean, the two of you weren¡¯t on the best of terms in the past so why would you specially drop by for a visit today?¡± Instead of answering her question, Lucas looked at her coldly and asked, ¡°Is Joey willing to let you carry him now?¡± Anya¡¯s face immediately tensed up. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you put your own affairs in order first before butting your nose into other people¡¯s business!¡± lectured Lucas sternly. Anya did not expect Lucas to treat her so sternly. Crestfallen, she said pitifully, ¡°Lucas, I know I should put more attention into taking care of Joey but I¡¯m just feeling so depressed about the fact that Jeremy doesn¡¯t want to be with me anymore¡­¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Lucas had heard enough by then so he interrupted her, ¡°You can¡¯t keep using Jeremy as an excuse for not getting your life together! If he doesn¡¯t want you, fine! Go find something else to do. A woman¡¯s life shouldn¡¯t revolve around a man, Anya!¡± Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Anya waspletely shocked because Lucas had never spoken so harshly to her before. ¡°But I really, really love him¡­ You of all people should know that¡­¡± Lucas knitted his brows together. ¡°It takes two to make a rtionship work. Yours is a one- sided love. If the other party doesn¡¯t love you, then it doesn¡¯t matter what you do, he still won¡¯t love you. Why don¡¯t you let him go, Anya? Time will heal all wounds and you¡¯ll definitelye out better for it.¡± Anya¡¯s eyes immediately reddened as tears spilled out of her eyes. ¡°Lucas, what¡¯s the matter with you? Did Corinne say something to you? Why does it feel like you havepletely be another person? Don¡¯t you love me anymore?¡± No matter how annoyed Lucas was with Anya, there was one thing he could not stand to see and that was her crying. She was still his baby sister after all. ¡®Maybe I was a little too harsh on her¡­¡® he thought. Lucas patted Anya on the shoulder in a bid tofort her, ¡°Come now, don¡¯t cry. I only want what¡¯s good for you, Anya. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you losing yourself over Jeremy?¡± Anya rubbed her tear¨Cstained face against Lucas¡® arm. ¡°But I really, really love him! I can¡¯t help myself¡­¡± Lucas put his hand to his forehead to quell the throbbing headache that was starting to show itself. ¡®The gods must be ying a joke on me! Why did both of my sisters have to fall for the same man? Why do I have to be caught in the middle?¡® After sending Anya, who was tired out by all the crying, home, Lucas went straight to his office. Now that there were only the two of them, Edmund deigned to ask, ¡°Mister Lucas, how did the talk with Miss Corinne go? Did she ept you as her brother?¡± Lucas threw his head back and pinched the space between his brows. ¡°What do you think?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Edmund saidfortingly, ¡°Miss Corinne went through a lot when she was growing up in the countryside which gave way to her strong independent character so it¡¯s perfectly understandable if she needs some time to process the sudden news.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Lucas closed his tired eyes and chuckled self¨Cdeprecatingly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. She knew I was her brother a long time ago.¡± ¡°She knew before you told her?¡± Edmund asked with a frown. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Lucas with a heavy sigh. ¡°She knew from the very beginning and yet she didn¡¯t say anything in all the times I treated her harshly. She only sees me as a stranger so¡­ knowing all this, do you think she¡¯ll evere to ept me as her brother?¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you put it that way, it would be kinda hard for that to happen. But why didn¡¯t she say anything if she knew? Does she not want to be weed back to the family and to know what it feels like to be loved by the people who shared the same blood as her?¡± ¡°Maybe that just goes to show how much she hates me¡­¡± Lucas curled his lips into a self- mocking smile. Edmund had witnessed for himself the lengths Lucas would go to to protect Anya from Corinne and to be honest, he did think Lucas went overboard a little. Thus, he sighed heavily and said, ¡°Have patience, Mister Lucas. I¡¯m sure Miss Corinne would slowlye to ept you eventually.¡± Lucas remained silent because he knew the chances of that happening were very, very slim. ¡® Luna isn¡¯t doing this because she¡¯s mad at me¡­ She¡¯s doing this because she doesn¡¯t need me at all! She doesn¡¯t care to have a rich and powerful brother or father¡­ No, if she did, she would havee running to tell us she¡¯s Luna the first second she found out who she really is. And yet here I am¡­ always thinking she¡¯s a scheming social climber who¡¯s h*llbent of marrying a rich guy¡­¡® Chapter 739 Chapter 739 At that moment, Lucas wished he could travel back in time to give the old him a p or two for mistaking Corinne. Meanwhile, back in the Holdens¡® mansion. Corinne fished out her phone, which had been vibrating the whole time, from her pocket as soon as Lucas left the house. It was a video call from Jeremy. She had put her phone on silent during the conversation she had with Lucas and now that he had left, she could finally answer the video call. Jeremy¡¯s perfect and handsome face appeared on her phone screen as soon as she tapped on the ¡®Answer¡® button. ¡°What were you doing just now? Why did it take you this long to answer my call?¡± he said angrily and coldly. Corinne sat downnguidly on the sofa. ¡°I was eating just now.¡± ¡°Eating? With who?¡± Jeremy asked with a frown. ¡®Someone from this house must have snitched on me!¡® thought Corinne. She pouted and said a little unhappily, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know the answer to that?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes; he decided to drop the pretense. ¡°Why did Lucase to see you when I¡¯m not at home? More importantly, why did he cook for you?¡± Corinne thought Jeremy looked cute when he was jealous. She beamed a cheeky smile at him and said, ¡°He¡¯s probably just bored and thought he woulde to our ce and show off his cooking skills.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The words ¡®our ce¡® made Jeremy¡¯s heart melt a little but his tone remained unhappy. ¡°Why did you eat what he made for you? Have you already forgotten that I specifically told you not to eat food cooked or brought by another man?¡± Corinne pouted again. ¡°Well, I thought it would be alright since Lucas would not be that stupid to speciallye to our ce to poison me, right?¡± ¨C There it was again our ce. Hearing those two little words made it very hard for Jeremy to stay mad at Corinne. Thus, he sighed and asked seriously, ¡°So what was the reason for his visit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re back. You should focus on your work now.¡± The frown on Jeremy¡¯s forehead became deeper. It was obvious he was not happy with her answer. ¡®It¡¯s not like Lucas toe to our ce unless something really serious happened¡­ so the fact that he would do so must mean he has some serious business with Corinne and yet that little rascal has the cheek to make me wait for her answer!¡® ¡°Mister, look what I got!¡± Corinne held up the money for him to see. Notcking any money himself, Jeremy simply looked at the green pieces of paper in her hand with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°I finally got the sry Lucas owed me for the work I did in Rivera Group! It had dragged on for so long I thought I was never going to get it back.¡± Corinne beamed happily at the stern Jeremy through the phone screen. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for dinner tonight. It¡¯ll be my treat!¡± At that moment, the unhappy frown on Jeremy¡¯s forehead finally disappeared. He could not stand just how adorable Corinne was. ¡°Why, that¡¯s very generous of you.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Corinne lifted her chin proudly. ¡°And I don¡¯t do this for everyone so you should count yourself lucky, Mister.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Which restaurant do you have in mind then?¡± Jeremy asked with a smile. Chapter 740 Chapter 740 ¡°I¡¯ll send you the restaurant locationter. All you need to do now is to work hard at your job, replied Corinne and before Jeremy could say anything, she had already hung up the phone. The reason Corinne ended the call so quickly was because Francine had juste back from outside and was standing in front of her and ring at her vehemently. Corinne did not want to worry Jeremy with what was going on at home so she was left with no choice but to hang up the phone. Corinne was unfazed by the way Francine was ring at her. She curled her lips into a nonchnt smile and asked, ¡°Why are you back? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to Anya¡¯s ce to hang out?¡± Francine crossed her arms haughtily before sitting down on the sofa. ¡°What I do is none of your business!¡± Corinne let out azy yawn and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It is none of my business but I should warn you, stay away from Anya. She¡¯s a bad influence on you.¡± Francine really liked Anya from the bottom of her heart since the two of them went way back. In fact, thetter had bribed the former with sweets and whatnots ever since they were young so it was only natural that Francine would wish Anya to be her sister¨Cinw. When she heard Corinne telling her to stay away from Anya, she thought Corinne was jealous of Anya so she simply rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Corinne, what right do you have to tell me what to do? Who do you think you are? I like hanging out with Anya ¡®cause she¡¯s a thousand times better than you and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and said solemnly, ¡°You ask me who do I think I am? Well, I¡¯m your sister¨C inw, that¡¯s who! I have the responsibility to discipline you on behalf of your brother. This includes forbidding you from being friends with people who are a bad influence on you!¡± In the first three months Corinne and Jeremy were together, they only saw each other as business partners so Corinne did not feel like it was her responsibility to care about anything that went on in his family. However, the situation had changed. She really had every intention to spend the rest of her life with Jeremy so she felt like she had the responsibility to teach the spoiled Francine how to be a decent human being. Otherwise, there might be a chance that Anya would use Francine as a means to get rid of her if she did not nip their friendship in the bud. Hearing what Corinne said made Francine rolled her eyes so hard that one would think she had be possessed by an evil spirit. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh, Corinne! What makes you think I¡¯ll ever listen to you? Surely you¡¯ve overestimated yourself.¡± Corinne chuckled lightly as she slowly got up from the sofa. Then, without warning, she shot to where Francine was sitting, twisted her arm to the bac, and pinned her down on the sofa. Francine yelped out in pain. ¡°Corinne, what the h*ll are you doing? Let go of me!¡± she said fearfully. ¡°Now do you still think I¡¯ve overestimated myself?¡± Corinne whispered into Francine¡¯s ear. Enduring the pain that was shooting through her arm, Francine looked vehemently at Corinne from the corner of her eyes and said, ¡°Tsk! So what if you¡¯re strong? My bet is you wouldn¡¯t dare to hit me at all!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I won¡¯t hit you, that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s not because I¡¯m scared. It¡¯s just that it ain¡¯t fun hitting an idiot like you,¡± said Corinne with a smile. After that, she let go of her grip on Francine. Francine stood up and shook her arm up and down to ease the pain. ¡°Who are you calling an idiot! If anything, you¡¯re the idiot here!¡± Instead of offering her a retort, Corinne simply turned around and ordered the old butler, Bowen, you can ask all the servants to take the rest of the day off after lunch is served ¡®cause Miss Francine here had oh¨Cso¨Cgraciously offered to all the housework today.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ forgive me Ma¡¯am but¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Bowen was so confused that he did not know what to say. Francine red at Corinne vehemently. ¡°Corinne, have you gone insane? When did I ever offer to do that?!¡± Corinned looked back at Francine with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Francine? I¡¯m just abiding by what you said this morning when you barged into my room. If I remember correctly, you said your family would not suffer anyzy woman in this household so what¡¯s so wrong with asking you to do the housework today? Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do the housework since I have your brother¡¯s protection so I won¡¯t be cast out of the house even if I do nothing all day but eat and sleep.¡± Chapter 741 Chapter 741 Corinne then continued, ¡°It¡¯s different for you, though. If you want to get married in the future, you¡¯d want a well¨Cmatched and wealthy family, yes? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll only embarrass yourself if you were sent back by your inws because you¡¯re not diligent enough and can¡¯t even do basic chores? I¡¯m specifically creating a learning opportunity for you, and I believe you¡¯ll be able to do it by starting with your chores.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Francine gritted her teeth, evidently irked. ¡°You¡¯re a sly woman, Corinne! I¡¯m not going to do these dirty house chores regardless of what you say today! Hmph!¡± Corinne remained calm as she said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to do it, that¡¯s fine too. This household doesn¡¯t need a second idler in this household aside from me, so I¡¯ll tell your brother to send you to live with your mom once hees backter tonight.¡± She came to know about Francine¡¯s weakness earlier that morning when Jeremy reprimanded Francine, and it turned out that Francine drew the line at leaving the Holdens and having to live with her mother. Though the reasons behind that might be unclear, it was sufficient that Corinne knew what the reason was. Francine nearly lost it at that moment, and she pointed angrily at Corinne. ¡°Corinne, you¡­ You¡­ You¡­¡± Corinne smiled devilishly. ¡°What¡¯ll it be, then? The chores, or living with your mother?¡± Francine did not want to do the chores, but she was genuinely afraid that Corinne might tell Jeremy to send her away. After all, Jeremy was bewitched by Corinne¡¯s beauty and could not extricate himself from her charm. As a result, he would listen to every single thing that Corinne said. ¡®D*mn you, Corinne! I¡¯ll get my revenge on you one day!¡® Francine gritted her teeth and caved in. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it! This is just a bit of housework anyway! ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the results.¡± Corinne smiled, then turned to Bowen and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be home after lunch, Bowen, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard Miss Francine willingly say that she¡¯ll be doing all the housework. If anyone dares to help her with the work, their actions are to be construed as tendering their resignation. I hope you can set an example for the other servants and supervise her on my behalf.¡± Bowen was taken aback by her courage. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Francine stared at Corinne viciously, wishing that her stares were potent enough to kill Corinne, but Corinne ignored Francine¡¯s res and walked leisurely back to her room. She then changed into the clothes that she nned to wear when she went out. After lunch, she looked at the time and saw that it was still far too early for Jeremy to get off work. It would be such a bore to wait for him, and she did not want to sleep again like azy woman, so she decided to go to Newmoon Group. Xante and Aaron were very excited to see her when she arrived at the president¡¯s office. Aaron joked, ¡°You look pretty rosy today, boss. Did you have a wonderful nightst night?¡± Corinne¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red. She flipped through the documents in her hand, raised her eyes, and nced at him sullenly. ¡°Can¡¯t you think about something else?¡± Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Aaron shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m just curious to know how you took him down.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne was speechless. Xante came over with a cup of coffee and kicked Aaron. ¡°Buzz off! Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s going over some work¨Crted documents? Why are you bringing up such pointless things?¡± Aaron patted the side of his trousers that had been kicked, seemingly disgusted by the dirt on the soles of Xante¡¯s high heels. Xante ced the coffee cup on the desk and pushed it to Corinne¡¯s hand. ¡°Did you really reconcile with Mister Jeremyst night?¡± Corinne kept quiet. Aaron rolled his eyes. ¡°Tch! You¡¯ve got some nerve to ask that question after you kicked me for doing the same thing! Aren¡¯t you just as curious as I am?¡± Corinne did not entertain their gossip and turned to thest page of the financial statement in her hand. ¡°Not bad! The financial report for the second half of the year has improved a lotpared to the first half of the year. You¡¯ve both worked very hard. We still need to expand on the real estate development projects in the south, since we¡¯re still far behind some of the more experienced real estate groups.¡± Xante has always been very focused and dedicated when it came to work. She nodded after hearing that and said, ¡°Understood!¡± Corinne closed the folder and took a sip of coffee. Xante suddenly remembered something and reported to her, ¡°By the way, boss, the Holden. Group¡¯s previous designmission for their new office building has beenpleted. They¡¯re very satisfied with the final version of the design you provided, and we¡¯ll be in charge of the tower¡¯s construction project, too.¡± Corinne sipped her coffee pensively. After a moment, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the construction. project and keep tabs on it.¡± Xante was a little surprised and adjusted the gold¨Crimmed spectacles on her face. ¡°Are you sure you want to scrutinize the construction project in person? You¡¯ll be exposed to the elements at the construction site, not to mention the possible dangers of falling objects. You¡¯re pregnant now, so-¡® Corinne narrowed her eyes sternly. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Nothing¡¯s going to happen.¡± Xante wanted to persuade her not to overexert herself while pregnant, but Aaron nudged her arm before she could say anything. ¡°Can¡¯t you see, Xante? Holden Group used to be just a client, but Jeremy is her man now. She¡¯ll only feel at ease if she supervises the project in person!¡± Corinne was speechless. Aaron¡¯s words were very obnoxious at times. Xante finally understood what was happening, but she still expressed her concern. ¡°I can send our people to keep a close watch on the progress so you don¡¯t need to put yourself at any risk.¡± Corinne remained steadfast in her decision and waved her hand slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll supervise it myself.¡± She had done the same for the Crescent Tower. Although she could easily entrust the project to one of the subsidiary constructionpanies, such a large project required so much of material and manpower that it would be inevitable for the other company to cut corners. Should everything go well, Holden Group¡¯s new office building would be the ce where Jeremy would work for the next few decades. During that period, no one could guarantee that New Capital City would be free of any natural or man¨Cmade disasters. She wanted his long¨Cterm workce to be safe without any hidden dangers. She would thus feel more reassured if she personally saw the project through topletion. Aaron suddenly leaned over, put his arms on the desk, and looked up at her while pretending to be jealous. ¡°Seeing you doting on Mister Jeremy so much makes me jealous, boss!¡± Corinne came back to her senses, raised the folder in her hand, and patted Aaron¡¯s head. ¡± Can¡¯t you be a little less shameless? You¡¯re bing more unruly recently! You¡¯re not young anymore, so you should learn to grow up! And touch some grass if you have time to spare!¡± Xante sneered and said gloatingly, ¡°Yeah!¡± Aaron rubbed his forehead. ¡°Bold of you to chastise me, Xante. You and I are the same, and you¡¯re not that good a person either! Chapter 743 Chapter 743 Nante nced at Aaron coldly and said, ¡°She¡¯s scolding you! Don¡¯t put me in the same. category as you!¡± Corinne ignored them and looked at the time. She had another hour to go before the work day. ended, and she could probably reach Holden Group just in time for Jeremy to clock off if she took a taxi right then. She put down her coffee, got up from the office chair, and said, ¡°Go back to your respective duties. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± Aaron said reluctantly, ¡°Where are you going? Aren¡¯t you going to have dinner with us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading to Holden Group to pick Jeremy up from work.¡± Corinne waved her hand without looking back and pushed open the door of the president¡¯s office. Aaron looked at the door that had been closed shut and shook his head in amazement. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. She¡¯s so madly in love with him that it¡¯s nauseating!¡± Xante snapped back to her senses and looked at him in disgust. ¡°Go back to your office and stay jealous here!¡± Corinne went to a cafe directly opposite the Holden Group¡¯s building, took a seat at a table by the window, and ordered a cup of coffee. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Her table had a good view of the building¡¯s main entrance, and she could see Jeremy getting off work for the first time. She went there without informing Jeremy in advance because she wanted to surprise him, and also wanted to see how he would react when he suddenly saw hering to fetch him from work. ¡®What sort of expression will that suavely dressed, stern¨Cfaced man have when he sees her all of a sudden? Must be a pretty amusing one!¡® Corinne unconsciously had an excited smile on her lips when she thought of that. All of a sudden, someone patted her on the shoulder from behind. ¡®Who is it?¡® Corinne snapped back to her senses, looked up vigntly, and saw a familiar face. The panting Annie sat opposite her; she seemed to be gasping for breath. She grabbed the coffee from Corinne¡¯s hand and drank a few sips before saying, ¡°I nearly died of exhaustion to try and catch up to you, Corinne!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrows in confusion and looked at how out of breath Annie was. ¡°You were catching up to me? When did you start to chase me?¡± Annie calmed her breathing and said, ¡°I¡­ I chased you from Newmoon Group, but my car suddenly broke down halfway. I couldn¡¯t get a taxi, so I¡­ I ran all the way here!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. When she saw how profusely Annie was sweating, she raised her hand to the waiter in the cafe and said, ¡°Can you bring a ss of iced water for her, please? Thanks.¡± ¡°One iced watering up.¡± When the waiter brought the iced water over, Corinne looked intently at Annie and questioned her, ¡°Your car broke down and you couldn¡¯t get a taxi, but I was in a taxi. You shouldn¡¯t have been able to keep track of where I went. How did you end uping here?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Annie had a guilty conscience and sipped her water to ease her embarrassment. Corinne looked at her apprehensively. ¡°You weren¡¯t nning to catch up to me at all, were you? I bet you were secretly following me.¡± Annie remained in deep thought for some time but was unable to think of a suitable excuse. In a moment of anxiousness, she blurted out the truth. ¡°Okay! I admit it. I wanted to follow you! I lost track of where you were headed after my car broke down, but since I wasn¡¯t too far away from Holden Group, I decided to look for my uncle. I then happened to see you sitting in the cafe, so I decided toe in and meet you! Chapter 744 Chapter 744 ¡°Out with it, Annie. Why were you following me?¡± Corinne asked curtly despite having a good guess of what it was about. Annie pouted. ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to find out where you went, and why you went there alone.¡± Corinne folded her arms slowly. ¡°Why are you so interested in my itinerary? Answer me honestly.¡± Annie felt ashamed because she knew stalking was wrong, but once she remembered that she did all that because of her mission, she puffed her chest and raised her head to ask, ¡°Because¡­. Because I saw you exiting the office of Newmoon Group¡¯s president. What¡¯s your rtionship? N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¦§ Corinne kept herposure and answered, ¡°We¡¯re childhood friends. Is something wrong with that?¡± Annie was taken aback, in shock and awe. ¡°Childhood friends? How are you childhood friends with Newmoon Group¡¯s president? Didn¡¯t you grow up in the countryside when you were younger?¡± Corinne looked at her insipidly. ¡°Are you suggesting that people from the countryside can never seed in starting apany? Is it strange that I¡¯m friends with someone sessful enough to be the president of apany?¡± Annie quickly waved her hand. ¡°No, no! That¡¯s not what I meant! I just thought you and Newmoon Group¡¯s president are-¡± Corinne finished the sentence for Annie. ¡°Are having an affair?¡± Annie felt even more ashamed. ¡°I¡­ That¡¯s what I heard from Tommy. He told me that you got married to Newmoon Group¡¯s Aaron Rhode, so I¡­ I¡­¡± Corinne was silent. Such a misunderstanding did happen between herself and Jeremy before, with Jeremy mistakenly believing that she and Aaron were married. Tommy, as Jeremy¡¯s right- hand man, would understandably share the same view too. Annie sighed worriedly. ¡°You might not know this, but Uncle Jeremy hasn¡¯t been the same. ever since you left. He¡¯d always be low¨Cspirited, and it was like his life was turned upside down. When I heard that you married another man, I immediately nned to help him get back with you!¡± Corinne came back to her senses and asked, ¡°And what did you n to do?¡± ¡°First,¡± Annie said resolutely, ¡°I¡¯ll apply for a job at Newmoon Group. Then, I¡¯ll seduce your husband Aaron so he¡¯ll cheat on you. He¡¯ll get disgusted by you after that, and finally, Uncle Jeremy will swoop in to take you back!¡± After hearing Annie¡¯s n, Corinne¡¯s lips twitched, and she felt speechless like never before. Annie was the kind of sucker for love whose thought process was incredibly different from normal people. Corinne facepalmed. ¡°Which phase of the n are you on right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve applied for the job at Newmoon Group, and I¡¯ve been working there for a while now!¡± ¡®I get it now. So Annie went to work in Newmoon Group, which was why she saw meing out of the president¡¯s office earlier.¡® Corinne looked helplessly at the silly girl. ¡°How did you seduce Aaron, then?¡± Annie shook her head dejectedly. ¡°Sigh. I haven¡¯t managed to seduce him yet! I didn¡¯t even have the chance to do so. Your husb¨CI mean, your friend doesn¡¯t usually spend a lot of time at thepany, and he¡¯s always busy with work whenever he clocks in. I sometimes try to find a chance to give him a cup of coffee, but he never once looked at me! It reached the point where I¡¯m starting to doubt myself! Am I that ugly? Do men not find me attractive?¡± Corinne heaved a sigh of relief that she did not get bullied by Aaron. Chapter 745 Chapter 745 Corinne looked at Annie¡¯s delicate, fairplexioned face. ¡®You¡¯re pretty, but your IQ leaves much to be desired.¡® ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, but you¡¯re just not his type.¡± Annie blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not? Then what¡¯s his type?¡± Corinne said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore, and you no longer have to seduce him. Jeremy and I are together now.¡± Annie was surprised. ¡°You reconciled with him? When?!¡± ¡°Yesterday.¡± Corinne nodded. She nced at the time before turning to look at the Holden Group¡¯s entrance. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day, then. Still, I¡¯m d you reconciled with him! I can rest at ease for a while now, or I¡¯m worried he¡¯d start to suffer from depression!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think your impression of him is a little too fragile? Even if I don¡¯t reconcile with him, he wouldn¡¯t go so far as to get depressed and mope over it!¡± Annie said very seriously, ¡°He will, I swear! My uncle cares about you too much! You have to believe me on this! He¡¯ll get depressed without you by his side, so you must promise never to leave him again!¡± Corinne still felt that Annie was exaggerating. She ced her arms on the table, rested her chinzily on her palm, and gazed thoughtfully at the Holden Group building. Though she no longer doubted her position in Jeremy¡¯s heart, she sometimes felt that everything was a little. surreal. Her first encounter with him was so dramatic and disharmonious that she never expected them to one day turn into lovers. Annie then suddenly leaned over furtively, ¡°So¡­ Since you and Uncle Jeremy have gotten back together¡­ Do you think you can help me?¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses and looked at Annie. ¡°With what?¡± Annie blushed and said, ¡°I¡­ I want to win over your childhood friend¡¯s heart. You seem to know his type well, so can you help me?¡± ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Corinne choked on her breath and red at Annie. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Annie was puzzled by Corinne¡¯s ghastly look toward her. She felt very embarrassed at first, and she soon found it a little ufortable to be stared at like that. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Corinne?¡± Corinne needed a while to regain herposure, and she finally frowned, saying, ¡°Nothing. What is it about Aaron that caught your eye?¡± Annie unconsciously revealed her lovestruck expression when she thought of Aaron. ¡°He¡¯s handsome! He loves to smile, and he¡¯s always so bubbly! His smile is just so charming that it brightens my day whenever I see him! He¡¯s also very patient, and he speaks softly to all his employees. He¡¯s exactly the kind of man I like! To be honest, I nearly abandoned my n from the moment Iid eyes on him. I can understand why you¡¯d marry him instead of my aloof uncle!¡± Corinne massaged her temples. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand Aaron¡¯s nature! I suggest you find someone else because Aaron isn¡¯t suitable for you.¡± The blow she suffered before even doing anything left Annie puzzled. ¡°Why? Do you think I¡¯m not good enough for your childhood friend?¡± Corinne said, ¡°No, you¡¯re more than good enough for him. He¡¯s the one who isn¡¯t good enough to be with you.¡± She was not trying to belittle Aaron on purpose¨CAaron was simply terrible at dating. Every girl who dated him ended up heartbroken. Annie shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s so handsome! Why isn¡¯t he good enough to be with you? I¡¯m begging you, Corinne! Just help me! He¡¯s exactly the kind of guy I like!¡± Corinne did not know how to deal with her lovestruck niece. She nced out the window and saw Jeremying out of the Holden Group. Her eyes then lit up immediately as if she had seen her savior. ¡°Annie, look! Uncle Jeremy just got off work!¡± Chapter 746 Chapter 746 Corinne got up and ran out, worried that Jeremy might get in the car and leave if she was too Annie looked out of the ss window and chased after her too. ¡°Mister!¡± Jeremy was about to lean over to get into the car when he heard a familiar voice. He then stopped and turned, only to see Corinne trotting toward him quickly and jumping slightly to hug him as soon as she came up to him. Jeremy positioned his body to support her and grasped her firmly. ¡°Why are you here at this hour?¡± Corinne wrapped her hands affectionately around his neck. ¡°Waiting for you at home bored the hell out of me, so I decided toe fetch you once you get off work!¡± Jeremy¡¯s stern ck eyes were filled with warmth. ¡°Fetch me from work? That virtuous, huh?¡± Corinne rested her head on the man¡¯s shoulder and snorted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Jeremy smiled. ¡°Yes, I am. It¡¯s not often that my woman will fetch me on her own ord, but you can¡¯t just leave home like this in your condition. Just wait for me at home next time. I¡¯ll go home straight after work.¡± Corinne tightened her hug on his neck and refused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my current condition? I¡¯m pregnant, not sick! And besides, I¡¯m not that fragile. The doctor said it¡¯s good. for the baby if the mother doesn¡¯tze around. That way, our child will be healthy and strong!¡± The man frowned. He was not worried about her exerting herself with her daily movement, but his main fear was that something might happen to her outside. After all, a lot of people were targeting the Holdens, and he was worried that she might be in danger if those people targeted her. Jeremy could not do anything about it, so he held her and ced his palms on her head. He did not want to be too stern with her for the moment and felt that it would be better for her to talk about it once they return home. The security guards who escorted Jeremy out were shocked. They had been in thepany for many years, but they had never seen such a gentle expression on his face before. It was truly an eye- opening moment for them. Tommy was still waiting on orders, so Jeremy nced up and said to him, ¡°Leave the car with me. You and the driver can clock off now.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Tommy looked at the reconciled couple and felt a wave of emotion in his heart. After nodding in acknowledgment of Jeremy¡¯s order, he opened the front passenger seat and informed the driver that they could leave. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy walked over with Corinne in his arms and ced her safely in the front passenger seat. He fastened her seat belt and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to treat me to something delicious? What are we eating today?¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°I thought I sent you the address? Just go straight there!¡± Jeremy closed the car door for her, walked over to the driver¡¯s side, and got in. He started the engine and was about to press his foot on the elerator when someone got in the rear seat. Annie folded her arms, frowned, and said with a reprimanding look, ¡°You¡¯re so mean, Uncle Jeremy! Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you and Corinne got back together?¡± Jeremy looked up at the rearview mirror to look at Annie, who had gotten into the car without his permission. ¡°Are you my elder? Why do I have to report everything to you?¡± Annie scoffed immediately. ¡°Well, you have to! I was so worried that you¡¯d get depressed and do something stupid because Corinne wasn¡¯t around. I wouldn¡¯t have been so worried if I knew earlier that the two of you reconciled and got together!¡± ¡®Get depressed and do something stupid?¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Well, now you know. If there¡¯s nothing else, please get out of the car and go home!¡± Annie did not intend to leave at all. ¡°I heard that you were going to have dinner with Corinne, and I happen to be famished too. I¡¯ming along!¡± Jeremy said impatiently, ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, you can get out of the car and eat dinner at home!¡± Annie pouted unhappily and ignored him. She turned to Corinne and pleaded, ¡°Corinne! Uncle Jeremy isn¡¯t letting me tag along! But you¡¯ll let mee with you two, right?¡± Corinne kept quiet. She actually felt a headacheing on because Annie was probably still thinking about asking her to help chase Aaron. Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Annie¡¯s cute expression made Corinne hesitate. She could not bear to refuse, so she nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡± Annie was ted. ¡°I knew you¡¯d bring me along! Hehe!¡± Jeremy was not pleased with the sudden addition of a third wheel. He frowned and looked at Corinne. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just going to treat me to dinner?¡± Corinne shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°It¡¯s just one extra person! Don¡¯t be so stingy!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Annie leaned forward and got in between them. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m your niece! Why are you so stingy about letting me join you for dinner?¡± Jeremy nced sternly at Annie. ¡°Sit back down if you want to tag along.¡± His scolding prompted her to sit back down obediently on the back seat. Jeremy then pressed the elerator and drove off. At a private kitchen, Corinne ordered a few of their signature dishes and handed the menu to Annie so she could order. Annie took the menu happily and did not hesitate to order her favorite food and drink. Once she was done, Corinne took the menu back and handed it to Jeremy. ¡°Is there anything you want to add?¡± Jeremy lowered his eyes, nced at the menu, and sneered instead of taking it from her. ¡°Do I have to order something?¡± Corinne could hear that he was angry, so she smiled and said drily, ¡°Of course! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s being treated to dinner!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re aware that I¡¯m the one being treated. For a second, I thought I was your driver today!¡± Jeremy pretended to be angry, but he eventually took the menu from her. He ordered a few dishes that were lighter on the pte along with some soup. The two girls ordered some greasy and spicy food, which Corinne should be eating in moderation because she was pregnant. Although he was not too happy, he was more concerned for her health. His unhappiness stemmed from how engrossed Corinne was in talking with Annie when they were on the way to the restaurant. He, on the other hand, was unable to join in on their conversation at all. Corinne walked into the restaurant while holding hands with Annie the moment they got out, and they chatted away so happily that Corinne never bothered to check on him. Once they sat at the table, Corinne asked Annie to order first, and she only gave him the menu.st. It was as if the person Corinne wanted to treat was not Annie instead of him! When Corinne heard what sort of dishes Jeremy ordered, she knew that he ordered them for her. At the same time, she did not ignore the displeasure on Jeremy¡¯s face. Her lips twitched, and she was surprised that Jeremy would be jealous of his own niece. Corinne did not mind Annie¡¯s presence at all as she reached out to hold Jeremy¡¯s handsome face. She rubbed his cheeks mischievously and said, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much! Why would I think of you as my driver? No driver is as handsome as you!¡± A smile appeared on Jeremy¡¯s cold yet handsome face, and he patted Corinne¡¯s head lightly.¡± Who did you learn all that sweet-talking from?¡± Annie rested her chin on her palm and looked enviously at their affectionate behavior. She was reminded of her status as a single woman andmented, ¡°Sigh! I wonder when I¡¯ll be able to get into such a sweet rtionship.¡± Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Annie¡¯sment drew Corinne and Jeremy¡¯s attention, who both frowned concernedly. ¡®It¡¯d be best if this sucker for love doesn¡¯t get into too many rtionships.¡¯ The waiter then came in and served some appetizers. Annie seemed to be in a trance, so Corinne ced some sd on Annie¡¯s te. ¡°Why are you. spacing out? Didn¡¯t you say you were hungry? It¡¯s time to eat!¡± Annie came to her senses and smiled. ¡°Thanks!¡± Corinne then ced some food into Jeremy¡¯s te too, lest that petty man start getting jealous over his niece. Annie was a chatterbox who continued to talk while she ate. ¡°By the way, have you and Corinne obtained your marriage certificate?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne and Jeremy were stumped. Jeremy tilted his head and nced at Corinne. ¡°Not yet.¡± Annie frowned seriously. ¡°Why not? Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll run away with someone else one day if she¡¯s unhappy? Getting the certificate should be a priority! You should make sure to lock her down after all that effort you took to get her back!¡± Jeremy was speechless. He did not respond to what Annie said and had a slightlyplicated expression on his face. He then picked up the ss of water and took a sip. Corinne did not take Annie¡¯s words seriously at first, but Jeremy¡¯s silence caught her attention. ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to want to get a marriage certificate with me.¡± Annie thought that Jeremy was just trying to act tough and was worried about getting rejected. if he asked about it. She then said on Jeremy¡¯s behalf, ¡°You and Uncle Jeremy should get the certificate done tomorrow. That way, the two of you won¡¯t have anything to worry about in the future!¡± Corinne nced at the man beside her. Upon seeing that he was still silently drinking his water, she slowly took a bite of her food and said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± Annie looked puzzled. ¡°No rush? What do you mean? Haven¡¯t you two had enough fun? Why aren¡¯t you getting the certificate as soon as you can? If I¡¯ve identified the person that I want to be with for the rest of my life, I¡¯d be excited to get the marriage certificate!¡± Corinne looked down and said bluntly, ¡°A marriage certificate is just a piece of paper. Its purpose is to protect both parties¡¯ assets and facilitate asset division during divorce. I don¡¯t want his money, so there¡¯s no point for me to get the certificate. Even if you get it early, it won¡¯t be able to stop you if you one day decide to get a divorce! It¡¯s unnecessary for those who are confident that they¡¯ll remain with their partner for life.¡± ¡°Wow! That makes sense!¡± Annie was stunned. She then had a look of admiration as she said, You¡¯re such a sassy woman! I¡¯m going to learn from you to be confident in my rtionships and walk away if I have to!¡± Corinne smiled, said nothing, and continued to eat. After listening to Corinne¡¯s views on obtaining the certificate, Jeremy¡¯splexion changed subtly. He narrowed his eyes, and his thoughts remained an enigma as he kept quiet and ced the ss down. The atmosphere started to get a little awkward. As dull as Annie was, she could sense that something was amiss. She looked at the silent Jeremy, and then at Corinne who ate quietly, and was puzzled. ¡®Why are they so quiet now when they were so lovey-dovey with each other earlier?¡¯ Annie was particrly uneasy because of that awkward atmosphere, so she thought for a while and decided to strike up another conversation. ¡°Ahem! Even if you don¡¯t get a marriage certificate, you still need to take a set of wedding photos tomemorate your marriage!¡± Chapter 749 Chapter 749 ¡°Uncle,¡± Annie said, ¡°your wedding to Corinne was so simple that not a single photo was taken! Why don¡¯t the two of you get a professional photoshoot now that you two are back together?¡± Before Jeremy could speak, Corinne smiled coldly and said, ¡°Forget it. He probably doesn¡¯t like taking pictures.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Annie frowned, looked at the man, and asked, ¡°Are you going to tell me that you don¡¯t even n on taking any wedding photos?¡± He looked at Corinne and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind taking photos once in a while.¡± Corinne raised her head and nced at Jeremy in surprise. Since he did not want to get a marriage certificate with her, she was sure he thought it was a waste of time to take wedding photos. She was surprised that he agreed. As soon as she heard Jeremy¡¯s willingness for the photoshoot, Annie immediately became excited. ¡°Great! I happen to have a friend who works in a studio, so I¡¯ll book a slot for you right now. Treat it as a bted wedding gift for you two!¡± Corinne remained uninterested. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, Annie. We can talk about itter.¡± Annie ignored Corinne¡¯s pleas and excused herself to make a call. Corinne could only sigh helplessly. ¡°You don¡¯t want to take photos with me?¡± the man asked in an inquisitive yet sarcastic manner. Corinne was stunned for a moment as she turned around to look at him. She then answered calmly, ¡°I do. I just don¡¯t want to waste your time by doing such pointless things with me.¡± Jeremy rubbed her head. ¡°It¡¯s not pointless. We ought to have a portrait of us at home.¡± Corinne did not like to keep her feelings pent up, so she finally asked, ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you interested in getting the marriage certificate?¡± Jeremy was silent for two seconds before saying to her in an extremely gentle tone, ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this later. Besides, you don¡¯t care about that piece of paper, do you?¡± Corinne looked up and stared quietly at Jeremy¡¯s eyes for a long time. His gaze could be warm or indifferent, but it was usually difficult to tell what he was thinking. When she regained her senses, she smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not that important to me.¡± She was telling the truth when she said she did not care about such formalities, but she just found it a little hard to ept that did not have any reason for refusing to get the marriage certificate. Even if she did not care about that piece of paper, she was unable to act as if nothing happened when faced with his vague stance. There was a slight ache in her heart and the food did not taste as good anymore! The man scooped some soup for her and blew it to cool the soup before feeding it to her. ¡°You need to drink some soup too.¡± He seemed to show concern for her as though the entire conversation about the marriage certificate did not happen. ¡°Thank you.¡± Corinne took the soup bowl and drank the soup without his help. Annie ran back excitedly, ¡°You two should finish your food as soon as you can! Your slot for the photoshoot is tonight, right after you¡¯re done eating!¡± Corinne frowned slightly. ¡°Right after?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Yeah. Lots of people are getting married recently, and all the slots have been booked for the next three months! My friend specifically made time for us tonight, or we would¡¯ve had to wait months!¡± ¡®Forget it, I¡¯m not in the mood for a photoshoot right now¡¯ was what she intended to say, but Jeremy spoke before she could. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go once she¡¯s done eating.¡± Chapter 750 Chapter 750 Corinne looked at Jeremy in surprise. ¡®He¡¯s willing to do a wedding photoshoot right now?¡¯ Annie sat back down, excited that there was something to look forward to, and it was such a boost to her mood that even the food tasted much better than before. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you in a wedding dress! I bet you¡¯ll look stunning!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched as she continued to drink her soup pensively. ¡®He¡¯s not willing to get a marriage certificate with me, but he¡¯s excited to do a wedding photoshoot with me. I wonder what goes on in his mind.¡± The studio owned by Annie¡¯s friend was well-known in the city as a luxury photoshoot studio. Many celebrities were said to have had their shots taken for their wedding, portraits, and magazine covers. She intentionally did not reveal her uncle¡¯s identity to her friend, fearing that her friend might feel pressured by his identity when taking photos of her uncle. Even so, her friend still felt unprecedented pressure upon seeing Jeremy. His aura was simply too strong, and anyone could tell he had an extraordinary character. It was miles ahead of those A-list male celebrities that had their photos taken at the studio! ¡°What does your uncle do, Annie? He looks handsome, but he gives off this unapproachable vibe!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s just an ordinary businessman! You¡¯re right, though. He is handsome and seems unapproachable, but you don¡¯t need to worry so much about all that! Just make him look good in the photos, and more importantly, make sure to capture every single stunning detail of my beautiful aunt!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a professional!¡± Corinne and Jeremy sat on the sofa in the waiting area while watching Annie chatting with her feminine photographer friend. The wait was a little boring for Corinne, so she took a book from the table and read it. Jeremy handed her a bottle of unopened mineral water. ¡°Drink some water.¡± Corinne mindlessly took a sip of water and returned the bottle to the man. After taking the bottle back, he took a sip before screwing the cap back on. Annie brought Corinne to choose the wedding dress before Corinne got her makeup and hair done. Corinne was not in the mood to take wedding photos, but she remembered that her baby bump was not that obvious and would be obscured in the wedding photo. If her baby bump had been any more noticeable, she would have had to wait until the baby was delivered before the photos were taken. For that reason, Corinne did not object to Annie¡¯s rushed photoshoot. The situation was much simpler on the men¡¯s end, and the choice of clothes was just suits of different colors. After changing into a suit, Jeremy returned to sit in the waiting area. He flipped through a magazine and drank some coffee while waiting for Corinne toe back out. ¡°Ta-da! Look, Uncle Jeremy!¡± Annie came over and said in an excited voice. Jeremy lifted her gaze and saw an angelic white dress gracing Corinne¡¯s figure. He was stunned for a moment, and his pupils trembled too. Annie was gently ushering out Corinne, who was wearing a trailing wedding dress. It was the first time she wore something like that, and she looked evidently shy with her gaze lowered. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up, and his gaze was fixated on her. She was so beautiful that it was almost as if she was glowing! Her makeup was done too, and she looked prettier than those who tended to wear heavy makeup, even though she was not the kind to usually put on makeup. After all, she was naturally beautiful. However, on the rare asion when she dressed like that, ayer of womanliness was added to her usual impish cuteness. ¡°Uncle Jeremy! Hello? Are you too stunned to see her?¡± Annie waved her hand in front of Jeremy¡¯s eyes. Jeremy came back to his senses, frowned, and red at his niece. ¡°You can go home if you have nothing else to do!¡± Chapter 751 Chapter 751 Annie was not too happy to hear that and pouted. ¡°Do you have to be so ungrateful? Aren¡¯t you aware that you wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to see Corinne in a wedding dress if it weren¡¯t for me?¡± Jeremy ced the magazine down and stood up. He walked past Annie-whom he did not wish to see and approached Corinne. He gently caressed her cheek and said, ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Corinne, fitted in the wedding dress, nced up at him shyly. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get our pictures taken.¡± Jeremy took her hand and led her into the studio. Annie folded her arms in displeasure. ¡®Hmph! Uncle Jeremy is so ungrateful! Corinne looks amazing in the wedding dress, and it¡¯s a shame that he¡¯s the only one who could see her in that!¡¯ After some thought, Annie decided to take her phone out and follow them into the studio. She took a video of Jeremy and Corinne during the photoshoot, set up a chat group, and added all her contacts before sending the video to the group. Zeke was the first to send a message. [Whoa! Jeremy got married to Corinne behind our backs again!] Annie then replied. [Hey, Zeke! Don¡¯t you think my aunt is beautiful? Uncle Jeremy scored himself a treasure, didn¡¯t he?] Zeke replied with a smirking emoji. [When did the two of them get it on with each other?] This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Annie sent a shocked emoji before responding. [Don¡¯t be so rude, Zeke! What do you mean by ¡® get it on¡¯? They¡¯re reconciling, mending broken bridges. Rekindling past feelings! Do you even understand any of that?] [OK! Then I¡¯ll rephrase my question! When did the two of them reconcile, mend broken bridges, and rekindle old feelings?] [Yesterday, I¡¯m told!] [Tsk, tsk, tsk! Yesterday, huh? And they¡¯re already so eager to take wedding photos today! They¡¯re anxious to get it on, then.] [I thought I told you not to be so rude! I brought the two of them to get the wedding photos taken! Did you think my cold-hearted uncle would think to do such a thing?] [Haha! You¡¯re right!] Gerald then sent a message, but it contained only a thumbs-up emoji. Sunny-who had just finished his homework-was shocked when he saw all those messages. He first spammed the chat with several angry emojis, then finally typed, [How could Jeremy do this?] [Why would he take wedding photos with Corinne?] [What is my sister going to do now?] [Jeremy, you can¡¯t betray my sister!] [No! Jeremy belongs to Anya! Make them stop!] Annie was irritated to see Sunny¡¯s messages, and she wondered why she even added him to the chat in the first ce. She rolled her eyes and replied, [Leave the group then, Sunny. Since when did Uncle Jeremy belong to your sister? Don¡¯t make meugh!] Sunny sent another angry emoji. [Are you stupid, Annie? If Jeremy didn¡¯t belong to my sister, why would he adopt a child with her? Don¡¯t forget, that child calls Jeremy and my sister¡¯ Daddy and Mommy¡¯!] Annie felt annoyed and removed Sunny from the group chat. Elsewhere, at the Riveras, Sunny was furious after seeing the notification that he had been. kicked out of the group chat, and he did not even notice that his sister Anya had walked up to him. ¡°What are you doing, Sunny?¡± Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Sunny was startled. When he realized it was Anya, he hid his phone behind him. ¡°Nothing!¡± Anya did not notice anything in the first ce, but when she saw Sunny react as if he was hiding something from her, she became curious about why he would act that way. ¡°Why do you look so scared of showing your phone to me? Are you secretly in a rtionship?¡± Sunny immediately shook his head. ¡°No! I¡¯m not in a rtionship!¡± Anya did not believe it, of course. She asked with a smile, ¡°Then why would you be so afraid of letting me look at your phone? Come on now, Sunny. Show me who you were chatting with just now!¡± Sunny was not worried that Anya would look at his phone. He was worried she would get sad if she saw the video Annie sent. He frowned, thought over his options for a moment, and decided to just admit it so Anya would not continue to pressure him. ¡°Okay, okay! I¡­ I¡¯m in a rtionship! I¡¯m entitled to privacy in my chats, so I can¡¯t show it to you!¡± Anya was inevitably worried when she heard that Sunny was in a rtionship even though he was still in school. Contrary to Sunny¡¯s expectations, she began to pressure him. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to show your chat to me, I¡¯ll tell Lucas that you¡¯re busy dating instead of studying hard! ¡± She was more concerned about her younger brother because he shared the same mother as her. As a result, she was closer to him than she was to her half-brother Lucas. Sunny immediately became nervous. ¡°No! I¡¯ll be living in hell if you tell him!¡± Anya leaned over triumphantly and demanded that he hand over his phone. ¡°Then give me your phone! I want to see what your girlfriend looks like, whether she¡¯s pretty or not, and which family she¡¯s from.¡± Sunny backed away while clutching the phone. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell Lucas.¡± ¡°No!¡± Seizing Sunny¡¯s unease, Anya reached out and snatched Sunny¡¯s phone. ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t look! Give me back my phone!¡± Sunny wanted to snatch the phone back, but Anya had run off. Anya ran upstairs with Sunny¡¯s phone so she could see which girl had won his heart. Sunny could be considered an adult, and it was fine for him to get into a rtionship. However, he should never be in a rtionship with those from poor families. Only those whose family status was comparable to that of the Riveras! Such girls were the only ones who could be fit for Sunny. Moreover, if Sunny¡¯s future inws were strong enough, it would boost Sunny¡¯s position when vying for the Riveras¡¯ property with Lucas in the future. His chances of bing the Riveras¡¯ heir would increase, too. In truth, Anya knew that the reason Lucas loved her was because she imitated the missing Luna ever since young. She was also very good at pleasing him and acting coquettish. Sunny was her brother by birth, so there was no barrier between them. It was only when Sunny became the Riveras¡¯ heir that she and her mother could cement their status in the family. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Her mother was their father¡¯s second wife, and although Sunny was born and raised as a Rivera, he never received his grandparents¡¯ recognition. If Sunny got together with someone who was not at least on the same status as him, then the three of them-mother, daughter, and son-would be looked down upon by the Riveras¡¯ elders. Therefore, if she found out that Sunny¡¯s girlfriend was the daughter of a poor family, she would get him to break up with her as soon as possible. With that mentality in mind, Anya clicked on the chat history on Sunny¡¯s phone. Although the chat group had already removed Sunny as a member, the chat history remained. Chapter 753 Chapter 753 Anya realized that there was no ¡®girlfriend¡¯ at all. The chat was about Jeremy and Corinne taking wedding photos. Her expression froze instantly, and her expression darkened. From the video, she saw how Jeremy gently hugged Corinne¡¯s waist, guided by the photographer¡¯s suggestion. He also looked into her eyes, kissed her, and smiled at her. Anya had known Jeremy for many years, yet she never enjoyed that kind of treatment. The video made her heart ache, and Anya was beyond envious of Corinne. She gritted her teeth as her expression contorted sinisterly. Sunny finally caught up to her at that moment, and he never saw his gentle sister with such a terrifying expression before. He felt a little uneasy when he saw that, so he asked worriedly, Are you okay?¡± Anya came back to her senses, raised her head, and forced a stiff smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Why wouldn¡¯t I be okay?¡± ¡± Sunny frowned. He had always known his sister¡¯s feelings toward Jeremy, and he could see that she was trying to be brave. He felt very distressed and said, ¡°Anya¡­ Jeremy and Corinne¡­¡± ¡°Even if they¡¯re together,¡± Anya interrupted with a smile, ¡°he won¡¯t just ignore me and Joey. I know that Jeremy is a very responsible man, and he¡¯ll take care of me and Joey until the end!¡± Sunny was a little annoyed. ¡°But isn¡¯t it bad for you to get in between Jeremy and Corinne if they¡¯re already together?¡± Anya smiled disapprovingly. ¡°Get in between? What do you mean by that?! I¡¯m Jeremy¡¯s savior, Sunny, and he¡¯ll be an ungrateful person if he ignores me! If Corinne stops Jeremy from taking care of his savior, that means Corinne isn¡¯t a good wife and Jeremy should divorce her! That¡¯s not my issue! You agree, don¡¯t you?¡± Sunny looked at his sister in shock and was unable to understand where she wasing from. ¡°Anya, you¡­¡± 1 Anya did not seem interested in listening to what Sunny had to say. She returned the phone to him and said, ¡°Okay, Sunny, you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. Go back to your studies, and don¡¯t forget Mom¡¯s expectations for you.¡± She then turned around and went back into the room. Sunny frowned in disbelief as he looked at Anya from behind. He somehow felt that his sister¡¯s character was vastly different from the impression he used to have of her. The remaining members of the group chat continued without Sunny. [Zeke: Since your uncle is getting married for the second time, isn¡¯t he going to invite us to another wedding celebration?] [Annie: Well¡­ I can¡¯t decide for him, but I¡¯ll ask him whether he¡¯s nning to make any arrangements!] Jason then suddenly sent a message. [I just finished my work. What¡¯s with all the messages? What did I miss?1 [Zeke: Jason! Today¡¯s a happy day for Jeremy, so he¡¯s going to treat us to a drink!] Jason did not reply anymore, so Zeke figured that he was probably reading the messages above. Gerald was usually a man of few words, but he then typed, [Count me in if it¡¯s to toast their wedding.] N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Jeremy and Corinne took a break after they were done with the first session. He narrowed his eyes at the messages in the new group chat and raised an eyebrow. Then, he handed the phone to Corinne, who was changing her makeup and hair. ¡°Some people are asking to raise a toast. to us for our wedding. What should we do?¡± Chapter 754 Chapter 754 Corinne read the chat and said, ¡°They¡¯re your friends, so you make the arrangements.¡± Jeremy nced at her. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Corinne looked at him from the mirror and raised her eyebrows in puzzlement. ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t you go out drinking with them before? Just make the same arrangements as you always do.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any money,¡± he quipped. Corinne was speechless. The make-up artist who was changing Corinne¡¯s hairstyle had a surprised expression and tried to hold in augh. What a shock to hear that a handsome, rich man could say that he had ¡®no money!! Corinne¡¯s lips twitched when she realized that Jeremy had given her all his bank cards. He did not have much money on his phone either. ¡°You make the arrangements then, and I¡¯ll pay for it,¡± Corinne said considerately. That was what Jeremy had been waiting for her to say. He raised his hand and gently touched the tip of her nose. ¡°Thank you for your generosity then, my dearest wife.¡± The tip of her nose tickled slightly after he touched it, and Corinne¡¯s face scrunched a bit. The phrase ¡®my dearest wife¡¯ made her blush. ¡®How could he be so sappy when the makeup artist is right here?!¡¯ After receiving his permission, Jeremy sent a brief message in the group chat. [She¡¯s okay with it.]This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Zeke then replied, [Yo, Jeremy! Are you done with the photoshoot? Send them to us so we can have a look!] [Jeremy: No.] [Zeke: Tsk, tsk, tsk! Wow, that was harsh. Guess he can only say ¡®yes¡¯ if his wife says ¡®yes¡¯! It¡¯s only been a few days since Ist saw him and he¡¯s already be a ve to his wife!] [Annie: I¡¯m going to remove you from the group.] [Zeke: Okay, okay! Don¡¯t kick me out! I won¡¯t joke around anymore! When are you arranging the toast, Jeremy? Why not seize the moment and just do it today?] [Annie: Sweet! I¡¯m going to join too!] At that time, Lucas-who never sent messages on social media-popped up in the group chat for the first time. [Come to Lunar Century Manor. I¡¯ll make the arrangements for tonight.] Zeke was startled. [Lucas? What brought you here today?] [Lucas: What¡¯s the matter? Am I not wee here?) [Zeke: Of course you are! But you¡¯re not the host today! You need to ask Jeremy first!] [Jeremy: That¡¯ll do.] [Gerald: We¡¯re off to Lunar Century Manor, then. That¡¯s where Lucas stores all his good wine!] [Zeke: It¡¯s set!] Corinne took out her phone, read the messages in the group, and frowned slightly when she saw Lucas¡¯ message. ¡®Does Lucas want to raise a toast to me and Jeremy too?¡¯ An hourter, the service staff of the photography studio said respectfully to them, ¡°Mister Jeremy, Miss Corinne, we¡¯re done for the day. We¡¯ll call you again in a few days to let you go over the photos. You can leave your contact information with us.¡± Corinne nodded, picked up the pen, and left her number with them. Annie could not wait any longer. ¡°Finally, the photoshoot is over! Let¡¯s go to Lunar Century Manor to celebrate! Zeke and the others are already there!¡± Corinne was not very keen on going, so she waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll pass. You can go with Uncle Jeremy!¡± Annie was displeased to hear Corinne¡¯s refusal. ¡°How can you not go?! You¡¯re the guest of honor today! Who will we celebrate if you¡¯re not there? Do you want Uncle Jeremy to be poked fun at by the guys there?¡± Corinne looked helplessly at Jeremy, who was standing beside her, and he looked back at her warmly. ¡°You tired?¡± ¡°A little,¡± she said. Jeremy asked again, ¡°So you¡¯re not going, then?¡± Chapter 755 Chapter 755 Corinne nodded again. ¡°I want to go home.¡± Jeremy asked nothing else and gently hugged her shoulders instead. ¡°Okay. Then we¡¯ll go home.¡± ¡°We?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± Jeremy gazed down at her. ¡°No one is going to pay the bill for me if you don¡¯t go, so there¡¯s no point in me going.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I can transfer the money to you so you can make the payment. Jeremy said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m in no mood to drink with them if you¡¯re not with me. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll run away again.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡®Seriously?¡¯ Corinne could not stand that reverse-psychology trick and felt as though Jeremy was trying to manipte her. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Jeremy smirked, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, but we¡¯ll go home as soon as I have a couple of drinks with them. I promise to let you sleep well tonight instead of making you toss and turn.¡± When Corinne heard the phrase ¡®toss and turn¡¯, her face reddened in an instant, and the blush extended as far as her corbone. ¡°Mister! You¡­¡± Annie moved her curious head over. ¡°What did you say to Corinne to make her blush?¡± Jeremy raised his hand expressionlessly and pushed Annie¡¯s head away mercilessly. ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t be such busybodies. Don¡¯t ask around like that.¡± Corinne kept quiet. Annie¡¯s head hurt from Jeremy¡¯s push, and she rubbed the area while pouting. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m not a kid anymore! It¡¯s not wrong!¡± By the time Corinne, Annie, and Jeremy reached Lunar Century Manor, Zeke, Lucas, Gerald, and Jason had all arrived there and were chatting over a couple of drinks. They then looked at the entrance when they heard the door open. Zeke raised his ss. ¡°Our guest of honor is here!¡± Lucas looked at Corinne with a gentle gaze. However, that tender expression turned to gloom when he looked at Jeremy. His younger sister was the most angelic girl in the world, and she should have found a gentle and considerate man of simr age to love her. Unfortunately, she foolishly found a scheming older man, and she got the short end of the stickpared to Jeremy. Gerald has always been a quiet man, and he had a calm expression as he clinked sses with Jason. Jason had a wry smile on his lips as he saw the couple walk over. He sipped his wine silently, but it somehow tasted extra bitter. Jeremy approached them with Corinne in his arms, and he said naturally, ¡°Let me introduce you to my wife, Corinne.¡± He then sat down with his arm wrapped around her waist. Zeke was the first to toast him. ¡°Congrattions, Jeremy! You finally married a beautiful woman!¡± Gerald took the chance to offer a toast as well. ¡°Congrattions, Jeremy.¡± Lucas watched coldly and did not join in. At that moment, a ss of wine was abruptly offered to Corinne. ¡°Congrattions on your marriage, Corinne.¡± Corinne was taken aback for a moment. She looked up and saw that it was Jason. She picked up the juice that Jeremy handed her and clinked sses with Jason. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jason did not say anything else and smiled as he finished the ss of strong liquor. The atmosphere became slightly tense. All of a sudden, Jeremy¡¯s cell phone rang. Chapter 756 Chapter 756 Jeremy frowned when he saw the name on the screen but answered the call nheless. ¡°Jeremy, where are you?¡± Anya asked anxiously from the other end of the phone. ¡°I¡¯m at Lunar Century Manor.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ What are you doing there?¡± asked Anya awkwardly. Instead of answering her question, Jeremy asked, ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Joey has been puking and crying for you. I know you must be in the middle of something, but can you pleasee see him for a while? He really needs you right now,¡± said Anya pitifully. Jeremy nced at Corinne before asking, ¡°What did the doctor say?¡± ¡°The doctor said Joey¡¯s physically fine. The puking is a normal side-effect of brain concussion ¡­but I¡¯m more worried about him getting traumatized by what happened. Joey really needs his daddy tofort him right now.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Jeremy fell silent, so silent that Corinne said to him, ¡°You can go to them if you want.¡± She did not need to hear their conversation to guess that it was Anya on the other side of the phone. It was always the same old story Anya called him to tell him ¡®Joey needed his daddy right now, so can he come and spend time with them? Jeremy immediately hung up when he heard what Corinne said. He cocked his head at her and brought the dessert to her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going anywhere today.¡± Corinne was surprised to hear that. After all, Jeremy always rushed off the moment he received a call from his savior. It was certainly rare for him to be able to resist Anya¡¯s emotional ckmailing. Corinne took a huge bite out of the dessert and was about to take another bite because of how delicious it was when Jeremy pulled his hand away. ¡°This is too sweet. You shouldn¡¯t eat that much.¡± ¡°One piece is not too much! Give it to me,¡± said Corinne, frowning. ¡°No.¡± Jeremy quickly ate the dessert so that he could free his hands to hold down Corinne¡¯s grappling hands, earning her pout. Seeing this, Lucas passed her another dessert from the table. ¡°There¡¯s still many left. I can ask the servants to pack them up for you to bring home if you want.¡± Corinne simply stared coolly at Lucas¡¯ outstretched hand and said, ¡°No thanks, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas was speechless, and his hand hung awkwardly in mid-air. Pleased with her refusal, Jeremy smiled and patted Corinne¡¯s head. ¡°What a good girl she is today. Seems like she finally learned not to take food from other men.¡¯ After finding out the baby in Corinne¡¯s womb was his, he did some homework and learned that it was easy for a pregnant woman to get gestational diabetes, Corinne should avoid sweet things for the moment. Thus, he had no choice but to use tough love on her. Lucas sighed and ced the dessert back on the table. ¡®Oh well. At least I tried to connect with her.¡¯ Also, he knew it was Anya who called Jeremy, and it did not take a genius to figure out what she wanted Jeremy to do. Thinking of all this made his head hurt. All of a sudden, Annie raised her ss. ¡°Here¡¯s a toast to Uncle Jeremy and Corinne! I wish the two of you a long and happy marriage.¡± Jeremy and Corinne exchanged nces with each other before raising their sses to ept Annie¡¯s blessings. However, after seeing how they held their ss, Annie quickly said, ¡°No! That won¡¯t do. The two of you have to intertwine your arms at the elbows like this and drink from your ss in a cross-armed style. Come on, everybody-let¡¯s cheer them on!¡± Chapter 757 Chapter 757 ¡°Yes! Drink it cross-arm style!¡± Zeke shouted. Jeremy did not mind that, but to show his respect, he raised his eyebrow at Corinne to ask for her consent. Though shy, Corinne did not want to rain on other people¡¯s parade, so after a slight hesitation, she linked her elbows with Jeremy¡¯s, and the two of them downed their ss. in one go. Satisfied, Annie threw her head back and downed her ss in one go before leading the guests in a round of thunderous apuse. The atmosphere in the room certainly reached its peak by then. ¡°Jeremy, Lucas prepared a special show for you and Corinne today. Which is so unlike him,¡± said Zeke while pping, and he smiled. ¡°I can guarantee the two of you won¡¯t ever forget tonight.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy looked askance at Lucas. ¡®This guy must be up to no good¡­¡¯ Corinne turned to look at Lucas curiously. Corinne was Lucas¡¯ long-lost sister. He felt like he owed her for the many years he was not by her side, and for¡­all the misunderstandings that urred between them. Thus, no matter how long it would take or how much effort he would need to put into it, he swore he would make it up to her in the hopes that Corinne would forgive him one day. Suddenly, the sound of fireworks could be hearding from outside, and secondster, the light from the fireworks flooded into the room. Zeke pointed at the spectacr show. ¡°Speak of the devil! This is what I¡¯m talking about. Let¡¯s go and watch it together!¡± Everyone got up from the table and followed Zeke to the balcony. One firework after another burst forth into the dark sky before exploding in a shower of light. What was special about this firework was it was blue instead of the usual colors found in the market. It took Lucas a lot of effort to gather so many blue fireworks because of how rare they were. Then there was the matter of safety too, since blue fireworks posed more safety risks than the other colors. Initially, Corinne was disinterested in Lucas¡¯ gift to them, but after seeing the gorgeous shades of blue lighting up the sky, she could not help but feel awed by it all. Oh, how lucky was she to be able to witness such a glorious and romantic sight with the man of her dreams! They turned to gaze deeply into each other¡¯s eyes as their lips came closer and closer¡­ Ring! Ring! Ring! The moment instantly vanished when Jeremy¡¯s phone rang again, and he frowned and pressed ¡®Decline¡¯. However, the call just kepting anding. He patted Corinne¡¯s shoulder lightly and said, ¡°Let me take this call. It might be an emergency. ¡°Okay¡­¡± After he left, Corinne looked up at the sky with mixed feelings. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Jason, suddenly appearing beside her. ¡°Yes, absolutely,¡± said Corinne with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you.¡± Corinne looked at him in shock. ¡°Umm¡­ Thanks, I guess.¡± Jason smiled at her. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I¡¯m either in the office or flying to another country to make some deals¡­ I wanted to find you as soon as I got back, but it looks like I¡¯m too late¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes were so clear that Jason could see the blue fireworks being reflected at him. Jason¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you saying I still have a chance with you?¡± Chapter 758 Chapter 758 ¡°No, I¡¯m saying even if you have the time toe find me earlier, you still wouldn¡¯t have a chance with me,¡± Corinne answered. Jason did a double take before smiling ruefully. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m a horrible person¡­ ¡± ¡°You could be the best person in the world and I still wouldn¡¯t be with you. That¡¯s how much I love Jeremy,¡± said Corinne serenely. Jason gazed deeply at Corinne¡¯s upturned side profile. ¡°So he makes you happy, huh?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. And I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± ¡°Tell me, do you think he feels the same way as you? Is he not splitting his time with another woman?¡± Jason asked mockingly. Corinne finally turned to look at him with a frown. With his foxy eyes, Jason gestured for her to look at a ce not far away. She followed his gaze and saw Jeremy sitting alone in the empty room with his ear glued to his phone. Only Anya would call him at a time like this. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like he has a choice. I mean, Anya did save his life before. It¡¯d be ungrateful of him if he didn¡¯t take her call,¡± said Corinne after a while. ¡°So I¡¯ve guessed right. You¡¯re not a hundred percent sure he only has you in his heart,¡± said Jason with a smirk. Corinne gave him a stink-eye. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say ¡®only¡¯, but I¡¯m confident I take up most of the space in his heart.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Corinne did not like what Jason was doing, so she ignored him and turned her attention back to the blue fireworks in the sky. Jason, too, turned his head up to look at the blue fireworks in the sky. ¡°No matter how strong or independent a woman thinks she is, she¡¯ll eventually lose herself in a rtionship. Corinne, I know Jeremy longer than you do, so I can tell you with certainty that he¡¯s not the type to throw himself into a rtionship. You¡¯lle to eventually see just how ruthless he can be.¡± Corinne did not like to hear other people speak ill of Jeremy, so she looked sharply at him and said, ¡°What about you, Mister Talbot? Does it make you the good guy to be spouting all this nonsense to me? How can you betray your friend like this? Are you out of your mind?¡± Jason was stunned by her usation, but he quickly arranged his expression into a smile. ¡°1 might not be the good guy in this case, but I can assure you I don¡¯t have any savior to pander to. You only have to say the word, and I¡¯ll give you my whole heart. What do you say?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Corinne rolled her eyes at him. She could not stand how insufferable he was. Not wanting to talk to him for a second longer, she turned around and made her way back to the room. Jason was to call her back but stopped himself. His eyes followed her until she came to stand beside Jeremy, and only then did he turn around to look the other way. Suddenly, Zeke put his arms around him. ¡°Jason, what were you and Corinne talking about just now?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just giving her my congrattions,¡± said Jason with a smile. Zeke turned to look toward the room and what should he see but Jeremy putting away his phone to embrace Corinne so tightly that no gaps could be seen between their bodies. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! Look at Jeremy being all lovey-dovey with Corinne. I wouldn¡¯t have believed he could have ever fallen in love if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes.¡± An icy glint shed across Jason¡¯s eyes when he heard the words ¡®fallen in love¡¯. Chapter 759 Chapter 759 After hanging up the phone, Jeremy looked up and noticed Corinne walking toward him.¡± What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you like the firework show?¡± Corinne sat beside him and said nonchntly, ¡°I do, but it was getting kinda boring. It was just one beautiful explosion after another, so I decided toe in.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and hugged her. ¡°Did something happen? Why do you sound so unhappy?¡± Corinne was indeed unhappy with him for being on the phone for so long. ¡°Mister, what did Anya say to you?¡± ¡°She wanted me to visit Joey ¡¯cause he¡¯s having a fever.¡± ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± Corinne asked with a scoff. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Jeremy could hear the sarcasm in her voice. ¡°Why would I go there? It¡¯s not like I can cure him. Besides, I¡¯ve asked my men to get the best doctor in the city to check on Joey.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know how to cure people?¡± asked Corinne with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Yeah. Why do you ask?¡± Jeremy questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re the only one who can cure Miss Anya¡¯s lovesickness.¡± The smile disappeared from Jeremy¡¯s face, reced by a frown. He could tell Corinne was mocking him, so he gazed solemnly into her eyes before pulling her into a tight embrace. Stroking her hair, he said, ¡°I know this is on me¡­but I promise you I¡¯m only concerned about. their safety and nothing else.¡± Corinne fit perfectly against Jeremy¡¯s body. Listening to the rhythmic gentle beating of his heart gave her a sense offort so great that she nearly fell asleep. ¡°Mister, I have a question¡­and you must answer me as honestly as you can,¡± said Corinne sleepily. Jeremy rubbed his chin against the top of her head and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Corinne grabbed his hand andced her fingers between his. ¡°Am I the only one in your¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Anya! What are you doing here?¡± asked the Lunar Century Manor¡¯s servants in shock. The two of them turned around and saw Anya running in with the sickly Joey in her arms. ¡°Jeremy! Where¡¯s Jeremy?!¡± To say Corinne was surprised would be an understatement, but she would not put it past Anya to do something like this. ¡®Well, it took her no time toe here at all.¡¯ Lunar Century Manor was built by the Riveras, and their mansion was not that far from here. When Anya saw Jeremy seated on the sofa, she immediately ran over. ¡°Jeremy!¡± Jeremy frowned at the sight of her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I send the doctor over? Why did you bring Joey here?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. He was crying for you. He wouldn¡¯t let the doctore near him unless you were in the room with him. Look¡­¡± Anya held up Joey, who was deathly pale in the face. The bandage around his head only served to make him look even more pitiful. He looked at Jeremy weakly and reached out to him. ¡°Dada¡­ I want huggy¡­¡¯ Chapter 760 Chapter 760 Jeremy was still hugging Corinne, so he could not hold Joey. Instead, he said coldly to Anya,¡± Why don¡¯t you bring Joey to the guest room? It¡¯s not good for him to be out and about when he has a fever.¡± Anya was angered by Jeremy choosing Corinne over Joey. ¡°Jeremy, aren¡¯t you going to give Joey a hug? He¡¯s been crying for you nonstop. Oh, I get it now. You¡¯re worried about Corinne getting jealous, aren¡¯t you?¡± She then turned to Corinne and pleaded pitifully, ¡°Corinne, won¡¯t you let Joey have some time with his father? He really needs him right now¡­¡± Jeremy was about to say something, but Corinne beat him to it. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not the one keeping him from Joey. He¡¯s a grown man. He can choose who he wants to spend time with, and it just so happens he chose me.¡± She leanedzily against Jeremy and crossed her legs, treating him like a human-shaped armchair. ¡°You surprised me today, Miss Anya. I¡¯ve always thought you¡¯re a fragile woman, but it took you no time to run over her with Joey in your arms. Why, it hasn¡¯t even been a hot minute after Jeremy hung up on you.¡± Anya found it harder to hide the hatred she had for Corinne. She forced herself to squeeze out a smile. ¡°Well, one learns how to be stronger after one bes a mother. Which is something you wouldn¡¯t know, Corinne. Since you¡¯re not a mother yourself.¡± ¡®Oh, please! As if she deserves to be called a mother!¡¯ thought Corinne. She broke out in a mocking smile as she stood up from Jeremy¡¯sp. ¡°Oh, Miss Anya. Your words have so moved me. How can I keep little Joey away from his father? Here, let his father carry him.¡± She then turned to look at Jeremy with her eyebrow raised. ¡°Mister, what are you still waiting there for? Your kid is crying for you!¡± Instead of moving, Jeremy simply stared at Corinne with narrowed eyes. After Corinne got up, Anya immediately ran up to Jeremy with Joey in her arms. ¡°Jeremy, Joey really, really needs you. He¡¯s been calling for you the whole time you were away. Jeremy looked at Joey with a frown and said impatiently to Anya, ¡°Like I said, you should bring him to the guest room first. Me carrying him won¡¯t cure him of his fever. All the windows are open on his floor. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the cold will make his fever worse?¡± This shocked Anya. Yes, it was true he always treated her coldly, but never had he ever spoken to her impatiently. ¡®It¡¯s all that stupid b*tch¡¯s fault!¡¯ she thought. Anya ced Joey on the sofa before taking out a bracelet from her pocket. ¡°Jeremy, do you still remember this bracelet? You gave it to me after I saved your life, and you told me I can count on you to get me out of any difficulties as long as Ie to you with this bracelet. You swore you¡¯d protect me at all costs,¡± said Anya while wiping away her tears. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She then ced the bracelet on top of Jeremy¡¯s palm. ¡°I know you¡¯re with Corinne now and have no time for me anymore¡­so I¡¯m giving this bracelet back to you. I promise you I won¡¯t bother you anymore¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s face changed when he saw the bracelet in his hand. That bracelet used to belong to histe mother, and he had kept it with him all throughout his childhood. Jeremy was found by his men on the seventh day after Anya saved him, while she was nowhere to be seen by then. He wanted to thank her, so he ordered one of his men to remain at the spot. to wait for Anya toe back and to give her the bracelet, along with the message for her toe to him for help whenever she was troubled. Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Jeremy remembered how Anya sucked the poison out of his body, how she brought him food and medicine every day, and how cute she looked when she addressed him as ¡®Mister¡¯. He held a special feeling for that girl ever since. It was not of love but of gratitude for saving his life. Even if he was blinded by the snake¡¯s venom in his body, he could clearly remember everything. Everything except for the girl¡¯s look. Later, when Anya came to look for him with the bracelet at hand, he felt something was different about her. Not able to put his finger to it, he just chalked it down as him imagining things. Jeremy felt extremely guilty after learning Anya could not have children nor did her health ever recover from the snake venom she sucked out of his body. He tried to make it up to her ever since but the one thing she wanted from him, he could not give. After taking a trip down memoryne, Jeremy shoved the bracelet back into Anya¡¯s hand. ¡°My promise to you still stands, so take this bracelet back. It¡¯s yours to keep forever.¡± He then stood up, picked up Joey from the sofa, and left for the guest room upstairs. He stopped walking when he passed by Corinne and looked at her, conflicted. ¡°Wait here for me. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Corinne said nothing else and simply nodded. Anya had gotten what she came for. She wore the bracelet and waved it in front of Corinne while smiling smugly as if to say, ¡®See this? As long as I have this bracelet, Jeremy will forever take my side.¡¯ She then red at her condescendingly before turning to follow Jeremy and Joey up to the guest room. Corinne watched the three of them leave apprehensively. N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Corinne, your kid would have to fight for his father¡¯s attention with Anya¡¯s kid once it¡¯s born. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± asked Jason. His question pulled Corinne out of her thoughts. She threw a nce at him and thought, ¡®Him. and his stupid mouth¡­ It¡¯s such a shame a good-looking guy like him only knows how to annoy me with that stupid mouth of his.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± said Corinne. Jason shrugged and smiled. ¡°Come on, Corinne. Don¡¯t be so cold to me. I was just being kind enough to warn you. Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°As if!¡± ¡°Of course I am. To be honest, it breaks my heart to see you like this. Tell me, how does it feel to see your husband walking away with another woman and her kid? I¡¯d be so disappointed in him if I were you.¡± Corinne had no time to wallow in self-pity as something about that bracelet looked familiar to her. She was quite sure she had seen it before¡­but where? Chapter 762 Chapter 762 By then, the firework show had ended and a strong gust was blowing. No one outside the balcony noticed Anya¡¯s arrival because of how loud the fireworks were, so they were surprised to see Corinne and Jason talking on the sofa with Jeremy nowhere in sight when they came in. Zeke sat down and asked, ¡°Corinne, where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. Corinne pointed at the stairs with her chin. ¡°He went up to the guest room.¡± Annie sat beside Corinne and asked, ¡°Why did Uncle Jeremy go up there? How could he leave you alone here?¡± Corinne did not answer and simply sipped her juice. Annie, being the easily distractible child she was, did not think too much of it. She quickly took out her phone to show Corinne the photos she took of the firework show. ¡°Look, Corinne. Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡± Corinne looked down and saw Annie¡¯s firework photos posted online had garnered a high number of likes. She smiled and gave her a nod of approval. ¡°Yeah, they are.¡± ¡°Right? That¡¯s what I think, too!¡± said Annie happily. She busied herself with replying to thements under the photos. Lucas walked over gracefully, carrying with him a gust of cold air. He then carefully sat down beside Corinne and asked gently, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay till the end of the show? Don¡¯t you like the blue fireworks?¡± Corinne nced at him emotionlessly. ¡°No, they were beautiful. Thank you. How much did the firework show cost you? I¡¯ll pay it back to you along with the cost of tonight¡¯s dinner.¡± Lucas nearly choked at her words. ¡°The firework show and this dinner are my gifts to you. You don¡¯t have to pay me back,¡± he said with a frown. Corinne smiled. ¡°Thank you, but I can¡¯t ept the gifts. After all, you and I are not friends or family, so I insist on paying for everything. Otherwise, I won¡¯t evere here again.¡± Her words cut deep into Lucas¡¯ heart. He sighed heavily and said nothing more. At that moment, a servant came with the nket Lucas ordered him to bring. Lucas offered the nket to Corinne, saying, ¡°It¡¯s going to get colder with the wind howling like that. Put. this on so you won¡¯t get cold.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Corinne with a smile as she epted the nket. However, instead of putting it over herself, she put it over Annie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Here you go, Annie. Don¡¯t catch a cold now.¡± Annie was so focused on replying to her friends¡¯ messages that she was pleasantly surprised by the sudden kind gesture. She looked at Corinne gratefully. ¡°Thanks, Corinne. You¡¯re so good to me.¡± Even though Corinne was slightly younger than Annie, she treated thetter as if she was her little sister. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re my niece-inw now. Be a good girl and go back to ying with your phone,¡± she said as she patted Annie¡¯s head. Lucas was speechless. ¡®Grr, why is she so stubborn? It¡¯s only a nket. Seems like she¡¯s determined to not ept me as her brother.¡± Meanwhile, Zeke and Jason were sitting and drinking some distance away from Corinne and the group Zeke leaned toward Jason and whispered, ¡°Jason, have you noticed how weird Lucas is acting today? Why would a guy like him do all this stuff to make Corinne like him?¡± Jason drank his wine and threw him a bored nce. ¡°When are you ever going to stop gossiping about other people?¡± ¡°Tsk! You¡¯re not fun at all,¡± said Zeke huffily. He did not expect to receive such a cold. response from Jason. ¡°Well, it¡¯s still better than being a gossiper¡­¡± said Jason with a scoff. Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Zeke disagreed with Jason. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t find it weird, too? I mean, we all know Lucas thinks everyone is beneath him, so why would he put down his pride in front of Corinne? You know what I think? Lucas might be trying to avenge Anya by stealing Corinne away from Jeremy.¡± ¡°Wow¡­you should go be a scriptwriter,¡± said Jason sarcastically. ¡°Ugh. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. This is getting nowhere,¡± growled Zeke. Annie had just finished replying to her friends¡¯ments. She was ecstatic by all the praises thrown at her and wanted to find something else to show off, so she turned on her phone camera and pulled Corinne over. ¡°Say cheese, Corinne! I¡¯m going to post a picture of uster so that everyone will know I just got myself a new aunt-inw!¡± Corinne smiled helplessly toward the phone¡¯s front camera. After checking the photo, however, Annie seemed displeased. ¡°Eww, the front camera is useless. Just look at how blurry the photo is. Let¡¯s try again with the back camera!¡± The phone¡¯s back camera shed before Corinne could refuse, but Annie did not seem to be happy with the newest photo either. The previous photo was too blurry, but this time, it was because both of them were not even in the frame due to the angle it was taken. ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so hard to find the right angle using the back camera!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne was about to tell Annie to stop trying when Jason suddenly came over and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you take the photo, Annie?¡± Before Corinne could say anything, Annie passed her phone to Jason. ¡°Sure thing. Make sure you take a nice photo of us!¡± Jason smiled and put Annie¡¯s phone to the side. He then fished out his phone from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s use my phone instead. My camera has a very high resolution.¡± Corinne did not want Jason to have a photo of her in his phone, but before she could stop him, Annie said happily, ¡°Okay, sure! Remember to send me the phototer.¡± Corinne was speechless. Jason aimed his camera phone at Corinne and Annie and yed around with the focus before saying, ¡°Ready? One, two, three. Smile!¡± Not wanting to be a party pooper, Corinne gave her best smile to the camera. Jason took a few more photos before giving them the ¡®OK¡¯ sign. ¡°Okay, great! That should do it. ¡°Let me see! Let me see!¡± said Annie excitedly as she ran up to Jason. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right. Your camera really does have a high resolution. Look at how clear the photos are. I can even count the strands of hair on our heads!¡± She scrolled the photo albums until she came to a funny photo. In it, Lucas had his head tilted, but the angle made it look like he was resting his head on Corinne¡¯s shoulder. Annie cackled heartily. ¡°Hahahahaha! Corinne, look! The way Mister Lucas has his head tilted makes him look like my pet dog. Hahahaha!¡± Lucas was speechless. Corinne was disinterested in looking at the photos, but her curiosity was piqued when she saw Annie laughing like that. She turned her head to look where Annie was pointing, and a smile immediately appeared on her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. He does look like a dog.¡± Lucas was even more speechless. Jason received a message from Lucas as soon as he got back his phone. [Send me the photo.] Jason was puzzled, but he then smiled and typed, [Which one?] [Need you ask?] Ding! Lucas saved the photo of him photobombing Corinne to his phone as soon as he received it from Jason. Although he did look funny in that photo, it was after all still the first photo that had him and Corinne together, and that was reason enough for him to treasure it. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 Just when Lucas was staring at the photo in a trance¡­ ¡°Hey Jason, were you guys taking pictures?¡± said Anya curiously from behind Jason. She came just in time to have caught a glimpse of the photos in Jason¡¯s phone. Jason turned and smiled at her. ¡°Yeah. Do you want to take one with us, too?¡± Anya shook her head. ¡°No, thanks. I didn¡¯t put any makeup on today, so I¡¯ll look ugly in the photos.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re beautiful even without makeup on,¡± said Jason in a gentlemanly manner. Annie rolled her eyes and poked her tongue out at Anya while muttering to herself, ¡°Oh, please. I can¡¯t believe she has the cheek to say she doesn¡¯t have makeup on when her face is caked with it. What does she think we are? Blind?¡± Corinne sipped her juice with a bored expression, so used to Anya¡¯s theatrics. Anya heard what Annie said. She threw a dirty nce at both Annie and Corinne before realizing Lucas was there, too. ¡°Oh hey, Lucas. You¡¯re here too?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened at Anya¡¯s sudden arrival. ¡®She should be at home at this hour,¡¯ he thought, but out loud, he asked her, ¡°When did youe?¡± Anya walked over, sat next to Lucas, and leaned her body against his as she usually would. Lucas, Joey has been crying nonstop for Jeremy, so I called him to ask about his whereabouts. He said he was in Lunar Century Manor, so I thought I¡¯d bring Joey here to see him.¡± Lucas made no move to hold her in his arms. On the contrary, his face became stern when he asked, ¡°You brought Joey here, too?¡± Anya was a little rmed at how stern Lucas looked. She stuttered as she exined, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t have a choice. Joey just kept crying and crying¡­¡± ¡°Why did you bring him out at thiste hour when he¡¯s still recovering from his injury from yesterday?!¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t settle down no matter how I tried tofort him. He said he only wanted Jeremy¡­¡± It finally dawned on Lucas why Corinne sat alone while Jeremy was upstairs. It was all because of that troublemaker Anya! He pinched his be defeatedly. ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still upstairs with Joey. I was worried he¡¯d be thirsty, so I came down to get some drinks for him,¡± Anya answered. She then picked a bottle of unopened soft drink from the table.¡± Let¡¯s talkter, Lucas. I¡¯m going to go back upstairs now.¡± However, before she left, she did not forget to keep up her pretense of being a nice girl. Corinne, I¡¯m going up now. You enjoy yourself now, you hear? If you need anything, don¡¯t be shy and just have the servants bring it to you, okay?¡± Her words sounded polite enough, but it was obvious she was trying to show her who was boss. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne smiled and was about to say something when Annie rolled her eyes and said fiercely, Oh, don¡¯t you worry, Miss Anya. We won¡¯t be shy at all. This ce might belong to you Riveras, but for this one night, it belongs to my Uncle Jeremy since he paid for the right to use. it! In other words, we¡¯re your customer, and as the saying goes, the customer is king and a king never bargains!¡± Anya¡¯s face immediately turned pale, and even her signature fake smile stiffened. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re right. I was worrying for nothing.¡± Annie was Jeremy¡¯s only niece and the two of them had a very close rtionship, so it would not benefit Anya if she fought with Annie. Hence, she quickly left the scene before things got out of control. ¡°Stop right there,¡± said Corinne all of a sudden. Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ¡°Yes, Corinne?¡± said Anya as she turned. Corinne raised her eyebrow and said, ¡°If he¡¯s thirsty, I¡¯d highly suggest you bring him some water instead of a soft drink. Soft drinks aren¡¯t that thirst-quenching, and two, he doesn¡¯t like them.¡± A hint of hatred shed across Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that so? But Jeremy specifically asked me to bring him some soft drinks. If I didn¡¯t know any better, Corinne, I would¡¯ve thought you don¡¯t really know him that well at all.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± said Corinne with a smirk after sipping her juice. Anya hated how Corinne always remained unfazed by her insults; it was like throwing punches. at the air and did nothing to assuage the anger in her heart. Anya scoffed and left with the soft drink in her hand. Seeing this, Lucas nced worriedly at Corinne before he got up and followed Anya upstairs. Jason immediately sat on the seat Lucas just vacated. He then picked up a te of cut oranges and offered it to Corinne. ¡°Here, Corinne. Have some oranges. It¡¯ll cool you down.¡± Corinne threw him an annoyed look before saying, ¡°Are you stupid? How can eating oranges cool you down?¡± Instead of getting angry, Jason simply smiled and said, ¡°Well, have some water, then. You have to put out that fire inside of you somehow.¡± ¡°Thank you, but that won¡¯t be necessary since I¡¯m not angry at all. You, however, should wash that mouth of yours with soap and water.¡± Jason shrugged and popped the orange into his mouth while he flirtatiously wiggled his eyebrows at Corinne. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sensing him looking at her, Corinne turned and was immediately greeted by his eyes. ¡®Man, I¡¯ve gotta hand it to him. He must be the first man in the universe who can make eating. oranges look sexy.¡¯ Meanwhile, back in the guest room upstairs. ¡°Jeremy, you must be thirsty. Here, drink this,¡± said Anya as she offered him the soft drink. Jeremy was sitting by the bed and looking tenderly at the half-unconscious, feverish Joey. He took a nce at the soft drink and said coldly, ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t like soft drinks. You can have it instead.¡± Anya¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. Her heart throbbed with anger when she recalled Corinne¡¯s warning to her. Not wanting to force Jeremy to drink the soft drink, she simply put it aside. ¡°Joey looks to be settling down now that you¡¯re here, Jeremy,¡± said Anya gently as she looked at Joey. ¡°Did you give him his medicine before you came? Why is the fever not subsiding?¡± asked Jeremy. Anya nodded. ¡°I did give him the fever medicine, but the doctor said there¡¯s a chance the fever was due to anxiety. The poor kid must¡¯ve really wanted to see you¡­¡± ¡®What anxiety could a one-year-old kid have?¡¯ thought Jeremy. He frowned and checked the time on his wristwatch. ¡®It¡¯s gettingte. That little rascal must be getting tired.¡¯ ¡°Jeremy, you should go down to check on Corinne. I¡¯ll stay here with Anya and Joey instead,¡± said Lucas lightly as he walked into the room. Chapter 766 Chapter 766 Jeremy looked at Lucas with surprise. He never thought that Lucas would do something like that for him or Corinne. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jeremy asked. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Lucas walked over to the bed to check on Joey. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. After all, this kid is my family¡¯s responsibility. In fact, we should be apologizing for causing you so much trouble.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes in disbelief. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he the one who asked me to spend more time with Anya? Why the sudden change of heart?¡¯ ¡°Lucas, what are you doing here? Umm¡­shouldn¡¯t you be down there drinking with your friends?¡± Anya asked with a frown. Lucas threw a nce at Anya and said meaningfully, ¡°Jeremy should be the one doing that since he¡¯s the star of the night.¡± Anya was speechless. She knew what Lucas was trying to tell her, but d*mn if she was going to let Jeremy go down to be with that b*tch! ¡°Lucas, Joey really needs Jeremy right now. His temperature has finally juste down, and I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll go up again if Jeremy¡¯s not here,¡± said Anya pitifully. Instead of speaking to Anya, Lucas asked Joey, ¡°Hey there, little guy. Is it okay if I stay with you instead?¡± Joey was actually awake. He blinked a few times out of difort before saying, ¡°Un¡­ Uncle¡­¡± Lucas leaned in closer to him. ¡°Yes, little guy? Do you want me to stay?¡± Joey nodded. ¡°Uncle¡­stay¡­¡± Hearing this, Jeremy immediately stood up and patted Lucas¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Thanks, man.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Go now. Corinne¡¯s waiting for you downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremy felt more at ease knowing Lucas would be there to watch over Joey. His only worry was Corinne. He was afraid she would be lonely or that she would be angry at him for making her wait that long. Thus, he quickly left the room. Anya, however, was not happy at the turn of events. She was not going to let Jeremy go without a fight; not when it had taken her so much effort to lure him upstairs. ¡°Jeremy, wait! Let me see you off,¡± she shouted as she chased after him. ¡°Come back this instant!¡± roared Lucas before she had gone far as if he expected she would do that. Anya stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Lucas, I was just-¡± ¡°He¡¯s just going downstairs to look for his wife, so there¡¯s no need to see him off. More importantly, have you forgotten that you have a sick child lying in this bed right here? Joey needs his mother too, you know,¡± said Lucas sternly. Anya looked toward the door, panicking. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Anya, listen to me. Don¡¯t ever use Joey as an excuse to trouble Jeremy again. Come to me if you need any help with Joey. I promise I¡¯ll take care of everything for you,¡± said Lucas wearily. ¡°But Lucas! Jeremy and I adopted this kid together. Both of our names are listed as his guardians! That means he¡¯s both of our responsibilities!¡± Lucas¡¯ voice turned even sharper when he realized he was not getting through to Anya. ¡°Have you forgotten that you begged him to adopt this kid with you? Didn¡¯t you promise him that he¡¯ll only have to put down his name and you¡¯ll take care of the rest? ¡°Jeremy only agreed to adopt Joey with you out of a sense of obligation to you for saving his life, yet here you are, calling him over for every small matter. You should be ashamed to call yourself a mother when you can¡¯t even take good care of Joey. ¡°Just look at him! He¡¯s been getting hurt one time after another ever since you brought him home! I warn you, Anya, if you don¡¯t take good care of Joey from now on, I¡¯m going to give him to someone who can! You can kiss goodbye to him then!¡± Lucas¡¯ threat seemed to have made its mark on Anya because she was actually cowering in fear. She knew that while Lucas did spoil her in many ways, he was also the type to do what he said. Chapter 767 Chapter 767 ¡°I know it was wrong of me for not taking good care of Joey¡­but please don¡¯t give him away. I promise I¡¯ll be a better mother to him from now on!¡± Anya pleaded tearfully. The sight of her was enough to give Lucas a headache. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, ¡°Fine ¡­ Just look after him now while I go out to take a call.¡± He then fished out his vibrating phone and turned to leave the room, but before he could even take a step, Joey shakily grabbed Lucas¡¯ hand. ¡°Uncle¡­don¡¯t go¡­¡± he said weakly. Joey wanted to tell Lucas he was scared of being left alone with Anya, who would turn into a monster when no one was around, but he could not. Lucas had no idea what Joey was thinking, so he simply stroked his cheek and said coaxingly, ¡°Be a good boy, Joey. I promise I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy, okay? And in the meantime, your mommy will stay here with you.¡± ¡°Uncle¡­don¡¯t go¡­ I¡­scared,¡± said Joey fearfully. He looked like he was about to cry. Lucas immediately became suspicious of Anya when he saw how frightened Joey was at being left alone with her. ¡®Is he actually afraid of¡­Anya? When did he be so afraid of her? Did Anya lose her patience and blow up at him?¡± His phone kept vibrating. It was an important work call, so he had no choice but to take it. After cooing gently at Joey, he quickly left the room.. N?velDrama.Org owns this. Joey reached out his hand helplessly as he watched Lucas leave the room, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not reach him. Once the door closed and the sound of Lucas¡¯ footsteps faded, Anya immediately pped Joey¡¯s face. ¡°D *mn you, you little brat! Why did you do that? Do you want everyone in the world to find out just how scared you are of me?¡± Joey immediately burst out in tears. He started blubbering with what limited words he had, ¡°Mama¡­ sorry Joey bad¡­¡± His crying only made Anya angrier. She pped him again, but this time on the mouth. ¡°Stop crying right now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯ll give you something to cry for when we¡¯re home!¡± Joey bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying, but there was no stopping the fear and sadness in his heart. A few minutester, Lucas came back into the room, and the first thing he noticed was how red Joey¡¯s face was and how he had tear stains on his cheek. ¡°What happened? I haven¡¯t been out for five minutes, so how did Joey¡¯s face be so red?¡± asked Lucas with a frown. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you Joey¡¯s fever would start burning again whenever Jeremy¡¯s not with him?¡± said Anya helplessly, pretending to be worried sick about Joey. Lucas ced his hand on top of Joey¡¯s cheek; it was burning hot! He sat down and said gently, ¡°There, there, little guy. Uncle¡¯s here now, and the doctor will be here soon so chin up.¡± Joey dared not cry or speak after having suffered through Anya¡¯s violence moments ago. He simply nodded weakly. Suddenly, Anya thought up a reason to go downstairs. ¡°Lucas, I have some fever-cooling patches in my bag downstairs. I¡¯ll go get them now.¡± ¡°Okay, but be quick about it,¡± warned Lucas. ¡°You got it!¡± said Anya. She then left the room and made her way downstairs, all the while smiling smugly. Chapter 768 Chapter 768 When Jeremy got downstairs, he saw Jason passing one dessert after another to Corinne. Seeing this, he frowned and stopped in his tracks. ¡°Come here,¡± he ordered. His voice cut through the room, causing everyone to fall silent. Corinne was enjoying the dessert with gusto, and when she looked up, she saw Jeremy ring at her. Still, that did not stop her from enjoying her dessert. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? Come. Here. Now!¡± ordered Jeremy again when he saw she had no intention of doing so. Only then did Corinne get up and walk over to him with the dessert still in her hand. ¡°Why are you being such a sour puss?¡± Jeremy pulled her to him tightly before confiscating the dessert in her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to eat too much dessert?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°You took so long toe down, and I got bored. It¡¯s not like I can drink with the others, so what else can I do but eat?¡± Her words cut deep into his psyche. He immediately felt his heart tightened because he knew he was wrong. ¡°Sorry, little rascal, for making you wait so long. You can punish me however you want, but you have to stop eating dessert right away.¡± Corinne simply scoffed and pouted. It was rare for the others to see Jeremy behaving so love-struck. Zeke, with a ss of his wine, leaned against Jason and said, ¡°Jeremy, never in my life would I imagine seeing this side of you.¡± To this, Jeremy simply red at him. ¡°Corinne, do make sure to punish Jeremy as hard as you can so that he¡¯ll learn not to leave you alone like this again,¡± said Zeke mischievously. Gerald had never been the type to involve himself in his friends¡¯ love life, so he chose to remain silent and nurse his wine instead. Jason, however,ughed and asked, ¡°Corinne, how are you going to punish Jeremy?¡± Corinne stroked her chin. ¡°Should I ask him to kneel on a remote or a washboard?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Annie raised her hand and said resolutely, ¡°You should ask him to kneel on a cactus!¡± Zeke pped in agreement. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s a great idea. Leave the cactus to me! I¡¯ll have it delivered to your ce tomorrow!¡± -Jeremy threw a cold nce at the group. He was not in the mood for joking, so he said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯m going to bring Corinne home now. The rest of you can stay here for as long as you like. I¡¯ll pick up the tabter.¡± *Tsk! Nonsense. It¡¯s still so early. Or could it be¡­.you¡¯re in a rush to go home to receive your punishment?¡± asked Zeke. Jeremy took off his jacket and ced it around Corinne¡¯s shoulder to fend her from the cold night wind. ¡°I can stay here and drink like there¡¯s no tomorrow, but she needs to go home to rest. So let¡¯s make it another day.¡± Zeke raised his ss and shook his head. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Bros before h*es, Jeremy. Have you forgotten that?¡± He then stood up and walked over to Jeremy. ¡°Not allowing her to have too much dessert, worried about her catching a cold, and wanting her to sleep early¡­ Why, Jeremy, if I didn¡¯t know better, I would¡¯ve thought she¡¯s your daughter instead of your wife.¡± ¡°Oh, p*ss off!¡± said Jeremy while throwing him a dirty look. Gerald could not stand seeing Jeremy getting teased anymore, so he pulled Zeke aside. ¡°Ignore him, Jeremy. This guy¡¯s drunk out of his mind.¡± Having been friends for years, Jeremy naturally would not hold a grudge against Zeke. ¡°You had some wine too, didn¡¯t you? Is your chauffeur here? I can give you two a ride home if he¡¯s not, Gerald offered. Jeremy shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can stay here with the rest of them.¡± Chapter 769 Chapter 769 ¡°Then who¡¯s going to drive you two home?¡± Jeremy turned around and called his niece, ¡°Annie,e here.¡± ¡°Coming!¡± She walked over to them, and Jeremy threw his car keys at her. ¡°Pull the car over,¡± he ordered. Annie only had some juice and some soft drinks that night. She did not dare to touch the wine, not when Jeremy watched her like a hawk. After she caught the car keys, she rolled her eyes. ¡°You only think of me whenever you want someone to be your minion.¡± ¡°Cut the crap. It¡¯s howling outside, so pull the car to the lobby.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± She then went out to get the car. Annie knew Jeremy was worried about Corinne catching a cold. Well, I should be d that a fool like my uncle has changed for the better after meeting his true love. I guess all that worrying about him dying alone was for nothing.¡± She pulled the car into the lobby and honked twice to let Jeremy know she had arrived. After bidding the rest of the guests goodbye, Jeremy steered Corinne to where the car was his hand around her waist. ¡°Jeremy, wait!¡± rang Anya¡¯s voice, mingled with the sound of her footstepsing down the stairs. Jeremy stopped and turned to look at her emotionlessly. ¡°Jeremy¡­are you leaving now?¡± said Anya, panting, once she was at the foot of the stairs. Jeremy nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say goodbye to Joey? He¡¯s been burning up ever since you left,¡± said Anya pitifully. Jeremy frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lucas with him? Ask him to send for a doctor. Or you can take Joey to the hospital, too.¡± ¡°Lucas is with him, but¡­the one he¡¯s asking for is his daddy.¡± Everyone there knew Anya was madly in love with Jeremy, and they knew Jeremy could never say no to Anya. The whole thing was soplicated that even Zeke, who liked to tease others, kept quiet. In fact, he felt a little sorry for Jeremy. Just when Jeremy was thinking about what he should do, Corinne smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Anya, a child does need his daddy. So why don¡¯t you go find him one?¡± ¡°Corinne, what do you mean?¡± asked Anya pitifully. ¡°Why do I need to look for one when Jeremy is his daddy?¡± Smiling smugly, Corinne leaned against Jeremy and said lightly, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t seem to recall my Jererny ever having a kid with another woman. In fact, the only baby he has is the one I¡¯m carrying right now! ¡°Do I need to make myself any clearer? Well, let me rephrase myself simpler for you. You should spend your time looking for a guy who loves you and Joey instead of gaslighting someone else¡¯s husband into being the father of your child. I do wonder if there¡¯s any moment in all of this when you¡¯ve ever thought it was wrong of you to pull all these shady tricks on Jeremy.¡± Anya¡¯s face turned pale with suppressed anger. Not once did she let her mask slip. ¡°But¡­but¡­ Jeremy and I adopted Joey together¡­¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Corinne cut Anya off with a yawn and said nonchntly, ¡°You said it yourself. Joey¡¯s adopted, so he¡¯s not your son in the biological sense. And from what I heard, you were the one who begged Jeremy to adopt that kid with you, and you also promised he wouldn¡¯t have to do anything else after that. ¡°You should take up all the responsibility when that kid is concerned. Isn¡¯t it enough for you that Jeremy, out of the kindness in his heart, had been helping you to take care of Joey all this time? I mean, he had every right to ignore your pleas for help. I should warn you, Miss Anya, you¡¯re not entitled to any of Jeremy¡¯s help, and if you think you are¡­then you should do some self-reflection.¡± Knowing that she could not win an argument against Corinne, Anya resorted to using her signature act.¡± But Corinne, I just¡­just wanted Jeremy to check on poor Joey. Why do you insist on making me out to be the bad guy here?¡± she asked tearfully. Corinne smilingly stepped forward and roughly lifted Anya¡¯s tear-stained chin. ¡°I¡¯m making you out to be the bad guy? Is that what you think I¡¯m doing when I¡¯m only teaching you how to be a decent human being? Well, let me make something clear to you: From now on, don¡¯t you dare bother Jeremy again, or else-don¡¯t me me for beating you up, you homewrecker!¡± Corinne¡¯s threatening aura flowed from her fingertips and engulfed Anya in a second, causing her to shrink back in fear. ¡°How can you¡­call me that? I¡¯m not a homewrecker!¡± cried Anya pitifully. Corinne jerked Anya¡¯s chin higher. ¡°Only 1, Jeremy¡¯s wife, have the right to say whether or not you¡¯re a homewrecker. Like I said, don¡¯t me me for beating you up if you ever show your face around Jeremy again.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After that, she released her grip with such force that Anya¡¯s face swung to the side. Ignoring Corinne, Anya turned her tear-streaked face toward Jeremy, who stood behind Corinne. ¡°Jeremy, I think it¡¯s best if I give you back this bracelet ¡¯cause it seems like Corinne really doesn¡¯t like me. I promise I won¡¯t bother you again, and I hope the two of you get to live happily ever after.¡± Anya took off the bracelet, but before she could pass it to Jeremy, Corinne snatched it away from her hand. ¡°Are you sure you got this bracelet from Jeremy?¡± Corinne asked while she toyed with the bracelet. Her act interrupted, Anya frowned subtly and answered, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. He asked his men to give this to me after I¡¯ve saved his life. I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t know this since the two of you hadn¡¯t met each other at the time.¡± She was trying to imply that she knew Jeremy longer than Corinne had, but Corinne did not care about such trivial matters. ¡®So what if Anya knew Jeremy before me? If they were meant to be together, they would¡¯ve married a long time ago. But no, that didn¡¯t happen.¡± However, through Anya¡¯s exnation, Corinne knew one thing to be certain. ¡®So it wasn¡¯t Jeremy who gave this bracelet to Anya in person¡­¡± Corinne took a closer look at the bracelet before handing it back to Anya. ¡°You should keep this since he gave it to you. Pushing it around will only make Jeremy seem ungrateful.¡± Anya did not take back the bracelet. Instead, she clenched her fists tightly and forced herself to continue with her pitiful act. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to not bother Jeremy anymore? If that¡¯s the case¡­ what¡¯s the point of keeping this bracelet?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me again, Miss Anya. You¡¯ll forever be the person who saved Jeremy¡¯s life, and as such, he¡¯d forever be indebted to you. But, you should also know he¡¯s a married man now, so I hope you¡¯ll treat him as such.¡± Chapter 771 Chapter 771 ¡°If you need help in the future, you shoulde to me instead of Jeremy. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t like someone else being intimate with your husband too, would you, Miss Anya?¡± asked Corinne lightly. It was hard to find fault in Corinne¡¯s words. She then lifted Anya¡¯s hand and put the bracelet back on her wrist. ¡°So that settles it then, right? You¡¯ll come to me if you need any help. Us girls should stick to each other instead of letting a mane between us.¡± Anya knew letting Corinne put the bracelet back on her was as good as agreeing to her arrangement.¡± Why, this sneaky little b*tch! Not only did she cut off all possible reasons for me to contact Jeremy, but she makes herself look like the good guy, too!¡± Corinne was exhausted by then, so after helping Anya put her bracelet back on, she stretched her arms and yawned sleepily. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mister. I can¡¯t wait to go home and sleep!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Jeremy, having smiled throughout the squabble between Corinne and Anya. ¡®Goodness, she looks cute even when she¡¯s being fierce!¡¯ he thought. In all of his 30 years of being alive, this was the first time someone had ever stood up for him. He was impressed by the way Corinne used logic to protect his interest and also touched by how possessive she was of him. He had to admit, he enjoyed the whole show, and that was why he did not interrupt her. Jeremy saw no w in Corinne¡¯s reasoning and arrangement. Before he left the party, he said to Anya, Miss Anya, I¡¯m a married man now, so it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t have any private contact with each other anymore. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll hire the best nanny in the world to take care of Joey. You cane to my wife if you¡¯re ever troubled. She and Tommy will work together to help you. And if they can¡¯t help you, I¡¯m sure my wife will pass on the message to me then.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. At that moment, all the guests could swear they heard Anya¡¯s heart breaking into a million pieces.¡± Jeremy, wait¡­ Don¡¯t go¡­¡± Jeremy ignored Anya, trotted to Corinne, and grabbed her hand gently. Zeke and Gerald watched Jeremy and Corinne leave before turning to look at Anya, who was rooted awkwardly to her spot. The two friends exchanged nces with each other and came to a tacit understanding not to involve themselves in Jeremy¡¯s love life. ¡°Gerald, Jason, let¡¯s go drink a few more sses now that hen-pecked Jeremy is gone,¡± said Zeke with an awkward smile. Jason looked away from Corinne¡¯s back, smiled, and nodded. He then turned around to go back to the table with Gerald and Jason. ¡°Jason!¡± Anya suddenly called him. He stopped walking. ¡°Yes, Anya?¡± ¡°Can we have a word in private? I have something to tell you,¡± replied Anya seriously. Jason furrowed his brow in confusion before nodding. ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them came to the balcony. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Anya? What did you want to tell me?¡± asked Jason. Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Anya looked at Jason innocently. ¡°Jason, do you have a crush on Corinne?¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± asked Jason, a little stunned. ¡°When I came downstairs, I happened to see you cropped out Corinne from the group photo and saved it to your private album. Only someone who has a crush on someone else would do something like that.¡± Jason was a little taken aback, but he decided toe clean. ¡°Yes, I do have a crush on her, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it now. After all, she¡¯s married.¡± Anya shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll find a way if you like someone enough. We should team up.¡± Jason looked thoughtfully at Anya. Suddenly, he smiled. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± In the car. Annie was driving and really getting into the rock and roll music she was ying on the car speaker while Corinne and Jeremy sat at the back, their hands still tightly locked together. With his other hand, Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s head while saying, ¡°Thank you for standing up for me just now. I enjoyed the show.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Well, someone had to do something. The gaslighting has been going on for long enough. You should have put your foot down a long time ago.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. He knew what Corinne said was true. To be honest, his frustration toward Anya grew as time went on, and many of the things she did out of ¡®love¡¯ for him had crossed the line of decency. However, whenever Anya brought up all the things she lost because of him, he would force himself toply with all her wishes out of guilt. He sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let it go for as long as it did if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she lost the ability to conceive and instead got an incurable health condition because of me. I¡¯ll forever be indebted to her.¡± Corinne understood how important it was for a woman to be able to have a baby, especially for a woman who loves kids. To them, not being able to have a baby was akin to getting a death sentence. However, Jeremy¡¯s debt to Anya was all built on the premise that it was really her who saved him all those years ago. Corinne had a strong gut feeling that things were not as they seemed. She turned to Jeremy and stared into his eyes. ¡°Mister, what was the name of the ce where you nearly lost your life? Can you tell me all the details of what happened back then?¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Jeremy collected his thoughts and started telling her the story in a low voice. ¡°It all happened in a little town near the Great Canyon. I was severely injured and chased after, so I hid in one of the bushes to escape from my pursuer. I didn¡¯t see the rattlesnake sleeping there, and I got blinded by the venom after it bit me. ¡°Anya was vacationing at the resort owned by her family at that time, and she saw him while on her way back to the resort. She sucked the venom out and after that, tended to my wounds. But because she didn¡¯t fully spit out the venom, it got into her body too, and ever since then, she had been suffering from one health condition after another-with the ultimate loss being unable to have a baby.¡± ¡°You were severely injured? Where? And who were the people chasing after you?¡± asked Corinne with a worried frown. Jeremy stroked her head. ¡°They were my enemies. And I¡¯m all better from the injuries, so there¡¯s no need for you to know more.¡± ¡°Are your enemies still alive, then?¡± ¡°Why do you ask? Are you going to avenge me?¡± asked Jeremy with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Well, it¡¯s best if I know everything, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t want to end up being a widow¡­ So I might as well strike first and get rid of your enemies for you!¡± said Corinne seriously. Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Jeremy was amused by Corinne. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. I feel so safe knowing you¡¯re here to protect me.¡± Corinne red at him. ¡°What are youughing about? I¡¯m being serious! I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to bully my husband.¡± Jeremy was a little stunned but, at the same time, pleased by how protective Corinne was toward him. He pecked her lips and, holding her face in both of his hands, said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. That all happened a long time ago. I promise you won¡¯t be a widow.¡± Corinne blushed from the sudden kiss and buried her head into his chest. ¡°How can you kiss me when I was being serious? That¡¯s not fair at all!¡± Jeremy smiled and tousled up her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll try to hold it next time.¡± Corinne did not say anything more and snuggled closer to him. After calming down, she started to think back to what Jeremy said. A little town near the Great Canyon¡­ She had been there before. When she was little, she went with Mother Cathrina-a nun from the convent-to look for rare herbs around the area. The two of them stayed with a local for quite a long while. Back then, she would wake up at dawn and go to the mountains with Mother Cathrina to collect the rare herbs. However, she would sometimes be so focused on her task that she would lose sight of Mother Cathrina, and she would have to go back to the town herself. One day, after losing sight of Mother Cathrina once again, she was on her way to the town when she came across an injured man. Not only was the man covered in wounds, but he was blinded by the snake venom in his body as well. Fortunately, some of the herbs she collected that day could be used as an anti-venom. Thus, she sucked out the venom before applying some of the crushed herbs to the bite wound. The man thought she was his enemy, so he treated her very aggressively. However, he became more gentle after learning she was there to save him. He was a man of few words though, which Corinne did not seem to mind. After that, she would always bring him some food whenever she passed by that area, and he would always thank her. One day, however, he vanished. Corinne¡¯s heart started beating rapidly when she recalled this memory. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ She quickly snapped out of her thoughts. After pulling Jeremy¡¯s arm toward her, she pointed at a spot on the lower arm. ¡°Mister, is this where the rattlesnake bit you?¡± ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± asked Jeremy with surprise. ¡°And you have no idea what the person who saved you looks like, right?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Right again. But why are you asking all these?¡± ¡°When you left the mountain that day, you had every intention to say goodbye to the person who saved you. But because you were running out of time, you told one of your men to wait for her there and to give the bracelet to her, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what happened.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡®So my hunch is right! Mister¡¯s man thought Anya was me since we were about the same age. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s been emotionally ckmailing Mister by pretending to be his savior for so long! I mean, no way would a selfish girl like her risk her life to save a stranger,¡¯ thought Corinne. Suddenly, she felt Jeremy¡¯s finger grazing the tip of her nose. ¡°Hey little rascal, what¡¯s the matter? What are you thinking about?¡± Chapter 774 Chapter 774 Corinne snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Jeremy in disbelief. ¡®So we met a long time ago, and I was the one who saved his life! thought Corinne. She remembered how young he looked then, and though he was a little bit worse for the wear from his injuries, he still looked very handsome. It was not hard to figure out why she did not recognize him since he had matured, built up a muscr frame, and became colder in demeanor. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Is something on my face?¡± asked Jeremy with a frown when she did not say anything. Corinne blinked and nodded. ¡°Yeah, there is.¡± Jeremy raised his brow. ¡°What is it? Get it off for me.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m talking about your handsome looks,¡± answered Corinne with a straight face. Jeremy did not know whether tough or cry at that. He leaned down and touched the tip of her nose with his own. ¡°Oh, really? Does it make you want to kiss me?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s like a kiss fiend! Doesn¡¯t he think of anything else other than that?¡¯ Jeremy kissed her before she could say anything. Annie, who was watching this all from the front, could not keep it in anymore. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Uncle Jeremy, I¡¯m not blind, you know. Why don¡¯t you save all that lovey-dovey stuff for when you get home? Unless you¡¯re trying to make me jealous for not having a boyfriend?¡± Stunned, Corinne quickly pushed Jeremy off. She forgot Annie was in the car with them too. After straightening up her clothes, she moved a little further away from him. Seeing her do this, Jeremy frowned and shot a dirty look at Annie. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep your eyes on the road instead?!¡± To this, Annie simply stuck out her tongue at him. ¡®Bleh!¡± Annie drove the car after letting Jeremy and Corinne down in front of the Holdens¡¯ mansion. The two of them walked hand-in-hand into the foyer and were immediately greeted by the rooms in shambles. Water was everywhere on the floor, along with a few shattered vases. What was even more odd was not one single servant was in sight to clean up the mess. ¡°Where is everybody?!¡± shouted Jeremy. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Bowen quickly walked out from the kitchen. ¡°Mister Jeremy, Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Exin this mess!¡± said Jeremy angrily. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Francine did this. She was doing some housework¡­¡± *Francine? Doing housework?¡± repeated Jeremy with a frown. Bowen nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Mister Jeremy.¡± As a clean freak, Jeremy could not stand to see the house in such a mess. ¡°Who asked her to do this? She can¡¯t even tell a broom from its head or tail!¡± said Jeremy coldly. ¡°It was Ma¡¯am¡­who asked Miss Francine to clean up the house¡­¡± stuttered Bowen. The answer surprised Jeremy. He turned to look at Corinne. Tucking her loose hair behind her ear, he asked, ¡°Why did you ask her to clean up the house? You do know she doesn¡¯t know how to do all this. right?¡± Bowen¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡®Now that¡¯s something you don¡¯t see every day!¡¯ Chapter 775 Chapter 775 Jeremy was raging at Bowen just a second ago, yet he spoke so gently to Corinne a secondter. Corinne yawned and answered, ¡°That¡¯s why I thought she should learn. You can see it as training her to be someone¡¯s wife in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s time for her to learn all this,¡± said Jeremy while stroking her head. Bowen was floored. ¡°When did Mister Jeremy be a man with no principles?¡± The smile faded from Jeremy¡¯s face as soon as he turned around to face Bowen. ¡°Where is she? Tell her toe see me this instant!¡± ¡°Miss Francine is washing the dishes in the kitchen¡­¡± Suddenly, they all heard an ear-splitting crashing from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go get her now,¡± said Bowen quickly before running into the kitchen. A whileter, Francine came out of the kitchen with a defeated look. ¡°Oh hey, Jeremy. You¡¯re back.¡± Jeremy looked her up and down. He could feel a headacheing. ¡°What about greeting your sister- in-w, too?¡± he asked coldly. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Only then did Francine turned to Corinne and said grudgingly, ¡°Hi, Corinne¡­¡± Corinne simply gave her a curt nod. ¡°At your age, you should be able to clean up the house without breaking anything! It¡¯s not like you¡¯re good at your studies either, so just what can you do?¡± asked Jeremy sternly. Francine lowered her head in shame. ¡°Jeremy, I didn¡¯t mean to make all this mess. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve never ever done any housework in my life, and¡­¡± Jeremy did not want to waste his time listening to her excuses, so he cut her off, ¡°You have one hour to clean up all this mess.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Corinne tugged at Jeremy¡¯s hand. ¡°Mister, why don¡¯t you go up and take a bath? I¡¯ll stay here to have a little chat with her.¡± Jeremy shot Francine onest warning look before turning around and smiling gently at Corinne. He tapped her on the tip of the nose and said, ¡°Be careful of the slippery floor, okay? And make sure you don¡¯t cut yourself with the broken vases.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡± After that, Jeremy stepped over the mess and went upstairs. Francine turned her head back around and red vehemently at Corinne once she made sure Jeremy had really gone upstairs. ¡°Corinne, you b*tch! This is all your fault. Jeremy wouldn¡¯t have scolded me if it weren¡¯t for you!¡± she said angrily. Corinne did not take the bait. Instead, she asked lightly, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Francine was taken aback by her question, but she red at her. ¡°Oh, cut the crap! You know very well I haven¡¯t eaten yet. Who¡¯s going to cook for me when you gave all the servants the rest of the day off?!¡± Corinne held up the takeout box in her hand. ¡°I had dinner with your brother outside, and we¡¯ve bought you some takeout as well. I¡¯ll heat it up for you now.¡± What.. What¡¯s going on? Why is she pretending to be nice to me? thought Francine. ¡°Tsk! No, thanks. I don¡¯t want any of your leftovers.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not leftovers. We ordered separately for you,¡± Corinne said as she stepped over the mess to go into the kitchen. After a while, she brought out the hot food ¡°Come, try this. This restaurant is known for their delicious food.¡± Francine walked over to the table, even though she had no intention of eating, but her stomach started growling when she saw how delicious the food looked. Well, I¡¯ve been working hard the whole day, so. In the end, her hunger won over her pride. She sat down and picked up a fork Before she dug in, however, she threw Corinne a dirty nce. Just so you know, this doesn¡¯t change anything I still don¡¯t like you¡± Corinne pulled out a chair and sat down across from her ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t like you either.¡± Francine took a big mouthful, rolled her eyes, and said, ¡°As if I¡¯ll care whether a country bumpkin like you. likes me or not. Now say what you have to say to me and get out of my face¡± Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Corinne smiled indifferently at Francine. ¡®Man, she really doesn¡¯t know when to stop, huh.¡¯ ¡°Francine, the only reason I¡¯m being nice to you is because you¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s sister. That doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t get rid of you when pushes to shove,¡± threatened Corinne. Displeased that she was threatened, Francine mmed her fork on the table. ¡°Hmph! And just how are you going to get rid of me? Have Jeremy send me away to live with my mom? Corinne, you¡¯ll be nothing without my brother!¡± ¡°Having you send away will be myst resort. Before thingse to that, I have a hundred different ways to make your life very difficult.¡± ¡°Hahaha! A hundred different ways, huh? You make meugh! Why don¡¯t you list them out, and I¡¯ll save you the trouble of telling you which one won¡¯t work on me.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°For example, I can post your SAT scores on your university¡¯s bulletin board. I wonder what your ssmates will think of you once they find out you only got into the university because your family pulled some strings for you.¡± Nothing was more important to Francine than her ego. She had not had the best track record when it came to her academics, so it stood to reason she would be humiliated if Corinne did something like that. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Corinne Carew!¡± Corinne smiled again. ¡°Or take another example. I can post the love letters you wrote to the hunk of the school on the bulletin board so that everyone can see for themselves what a passionate writer you are.¡± ¡°Why you shameless b*tch¡­¡± hissed Anya through gritted teeth. ¡®D*mnit! How did Corinne get those love letters? Wait, that¡¯s not the point. I mustn¡¯t let her post the love letters on the bulletin board¡­¡¯ thought Francine. She had copied out some very cringy lines from the inte, and the hunk of the school still turned her down. She would be theughingstock of the entire university if her friends saw it! ¡°You¡¯re calling me shameless?¡± Corinne looked at her unamused. ¡°Francine, have you. forgotten me telling you I treat others how they treat me? If you think I¡¯m shameless, it means you¡¯re shameless as well.¡± Francine smacked the table angrily. ¡°Corinne Carew, you¡¯re the one who messed with me first, so how dare you talk to me like this? Jeremy must be blind to love someone as evil as you!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Is thising from a girl who hired someone to knock me out, smuggle me into a hotel to have me r*ped, make it look like I was selling my body, and have the media report on it? The fact that I didn¡¯t fall for your tricks doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re still innocent, Francine.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡­ I only wanted you out of the house¡­¡± Francine looked away out of guilt; she knew what she did was wrong. ¡°I didn¡¯t think¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t think. My life could¡¯ve been ruined because of that.¡± Francine dropped her head in shame. Corinne knew from the very start that Francine could not have thought up a n like this; not with that little brain of hers. Someone else was definitely behind this. ¡®And who else can it be but Anya? After all, this has her name all over it. She must¡¯ve started to plot against me ever since then,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Oh, forget it. You were locked up in the detention center for half a month for that, so I guess you¡¯ve learned your lesson,¡± said Corinne. Chapter 777 Chapter 777 Francine scoffed and muttered to herself, ¡°She might as well continue with the threats instead of pretending to be forgiving¡­¡± Corinne turned to look at the mess on the floor. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to clean up the house if you didn¡¯t barge into my room and order me around. So tell me, do you now know what it feels to be forced to do something you don¡¯t like?¡± Francine had lost her previous bravado, but because of her pride, she decided to stand her ground. ¡°Who¡­ Who do you think you are to teach me a lesson?!¡± ¡°Let me ask you something. How old are you?¡± asked Corinne calmly. Francine rolled her eyes. ¡°Twenty-one. Why?¡± ¡°Okay, so you¡¯re one year older than me, yet here you are living a life of an adult baby when you should be doing an internship right now.¡± ¡°Why do I need to do an internship? Onlymoners need to go through an internship to find a job! Besides, I¡¯m rich!¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Being born into a family like yours means you¡¯ll never have to worry about money, but what if you fall in love with someone one day? What do you think he¡¯ll like about you?¡± Francine was speechless. It was not a hypothetical question to her since she still was madly in love with the hunk she wrote those love letters for, but he never returned her feelings. She never knew why either. ¡°How would you feel if your future husband only married you for your money? And not because of how kind, independent, or charming you are? Which of the reasons do you think will ensure your marriage willst long?¡± asked Corinne again. Still, Francine remained silent. ¡°You wonder why your brother would marry a country bumpkin like me instead of the beautiful and rich Anya, right? I mean, she is better than me in every way.¡± After thinking about it, Francine answered, ¡°It¡¯s because you know how to seduce my brother with your womanly wiles!¡± Instead of being angry, Corinneughed. ¡°You¡¯re just a pampered princess like Anya. You two have nothing better to do than to revolve your whole life around a guy to the point of losing yourself. All those plotting and scheming, only to have the poor guy hate you. Don¡¯t you know the guys need to be the pursuers in the rtionship? As for myself, I don¡¯t need anyone else to take care of me. I have my dreams and things to do. I don¡¯t revolve my life around a guy, and that just makes him admire and respect me more.¡± Francine frowned. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, Anya¡¯s mistake is loving Jeremy too much? And you don¡¯t love him as much as Anya does?¡± Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t need to prove to you just how much I love your N?velDrama.Org owns this. Francine red at her. ¡°Hmph! Then why are you telling me all this?¡± brother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young, so there¡¯s still a chance of you turning over a new leaf. If you don¡¯t believe. me, you can do your research online to see how all those socialites who have nothing better than to waste their time chasing after guys eventually end up. See how the guys they¡¯re involved in use them and lose them. ¡°Francine, while it¡¯s true you have your family protecting you, you also need to learn to protect yourself. You have to know that your brother, your mom, and your dad cannot protect you forever.¡± Francine was starting to think what Corinne said was right, but she did not want to admit it. You and your bullsh*t! What guy would want to use me if I¡¯m as useless as you said?¡± she said with a scoff. Chapter 778 Chapter 778 Corinne took a sip of her water. ¡°Then tell me: why do you wish for Anya to bew?¡± your sister-in- ¡°Because she¡¯s beautiful, kind, and treats me very well,¡± answered Francine confidently. Corinne could not help but secretlyugh when she heard the words ¡®kind¡¯ used to describe Anya. ¡°So how is she good to you?¡± ¡°Whenever she sees a nice branded bag, she¡¯d buy it for me,¡± said Francine happily. ¡°And if it¡¯s a limited-edition design, she¡¯d still get it for me first even if she really likes one for herself. I¡¯m sure a poor person like you will never buy me a branded bag.¡± Corinne nodded nonchntly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll never buy you a branded bag. In fact, it¡¯s not something I¡¯d buy for myself either. The way I look at it, those things aren¡¯t worth the price they sell for. It¡¯s all a consumer trap set by those greedy capitalists.¡± Francine rolled her eyes in disgust. ¡°Once a country bumpkin, always a country bumpkin.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Then have you ever wondered why she¡¯d give you all those bags without ever asking anything in return to the point of even giving you the limited-edition designs? Do you think she¡¯s doing it to make you like her, or for your brother to like her?¡± Francine was stunned. She never thought about it that way. All she cared about was being able to show off to her friends the new bag she got from Anya. ¡°Are you implying Anya was just using me? Don¡¯t make meugh, Corinne! She¡¯s the kindest and purest soul I¡¯ve ever met in my life! Only someone evil like you will think she has an ulterior motive.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡®My, she¡¯s a stubborn one, isn¡¯t she.¡¯ She then shrugged and said, You can take your time to think about what I told you today.¡± Corinne got up but before she left, she told Francine this. ¡°By the way, I might not buy you a branded bag, but I did prepare a gift for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°What could you possibly give me that I don¡¯t have?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself tomorrow.¡± Francine rolled her eyes. ¡°It can¡¯t be something good, then. Besides, no matter how many things you buy me, I¡¯ll never ept you as my sister-inw. That spot is only reserved for Anya!¡± Corinne yawned. ¡°Remember to clean up the mess after you¡¯re done eating. I won¡¯t stop your brother from getting angry at you if he wakes up to see the house still in the same state as when he went upstairs.¡± After that, she stepped over the mess and made her way upstairs. Francine red at her retreating figure before scratching her head out of frustration. ¡°Grr! She¡¯s so annoying!¡± ¡®How am I supposed to clean up the mess I made? The house wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this if I knew what I was doing in the first ce!¡¯ she thought. ¡®But maybe¡­just maybe¡­ I should really reflect on what she said¡­?¡¯ She looked down at the takeout food brought back by Corinne. ¡®Eww¡­ Isn¡¯t this poor people¡¯s food? Why did Jeremy take her to such a sh*tty restaurant?¡¯ She forced herself to take a bite.¡¯ Hey, the taste isn¡¯t half bad¡­¡± Jeremy was still taking a shower when Corinne got back into their room. She went to get a change of clothing from the closet, and while she did, she heard the bathroom door opening. Chapter 779 Chapter 779 Not one secondter, Jeremy hugged Corinne from behind, and before she could resist, he spun her around to face him. His kiss felt hot and heavy on her, instantly filling her nose with the scent of his body wash. The two of them fell into the closet as Jeremy put more force into kissing her. ¡°Mmph-¡± Corinne thought she was going to bang her head on the closet wall, but Jeremy managed to catch her waist before that happened. He then caressed her gently as though wanting to imprint every inch of her skin into his mind. When she finally got to breathe, Corinne said ruefully with tears in her eyes, ¡°Mister, you promised you won¡¯t do anything to me today.¡± Jeremy looked at her gently and whispered seductively, ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just a harmless kiss.¡± When she saw he was about to kiss her again, Corinne immediately covered his mouth with her hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough kissing for the day. I¡¯m really tired¡­¡± Jeremy frowned and pushed away her hand. ¡°Why?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°What do you mean why? Since when do I need to give you a reason for being tired?¡± Jeremy caressed her cheek adoringly. ¡°I can¡¯t help myself. I burn for you. Why can¡¯t me as much as I want you? Why are you always so cold to me?¡± you want Corinne blushed shyly. ¡°Stop it, Mister. You sound like a teenager in heat. Besides, I¡¯m really tired¡­¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± said Jeremy haplessly, willing himself to control his burning desire. He picked Corinne up and sat her down on the bed before getting down to her eye level. He was covered only in a bathrobe, and with his wet hairbed back, he looked much younger than he was. Corinne stared at his handsome face in a trance, thinking, ¡®D*mn! He¡¯s hot!¡¯ Jeremy tapped her on the nose to get her attention. ¡°I wanted to ask you something in the car just now but couldn¡¯t since Annie was there, so I¡¯m going to ask you now. Did something happen between you and Lucas? He¡¯s been acting strange since this morning. I mean, who would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d grace our house with his presence? And he was actually nice to me at the party just now¡­ You have something to do with his change of attitude, don¡¯t you?¡± Corinne decided toe clean with him. ¡°Umm¡­ We¡¯re rted by blood¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Jeremy with surprise. Corinne shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m his long-lost sister¡­¡± Jeremy looked at her incredulously. ¡°You¡¯re Luna Rivera?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ I think that was my old name¡­ Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed together as he thought deeply. Corinne could tell what he was thinking, so she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister. I¡¯m not going back to that family. I don¡¯t see myself as a Rivera, so whatever bad blood there¡¯s between you two won¡¯t affect my rtionship with you.¡± Jeremy smiled and patted her head. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne blinked. ¡°Mister, would you break up with me if your family asks you to? You know- if they find out I¡¯m a Rivera?¡± Chapter 780 Chapter 780 Jeremy was crouching on the floor, which put him at an eye level slightly below Corinne¡¯s. He looked up with widened eyes and said resolutely, ¡°No. Never.¡± ¡°But what if they threaten you?¡± Jeremy chuckled softly. ¡°No one in this world can threaten me except for you.¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°When did I ever threaten you? And you¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t have married you if I knew you were Luna Rivera, but now that I have, I promise I¡¯ll never let you go.¡± Corinne was stunned by his love for her. The way he looked at her told her he only had eyes for her, and she suddenly got the urge to kiss him gently on the eyes. However, she knew what would happen after that¡­so she cleared her throat and shook the thought away. ¡°Ahem! Mister, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to take my shower now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired, right? How about I help you wash up?¡± asked Jeremy gently. Corinne frowned and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°No, thanks! Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± She then ran as fast as she could to the bathroom. Seeing this, Jeremy smiled. ¡°Be careful! The floor is slippery inside!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Not wanting to give him a chance to slip in, Corinne locked the door as soon as she went into the bathroom. Jeremy looked out of the window at the night sky with aplicated look in his eyes. The next morning, Corinne was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing. She groggily snaked her hand out from under the nket to take the call. ¡°Hello? Is this Corinne?¡± The voice belonged to a kindly old man. ¡°Yes. Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Corinne! It¡¯s me, Grandpa Cedric.¡± ¡®Grandpa Cedric?¡¯ She shook off her drowsiness. ¡°Mister Lucas¡¯ grandfather, Mister Cedric Rivera?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, but you don¡¯t have to be a stranger. Just call me Grandpa Cedric,¡± said Cedric kindly. Corinne was not fond of any members of the Rivera family, but out of politeness, she asked, How can I help you, Grandpa Cedric?¡± ¡°Corinne, are you free to eat with me at my ce today? I feel like I didn¡¯t get to spend enough time with you yesterday, so pleasee today if you have the time. I¡¯d like to properly thank you for saving my life.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, Grandpa Cedric. It was no trouble at all. In fact, I don¡¯t think you were in any danger at all, so let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. Little do you know, I have high blood pressure and I would¡¯ve died on the spot if you didn¡¯t save me from that stupid influencer. Please, Corinnee by for a visit. I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa Cedric¡­ Is this a trick to get me to go on a blind date? I¡¯m sorry, but I have a boyfriend and have no ns of recing him with anyone soon.¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 Knowing Corinne had seen through him, Cedric cleared his throat guiltily. ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s not like that. I just want to invite you over to thank you. My wife wishes to meet and thank you, too.¡± After thinking about it, Corinne asked, ¡°When should I be there?¡± ¡°Anytime you like.¡± I ¡®Lucas will be at work in the daytime, and Anya will be too busy taking care of Joey, so¡­ might just have a chance to dig up some information about my mother¡¯s disappearance,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Okay, Grandpa Cedric. Since you insist, I¡¯ll drop by your ce today. But you don¡¯t have to thank me for saving your life, okay? Let¡¯s just treat this as me wanting to spend some time with you. ¡°Okay! You have my word!¡± said Cedric happily. ¡°I¡¯ll send the car to pick you upter.¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks.¡± After hanging up the phone, Corinne saw the message Jeremy sent her earlier in the morning. [Remember to have your breakfast after you wake up.] Corinne smiled and typed, [Quit being a nagger, Mister!] Corinne went to the bathroom to wash up before changing into some casual clothes. Then, she went downstairs and saw all of the mess fromst night had been cleaned up. Bowen respectfully walked up to her. ¡°Good morning, Ma¡¯am. Your breakfast is already on the table. Please eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Corinne nodded. While walking toward the dining room, she asked, ¡°Who cleaned up the messst night?¡± ¡°It was Miss Francine, Ma¡¯am. She didn¡¯t sleep and spent the whole night wiping the floor clean and picking up the broken vase pieces. To be honest, I was shocked to see the downstairs so clean when I came in. But, this being her first time cleaning, she did miss a few spots, which I¡¯ve asked the cleaners to go over.¡± There was nothing in the world one could not learn if one put their heart into it. The fear of being scolded by Jeremy must have served as a strong motivation for Francine to figure out how to clean up the mess. Corinne was impressed. ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°She only went back to her room early in the morning. Poor thing must be exhausted,¡± replied Bowen. ¡°Okay, let her sleep until whenever she wants.¡± Corinne sat down and started digging into her breakfast. ¡°By the way, Bowen. I¡¯m going out after breakfast, but there¡¯ll be a delivery for meter. It¡¯s a present for Francine, so please give it to her after she wakes up.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± said Bowen with a nod. Inwardly, he was ovee with a rush of positive Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. emotions. ¡®Ma¡¯am is still willing to buy Miss Francine things, even though they didn¡¯t really start off on the right foot. There¡¯s still hope of them repairing their rtionship after all. Before Corinne even finished her breakfast, one of the servants came in and reported, ¡°Mister Bowen, there¡¯s a car waiting outside, saying it¡¯s for Ma¡¯am.¡± Bowen looked at Corinne with confusion. ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Corinne put down her utensils and wiped her mouth gently with a napkin. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for me.¡± ¡°But Ma¡¯am, why not use the car we have?¡± asked Bowen worriedly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get in some stranger¡¯s car. Who¡¯s the person who sent the car to you?¡± Corinne knew what Bowen was worried about, so she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve told Jeremy where I¡¯m going and who I¡¯m meeting with, and he said he¡¯ll pick me up tonight.¡± Bowen nodded. ¡°Okay then. Have a safe trip, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Will do. Bye now.¡± Corinne walked out of the mansion and got in the Riveras¡¯ car. Chapter 782 Chapter 782 Meanwhile, at the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Benson Miller, the Riveras¡¯ butler, stood by with the rest of the household staff at the mansion¡¯s entrance, as per Cedric¡¯s order. As soon as the car Corinne was in arrived, Benson quickly opened the door for her. ¡°Wee, Miss Corinne. Mister Cedric is waiting for you inside,¡± he said with a bow. Corinne was speechless, to say the least. She was not used to this type of pompous affair. She followed Benson into the living room, and Cedric immediately put down his cup when he saw her. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re finally here! Come, sit down, sit down,¡± he said happily. Corinne walked up to him and said politely, ¡°Grandpa Cedric, there¡¯s really no need for the household staff to put on such a wee. This is just an everyday social visit after all.¡± Although Cedric was a very kind old man, he seemed to just get even more stubborn with age. ¡°Nonsense. It would be rude of me to put on anything less than that since you¡¯re my savior. Come, Corinne, there¡¯s no need to be shy. Come sit. Benson! Bring our guest some coffee.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Cedric,¡± said Benson. He immediately ordered one of the servants to bring Corinne some coffee. Corinne sat down on the sofa beside Cedric¡¯s and thanked the servant who brought her the coffee. Cedric happily turned around and called out to the study on the first floor. ¡°Beatrice! Corinne is here now. Come quick!¡± After a while, an olddy dressed in an elegant dress walked out of the study. ¡°Corinne¡¯s here? Where?¡± Cedric gestured at Corinne with his hand and introduced, ¡°Here she is.¡± An electric shock coursed through Beatrice as soon as sheid eyes on Corinne. She stared at her, even when Corinne got up to greet her, ¡°Hello, Grandma Beatrice.¡± Judging by her fading smile, Corinne started to feel ufortable by the way Beatrice stared at her. Seeing this, Cedric cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem! Beatrice, stop staring at our guest like that. Where are your manners?¡± Beatrice snapped out of her trance and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Oh, hello. You must be Corinne. My husband keeps talking about you.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Nice to meet you, Grandma Beatrice,¡± replied Corinne with a faint smile. Beatrice sat down next to Cedric. ¡°Please have a seat, Corinne. Make yourself at home.¡± Corinne sat back down again. She picked up her coffee and took a sip while checking out Beatrice from the corner of her eyes. Although all of Beatrice¡¯s hair had turned white, Corinne could tell she must have been a This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. beautiful woman in her younger days. She could also tell Cedric and Beatrice really loved each other front the way Cedric treated her with respect and gentleness. While Corinne studied Beatrice, the old woman gazed at her too. However, Corinne did it subtly, whereas Beatrice was openly staring straight at her. After looking Corinne up and down, left and right, before finally fixing her gaze on Corinne¡¯s face, Beatrice said, ¡°Corinne, thank you for saving my husband¡¯s life. It¡¯s not easy to find someone willing to lend a helping hand in this day and age.¡± Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Corinne shook her head. ¡°It was no trouble at all. Really, you two are too kind to me,¡± she said humbly. Beatrice immediately took a liking to Corinne. ¡°Can I ask you something, Corinne? How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty.¡± Beatrice did a quick mental calction in her head as her fingers moved subtly as if counting something. ¡°And when is your birthday?¡± An rm bell went off inside Corinne¡¯s head. ¡®Why would she ask me when my birthday is? Could it be¡­¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know when my real birthday is because no one has ever celebrated my birthday after I lost my mother,¡± replied Corinne out loud. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The suspicion in Beatrice¡¯s eyes became even stronger. ¡°You lost your mother when you were young? Did she die or go somewhere else?¡± you Corinne fell silent. She was not happy with Beatrice¡¯s questions at all. ¡®Why don¡¯t ask yourself that, you old crow! I wouldn¡¯t have lost my mother if you didn¡¯t chase my mother out of this house just because of some rumors¡­¡¯ Cedric could not stand seeing Corinne sad, so he nudged Beatrice¡¯s elbow and said, ¡°Why are you asking all these questions? Look at how sad you¡¯ve made her.¡± Beatrice quickly realized how inappropriate she was, so she said, ¡°Forgive me, Corinne. You look so much like someone I know that I can¡¯t help but ask those questions. Sorry for making you think of the past¡­¡± Corinne smiled calmly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You didn¡¯t mean too anyways.¡± Beatrice passed a piece of sliced apple to Corinne. ¡°Here, child. Have a piece of apple. We¡¯ll have a simple lunchter, and for dinner, Cedric had ordered some fresh food specially flown from overseas. I can guarantee they¡¯re all delicious, so please stay for dinner.¡± ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t mind if I do, then.¡± ¡°By the way, Corinne, I heard from my husband that you¡¯ll be marrying Jeremy Holden?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°What a pity for a nice girl like you to end up with a family like that,¡± said Beatrice with a frown. ¡°Why, if you¡¯re still single, my husband and I can introduce you to some nice boys.¡± ¡®Seems like they have amon hobby of setting people up with blind dates¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. She simply smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, but the Holdens actually treat me quite well. There¡¯s no need for you to worry about me.¡± Cedric scoffed unhappily. ¡°Even that Jeremy kid can get a nice girl like Corinne, so why is our Lucas still single?¡± ¡°There, there. You know Lucas has always lived his life to the beat of his drum. Have patience. Sooner orter, he¡¯ll bring a girl home. You¡¯ll see,¡± said Beatrice soothingly. The more Cedric thought about It, the angrier he got. ¡°What do you mean, sooner orter? 1 bet that brat is just waiting for me to turn in my grave!¡± Beatrice smiled helplessly. ¡°Here you go again. We have a guest here, so where are your manners? Well, why don¡¯t you stay here and chat with Corinne for a while, and I¡¯ll go bake some cookies for her?¡± ¡°Corinne, let me show you around the garden while my wife is baking some cookies for you,¡± said Cedric. ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne was happy to do that since she might just find new clues about her mother¡¯s disappearances. Thus, Beatrice went to the kitchen while Corinne followed Cedric into the garden. Suddenly, somewhere out of their sight, a servant sneakily ran up to the second floor. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 ¡°Mister Sunny, something happened!¡± ¡°What? What is it? Shock me again like that, and I¡¯ll punch you,¡± said Sunny. He was trying to figure out his math homework when Felix suddenly barged in and interrupted him. ¡°But something did happen. I saw your grandfather and grandmother talking to a guest like they were very close or something,¡± replied Felix haplessly. Hearing this angered Sunny even more. ¡°What¡¯s so weird about that? We have guests over all the time! They¡¯re either Grandpa¡¯s old friends or Grandma¡¯s bridge friends!¡± Felix shook his head rapidly. ¡°No, their guest is a youngdy now, and you know her too!¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°A youngdy who I know? Who is it? God, can you spit it out in one go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Missus Holden! You know, thatdy you keep causing trouble for¡­¡± Sunny immediately put down his pen and looked up in surprise. ¡°Are you talking about Corinne?¡± Felix nodded. ¡°Yeah! That¡¯s her! Don¡¯t you find it strange at all, Mister Sunny? I mean, the Riveras and the Holdens rarely cross each other¡¯s threshold, yet your grandfather and grandmother treat Missus Holden so warmly. I even heard them calling her ¡®savior.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sunny did not hear the rest of what Felix said. At the mention of Corinne¡¯s name, his eyes started burning with anger. ¡°How dare shee to our house! Where is she now? I¡¯ve got a bone to pick with her!¡± ¡°Mister Cedric is showing her around the garden. Mister Sunny, what did she do to you to make you so angry at her?¡± Sunny rolled up his sleeves as if getting ready for a fight. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Help me finish my math homework. I¡¯m going out for a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that, Mister Sunny. Mister Lucas will fire me if he finds out,¡± said Felix helplessly. ¡°Do as I tell you! How would Lucas find out if you and I don¡¯t say a word about this? Do it now! Felix looked like he was about to cry. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have told Mister Sunny what¡¯s happening downstairs¡­¡± The Riveras¡¯ entirepound covered an area of a couple of acres. Except for the mansion sitting in the middle of thend, the rest of the spaces were full of various flowers, nts, and trees. It was a beautiful sight to behold. With one hand on his cane and the other supported by his servant, Cedric showed Corinne the flowers he nted and which of the other nts were carefully cared for by Beatrice. While listening to Cedric going on about the nts, Corinne made sure to keep an eye out for clues. Oddly enough, she had no recollection of ever living in that mansion. Corinne was five years old when Emily took her away from the family, so she should at least have some memories of ying in the garden. s, no sense of familiarity or memories rushed back into her mind. To be more urate, she seemed to have no memories from before the age of five. Soon, they came to a field of dusty blue flowers which Corinne had never seen before. Turning around, she was about to ask Cedric for the name of the flower when she noticed he did not look too good. ¡°Grandpa Cedric, are you okay?¡± Cedric paused and put his hand to his head. ¡°I¡¯m okay. I was so excited about youing that I forgot to take my blood pressure medicine.¡± ¡°Mister Cedric, how could you¡¯ve forgotten to take your medicine? It¡¯s important you take them every day. Let¡¯s go back to take them now,¡± said his servant hurriedly. Cedric wanted to show Corinne so much more. Besides, it would be rude to cut short the tour. Corinne could tell what he was thinking, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandpa Cedric. Why don¡¯t you go back to take your medicine first? I¡¯ll walk around for a while before going back to find you.¡± Chapter 785 Chapter 785 Cedric nodded. ¡°Very well, then. Take your time in the garden, Corinne, ande back inside when you¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa Cedric.¡± The servant helped Cedric into an electric buggy, and the two of them drove back to the mansion. After seeing Cedric off, Corinne looked back to the field of dusty blue flowers. ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful. It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask Grandpa Cedric for the flower¡¯s name¡­¡¯ She walked closer to the flowers and bent down to take a sniff. ¡®Strange¡­ These flowers smell nice and sour at the same time. What a shame that a beautiful flower like this doesn¡¯t have a beautiful scent to go with it.¡± Just when she was disappointed about the strange-smelling flower, a tall middle-aged man suddenly popped out from the field of flowers. Corinne jumped up in fright as the middle-aged man straightened himself, both of his hands caked in dirt. Corinne instinctively stepped back and looked quizzically at him. The middle-aged man smiled at her. ¡°Sorry for scaring you. I was putting some fertilizer on the flowers.¡± He then walked out from the field of flowers and went to wash his hands at a tap nearby. ¡°So I take it you¡¯re a guest of the house?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. Sorry to be bothering you, Mister Maxwell.¡± Maxwell had just finished washing his hands. He turned around in surprise and asked, ¡°You know who I am?¡± He was dressed in gardening clothes and never introduced himself, so how could Corinne know who he was? ¡°I¡¯ve met you before at Grandpa Edgar¡¯s birthday party. It hasn¡¯t been that long ago, so I still remember you. ¡®Oh, that solves the mystery, then.¡¯ Maxwell looked at her and said, ¡°I remember you too.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± It was Corinne¡¯s turn to be surprised. They did not really talk during Edgar¡¯s birthday party. In fact, they just passed each other by, and unlike Corinne, Maxwell did not seem to be observing her closely. How could he remember her? Maxwell smiled. ¡°I have a deep impression of you because you look like my daughter.¡± ¡®Oh, sh*t! Have I been found out? Wait, calm down, Corinne. He¡¯s probably talking about Anya, ¡®thought Corinne. It was not strange that she and Anya would look alike since they came from the same father. Maxwell sat on a bench and sipped the water from his thermos before looking at Corinne. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who saved my father¡¯s life? I heard all about you, you know.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t as dramatic as that made out to be. I was just passing by and thought I¡¯d help. I came here today because I couldn¡¯t bear to turn down Grandpa Cedric¡¯s invitation.¡± Maxwell nodded. ¡°I like you. You¡¯re humble.¡± Corinne did not want to continue making small talk with her deadbeat father, so she turned and asked, ¡°Mister Maxwell, what¡¯s the name of these flowers?¡± Maxwell stared at the field of flowers and said softly, ¡°Moonlight.¡± Chapter 786 Chapter 786 ¡®Moonlight? What a beautiful name. The color does remind me of the moonlight. I¡¯ve never heard of this flower before¡­ It must be very rare,¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne stared at the field of flowers as though in a trance. After a while, she asked, ¡°Why are you putting the fertilizer yourself? Don¡¯t you have a gardener to do it for you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re my wife¡¯s favorite flower, and they¡¯re very picky, you know. They¡¯ll only grow if given the right temperature, humidity, soil acidity, and as such. I¡¯m worried the gardener won¡¯t do the job well, so I have taken it upon myself to take care of it.¡± ¡®Wife? Is he talking about Anya¡¯s mother? Ugh, does he think doing this makes him seem like a romantic? Things wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this if this old man treated my mom half of how he treated Anya¡¯s mom! What a hypocrite he is! Corinne would inevitably get angry whenever she thought of how her mother was betrayed by the Riveras. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t hurt as much if the betrayal came from other people, but how could her own husband team up with others to bully her? That makes him no better than animals!¡¯ At that thought of that, Corinne¡¯s face darkened. Sheughed coldly and said, ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but why don¡¯t you spend this time with your wife instead of putting fertilizers on the flower? Wouldn¡¯t that better show her how much you love her?¡± Maxwell was a little taken aback by Corinne¡¯s words. She was the first person who dared to speak so bluntly with him. ¡®So she¡¯s not as mature as I thought her to be¡­ And why is she ring at me like I¡¯ve just killed her mother?! He could not figure out why Corinne was so hostile toward him, but not wanting to argue with her, he simply nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. But call me young or call me foolish-some things are just toote to do.¡± Corinne was dumbfounded. Toote? What does he mean by that?¡¯ ¡°There you are, Corinne. You lying piece of sh*t!¡± Sunny suddenly popped into her sight, pointing and cursing at her. Corinne looked at him with her eyebrow raised. ¡®So he¡¯s here too.¡¯ Maxwell frowned when he saw his youngest son being rude to their guest. ¡°Sunny, how can you talk like that to our guest? Where are your manners?¡± It was only then Sunny noticed Maxwell was on the bench. He immediately toned down his attitude. ¡°Oh, Dad, you¡¯re here too! Umm, I need to talk to Corinne, if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You can if you speak nicely to her. No more of that finger-pointing either. Also, she¡¯s older than you, so you need to address her as Miss Corinne!¡± Sunny frowned and said grudgingly, ¡°Ahem¡­ Miss Corinne, may I have a word with you in private?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± She then turned to Maxwell and said coldly, ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, Mister Maxwell.¡± Maxwell took a sip of water from his thermos before saying softly, ¡°Go ahead.¡± He watched Corinne follow Sunny back to the mansion. Once they were out of his sight, he closed his eyes and thought about his wife and daughter. ¡°Doing some gardening again, Daddy?¡± A young woman¡¯s voice pulled him out of memoryne. He opened his eyes and saw Anya¡¯s face looking down on him, causing his eyes to dim subtly. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s the matter, Anya?¡± he asked gently. Chapter 787 Chapter 787 ¡°Mommy¡¯s not feeling so well, and she asked for you to see her upstairs,¡± answered Anya. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Maxwell frowned. ¡°She should ask for the doctor instead of me. It¡¯s not like I know how to cure whatever she has.¡± Anya was stunned. Maxwell sounded just like Jeremy. ¡®Is that how men treat the women they don¡¯t love anymore?¡¯ Ever since she married into this family, Phoebe had been doing whatever she could to please Maxwell, Cedric, and Beatrice, but she did not get the love and respect she hoped for. It was only because of Anya and Sunny that she could keep her position as Maxwell¡¯s wife. ¡®Sometimes I wonder how a man¡¯s brain works. I mean, why is Daddy still pining for his ex- wife and daughter? He should be spending more time with Mommy instead. And that Jeremy¡­ he¡¯d rather marry that scheming country bumpkin instead of me!¡¯ Feeling sad for her mother, Anya decided to fight for her sake. ¡°Daddy, maybe you should at least check on Mommy. I heard Grandpa had invited a guest over today, and I¡¯m worried that he¡¯d think Mommy¡¯s a party pooper if she says she wants to go to the hospital today.¡± Maxwell pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Go back to your mother first. I¡¯ll go check on her a bitter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to apany her, but I need to take care of Joey too! Daddy, please hurry up to her room.¡± Maxwell sighed and got up from the bench. Sunny brought Corinne back to his room because he was afraid he would be scolded if caught him being rude to Corinne. Felix, who was doing Sunny¡¯s math homework, was stunned to see Corinne in the room. ¡°Felix, get out now,¡± Sunny ordered. ¡°But I haven¡¯t finished doing your homework yet¡­¡± ¡°Leave it, and get out now!¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Sunny!¡± anyone Felix put down the pen, happy to be relieved from his work since there were so many questions he did not know how to answer. Sunny would definitelyy it on him once he found out there were so many wrong answers, so Felix quickly ran out of the room. Sunny shut the door tight after Felix left. He then turned around and shouted, ¡°Corinne, you lying piece of sh*t!¡± Corinne looked around his room with a bored expression before pulling out a chair to sit on. Tell me, what did I lie about?¡± Sunny red at her. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You gave me your word you have no interest in Jeremy and swore you won¡¯t steal him away from Anya. But thest I heard is you¡¯ve already moved back in with him!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve moved back in with him, but I didn¡¯t steal him away.¡± Sunny crossed his arms angrily. ¡°Oh sure, you didn¡¯t! You only needed to crook your finger and he came running to you, right? You think you¡¯re so great huh, Corinne?¡± Corinne yawnedzily. ¡°Did you bring me all the way here just to heap praises on me?¡± While Sunny was admittedly angry at her nonchnt attitude, he was also somewhat used to it. ¡°Let me ask you something. Are you or are you not going to give Jeremy back to Anya?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Corinne answered without hesitation. ¡°Why not? Did you not mean what you said previously?¡± Corinne smiled, hooked her arm around the back of the chair, and rested her cheek on the other hand. ¡°I was really disappointed in Jeremy when I gave you my word. Your precious sister caused a misunderstanding between me and him. Fortunately, we¡¯ve managed to clear it up. And now he likes me, and I like him, so why should I give him to your sister?¡± ¡°Corinne Carew, stop making up excuses and just admit you went back on your word!¡± ¡°Oh, please. Do you think Jeremy will be with Anya even if I¡¯m not in the picture? I mean, wouldn¡¯t he have married her already if that¡¯s the case? Chapter 788 Chapter 788 Sunny was terribly livid, but he could note up with a retort. Corinne was coincidentally sitting at the spot where Sunny was doing his homework. While flipping through his school books, she said, ¡°Do you really have the time to be minding other people¡¯s business when you haven¡¯t even finished doing your homework?¡± Sunny immediately blushed with embarrassment when he saw Corinne looking through his homework. ¡°Put that book down and keep your hands on my stuff! That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Corinne put his book down and tapped the table with the tip of her index finger. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s none of my business. What do I, an outsider, have the right to tell you what you can and cannot do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you know that,¡± replied Sunny with a haughty scoff. ¡°But you know who does have the right to discipline you? Your brother, that¡¯s who. I wonder what he¡¯ll do to you once I let him know you¡¯ve asked that Felix guy to do your homework for you.¡± Sunny started to panic. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Scared now, are we?¡± Sunny red at her. ¡°What do you think?! Of course I¡¯m scared.¡± Corinne¡¯s face darkened as she rapped the table with her knuckles. ¡°Then you¡¯ll do well to redo your homework!¡± ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you whether I do my homework or not? Didn¡¯t you just call yourself an outsider just now? Why should I listen to you?¡± Instead of arguing with him, Corinne simply took out her phone and started dialing. Sunny¡¯s expression changed when he saw that. ¡°Stop! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± He ran up to her and tried to snatch away her phone. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne quickly hid her phone behind her as though knowing he would try to snatch it away from her. ¡°So are you going to redo your homework?¡± Sunny feared no one more than Lucas, so no matter how unwilling he was to give in to Corinne, he still grudgingly said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it! Just put away your phone and promise me you won¡¯t call my brother.¡¯ Corinne raised her eyebrow and looked into his eyes to see if he was lying. Once she was sure he was honest, she put her phone back into her pocket. She never intended to call Lucas. Why would she, when she was trying to avoid him as much as she could? It was all a show to scare Sunny into submission. Her n was to distract Sunny from interrogating her about Jeremy by forcing him to do his homework. Sunny sat down in a huff and started nking out the answers Felix wrote with correction fluid before forcing himself to redo the question. Corinne shook her head when she saw how ugly Sunny¡¯s handwriting was. ¡°You know¡­ I would¡¯ve never believed a good-looking guy like you would have such horrendous handwriting if I hadn¡¯t seen it.¡± Sunny turned red with anger. ¡°That¡¯s it, Corinne Carew! You¡¯ve crossed the line this time. Get out of my room now!¡± Instead of doing what he asked, Corinne remained standing and picked up another pen from the table to circle the main points in Sunny¡¯s book. ¡°You have to take note of here and here. Do you still remember the form I taught youst time? Well, you can use it to get the answer to this question. Why don¡¯t you try it yourself.¡± Chapter 789 Chapter 789 ¡®Oh that¡¯s right. Corinne taught me a form at Lucas¡¯ officest time. Yes, this all makes sense now,¡¯ thought Sunny. It was like he saw the answer revealed before his eyes. However, not wanting to let Corinne know she won, he simply muttered, ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t need you to teach me.¡± Corinne did not mind his attitude. She put down the pen and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom, and if you still haven¡¯t figured out the answer after Ie back¡­ Well, don¡¯t me me for laughing at you then, Mister Sunny.¡± After that, she went into the attached bathroom in Sunny¡¯s room. Sunny scoffed at the closed bathroom door onest time before turning his attention back to the math question. He tried to solve it by using the form Corinne taught himst time when Knock! Knock! Someone knocked twice on his door. A chill immediately ran up Sunny¡¯s spine as he thought it was Lucas who came to check on his homework. ¡°Sunny, are you in there?¡± Sunny breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the voice to be his mother¡¯s. ¡°Yes, Mom. Come in. I¡¯m just doing my homework.¡± Phoebe opened the door and walked in. ¡°Sunny, why haven¡¯t you finished doing your homework?¡± Sunny scratched his head. ¡°The homework Lucas gave me today is a little hard¡­so that¡¯s why it¡¯s taking me so long.¡± Phoebe sighed and walked over to him. ¡°Sunny, you should work harder on your studies. How can I face your grandparents if you fail to get into college again this year?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°What does that have anything to do with whether or not you can face my grandparents?¡± Phoebe was not pleased. ¡°Of course it does! We could¡¯ve pulled something to get you into one of the better colleges, but your brother wouldn¡¯t allow it. He said no Rivera will sully the family¡¯s name by being a cker who has to use connections to get into college, and he insisted that you get in by your own effort. You failing to get into a good college this year will just prove the son I gave birth to isn¡¯t as smart as the son your father¡¯s ex-wife gave birth to.¡± ¡°But Mom¡­¡± Sunny was starting to get annoyed by this. ¡°It is what it is. We all know that Lucas is better than me in every way.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you to study harder!¡± said Phoebe in frustration. ¡°Do you know how much I¡¯ve been suffering all these years? Why, your father and your grandparents would¡¯ve treated me worse if it weren¡¯t for your sister. Sunny, my only hope for you is to take over the family business so that one day, I don¡¯t have to suffer anymore.¡± ¡°But Mom¡­ I¡¯ve told you I have no interest in taking over the family¡¯s business. Plus, I don¡¯t want to fight over the inheritance with Lucas. We all know Lucas will run thepany better than I do, so I might as well do something I¡¯m passionate about instead.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you passionate about? You mean all thoseputer games you spend your whole day ying? Sunny, when are you going to make me stop worrying about you? Don¡¯t you know that we¡¯ll be chased out of the family once your dad is gone? And the only way to prevent that from happening is to take over the family business!¡± ¡°Mom, Lucas would never do something like that. If he¡¯s wary about me, he wouldn¡¯t have spent all his time trying to get me to study or put me to such a high standard!¡± Phoebe frowned. ¡°Speaking of this¡­ Don¡¯t you find it weird that your academic score hasn¡¯t improved at all, even though Lucas has been tutoring you all these years? There¡¯s a chance he¡¯s been purposely teaching you the wrong thing¡­ I mean, how else can you exin why you can¡¯t even get into the lesser-known college?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t think Lucas is the problem,¡± said Sunny with shame. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. You just have to ept the fact that your son is stupid.¡± Phoebe nearly blew her top at this useless son of hers. ¡°Sunny, think about it. You and Lucas didn¡¯t come from the same mother, so how sincere do you think he can be with you? You should know the only people in the world you can trust are me and Anya. Only we will want what¡¯s best for you, so you have to listen to us!¡± Chapter 790 Chapter 790 Sunny frowned. He hated nothing more than when his mother and sister encouraged him to take over the family business, which he made clear he was uninterested in. He also hated when his mother made baseless usations about Lucas. While it was true Lucas was strict with him, giving him reason to fear him, he never once doubted Lucas only had his best interest at heart. ¡®Mom is right about one thing, that Lucas and I didn¡¯te from the same mother, but he was the one who brought me up. He taught me how to talk and read. He might not spoil me as much as he does to Anya, but¡­no matter how strict he is to me, he¡¯s never mistreated me either¡­¡¯ Although Lucas objected to Sunny being a professionalputer gamer and would scold him whenever he asked for new gaming equipment¡­ Without fail, a few dayster, Edmund would show up with the said gaming equipment in his room. Sunny knew without Lucas¡¯ order, Edmund would never dare to buy these things for him. Not only that, but Lucas had been teaching him the ropes of running the family business. s, Sunny did not take anything he said seriously. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to get mad if you keep talking about Lucas like that,¡± said Sunny seriously. ¡°Oh, why can¡¯t you be half as mature as your sister?¡± Phoebe could not fight the regret she felt for birthing the ungrateful Sunny. She had gotten her wish of marrying into the Rivera family, but she never received the care and love she wanted from Maxwell, not even when she pretended to be sick. ¡®Sigh, I only have Anya on my side¡­since this good-for-nothing son of mine wouldn¡¯t listen. to me,¡¯ thought Phoebe. Just then, the attached bathroom door opened, and out walked Corinne. Hearing the noise, Phoebe turned to the direction it wasing from. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± she asked in shock when she saw Corinne. Corinne said nothing and simply red at Phoebe. ¡®So this is the woman who pretended to be best friends with my mother, just to steal her husband away from her. And she¡¯s instigating her son to fight Lucas for the family business? Pah! What a vile, greedy woman!¡¯ Even though Corinne had no love for Sunny, what spurred her even more was not wanting to see that homewrecker Phoebe get what she wanted. Phoebe grew ufortable by the way Corinne silently red at her. Frowning, she turned to ask her son, ¡°Sunny, who¡¯s this? Why didn¡¯t you tell me there¡¯s someone else in your room?¡± ¡®How stupid can he get? He should¡¯ve told me someone else was in the room. I wonder how much this girl had heard of our conversation¡­¡¯ thought Phoebe. Sunny looked at Corinne and said, ¡°Mom, she¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Mister Sunny, did you manage to solve the question just now?¡± interrupted Corinne. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Stunned by the sudden interruption, it took a while before Sunny answered, ¡°I know how to do it, but I haven¡¯t got to the answer yet¡­ Don¡¯t you dare underestimate me, Corinne. Just wait there and I¡¯ll finish it now!¡± ¡°Very well, then. I can¡¯t wait to see what answer youe up with,¡± Corinne said with a smile. Through their conversation, realization suddenly dawned on Phoebe. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the home tutor? Sunny, did Lucas get you another tutor again?¡± Sunny was so focused on proving himself that he did not hear Phoebe¡¯s question. Even so, Phoebe was sure Corinne was a home tutor from how she worked at Sunny as soon as she came out of the bathroom. Chapter 791 Chapter 791 Phoebe thought for a moment and said to Corinne, ¡°Come with me, then. I wish to speak with you in private!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Sunny raised his head in surprise when Corinne did not exin herself to his mother. ¡°Mom, she¡¯s-¡± ¡°Focus on your homework, young man,¡± said Corinne. ¡°I¡¯lle back and check your progresster.¡± Sunny frowned in confusion when Corinne cut him off. When he saw Corinne heading out with his mother, Sunny scratched his head in confusion as to why Corinne would pretend to be hist tutor. Corinne followed Phoebe to an unupied guest room. Phoebe closed the door, looked at her from head to toe, and asked, ¡°How shall I address you?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Carew¡¯s my surname, so you may call me Miss Carew.¡± Phoebe crossed her arms proudly. ¡°Hello, Miss Carew. Tell me about yourself. Which university did you graduate from?¡± Corinne replied truthfully, ¡°I graduated from the University of New Capital City. I received decent grades in all my courses, so I believe I am capable of tutoring a high school student such as your son.¡± The University of New Capital City was the best school in the country, and those epted into the university were top students from all over the country! Phoebe was very satisfied with Corinne¡¯s education qualifications and asked, ¡°How much did Lucas pay you to tutor my son?¡± Corinne maintained her smile and said, ¡°Not much. I¡¯m afraid I cannot disclose the details.¡± Phoebe raised her chin and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay ten times whatever he¡¯s paying you!¡± Corinne feigned surprise. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean, ma¡¯am. Aren¡¯t you and Mister Lucas a family? Why would you pay twice just for a tutor?¡± Phoebe stared skeptically at Corinne. ¡°Be honest with me, Miss Carew. Did Lucas pay you to teach my son all the wrong things so he¡¯ll fail his exams and can¡¯t further his studies?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I said no, ma¡¯am?¡± questioned Corinne. Phoebe sneered. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d believe you if you say that?¡± Corinne shrugged. ¡°In that case, you¡¯re free to trust your judgment. I¡¯m under no obligation to answer.¡± Phoebe frowned and looked at Corinne. ¡°I don¡¯t care what Lucas told you to teach my son. I¡¯ll still pay you ten times the price on the condition that you teach my son as best as you can so he can be epted to a good university! I can give you whatever you want if you can get my son to be epted by your alma mater!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne blinked. ¡°Are you sure about that? Does that mean I can request anything from you?¡± Phoebe ostentatiously replied, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen just how good our family¡¯s financial background is? What makes you think I can¡¯t fulfill any of your requests? You can have anything you want, as long as you ensure that my son is epted into the University of New Capital City!¡± Corinne smirked, stepped forward, and approached Phoebe to within arm¡¯s reach. She narrowed her eyes, stared into Phoebe¡¯s eyes, and said, ¡°What if I want you dead?¡± Phoebe¡¯s arrogance had been suppressed by Corinne. Fear crept into her heart, and she felt a little disconcerted as well. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Chapter 792 Chapter 792 ¡°I said¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze turned murderous as she grinned maliciously. ¡°I want you dead!¡± She then reached out her hand. Phoebe, thinking Corinne wanted to choke her, backed away in fright and nearly fell. Luckily, she was caught before she fell. ¡°Are you okay, ma¡¯am?¡± Corinne asked with concern after supporting her from falling. Phoebe finally came back to her senses. She looked at Corinne in confusion and noticed that the girl was smiling cordially instead of looking malevolent. ¡°This is so odd! Phoebe felt as though the brief episode was just an illusion, and she was gasping due to the fright ¡°What were you going to do to me?¡± Corinne giggled before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am. I was so happy that you wanted to raise my sry tenfold that I couldn¡¯t resist ying a joke on you!¡± The flippant demeanor from Corinne left Phoebe unnerved. After regaining herposure, she pushed Corinne away and adjusted her clothes. Finally, sheshed out unhappily, ¡°I hope you won¡¯t imprint your sense of humor when you¡¯re tutoring my son, Miss Carew!¡± Corinne shook her finger in disapproval. ¡°You might not understand this, ma¡¯am, but there has to be some form of entertainment in education to pique a student¡¯s thirst for knowledge!¡± Phoebe frowned in confusion over Corinne¡¯s methods and said annoyedly, ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t care how your teaching methods are, as long as you can show the results.¡± Corinne nodded and assured her, ¡°I understand. I will fulfill your expectations and improve your son¡¯s academic performance!¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡¯ Phoebe thought. She then uttered one final warning, ¡°The Riveras¡± affairs have nothing to do with you, so just pretend as if you didn¡¯t hear what I told Sunny in his room!¡± Corinne raised her hand and made a zipping gesture across her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m the best at keeping my lips sealed!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t let Lucas know about the extra money I gave you!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture. ¡°Roger that, ma¡¯am!¡± Phoebe waved her hand. ¡°Great. You may leave now. Hurry and check on Sunny, or he won¡¯t be able to finish his homework in time!¡± ¡°I will,¡± Corinne said dutifully. She turned, smirked sarcastically, and left the room. Once the door was closed and Corinne was gone, Phoebe patted her heart in shock and breathed a sigh of relief. This tutor is nuts! I was almost scared to death!¡± After calming herself down, she went out of the guest room and ran into Anya who happened to be passing by. Anya asked in confusion, ¡°Why were you in the guest room, Mom? Where¡¯s Dad? Isn¡¯t he with you?¡± Phoebe felt angst when Anya brought that man up. Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Phoebe pretended to be sick and asked Anya to call her father over, to which Anya seeded. Maxwell eventually came, but as soon as he entered the room, he asked her how she was feeling and decided to call an ambnce for her. In truth, she was faking her sickness, and she would have a hard time exining to him if the ambnce came and the nurses were unable to detect what her sickness was. As a result, she told him that she was just a little dizzy. Then, her husband pulled up a chair and sat by the bed to read a book. It was a very thick book, and he seemed to have entered a trance while he read it. She sometimes wondered if her husband¡¯s soul had left his body whenever he was reading, because he would rather read a book than look at his charming wife! N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Sometimeter, she could not stand having to feign her sickness anymore, so she told him that she was feeling better and wanted to get some fresh air outside. Maxwell still did not show any concern about her.. ¡®Being married to a man like that isn¡¯t any different from being a widow! She felt that it was inappropriate to rant to her daughter about the emptiness she felt as well as theck of physical touch, so she just shook her head dejectedly and said, ¡°He¡¯s reading in the room. Where are you going now, Anya?¡± Anya was very annoyed at that moment, too. ¡°Joey is bing more and more unruly now. He cries as soon as I enter the room, and he only wants to be with his teachers! He makes me so angry that I feel like sending him back to the orphanage!¡± Phoebe understood her daughter¡¯s frustration and patted her shoulder. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Why would an adopted child be close to you? Just leave him be. You can give birth to your baby in the future.¡± Anya¡¯s expression soured after hearing what her mother said, and she quickly looked around. her to confirm that no one was around. She quickly pulled Phoebe into the guest room again. and said uneasily, ¡°Keep your voice down, Mom! If people find out that I¡¯m not infertile, I won¡¯t be able to use that against Jeremy in the future!¡± Phoebe smiled. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m more careful than you, you know! I¡¯m confident that no one¡¯s around because everyone is busy organizing the dinner for a distinguished guest! Now that we¡¯re on that subject, I wonder who she is and why your grandparents are taking this so seriously.¡± Anya breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I heard that she was Grandpa¡¯s savior. We were asked to attend the dinner tonight, too.¡± Phoebe felt that it was unimportant. ¡°Why should we all attend when we don¡¯t even know what sort of status she has? Is she even worthy to be in our presence?¡± Anya could not care less who that person was. ¡°Whoever she is, we¡¯ll just have to do as Grandpa and Grandma says. It¡¯s just dinner, anyway! My issue with Jeremy is much more important than this. I can¡¯t get through to Jeremy¡¯s phone number, and the call automatically goes to his assistant. What should I do now?¡± Phoebe frowned. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Jeremy answering your calls anymore? Hasn¡¯t he always been responsive to your requests all these years?¡± Anya had been so caught up with having to deal with several issues surrounding her adopted child that she did not have any time to tell her mother what happened during the past two days. Since Phoebe brought up the subject, Anya recounted everything to her mother. Phoebe narrowed her eyes sinisterly. ¡°It must be because of Corinne again! She must have all sorts of tricks up her sleeve to make Jeremy submit to her! You¡¯ve underestimated her, Anya!¡± ¡°I know that, Mom!¡± Anya snapped. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be dwelling on my mistakes! You need to help me solve this! If Jeremy listens to everything Corinne says, ignores my calls forever, and cuts off all contact with me in private, I won¡¯t be able to marry him anymore! How am I supposed to make you proud then?¡± Phoebe ced her hands on her daughter¡¯s shoulders andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up for now, Anya. I¡¯ll think about it¡­¡± Anya was fast losing herposure. ¡°You need to be quick! Corinne is pregnant with Jeremy¡¯s baby, and I will never get a chance again if she carries the baby to term!¡± Chapter 794 Chapter 794 Phoebe tried her best to help her daughter figure out a n. ¡°Do you have a picture of Corinne? I¡¯d like to know just how beautiful she is.¡± The thought of Corinne¡¯s beauty made Anya jealous as she said, ¡°Why would I have a photo of someone I hate to the core? I won¡¯t deny that she¡¯s very beautiful, and her face is so immacte that she doesn¡¯t even need makeup. I sometimes wonder if she went under the knife before!¡± Phoebe was not surprised. ¡°You¡¯d expect her to be beautiful since Jeremy likes her so much! Now that he¡¯s under Corinne¡¯s spell and has strong feelings toward her, you should avoid targeting Corinne anymore so he won¡¯t have a bad impression of you.¡± ¡± Anya frowned resentfully. ¡°Are you saying I should just sit back and watch? I like Jeremy, and I won¡¯t get married to anyone except him! Jeremy is the only man in this world who is powerful, handsome, and smart! No one else is worthy of being my man! I will never give up on him!¡± Phoebe persuaded her daughter, ¡°Could you calm down for a moment, Anya? When did you start bing so impatient?¡± ¡°Corinne made me like this! She snatched the man whom I worked so hard for so long and nearly got into prison for, and you¡¯re telling me to calm down? How do you expect me to calm down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to calm down, not give up on him!¡± Phoebe reiterated. ¡°You need to understand that now isn¡¯t the best time for Jeremy to break up with Corinne! Based on my experience and my understanding of men, their interest in women rarelysts long. Our priority right now is to deal with the fetus in Corinne¡¯s womb. If we could get it done once and for all, she¡¯ll never be able to bear children, and we won¡¯t have to worry about that one and for all!¡± Anya knew she had to get rid of the fetus in Corinne¡¯s womb, and it was something she had thought of before. ¡°I did try to trick Lucas into bringing Corinne to the hospital so she could get an abortion. I even bribed the chief surgeon of the day to remove Corinne¡¯s uteruspletely! But as soon as Corinne entered the operating room, Jeremy barged into the operating room and carried her away! I was one step away from sess! ¡°Then, for some reason, Lucas never mentioned anything about having Corinne get an abortion!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Anya. I¡¯ll figure out a foolproof n to get rid of the fetus in Corinne¡¯s womb. Just give me some time! For the moment, you need to go back to your room and get yourself dressed up for tonight. It¡¯s time we get ready to have dinner with your grandpa¡¯s savior, and you need to be on your best behavior! ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that I¡¯ve never had any say when ites to your grandparents, so you need to coax them. Your father doesn¡¯t do much nowadays after handing over all authority over the family to Lucas a few years ago, and Lucas doesn¡¯t listen to him either. Your grandparents are the only people aside from Lucas whose words carry any weight in the family. If you and I want to cement our status at the Riveras, we need to please the two elders!¡± Anya nodded. ¡°I understand, Mom. I¡¯ve always been trying to get on their good side!¡± Phoebe patted her daughter¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Now go get yourself dressed up!¡± Anya was still a little listless, but she heeded her mother¡¯s instructions and turned around to leave. Phoebe narrowed her eyes and wondered just how capable Corinne was. ¡®I need to find time to meet this little imp one day. She must have thought too highly of herself when she robbed my daughter¡¯s man!¡¯ Elsewhere, Corinne had returned to Sunny¡¯s room. Chapter 795 Chapter 795 Corinnne took the exercise book from Sunny and nced at the problem that he had just finished solving. ¡°Great work! You may continue with the rest of the questions. Once you¡¯re done, you can hand them over to me so I can review them again.¡± Sunny frowned and said unhappily, ¡°I showed you my answer to prove that I can do it! It doesn¡¯t mean that you can just check all my homework! Know your ce! Hmph!¡± Corinne looked at him, folded her arms, and said with a smirk, ¡°I do know my ce. You are obliged to let me review your homework.¡± ¡°Obliged?¡± Sunny rolled his eyes. ¡°Tch! Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°I might not have the proper status to meddle in your homework earlier, but things have changed. I have officially been hired as your tutor, and it is my responsibility to help you check and correct your homework. It¡¯s my job!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My tutor? Who agreed to that?¡± ¡°Your mother. She asked to speak with me in private so she can formally hire me as your tutor. I will now be in charge of helping you improve your grades.¡± Sunny frowned and remarked suspiciously, ¡°What are you trying to do, Corinne? Why didn¡¯t you exin to my mother that you weren¡¯t my tutor?! You¡¯ve even agreed to be officially hired as my tutor! What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any purpose in particr,¡± Corinne said indifferently. ¡°Your mother simply offered a very high pay, so I agreed!¡± Sunny red at her. ¡°Oh, please! It¡¯s not like you¡¯re short of money now that you¡¯re with Jeremy. I bet you have some ulterior motive foring here, Corinne! Let me guess: you¡¯re trying to harm my sister under the pretext of bing my tutor, aren¡¯t you?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Why would I harm your sister? She doesn¡¯t pose any threat to me.¡± Sunny was stunned for a moment and noticed the contempt in Corinne¡¯s expression. It was clear that she looked down on his sister, and with good reason. Anya posed no threat to her because Jeremy¡¯s affection for her was that of gratitude instead of love. Sunny felt that it was unfair to his sister, but he could do nothing about it, knowing Corinne was right. Corinne looked at Sunny¡¯s stifled expression and felt that he was different from his mother and sister. He was naive to the extent of being a numbskull, and all he had going for him was hot-blooded enthusiasm. However, when she heard Sunny defending Lucas in front of his mother earlier in the bathroom, she was a little surprised that he had some inkling of righteousness and kindness in him despite being raised under the influence of people like Phoebe and Anya. Corinne agreed to be Sunny¡¯s tutor because she wanted to get to know Phoebe, and she could more or less get by with the actual work of tutoring Sunny without expending much effort. Nevertheless, there was a strange feeling in her heart that she could not exin. She should not have felt anything for her half-brother, yet she was somehow irked at his recalcitrant behavior. She therefore decided to monitor his studies so he could do better in his university entrance exams and be more independent in the future. Otherwise, he might end up being led astray by his mother and sister in the future! ¡°Ah, Miss Corinne! You¡¯re here!¡± rang Benson¡¯s voice. Chapter 796 Chapter 796 Corinne turned and saw through the gap in the door that Benson was standing respectfully at the entrance. When she came back, she deliberately left the door ajar to avoid arousing any suspicion. Although Sunny might be young, he was still a member of the opposite gender. The Rivera household was a ce where one must always remain tactful, especially since Anya was around and might try to cause trouble at any time. Being cautious would go a long way in saving her from all the headaches that might come with any trouble. Corinne walked over, opened the door, and said politely to Benson, ¡°Well, Sunny here had a question that he needed my help to exin.¡± Sunny snorted and muttered, ¡°When did I ask you for help?¡± Benson smiled respectfully and said, ¡°I see. Apologies if he¡¯s caused you any trouble! Lunch is ready, by the way, and the cookies Madam Beatrice has specially baked for you are ready too. She sent me to invite you over for lunch with her.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Sunny ced his pen down and said, ¡°I want to try the cookies grandma baked, too!¡± Corinne turned and looked sternly at him. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until you finish your homework. Sunny was never going to obey her. He stood up, walked out with a swagger, and said, ¡°You¡¯re not the boss of me! This is my home, and I can do whatever I want! Instead of arguing with him, Corinne took out her phone calmly. ¡°Hello, Mister Lucas, I¡¯m- Sunny immediately turned back in fear and ended the call. ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll stay here and do. my homework, alright Corinne ced her phone away, satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that you¡¯re going to focus on your homework. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to finish all the cookies your grandmother baked. I¡¯ll bring some for youter, but on the condition that you finish your homework before eating them!¡± Sunny red at her annoyedly. He had no choice but to obediently do his homework. Benson looked a little surprised, and as he walked down with Corinne, he could not help but ask her, ¡°You seem to understand his character well.¡± Corinne replied casually, ¡°I can¡¯t say I do, but I¡¯m quite aware that he¡¯s most afraid of his brother.¡± Lunch at the Riveras was simple yet exquisite, and Cedric specially made arrangements to have it at his tea room. The environment there was incredibly pleasant with one wall being a floor-to-ceiling window. The lushly grown flowers and well-pruned trees in the garden could be seen from that window. Dining in such an atmosphere was very rxing, and it was perfect for having a chat over a meal. By contrast, the dining table and the dining hall were both too huge, making it difficult for a conversation to be held while enjoying some good food. It was a much more solemn areapared to the tea room, thus making it more appropriate to entertain guests during dinner. Beatrice helped Corinne to some food. ¡°Our lunch will be a little on the simpler side this afternoon, Corinne. Cedric will instruct the chefs to prepare your special dinner feastter.¡± Corinne said politely, ¡°Thank you, Grandma Beatrice. Our lunch is already exquisite and so wonderfully prepared! There¡¯s no need for such a grand feast at dinnertime. I¡¯m more than happy to go with your family¡¯s daily routines. I can¡¯t possibly let you go to such lengths for me. ¡°Corinne,¡± Cedric said, ¡°you deserve it because you¡¯re my savior. Don¡¯t be shy. Go ahead and have your fill.¡± Corinne could only purse her lips and smiled. She knew it was useless to protest, so she kept. quiet and continued eating.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Corinne was getting hungry at that hour too, and her fetus was growing bigger by the day. It was natural for a pregnant woman to eat more than before, and she also got hungry very quickly unlike in the past. Like every grandfather and grandmother, they adored it when the younger generations enjoyed their food. The old couple was no different, and they smiled warmly when they saw Corinne helping herself to the food. They then took turns heaping up her te with more food. Beatrice took some chicken wing for Corinne when she noticed the peculiar way Corinne held her cutlery. She was taken aback for a moment, and her pupils contracted as she looked at Corinne¡¯s face. Corinne had a quirky way of holding cutlerypared to most people, and the same quirkiness had been present in their eldest granddaughter, Luna when she was still young. Beatrice remembered the various methods she and her family used to try and rid Luna of that bad habit, but they never seeded. A wave of sadness hit Beatrice when she thought of her missing granddaughter, Luna. When she saw the simrities between Corinne and Luna, she began to doubt herself and specte on Corinne¡¯s identity. She had the feeling that Corinne looked simr to Luna when she first saw Corinne, and even Corinne¡¯s age seemed just about right, too. Though a person¡¯s facial features would be vastly different from when they were a child, their overall appearance and behavioral habits often remained the same. At first, Beatrice felt that she was overthinking things as it could not have been that big of a coincidence. Nheless, Corinne¡¯s overall appearance looked like that of her missing granddaughter,Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. and even their bad habit of holding cutlery was the same. However, Luna had a signature cherry-red mole between her eyebrows, which Corinnecked. When Corinne ced the cutlery down and reached out to take a ss of water, Beatrice tentatively asked, ¡°Corinne, I hope you don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I¡¯m curious to know. more about your family situation. You said before that your mother isn¡¯t around anymore, so if you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you have any other family members?¡± Corinne stopped drinking the water and replied calmly, ¡°No. There¡¯s no one else.¡± Cedric felt that his wife¡¯s question was a little inappropriate, so he reminded her, ¡°Why are you asking that sort of question again? Let her eat in peace!¡± Beatrice ignored him as the urge to confirm her doubts was simply too strong. She stared intently at Corinne¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Does that mean you have no family?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Beatrice then asked, ¡°Did all your family members pass away?¡± Cedric kicked his wife lightly under the table to stop her from asking any more questions, but she merely red at him and ignored his reminder. Corinne sipped some more water and replied calmly, ¡°After my mother left, I was sent to foster care in the countryside. The rtives of my foster family didn¡¯t like me, so they sent me to the nunnery up the mountain, and I was raised by the sisters there. My so-called family members are still alive, but they¡¯re like strangers to me. It makes no difference whether they¡¯re alive or not.¡± Both the Carews and the Riveras were the same to her. She felt nothing for them. Cedric had a distressed look after listening to Corinne¡¯s life story. ¡°Poor child. You might have had it very rough when you were still young, but it¡¯s all okay now. If you want, you can always treat our ce like your home!¡± Corinne put down her cup and smiled brightly. ¡°I really appreciate your kindness, Grandpa Cedric, but I¡¯m happy now. I have friends and a partner I consider to be my very own small family.¡± Chapter 798 Chapter 798 Cedric frowned. He knew that the ¡®partner¡¯ Corinne referred to was Jeremy. It was such a shame that such a decent young woman was rushed into the Holdens! This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What happened to your mother?¡± Beatrice asked again. That question elicited Corinne¡¯s frown, and there was a touch of aversion on her face. Cedric could tell that Corinne was unhappy, so he told his wife off right away. ¡°That¡¯s enough, dear. Why are you so curious today? Stop asking about Corinne¡¯s past. We invited her here to thank her for saving my life. Now look at what you¡¯ve done! Your questions made her sad!¡± Beatrice noticed Corinne¡¯s unease and apologized embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought up your sad past, Corinne¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Corinne shook her head gently. ¡°I know that you were only asking out of concern for me.¡± However, she was still unable to rid herself of her suspicions. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you onest question, Corinne?¡± Cedric frowned. ¡°How many more questions do you have for her? Stop asking and let her eat!¡± Corinne answered calmly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Grandpa Cedric. I¡¯m already full, so I¡¯m okay with letting Grandma Beatrice ask one final question.¡± Beatrice stared at her face carefully. ¡°Corinne, did you have any moles on your face when you were young? Such as between your eyebrows, for example?¡± Her question left Cedric stunned for a moment. At longst, he finally understood where his. wife¡¯s questions wereing from and turned to look carefully at the area between Corinne¡¯s eyes. Corinne shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Beatrice was still not content with that answer and continued to press on, ¡°Are you sure you never had one? Is it possible that your family brought you to remove it when you were young, but you just weren¡¯t aware of it?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve asked your final question before this one. Is it okay if I don¡¯t answer this?¡± Although Beatrice was very anxious, she could do nothing about it except smile awkwardly. ¡± I¡¯m sorry for asking too much again. If you¡¯re full, we can move on to some dessert! Would you like to try some of the cookies I baked?¡± She brought out a whole pile of cookies and ced them in front of Corinne. Corinne went ahead and picked up a piece. She took a bite of the cookie and could not hide her surprise at the delicious taste. ¡°Wow! This is delicious! The sweetness is just right, and the taste is so much better than store-bought ones!¡± Beatrice smiled happily and felt as though she had received praise from her granddaughter. Eat some more, then! I¡¯ll bake more for you if it¡¯s not enough!¡± Corinne exercised her self-restraint and waved her hand. ¡°One piece is more than enough. Jeremy won¡¯t let me eat too much sweet stuff. He¡¯ll nag at me if he finds out.¡± Cedric was upset to hear that. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d nag you for this. Does he usually treat you well?¡± Corinne nodded and exined, ¡°He treats me very well, and he doesn¡¯t let me eat too much sweet stuff because he wants me to take care of my health, not because he wants to restrict my freedom.¡± Cedric hated the Holdens the most and snorted unhappily. ¡°Corinne, if you one day realize that you no longer want to be with him, you can alwayse to me and let me know. I can introduce you to someone better than him any time!¡± ¡®Someone better than Jeremy? I¡¯m afraid such a person doesn¡¯t exist, at least not in my opinion.¡¯ Corinne smiled helplessly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± A wave of distress and worry came over Cedric as he advised earnestly, ¡°Just because you catch a big fish in a river doesn¡¯t mean that other bigger fish don¡¯t exist. You need to broaden your horizons and fish in the ocean, if you get what I mean!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrows and joked, ¡°Do you go out ¡®fishing¡¯ even though you already have Grandma Beatrice?¡± Chapter 799 Chapter 799 Cedric was taken aback. ¡®Why did you use that analogy on me¡­¡¯ Beatrice smiled as she nced at Cedric. ¡°He¡¯s probably thinking about going out to ¡®fish¡¯ now! I guess the only time a man will stay put and behave is when he¡¯s in the coffin!¡± Cedric frowned. ¡°No! What are you talking about? We¡¯ve been together for an entire life! Have I ever been that kind of person?¡± Beatrice scoffed. ¡°If you¡¯re not that kind of person, what¡¯s with all this nonsense you¡¯re teaching Corinne?¡± Cedric was speechless. ¡®I¡¯m only saying that because I can¡¯t bear to see a good young woman like Corinne marrying into the ruthless Holden household!! He sighed, turned, and said earnestly to Corinne, ¡°Our situation is different. Beatrice and I are childhood sweethearts, and we¡¯re about the same age as each other. We both know each other well, and we genuinely enjoy living the rest of our lives with each other. We¡¯re an open book. when ites to each other! ¡°But Jeremy is nearly ten years older than you, and you don¡¯t even know him that well. A man¡¯s true nature isn¡¯t something you can see through in a short time! I just think that you¡¯re still young, and I feel that you should be more cautious in choosing your life partner.¡± Corinne knew that the Riveras and the Holdens had never been on good terms, so it did not surprise her that Cedric did not like Jeremy. She did not take his words to heart and brushed. them off casually, finding an excuse to leave. ¡°Grandma Beatrice, can I take some of these cookies with me? Sunny wanted me to help him with his homework, so I¡¯ll bring some cookies. there for him too.¡± ¡°Of course. You can take them all! You¡¯re supposed to be our guest, but that kid still asked you to teach him. I¡¯m so sorry about that!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. He and I know each other, and teaching him gives me the chance to revise some of the things I¡¯ve learned in the past, so I don¡¯t end up forgetting them!¡± Beatrice was very appreciative of Corinne¡¯s help and nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. Go ahead, then! I¡¯ll have someone call you both when it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Corinne then carried the te of cookies and left the tea room. At longst, she could breathe a sigh of relief. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Cedric insisted on getting her to break up with Jeremy, while Beatrice was very suspicious of her identity and had been trying to dig deeper into her past. If Corinne did not make any excuses to leave that ce, she would run out of ideas on how to deal with them! After Corinne went out, the atmosphere between the old couple became serious. Cedric frowned and asked, ¡°You asked Corinne so many questions about her life, and one of your questions was whether she had a mole between her eyebrows when she was young. Do you think that she might be¡­¡± Beatrice did not deny it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think her general facial features and habits are simr to Luna¡¯s?¡± Corinne was walking up the flight of stairs with the te of cookies when she suddenly caught a whiff of a strong perfume. It did not smell cheap at all, and she could tell that it was a very expensive yet carefully formted perfume. However, as good as any perfume was, too much of it would still make one¡¯s eyes Water. She looked up in the direction of the smell and saw a well-dressed Anya heading down. ¡°Corinne? Why are you at my house?!¡± Anya yelled. Chapter 800 Chapter 800 ¡°I¡¯m a guest,¡± Corinne replied. Anya had a slight look of disgust as she said, ¡°A guest? Who¡¯d invite you as a guest to my house?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Grandpa Cedric and Grandma Beatrice invited me here. It¡¯d be rude to refuse, so here I am.¡± ¡®What?! Anya asked in shock, ¡°My grandparents invited you here? Were you the one who saved my grandpa¡¯s life?¡± Corinne said tly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call myself a savior, but I am the guest that they invited to your home.¡± Anya could not ept that the guest she had dressed up so grandly for was Corinne-the person she hated most! ¡®How did Corinne be Grandpa¡¯s savior? It couldn¡¯t have been such a coincidence!¡¯ Anya thought for a moment, looked skeptically at Corinne, and spected, ¡°Was this your n all along? Did you set my grandfather up and pretend to save him just so you could get close to him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much, Miss Anya. I have no reason to get close to your grandfather, and I don¡¯t have the time to hatch a plot against an old man.¡± Anya frowned and stared gloomily at Corinne. She then continued walking down the stairs and stood a few steps above Corinne. Anya wanted to use her height to re condescendingly at Corinne from above and suppress thetter¡¯s calmness. Corinneughed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you going to roll down the stairs and me it on me, will you p yourself a couple of times and say that I was the culprit? Perhaps you have another new move up your sleeve?¡± Anya gritted her teeth and red even more resentfully at Corinne. or However, she thought of what her mother had said to her just a while ago and calmed herself. She bowed at Corinne and said, ¡°I only did those things to you because I was blinded by love. I know my mistakes now, and I want to formally apologize to you for all those bad things that I¡¯ve done. I¡¯m sorry, Corinne!¡± Her apology came as something of a shock for Corinne, who looked around to check if anyone was nearby. Surprisingly, no one was around, which made Corinne wonder just who Anya was acting for. Anya sighed and said with a relieved expression, ¡°I now understand that you¡¯re the only woman in Jeremy¡¯s heart right now, and that nothing I do will be able to put myself into his heart again. I¡¯ve made up my mind that I won¡¯t bother you and Jeremy anymore. I¡¯ll give up on chasing after Jeremy, and I hope you and I won¡¯t have any grudges between us because of a man. Let¡¯s start over!! Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡®Is Anya nning to pull some new trick on me, or has she finallye to terms with reality and decided to let go of Jeremy?¡¯ Without waiting for Corinne to answer, Anya jumped to Corinne¡¯s side and took her arm affectionately. ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence to mean that you¡¯ve forgiven me! I made false usations against you when you came to my house the other day, so I want to make up for my mistakes and show you around our house!¡± Corinne removed her arm calmly from Anya¡¯s grip and distanced herself from Anya. ¡°No thanks. I have something else to do right now.¡± She had always disliked physical contact with other people, and her dislike became much stronger when it came to Anya, whom she had a bad impression of. Anya was aggrieved, and her eyes turned red. ¡°Are you still that reluctant to forgive me? I swear to you! I genuinely wish to change my rtionship with you and be your friend instead of being your enemy. I want to give you a tour of my house! You might think it¡¯s pointless, but our house is centuries- old and has history, so it¡¯s worth seeing every room.¡± ¡®Every room? Does that include the room where my mother used to live?¡¯ Corinne could not help but be a little interested when she heard that, and she did not want to miss that opportunity regardless of what Anya¡¯s intentions were.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 801 Chapter 801 ¡°If you¡¯re genuine, I¡¯ll be back in a bit. I need to send these cookies that Grandma Beatrice baked to your brother, Sunny. Then I¡¯ll go with you for the tour.¡± Anya looked at the te of cookies in Corinne¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll go with you to check up on Sunny!¡± Corinne did not mind that Anya was following her, but she refused any form of physical contact. Sunny was stunned when he saw Anya enter his room with Corinne. He got up immediately and pulled Anya over to protect her. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go through if you have a problem with Anya! I won¡¯t let you bully her!¡± Corinne nced at him and ced the te of cookies on his desk. ¡°Enjoy the cookies your grandma baked.¡± Sunny was dumbfounded, and he frowned as he looked at the cookies Corinne brought to him. Anya held Sunny back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t act like that, Sunny! How can you be so rude to our guest? Corinne was invited to our house because she is Grandpa¡¯s savior, and you need to treat her with respect!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Sunny had known from Felix that Corinne was his grandfather¡¯s savior, but he did not manage to ask the details of what transpired. Anya¡¯s remark only made him look at Corinne in confusion. He did not think badly of Corinne, but he felt that Anya was too kind. On the other hand, Corinne was an almost -tomboyish girl, and if the two of them got into a fight over Jeremy, Anya would be the one who suffered. For that reason, he was worried that Corinne might bully Anya, yet Anya seemed to have a different attitude toward Corinne. Sunny asked in surprise, ¡°Anya, are you and Corinne¡­¡± Anya smiled cheerfully. ¡°I¡¯ve made amends with Corinne, and we¡¯ll get along well with each other from now on! You can continue doing your homework, Sunny. I¡¯m bringing Corinne for a house tour!¡± She then brought Corinne away, leaving Sunny scratching his head in bewilderment. ¡®What on earth is going on? Why are those two rivals getting along so well today?¡± As soon as Anya exited Sunny¡¯s room, she nced at her watch and raised her head to smile at Corinne ¡°Which room would you like to visit first?¡± Corinne shrugged indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m fine with any room.¡± Anya then suggested, ¡°How about we start with my room and closet? Come with me. It¡¯s right over there!¡± Corinne nodded and followed Anya. She had no interest in visiting Anya¡¯s room, but she did not want to arouse Anya¡¯s suspicion by saying that she wanted to see the room of Maxwell¡¯s former wife. Letting Anya choose a room at random was the best way to go about it. Chapter 802 Chapter 802 ¡°Wee to my room, Corinne!¡± Anya enthusiastically invited Corinne in. The decor in her room was very luxurious, and there was plenty of limited-edition furniture from big brands. Her huge bed was also custom-made with a bed curtain, and even the bed sheets looked exquisite and expensive. However, the room had the same strong smell of Anya¡¯s perfume, which made Corinne feel nauseous. Corinne looked around politely and nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s very beautiful.¡± However, Anya sighed annoyedly and asked, ¡°Do you think my room is too extravagant?¡± Corinne replied curtly, ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if your family¡¯s financial resources allow such extravagance.¡± ¡°Well, Lucas had someone design and customize these for me! He insisted on giving me the best, and every floor tile in my room is painstakingly carved from real crystals. I told him not to go to so much trouble, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me! I don¡¯t mind spending more on other things, but this is the floor we¡¯re talking about! We¡¯re going to step all over it anyway, so what¡¯s the point of making them so luxurious?¡± Anya disguised her boasting as ints¡¯, and Corinne merely pursed her lips with a smile. ¡± You¡¯re lucky to have a good elder brother who dotes on you.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah! My Anya was understandably proud when Lucas¡¯s affection for her was brought up. brother loves me very much, and he always wants to give me the best things in the world. He spoils me a little too much, so sometimes I get allergic to cheap things. It¡¯s annoying sometimes! By the way, I heard that you used to live in poverty when you were younger. Was it terrible?¡± Corinne answered calmly, ¡°It¡¯s decent.¡± Anya frowned sympathetically. ¡°When I think of how poor you were when you were a child, I feel a sense of guilt as if I¡¯m out of touch with most normal people.¡± Corinne nced at her insipidly. ¡°Everyone has their destiny. You, for example, were destined to be born rich and powerful. I have my destiny, too.¡± Anya nodded. ¡°I guess there will always be a difference between the rich and the poor!¡± The longer the conversation went on, the more derisive it sounded. Anya had put on her most innocent expression while making those sarcastic remarks. Unfortunately, Corinne was not affected by Anya¡¯s words at all because she was never a materialistic woman. Anya¡¯s extravagant life at the Riveras had nothing to do with her, nor did it hurt her to see that Anya was doing well. Corinne only went along to find clues about what her mother went through back in the day. Aside from that, she had zero interest in the rest of the Riveras. Corinne ignored Anya¡¯s duplicitous remarks and went to the cloakroom by herself. She began to suspect that the room was the same one she lived in when she was a child, which Lucaster refurbished for Anya. She tried her best to find any familiar traces that might perhaps jog some of her lost memories. Then, Anya went up to Corinne and said, ¡°This is my cloakroom. It looks a bit messy because there are too many things here, so I hope you don¡¯tugh at me for being untidy! Sigh, I just told the servants to clear it outst month, but not even a month has passed and there are already so many unused things piled up!¡± Corinne looked around pensively. Except for the clothes, bags, and jewelry, she did not notice. anything familiar. Chapter 803 Chapter 803 Even if that was the room Corinne used to live in when she was young, it would have been changed after Lucas ordered aplete refurbishment. Anya was not pleased whenever Corinne did not respond, and after thinking about it further, she laughed and pretended to be kind to her. ¡°By the way, Corinne, I can always give you some of my out- of-season clothes so you don¡¯t have to spend any money!¡± In response, Corinne raised her eyebrow and looked silently at Anya so Anya could interpret it on her own. Anya felt a chill down her spine and said sheepishly, ¡°But that was when you were young, right? You¡¯ve all grown up now, and I forgot that you¡¯re now Jeremy¡¯s wife. With his you¡¯ll never be short of money to buy all these things!¡± support, She then Corinne from head to toe and remarked, ¡°But why do your clothes look so cheap? Didn¡¯t Jeremy give you any money to buy clothes?¡± Corinne did not sense any familiarity in the cloakroom, so she turned around and faced Anya.¡± How is he going to give me money when he doesn¡¯t have any in the first ce?¡± Anya was surprised to hear that. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re joking, aren¡¯t you? Jeremy is the Holdens scion and the president of the Holden Group! What do you mean, he doesn¡¯t have any money?¡± Corinne said calmly, ¡°His cards are all with me, and he doesn¡¯t have any of his own money. Where is he going to get the money to give me? On the contrary, he needs to make sure that I¡¯m in a good mood if he wants some pocket money.¡± Anya was severely hurt by that sentence. She did not expect Corinne to be so strict with Jeremy! Corinne added, ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t need so many clothes. I valuefort over everything else. Jeremy prefers that I be myself.¡± Anya¡¯s smile froze. She secretly clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. That was one of the reasons she hated Corinne. Corinne wore simple clothes all the time and never put on any makeup, yet she could still win Jeremy¡¯s heart without much effort! Anya regarded that as an insult to herself. Corinne was not interested in Anya¡¯s room anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the next room.¡¯ ¡± Anya snapped back to her senses and forced a grin. ¡°Okay! Come with me. I¡¯ll show you Lucas¡¯ room now!¡± Corinne was even less interested in Lucas¡¯s roompared to Anya¡¯s room. She just stood at the door and looked around for a bit without venturing any further. Anya beckoned her from inside the room. ¡°Why are you just standing there? Come on in! I¡¯ll show you Lucas¡¯s collection of watches. They¡¯re all luxury pieces with diamond dials!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne shook her head. ¡°No thanks, Mister Lucas isn¡¯t here, and it¡¯s not appropriate for an outsider like me to enter his room. Forget about it. Let¡¯s go look elsewhere!¡± Anya insisted confidently, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve always been allowed to enter Lucas¡¯s room! Don¡¯t worry about it, Corinne. If I¡¯m with you, he won¡¯t get angry with you even if he finds out!¡± Corinne was still not interested. ¡°A man¡¯s room is usually simple with nothing much to see. I¡¯m not interested in men¡¯s watches either, so there¡¯s no point for me to go there. Let¡¯s move on!¡± There was nothing Anya could do to persuade Corinne, so she left Lucas¡¯ room and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to visit my parents¡¯ room then!¡± Chapter 804 Chapter 804 Maxwell and Phoebe¡¯s room piqued her interest, and she was curious to know what sort of room her despicable father and ¡®best friend¡¯ to her mother stayed in. ¡°Here¡¯s my parents¡¯ room! My father loves reading about history, so every piece of furniture in the room is a genuine antique. They¡¯re more expensive than the antiques we see in museums!¡± Corinne eyed the room and saw that it had a very tranquil and elegant atmosphere. Every piece of furniture was an antique made of high-quality timber. Anya did not brag too much, but it was clear from her words that she was showing off. She was not very interested in the antique furniture, and what attracted her attention was therge built-in bookshelf on the west wall of the room. The huge bookshelf was filled with books. ¡®Who reads these? Is it Maxwell or Phoebe?¡¯ Corinne asked Anya politely, ¡°May I go over there and read those books?¡± Anya rejoiced as something finally made Corinne envious. She said to Corinne magnanimously, ¡°Sure! But you have to be careful not to damage them. Many of them are priceless copies that my father collected, and you won¡¯t be able to rece them if they¡¯re damaged!¡± She barely stopped herself from saying that Corinne would not be able to pay for the damage. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll make sure to be careful with them.¡± Corinne nodded, ignored Anya¡¯s attitude, and walked over to peruse some of the books on the big bookshelf. She picked one at random and flipped through it. She then ced it back and took a different book. The books were all exceptionally well-written, rather than vapid literature that was bought to fill the shelves and make one seem well-read. Maxwell seemed to love reading a lot, much like many historical figures who were erudite but had rather despicable characters. Corinne smirked as she flipped to the next page. The old photo that she saw by ident left her stupefied for a moment. It was a family portrait, the same one that she saw on Lucas¡¯ desk in Rivera Group. Inside the photo was Maxwell, Corinne¡¯s mother, Lucas, and a chubby little girl with a cherry- red mole between her eyebrows. The girl was held in her mother¡¯s arms, and Corinne knew that was her. If that photo was ced there instead of being disyed in the open, it was probably because he did not want to let anyone see it. Although the photo in this book was the same as the one on Lucas¡¯s desk, there was one big difference¨Cthe photo inside the book depicted a family of four, while the photo Lucas ced on his desk had only three people. He intentionally cropped Maxwell out. It was a sign that the rtionship between Maxwell and Lucas was not as good. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why are you so engrossed in that book?¡± Anya¡¯s voice snapped Corinne back to her senses. Chapter 805 Chapter 805 When Corinne saw that Anya was about to look over her shoulder, she quickly took the photo out of the book and hid it in her sleeve. Anya did not see the photo, only the squiggly text on the book¡¯s pages. She frowned and asked, ¡°Do you understand this text?¡± Corinne closed the book and put it back in its ce. ¡°I don¡¯t. I was just browsing through it! Let¡¯s continue with the rest of your house tour!¡± Anya was about to respond but was immediately interrupted by a sound. Corinne¡¯s action of putting the book back in its original slot seemed to have triggered some mechanism, and therge built-in bookshelf moved to reveal a hidden door integrated within the bookshelf itself. The door automatically opened in the middle of the bookshelf! The sudden movement left Corinne stunned. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Anya frowned and said with an unnatural expression, ¡°It¡¯s nothing! This is my father¡¯s study. When it was renovated, the designer felt that this door design was more seamless and beautiful! My father¡¯s study is full of books too, so there¡¯s really nothing much to see there. Let¡¯s go, Corinne!¡± Anya wanted to drag Corinne away as quickly as she could since she did not want Corinne to look into the so-called ¡®study¡¯. Her reaction was a little weird, and Corinne felt more interested to look inside. ¡°We¡¯re already here, so we might as well go in.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see in there, Corinne!¡± Anya wanted to stop Corinne, but she was a step toote. Corinne moved swiftly and had entered the room before Anya could stop her. There, Corinne discovered that there was no study behind the hidden door. Instead, it was a simple small bedroom with a single bed. ¡°Why is there a bedroom inside the bedroom?¡± Corinne wondered. She narrowed her eyes in deep thought and asked, ¡°Do your parents sleep in separate beds?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes darted shiftily, but she pretended to be calm and said with a smile, ¡°Well, they sometimes sleep in separate rooms when they argue. Don¡¯t all married couples argue from time to time?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°They could just sleep in the guest room for one night if they argue. You have a big home with plenty of empty rooms, so I don¡¯t see the need to create a small hidden room in an existing bedroom.¡± It was obvious that the room was built to hide the true nature of their rtionship. Perhaps Maxwell and Phoebe were afraid of giving people the wrong idea about them sleeping on separate beds. Anya had an idea and attempted to exin, ¡°Well, my mother doesn¡¯t like my father¡¯s snoring because it disturbs her beauty sleep every night. That¡¯s the reason he sleeps alone in this small room. My mother doesn¡¯t let him sleep in the guest room to preserve my father¡¯s dignity because the servants would know if he sleeps in another room. My father and mother have a very good rtionship, and they take care of each other very well!¡± Corinne grinned inexplicably. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Anya knew she could not let anyone know about her family¡¯s bad side. She was aware that her parents have always slept in separate beds, but she could let anyone know about it, especially Corinne! Phoebe had always wanted to break the rut and get closer to Maxwell, but she was no closer to sess than when she first started doing so, despite trying all sorts of methods. It was analogous to Anya¡¯s repeated attempts to win Jeremy¡¯s heart in all those past years- her efforts had gone to naught! She would never have thought that Corinne would trigger the switch to the hidden door and find out about the secret room. Though she did not know if Corinne believed her exnation, she wanted to drag her away from that disgraceful scene as quickly as she could. Her true purpose was not to give Corinne a tour of the house. That so-called ¡®tour¡¯ was just a prelude to something else! Her true purpose was to¡­ ¡°Okay, Corinne, now that we¡¯re done with the tour of my parents¡¯ room, I¡¯ll show you the two most beautiful rooms in our house!¡± dered Anya.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 806 Chapter 806 Corinne followed Anya to arge, bright room decoratedvishly in a unique style. Everything inside the room looked expensive but not ostentatious. Out of all the rooms Corinne toured, she felt the most comfortable in this room. Without needing Anya to tell her, she had a good idea who the room belonged to. Still, she asked with a raise of her head, ¡°Whose room is this?¡± Anya kept her smile in ce while her eyes filled with contempt. ¡°This room used to belong to a wanton woman in the family. It¡¯s been empty ever since she left since everyone thinks it¡¯ll bring them bad luck if they set foot in this room.¡± Anya¡¯s answer assured Corinne of her guess. It was not hard to guess the room used to belong to her mother since it was decorated in her artistic style. Corinne narrowed her eyes at Anya. ¡°This room has the best natural lighting out of the rooms. you showed me. Yes, even better than your parents. I¡¯m guessing only someone very important in your family could¡¯ve lived in a room like this. Am I right?¡± Anya was not happy at Corinne bringing up something she should not have brought up, so she said rudely, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you, an outsider, to know so much about my family. I only brought you here because this is one of the prettier rooms in the house, so just shut up and enjoy it. We¡¯re going to view the other room next, and you¡¯re gonna be shocked at how much prettier it is!¡± Corinne took onest look at the room and could not help but feel pity for her mother. While there were a few of Emily¡¯s paintings hanging on the wall, there was none of her photo inside the room. ¡®Someone must have thought her photos were an eyesore and had them put away¡­¡¯ After that, Anya brought Corinne to a pink-colored nursery. Everything inside was adorable. Corinne¡¯s common sense told her that it should be Joey¡¯s room, but after thinking about it, why would Anya have the room decorated like this when Joey was a boy? In fact, the room would be more suitable for a princess. ¡°And who does this room belong to?¡± she asked with a raise of her eyebrow. An almost unnoticeable sinister glint shed through Anya¡¯s eyes before she answered, ¡°This used to be my room when I was little. Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± Corinne nodded curtly. ¡°It is.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Anya looked at the time on her watch before adding with a smile, ¡°Corinne, you should spend more time in this room. You might get some ideas for your baby¡¯s nursery!¡± Corinne nced at the pink room before shaking her head. ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t think my baby will like this kind of style.¡± She then turned around to leave, but Anya blocked her from doing so. ¡°Corinne, look! Isn¡¯t this pink music box beautiful?¡± asked Anya as she took down the music box from the shelf to show to Corinne. Corinne never liked anything pink or pastel, so without even looking at it, she put the music box back on the shelf after epting it from Anya¡¯s hand. While doing so, she identally hit the switch, and the lid of the music box slowly opened as music yed. Two little bears held hands and danced in a circle while the soothing music yed. The music must have triggered something deep inside of Corinne because her pupils shrank as fragmented memories rushed back into her mind. She grimaced at this. ¡®Argh, my head hurts¡­¡± Chapter 807 Chapter 807 ¡°Corinne, are you alright?¡± Anya suddenly swatted the music box from Corinne¡¯s hand, and it fell to the floor with a thud. The two little bears broke into pieces, and the music ceased swiftly. Corinne snapped out of her trance and looked at the broken music box sadly. She then bent down to pick up the pieces. ¡°God, why am I so clumsy? What a pity that the music box broke¡­¡± muttered Anya in an act- cute manner. Corinne ignored her. She turned the music box in her hand to try to make it y again, but s, it was irrevocably broken. ¡°Be careful, Corinne. You wouldn¡¯t want to cut your hand on those broken sses now, do you? Wait here. I¡¯ll go ask the servant to clean it up,¡± said Anya. She then strode out of the room. Corinne continued to ignore her. She kept staring at the broken music box in her hands. ¡®I remember this song¡­and this room, too¡­¡± Anya looked at her watch again after walking out of the room. Then, she smirked smugly before going downstairs. Lucas walked in through the foyer as soon as Anya got downstairs. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wee back, Lucas!¡± greeted Anya. Lucas took off his suit jacket and passed it to the servant. ¡°What¡¯s the emergency? Why did you ask me toe home immediately?¡± Anya smiled innocently. ¡°A very special guest came to our house today. She¡¯s the person who saved Grandpa, so that¡¯s why I texted you toe home. I thought you should y host too. After all, she¡¯s a very important person to the family¡­¡¯ ¡°The person who saved Grandpa?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes suddenly turned sharp. Anya nodded. ¡°Yeah! Guess who she is, Lucas! Wait, no, I¡¯ll tell you. It¡¯s Corinne! What a total coincidence, right? I can¡¯t believe Corinne was the person who saved Grandpa.¡± She emphasized the word ¡®coincidence¡¯ to hint that it was not a coincidence at all. Lucas did not give her the reaction she was hoping for. Instead, he just looked around and asked, ¡°Where is she now?¡± Anya blinked. ¡°She¡¯s upstairs! I was about to bring her to see my room. Come on, I¡¯ll bring you to her. We should thank her properly for saving Grandpa¡¯s life.¡± Thus, Lucas followed Anya upstairs. Along the way, Anya said, ¡°Lucas, I told Corinne to spend as much time as she liked in my room. She seemed to have taken a liking to it since she praised you for hiring the designer who designed my room.¡± Lucas did a double-take when he heard that. Suddenly, a whirl of emotions and questions rushed into his mind. ¡®What will Corinne think when she hears I¡¯ve specially hired a designer to design Anya¡¯s room? Will she think I¡¯m ying favorites?¡¯ Suddenly, Anya screamed, ¡°Oh my god, Corinne! Why did you go into that room? Didn¡¯t I tell you that this room is off-limits?!¡± Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Anya¡¯s scream pulled Lucas out of his thoughts. He immediately looked around and saw the door to Luna¡¯s childhood room, which was off-limits to everyone, was open. From outside the door, they could see Corinne squatting on the floor, holding the music box in her hands dazedly as though thinking of something. She slowly turned to look at Lucas and Anya when she heard Anya talking to her. Immediately after, Anya screamed again, ¡°My goodness, Corinne! Why did you break my sister¡¯s music box? That was her favorite!¡± Corinne was unsurprised by Anya¡¯s false usation at all. She simply stood up and calmly said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who broke it.¡± Anya pretended to look shocked. She then snatched the broken music box from Corinne¡¯s hand to take a closer look, even though she was the one who broke it in the first ce. ¡°Oh no ¡­ It¡¯s really broken. What should we do?¡± After saying that, she turned to Lucas and said woefully, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lucas. This is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have gone down to get some drinks for Corinne. I didn¡¯t expect she woulde into Luna¡¯s room and break her favorite music box. If you want to me someone, me me instead!¡± Anya knew Lucas hated nothing more than for other people to barge into Luna¡¯s room without his permission nor would he forgive the person should they destroy anything inside. Previously, a servant was cleaning the room when her shoe identally hooked on the curtain, causing thece to be unraveled. Lucas was furious after finding out about it, and he punished the servant severely. Therefore, there was no need for the room to be locked since no one would ever dare go into it. Everything in the room remained as it was before Luna disappeared. In fact, the room had be an eyesore for Anya for the longest time, but she dared not do anything about it since she was afraid of angering Lucas. That was why she used Corinne as the scapegoat to wreak havoc in the room. Savior or not, Lucas would surely make Corinne pay for ¡®breaking¡¯ Luna¡¯s favorite music box. ¡°This might not get rid of her once and for all, but it¡¯ll make me happy to see her suffer a bit,¡¯ thought Anya. Lucas walked toward Anya and took the broken music box from her hand to take a look. He then nced at the broken ss bears on the ground before sighing. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll get someone to fix it.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Startled, Anya gaped at him incredulously. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± ¡®What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t Lucas angry at Corinne for breaking Luna¡¯s favorite music box?¡¯ wondered Anya. ¡°Anya, you can go back to taking care of Joey, I¡¯ll take over showing Corinne around now,¡± said Lucas emotionlessly. Anya was not only confused, but she was also angry at things not turning out her way. ¡®What on earth is going on? Why isn¡¯t Lucas angry? Why didn¡¯t he punish Corinne?!! She refused to leave. ¡°Lucas, Joey has the nanny taking care of him. I want to stay here with you and Corinne.¡± Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. In them, Anya could see irrevocable sternness and authority. Although she had been spoiled by Lucas since she was little, she still feared him when he was serious like this. ¡°Well¡­just be nice to Corinne, then. Don¡¯t get angry at her because she entered Luna¡¯s room. by mistake and broke her favorite music box. I¡¯ll go see Joey now¡­¡± said Anya. Even while she had no choice but to leave, she wanted him to remember what took ce. s, she did not get the result she wanted. Corinne did not n to stay a second longer in the room. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯m sorry foring in here. I¡¯ll show myself out, but you should know that I didn¡¯t break the music box.¡± She then walked out of the room, but Lucas stopped her by grabbing her arm. ¡°This room is off -limits to everyone, and no one can enter without my permission.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°So? Why don¡¯t you juste out straight with how you¡¯re going to punish me for coming in here without your permission?¡± Lucas closed the door, fearing she would try to escape because she did not want to listen to what he had to say. ¡°Corinne, this room might be off-limits to everyone, but not you. You cane and go as you please since this was your room from the start, so I won¡¯t punish you. In fact, I¡¯m very happy to see you back home.¡± Corinne was momentarily stunned, but a mocking smile appeared on her face. She was right after all; she guessed that she must have had some sort of connection to this room ever since she heard the familiar tuneing from the music box. Lucas handed the broken music box to her. ¡°This was your favorite music box when you were little. I was the one who gave it to you.¡± Corinne nced at it and said indifferently, ¡°Is that so? Well, you can keep it then.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve asked the servant to keep this room in pristine condition so everything was exactly as you left them years ago. Do you remember anything about this room?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lucas smiled ruefully. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll slowlye to remember everything after you move back here.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Mister Lucas, you seemed to have mistaken something. I only came here today because your grandparents invited me toe, not because I n on moving back here. ¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Luna, I know you¡¯re married to Jeremy now, so it¡¯s a given you¡¯re going to live with him, but can¡¯t youe back to stay for a weekend sometime?¡± Corinne scowled. ¡°Excuse me, but my name is Corinne Carew, not Luna Rivera!¡± she corrected sternly. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Why do you insist on keeping that name when the Shaws didn¡¯t treat you that well?¡± Lucas asked helplessly. Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°Yes, the Shaws didn¡¯t treat me well, and it¡¯s also true we¡¯re not rted by blood, but all that doesn¡¯t matter since a surname is just a surname to me. It means nothing special. Having said that, I¡¯d rather be a Carew than a Rivera!¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°But why? Is it because of all the misunderstandings I had of you and how I treated you?¡± Chapter 810 Chapter 810 Corinne raised her eyebrow and smirked at Lucas. ¡°What makes you think I care about how you treated me before? Lucas fell silent. He hated himself so much for how badly he treated Corinne, and it would make sense if Corinne would not want to ept him as her brother. As much as he knew Corinne wanted to do with him or the entire Rivera family, he wished for nothing more than for her toe back home so he could make amends. Lucas sighed and asked gently, ¡°Corinne, what can I do to make you forgive me and to make youe home?¡± Corinne was unmoved by his rare disy of submission, even though it was so different from his usual arrogant attitude. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve said that I don¡¯t me you for all the misunderstandings or how you treated me. To me, you were just a stranger who happened to share the same blood with me, and now, we¡¯re just acquaintances at the most. And as strangers, I find it normal that you¡¯d be suspicious or even hate me, so there¡¯s no need to lower your pride and beg me for forgiveness. That¡¯s not a good look on you.¡± Lucas was speechless, and he never felt so lost before. Get it through your head that I¡¯ll nevere back to live here or see any one of you as my family. This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with how you treated me previously,¡± added Corinne. ¡°From what I know, your grandparents thought I was a child born out of another man that isn¡¯t your father. They even took me to do a paternity test to force my mother to leave, so why should I take up the Rivera name?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes focused on this. ¡°You remember what happened years ago?¡± ¡°How could she remember all that mess when she was so little then?¡¯ wondered Lucas. ¡°I don¡¯t remember, but I¡¯ve looked into the matter. Right now, I only know the surface of it, but I swear to make the person who wronged my mother pay once I find out who it is! As for you, Mister Lucas, you and your entire family are aplices to the culprit who forced my Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. mother to leave.¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes started to tremble. After a brief silence, he sighed and said, ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to keep digging into the matter anymore. I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? Tell me now who it was that soiled my mother¡¯s name.¡± Lucas looked at her with eyes filled with mixed emotions. ¡°No one soiled her name, because all the evidence back then pointed to our mother making a mistake she shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Evidence? Ha! That means you think I¡¯m an affair baby, too?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re my sister, true and true, but¡­our mother did make a mistake then, so no one wronged her.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Oh shut it, Mister Lucas. Please don¡¯t call yourself my brother or call me your sister. I¡¯m not your sister! Your sister is Anya. Don¡¯t get me mixed up with her!¡± ¡°What a joke he is! I don¡¯t want an older brother who doesn¡¯t believe in our mother. No way am I going to believe my mother is someone who¡¯ll have an affair. They couldn¡¯t have found. anything that indicated that. Besides, someone could¡¯ve nted the evidence if they were hellbent on framing my mother!¡¯ thought Corinne. Lucas¡¯ eyes dimmed. ¡°Listen, what¡­¡± However, before he could say what he wanted to say, Corinne cut in, ¡°Excuse me, but I¡¯m tired. now, so I¡¯m going to go downstairs to ask Grandpa Cedric to allow me to rest in the guest room. Move aside, Mister Lucas.¡± Lucas sighed helplessly. ¡°You can rest in this room if you¡¯re tired. No one will bother you here. I¡¯lle get you when it¡¯s dinner time, Lu-¡± Chapter 811 Chapter 811 Lucas nearly called Corinne ¡®Luna¡¯ again but quickly stopped since he did not want to anger Corinne any further. ¡°Ahem! I¡¯ll get you when it¡¯s dinner time, Corinne.¡± Corinne decided to take him up on his offer. ¡°Very well, then. Thank you. Now, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to rest. Can you please go out?¡± Lucas stared at her before he turned and walked out of the door, closing the door with the broken music box still in his hand. As soon as he was outside, he instantly noticed Anya acting suspiciously not far off. Frowning, he walked over and asked, ¡°Why are you still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be taking care of Joey?¡± Anya started to panic when she saw Lucas walking over to her. Unable to hide, she had no choice but to exin, ¡°Lucas, I was worried you¡¯d blow up at Corinne for breaking the music box, so I decided to stay and- Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°I won¡¯t blow up at her, so stop worrying about other people and go look after Joey!¡± Anya frowned. ¡°Why did youe out alone? Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± ¡°She¡¯s tired, so she¡¯s resting inside the room for a while. Don¡¯t you dare bother her, okay?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and she could not keep the emotion out of her voice. ¡°You¡¯re letting her rest in Luna¡¯s room? I thought you hated nothing more than for other people to touch her stuff!¡± Lucas frowned, and after two seconds of silence, he said, ¡°She¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s savior, so she deserves to get the best hospitality from us. She has the right to rest in any of the rooms.¡± Lucas¡¯ exnation did not seem to convince Anya. ¡°There¡¯s something off about the two of them¡­¡¯ she thought. Not bothering to exin more to Anya, Lucas then took out his phone and called Edmund.¡± Edmund, I¡¯m on the second floor. Come up now.¡± After a minute of hanging up the phone, Edmund arrived. ¡°Edmund, keep watch over this room; Miss Corinne is resting inside. Don¡¯t let anyone bother her, okay?¡± ordered Lucas sternly. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± Lucas then handed him the broken music box. ¡°Get someone to fix this, and ask the servants to clean up the broken sses in the room. Make sure they sweep up everyst piece so our guest won¡¯t get cut by them.¡± Edmund epted the music box and nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand, Mister Lucas.¡± After that, Lucas went back to his room with a frown. He was not in a good mood and needed some time alone. Anya stayed rooted in shock as she watched Lucas leave dubiously. ¡®What the heck is going on? What could¡¯ve happened for Lucas to have such a drastic change in attitude toward Corinne in just a few days?¡¯ After thinking about it, Anya decided to interrogate Corinne. However, Edmund stopped her. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Miss Anya, Miss Corinne is resting inside, so you¡¯re not allowed to go in.¡± Anya pulled out her signature move. ¡°Edmund, I just wanted to make sure she¡¯s alright. I promise I won¡¯t bother her¡­¡± she said in a soft, cutesy manner. ¡°You¡¯ve heard what Mister Lucas said just now, so please don¡¯t make my job any harder than it already is,¡± said Edmund objectively. Chapter 812 Chapter 812 However, Anya did not give up. ¡°I promise it won¡¯t take long. I just want to ask Corinne a few questions. Lucas won¡¯t know if we don¡¯t tell him! And even if he did know, he won¡¯t me you.¡± Edmund was unmoved. ¡°Sorry, Miss Anya, but I can¡¯t go against Mister Lucas¡¯ order. You should also go take care of Joey like he asked you to.¡± ¡®He¡¯s only a lowly employee. In fact, he¡¯s nothing but Lucas¡¯ b*tch! How dare he stop me from doing what I want?¡¯ thought Anya angrily. Anya was already in a bad mood from having her previous n foiled, so she lost all patience in dealing with Edmund. She red vehemently at him and hissed, ¡°p*ss off, Edmund! I¡¯m going in, no matter what!¡± Edmund was shocked. He had always thought Anya to be sweet and caring, and this was the first time he had seen this side of her. It stood to reason he found the whole thing hard to believe. At that moment, Corinne opened the door and stepped out. Seeing this, Anya faked a grin. ¡°Oh hey, Corinne! You¡¯re opening the door to let me in, right? Can you believe Edmund wouldn¡¯t let me in just now?¡± Corinne threw a bored nce at Anya before turning to look at Edmund indifferently. ¡°Mister Edmund,¡± she called him respectfully. Edmund continued to block Anya from going in. He turned his head back slightly and asked, ¡® Yes, Miss Corinne?¡± Corinne yawnedzily. ¡°I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll have the servant bring you some water immediately,¡± said Edmund respectfully. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Corinne nodded. ¡°Make it warm water, please. And put in a slice of lemon, too.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Corinne. Someone will be in to clean up the broken ss soon, so please make sure you stay away from them in the meantime.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± replied Corinne. She thennguidly closed the door after stepping back into the room. Seeing this, Anya¡¯s eyes widened in anger while she tried to squeeze past Edmund. ¡°Corinne-! s, she did not manage to get past Edmund. Her words were cut short by a crisp thud of the closing door, which left her irked. ¡®What the heck? Isn¡¯t this my home? And doesn¡¯t Edmund work for my family? Why is he stopping me from going into that room? What¡¯s more, not only did that shameless b*tch steal Jeremy away from me, but she¡¯s now trying to take over my home too?!¡¯ she thought while clenching her fists. Edmund stayed where he was and called Benson, asking him to arrange for the servants to clean up the broken sses and fetch Corinne a ss of warm lemon water. Anya was not having any of this. She would not allow Corinne to restfortably in Luna¡¯s room if it was thest thing she did. ¡°Edmund, let me go in. Poor thing must be bored sitting in the room all alone.¡± Edmund shook his head. ¡°Miss Anya, you saw how it was too. Miss Corinne doesn¡¯t need anypany right now. Please just let her rest.¡± Anya frowned unhappily. ¡°Edmund, why do you only listen to Corinne and not me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Mister Lucas said she¡¯s Mister Cedric¡¯s savior, so we should treat her with the utmost respect and hospitality.¡± ¡°Huh! Fine, take her side then. Mark my words, I¡¯m going to get Lucas to fire you one day for this insubordination.¡± Anya could not hold back her anger anymore. She threw onest angry look at Edmund before striding away in a huff. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 Edmund looked at Anya¡¯s retreating figure in confusion. ¡®What¡¯s the matter with Miss Anya today? Where did the usual soft, caring, and kind girl go?¡¯ Anya was beyond furious. Not only did Corinne steal the man she loved but also her brother who had always seen her as the apple of his eye! She could not, for the life of her, figure out why Lucas would respect Corinne so much. ¡®I thought Lucas would always take my side since he hates Corinne so much¡­¡¯ Joey had just woken up and the nanny was feeding him some oatmeal when Anya reached his room. He immediately hid in the nanny¡¯s arms when he saw Anyae in. Anya was already in a bad mood, but seeing the trembling Joey in the nanny¡¯s arm worsened it. ¡®Why, that brat! What¡¯s the use of keeping him now?¡¯ She walked over and extended her hand to the nanny. ¡°Give that bowl to me. I¡¯ll feed him. You can leave the room now.¡± The nanny hesitated before cing the bowl in Anya¡¯s hand. She then plucked Joey from her arms and put him in the crib before she walked out of the room. Joey watched anxiously as the nanny left the room. He reached out his chubby hands to her, but it was useless. Only he and Anya were in the room afterward. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Anya smiled sweetly at Joey. ¡°Come, Joey. Your mom will feed you now.¡± Looking at Anya, Joey started to tremble out of fear she would hit him again. However, the happy memories of when Anya first brought him back from the orphanage shed through. his mind when he saw how lovingly Anya smiled at him. He blinked and decided to let his guard down, allowing Anya to get close to him again. Anya shoved a big spoonful of oatmeal into Joey¡¯s mouth. ¡°Here you go. Eat more! Eat!¡± Joey nearly choked when the oatmeal suddenly filled his mouth. It was just too much. Moreover, the oatmeal was still piping hot, so he immediately spat out everything. Anya¡¯s mood soured. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t spit out your food! That¡¯s so wasteful of you. You should eat whatever is given to you!¡± She tried to shove another spoonful of oatmeal into Joey¡¯s mouth, but not wanting to be burned again, he refused to open his mouth. Seeing this, Anya grabbed Joey¡¯s cheeks to force open his mouth, and the harder Joey resisted her effort, the harder Anya would squeeze his face. In the end, out of frustration, she poured the whole bowl of oatmeal into his throat. Joey started crying out of fright and through his struggle, he identally knocked over the bowl. After that, he started coughing and puking. Seeing the bowl break sent Anya into a flying rage. ¡°Is that all you know how to do? Cry? I¡¯m your mother, so why do you always cry when you see me?! Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯ll still be suffering in the orphanage if I didn¡¯t bring you home? You useless child! You should be thanking me instead of crying your head off!¡± Joey¡¯s lips had be swollen by then. After puking out the oatmeal, he burst into a louder. sob, so loud that his cries could be heard from a few doors away. Chapter 814 Chapter 814 The nanny heard Joey¡¯s cries from outside and rushed into his room to check on him. ¡°Miss Anya, what¡¯s going on? Did Mister Joey make you angry again? He¡¯s just a kid¡­ He doesn¡¯t know any better. Won¡¯t you please forgive him?¡± Anya was raging. ¡°What are you doing back in here? Didn¡¯t I ask you to go outside? How dare a lowly servant like you tell me what to do!¡± The nanny immediately hung her head low and said respectfully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Anya. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± In a fit of blind rage, Anya pped her. ¡°What didn¡¯t you mean to do? Barge in here? I put Joey in your care, and look at how he turned out now! The moment he sees me, he¡¯ll start crying as if I¡¯m a monster. You must¡¯ve taught him to do that.¡± Covering her cheek with her hand, the nanny tried to exin, ¡°No, Miss Anya. I didn¡¯t teach Mister Joey to do that. You¡¯re a first-time mother, so it¡¯s normal to lose patience sometimes¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll stop being afraid of you if you just show him a little more patience¡­¡± Anya gave her another backhand p. ¡°How dare you call me impatient! I don¡¯t need you to teach me how to be a good mother, you useless piece of sh*t!¡± This time, the force of the impact was so great that it caused the nanny to fall to the floor, sobbing. Seeing the person who had been taking care of him getting hurt made Joey cry even louder. At that moment, Lucas-who had just changed out of his suit and was on his way downstairs- saw Anya p the nanny through the opened door. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He walked in with a stern expression and saw the nanny and Joey crying. ¡°Anya, what happened here?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Anya started to panic at Lucas¡¯ sudden appearance. She quickly put on her damsel in distress act before throwing herself crying into Lucas¡¯ arms. ¡°You came just in time, Lucas. This nanny is no good. She was feeding Joey, but she didn¡¯t blow on the oatmeal before giving it to Joey. Look at how red his lips look! I told her to make sure the oatmeal is warm before giving it to Joey, and she actually talked back to me¡­so I hit her in a fit of rage. I mean, this is Joey¡¯s safety we¡¯re talking about after all.¡± Lucas looked down at the crying Anya emotionlessly and did not hug her back. Instead, he looked at Joey¡¯s swollen mouth. Then, he narrowed his eyes and asked the nanny, ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes started to falter. ¡®Why would Lucas ask the nanny to confirm what she said? He always believed me unconditionally in the past! What happened to him to make him change so much?¡¯ The nanny stood up fearfully and was about to exin herself when Anya turned around and threw her a threatening look. This immediately struck fear into her heart, and after thinking of all the times Lucas had sided with Anya, she knew there was a high chance Lucas would not believe her words. Not wanting to cross Anya further, she finally lied, ¡°Mister Lucas, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°You should pack up your things and leave if you don¡¯t have the patience to care for a child!¡± The nanny nodded helplessly. She took onest look at the child she had bonded over with before leaving the room quietly. Anya heaved a sigh of relief. She then snuggled against Lucas and said, ¡°That nanny has gone overboard this time! Joey could¡¯ve ended up even more hurt if I didn¡¯t stop her in time.¡± Lucas put both of his hands on Anya¡¯s shoulders and pushed her away. ¡°You look after Joey by yourself if you think you can do a better job than the nanny. Joey is your kid, so it¡¯ll be better if you, as his mother, take care of him.¡± Anya was stunned. For some reason, she had the sinking feeling that there was an imprable wall between her and Lucas, causing them to be not as close as before. ¡°Okay, Lucas. I¡¯ll try to take care of Joey as best as I can from now on.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Lucas looked up, and his pupils shrank when he realized Joey was missing from his crib. ¡± Where¡¯s Joey?¡± Anya looked at the crib, too. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right. Where is he? Did he run off with the nanny?¡± Lucas strode out of the room quickly and asked the servants stationed in the area whether they had seen Joey, but none of them did. He looked around the room once more and saw the balcony door was open. The balcony in that room was linked to all the other balconies on the same floor. ¡°He must¡¯ve gone into the other rooms through the balcony. He shouldn¡¯t have gotten far. All of you, split up and look for him.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± said the servants. After that, he went down the stairs. Anya immediately chased after him. ¡°Lucas, where are you going? Aren¡¯t you going to look for Joey with me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still in the house somewhere, so he should be fine. I need to go to the kitchen now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We have an important guest in our house today, and to show our gratitude, I¡¯m going to ask the kitchen to cook up a few more dishes.¡± Anya frowned in confusion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask one of the servants to pass on the message? Why do you have to go into the kitchen yourself? It¡¯s so smelly and hot there. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to cook something for her?¡± Lucas did not want to waste his time exining to Anya, so he said coldly, ¡°Stop following me. The important thing for you to do now is to look for Joey.¡± Anya had no choice but to do as he said. However, she could not help but feel resentful since Lucas had never cooked for her before. ¡®What could¡¯ve happened topel Lucas to cook for that shameless woman?¡¯ she wondered. Phoebe was rmed by the servants searching for Joey. She went to find Anya and asked, ¡® Anya, did Joey go missing again?¡± Anya did not care whether Joey was found or not. In fact, she actually wished he would go forever missing since he was of no use to her. She quickly exined to her mother that Corinne was the one who saved Cedric¡¯s life and that the two of them shoulde up with a n to get rid of her. ¡°What a small world it is! Who¡¯d have guessed the girl who stole Jeremy from you was your grandpa¡¯s savior?¡± ¡°It was no coincidence at all! She must¡¯ve nned this so she could get closer to Grandpa and the whole family.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. The wheels inside Phoebe¡¯s head started to turn. ¡°Anya, do you still have those precious saffron you brought back from overseasst time?¡± ¡°Yeah, I still have a lot. Why the sudden question?¡± asked Anya in confusion. Phoebe smiled confidently ¡°Saffron is good for the skin when consumed, but it can cause miscarriage if consumed inrge quantities What¡¯s more, it¡¯ll be harder for a woman to conceive after that. Anya, Corinneing to visit us is a blessing in disguise ¡¯cause we finally have an opportunity to get rid of that baby in her womb. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Anya¡¯s eyes lit up when her mother mentioned miscarriages. ¡®She¡¯s right. We¡¯ll just have to sneak the saffron into Corinne¡¯s food at tonight¡¯s dinner and, boom! Her baby will be gone!¡¯ However, since all of her previous ns came to a fruitless end, she did not feel as confident as she didst time. ¡°But what if someone finds out it¡¯s the saffron that caused her miscarriage?¡± she asked worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just say I did it should anyone find out about it. I can just pretend I didn¡¯t know Corinne was pregnant, and that¡¯s why I gave her some saffron to try,¡± said Phoebe smugly. Knowing her mother had her back, Anya finally felt at ease. ¡°Okay, wait here, Mommy. I¡¯ll go get the saffron now. Try to put as much as you can in Corinne¡¯s food¡­ I want to see her bleed out all the blood she has.¡± Meanwhile, in Luna¡¯s room. Corinne was resting on the small bed with her head against the headboard. She scanned every corner of the room to see if her memory could be jogged. However, nothing called up a strong sense of familiarity to her except for the broken music box. Suddenly, her phone rang. As expected, it was Jeremy video-calling in to check in on her. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± he asked in his deep, strong voice. Jeremy was flipping through his documents while asionally looking up at the screen. It was obvious he was busy, yet he still made time to check in on her. That was how worried he was about her. ¡°I¡¯m about to take a nap right now,¡± said Corinne sleepily. Jeremy frowned and looked up from his document to give her a stern stare. ¡°Have you forgotten what I said to you?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t! You said I¡¯m not allowed to simply eat the food outside, not allowed to sleep outside, and not allowed to drink, especially now that I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Then why are you about to take a nap at someone else¡¯s house?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°I was just a bit sleepy¡­ Look, I¡¯m still awake, aren¡¯t I? Hey, Mister¡­ Lucas. told me that this used to be my old room.¡± A pained look immediately shed across Jeremy¡¯s eyes whenever Jeremy thought of the hardship Corinne endured when she was a child. ¡°So what if it is? Are you nning to move back there?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Nope. I just wanted to see if I can remember anything about my childhood if I stay here for a bit.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to remember anything. It¡¯s best if those unhappy memories are forgotten. Besides, you have me now, and your future will only get better from now on.¡± It was rare to hear such romantic words from Jeremy¡¯s lips, so Corinne was understandably. stunned, yet she could feel a sense of warmth washing over her too. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried your staff are going to think you have a split personality if they hear you speaking to me like that?¡± she asked cheekily. Jeremy red at her. ¡°Is that all you have to say to my romantic words? You do know I only ever speak to you like that, right?¡± Corinneughed happily and blew him a kiss. ¡°I love you, Mister.¡± Jeremy¡¯s cold heart instantly melted, which showed on his face. ¡°You cheeky little rascal. Remember to call me if you need help. I¡¯ll go there immediately.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯m going to hang up now. Bye.¡± After that, she immediately hung up. Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Why that little rascal! Why doesn¡¯t she ever wait for me to say goodbye before hanging up?!¡± Chapter 817 Chapter 817 However, Corinne had her reason for ending the call so quickly. She heard a noise outside her window, and she did not tell Jeremy because she did not want to worry him. After hanging up, she went to the window and peeked outside. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± No one replied, which bewildered her as she was certain she heard something. She then looked down, and her pupils dted when she saw a child hanging precariously from the balcony railing of the next room. He could have fallen! Although they were only on the second floor, it would still be dangerous for such a small child. to fall from there. ¡°Don¡¯t move! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Without thinking twice, Corinne immediately stepped over the balcony railing to save the child. After grabbing him, she stepped over the balcony railing again and brought him into the room. The child was, of course, none other than Joey who Anya emotionally ckmailed Jeremy into adopting with her. His head was still thickly wrapped with bandages due to the injury he suffered two days ago. Corinne put Joey down and got down to his eye level. ¡°Why were you all alone on the balcony? Where¡¯s your nanny?¡± she asked sternly. Joey backed away from her fearfully and fearfully stared at her. ¡°Bad¡­ Bad guy¡­¡± Corinne was none too happy about being called a ¡®bad guy¡¯ after saving him. ¡°Who told you to call me that?¡± ¡°Mama¡­¡± answered Joey shakily. Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°Then is your mama a good guy?¡± Joey fell silent. The thought of Anya made him shake his head fearfully. Corinne was stunned. ¡°That means he knows Anya¡¯s true colors¡­ He must¡¯ve suffered a lot. under her hand.¡¯ Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why did you run off all alone? Don¡¯t you know how dangerous that is? Don¡¯t you ever do that again, okay? You could¡¯ve fallen if I didn¡¯t save you in time.¡± Joey was still unable to form aplete sentence, so he just said the keywords, ¡°Scare¡­ Run¡­ Oopsie fall¡­¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°What were you scared of?¡± Joey¡¯s eyes started to redden. He looked around to make sure Anya was not around before crying and answering, ¡°Scare mama¡­ Scare¡­¡± Corinne knew Anya only saw Joey as a tool to keep Jeremy around, and with her n having backfired, keeping him around was pointless. It did not take a genius to guess how Anya would treat Joey from there on. ¡°What happened? Did she hit you?¡± ¡°Hot¡­¡± Joey pointed to his mouth. ¡°Eat¡­ Hot¡­ Angry¡­¡± Corinne looked at his lips. ¡®It looks like it was burned not too long ago. How can she bear to do something like this to a child so young?¡¯ As she was going to be a mother herself, she could not help but feel sadness and rage at seeing a child being treated like this. ¡°Let¡¯s go and tell your uncle who did this to you.¡± Corinne scooped up Joey and took him to find Lucas. She might not like him, but she had to admit he was fair, unlike the despicable Anya. Besides, he was the only one in the entire family who Anya was scared of. He would definitely be able to bring justice to Joey. However, Joey immediately broke out in sobs when he heard what Corinne was going to do. ¡°No! No¡­ no go out¡­ No!¡± he kept crying while struggling to free himself from Corinne¡¯s arms. Chapter 818 Chapter 818 Joey was struggling too much, so Corinne had to put him down again. ¡°Okay, then. We¡¯ll stay here for a bit longer.¡± As soon as Joey¡¯s feet touched the floor, he immediately backed into the corner, squatted, and curled like a scared animal with his arms hugging his knees. Corinne frowned at how pitiful he looked. ¡°You do know I¡¯m going to have to leave this room sooner or later, right? How long do you think you can hide in here then? What if you got hungry or thirsty? The people in this house will find you eventually.¡± Joey started trembling violently when he heard he was going to be found eventually. Seeing this, Corinne could not help but feel sorry for him. She was once like him, too-all alone and helpless. Even though her mother entrusted her to Marvin, that good-for-nothing man was quick to send her off to live with his rtive in the countryside as soon as the opportunity presented itself. She was a bona fide outsider in that house, and the only reason Marvin¡¯s rtives would take her in was because he promised he would send them money every month as payment for taking care of her. However, he only sent them money twice, and ever since then, his rtives treated her even worse. They would not even allow her to eat at the same table as them. Word soon spread that she was a child nobody wanted, and the kids there started to bully her for fun. The bullying happened so frequently that she got used to it. It was not like anyone would do anything if the bullies beat her to death. This one time, the son of Marvin¡¯s rtives pushed her into the well as a prank, and for three days and three nights, no one came to save her, no matter how much she screamed for help. The fear, the despair, and the sense of powerlessness were not something she would ever forget. She would still break out in a cold sweat whenever she thought back to that time. Not one came to look for her, even though she went missing for three days and three nights. It was as if they wanted nothing more than for her to die so that they would have one less person to feed. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. In the end, it was a photographer who had an interest in collecting folktales that saved her. He was passing by the well and even took photos of her stuck in the well so he could turn them over to the media for an expository article on current social problems. After that, Marvin¡¯s rtives were mmed by their neighbors and social media users alike, and that only made them hate Corinne even more. However, they could not do anything at that time since it would only attract more criticism, so they simply waited until the scandal died down before sending Corinne off to live in a convent. The convent was a quiet and serene ce. Although the food there was nd, it was far better than the spoiled leftovers Marvin¡¯s rtives gave her to eat. Plus, no one bullied her there. Mother Cathrina, especially, was very good to her. She taught her some self-defense skills and even borrowed money from the convent to send her off to school. It was only because of her that Corinne managed to grow up well. After high school, she secretly started her business with the schrship money she got. When her business became sessful, she gave Mother Cathrina back all the money she had given her for education, renovated the convent, and taught her old bullies a lesson. As she looked back on this, she thought herself lucky foring out of her unlucky life at winner. Not only was she saved by a photographer with a strong sense of justice, but she also got to meet Mother Cathrina who took her in and borrowed money to send her off to school. Joey, however, was much younger than her when she was shipped off to live with Marvin¡¯s rtives. Not only was he powerless, but he was stuck living in a golden cage. No media would ever dare to write a story about him no matter how badly he was treated. What was even more pitiful about him was that he could not express himself fully yet. The only words the others had to go on were what Anya told them. He had nowhere to run to or hide. After all, how could a toddler escape from the Riveras, or even Anya for that matter? That was why Corinne took it upon herself to be the one who saved him from this hellhole. She would be to Joey what Mother Cathrina was to her. Chapter 819 Chapter 819 ¡°Do you want to leave this ce?¡± Corinne asked Joey. Joey nodded anxiously. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Orph¡­age,¡± stammered Joey. ¡®Does he mean the orphanage? Heh. He¡¯d rather go back to the orphanage than live with the Riveras, huh,¡¯ thought Corinne. She patted his head gently to calm him and to make him trust her. ¡°I really want to help, but I¡¯m only a guest here while Anya is your legal guardian. I can¡¯t help you to leave this ce if we don¡¯t have proof that she¡¯s abusing you.¡± Joey only blinked and looked at her in a daze. He did not know how to express himself nor did he understand what she was talking about, despite him taking every word seriously. Corinne thought what she said was above Joey¡¯sprehension ability too, so she sighed and said, ¡°What I mean is¡­ Bear with this for a while. I promise I¡¯ll get you out of here once I get the chance to, okay?¡± Joey was stunned for a while, but the look of wariness in his eyes lessened. He then nodded docilely. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt anymore, you¡¯ll need to learn how to hide your feelings. Don¡¯t show that you¡¯re scared ¡¯cause this will only make them bully you more. You must pretend you find the whole thing fun, okay?¡± said Corinne sincerely. Joey looked at her in a daze again. It was obvious he did not understand what she was saying. That did not deter Corinne. She simply took off the red braided ne and put it on Joey. While adjusting the ne to fit his neck, she said, ¡°This ne contains magical power. It¡¯ll protect you from getting hurt, but you can¡¯t cry in the face of your bullies to make it work This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Joey understood her this time, and being at a gullible age, he believed her. He touched the ne as if it was the most precious thing in the world and nodded. ¡°Okay, I know you can do it! When you see your Mommyter, you can¡¯t cry no matter how scared you are, okay? You have to smile and call her Mommy. I promise she won¡¯t hurt you then,¡± said Corinne encouragingly. Joey started trembling again at the thought of seeing Anya. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, but remember you have the magical ne to protect you now. There¡¯s no need to be scared, okay?¡± Corinne kept encouraging him patiently. Joey looked into Corinne¡¯s eyes, and the fear in his eyes immediately disappeared. In its ce was renewed courage. ¡°Okay¡­ Joey¡­no scare¡­¡± Corinne patted his head again before scooping him up and putting him in the crib to let him take a nap so he would have the energy to face Anyater. As much as it pained her to ask a little kid like Joey to hide his emotions, she had no other. choice. It was a case of losing the battle to win the war. Thus, the only way to save him for good then was to get solid evidence of Anya abusing him. Soon, it was time for dinner. Benson was sent to ask Corinne toe down for dinner. ¡°Miss Corinne, dinner is ready. Mister Cedric has asked me to tell you toe down to the dining room whenever you¡¯re ready,¡± he said outside of the room. ¡°Okay,¡± said Corinne from inside the room. ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯ll go down in a bit.¡± ¡°Certainly, Miss Corinne.¡± Chapter 820 Chapter 820 Corinne led Joey out of the room. Edmund was leaning against the wall and scrolling through his phone. As soon as he heard the door opening, he straightened himself respectfully. However, his dutiful expression changed to confusion when he saw Corinne with Joey. ¡®What¡¯s going on? I¡¯ve been standing guard here the whole time, so how did Miss Anya¡¯s kid go in without me noticing?¡¯ he wondered. ¡°Miss Corinne, how did Joey get into your room?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I just happened to see hime running in from the balcony.¡± ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s what happened! I¡¯m so d it wasn¡¯t my mistake,¡¯ thought Edmund. ¡°Forgive me, Miss Corinne,¡± he said respectfully. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let Joey bother you. You can leave him with me and head down to have your dinner.¡± Corinne nodded and pulled Joey toward Edmund. However, the kid just grabbed her hand. harder as if not wanting to let go. Joey had a particrly peaceful rest, and it had been such a long time since he had slept so soundly with none of the frequent nightmares guing him. He especially liked how Corinne sang and patted him to sleep as if letting him know he was in a safe space. ¡°Thisdy is a good guy¡­not the bad guy Mommy says she is! I want to be with her always¡­¡± thought Joey. Edmund was worried Joey would annoy Corinne, so he quickly said, ¡°Come here, Mister Joey. I¡¯ll bring you to your mother.¡± This only made him grab Corinne¡¯s hand even tighter. Corinne patted his head and said softly, ¡°Do you remember what I told you just now?¡± Joey did a double-take before nodding docilely. He then let go of her hand and walked over to where Edmund was standing. ¡®This kid listens to Miss Corinne but not Miss Anya? Why, this is unbelievable¡­ he thought with shock. Edmund scooped up Joey and carried him over to where Anya was. Corinne watched with worry as the two of them left. She prayed Joey would be able to keep his feelings inside of him. Once she was in the dining room, she was greeted with a whole table of food. It was a feast fit for a king! However, Cedric and the rest of the family were not there yet. Corinne pulled out a chair, sat down, and decided to y her phone while waiting for them. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. However, it had not even been a hot minute before someone shrilly spoke, ¡°What are you doing here? Who says you can sit here?¡± Corinne looked up and saw Phoebe, dressed very luxuriously, looking down her nose at her. The other woman had juste out from the back kitchen and she immediately took a dislike to Corinne, who she thought was Sunny¡¯s tutor, when she saw her sitting down at the table. ¡®How dare a mere tutor sit down at the table with us?¡¯ she thought. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Phoebe? Can¡¯t I sit here?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think you have the right to sit here. Why, you¡¯re just a lowly tutor! No no, you¡¯re not allowed to sit at the same table as us. You must¡¯ve forgotten your ce. Get up now! The food on this table is for our special guest¡­.and not for the likes of you!¡± Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Corinne smiled and remained seated where she was. She then picked up a ss of water among the expensive-looking tableware and drank from it. ¡°What on earth are you doing? I asked you to get up! How dare you drink from the water on the table? What is wrong with you tutors nowadays? Don¡¯t they teach you any manners anymore? Do you think you can do anything just because you¡¯ve finished tutoring my son? If you don¡¯t get up now, I¡¯m going to fire you!¡± She then grabbed Corinne roughly by the elbow to pull her up from the chair. ¡°Phoebe Stewart, watch who you¡¯re talking to!¡± Startled, Phoebe turned to see Cedric, being supported by Lucas, and Beatrice supported by Anya. The person who shouted at her was none other than Cedric. ¡°But, Dad! I was just trying to show this tutor her ce,¡± said Phoebe. Both Cedric and Beatrice frowned while Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. Phoebe could sense she had said something wrong, but she could not tell what it was. Anya frowned and said unhappily, ¡°Mom, what are you doing? Let go of Corinne now! Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s Grandpa¡¯s savior?¡± ¡®What?!¡¯ Phoebe was so shocked that her eyes nearly popped out. She looked at Corinne in disbelief. ¡°So she¡­ She¡¯s the one¡­¡± She suddenly realized both the tutor and Corinne had the same surname! ¡®Why this sneaky little b*tch! No wonder Anya couldn¡¯t get rid of her¡­ Even I fell for her trick¡¯ Phoebe immediately tittered awkwardly to defuse the situation. ¡°Well, excuse me. I didn¡¯t know she was the person who saved you. I thought she was Sunny¡¯s tutor.¡± Lucas led Cedric to the head of the table before walking over to Corinne. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? Did she scare you?¡± Corinne would have said that she was fine any other day, but this was not one of those times. After all, she would not be her mother¡¯s daughter if she did not teach Phoebe the homewrecker a lesson. Thus, she lowered her eyes and pretended to be frightened. ¡°Mister Lucas, I was just sitting here and drinking some water when thisdy suddenly grabbed my elbow and screamed at me. She even went as far as to say I had no right to sit here¡­¡± It looked like it was not only Phoebe and Anya who knew how to y the victim. Corinne rarely used this trick, but she thought she might as well use it now to let them have a taste of their own medicine. Lucas felt like he had to make up for lost time with Corinne, and seeing her getting hurt by Phoebe made his heart ache even more. He red at her and said, ¡°Aunt Phoebe, you shouldn¡¯t have scared our guest like that. Apologize to her now!¡± Phoebe was stunned. ¡®What?! Wasn¡¯t it enough for me to say ¡®excuse me¡¯? And what the hell is he thinking, ordering me around like this in front of everyone?¡¯ After Anya led Beatrice to her seat, she came over to help her mother. ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m sure Mom didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Didn¡¯t she exin herself? Besides, Corinne¡¯s not the type to hold a grudge.¡± Then, turning to Corinne, she asked, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re not going to make my mom apologize to you, right?¡± Corinne nced at Anya and pretended not to have heard her. Lucas stood his ground. ¡°No matter who it is, they¡¯ll have to apologize to Corinne for scaring her! She¡¯s our important guest!¡± Anya¡¯s face darkened. ¡®Why isn¡¯t my usual trick working on him? He didn¡¯t use to be like this!¡¯N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Cedric agreed with Lucas. ¡°He¡¯s right! Phoebe, you shouldn¡¯t have frightened my savior like that! Apologize to her now!¡± No matter how proud Phoebe was and how much she was unwilling to apologize to Corinne, she had no choice but to do so since Cedric had spoken. Defying his orders would just make her seem like a bad daughter-inw. ¡®Hmph! I¡¯ll show this stupid girl what I¡¯m made of. There¡¯ll be timeter to teach her a lesson, ¡®she told herself. Thus, she squeezed out a smile and said courteously, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Corinne. It was my fault for treating you, our esteemed guest, so rudely.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I ept your apology since you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. No one told you who I was, after all.¡± Phoebe¡¯s smile froze. ¡®What is this little b*tch implying? Does she think I¡¯m not important enough in this family, and that¡¯s why no one told me of her arrival? Ugh, I wish she¡¯ll just drop dead. No, I must not let my guard down around this sneaky little b*tch.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Lucas still had his rose-colored sses on when it came to Corinne, so he did not catch on to her sneak attack. In any case, it would always be other people¡¯s fault when it came to his precious Luna. He decided to let the matter rest after seeing Corinne had returned to her calm self. He then walked over to the table and pulled out one of the chairs. ¡°Corinne, sit here.¡± Unlike all the previous times, Corinne decided to take up on his offer to annoy Phoebe and Anya. She sat next to Beatrice, which was where Anya usually sat. Seeing Corinne taking up her ce caused Anya¡¯s eyes to redden with anger. She nearly lost it but managed to calm herself, though she could not help but grit her teeth. ¡®F*ck. I can¡¯t believe Lucas let an outsider like her sit in my ce!¡¯ After Corinne sat down, Lucas pulled out the other chair and sat down beside her. Beatrice ced a chicken drumstick on Corinne¡¯s te. ¡°You must be hungry, dear. Eat this.¡± Corinne smiled politely. ¡°Thank you, Grandma Beatrice, but I can¡¯t finish all the food here.¡± ¡°Grandpa Cedric and I didn¡¯t know what you like to eat, so we asked the kitchen to prepare all kinds of food. Don¡¯t be shy, okay? Just eat whatever you like.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t be shy, Corinne! You can eat whatever you want, and if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t like, just ask Lucas here to take it away from you,¡± said Cedric. Corinne felt a little pressured when she saw just how much food was on the table. ¡°But this is too much¡­¡± ¡°Just take it as a kind gesture from Grandpa and Grandma. In any case, you can just eat how much you want,¡± said Lucas gently as he put some of the sd he made himself on Corinne¡¯s te. Of course, he had an ulterior motive for doing that since he remembered Corinne used to like this kind of sd when she was little. Anya dug her fingernails into her palm when she saw how loving everyone was behaving toward Corinne. At that moment, Maxwell came in and first greeted Cedric and Beatrice. ¡°Hello, Mom and Dad. Cedric nodded and introduced Corinne to him. ¡°Maxwell, this was the girl who saved mest time.¡± Maxwell sat next to Cedric before turning to look at Corinne. He nodded and smiled at her.¡± We met in the garden. Miss Corinne, I didn¡¯t get the chance to thank you properly then, so thank you for helping my father.¡± Corinne did not want to talk to her good-for-nothing father, so she replied indifferently, There¡¯s no need to thank me. I was just doing what anyone else would¡¯ve done.¡± Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Maxwell could sense the hostilitying off of Corinne, so he said nothing else. Everyone started to dig in while Anya and Phoebe were still standing, so they suppressed their anger and sat down dejectedly. During the whole dinner, Cedric, Beatrice, and Lucas put their whole attention on Corinne. They piled food on her te, worrying she did not have enough while fearing the food was not to her liking. Anya, the apple of everyone¡¯s eye since she was a child, felt neglected like never before, thus ruining her appetite. She gritted her teeth and red at Corinne, cursing her in her heart. Seeing this, Phoebe patted her thigh as a reminder to bide their time. After Anya calmed down, the two of them exchanged nces with each other, both of them thinking of the n they hatched moments ago. ¡°Hey, how could you all start without me? Why didn¡¯t anyone ask me toe down for dinner?¡± said Sunny unhappily as he came down the stairs. Lucas looked at him and asked sternly, ¡°Have you finished your homework?¡± Sunny scratched his head guiltily. ¡°I still have a little bit left, but I¡¯m too hungry to think. Can I have my dinner first before continuing?¡± Lucas was in a good mood after seeing Corinne had eaten a lot of the sd he made, so he decided to go easy on Sunny. ¡°Fine. Sit down. It¡¯s good of you to be here too since we have an important guest today.¡± Sunny nced at Corinne. ¡®So the whole family is gathered here to eat dinner with Corinne. Heh! She must think she¡¯s so great now that even Lucas is treating her with respect.¡¯ He decided to sit next to Lucas since it was rare to see him in a good mood. After that, he started shoving food into his mouth while peeking at Corinne from time to time. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Why is Corinne sitting at Anya¡¯s ce? I bet Anya isn¡¯t too happy about that.¡¯ He then looked at Anya, who was sitting across from him, and saw she did not look too happy nor was she eating. Instead, she was pushing her food around with her fork and would re at Corinne from time to time. ¡®Heh, I was right; she¡¯s not happy at all. But didn¡¯t the two of them make up this afternoon? And didn¡¯t she happily give a tour of the house to Corinne? Sigh¡­ I¡¯ll never understand how women can go from friends to enemies in just a second.¡¯ Suddenly, Phoebe remembered something. She stood up and said with a smile, ¡°I forgot I¡¯ve prepared some fresh pomegranate juice for Corinne today. I thought she might prefer that to wine! Wait for me here. I¡¯ll go get it from the kitchen now.¡± After that, she pretended to excitedly run off to the kitchen. Anya¡¯s heart began to beat with anticipation as their n was in motion. The pomegranate juice Phoebe was referring to had been mixed with a large amount of saffron. ¡®Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see Corinne getting what¡¯sing for her!¡¯ she thought gleefully. A few minutester, Phoebe came back with a big ss jug filled with chilled pomegranate juice. Chapter 824 Chapter 824 Phoebe poured a ss of pomegranate juice and handed it to Corinne with a smile. ¡°Here you go, Corinne. Let me know how the pomegranate juice tastes.¡± Corinne looked at the ss and said politely, ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t drink drinks at the moment.¡± any cold Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Phoebe was not going to give up that easily. She smiled again and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Drinking cold drinks isn¡¯t good for digestion. Not a problem. There¡¯s some juice without ice in the kitchen. I¡¯ll get the servant to get it for you now.¡± After that, she nodded at the servant standing by near them as a signal to get the juice from the kitchen. At that moment, Sunny reached out and said, ¡°Mom, you can give that juice to me. I prefer my juice cold.¡± Phoebe was stunned. She looked at Sunny, who had no idea what was going on, with a weird expression. ¡®Ugh, here he goes-making a mess of my n again.¡¯ The pomegranate juice had a load of saffron mixed in, and Phoebe was worried it would affect Sunny¡¯s health. She did not want to risk anything happening to Sunny since he was her hope for staying in the family for the rest of her life. ¡°Ahem! Sunny, have you forgotten we have an important guest today? Besides, you¡¯re a big boy now. You should learn to drink wine like your father and brother, not some girly drink like this juice here.¡± Sunny wanted to drink wine too but dared not. He nced at Lucas from the corner of his eyes. He did not even need to ask him to know the answer to his unspoken question. ¡°Mom, Lucas won¡¯t let me drink since I still need to do my homeworkter, so you might as well give me that juice.¡± Phoebe knew Sunny would not dare to drink without Lucas¡¯ consent, so she walked over and passed the juice to Sunny in resignation. ¡°You should drink less cold drinks, too. You don¡¯t want me to get a stomachache, right? And eat more greens, too!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know,¡± said Sunny, annoyed. Seeing this, Corinne was able to guess Phoebe was up to no good. Soon, the servant brought out half a jug of the warm pomegranate juice, and Phoebe poured Corinne a new ss. ¡°Here you go, Corinne. This one is without ice, so you don¡¯t have to worry about getting indigestion. Why don¡¯t you try it?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes to look at the eerily bright-red pomegranate juice in Phoebe¡¯s hand. The color was too dark to only contain the fruit. Phoebe started to panic a little when Corinne made no move to take the juice from her hand. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Corinne? You don¡¯t want to try the juice after all the trouble I¡¯ve gone into making it?¡± Corinne stood up and epted the juice with both hands. ¡°Of course not. Thank you, Miss Phoebe.¡± Phoebe inwardly sighed with relief as soon as Corinne took the ss, and a smug look shed across her eyes. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need to thank me. In fact, I still feel bad for how I treated you when I didn¡¯t know you were our guest. I hope you can see this juice as me atoning for my rude behavior.¡± Corinne was about to drink the pomegranate juice, but at the word ¡®atone¡¯, she suddenly stopped and moved the ss away from her lips. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare to drink this, then! Don¡¯t you think ¡®atoning¡¯ is too heavy of a word?¡± Phoebe started to panic even more. She was so close to getting Corinne to drink the juice! However, she remainedposed on the surface. ¡°Oh, nonsense, Corinne. I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯re not willing to forgive me if you don¡¯t drink it.¡± Chapter 825 Chapter 825 Corinne shook her head. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll forgive you, Miss Phoebe. But I just think you, as an elder, shouldn¡¯t have to atone for anything to me, a junior. In fact, it¡¯ll be very insensible of me to ept your atonement.¡± Phoebe¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she mentally cursed Corinne for being a fake b*tch, but she quickly squeezed out a warm smile and said, ¡°Oh alright, I take back what I said. Just think of this juice as me wanting to give you a little treat. How¡¯s that?¡± To that, Corinne raised her ss. ¡°Sure! Don¡¯t mind if I do, then.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe nodded. ¡°Go ahead! Give it a try, and let me know what you think.¡± Corinne slowly put the ss to her lips, making Phoebe wish she would just hurry when all of a sudden, Corinne paused. She then turned to look at Anya with a raise of her eyebrow. ¡°Before I drink this juice, I would like to thank Miss Anya properly,¡± she said with a polite smile. Anya was just like her mother, too excited for Corinne to drink the juice, so she was understandably stunned when Corinne mentioned her name. ¡°Umm, what do you have to thank me for, Corinne?¡± she asked, chuckling drily. Phoebe was just as confused as Anya. She frowned impatiently and wondered, ¡®Why won¡¯t this b*tch just drink the d*mn juice?¡± Everyone else at the dinner table waited respectfully for Corinne to say what she had to say, while Lucas turned to look at Corinne with confusion. Being Anya and Corinne¡¯s brother, he had witnessed the grudges his two sisters held toward each other. He would be happy if Corinne was willing to forgive him and Anya, but he could not figure out why she would want to suddenly thank Anya. Under everyone¡¯s watchful gaze, Corinne said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Miss Anya, for patiently showing me around this wonderful house of your family. You were so kind to take time out of your busy schedule and even leave your kid for the nanny to take care of, just so you can show me each of the rooms here.¡± Corinne¡¯s words sounded like a sarcastic jab to Anya, leaving her to wonder whether or not she should smile. ¡®She¡¯s definitely implying I don¡¯t look after my kid even though I have so much time on my hands. D*mn you and your sneaky attacks, Corinne!¡¯ However, Anya had a few tricks up her sleeve as well. She beamed happily and said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re too kind, Corinne. You are Grandpa¡¯s savior! Not to mention you came all the way here, so I¡¯m just doing what any good hostess would¡¯ve done.¡± Corinne nodded, smiled, and raised her ss. ¡°Miss Anya, I raise this ss to you. Thank you your hospitality!¡± for Anya was not about to be overshadowed by her. She stood up, picked up her wine ss, and raised it to Corinne too. ¡°No, I should be the one raising my ss to you. Thank you for saving my Grandpa¡¯s life.¡± She then downed the whole ss as a show of her ¡®sincerity¡¯, and also for Corinne to quickly drink her pomegranate juice too. Chapter 826 Chapter 826 ¡°Wait!¡± Corinne stopped Anya. Anya moved the wine ss away from her lips and looked at her in puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Corinne?¡± Corinne frowned subtly. ¡°I remember your health is in poor condition, right? You shouldn¡¯t drink chilled wine, then. Why don¡¯t you drink the same juice as me? After all, Miss Phoebe. went through all that trouble to make the juice for us girls.¡± Anya smiled stiffly. ¡°That¡¯s okay. You can have all the juice. Plus, I wouldn¡¯t look sincere if I don¡¯t give a toast to you with wine! And don¡¯t worry about my health. A little wine like this won¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°But then I wouldn¡¯t look sincere if I toast you with my juice¡­ Oh, forget it then. Let¡¯s just not drink toast.¡± Corinne put down her ss of juice on the table. Both Phoebe and Anya panicked when they saw this. ¡®Our n will be useless if Corinne doesn¡¯t drink the juice! And who knows when a chance like this wille again!¡¯ After thinking about it, Anya forced a smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll have the same juice as you, then. Mom, can you please pour me a ss of juice? It¡¯s the least I can do to thank Corinne for saving Grandpa¡¯s life.¡± Phoebe did a double-take; she did not expect Anya would do this. ¡®No¡­ She can¡¯t drink it. The saffron inside isn¡¯t good for a woman¡¯s health!¡¯ Corinne smiled. ¡°Atta girl. Huh? Miss Phoebe, why aren¡¯t you pouring a ss of juice for Miss Anya yet?¡± Phoebe snapped out of her shock and smiled awkwardly. She walked over to Anya with the jug of juice in her hand and said tentatively, ¡°Anya, are you sure¡­¡± ¡°Just pour me the juice, Mom! We shouldn¡¯t make Corinne wait.¡± Anya was determined to get rid of the baby in Corinne¡¯s tummy. Besides, she herself was not pregnant, so it would not affect her that much. The most important thing was to make Corinne drink the juice. ¡®We¡¯re so close!¡¯ thought Phoebe. Thus, she decided to bite the bullet and pour Anya a ss of juice. Anya knew there was no turning back. Resolutely, she raised her ss of juice and said, Cheers, Corinne!¡± Corinne raised her ss, smiled, and said, ¡°Cheers.¡± Anya downed her ss in one go. The thought of Corinne having a miscarriage nearly made her jump for joy. However, instead of downing the whole ss as Anya did, Corinne simply took a sip and secretly spat it out on a napkin when she pretended to wipe her mouth. She then folded up the napkin and put it back on the table. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Anya was dumbfounded. ¡°Corinne, how can you only take a sip when I¡¯ve drunk the whole ss?¡± Corinne gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°Oh, I thought we were just gonna drink a little as a symbolic gesture! I didn¡¯t expect you to empty your ss.¡± Anya bit her bottom lip in anger. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude of you to drink so little when I¡¯ve emptied my ss?¡± Corinne put down her ss and sat down. ¡°Yes, it is rude of me,¡± she said helplessly. ¡°But forgive me for not finishing the juice since I want to save some stomach space for all the food. here. Grandpa Cedric and Grandma Beatrice had so kindly prepared so much food for me, and I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to try them all if I drink all the juice now.¡± Anya nearly blew up at that moment. ¡°Why you ¡°Corinne is right,¡± Cedric cut in. ¡°She should eat more instead of drinking all that juice. Here, Corinne. Have some of this. There¡¯s plenty more where that came from.¡± Anya felt wronged. ¡°I was just trying to be nice. How can she do this to me? Lucas, why don¡¯t you say something¡­¡± She risked her health to lure Corinne into drinking the pomegranate juice mixed with saffron, so she could not ept the fact that Corinne only took a sip. Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Hence, Anya wanted Lucas to support her and say something about Corinne¡¯s behavior. However, Lucas simply narrowed his eyes and said sternly, ¡°Anya, stop forcing Corinne to drink the juice. She already said she doesn¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Anya felt even more upset. ¡®Even Lucas isn¡¯t on my side anymore¡­ D*mn that b*tch! She must¡¯ve done this on purpose.¡¯ As much as Phoebe was angered by Corinne¡¯s trickery, she was even more worried about Anya¡¯s health. ¡°Anya, did you remember to take your vitamins today?¡± she asked. Her question pulled Anya out of her anger, and she immediately knew what Phoebe was getting at. ¡°Oh no, I forgot to take them! No wonder I¡¯ve been feeling off today. Umm¡­ Everyone, please go on with the dinner without me. I¡¯ll be back after taking my vitamins.¡± Corinne watched as Anya left hurriedly while eating the drumstick Beatrice put on her te. ¡®Anya must be going to the bathroom to throw up the juice, which means there¡¯s definitely something bad mixed in with the juice. Phoebe and Anya wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to poison me in front of so many people, so they¡¯re probably targeting my baby. I mean, it¡¯s not the first time Anya has tried to get rid of the baby,¡¯ thought Corinne with a smile. She put down her fork and knife before she got up. ¡°Excuse me while I go to the bathroom.¡± Anya was squatting in front of the toilet and shoving her finger inside her throat to make herself throw up, and her face reddened in the span of five minutes due to this due to her vomiting. She stood up and washed her hand at the sink, but as soon as she came out of the bathroom, she heard Corinne say, ¡°You done throwing up?¡± Anya immediately froze and turned to see Corinne leaning casually against the wall. Her eyes began to fill with hatred when she saw her smirking. ¡°I knew it; you did it on purpose!¡± she said between gritted teeth. Corinne raised her brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blinded by rage, Anya did not want to continue with her good-girl act anymore. ¡°You lured me into drinking the juice while you yourself abstain from drinking it!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Miss Anya. I mean, you and your mother were the ones who were trying to get me to drink the juice at all costs, so I had no choice but toe up with that n to get you guys off my back. Besides, your mother was the one who made the juice, so what¡¯s wrong with making you drink it? Or should I ask¡­did she add something she shouldn¡¯t have?¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Feeling guilty, Anya was unable toe up with a retort.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Anya quicklyposed herself and pretended to be clueless again. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to drink the juice my mom made for you, but do have to nder her like that?¡± you really Corinne straightened herself up and chuckled softly. ¡°Then why did youe running to the bathroom to throw up after you drank the juice your mother so kindly made?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t throw up! I was using the toilet as normal people do!¡± Corinne knew Anya would not admit it. ¡°Is that so? Should I ask your grandparents to send the pomegranate juice to theb to see if there¡¯s anything else added to it?¡± Anya started to panic. ¡°That¡¯s enough bullsh*t, Corinne! Let me tell you something. This is my house, and no one in my family will ever believe your words over mine!¡± ¡°Well, how about we give it a try and see?¡± suggested Corinne with a smile. Anya knew she was in the wrong, so she did not dare to provoke Corinne further. Gritting her teeth, she tried to change the topic, ¡°What is it that you want, Corinne? Isn¡¯t it enough that you stole Jeremy away from me? You¡¯re trying to get close to my family now, too?¡± Corinne walked casually toward her. ¡°First of all, Jeremy was never yours, so I didn¡¯t steal him from you. Second of all, I only came because your family insisted I visit them, so it wasn¡¯t me who was trying to get close to them.¡± you didn¡¯te Anya¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Jeremy was mine! He would¡¯ve married me if into the picture. Corinne Carew, you¡¯re nothing but a homewrecker!¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever do something like that. Besides, your mother was the bona fide. homewrecker seeing as how she¡¯s your father¡¯s wife now. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°What¡­ What the heck are you talking about?¡± Anya looked at Corinne in rm, wondering how Corinne knew about what Phoebe did in the past. At that moment, they heard the servants whispering outside, ¡°Mister Jeremy is here!¡± The two girls looked out the window and saw a sports car driving into the mansion¡¯spound. Once the car was parked, a tall, handsome man got out and strode toward the mansion. Leaving Corinne aside, Anya ran out to greet the man while the former walked leisurely back to the dining room. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Jeremy stepped into the foyer, Anya greeted him excitedly. ¡°Hey, Jeremy! We¡¯re just having dinner. Why don¡¯t you join us?¡± Jeremy nced at her before going into the dining room. There, he scanned the group coldly before his eyesnded on Corinne, who was eating her food with gusto. He walked over to where she was sitting while nodding to all the elders on his way there as a form of greeting. Finally, he stood behind Corinne and pulled out the napkin to help her wipe her mouth. ¡°Are you done having fun here? It¡¯s time for you to go home.¡± Anya, who hade in after Jeremy, could not help but feel jealous of Corinne. ¡®I should be the one Jeremy loves, not that country bumpkin over there.¡± Corinne was used to Jeremy treating her like a kid, so she was unfazed by him wiping her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not done eating yet. We can leave after dinner.¡± Jeremy frowned. He did not want to stay a minute longer than he had to. ¡°We can have another dinner at home.¡± Hearing this, Cedric could not help but feel Jeremy hade to steal Corinne from him. ¡°Hey, you, Holden. What¡¯s the rush? Didn¡¯t you hear her say she wants to finish her dinner first?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He nced at Cedric and told himself to keep his temper in check. since the other man was much older than him. As for Lucas, he decided to behave courteously toward Jeremy for Corinne¡¯s sake. ¡°Corinne hasn¡¯t had her fill yet, so why don¡¯t you let her eat more? In the meantime, you can have dinner with us too.¡± Chapter 829 Chapter 829 Lucas nodded at the servant standing by, and he immediately brought another chair to the table. Jeremy sat down, but he then waved his hand at the tableware the servant was bringing to him. He had no intention of eating, but he did not mind waiting for Corinne to finish. It was obvious the Riveras did not wee Jeremy due to the bad blood between them. Jeremy, too, did not want to be there, but he had no choice since Corinne was there. Hence, both families decided to be courteous toward each other for Corinne¡¯s sake. Seeing Jeremy waving the servant away, Anya thoughtfully walked over to give him a fork.¡± Jeremy, why don¡¯t you just have a little food? You must be tired from working.¡± Jeremy nced at the fork in her hand. ¡°No, thanks.¡± At that moment, Corinne picked up a fried shrimp and ced it near Jeremy¡¯s lips. ¡°Hey, Mister, try this. The chef here really knows his stuff.¡± go home Jeremy¡¯s eyes softened. He opened his mouth and ate the fried shrimp before patting her head lovingly ¡°Thank you, but you don¡¯t have to do that. Just focus on yourself, and we¡¯ll after you¡¯re done eating.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Corinne with a nod. Anya, who was still holding the fork out to Jeremy, stiffened as her expression darkened. Everyone could tell who Jeremy really loved. In the past, the Riveras fully objected to Anya marrying Jeremy, not only because of the bad blood between the two families but also because they thought Jeremy was not a good man. After all, they had never seen the warm, loving side of him. To them, marrying Jeremy was as good as being a widow. However, after seeing how Jeremy treated Corinne, they realized that it was not that Jeremy was a cold, heartless man. It was because he had not met the right person. Lucas frowned when he saw Anya standing frozen. He had never thought of Anya as spoiled and distasteful until then. ¡®Oh my god, just how oblivious can she get?¡± ¡®Anya, why are you still standing there? Go back to your seat now!¡± Anya grudgingly went back to her seat, all while she clenched the fork in her hand so hard that it nearly snapped into two. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Phoebe was shocked to see Jeremy, who she had set her eyes on to be her son-inw, treating Corinne like a queen. She did not believe Anya when thetter told her of how Jeremy treated Corinne as she thought it was jealousy making Anya talk with exaggeration, but she saw it herself at this moment¡­. ¡®D*mn, that b*tch must¡¯ve cast a spell on Jeremy to have him wrapped around her finger like that.¡¯ ¡°Lucas, can I take a night off from homework today? I promise to make it up tomorrow¡­ pleaded Sunny. Lucas continued eating at a leisurely pace while saying sternly, ¡°No. Finish what you started today.¡± Sunny put down his fork in resignation and got upnguidly to go back to his room. However, he had not even stepped away from his chair when he suddenly copsed to the ground and knocked down the chair in the process. The sound was so loud, it rmed everyone. ¡°Sunny! Sunny, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Chapter 830 Chapter 830 Lucas immediately got down to the floor to prop up Sunny¡¯s body. ¡°Sunny, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Sunny¡¯s face turned pale as his forehead was slicked with cold sweat. Frowning in pain, he muttered, ¡°Lucas¡­ It hurts¡­¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°My stomach¡­ It hurts¡­¡± Maxwell and Phoebe ran over to check on Sunny, too. Cedric was the calmest of them all. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it appendicitis? Someone call the family doctor now!¡± Phoebe was riddled with panic. She knelt and shook the half-unconscious Sunny while screaming, ¡°Sunny! Sunny, what¡¯s wrong?! Don¡¯t scare me like this.¡± Corinne could not stand it anymore. She pushed away Phoebe and squatted calmly to take Sunny¡¯s pulse. A minuteter, her eyes darkened. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Mister Sunny¡¯s condition is too serious for a family doctor to cure. Mister, call for an ambnce now!¡± Jeremy did not need Corinne to tell him twice as he had taken out his phone to call the emergency hotline. ¡°Sunny, are you okay? What happened¡­ You were perfectly fine just now,¡± said Cedric worriedly. ¡°Sunny¡­¡± Beatrice was starting to find herself choking with panic. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Cedric, Grandma Beatrice. The ambnce will be here soon, and Mister Sunny is going to be okay.¡± Both Cedric and Beatrice were shocked by the sudden turn of events, and the servants quickly came to support and calm them. There was a first-rate hospital nearby the Riveras¡¯ mansion, so the ambnce took no time to arrive. ¡°Benson, take good care of my grandparents for me. Don¡¯t let anything happen to them, okay? ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. You can leave them to me.¡± After that, Lucas got into the ambnce with Sunny in it, and the vehicle drove away to the hospital. The ambnce could not fit everyone in, so Maxwell called for his chauffeur to drive him, Phoebe, and Anya to the hospital. At the same time, both Cedric and Beatrice had been brought back to their rooms by the servants to take their blood-pressure pills and calming pills. Seeing this, Corinne did not bid farewell to Cedric and Beatrice. She simply asked the servants to pass on a message to them before getting into the car with Jeremy. While driving, Jeremy looked at Corinne from the corner of his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you worried?¡± Corinne did not say anything. She knew Sunny¡¯s condition was not optimistic. Yes, she expected whatever Phoebe had added to the pomegranate juice would be deadly to her baby, but she did not expect it would be detrimental to a boy like Sunny too. ¡®Poor thing had no idea what his mother and sister were truly like¡­ I bet he wouldn¡¯t have drunk the juice if he knew¡­ In the end, he was just coteral damage.¡¯ It would be a lie if Corinne said she was not worried. She was the type that would do her best to help someone even if that person was a stranger. She would not help let Sunny drink the pomegranate juice if she knew this was going to happen. Since Jeremy knew Corinne was Luna, which meant Sunny was her step-brother, he understood how conflicted she felt. ¡®Even though Sunny has caused trouble for her a few times, she has never held a grudge toward him¡­ She knows he¡¯s not a bad kid at heart.¡¯ Corinne did not need to tell Jeremy for him to know she already thought of Sunny as her own brother.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 831 Chapter 831 Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s head. He knew she was worried, even though she did not show it. ¡°We can go to the hospital to check on Sunny if you¡¯re worried,¡± he said softly. Corinne nodded, so Jeremy stepped on the elerator to catch up with the ambnce. At the hospital, outside of the emergency ward. The doctor took off his mask and announced sternly, ¡°After preliminary examination, we confirmed that the patient is suffering from acute gastrointestinal bleeding.¡± Phoebe started to panic. ¡°What?! Gastrointestinal bleeding? Why would that suddenly happen to my son?¡± ¡°We suspect it¡¯s caused by food poisoning. What did the patient eat today?¡± the doctor asked. Phoebe¡¯s eyes flickered guiltily, and she subconsciously exchanged nces with Anya before answering the doctor, ¡°My son had all his three meals at home today, and I¡¯m pretty sure the food at our house is clean! Besides, we all ate the same thing as him and we¡¯re fine, so it can¡¯t be food poisoning!¡± ¡°We can rule out food poisoning if the patient is the only one who has gastrointestinal bleeding after eating the same food as you all. This is more likely an allergic reaction, then.¡± Phoebe nodded rapidly. ¡°Yes, that must be it! Oh, doctor, you have to save my son no matter what.¡± ¡°Yes, doctor. Please save my brother!¡± cried Anya too. ¡°It was a good thing the patient was brought to the hospital just in time. His life is in no critical condition after we administered some medicines, but whether there¡¯ll be after-effects. from this depends on the cause of the gastrointestinal bleeding,¡± said the doctor. ¡°What kind of after-effects would he have?¡± asked Phoebe worriedly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. He needs to undergo a blood test to confirm whether it¡¯s really an allergic reaction first. Then, we¡¯ll be able to see just what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± After that, the doctor put his mask back on and turned to leave. ¡°Wait, doctor!¡± Corinne called out just as Phoebe sighed in relief. The doctor stopped, and both he and the Riveras turned to look at Corinne. Corinne was walking from the other end of the corridor with Jeremy following closely behind her. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Both Phoebe and Anya frowned when they saw this. ¡®This can¡¯t be good.¡¯ What made Anya even more upset was seeing Jeremy with Corinne. The doctor looked quizzically at Corinne. ¡°Yes, how can I help you? Are you the family of the patient too?¡± Corinne stood in front of the doctor and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but I was there when the patient copsed too. We were all having dinner together, so I might be able to give you some clues to his condition.¡± The doctor nodded. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯m listening.¡± Corinne was about to answer him when Anya suddenly burst out in tears, saying, ¡°Corinne, my brother is still inside the emergency ward. Stop causing trouble for the doctor and let him go back in to save Sunny first!¡± Corinne looked at her coldly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said to the doctor? How is that causing trouble for him?¡± Anya deliberately stood in between Corinne and the doctor. Wiping her tears, she said, ¡°My mom and I told the doctor everything that happened, so there¡¯s no need for you to repeat the same thing. This will only dy the doctor going back to save Sunny!¡± Chapter 832 Chapter 832 ¡°Excuse me, but you¡¯re the one dying the doctor, okay?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow impatiently and grabbed Anya¡¯s cor to push her out of the way. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you butting in, I could¡¯ve finished what I wanted to say to the doctor by now!¡± Anya lost her bnce and fell onto Phoebe, causing her to grit her teeth in anger. She quickly straightened herself and went to try to stop Corinne again, but s, it was all toote. ¡°Apart from the three meals he had at home, the patient also drank something none of us here had drunk,¡± said Corinne. The doctor thought this was an important clue. ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°It was the pomegranate juice the patient¡¯s mother made. He drank one whole ss of it. I have a sample of the pomegranate juice here. You can take it to theb to see if it contains anything dangerous.¡± Corinne passed the napkin she spat into to the doctor. The doctor immediately nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll take it to theb for testing now. We¡¯ll let you know once we have the result.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Thanks. We appreciate it.¡± After that, the doctor went back into the emergency room to arrange for the testing. Both Phoebe and Anya turned pale when they saw Corinne giving the pomegranate juice sample to the doctor. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Before she came, Phoebe ordered her trusted servant to throw away all of the pomegranate juice. She never expected Corinne to have kept a sample of it, and brought it to the hospital no less. ¡®What should I do now? How am I going to get myself out of this once the test resultes out?! Lucas narrowed his eyes when he recalled how Phoebe insisted on Corinne drinking the pomegranate juice. He then frowned and said, ¡°Aunt Phoebe, there better be nothing wrong with the pomegranate juice. Otherwise, there¡¯ll be hell to pay should anything else happen to Sunny tonight!¡± Phoebe felt even more guilt-ridden after hearing that. However, it was not the time to show that. ¡°How can you suspect me, Lucas? Sunny is my son! You can¡¯t think I¡¯d hurt my son, can you?¡± she cried pitifully. Lucas looked coldly at her and scoffed. ¡°Need I remind you who you originally made the pomegranate juice for? You were reluctant to let Sunny drink it in the first ce. It¡¯s unfortunate you couldn¡¯te up with a good reason to stop him from doing so. I was there when it all happened, so don¡¯t try to worm your way out of this.¡± Jeremy frowned. It was only then he realized just how very close Corinne came to getting hurt. He quickly put his arm around her. ¡®Good thing this girl was smart enough to spit out the pomegranate juice. I shouldn¡¯t have let her go to the Riveras¡¯ ce¡­¡± Lucas¡¯ harsh words silenced Phoebe, but Anya quickly came to her defense. ¡°Lucas, how can you talk to Mom like that?¡± she asked, teary-eyed. ¡°She was just trying to be nice to Corinne by making the pomegranate juice! Do you really think she would have given her son to drink the pomegranate juice if it was really poisoned?¡± Chapter 833 Chapter 833 ¡°What mother would harm her child? Besides, have you forgotten I¡¯ve also drank the pomegranate juice? I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? Even if it was caused by the pomegranate juice, it must be because Sunny ate something that was ipatible with it. I refuse to believe Mom has anything to do with this!¡± Everything Anya said sounded logical. She even used the example of herself having drunk the pomegranate juice, so Lucas found it impossible to point out any holes in her argument. His suspicion of Phoebe did lessen somewhat after that. Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°Miss Anya, have you forgotten how you ran to the bathroom to throw up all the pomegranate juice after drinking it?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes flickered. She frowned and forced herself to suppress the rising anger inside of her before she looked at Corinne pitifully. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m starting to think you enjoy putting our family in a mess. Do you have proof that. I threw up the pomegranate juice? Can¡¯t I go to the bathroom when I need to relieve myself? Why do you insist on pushing the me on my mom?¡± Corinne listened calmly to Anya¡¯s retort. To be honest, she was actually impressed at how quickly Anya could think on her feet and by her Oscar-worthy performance. At that moment, Maxwell-who had been silent all those while-cleared his throat and said, That¡¯s enough! Keep your voices down in the hospital. We¡¯ll know what¡¯s really going on when the test result comes out!¡± His words might be little, but they carried with them an undeniable authority. Hence, everyone fell silent after that.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Anya and Phoebe exchanged nces, both of them tried toe up with the next step to get out of the situation they brought upon themselves. Corinne was in no rush to expose the mother-and-daughter duo. No bad deeds could be kept at secret forever, so they could never escape. Worried that the pregnant Corinne could not stand for too long, Jeremly led her to the chairs. not far from the emergency ward. He then pushed her down lightly on the shoulder to make her sit. Jealousy immediately flowed out of Anya¡¯s eyes like poison gas when she saw that. Not happy at the preferential treatment, Anya walked over to them and said tearfully, ¡°Jeremy, I know you like Corinne and that¡¯s why you¡¯ll always take her side. But even so, how can you allow her to nder my mom like that? You should do something about this¡­for my sake. I did save you in the past, didn¡¯t I?¡± Jeremy nced at her. He found himself a little moved. ¡®She¡¯s right. She did save me, after all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been silent because I think we should wait until the test resultes out,¡± he said after a while. Corinne watched their interaction quietly. ¡®Doesn¡¯t Anya know any other trick than to emotionally ckmail Jeremy with her savior act? What¡¯s even moreughable is I was the one who saved Jeremy. I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person as her¡­ taking other people¡¯s credit and all. Ha!¡¯ ¡°Jeremy¡­¡± Anya reached out to tug at Jeremy¡¯s sleeves. She had always been like this. Not daring to hold his hand, she would instead pull his sleeves to get his attention. However, this time she was stopped by Corinne, who wrapped her fingers around Anya¡¯s wrist. like handcuffs. ¡°Miss Anya, are you trying to molest my husband in front of everyone?¡± she asked with a smirk. Anya¡¯s face darkened. She tried to pull back her hand but could not. ¡°Corinne, what are you doing? You¡¯re hurting me¡­ Ah! Jeremy, help me. She¡¯s hurting me!¡± Chapter 834 Chapter 834 Jeremy smilingly relished over the fact Corinne called him her husband. ¡®So she does jealous and possessive as well!¡¯ get Nheless, he could not stand Anya¡¯s ear-splitting cries, so he patted Corinne¡¯s head and said coaxingly, ¡°You can let her go now. She didn¡¯t manage to touch me.¡± Corinne let go of Anya and rolled her eyes at Jeremy. ¡°Mister, you should behave yourself too. I don¡¯t like men who cheat!¡± Jeremy frowned and flicked her forehead. ¡°Why you, little rascal. Who are you calling a cheater?¡± Corinne rubbed her forehead unhappily. ¡°Hmph! Men who don¡¯t know how to reject other women¡¯s advances are as good as a cheater to me! Why didn¡¯t you move out of the way when Anya tried to grab your sleeve?¡± Jeremy moved further away from Anya and sat on the other side of Corinne. He then grabbed her hand and said, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll never let anyone touch me again, okay?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned in displeasure. ¡°Including me?¡± Jeremy did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°As if I¡¯d dare to include you. What I mean to say is, I won¡¯t let anyone else except you touch me. Happy now?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°A bit¡­¡± Jeremy pinched her nose. ¡°My, you¡¯re a difficult one to please, aren¡¯t you? Since I promised you, you must promise to not let anyone else except me touch you, too.¡± Anya¡¯s n backfired on her again. She was so jealous of Corinne that she nearly blew up in a fit of jealousy. ¡®He didn¡¯t even look at me!¡¯ thought Anya with gritted teeth. She dug her fingernails into her palm and walked away. ¡®I have a more pressing problem on my hands right now, so I¡¯ll deal with that Corier.¡± Sunny was wheeled out of the emergency ward not long after Anya disappeared down the hospital corridor, and he was still groggy from the anesthesia. The nurses arranged for him to stay in the single private suite while the doctor told them the precautions Sunny needed to take note of. The only thing for Sunny to do then was to take a good rest, and once he had woken up, the doctor woulde back to check on his mental faculties. In the meantime, they needed to wait three hours for the test result on the pomegranate juice toe out. During this time, Anya sneakily went into theb and gave the doctor there a bank card in payment for not divulging what was really in the pomegranate juice. The doctor epted the bank card without hesitation. a After that, Anya left theb with a confident and victorious smile on her lips. ¡®Corinne thinks she can prove Mom was the one behind all this with the pomegranate juice¡­ Well, she can dream on! The doctor didn¡¯t even think twice about taking the bribe money¡­ She must feel disappointed if she knew this. Oh well, she deserves it. Money does make the world. after all.¡¯ go round, Three hourster, Sunny was still asleep, but the test result on the pomegranate juice hade out. Chapter 835 Chapter 835 The doctor brought the test result to Sunny¡¯s ward to discuss it with the Riveras. They all stood up and approached the doctor when they saw himing in. ¡°The test result on the pomegranate juice hase back, so let me exin the specific cause of the patient¡¯s gastrointestinal bleeding.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Yes, please go ahead.¡± The doctor looked down at the report and continued, ¡°The pomegranate juice is indeed-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Anya suddenly walked up to the front. ¡°Sorry to interrupt you, Doctor, but I have something to say first.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°What are you doing, Anya? Can¡¯t you wait until the doctor finishes?¡± ¡°No, it cannot!¡± said Anya determinedly. ¡°What happened today caused my mom a great deal of suffering, so I must seek justice for her!¡± Then, without giving a chance for Lucas to say anything, she turned to Corinne and asked with reddened eyes, ¡°Corinne, you were the one who said Sunny ended up like this after drinking the pomegranate juice my mother made, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Anya turned to look at Phoebe with pain in her eyes. ¡°Before the doctor announces the test result, I want to swear to me, Corinne, that you¡¯ll kneel and beg my mother for forgiveness if the test result on the pomegranate juicees back clean! My mother deserves nothing less than that after you dragged her name through the mud!¡± ¡®Kneel and beg for forgiveness? Isn¡¯t that an overkill?¡¯ thought Corinne. Lucas frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Anya.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Tears rolled down Anya¡¯s face. ¡°Lucas, I know you¡¯ll think I¡¯m being a bully now, but you should know desperate times call for desperate measures¡­ I won¡¯t allow anyone to nder my mother like that! Corinne can treat me however she wants, but not when ites to Mom! And Lucas¡­didn¡¯t you say everyone must apologize when they did something wrong?¡± Lucas could note up with a retort, even though he did not agree with Anya¡¯s way of doing things. ¡°Anya, stop¡­¡± ¡°You have my word,¡± said Corinne, staring at Anya. ¡°I swear to you, Miss Anya, that I will kneel and prostrate myself three times to Miss Phoebe if nothing¡¯s wrong with the pomegranate juice.¡± The three men present-Jeremy, Lucas, and Maxwell-immediately frowned when they heard what Corinne said. No one knew what the test result was since Anya cut in before the doctor could announce it. However, one thing was for sure: Jeremy would never allow Corinne to suffer such humiliation. even if there was nothing wrong with the pomegranate juice, nor would Lucas allow his precious long lost sister to prostrate herself to anyone. As for Maxwell, well he thought it was an overkill too. Plus, for some reason, he could not bear to see her kneel in front of everyone. Phoebe was proud to have a daughter like Anya, who woulde to her support when she needed the most. She pretended to cry and wiped her tears before saying generously, ¡°Forget it, Anya. I¡¯m sure Corinne didn¡¯t mean to malign me in that way. We¡¯ll just take it as she meant well for Sunny and let the whole thing slide.¡± Anya knew Phoebe did not have any intention to let Corinne off the hook so easily, meaning it was just a show. She said woefully, ¡°No! We cannot forget it just like this. Neither Dad nor Lucas believed you, so 1, as your daughter, must seek justice for you. I won¡¯t allow any outsider to escape using you like that. I can forgive a lot, but not this!¡± Chapter 836 Chapter 836 ¡°That¡¯s enough, Anya! You can ask for an apology if there¡¯s really a misunderstanding, but there¡¯s no need to ask Corinne to kneel,¡± lectured Maxwell. ¡°But Dad! You were suspicious of Mom too, right? How do you think Mom feels, knowing her husband also suspected her? How can Mom ever show her face around you again if we don¡¯t seek justice for her? I know Corinne meant well, but look what it¡¯s doing to our family! It¡¯s only fair for her to bear the consequences for her action, and I¡¯ll take nothing less than her kneeling and begging Mom for forgiveness.¡± Lucas was getting to the end of his patience too. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Anya! You-¡± ¡°Everyone, you can all stop speaking up for me now,¡± cut in Corinne indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do what Anya wants as long as the test resultes back clean.¡± The whole room fell silent. Lucas turned to look at Corinne with pain and a multitude of other feelings in his eyes. Jeremy frowned. He was not happy with Corinne¡¯s decision and was about to say something when Corinne, as if she knew what he was thinking, pulled his hand. She then looked up at him. and shook her head, telling him to not worry and that she had everything under control. Thus, Jeremy had no choice but to silently watch the incident unfold. A smug look appeared in Anya¡¯s eyes when she saw everyone was quiet. After that, she pretended to wipe away her tears before turning to look at the doctor. ¡°Doctor, you may announce the test result now.¡± The doctor nodded and intoned seriously, ¡°The test result shows that the pomegranate is indeed very pure.¡± The test result was just as Anya expected. She mentally smirked and did a victory dance. She knew the doctor would not divulge the secret ingredient in the pomegranate juice, not when she had bribed him. Nobody could say no to that much money after all. ¡°Did you hear that, Corinne? The doctor said the pomegranate juice is very pure. You were wrong, and my mother is innocent.¡± Phoebe smiled in a way that showed she was willing to forgive Corinne, even though she was reeling from the indignity of being wronged. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Anya. I¡¯m just d my name is finally cleared up,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°No! I said I¡¯d seek out justice for you, Mom!¡± said Anya before turning to look at Corinne. Apologize to my mom now, Corinne!¡± The three men present immediately frowned in unison. Corinne simply smiled and said, ¡°Hold your horses, Miss Anya. The doctor seems like he hasn¡¯t finished speaking yet.¡± ¡®My god, she¡¯s a stubborn one!¡¯ thought Anya unhappily. ¡°Doctor, thisdy here seems to still hold some doubt about the test result, so why don¡¯t you exin it to her in a way she¡¯ll understand?¡± said Anya. ¡°Well, she¡¯s right. I was about to say more about the test result before you cut in, Miss Anya. I hope you¡¯ll let me finish speaking this time around.¡± Anya¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡®How dare this doctor treat me this rudely when he epted my money?¡¯Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 837 Chapter 837 ¡°The pomegranate juice is indeed pure, but there were lots of saffron purees mixed into it. Thus, we can conclude the patient¡¯s gastrointestinal bleeding is caused by overdosing on saffron. Saffron is known as a precious herb and, in small doses, can make the body healthier. and the skin better. However, taking more than the rmended dose will cause vomiting, peeing blood, heavy period, acute poisoning, acute internal bleeding, and miscarriage or infertility in pregnant women,¡± exined the doctor. The doctor¡¯s revtion shocked everyone. ¡®So there was something wrong with the pomegranate juice!¡± At the word ¡®miscarriage¡¯, Jeremy frowned and clenched his fists. ¡®Someone here is trying to hurt Corinne and the baby!! Anya was bbergasted. ¡®What the hell is wrong with this doctor? What¡¯s the use of bribing him if he¡¯s not going to do the one thing he was supposed to do?¡¯ Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Doctor, what are you talking about? How is it possible that there¡¯s saffron in the pomegranate juice? Did you read the test result correctly?¡± asked Anya as she blinked pointedly at the doctor. If The doctor was unfazed by what she was doing. ¡°Miss Anya, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not mistaken. you don¡¯t believe me, you can read the test result for yourself. It¡¯s written very clearly here.¡± He then passed the test result to Anya. Anya red at the doctor speechlessly, on the brink of a meltdown. ¡®What¡­ How¡­ Why¡­?¡¯ However, Lucas snatched the test result away before Anya could take it from the doctor¡¯s hand. His expression immediately darkened when he read what was on it. Phoebe, who was waiting for Corinne to apologize to her just seconds ago, panicked. By then, her face had turned ashen. Lucas threw the test result on Phoebe¡¯s face before narrowing his eyes at her sinisterly. ¡°Aunt Phoebe, you were the one who made the pomegranate juice for Corinne, right? Why would you add in saffron puree when you knew she was pregnant? What were you trying to do?¡± Phoebe watched as the test result fell before her eyes. ¡®There¡¯s no denying the saffron part now ¡­so I need to come up with another tactic.¡± A secondter, she pretended to be shocked. ¡°Heavens, I didn¡¯t know Corinne was pregnant! She¡¯s so young and skinny! No one will be able to tell she¡¯s pregnant.¡± Lucas scoffed and his jaw tensed up. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t know she¡¯s pregnant, you still shouldn¡¯t have added so much saffron into the pomegranate juice!¡± By then, Phoebe had fleshed out her answer in her mind. She shook her head and hands innocently. ¡°You have to let me exin, Lucas. I admit I did add some saffron into the juice, but I didn¡¯t know putting too much would be dangerous! ¡°I got the recipe from the inte, and it says adding some saffron will make the juice taste. better. Plus, it¡¯s good for your health too! I thought adding more will make it better seeing as Corinne is an important guest who saved your grandfather¡¯s life. Who could¡¯ve known a precious herb like that could turn out so dangerous? If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have let Sunny drink the juice either!¡± In truth, Phoebe knew the dangerous side effects of consuming too much saffron, but what she did not know was it worked just as well on a man as a woman. Lucas was no fool. He looked at her sharply and asked, ¡°So you got the recipe from the inte, huh? Well, where is it? Show it to me now. ¡°Umm.. I deleted the recipe after making the juice, so¡­¡± said Phoebe awkwardly. Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can look up the recipe online again. I¡¯m curious to see what recipe will teach someone to add such a dangerous ingredient into a juice!¡± Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Anya had calmed down by then, so she went to her mother¡¯s aid. ¡°Lucas, you shouldn¡¯t suspect Mom like this! Everyone knows saffron is good for beauty. And it¡¯s not like she has a medical background. She only wanted to share the good stuff with Corinne. In any case, it¡¯s just a matter of good intention, bad execution.¡± ¡®Good intention? Her good intention nearly killed the baby in Corinne¡¯s womb and caused Sunny to suffer from gastrointestinal bleeding!¡¯ thought Lucas. He could not help but feel a sense of revulsion when he looked at Anya. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. The doctor who had given them the test result hade back. ¡°By the way, I forgot to return something to Miss Anya.¡± He walked over to Anya and took out the bank card from his white coat. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Anya,¡± he said solemnly, ¡°but we have rules in the hospital saying we¡¯re not allowed to ept bribe money or tamper with test results. I epted your bank card just now because I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t stop harassing me until I epted it. Now that I¡¯ve finished my job, I can give this back to you.¡± All the colors immediately drained out of Anya¡¯s face. She did not and would not take back the card because if she did, everyone there would know her true colors. All the years she spent crafting her good girl image would be gone in an instant! However, she could not think of a way to weasel herself out of this either. Lucas took the card from the doctor¡¯s hand to confirm it was, indeed, Anya¡¯s name written on the card. His eyes were filled with disappointment and rage as he red at the pale-faced Anya. ¡°You even know how to bribe the doctors with money?¡± Anya immediately snapped out of her shock. She shook her head rapidly. ¡°No¡­ No, it¡¯s not like that, Lucas. I gave the doctor money because I was really worried about Sunny and wanted to make sure he gets the best treatment there is¡­¡± Lucas¡¯ disappointment in Anya turned into disgust and hatred when he realized Anya was never going to stop lying. He scoffed angrily and said, ¡°Then you should give the money to the doctor in charge of Sunny¡¯s case instead of the doctor doing the test!¡± Anya was unable toe up with a retort to an argument like that. ¡°No, Lucas¡­ I¡­¡± Being beyond disappointed, Lucas smashed the bank card on the ground. He thought Phoebe was the lone perpetrator in this matter. As a mother, she wanted to help her daughter get back the man Corinne stole from her, which was why she decided to get rid of Corinne¡¯s baby. In other words, he thought Anya did not know any better and just wanted to protect her mother. He had hoped Anya had nothing to do with carrying out the n, but the bank card proved him otherwise. Not only did Anya know about everything, but she was an aplice as well! ¡®How did my sweet little sister turn out to be so evil? Just how many times have I fallen for her innocent act?¡¯ he lamented to himself. Anya knew she had let Lucas down. She quickly threw herself into his arms and said pitifully, Lucas¡­ this is all a misunderstanding! Things are not what you think they are¡­¡± Lucas pushed her away in disgust. ¡°Even now you still won¡¯t own up to your mistakes? Hmph! I will never believe a word you say again.¡± Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Anya felt like her world had crumbled when Lucas pushed her away, and she started sobbing out loud. Since she could not argue her way out of this, she had no choice but to resort to using tears, hoping this would bring Lucas to her side. ¡°Lucas¡­ hic¡­ Why don¡¯t you love me anymore? You¡­promised you¡¯ll always protect me no¡­ matter what.¡± Lucas refused to speak or look at her. He did not want to be reminded of just how blind he was to all of Anya¡¯s scheming ways over the years. ¡°Cool down, Mister Lucas,¡± said Corinne as she passed him a bottle of mineral water. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Lucas was slightly shocked and relieved to see Corinne caring about him. However, the happiness did notst long because it was reced by heavy guilt a secondter. He finally saw Anya¡¯s true colors, and he could not help but think of all the times he med Corinne for hurting Anya. In all the times the two girls had a misunderstanding, he would always take Anya¡¯s side no matter what. Oh, how he would shame and scold Corinne for hurting Anya then. Thinking back on it, there was a high possibility he had fallen for Anya¡¯s evil plot. ¡®Oh, Lucas¡­ You foolish, foolish man!¡¯ he chided himself angrily. He thought of himself as not deserving to ept the bottle of mineral water, but at the same time, he did not want Corinne to think he was ungrateful for her caring gesture. In the end, he epted the bottle of mineral water shamelessly before asking apologetically, ¡°Corinne, aren¡¯t you angry at all? I mean, you could¡¯ve lost your baby.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Why should I be angry? I didn¡¯t drink the pomegranate juice, so their n failed.¡± Lucas smiled ruefully. He wanted to hug her and protect her so badly, but he knew he had lost the right to do that a long time ago. ¡°Mister Lucas, forgive me for being blunt, but I think you¡¯ve misunderstood Miss Anya,¡± said Corinne lightly. ¡°What do you mean, Corinne?¡± Lucas asked in shock. Anya was shocked, too, so much so that she stopped crying. She turned to look at Corinne in confusion. ¡®What is she trying to pull with Lucas?¡¯ she wondered with rm. Corinne took an unhurried sip from her bottle of mineral water before putting the cap on and passing it to Jeremy like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. After that, she walked up to Anya and looked at her with eyes filled with gentleness. ¡°Look at the poor thing; her eyes are all red. I¡¯m pretty sure she had nothing to do with what Miss Phoebe did. She must¡¯ve only found out the whole thing after the fact and thought Miss Phoebe only did what she did for her sake. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t bear to see us alling down on her mother so hard, so she did what she had to do to save her. Am I right, Miss Anya? Anya looked at Corinne with both confusion and wariness. However, she quickly nodded after that. Why not? ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly as you said. I didn¡¯t know about the saffron in the pomegranate juice at first. I only found out Mom wanted to make Corinne pay for stealing Jeremy away after it all happened¡­ I was scared that Grandpa and Grandma would punish her after they found out, so that¡¯s why I bribed the doctor to tamper with the test result¡­¡± Chapter 840 Chapter 840 As things progressed to that point, Anya had no choice but to sacrifice her mother to save herself. After all, it was better for one than for both of them to lose the trust of the family. Even though she had no idea what Corinne was thinking, she had no qualms about the version of the story Corinne gave. It was more important for her to uphold her innocent girl image so she could live to see another day. Corinne gently tucked Anya¡¯s hair before her ear. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought, too. I mean, you were kind enough to save Jeremy. Not only that, but you nearly lost your life and became infertile after that¡­ A brave and kind-hearted girl like you would never do something like poisoning me, right?¡± Anya could not help but start to feel uneasy at all the praise Corinne was heaping on her, so much so a chill ran up her spine. ¡®Why would Corinne speak up for me? She¡¯s definitely up to no good.¡± Corinne frowned and said worriedly, ¡°I suddenly remember something, Miss Anya. Is your body okay after drinking all that pomegranate juice? Do you feel pain anywhere?¡± Anya still had her guard up toward Corinne, but she had to y along with her. She shook her head and said innocently, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Sorry to make you worry, Corinne.¡± Corinne still looked worried. ¡°No, we need to take this seriously. After the doctor told us about all the side effects of overdosing on saffron, I went online to look for more information, and I found out it¡¯s actually quite dangerous for a woman who¡¯s not pregnant too. Miss Anya, I highly suggest you do a full body checkup now to make sure you¡¯re alright.¡± Anya knew Corinne had an ulterior motive for suggesting she do that, so she politely rejected her. ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m really okay. There¡¯s really no need for me to do a checkup.¡± Corinne shook her head stubbornly. ¡°No! You drank the whole ss, remember? Sunny only drank half a ss, and look at what happened to him! I think it¡¯s best if you go do a checkup.¡± Anya did not want to do a body checkup, so she stood her ground, too. ¡°No! I¡¯m really okay. Besides, I threw up most of it all¡ª¡± Her mind was all over the ce, causing her to nearly blurt out something she should not have. However, what she said did not escape Corinne¡¯s notice. She raised her eyebrow and cocked her head in mock surprise. ¡°What¡¯s that you said? You threw up most of it already? But Miss Anya, didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t throw up just now? And why would you do something like that? Could it be that you knew the pomegranate juice was poisoned?¡± Anya¡¯s face tensed up. Her mind started to race for a usible excuse. ¡°Umm¡­ I didn¡¯t throw up! I¡­ What I meant to say was¡­I got the urge to pee after drinking the pomegranate juice. That was why I went to the bathroom straight after, so I¡¯m guessing I¡¯ve peed most of it¡­which means my body should be fine¡­¡± Corinne frowned worriedly. ¡°Well, since you didn¡¯t throw up most of it, you should go do that body checkup like I suggested. Miss Anya, have you forgotten that your health is weaker than others after you risked your life to save Jeremy? What if the saffron wreaks havoc on your health again? It¡¯s best to catch it early so you can begin treatment as soon as possible.¡± Anya was starting to get very annoyed at Corinne, but she did not show it on her face. Even with her back against the corner, she still refused to do a body checkup. Corinne, however, did not wait for Anya¡¯s consent to begin making arrangements for her to do a body checkup. ¡°Doctor, Miss Anya had mistakenly consumed arge dose of the saffron too, so please do a body checkup on her. Do pay attention to her womanly bits since there¡¯s a high chance the saffron would mess up her period or give her a heavier flow than normal,¡± said Corinne to the doctor. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The doctor was about to go out, so he nodded and said, ¡°Sure thing. Miss Anya, please follow me this way. I¡¯ll arrange for the other doctors to check on you.¡± Chapter 841 Chapter 841 Anya looked visibly unwell and she was seeing stars, but she still shook her head and refused.¡± No thanks! I¡¯m fine! I don¡¯t need to have a check-up¡­¡± Corinne dragged her to follow the doctor. ¡°Look at you, Miss Anya! Must you insist that you¡¯re fine when yourplexion is that bad? You¡¯re going to make others worry about you! It¡¯s just a check-up, not an operation. What are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid! I swear I¡¯m fine! I don¡¯t need to go¡­¡± Anya was unable to express her worries, but she knew Corinne had an ulterior motive for making that suggestion. She was worried that she would walk into a trap if she went. Lucas then said in a booming voice, ¡°You¡¯ve been told to go, so just do it! There¡¯s nothing wrong with getting a checkup.¡± Anya continued to struggle. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not feeling sick at all¡­¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Then we can always check to see if there are any potential issues. I don¡¯t want you crying that you¡¯re unwell when we get home!¡± He was beginning to lose a lot of patience with Anya. In the past, the care and love he had for his long- lost sister, Luna, had been directed to Anya. However, with Luna¡¯s return, that same care and love was redirected from Anya and toward Luna instead. As impatient as he was toward Anya, she was still his half-sister whom he grew up with. He knew she was frail, so he still had some concern for her. Anya frequentlyined about having difort, so it was better to get her checked up. That would save everyone the frustration of having to bear with her repeatedints when they got home. Anya did not have any other excuse to refuse after Lucas insisted on sending him to the doctor. Corinne smiled and waved at Anya. ¡°You must cooperate with the check-up and listen to the doctor¡¯s advice, Miss Anya!¡± Anya gritted her teeth resentfully after hearing Corinne¡¯s annoying voice! ¡®D*mn you, Corinne! God knows what sort of wicked scheme a hypocrite like you is nning¡­¡¯ After Anya went out with the doctor, Phoebe became the sole target of castigation. Lucas nced coldly at Phoebe but did not press on too harshly. She was his elder, after all, and his father was still around too. He would settle thingster once Sunny woke up. Phoebe knew that her situation was not looking good, so she tried her best to find a way to reverse it. As a stepmother, Lucas never considered her to have any status in the family. She had no say in anything, so she wanted to start by persuading Maxwell. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hear me out, Maxwell¡­¡± Maxwell waved his hands coldly and said, ¡°Enough! There¡¯s no point exining to me right now. You¡¯d better pray that Sunny is safe, or the Riveras won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Chapter 842 Chapter 842 ¡°Maxwell¡­¡± Phoebe¡¯s eyes reddened as tears streamed down her face. Maxwell did not pity her and ignored her despite her crying. He went to the hospital bed, pulled a chair to sit, and looked quietly looking at his still-unconscious son. After watching Anya leave the ward, Corinne turned around to look at the tearful Phoebe. Phoebe and Anya were like two peas in a pod. She could cry at the drop of a hat, much like her daughter. s, Phoebe¡¯s song and dance did not seem to strike a chord with Maxwell. Although Phoebe was a middle-aged woman, she maintained a youthful figure and wrinkle- free face thanks to the Riveras¡¯s money. Sadly, her pitiful act was unable to capture Maxwell¡¯s attention. Maxwell appeared to be extremely cold toward Phoebe. As if sleeping in a separate bed was not bad enough, he did not even bother to take a second look at her. Corinne¡¯s impression of her biological father did not improve just because he was indifferent toward Phoebe, of course. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and sneered coldly in disgust. Shameless old scumbag! You cheated on my mother with Phoebe, and now that Phoebe¡¯s your wife, you got bored of her and gave her the cold shoulder. For all we know, you might have a new lover, you jerk!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Maxwell then nced at her as if he sensed her gaze on him. Corinne then turned her face away in disgust and said, ¡°It¡¯s so stuffy in here, Jeremy. Come out with me and get some air!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremy stepped forward, ced his hands over her shoulders, and went out with her. He had no interest to participate in the Riveras¡¯s affairs and was simply there to keep Corinne Since she wanted to get some fresh air, he was happy to apany her there. Lucas noticed that his younger sister¡¯s clothes were a little thin, so he took off his coat and stepped forward to put it on her. ¡°Wear a coat. It¡¯ll be cold in the corridor with the windows open¡­¡± Jeremy raised his arms to prevent Lucas from draping the coat over her. He did not even bother to wait for her to express her opinion. ¡°She can use mine.¡± He then took off his coat and put it on Corinne. Lucas frowned, took back his coat, and draped it over his arm. He kept quiet, but he nned to go with them because he was worried about his sister. Corinne did not turn around to look at him, but she heard Lucas¡¯s footsteps from behind and stopped him gently. ¡°We don¡¯t need a third wheel with us, Mister Lucas. You should stay and take care of your brother.¡± He felt that he owed his sister a lot, so he was afraid to make her unhappy. As a result, he stopped walking and sald to Jeremy, ¡°Take good care of her, Jeremy,¡± Jeremy shot him a cold look. ¡°I don¡¯t need your advice.¡± Lucas remained silent. He could only sigh weakly as he watched his younger sister being led out by Jeremy He did not mind it if his younger sister did not want to talk to him as long as she was safe and happy Chapter 843 Chapter 843 After leaving the ward, Corinne and Jeremy walked to the end of the corridor. They nced out of the window at the small garden for patients to have a stroll and exercise. Corinne was bored, so she turned around and wrapped her armszily around his waist. She buried her face in his chest and rubbed her face shamelessly. It was not often that she would throw herself into his arms. Jeremy allowed her to do as she pleased, but he was also keenly aware that she was not her usual self. ¡°Are you in a bad mood?¡± Corinne turned her face so it was facing the man¡¯s chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. Men are all buttfaces, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jeremy frowned. There was a difference of nearly 10 years in their age gap, so there might be asions where he did not fully understand the ng used by young people such as her. Nevertheless, he could tell that the word ¡®buttface¡¯ was a derogatory term. Corinne¡¯s gaze was vapid, and she had a sarcastic smile as she exined, ¡°Just look at Mister Maxwell. Hees from a renowned family, dresses nicely, and speaks in a well-mannered tone, but he cheated on his wife with another woman. Now that he abandoned his wife and married the mistress, he doesn¡¯t care about her anymore! Do all men lose interest in their wives after marriage?¡± Jeremy felt that she was testing him, so he said in a deep voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only interested in you.¡± His serious confession left Corinne feeling a little weird. She curled his lips and said, ¡°But that¡¯s because you and I haven¡¯t gotten to know each other better yet! You might get bored of me after we¡¯ve been together for a long time!¡± Jeremy raised his hand and massaged the back of her head reproachingly. ¡°Haven¡¯t gotten to know each other better? We¡¯ve gotten to know each other inside and out. How much deeper do you want us to know each other?¡± The phrase ¡®know each other inside and out¡¯ was very suggestive, and Corinne could not help but blush as she rolled her eyes and stared angrily at him. ¡°I¡¯m talking about feelings and our time together! Not¡­ ¡®that¡±!¡± Jeremy cocked his eyebrows slightly. ¡°And by ¡®that¡¯, you mean¡­?¡± Corinne was so irritated that she removed her arms from him and mmed her fist against him. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you anymore! You¡¯re being indecent!¡± She then turned about and was about to run away. Jeremy stretched his arms and pulled her back so he could hug her tightly. ¡°Stop letting your Imaginations run wild! I know you¡¯re hurting because of what you see, and you¡¯re extrapting what your mother experienced to our rtionship. Don¡¯t think of me in such a bad light. I¡¯m no longer at an age where I want to fool around. I know what I want, and I only want you for the rest of my life.¡± Corinne was hugged so tightly that she felt warm and grounded. His fresh, mature, and masculine scentforted her greatly. ¡°Let¡¯s agree right now. If you get tired of being with me one day, you¡¯re free to be with someone else. But you can never cheat on me before we break up. I hate cheaters and being cheated on! Just be straight with me and let me know if you get tired. I won¡¯t hold either, and we can break up on good terms so you can be with your new love!¡± Men hated it when women talked about breaking up. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly and entertain all these wild thoughts! I¡¯m not going to break up with you, and you shouldn¡¯t break up with me either! Corinne acknowledged that she liked him very much at the moment, and she believed that Jeremy¡¯s words were genuine. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. However, she was not a lovesick woman who would let her feelings get the better of her, she was not going to let herself be fooled into thinking that ¡®eternal love¡¯ existed. As a result, she still insisted on her beliefs and said, ¡°I firmly think that it¡¯s better to talk about the ugliness of reality before we¡¯re in too deep. If we end up separating for whatever reason in the future, custody of the child will belong to me. I want us to sign a prenuptial agreement!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Does it have to be that way?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll set my heart at ease!¡± Corinne nodded. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t agree to sign that sort of thing?¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze was sharp. ¡°Then it shows that deep down, you¡¯re afraid that the prenup mighte into force because you believe in the possibility of our separation in the future!¡± Chapter 844 Chapter 844 Jeremy was speechless at Corinne¡¯s sensitive logic. After what she said, he would seem guilty if he did not agree to sign such an agreement. He could not help what she thought, though. Due to her rough experience in life, she had little sense of security even in a marriage, so it was understandable for her to request such an agreement. If that could make her feel more at ease, then he was fine with signing it ording to her wishes. After all, separating from her was out of the question. Back inside the ward, Sunny finally woke up after a long period of unconsciousness. Maxwell¡¯s frown eased a little when he saw his son wake up. ¡°How do you feel, Sunny?¡± Lucas was sitting in pensive silence on the sofa not far away, but he snapped back to his senses after hearing Maxwell¡¯s question and got up to approach the hospital bed. Sunny opened his eyes, but hisplexion was still quite pale, and he had a dazed expression. He felt ufortable all over, and he had no idea what happened. ¡°What happened?¡± Maxwell said, ¡°Nothing serious. You got food poisoning, but you¡¯ll be fine after resting a few days in the hospital.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sunny was pure-hearted by nature and did not doubt Maxwell¡¯s words at all, despite Maxwell¡¯s decision to omit certain details. Lucas nced at his father and decided not to expose the half-truth. He understood Maxwell¡¯s reasons for saying that-it was not to protect Phoebe but to prevent Sunny from feeling crushed after knowing the truth.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. If Sunny knew he was hospitalized because he drank the pomegranate juice his mother made and spiked, it would deal a big blow to someone as naive as him. It was generally very difficult for people to ept that their biological mother was a bad person, and the entire worldview of some naive children might even copse. There was no need to reveal the truth to Sunny, at least not until he fully recovered. A sudden thought then urred to Sunny as he looked anxiously at Lucas sitting beside the hospital bed. Like a child who had just done something wrong, he said weakly, ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my homework yet, Lucas, but I can do itter if you get someone to bring them to the hospital.¡± Lucas frowned, and he showed a rare moment of gentleness with his worrisome younger brother. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now. Your health is more important, and you¡¯d still have plenty of time to finish itter.¡± Sunny breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Lucas¡­¡± At that moment, he heard the sound of crying and turned to see his mother, who was standing at the other end. ¡°Why are you crying, Mom? I¡¯m not dead!¡± Phoebe wiped her tears away. Since Maxwell and Lucas were staring coldly at her after discovering the pomegranate juice, she felt too awkward to approach her son and show concern for him. She could only stand by the bed and nce at him while crying, ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re finally awake! Thank goodness everything¡¯s alright¡­¡± Chapter 845 Chapter 845 Sunny felt aggrieved when he saw his mother in such a state. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mom! People are going to think. that I¡¯m dead if you cry like that!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t curse yourself like that!¡± Phoebe wiped away her tears. ¡°I¡¯ll stop crying now. I¡¯m just relieved that you¡¯re alright!¡± Phoebe was genuinely afraid, but it was a good thing that nothing happened to Sunny. If things had gone south, she would have lost all hope for the rest of her life! All of a sudden, the door to the ward was pushed open as someone walked in. Everyone turned toward the door when they heard the sound. Anya had returned from the check-up. Her face was pale, and her expression was a little dazed. As soon as she saw that Sunny had regained consciousness, Anya¡¯s pupils contracted and she walked over to him. ¡°Sunny! You¡¯re awake!¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, Anya! What about you? Why do you look so unwell?¡± Phoebe remembered that her daughter had also drunk the saffronced pomegranate juice. Although Any¨¢ might have vomited, Phoebe was afraid that there might be sometent issues if Anya did not vomit everything cleanly. She asked hurriedly, ¡°Has the doctorpleted the check-up?¡± Anya¡¯splexion became uneasy again when the check-up was mentioned. ¡°Uh¡­ Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Everything is perfectly fine! There¡¯s nothing to worry about!¡± Phoebe pulled her daughter over worriedly and took a closer look. On one hand, she was genuinely concerned about her daughter¡¯s health, and on the other, she wanted to make sure Maxwell and Lucas heard everything she said. ¡°Why do you look so bad when everything went okay? It¡¯s all my fault that I nearly killed you and Sunny just because I wanted to help you vent your anger!¡± Anya understood the hint in her mother¡¯s eyes and seized the opportunity to clean both their names. She synchronized with her mother and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. You were too reckless then, and you have to make sure not to be confused again in the future! You¡¯re lucky that I was the one who drank the pomegranate juice. It would¡¯ve been so much worse if Corinne drank it! She is pregnant!¡± Phoebe had a sincere look of repentance and nodded while sobbing. ¡°I know. My mind wasn¡¯t in a good ce then, and I¡¯ll never do something stupid like that ever again!¡± Maxwell and Lucas frowned in disgust and felt disappointed to see the two women¡¯s hypocritical yet pretentious behavior. However, they seemed to be moved by the pitiful outlook and decided not to pursue it any further. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The clueless Sunny frowned in surprise and asked suspiciously, ¡°What are the two of you talking about? What did Mom do that nearly killed me and Anya?¡± Anya and Phoebe were taken aback, and they looked at the somewhat dazed Sunny on the hospital bed. At that moment, they did not know how else to exin everything to him. Maxwell did not want his son¡¯s mood to be affected after knowing about the entire mess, so he cleared his throat and interrupted, ¡°The doctor seemed to have taken quite some time to check up on you earlier. How was the result? Did the doctor say anything? Yourplexion doesn¡¯t seem very good.¡± Anya replied obediently, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad. The medical staff drew a lot of blood during the check-up, so I¡¯m a little dizzy right now. Myplexion is probably not that good because I haven¡¯t fully recovered yet¡­¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the report?¡± Lucas looked at her and asked with narrowed eyes. He stretched his hand out sternly and demanded to see the report. Anya was stunned for a moment, and her gaze darted away as she said, ¡°Um¡­ I forgot to take the report. The doctor mentioned that all my indicators were quite normal, so I didn¡¯t think there was any need to get the examination report¡­¡± Lucas could keenly sense that his younger sister was hiding something on purpose. He frowned and insisted unhappily, ¡°Get it from the doctor. I want to see it!¡± Anya smiled and tried her best to answer rxedly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Lucas. I¡¯m fine. I promise!¡± Chapter 846 Chapter 846 ¡°Saffron has a lot of benefits, so it¡¯s possible that the amount of saffron in that ss of pomegranate juice wasn¡¯t too heavy for my body. That may be why I didn¡¯t have any symptoms, and all my indicators are fine too.¡± Lucas insisted, ¡°Even if that is the case, I still want to read the report. Bring it to me.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Anya refused to take the report, however, so she sneakily held her mother¡¯s hand. Phoebe understood her daughter¡¯s action and spoke up for her. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Anya¡¯s health, Lucas, but there¡¯s no need to be so anxious when she¡¯s assured us that she¡¯s fine. You won¡¯t see anything in the report anyway.¡± Her words carried no weight in Lucas¡¯s eyes. He had an impatient look as he spoke in a slightly harsher tone, ¡°Get the report from the doctor right now. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± Anya¡¯s unwillingness to take the report was telling because no protocol in the hospital prevented her from taking the report back. Lucas noticed something was not quite right with Anya when she resisted going for the check- up but did not read too much into it at the time. However, he grew more suspicious when he saw Anya¡¯s uneasy reaction. ¡®Could there have been other ingredients in that ss of pomegranate juice that would only affect a woman¡¯s body? Is that why Anya was so afraid of getting a check-up because that substance must¡¯ve been recorded in the test?!! Corinne merely took a sip of the juice and spat it out, rather than drinking it outright. However, if there were other active ingredients in the pomegranate juice, there was no guarantee that those ingredients would not have any effect on a pregnant woman even if it was not swallowed! Lucas began to fear the worst when he thought about that. He could not ept that his long- lost sister would be at risk of something terrible, even if the risk was not very high! Although Maxwell did not understand why Lucas was so adamant about it, he did not want to see his children be at odds over such things. He thus said, ¡°Anya, your brother cares about you a lot, and it¡¯s not that difficult for you to get the report for him if he wants to see it. Just do it so he can set his heart at ease.¡± Anya knew that there was no room to negotiate with Lucas, and refusing his order was out of the question since Maxwell had urged her to get the report as well. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go get it¡­¡± She then turned around and went out. 10 minutester, she came back with the medical report. ¡°Here you go, Lucas. You can see for yourself that there isn¡¯t anything wrong with my body.¡± She handed the report to Lucas with an aggrieved expression. Lucas nced at her, took the report, and looked through it one page after another. As expected, all her indicators were normal, and there were no issues with her health. The information on the report was under Anya¡¯s name, so Lucas asked softly, ¡°Why were you so reluctant to bring it back for me to see if there were no issues in the first ce?¡± Anya felt a little aggrieved and blinked a couple of times. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through so much today, so I¡¯m both physically and mentally exhausted. I fainted because they drew some of for the check-up, and I just felt really weak¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a long walk from this ward to the ce where I got my check-up, and I just didn¡¯t want to go back there again! But since you insisted on it, I couldn¡¯t say no, right? Are you beginning to doubt me, Lucas?¡± Anya then leaned into Lucas¡¯ arms. She wanted to seekfort from him and find the feeling she once felt from him when he stood by her side unconditionally in the past. However, Lucas frowned in disgust, put the report aside, and gently pushed Anya away. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re tired, you should rest there on the sofa.¡± Anya felt distraught and unsettled after being pushed away by her brother Chapter 847 Chapter 847 Lucas would never have treated Anya that way in the past. Even if she did something wrong, all she had to do was shed some crocodile tears for him to pity and forgive her! That feeling no longer existed, and she felt as though he did not care about her anymore. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She knew he did not show her any concern at all. He was neither angry at her, nor did he want to teach her a lesson. She simply had no ce in his heart and was treated like an outsider! Anya was confused as to why that happened. She took Lucas¡¯ hand and asked with reddened eyes, ¡°What¡¯s going on, Lucas? Do you hate me now?¡± Lucas froze slightly and was tongue-tied when she asked him that question. He looked at his younger half-sister whom he had doted on since she was young, but he could not grasp the feelings in his heart. For some reason, every action seemed to be very irritating, and he was especially annoyed by her maniptive habit of crying at the drop of a hat. Lucas shook off her hand and said, ¡°I don¡¯t. Stop overthinking and get some rest. ¡°But Lucas¡­¡± Anya was insistent. She had been using his love for her to achieve her various goals over the years, so she was very upset to have lost the ability to manipte him to achieve her ends. She grabbed Lucas¡¯ hand again and tried to be coquettish, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯m a little dizzy after I got my blood taken. Can you sit next to me and let me lean on you for a while? Just for a while, I promise¡­¡± Lucas wanted to refuse, but when he saw her pitiful begging, he felt a little conflicted and could not bear to say no. At that moment, someone knocked on the door of the ward. Lucas and Anya heard the sound and looked over to see who it was. Phoebe went over to open the door and saw Corinne standing right outside. ¡°Hi there!¡± greeted Corinne smilingly. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Beside her was her tall, handsome partner, Jeremy. However, he did not look up at all and was busy typing on the phone as if replying to a message. Phoebe did not seem happy when she saw Corinne, and she forced an ugly smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already leave? Why did youe back?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°I never said I was going to leave. I just said that I was going to get some fresh air. Your tone seems to suggest that I¡¯m not wee here. Is that so?¡± As much as Phoebe hated the girl who messed up their entire household, she could not say that outright in front of everyone. She could onlyugh dryly, and Lucas immediately nudged her aside as soon as he walked over. Lucas opened the door wide and said in a warm voice, ¡°Come in, Corinne.¡± Phoebe was stunned when Lucas shoved her aside. ¡®What¡¯s up with him? Why is he so warm toward Corinne? This isn¡¯t his usual self! He looks down on everyone, and no one can ever get his attention! What makes Corinne so special?¡¯ Anya grimaced as she noticed something was amiss too. Lucas was bing increasingly indifferent to her, yet he was very enthusiastic toward Corinne. Corinne walked in leisurely and smiled brightly when she saw that Anya had returned too.¡± Hey! Miss Anya is back, too! Have you finished the check-up?¡± Chapter 848 Chapter 848 Anya did not wee Corinne and loathed her presence. Nheless, she smiled sweetly at Corinne because she knew she could not express her chagrin. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. Sorry if I worried you. The doctor checked my health earlier and confirmed that my body is fine.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that you¡¯re fine. Now, there¡¯s no need for anyone to worry that you might not be able to conceive after eating too much saffron by mistake!¡± Anya¡¯s expression stiffened after she heard that, and everyone present there frowned in an instant. It was an open secret that Anya had long been diagnosed as infertile, and Corinne¡¯s words seemed to be deliberately poking her sore spot. After collecting herself, Anya seized the chance to put on a wounded, self-deprecating expression. ¡°Corinne¡­ You know that I¡­can¡¯t get pregnant. Are you mocking me?¡± Sunny, who just woke up and was still a little weak, felt that Corinne had gone overboard with that remark. He frowned and yelled hoarsely, ¡°Don¡¯t bully Anya!¡± Corinne nced insipidly at Sunny and ignored him. She frowned with regret and said to Anya, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Anya. I forgot that you lost your fertility because you saved Mister Jeremy back in the day. I didn¡¯t mean it. You won¡¯t get angry at me, will you?¡± Anya did not believe that it was merely a slip of the tongue from Corinne. She believed that Corinne was too full of herself and was trying to mock her. Unfortunately, Corinne¡¯s n was never going to bear any fruit, because that remark did not hurt Anya at all. On the contrary, she had been waiting for such an opportunity to arise! After all, she had been worried about not getting a chance to y the victim! Anya snickered inwardly and raised her eyes to look at Jeremy, who was standing beside Corinne. She noticed that he too was staring sullenly at Corinne, probably because he felt that Corinne had crossed the line with that statement! Anya took advantage of the situation. She pretended to endure the hurtful remark and showed magnanimousness in forgiving Corinne. With a shake of her head, she said with a bitter smile, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean it, and I¡¯m not going to get angry at you. I¡¯m just really jealous that you can conceive. It¡¯s something I¡¯ll never be able to do¡­¡± Her voice began to trail off, and her eye sockets reddened. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She was a fragile woman, and it made her look even more pitiful when she shed those tears. Corinne did not buy her act at all and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Who knows, you might just find out one day that you¡¯re still capable of conceiving! Don¡¯t be discouraged, Miss Anya. You should try for a baby when you get a boyfriend. You might just be surprised!¡± ¡°Corinne!¡± Lucas called out to her at that moment. His tone was stern and somewhat threatening. He wanted to protect his long-lost sister to the best of his ability because he felt sorry for everything that happened in the past. However, he also knew that a woman would be forever filled with sadness if she was unable to conceive. Anya has been deemed infertile ever since she was a child, and it had since be an unerasable blow to her. For Corinne to say that kind of thing to provoke her was simply too much! When Anya saw Lucas standing up for her once more, she felt a renewed hope in her heart that she would soon be unconditionally pampered and protected by her brother like before. She took the opportunity to cry even more and threw herself aggrievedly into Lucas¡¯ arms. Lucas hesitated whether or not he should push her away, but he eventually opted not to because he sympathized with her. Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Lucas sighed and stared at Corinne who stood opposite him. He then said in a helpless tone, Enough is enough, Corinne. You don¡¯t need to bring any of that up anymore.¡± Corinne nced at Lucas and chuckled. ¡°Back to loving your good little sister again, are you?¡± Lucas was speechless. It was for him to be caught between his two younger sisters. Phoebe feigned distress about Anya¡¯s situation and came forward to defend her daughter. ¡°I admit I did something bad to you today, but my daughter had no part to y in it! You can¡¯t insult my daughter like that! It¡¯s bad enough that she is infertile from a young age. Why do you have to make those remarks to provoke her?¡± Corinne looked at Phoebe and said, ¡°You¡¯re right! Your daughter is such a pitiful, miserable woman! Why did you give her so much saffron, then? Did I provoke her more, or did you?¡± Phoebe¡¯s face froze, and she was speechless for a while. Anya looked away from Lucas and said with tears streaming down her face, ¡°Corinne, I know that you might be holding a grudge against my mother because she tried to hurt you today, but she only did it in a moment of confusion. She won¡¯t do that ever again! You can vent all your unhappiness on me instead of her! If you¡¯re still not satisfied, I can kneel and admit my mistake to you!¡± She then made a motion of kneeling after saying that. Corinne immediately grabbed Anya just as she was about to kneel. She smiled and said, ¡± Don¡¯t! You don¡¯t have to do that! I was just teasing you! Look at how riled up you are because of the things I said. You were going to cry and kneel!¡± Anya¡¯s expression froze, but her heart was raging furiously and her expression became unnaturally distorted. Corinne then let go of Anya¡¯s hand and smiled at her. ¡°Sorry about that, Miss Anya. I know that everything I said to you was a bit overboard, but that¡¯s because I want to give you a surprise! I thought it¡¯d be good if I make you feel down for a bit before raising your spirits againter!¡± Anya snapped back to her senses. ¡°A surprise?¡± Corinne smiled mysteriously and nodded. ¡°Yup! It¡¯s a huge one, too!¡± Anya frowned defensively. ¡°What surprise could that be?¡± Corinne smirked and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± Anya¡¯s innocent gaze was tinged with displeasure, and she felt that Corinne was trying to y tricks on her again. However, she decided to y along and said ignorantly, ¡°I can¡¯t guess, Corinne¡­¡± Everyone else more or less had a frown on their faces, and they objected to Corinne¡¯s way ying tricks. Sunny was more upfront than the others there, and he urged Corinne impatiently even though he was lying on the hospital bed. ¡°Stop keeping us in suspense, Corinne! Tell us what the surprise is! You¡¯re making me anxious!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne looked at Sunny in disgust and snorted softly, ¡°Not even being bedridden can stop you from being your usual self!¡± Sunny red arrogantly at her. ¡°What are you going to do about it, huh?¡± Corinne ignored Sunny and turned to look at Anya. She smiled and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t keep you waiting any longer. Ta-da! This is the surprise!¡± She then took out from her pocket a crumpled piece of paper that had been folded into squares. Chapter 850 Chapter 850 ¡°I picked this medical report on the lid of the trash can just outside. You must¡¯ve dropped it by ident. The indicators on the report are all pretty normal! Your body isn¡¯t affected by the saffron at all, and there are no other issues either! What do you think? Isn¡¯t this the best. surprise ever?¡± Everyone was speechless after hearing Corinne¡¯s so-called surprise, but Anya was the only one who was not. Her face had turned pale because she knew the medical report Corinne picked up was the gynecology report that she threw away. Sunny rolled his eyes. ¡°What kind of joke is this, Corinne? Anya just brought back the medical for Lucas, and we know her health is alright. What kind of surprise is that? It¡¯s pointless!¡± Corinne pretended to be taken aback. ¡°Really? Did she already bring back the report for Mister Lucas?¡± Anya snapped to her senses and nodded as naturally as possible. ¡°I have. Lucas has read through the report earlier, and he¡¯s aware that I¡¯m fine. My parents are d that I¡¯m alright too, so they¡¯re both very relieved.¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow slightly. ¡°Even if he read the report that you brought back, I bet he didn¡¯t read the one that I picked up!¡± Anya had a guilty expression as she said hurriedly, ¡°The doctor assured me that everything¡¯s fine, so a missing page isn¡¯t going to change the result. But thanks anyway for picking it up for me. I¡¯ll put it away with the other reports!¡± She then reached out to take the report away from Corinne. Corinne retracted her hand in the nick of time to prevent Anya from getting a hold of it. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then you probably haven¡¯t read the report that I¡¯m holding, or you wouldn¡¯t have said that you were unable to conceive!¡± Anya¡¯splexion had soured by then. She had a shifty gaze, and her words were evasive, too. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about! Hand that report over so I can put it away!¡± She was about to try and snatch the report again when Corinne smirked and raised the piece of paper to prevent Anya from reaching it. ¡°What are you in such a rush to put it away? There¡¯s a huge surprise waiting for you in this report!¡± Anya was getting very anxious. ¡°Why are you still going on with that surprise, Corinne? Stop ying pranks on me and my family! Give it¡­¡± an ¡°Okay!¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°I won¡¯t tease everyone anymore and announce the real surprise to your family! Ladies and gentlemen, the report I picked up is a gynecology checklist. It clearly states that Miss Anya¡¯s reproductive functions are normal. In fact, she¡¯s much healthier than most girls, and she can conceive more easily! Aren¡¯t you and your family surprised?¡± As soon as Corinne said that, everyone frowned and turned to Anya! ¡®Fertile? Healthy? Conceive more easily?¡¯ Chapter 851 Chapter 851 Such descriptions were incongruous with Anya, yet they somehow appeared in her medical report. Phoebe panicked, and that was when she realized why her daughter was so reluctant to go for a check-up in the first ce. She was afraid her ruse of pretending to be infertile all these years would be exposed. That would spell disaster! Anya¡¯s expression turned malignant, but she persistently pretended. ¡°What are you talking about? Why would I¡­ Lucas walked forward with a frown and took the report from Corinne. At a nce, he saw that all the indicators were normal. His pupils shrank, and his blood began to boil. After connecting everything that happened over the years with Anya¡¯s suspicious reaction earlier, he realized that his doubts made perfect sense. Anya never had any problems with infertility, and it turned out to be nothing but a lie that she made up to win Jeremy¡¯s pity. By deceiving the man that she liked, she deceived her elder brother and the rest of her family! ¡®Heh¡­ So, this is the spoiled sister that I ended up raising! She¡¯s got all sorts of schemes up. her sleeve, doesn¡¯t she? Great. This is all great!¡± Lucas threw the report in front of Anya and asked coldly, ¡°How do you exin this?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Anya felt so guilty that she was at a loss for words. She raised her head uneasily, looked at the report that threatened to destroy her character, and realized that she could make use of a w in the report. ¡°This report isn¡¯t mine, Lucas!¡± Lucas¡¯s expression froze and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not?¡± Anya innocently replied, ¡°Look. There isn¡¯t a name on this report. How can anyone prove that it¡¯s mine?¡± She then looked at Corinne aggrievedly and said, albeit rather pointedly, ¡°Where did you pick this random gynecology report and say that it¡¯s mine? I know my body!¡± up Lucas took back the report and looked at it. It was true that the inspector¡¯s name was not written on it, so he also looked at Corinne, ¡°Corinne, where did this reporte from?¡± Corinne calmly replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I picked it up from the lid of a trash can?¡± As soon as Anya heard that Corinne had no evidence, she became excited once again. ¡°Why would you assume that it¡¯s me when you just picked it up from a trash can?¡± Corinne looked quietly at Anya and said, ¡°I thought you regretted not being able to have your own child. Why does it sound like you¡¯re not very happy after knowing that you finally can?¡± Anya had a sh of guilt, but since she knew Corinne had no evidence to prove that the medical report was hers, she said confidently, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong about that. I do want to have my own child, but I know my body very well. You can¡¯t just take a random test and try to change what isn¡¯t true. If you did that tofort me, then I guess all I can say is thank you! If you had ulterior motives for doing this, then I beg you¡­ Please, can you just stop tormenting me?¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°No.¡± Anya¡¯s tears welled up again. ¡°What else do you want, Corinne? I know you don¡¯t like me. because I¡¯m Jeremy¡¯s savior, but aren¡¯t you already with Jeremy right now? Stop targeting me, and stop trying to make my family¡¯s life miserable!¡± Chapter 852 Chapter 852 ¡®Ah, the ssic charade of shifting the me onto someone else!¡¯ Anya had always been the kind of person who gave excuses instead of admitting her guilt. Corinne was in no hurry either. She took the gynecology report from Lucas, showed it to Anya, and flicked the piece of paper twice. ¡°I¡¯m curious, Anya. You said that this gynecology report isn¡¯t yours, so where is yours, then?¡± Anya was dumbfounded. She could not think of what to say for a moment, and her mind was working on overdrive to find an excuse. If she said that it was included in the inspection report, Corinne would take it from her and inspect it. If she said she lost it, then was it logical that she only lost one paper? She could not get away with such an excuse either. After much deliberation, she came up with the most inexplicable exnation. ¡°Because I never did a gynecological examination at all, so there isn¡¯t a report in the first ce!¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? Then why would you choose to specifically exclude a gynecological examination?¡± Anya looked intentionally at Jeremy with her pitiful eyes and said aggrievedly, ¡°Because I told the doctor that I got bitten by a venomous snake in the process of saving someone when I was young which caused me to suffer from infertility for a long time, so there¡¯s no point in doing a gynecological examination. The doctor was very sympathetic, and he didn¡¯t force me either.¡± She was easily able to arouse other people¡¯s sympathy and pity when she said that. However, Corinne chuckled. ¡°I just realized that you¡¯re a liar who tells lies without even batting an eye!¡± Anya did not think that there were any ws in her statement. She felt aggrieved and frowned as if she was offended. ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Why do you have to target me like this all the time?¡± Corinne did not argue with her and merely handed the gynecology report to her. She pointed to the bottom and said, ¡°Do you see what¡¯s written at the bottom?¡± Anya frowned and looked at the area that Corinne was pointing at. There was a small ¡®4¡¯ right at the corner. She did not think that there was anything out of the ordinary about it, but her face soon froze when she realized what it was. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. A faint smile appeared on the corner of Corinne¡¯s lips. ¡°Bet you didn¡¯t expect that, huh? There are page numbers on the reports printed by this hospital! We just need to see if page four is missing from the report you brought back earlier-then we¡¯ll know if this is yours!¡± Corinne¡¯s chin jerked her chin up slightly. The man who stood imposingly beside her walked up to her solemnly. He then picked up the inspection report Lucas ced on the cab and began to flip through it. In a sh, het narrowed his eyes. He then walked back to Corinne¡¯s side and turned around to hand the report over to Lucas.¡± Care to take a look?¡± Lucas was frowning the entire time, and he already had a headache when his two younger sisters confronted each other like that. His temples throbbed when he was forced to verify who among the two was lying. After receiving the report that Jeremy handed over, Lucas flipped through the page numbers and saw that page four was missing. He had been disappointed in Anya once already, and he found itughable when he knew the truth. Everything wasughable, including his foolish pampering of Anya and the way Anya lied to all of them earlier! Lucas calmed himself down and handed the report to Anya. He then said in a cold, indifferent. tone, ¡°Take a good look at it yourself!¡± Anya took it stiffly from him but did not read it. Chapter 853 Chapter 853 After all, there was no point reading it when she knew the results better than anyone. She threw away the gynecology report without ever considering that each page of the report had a number! When she felt a touch on her left shoulder, she raised her head and saw Corinne¡¯s hand patting her. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne praised her with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re very lucky that your fertility isn¡¯t affected even after you¡¯ve drank such arge ss of saffron-infused pomegranate juice!¡± Anya was speechless. ¡®Corinne, you b*tch! You¡¯re only gloating because you think you won, but it¡¯s not over yet! I will turn this situation around! I won¡¯t lose to a b*tch like you!¡¯ She frantically thought of an idea and resorted to her usual response-crying. Instead of begging for tolerance and forgiveness, she lowered her head in self-me and sobbed like a child whomitted a severe mistake. Tears then began to fall to the floor. ¡°I¡­ This is my mistake. I lied to everyone out of pure selfishness¡­ I don¡¯t want everyone to see my gynecological examination report and know that my infertility has been cured because I still have feelings for Jeremy. I love him, and I can¡¯t let him go¡­ ¡°I know that he won¡¯t talk to me again if he knows that my infertility is cured. That¡¯s why I was so against getting a medical check-up. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know about the medical report! I deliberately threw away the gynecology report. I lied, and I didn¡¯t want to admit the truth. This is my fault¡­ ¡°I just wanted to form a bond with the man I love and let him have some pity for me because of my infertility. That little bit of pity was all that I wanted¡­ I know that I was selfish. This is my fault. I was wrong¡­¡± Anya then raised her arm to wipe away her snot and tears. She nced at Jeremy, walked up to him, and lowered her head in self-me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for pestering you all this while and causing you so much trouble, Jeremy, but I never lied to you in the past. I just found out today that my infertility has been cured¡­ I believe it¡¯s all thanks to your help in finding me the best doctors both in the country and abroad to treat me. Thank you so much, Jeremy! ¡°I confronted Corinne because I was afraid¡­ I was afraid of losing that little bond we had between us. I¡­¡± Anya was choking up severely. She raised her arm, wiped her tears away, and sniffled before saying, ¡°I really like you, Jeremy¡­ From the day I saved you when I was a child, I knew that I wanted to marry you when I grew up! ¡°I always thought that one day, I¡¯d be able to impress you and make you fall in love with me¡­ But I didn¡¯t expect that a girl like Corinne would make you fall in love. Now she¡¯s the only person in your heart, and you¡¯ve been ignoring me too¡­ ¡°I admit that I am very jealous of Corinne because I feel that she snatched you away from me. Chapter 854 Chapter 854 ¡°I now understand that it¡¯s all wishful thinking on my part. Regardless of how much I like you, I shouldn¡¯t try to make you sympathize with me by hiding that my illness has recovered. ¡°Now that my infertility is cured, you don¡¯t have to take any responsibility for me anymore. Starting today, I¡¯ll try my best to let go of you and sincerely wish you and Corinne a happy life ahead!¡± By pouring out her feelings and expressing her ¡®regret¡¯, Anya turned her infertility and the intricate web of lies she carefully weaved into her life for so many years into the brief moment of lunacy that she was that day. As a result, the nature of what she did becamepletely different, making it difficult for anyone to me her for being such a lovesick girl. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained stern. Even though he never liked Anya and knew she had lied. to him, he could not bring himself to treat her indifferently because she had saved his life before. After a brief silence, he said, ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m d that you¡¯ve recovered. Take good care of yourself in the future. I no longer owe you anything.¡± Anya looked at him with reddened, pitiful eyes, and asked humbly, ¡°Are you reluctant to meet me again in the future because I¡¯m healed? Can¡¯t we just be friends?¡± Jeremy said, ¡°You saved my life, so you¡¯ll always be my savior whether or not you¡¯re ill. If you have any problems in the future and need my help, you can always contact my secretary, Tommy. He will help you on my behalf. ¡°I¡¯m no longer a single man, and I¡¯ll avoid meeting someone of the opposite gender if I can help it. As for whether or not we can be friends, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary based on the rtionship of the Holdens and the Riveras.¡± His statement was clear and not very polite. Anya nodded resentfully. ¡°I understand, Jeremy¡­¡± Though she had a disappointed look on her face, she secretly felt d in her heart. Fortunately for her, she had managed to salvage the situation with that rhetoric, and the copse of her ruse did not end up as miserable as she thought it was! As long as Jeremy still regarded her as a savior, there was still hope for the future because his attitude did not shut the door on any possibilities. ¡°How can you be so cold to your savior, Mister? That isn¡¯t very nice!¡± reproached Corinne. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She then smiled apologetically to Anya. ¡°You risked your life to save him, so why would he avoid his savior forever just because your body has recovered? If he isn¡¯t going to be your friend, then I will! Don¡¯t worry, Miss Anya! I¡¯ll make sure to keep watch over him so he continues to treat you as his savior!¡± Anya had a defensive expression In her eyes. She had be vignt when she saw Corinne approaching her because she felt that she was trying to pull some kind of trick on her. However, she could not let anyone notice her doubt, so she said, ¡°Thank you for your willingness to be friends with me regardless of the past¡­¡± Corinne took Anya¡¯s hand affectionately. ¡°Well, we¡¯re both girls, so I understand how you feel! You were blinded by love, and you made mistakes in a moment of confusion!¡± Anya forced a dry and uneasy smile. Deep down, she was unsettled when she saw Corinne holding her hand in a warm yet generous manner. She had no idea what devious tricks that imp, Corinne, was going to use on her! Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Corinne smiled harmlessly and asked, ¡°By the way, Miss Anya, could you please tell me how you rescued Mister Jeremy all those years ago? He¡¯s old, and his memory isn¡¯t very good, so whenever I ask him about it, he says he forgot all the details. Could you tell me what happened?¡± Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Old? I might be older than you, but I¡¯m not old enough to have dementia! How could she call me old in front of other people?¡± Anya¡¯s expression became a little shifty when Corinne asked that. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s been too long, and my memory is a little hazy on the details.¡± Corinne frowned as if annoyed. ¡°How is that possible? Didn¡¯t you just say you fell in love with Mister Jeremy at first sight that day? How could you forget the most memorable day of your life? Tell me whatever you remember!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After what happened earlier, Anya did not want to talk anymore because she learned her lesson not to talk too much. She pretended as if she had been forced to question and blinked uneasily. ¡°Are you trying to use that to warn me because you¡¯re still worried that I¡¯d have inappropriate thoughts about Jeremy? I can promise you that I won¡¯t ever-¡± Corinne shook her head and interrupted with a smile. ¡°What¡¯s there for me to be afraid of? If you had chance of being with him in the first ce, you would¡¯ve been together with him before I even came into the picture!¡± any Anya¡¯s face turned ugly for a moment, and she gritted her teeth while continuing to feign uneasiness. ¡°Then what are you- Corinne answered heartily, ¡°I¡¯m just curious about Mister Jeremy¡¯s past! Please don¡¯t read too much into it. I¡¯m asking this because I treat you as a friend! You just need to tell me what you remember. Treat it like a story! If you¡¯re so reluctant to tell me, then does that mean you no longer consider me a friend?¡± Anya was speechless. ¡®When did Corinne learn how to use her words like I do?¡¯ After being put on the spot like that, Anya had no choice but to tell Corinne. She bit the bullet and said, ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything special about what happened back then. Jeremy just got bit by a venomous snake and lost his eyesight due to the venom. Coincidentally, I found him when I was passing by that area, so I helped him suck out the venom from the wound. Since I was still young at the time, I was a little reckless and didn¡¯t spit everything out. A small amount of poison remained in my body, which caused me to have problems with my reproductive health for many years. That was more or less what happened¡­ In the process of narrating the story, Anya made a point to mention her ¡®long-standing issues ¡®with her reproductive health due to the snake venom. Corinne seemed to be listening carefully to the story, and she had an attentive yet curious look in her eyes. ¡°Oh? How did you find Mister Jeremy at that time? I heard that the entire incident happened in the countryside. Why would you, the daughter of a wealthy family, be staying in the countryside?¡± Anya¡¯s expression began to waver. ¡°Well¡­ At that time, we were escaping the summer heat in a summer resort that our family built in the countryside! I heard some movement in the grass when I was ying outside alone, and that was where I found Jeremy¡­¡± After hearing that, Corinne tilted her head curiously. ¡°You must¡¯ve been a child at that time, right? Why were you ying alone away from the vi? I don¡¯t think your parents would¡¯ve allowed you to do something like that.¡± Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Anya was stumped by Corinne¡¯s question. No one ever asked her for the details of what happened that day, so she never felt the need toe up with an intricate lie. ¡®I might be exposed if I simply bluff my way through now¡­¡¯ ¡°Corinne, you sound like you don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯ve exined to you a thousand times that I don¡¯t remember the details since it happened so long ago. The same goes for Jeremy¡­¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Now now, there¡¯s no need to get so worked up over this, Miss Anya. I just couldn¡¯t help but think how dangerous it was for a small girl like you to be running around in the mountains like that. It was a good thing you didn¡¯t meet any bad guys. I shudder to think what would¡¯ve happened then.¡± Anya became upset. ¡®She¡¯s making it sound like I¡¯m being petty.¡± However, on the surface, she smiled kindly to show that she was not angry. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worked up, Corinne. I really thought you didn¡¯t believe me. And besides, you didn¡¯t have to worry about child-me since my family has a summer vi near the mountain. I¡¯d sometimes sneak out to the mountain, and it was during one of these escapades that I bump into the injured Jeremy¡­¡± Corinne nodded trustingly. ¡°I see! Can you describe for me what Jeremy looked like? He must¡¯ve been quite young then.¡± Jeremy was speechless at the subtle dig made by Corinne. ¡®She¡¯s making it sound like I¡¯m very old right now. Wait¡­ Is she put off by how old I am now?¡± Anya blushed and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ He was only 19 then, so he was quite young¡­¡± ¡°I bet he looked cuter than this unapproachable version of him now,¡± Corinne said with great interest. ¡°Why don¡¯t you describe more about him to me, Miss Anya.¡± The green veins in Jeremy¡¯s forehead bulged. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not really good at describing people¡­¡± said Anya, trying to gloss over her lies. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°You can just give me the gist of it-like the color of the clothing he wore that day.¡± Anya¡¯s face stiffened. ¡®How the h*ll would I know? I wasn¡¯t the one who saved him. I don¡¯t even know what he looked like when he was injured, let alone the color of the clothing he wore that day!¡¯ In truth, she only passed by that spot after Jeremy had left and the guy who passed her the bracelet mistook her for Corinne. She then got to know about who Jeremy was and how he came to get hurt from that guy, and that was how she was able to pass herself off as the girl who saved Jeremy. The first time Anya met Jeremy was when she went to look for him at his office with the bracelet in her hand. She nned to get a little reward from him, but when she saw himing out from his office¡­it was love at first sight. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The young Jeremy was handsome and stylish. He was even better looking than some of the male models out there. In fact, she thought him even more attractive than Lucas, who she used to think was the most handsome man in the world. All it took was one look, and she swore to herself she would marry no one else but him. However, all that would not help her in answering the question of what color of clothing. Jeremy was wearing on the day she supposedly saved him. A waving hand suddenly shook her out of her trance. Next came Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°Hey! Earth to Miss Anya. What are you thinking about? Why aren¡¯t you answering my question?¡± Chapter 857 Chapter 857 Coming back to reality, Anya smiled awkwardly. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just trying very hard to recall what happened back then.¡± Corinne smiled, ¡°Oh, okay. Then did you happen to remember what color of clothing Jeremy was wearing?¡± The question stumped Anya. ¡®I might get exposed if I can¡¯t even answer a question as simple as this¡­ Jeremy rarely wears bright colors, so the answer is either ck or white¡­ Umm¡­ I¡¯ll just pick a color, then!¡¯ ¡°Umm¡­ He was wearing ck¡­¡± Hearing this, Jeremy narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°Then, do you remember where the rattlesnake bit him?¡± asked Corinne. Anya¡¯s face tensed up again. She really had no idea where. ¡°Umm¡­ It was his arm.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Left or right arm?¡± Corinne hit her with another question. ¡®How the hell should I know?¡¯ Anya pretended to look perplexed. ¡°Corinne, the way you¡¯re asking me for all these little details makes it seem like I¡¯m being interrogated here.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, can¡¯t me a girl for being curious, can you? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even remember such an important little detail like this, Miss Anya. I mean, it¡¯s not every day you suck out snake venom from other people¡¯s arms, right?¡± Anya frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you¡­ It happened so long ago, so my memory is a little bit unclear.¡± Corinne smirked. ¡°Then do you remember doing anything else after sucking out the venom from Jeremy¡¯s arm?¡± Anya frowned unhappily. ¡°What else did I do? Corinne, I was just a kid then, so what else could I do?¡± Corinne furrowed her brow for a second. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring him any food? That¡¯s weird¡­ He could¡¯ve died of hunger even if the venom didn¡¯t get to him first.¡± It dawned on Anya that Corinne was not being jealous and suspected of her doing anything untoward to Jeremy. ¡°Umm¡­ Of course, I brought him some food.¡± ¡°Oh? What food did you bring him?¡± Anya did not dare to simplye up with an answer since there was a high chance Jeremy might find the holes in her lies. ¡°I brought him whatever my family was having that day¡­I made sure to keep some and snuck it out for him¡­¡± ¡°Such as?¡± asked Corinne deliberately. Anya could not avoid the question. ¡°Such as¡­cookies, bread, ham¡­ Umm, I don¡¯t quite remember, but I brought whatever was convenient.¡± used to think was the most handsome man in the world. All it took was one look, and she swore to herself she would marry no one else but him. However, all that would not help her in answering the question of what color of clothing Jeremy was wearing on the day she supposedly saved him. A waving hand suddenly shook her out of her trance. Next came Corinne¡¯s face. ¡°Hey! Earth to Miss Anya. What are you thinking about? Why aren¡¯t you answering my question?¡± Chapter 858 Chapter 858 ¡®That means she¡¯s been using the fake excuse of being my savior to keep me wrapped around her finger for thest ten years!¡¯ thought Jeremy. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s anger was so intense that everyone present in the room could feel it washing over them. Anya obviously felt the thickening tension in the air, so she instinctively turned to look at Jeremy. She was immediately greeted by his cold, cold eyes. ¡°Jeremy¡­ Wha¡­ What¡¯s the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Miss Anya, how many times did you bring me food then? And when did you bring them to me?¡± Jeremy asked in a cold, monotonous tone. Anya averted her gaze out of guilt. Frowning, she answered, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really remember¡­ I probably brought you the food in the morning and at night¡­¡± Jeremy looked down condescendingly at her. ¡°Miss Anya, I¡¯m only going to ask you once. Is it you don¡¯t remember, or is it that you don¡¯t know at all?¡± that Anya realized she had given the wrong answer. ¡°I¡­ I really don¡¯t remember. It¡¯s been ten years, Jeremy. I was only ten, so how can I remember so many details?¡± ¡°No matter how bad your memory is, it¡¯s impossible to get every detail wrong!¡± Jeremy replied gloomily. ¡®I got the answers wrong?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes reddened as she panickingly said, ¡°Why are you suddenly doubting me too, Jeremy? Me getting some of the details wrong doesn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t the one who saved you¡­¡± ¡®Here she goes again pretending to be pitiful to buy my sympathy! thought Jeremy with annoyance and disgust. That year, Jeremy had just taken over running Holden Corporation, so he did not have the time nor energy to suspect whether Anya was the girl who saved him. Also, why would he suspect her when she had the bracelet as proof? Hence, he did not look into the matter further. In the beginning, he only wanted to pay her back for saving him by granting her a wish, but he never expected she would fall madly in love with him after that. More than once, he told her he had no interest in her¡­but she pped him with a report of her infertility caused by the venom she had sucked out of his body. ¡®What a joke! I¡¯ve put up with all of her all these years out of guilt, and only now did I find out it was all a lie?¡¯ thought Jeremy. Phoebe was starting to see what was happening. ¡®Sh*t! That b*tch Corinne is trying to get Anya to expose herself!¡¯ No way was she going to let that happen! She was still hoping for Anya to marry Jeremy so she could gloat about it, and the only way for that to happen was to force Jeremy to marry Anya out of guilt! Thinking of this, she immediately came to Anya¡¯s defense. ¡°Jeremy, Anya¡¯s memory isn¡¯t all that great, so it¡¯s normal for her to have forgotten things that happened ten years ago. Surely you can¡¯t deny the fact that she saved you just because of some little missed details!¡± Chapter 859 Chapter 859 Jeremy red at Phoebe before scoffing. ¡°Well, how else can we prove she was the girl who saved me back then?¡± Phoebe frowned. ¡°How else? Isn¡¯t the bracelet enough? It¡¯s not like she can fake the bracelet. Anya, hurry and show Jeremy the bracelet now.¡± Anya had lost herposure out of guilt so much so she would have forgotten about the existence of the bracelet if it was not for Phoebe¡¯s reminder. She quickly took out the bracelet from her pocket and showed it to Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, look. Isn¡¯t this the bracelet you asked one of your men to give me back then?¡± she asked pitifully. ¡°You can check to see if it¡¯s real¡­¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and frowned. He did not need to check; he could tell at a nce that the bracelet was real. However, he was still unconvinced by Phoebe¡¯s and Anya¡¯s exnations.¡¯ It sounds more like she was making things up on the spot¡­¡± ¡°Jeremy, I know you can tell the bracelet is real. And even if Anya¡¯s infertility is cured, you can¡¯t just doubt her like this and throw away the fact that she did save you¡­¡± said Phoebe in a way that showed how much her heart was breaking for Anya. ¡°Yes, Jeremy. You don¡¯t have to feel responsible for me or pay me back for saving you now that I¡¯m all better¡­but it saddens me to think you don¡¯t believe me at all,¡± muttered Anya weepily. Jeremy frowned. He still did not believe both Phoebe and Anya, but he did not have conclusive evidence that Anya was not the one who saved him back then. There was also the fact that Anya did have the bracelet in her possession. At that moment, Corinne suddenly snatched the bracelet from Anya¡¯s hand. Stunned, Anya frowned when she saw Corinne nonchntly putting the bracelet on her own wrist. ¡°Corinne, what are you doing? Jeremy gave me that, not you.¡¯ The bracelet was a little loose for Corinne; it almost slipped down to her elbow. She raised her arm to admire the bracelet which should have been hers to begin her. ¡°Miss Anya, you can¡¯t possibly think Jeremy meant to give this bracelet to you,¡± Corinne said with a smile. Anya frowned unhappily. ¡°What are you trying to say, Corinne? Who else could he have given it to if not me? You?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. He meant to give it to me.¡± Anya felt disgusted by Corinne¡¯s audacity, but she did not show it to anyone. Instead, she tried to maintain a polite smile and said, ¡°Corinne, stop joking around. You don¡¯t even know Jeremy then so give me back the bracelet now!¡± Corinne shook the bracelet before saying seriously, ¡°Let me tell you all the details you¡¯ve so conveniently forgotten. Jeremy wore white that day, and he was bitten on the left arm. The girl who saved him found him after she heard him coughing in the bushes. She brought him one roll of bun every day, so he only ate one bun a day and drank a little water from the girl¡¯s bottle. He didn¡¯t like to talk and spent his time ignoring the girl who saved him. Don¡¯t you just find that frustrating? I mean, one would¡¯ve thought he¡¯d be nicer to the girl who saved him.¡± Jeremy looked at Corinne with shock. ¡®How does she know all this?¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He never told her all that since he could not even remember what happened himself. He was momentarily blind at the time too, so he never saw what the girl looked like. Chapter 860 Chapter 860 ¡°Mister, did I get everything right?¡± Corinne turned to look at Jeremy with a raised brow. Jeremy fixed his eyes on her. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Corinne smiled and lifted his chin cheekily. ¡°Because I was the girl who saved you back then!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°It was you?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yup. You were gone when I brought you a roll of bun on thest day. I thought you had been taken off by the wolves, so I buried a few more buns on the spot tomemorate you.¡± Jeremy was speechless. He frowned and looked at her in disbelief. ¡®It was her all along! No wonder I¡¯ve never gotten the sense of honesty from Anya¡­¡¯ Corinne tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mister? You don¡¯t seem happy at the news.¡± Jeremy snapped out of his shock. He felt immensely happy at the wonderful fate he shared with Corinne. He kissed her hand and asked seductively, ¡°Have you known about this for a long time? Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°I only found out about this not that long ago. But, I feel like there¡¯s nothing to tell since I don¡¯t n to use this to emotionally ckmail you into loving me. And the only reason I decided to tell you today is because I can¡¯t stand to see you being lied to by other people anymore.¡± Jeremy pulled her into a tight hug. ¡°Oh, you little rascal! Thank you for saving me back then!¡± Corinne almost felt like all the air had been squeezed out of her. ¡°Hey, Mister! You¡¯re hugging me too tight. I can¡¯t breathe!¡± Anya was immediately filled with jealousy. She wanted to be hugged like that by Jeremy, too! ¡®How¡­ How did this happen? Corinne was the one who saved Jeremy back then? No¡­that¡¯s impossible! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to believe that. She must be lying!¡¯ Anya sniffed loudly and cried woefully, ¡°Corinne, how can you do this to me? Why are you pretending to be the girl who saved Jeremy? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going a little overboard this time?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne lightly pushed Jeremy away, wanting him to let her go. She then smiled at Anya and said, ¡°I¡¯m not pretending at all, Miss Anya.¡± Anya frowned and asked through gritted teeth, ¡°Then do you have any proof that you were the girl who saved Jeremy? You don¡¯t even have the bracelet! You can¡¯t possibly expect us to believe you based on your words alone.¡± Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Corinne slowly walked from Jeremy¡¯s arms and stood in front of Anya. Crossing her arms nonchntly, she said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have physical evidence like the bracelet, but I have the same memory as Jeremy.¡± Anya refused to give up. ¡°It¡¯s normal to miss a few details when the incident happened so long ago! I was the one who saved Jeremy, not you! I might not have remembered the details, but I¡¯m pretty sure you got lucky with the guesses. ¡°I remember everything now. I only brought Jeremy a roll of bun every day because I didn¡¯t want my family to find out I¡¯d been sneaking out. And from what I know, you didn¡¯t even live in the town near the mountain at the time Jeremy was hurt. There¡¯s no way a little girl like you back then could¡¯ve gone somewhere so far away from home, so this just proves that you¡¯re lying.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Miss Anya, you¡¯re a stubborn one, aren¡¯t you? Well, let me tell you everything that happened back then. I was brought up in a covenant, and Mother Cathrina, the nun who took me in, brought me to the mountain to collect herbs that year. Thus, the two of us stayed with the locals for a while back then. ¡°One day, I got separated from Mother Cathrina, so I had to make my way back to the local¡¯s. house. On the way down the mountain, I heard someone coughing in the bushes, and that was where I found the injured Jeremy. Fortunately, I¡¯ve learned some homeopathy from Mother Cathrina and knew how to tend to venomous snake bites, so I sucked out the venom and wrapped Jeremy¡¯s wound with some bandage and herbal medicine. Then, I¡¯d bring him a roll of bun and some water from my sh every day. ¡°At first, I thought Jeremy lost both of his ability to see and speak from the snake venom since he wouldn¡¯t talk to me no matter what I say to him. Until one day, I must¡¯ve gained his trust, since he said thank you to me for the first time. It was only then I found out he could speak. after all. ¡°If you ask me why I only brought him a roll of bun every day¡­ Well, it was because Mother Cathrina observes a strict vegetarian diet, so buns like that made up most of our diet. I shared with him what I had. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You, Miss Anya, grew up surrounded by luxury. Surely it¡¯d be hard-pressed to find a in roll of bun like that in your house. Since you said you were the one who saved Jeremy¡­ Tell me, Miss Anya, where did you find something like that to give him?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Anya could note up with an answer at all. ¡®Why that sneaky little b*tch! It took her no time to find the holes in my story¡­¡¯ she thought. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember¡­ I did grow up surrounded by luxury, but our family would sometimes. eat in buns as well¡­ Besides, I was a kid then. I just grabbed whatever I could find¡­¡¯ Anya tried to bluff her way out of it again. Jeremy walked up to Corinne and ced his hand lightly on her shoulder. That was as good as letting everybody know whose side he was on. He looked at Anya coldly and said, ¡°Miss Anya, you still won¡¯t admit you lied about saving me? When faced with Jeremy, Anya immediately turned on a damsel in distress act. ¡°Jeremy, I¡­ I have the bracelet you gave me¡­ I was the one who saved you¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the bracelet in person. The man I gave the order had made a mistake, and I¡¯ll punish him ordingly.¡± Anya¡¯s heart went cold, and she quickly turned on the waterworks. ¡°Jeremy¡­ I¡­¡± Corinne was annoyed by her tears. ¡°Miss Anya, stop crying now. That won¡¯t work anymore. Not only did you pretend to be the girl who saved Jeremy all these years, but you even lied about your infertility issue to emotionally ckmail him into loving you! You¡¯re one of the most despicable people I¡¯ve ever met in my life!¡± Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Seeing that her tears were not working, Anya red at Corinne. ¡°No¡­ No! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s lying! This is all a setup! This is all part of your evil n to hurt me! I¡¯m going to make you pay!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Anya finally showed her true colors; she no longer had to pretend since everything was out in the open. She rushed toward Corinne with her hand stretched out, wanting nothing more than to strangle her. However, Jeremy grabbed her wrist before she could even get close to her. ¡°What do you you¡¯re doing?!¡± he asked threateningly. think Anya did not dare to go crazy on Jeremy, so she broke down and cried. ¡°Jeremy, you mustn¡¯t believe a word of this woman! She¡¯s only a country bumpkin who wants to turn her fate by getting you to marry her. That¡¯s why she¡¯s trying to drive us apart¡­ She thinks I¡¯m getting in the way of her ns, so you mustn¡¯t believe her!¡± Jeremy was appalled by her lies, but he was still a gentleman through and through. Not wanting to raise her hand against her, he flung her off unhappily before looking coldly at Lucas. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to do something about this precious little sister of yours?¡± Lucas was not standing far off from where they were. He was about to rush up to stop Anya from strangling Corinne, but it was a good thing Jeremy beat him to it. Anya staggered half a meter back. Being treated like this by Jeremy made her break down even more. She threw a pleading look toward Lucas and whimpered, ¡°Lucas, Corinne is trying to set me up! She¡¯s bullying me¡­ You need to stop her, Lucas!¡± Phoebe walked over and supported Anya up. ¡°Lucas, what are you still standing there for? Aren¡¯t you going to speak up for Anya? How can you let an outsider treat her like this?¡± Knowing Lucas had no respect for her, Phoebe was banking on the fact that he had always pampered Anya. He would surely not let this matter slide! Lucas looked at her coldly and uttered icily, ¡°I feel nothing but disgust for you and Anya!¡± Both of their eyes widened in shock. Anya immediately threw herself into his arms. ¡°Lucas, how can you not believe me too?!¡± Lucas pushed her away without hesitation. ¡°Believe you? You¡¯ve lied to all of us here for ten years, and now that you¡¯ve been exposed, you should feel ashamed of yourself! This time, Anya was pushed two meters back and nearly fell to the floor. She had never been treated so ruthlessly by Lucas, so she was understandably distraught. After steadying herself, she cried, ¡°Lucas¡­ I really didn¡¯t lie¡­ I¡¯m being wronged here¡­¡± Lucas looked at her with disgust and hatred. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no saving you anymore! You don¡¯t even know the meaning of remorse!¡± Meanwhile, Corinne yawnedzily. She wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep since everything had been taken care of. Before she left, she nced nonchntly at Maxwell, who was sitting by Sunny¡¯s bed silently. This is weird¡­ Howe he never intervened when all of this concerns his wife and daughter? It¡¯s as if he¡¯s an outsider in all of this. Well, I guess a dirtbag will always be a dirtbag. She looked away in disgust and turned her attention to Sunny, who was as pale as a ghost. All of his faith in Anya and Phoebe hade crashing down in that second. No matter how stupid he was, he still got the gist of what happened. ¡®So Anya had been lying about saving Jeremy all this time! I can¡¯t believe she pretended to be infertile just to make him feel guilty!¡¯ Chapter 863 Chapter 863 ¡®And my own mother spiked the pomegranate juice with something that can induce miscarriage to get rid of Corinne¡¯s baby! I shouldn¡¯t have drank that pomegranate juice; I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this hospital! Both Anya and my mom aren¡¯t the kind-hearted people I thought they were¡­ It was all an act!¡¯ thought Sunny. Corinne could tell Sunny was suffering a heavy blow to his fragile heart. She shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, I hope you get better soon ande away from this with more wisdom.¡± Sunny frowned unhappily at Corinne. He wanted to say something but decided to stay silent. No word would ever make up for the wrong Anya and Phoebe did to Corinne. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mister.¡± Corinne locked her hands with Jeremy¡¯s, and the two of them walked out of the room hand-in-hand. However, they had not even gotten two steps out when Anya grabbed Jeremy¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Jeremy¡­ I¡­ I can exin¡­ Things aren¡¯t as Corinne says they are.¡± Corinne yawned before ncing at Anya. She then dug her ear as she silently watched. Jeremy looked at Anya irritatedly. ¡°Miss Anya, you just don¡¯t know when to stop, do you? Is it not enough that you¡¯ve lied to me for the past ten years so that I did whatever you want? Let me warn you now: I¡¯ll take action against you if you dare make my wife unhappy!¡± After saying that, he shrugged her off coldly and inteced his fingers with Corinne¡¯s again before walking out of the room together. ¡°Jeremy!¡± Anya stubbornly chased after him but was stopped by Lucas. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Have you no shame? Just let them be!¡± Anya had lost all of hermon sense by then. She broke down in tears and pleaded, ¡°Lucas, you have to believe me! Corinne set this all up. That b*tch will do anything to steal Jeremy away from me¡­¡± What was left of the little sibling¡¯s love for Anya immediately flew out of Lucas¡¯ heart when he heard her calling Corinne a ¡®b*tch¡¯. His face darkened, and he narrowed his eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± Anya was in the throes of her anger, so she did not notice the change in Lucas. ¡°I said I¡¯m innocent! All that happened today was nned by that b*tch to set-¡± Smack! Lucas pped her harshly, and he did not hold back at all. ¡°You better watch what you¡¯re saying!¡± warned Lucas fiercely. The impact of the p made Anya¡¯s mind go nk and her hair all messed up. She looked at Lucas incredulously while holding her burning face. Her eyes widened in shock, and tears quickly poured out from them. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did you just hit me because of Corinne? No¡­this isn¡¯t happening!¡± she sobbed loudly. ¡°How can you do this to me when I¡¯m your favorite person in the whole world? This is all Corinne¡¯s fault!¡± Lucas did not feel Anya was deserving of any pity based on how unrepentant she was. ¡°I have no time for you right now so think about what you did wrong by yourself,¡± he said coldly before walking out of the room. Chapter 864 Chapter 864 ¡°Lucas! Lucas¡­!¡± Anya copsed onto the floor and kept crying. ¡®Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t! It¡¯s all over for me!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The ¡®good girl¡¯ image she so painstakingly built over the years was destroyed in an instant by Corinne. She was out of ideas as even Lucas turned his back on her, too! Phoebe started to panic when she saw her daughter, who everyone used to pamper, was rebuked by everyone. Her heart broke when she saw how hard Lucas pped Anya. She looked unhappily at Maxwell. ¡°Say something, Maxwell! Didn¡¯t you just see how Lucas pped Anya? As their father, shouldn¡¯t you do something about it?!! Maxwell sat there calmly. His face had lost its youthfulness, but in return, he looked like he gained a certain eptance of life. ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. This is all karma, so you have no one else to me but yourself.¡± Phoebe¡¯s face paled. ¡°Maxwell! How can you talk like this about me and Anya? Haven¡¯t I always given the best to your family? What have I done for you to treat me so harshly?¡± Maxwell did not want to waste his breath on her anymore. He looked down topose himself. ¡®Is it just me, or does Corinne really look like Emily?¡¯ Phoebe could not contain her outburst anymore. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Maxwell! Why won¡¯t you even look at me? Why do you always treat me like I don¡¯t exist? Even if you don¡¯t like me, you should at least be a good father to Anya!¡± Anya had lost all of Lucas¡¯ trust and love, so she was hoping her father would at least speak up for her. ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t believe me too. You mustn¡¯t believe Corinne. That evil woman nned all of this¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± shouted Sunny, who was leaning weakly against the headboard. He had never taken that tone or attitude with Phoebe or Anya before. Anya was startled. ¡°Sunny, you¡­¡± ¡°Sunny, why did you shout like that? You almost scared Anya to death!¡± lectured Phoebe unhappily. At that moment, Sunny was beyond incensed. He was disgusted and resentful of how unrepentant both Phoebe and Anya seemed to be. As hard as he found it hard to ept that his mother and sister had be the kind of people he hated the most in the world, he had no choice but to face them. ¡°All of you, get out! I need some peace and quiet to think! I¡¯ll die from all your crying and shouting even if the internal bleeding doesn¡¯t kill me!¡± Chapter 865 Chapter 865 Phoebe and Anya were shocked by Sunny yelling at them. Maxwell simply got up calmly and picked up his jacket that hung from the back of the chair. Get well soon, Sunny. Press the call button if you need anything, and a nurse wille for you. He then walked toward the door, and on his way there, he said to Phoebe, ¡°You should let your son rest if you want him to get better.¡± He was out of the door by the time he said thest word. Phoebe frowned. With Anya having lost Lucas¡¯ trust, Sunny was Phoebe¡¯s only hope to stay in the family. Thus, she dared not provoke Sunny anymore, and she quickly dragged Anya out with her. Maxwell was nowhere to be found once the two of them got out of the room. Instead, they saw the bodyguards Lucas arranged to stand guard by Sunny¡¯s door. A wave of exhaustion washed over Anya as she finally calmed down. She slumped down on the chair and said anxiously, ¡°What should we do now? Even Lucas doesn¡¯t believe me anymore! And I¡¯m pretty sure Jeremy won¡¯t want to see me again¡­not after he found out I wasn¡¯t the girl who saved him.¡± Phoebe did not know what to do either; her mind was all over the ce. ¡°That Corinne had certainly bested us¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯m lost too, Anya. It¡¯ll be awkward for the two of us from now on. Your grandparents had never liked me¡­ Think of how they¡¯ll punish me once they find out about the pomegranate juice.¡± ¡°Is that the only thing we can do? Wait for them to punish us? No! I¡¯ve always done whatever you wanted me to do ever since you married into the Rivera family. I worked hard to build up my image of a good girl and impersonated Luna to make Grandpa and Grandma like me¡­ I¡¯m not going to let what happened today derail all of the sess I had gotten. More importantly, I¡¯m not going to let Corinne steal Jeremy away from me¡­ Ten years! Ten years I spent trying to get Jeremy to love me¡­¡± Phoebe sided entirely with Anya. ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly. Think, Anya! Does Corinne have any weakness we can use against her?¡± After thinking it over, Anya shook her head. ¡°That b*tch doesn¡¯t seem to have any weakness. She doesn¡¯t have any friends or family we can threaten. Having grown up wild in the countryside means she can do whatever she wants without worrying her actions will bring harm to others. That¡¯s why she was able to escape the trap I set up for her and turn it all on me repeatedly.¡± The wheels in Phoebe¡¯s mind started to turn. ¡°She grew up in the countryside, eh? Do you know where exactly?¡± Anya shook her head. ¡°No, but it shouldn¡¯t be hard to find out. We can send someone to look into the matter. Why do you want to know, though?¡± ¡°It stands to reason we can¡¯t find any weakness of hers in New Capital City since she didn¡¯t grow up here¡­but what if we look into where she used to live? I mean, everyone has some kind of past they wish to hide. And even if she doesn¡¯t, we can just make something up,¡± Phoebe replied thoughtfully. Anya¡¯s reddened eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Are you saying¡­¡± Phoebe nodded. ¡°Anya, we may not be able to turn things around with the Riveras, but what if we change our tactics? Since we couldn¡¯t overthrow Corinne¡¯s argument today based on how logical it sounded, we can get the people in her past to doubt her and use her of being a liar. This would indirectly invalidate all of the things she said today!¡± Anya began to fill with renewed hope. ¡°What a great idea! We should get our men to carry out the n right away! Oooh, Corinne. Just wait! I¡¯m going to make you pay if it¡¯s thest thing I do! And this time, I¡¯m going to make sure you won¡¯t ever be able toe back from it!¡± Chapter 866 Chapter 866 ¡°Corinne!¡± Corinne heard someone shout out her name just when she was about to get into the car. With one foot inside, she turned to look around and saw Lucas striding toward her. ¡°Corinne, a moment of your time, please? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to tell you in private,¡± said Lucas softly. Corinne raised her brow a little. After considering it, she turned to Jeremy and said, ¡°Mister, can you go buy me a bottle of yogurt drink at that convenience shop over there? I suddenly have a craving for it.¡± Jeremy knew Corinne was trying to steer him away. He would not have allowed her to speak privately to a man if this had happened in the past, but it was different since he knew Lucas. was her brother. They were long-lost siblings, and since Corinne was willing to speak to Lucas, Jeremy felt like it was not in his ce to prevent her from doing so. Thus, he gently ruffled Corinne¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Alright, then.¡± He thus walked slowly to the convenience store in front of them. Lucas made sure Jeremy was well out of earshot before turning to look at Corinne. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk at that park over there. I¡¯m worried the fumes in the parking lot will make you ufortable.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Corinne nodded. She might as well do as he suggested since she agreed to hear what he had to say. The two of them came to the park in front of the hospital. Lucas found a ce to sit, but he then took off his jacket andid it on the bench. ¡°Here, Corinne. You can sit here.¡± Corinne plopped down unceremoniously on the bench whereas Lucas pulled up his pants a little before sitting down gracefully next to her. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you get on with it, Mister Lucas? I¡¯m in quite a rush to get home.¡± Lucas looked at her helplessly when he heard her address him as ¡®Mister Lucas¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s my every intention to make sure you have a good time at our house today, but not only did we cause trouble for you again, but you also nearly lost your baby¡­¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°Oh, sorry ain¡¯t going to cut it this time. Plus, this isn¡¯t the only time your family has caused me trouble.¡± I Lucas frowned and looked apologetically at her. ¡°Do you really have no ns to go home?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± replied Corinne without missing a beat. Lucas¡¯ eyes immediately lit up. ¡®She¡¯s willing to go home?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m going home with Jeremyter,¡± added Corinne. Lucas was dumbfounded by her response, and he smiled wryly. ¡°So the Holdens¡¯ ce is where you call home?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Nope. The Holdens¡¯ ce is just like any mansion in the city. Meaning to say, there¡¯s nothing special about it. My home is wherever Jeremy is.¡± Lucas was filled with conflicted feelings. As her brother, he had lost the chance to vouch for the man Corinne had married. ¡°I¡¯m d Jeremy makes you happy. But if he ever cheats on you, you cane to me, and I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach him a lesson ¡¯cause I¡¯ll just break up with him if he dares to cheat on me. I¡¯d rather go without a man in my life than to desperately hang on to at cheating dirtbag!¡± Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! im Chapter 867 Chapter 867 Corinne¡¯s response took Lucas aback, but his eyes were then filled with admiration for his long -lost sister. ¡°The difference between her and Anya is quite stark. This is what my sister should be like an independent woman who¡¯s not afraid to love and let go at the same time! Anya only knows how to cry and act like a damsel in distress. I must be blind in the past to not see what a drama queen she was.¡¯ He took a deep breath before asking, ¡°Corinne, did youe to work for me because you wanted to find out why Mom left our home with you?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right,¡± admitted Corinne. There was no reason to hide it as everything hade to this point. Lucas sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that anymore. I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and said mockingly, ¡°You¡¯ll tell me? Hah! You¡¯re just going to tell me Mom made a mistake and was caught in bed with another man, and that¡¯s why she was kicked out of the house.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to believe that either, Corinne, but¡­I did see Moming out of a hotel with another man.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°What about it? That¡¯s not proof enough. I myself havee out of many hotels with many different men. Does that mean I slept with all of them?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense like that!¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°No matter what happened back then, I¡¯ll always believe my mother isn¡¯t that kind of woman!¡± Lucas was d to see Corinne defending their mother vehemently. He nodded and said, ¡°I believe Mom isn¡¯t that kind of woman too. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve asked my men to look into the matter all these years. Though, we haven¡¯t found anything that proves otherwise.¡± Corinne was disappointed in him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t anything! It doesn¡¯t take a rocket genius to figure out who has benefited the most from Mom getting kicked out of the house! That person is the biggest suspect¡­ ¡°And you! You weed the thief into the house and treated her like your mother!¡± Instead of being angry, Lucas just felt really misunderstood. He had never seen Phoebe as his mother. He only called her ¡®Aunt Phoebe¡¯ out of respect for Anya, and he rarely talked to her unless it was necessary. After Emily and Corinne left the house, a pregnant Phoebe came to force Maxwell to marry her. The only reason Cedric and Beatrice would allow her to marry into the family was because she carried the bloodline of the Rivera family. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Thus, it stood to reason Lucas suspected Phoebe was the culprit behind Emily getting kicked out of the house. However, he was just a kid then, so he faced one problem after another when he tried to look into the matter. Later, when he took over the helm from Maxwell and got the power he needed, the first thing he did was to arrange for his men to look into his mother¡¯s ¡®affair¡¯ so he could clear up her name. s, they could not find conclusive evidence pointing to what Phoebe had done. The reason he told Corinne he did not find anything and asked her not to look into the matter anymore was because he did not want her to go through all that effort to onlye up empty- handed, and not because he thought their mother was promiscuous. He also did not want Corinne to end up just like him-stuck in the past and feeling guilty over his inability to protect both Emily and Corinne. It was just too tiring to live that way. Lucas did not exin himself to Corinne. He simply sighed and asked, ¡°Where did you Mom go after you two left the family? Why didn¡¯t you two live together?¡± Corinne frowned as a multitude of emotions welled up in her heart. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. All my memories of that time are a blur to me. I only know Mom entrusted me to the Carews, and she disappeared after that.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°So there¡¯s a high possibility Mom is still alive?¡± Corinne took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m counting on that, but I¡¯m not sure either since I couldn¡¯t find any trace of her still being alive. I only managed to gather the paintings she left behind.¡± Lucas sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for her all these years and will continue to do so now that you¡¯re back.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay. Thanks, Mister Lucas. Please let me know as soon as possible when you¡¯ve gotten any leads.¡± She did not mind having an extra pair of hands helping her since that would make the work faster. ¡®I¡¯m actually worried Mom got killed after entrusting me to the Carews¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure she wouldn¡¯t have given me to that family if her life wasn¡¯t in danger. She must¡¯ve thought that was her only choice to keep me safe.¡¯ Lucas noticed the sadness on Corinne¡¯s face and knew she was thinking about Emily. He then thought of all the hardships Corinne must have suffered alone, causing his heart to nearly break. He wanted to give her a hug, but¡­he did not dare to. He knew she had not epted him as her brother yet, and she was only willing to talk to him. because she wanted to find out more about Emily. Otherwise, she would not have kept addressing him as ¡®Mister Lucas¡¯ to remind him they were not close at all. He told himself to have patience and that it would take consistent effort on his part to make Corinne come around. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to ept me as your brother, but can you at least promise. me that you won¡¯t go disappearing on me again?¡± Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°You can always find me at the Holdens¡¯, but please don¡¯t contact me unless necessary¡­and by that, I mean to not contact me unless it¡¯s to tell me you¡¯ve found more leads about my Mom. The Holdens will never wee the likes of you. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She then stood up and did a stretch. ¡°Now then. Jeremy has been waiting for me long enough, so I¡¯ll be going.¡± As much as Lucas did not want her to go, he did not ask her to stay as he knew he did not have the right to do so. He, too, stood up and said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t walk too fast, okay? And watch your steps.¡± Corinne simply waved at him without looking back as she walked toward the parking lot. Lucas fixed his zing eyes on her back. He wanted to walk her off but was worried doing so would displease her. It was a good thing the parking lot was not that far, so he was able to see whether she had reached the car safely from where he was. He did not pull back his gaze until he saw Corinne standing beside Jeremy. After that, he picked up his suit jacket to dust off the dirt on it. Just when he was about to turn around, he bumped into Maxwell. The two of them had not had the greatest rtionship ever since Emily left. ¡°Lucas, what were you talking about with Corinne just now?¡± asked Maxwell. ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just apologizing to her for everything that happened today. What a bad day for our family,¡± replied Lucas indifferently. Maxwell thought so, too. He nodded before he then asked, ¡°How did she end up marrying that Holden kid?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyebrow shot up mockingly. ¡°Why are you asking? Are you interested in her?¡± ¡°I just think she looks a lot like your mother when she was younger,¡± admitted Maxwell. Lucas scoffed. ¡°As if you still remember what my mother looks like! Forgive me for being blunt, but you¡¯re not worthy to ever speak of her!¡± Spin to im Your Surprise Reward y Chapter 869 Chapter 869 After that, the poker-faced Lucas-with his suit jacket flung over his shoulder- walked past Maxwell. Maxwell was used to Lucas¡¯ indifferent behavior toward him and thus did not me him or was provoked. Lucas was unwilling to speak to him ever since Emily and Corinne left the family. Maxwell sat on the bench, narrowed his eyes, and looked toward the parking lot. Jeremy twisted open the cap of the yogurt drink and passed it to Corinne to drink. After taking a big mouthful, she put the bottle near Jeremy¡¯s lips, but she cheekily pulled it away again and burst out in laughter when he opened his mouth. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The look in Maxwell¡¯s eyes softened. ¡®She really does look like Emily when she was younger. It¡¯s been ten years¡­ I wonder how Emily is doing?¡± Jeremy went up to shower after getting home. Corinne told him she wanted to watch the TV in the living room for a while, so she did not follow him upstairs. However, what she really did was to go into the kitchen. ¡®Mister mustn¡¯t have eaten yet since he went straight to the Riveras¡¯ ce to pick me up after work,¡¯ she thought. Many things happened after that, and it was not till nighttime that they came home. Corinne washed her hands, put on an apron, and made Jeremy a big bowl of noodles. A servant came in to help her but was promptly waved away. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯m cooking anythingplicated. Having another person here will just mess up my flow.¡¯ After chopping the tomatoes, she proceeded to whisk some eggs when she heard loud footstepsing toward the kitchen. She continued to whisk the eggs when a few secondster, Francine walked in and looked around to make sure Jeremy was not in the kitchen too before asking angrily, ¡°What are you trying to pull, Corinne?¡± Not stopping what she was doing, Corinne raised her eyebrow and nced at Francine. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You want me to make you something, too?¡± Francine rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Who wants to eat your stinky food? I¡¯m asking you what you¡¯re trying to pull with the parcel you asked Bowen to give me today.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Oh, that! That¡¯s a gift I specially picked out for you.¡± ¡°Gift?¡± repeated Francine unhappily. ¡°You should be embarrassed to call that a gift! I¡¯ve never ever seen such a cheap gift in my life!¡± She kept waving the book in her hand as she spoke. ¡°Cheap? I gave you a practice book to help you increase your knowledge. Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Don¡¯t you know that knowledge is the most precious wealth there is? It¡¯s so much better than those useless bags and shoes you have.¡± Francine gritted her teeth and scoffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be this p*ssed if you didn¡¯t give me a practice book meant for elementary school kids!¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was kinda worried you wouldn¡¯t be able to do the practice question if I gave you any higher than that.¡± Francine never felt so humiliated in her life. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re the stupid one here! In fact, your whole family is stupid!¡± she said hysterically. Corinne smirked. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you prove me wrong then? I¡¯ll buy you ten Hermes bags if you can get at least half of the practice questions right.¡± Chapter 870 Chapter 870 Francine loved nothing more than to go shopping for bags, but she could not do that since her grandmother had canceled her card. Understandably, her eyes lit up when Corinne offered to buy her 10 Hermes bags. That was until she remembered how poor Corinne was. She looked at Corinne suspiciously and scoffed, ¡°Are you sure you have the money to uphold your end of the deal?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure your brother has even more if I don¡¯t have the means to. Or have you forgotten that your brother has given all his money to me?¡± ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. Hermes bags, here Ie!¡¯ she thought happily. ¡°You better keep your word, Corinne. Don¡¯t you dare go back on your promise after I finish doing the practice book!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have my word. By the way, are you sure you don¡¯t want to have some noodles?¡± Francine nced at the beaten egg in disgust and rolled her eyes. ¡°Pfft! I don¡¯t want any of your stinky noodles. Even my dog wouldn¡¯t eat poor people¡¯s food like that.¡± She then turned, ready to go upstairs to do the practice questions so she could get her 10 Hermes bag. However, as soon as she turned around, she saw Jeremy ring at her from the kitchen door. He had just finished showering and was dressed in a bathrobe. His arms were crossed at his chest, and he was evidently glowering. Francine immediately tensed up. ¡°Jeremy¡­when did you get here?¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not going to change that bad temper of yours until I teach you a lesson!¡± Not wanting to waste his breath on her, he slowly walked toward her with his hand raised. Francine immediately backed away and hid behind Corinne, who was whisking the eggs.¡± Jeremy, I know I¡¯m wrong now! I-I¡­¡± ¡°Get over here!¡± ordered Jeremy sternly. Trembling, Francine tugged Corinne¡¯s sleeve helplessly. ¡°Save me, Corinne¡­¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Mister, I need one more egg. Can you please get me one from the fridge?¡± requested Corinne nonchntly. Never one to defy Corinne¡¯s order, Jeremy simply threw a warning nce at Francine before sighing and walking over to the fridge. Francine quickly ran out of the kitchen. Once in the hallway, she heaved a huge sigh of relief. However, she could not help but feel weird about something. ¡®Why was it my first instinct to hide and ask Corinne for help? And why did she help me? 1 mean¡­ I¡¯ve given her nothing but trouble and even scolded her ever since she moved into this house, so why did she help me? What a weird girl¡­ Ugh, this is annoying. Wait, now¡¯s not the time to be thinking about this! I have to finish the practice questions in this book to get my ten Hermes bags!¡¯ Back in the kitchen. Jeremy walked over to Corinne with an egg in his hand and cracked it open over the bowl before he threw the shells into the trash can. He looked at her resentfully and said, ¡°Why did you help her when she¡¯s been nothing but rude to you all this while?¡± Corinne started whisking the eggs. ¡°Huh? Did I help her?¡± she asked absent-mindedly. Jeremy rested his hand against her cheek. ¡°You lured me away by asking me to get an egg from the fridge for you so she could escape. If that¡¯s not helping her, I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± Act Fast: Free Bonus Time is Running Out! Chapter 871 Chapter 871 Corinne¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Mister, you know she didn¡¯t be like that in a day or two, right? No, she got like this because you and your family have been spoiling her rotten since she was little. Due to the nature of your rtionship, you can¡¯t kick her out of the house, so we might as well slowly teach her how to be a decent human being and give her the space to figure things out for herself.¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback. ¡®So she¡¯s doing all this for me?¡¯ Determined as he was to teach Francine a lesson, he could not bear to kick her out of the house. ¡®Where can she go? It¡¯ll be worse if she goes back to live with that wanton mother of hers!¡± Jeremy and Francine might be step-siblings, but she was the only sister he had, so he actually cherished her very much. Previously, he was too busy with work to guide her to be a decent human being. Not to mention, he would try to shower her with whatever she wanted out of guilt of leaving her all alone in the house. However, once she reached a certain age, all of her problematic personality became even more obvious. She waszy in her studies, arrogant, and not many people in her school were willing to befriend her. All this had been a constant source of headache for him over the years. Jeremy pinched Corinne¡¯s cheek lightly. ¡°What am I going to do with you?¡± Corinne pouted, ¡°Get out of the kitchen. Don¡¯t get in the way of me cooking!¡± After that, she shook him off and went back to cooking, but Jeremy hugged her from behind again. ¡°Who are you cooking for? Corinne frowned. ¡°For you, of course! Have you forgotten that you haven¡¯t had your dinner yet?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not hungry, so why don¡¯t I have a little taste of you first before eating what you¡¯re making?¡± He then took away the bowl in her hand and ced it on the countertop before turning her around to hug and kiss her. ¡°Mmph! No¡­ Mister¡­¡± Sometimes, Corinne had had it with Jeremy¡¯s strong sexual desire, so much so that she could not help but question her choice. ¡®I just want to cook some noodles for him¡­ Why is he making it so hard for me to do that?¡¯ After a while, Jeremy finally released her, but by then, both of her legs had gone weak. She quickly chased him out of the kitchen to prevent the same episode from happening. ¡°Go wait outside so you won¡¯t disturb me, Mister! I can¡¯t do anything with you around here.¡± Jeremy smiled. ¡°And why not? Is it ¡¯cause I make you nervous?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking why not? Who was it that distracted me with all that kissing? Now hurry up and get out of here, or you¡¯ll have to go to sleep with an empty stomach.¡± ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll get out of your hair. Just be careful and don¡¯t burn yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy turned to leave after that. Corinne breathed a sigh of relief and went back to her cooking. Her phone suddenly rang when the noodles were about to be done. She took out her phone and saw it was Aaron who was calling her. ¡°Hey Aaron, what¡¯s up?¡± she said when she answered the call. ¡°Boss, I just received news that someone had gone to the town you used to live to dig up some information about you,¡± said Aaron seriously. Corinne frowned. ¡°Do you know who it is? And why do they want to look into my past?¡± ¡°After some investigation of our own, we found out it was the Riveras who sent the person there.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°What have they found out so far?¡± Chapter 872 Chapter 872 Corinne came out of the kitchen and ced the bowl of noodles in front of Jeremy, who was sitting at the dining table and scrolling through his phone. He immediately put down his phone when he saw the steaming bowl of noodles with a boiled egg in front of him. He turned to her and said, ¡°That was fast.¡± Corinne untied her apron, pulled out the chair beside him, and sat. ¡°It would¡¯ve been faster if you didn¡¯t get in my way just now. Eat up while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Jeremy smiled faintly, picked up his fork, and took a bite. ¡°Not bad! But you don¡¯t have to cook for me anymore. We have servants for that, y¡¯know.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Is this your way of telling me my cooking is awful?¡± Jeremy pinched her cheek. ¡°You little rascal. Is that how you see me? I was just worried that you¡¯ll tire yourself out.¡± Corinne¡¯s face was all bent out of shape with all the pinching Jeremy was doing. She pouted and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a bowl of noodles. How tiring can it be?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pregnant right now, so it¡¯s best to not do anything. In fact, you should just stay in bed and rest,¡± lectured Jeremy sternly. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne put both of her elbows on the table and rested her face on her hands as she looked at Jeremy eating. ¡°Mister, do you want to be a dad?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What do you mean maybe? It¡¯s either yes or no. So which is it?¡± Jeremy had always been a fast eater, so he finished the bowl of noodles in no time. He put down his fork and took a sip of water before answering, ¡°I do want to be the father of our child, but I¡¯ll have to share you with our child when he¡¯s born. And I don¡¯t want to share you with anyone for the time being- not even our child.¡± Corinne was a little stunned to hear him say that, and she broke out inughter. ¡°Hahaha! Why, you¡¯re still just a kid inside! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re jealous of our unborn child.¡± Jeremy gulped down half a ss, put down the ss, and raised his head to gaze seriously into her eyes. ¡°So you think I¡¯m still a kid, huh? I might not have a lot of experience in rtionship matters, but even I know that it¡¯s best to enjoy some time to ourselves first before having a kid. If possible, I want us two to have more quality time together, but since our baby decided to meet us earlier¡­then I¡¯ll do my best to wee him with you.¡± Corinne thought Jeremy looked cute when he spoke so seriously about rtionship matters. She stood up and held his handsome face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister, I promise you I¡¯ll still have time for you after the babyes. I¡¯ll split my attention fifty -fifty with you and the baby.¡± Jeremy wrapped his arm around her tiny waist and pulled her to sit on hisp. ¡°But what about now? I mean, I have to hold myself back from ravaging because of the baby,¡± he whispered into her ear. Knowing what he meant, Corinne immediately blushed. ¡°Here you go again, Mister. Is that all you can think about now that your turnmy is full? If I had known this would happen, I would¡¯ve let you go hungry¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a man after all, so it¡¯s normal for my mind to go there after filling my stomach¡­¡± He then nuzzled her face and gently kissed her from the earlobe to the corner of her lips. Corinne instantly went soft as though she had been shocked by a strong electric current. However, she retained a sense of decency, she knew they should not do anything in the dining room since a servant could catch them at it. ¡®He might not think it¡¯s shameful, but I do!¡¯ she thought. Thus, she turned away from his face and said, ¡°Mister, you should brush your teeth after eating!¡± Jeremy¡¯s hot breath fell on her cheek. Frowning, he grabbed her chin and turned her face back to him, lust burning in his eyes. ¡°Why? Are you disgusted by me?¡± he asked hoarsely as he touched her nose with his. 1 Corinne¡¯s heart thumped loudly in her chest,pletely taken in by him. ¡°Would I do this if I find you disgusting?¡± Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Corinne wound her arms around Jeremy¡¯s neck and kissed him fiercely. The movement caused Jeremy¡¯s bathrobe toe undone and revealed his toned chest, which made Corinne¡¯s heart beat even faster than it did. Jeremy was ecstatic to see Corinne taking the initiative to kiss him first. He smiled and kissed her back just as hard as she did to regain control. ¡®Oh, I could just eat her up!¡¯ he thought. Just when their passion nearly boiled over, Corinne pinched Jeremy¡¯s arm and looked at him lustily. ¡°Not here. Let¡¯s go back to our room.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Jeremy huskily. He lifted her in his arms and went up the stairs, all while he stole kisses from her. He then kicked open the door, gently put her on the bed, and took off his bathrobe. Seeing his naked body reminded Corinne of something. She sat up and said, ¡°Mister, I¡­ I haven¡¯t taken a shower yet.¡± Jeremy pressed her down the bed once more. ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll wash you up after we¡¯re done.¡± Corinne¡¯s ears turned red. ¡°Mister¡­¡± Jeremy kissed her lips. ¡°Silly girl. You shouldn¡¯t call me Mister at a time like this¡­ Why don¡¯t you call me something that you know will make me happy?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne could see the burning desire in Jeremy¡¯s eyes. It was even more intense than all the previous times. Thus, she knew they would be at it till the morning. This made her suddenly have the urge to beg for mercy. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m a little tired today, so can we¡­¡± she said docilely. Jeremy immediately melted at the word ¡®honey¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s alright. You just need to lie there and leave all the work to me.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®I should¡¯ve known he won¡¯t stop now that he¡¯s got me onto the bed!¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s hands went over every inch of her skin, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake and causing her to lose her mind. Finally, she simply gave in to the pleasure. Corinne had no idea what time she fell asleep that night, but Jeremy was gone by the time she woke up the next morning. She was sore all over and did not feel like getting out of bed. A few secondster, her hand shot out from under her nket to take the phone lying on the bedside table. After unlocking the screen, she saw a message from Jeremy. [I¡¯ve already helped you wash up, so you don¡¯t need to take a shower in the morning. Remember to eat your breakfast after you wake up and brush your teeth.] Corinne blushed at the thought of being carried to the bathroom by Jeremy. ¡®I must¡¯ve been so tired that I didn¡¯t even realize Mister helped me shower.¡± She simply replied to him with an unamused emoji before throwing her phone to the side. Then, she snuggled in to continue her nap. s, luck was not on her side as someone harshly knocked on her door as soon as she closed her eyes. ¡°Wake up, Corinne!¡± It was that troublemaker Francine. Theck of sleep put Corinne in a bad mood. She rolled around the bed for a few seconds before getting up and throwing some clothes on herself. ¡°What do you want from me so early in the morning?¡± she asked with an absent-minded yawn after opening the door. Francine rolled her eyes at the half-asleep Corinne before shoving the practice book to her face. Chapter 874 Chapter 874 ¡°Here, I¡¯ve finished the practice questions. Now go buy me the ten Hermes bags you¡¯ve promised me.¡± Corinne took the practice book and flipped through the pages. All the answers were correct. ¡°How can you prove that you did this yourself?¡± Francine frowned. ¡°How can I prove it, you say? Well, you¡¯ll find the handwriting is mine if you just compare the handwriting in this book with all my other books.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you whether you wrote it. What I¡¯m asking is how can you prove that you didn¡¯t cheat? You could¡¯ve gotten these answers somewhere else.¡± Francine blinked unnaturally. ¡°Who-me, cheat? How can I cheat when there was no one in the room for me to copy answers off of?¡± ¡°Tsk! You could¡¯ve copied the answers off online!¡± Francine looked away guiltily. ¡°I don¡¯t even have aputer, so how can I do that?¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve used your phone!¡± ¡°Are you trying to back out of your promise, Corinne?¡± Corinne smacked Francine with the practice book ¡°I¡¯m not trying to back out of my promise. I¡¯ll bring you to go buy your beloved Hermes bags if you can just prove you did the question yourself.¡± Francine was inspired upon hearing that. ¡°How do you want me to prove to you?¡± ¡°Give me your phone and I¡¯ll keep it with me for the time being while you go get a new practice book and do the questions in front of me. You can bring it to me to mark after you¡¯ve finished. I¡¯ll buy you your Hermes bags if you get half of the questions correct.¡± Francine hesitated a little. ¡°You¡¯re trying to back out of your promise! I¡¯ve done what you said, so why do I need to do it again? ¡°she asked with a frown. Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t waste your time arguing with me here if you¡¯re confident of your own ability, now would you?¡± Francine was backed into a metaphorical corner. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll redo the whole thing. Wait here while I go get a new practice book.¡± After a while, she strode back huffily with a new practice book in her hand. ¡°Where should I do it?¡± she asked rudely. Corinne let her into the room and pointed to the sofa with her chin. ¡°You can do it there. Give me your phone.¡± Francine grudgingly gave Corinne her phone. ¡°Don¡¯t snoop around on my phone, okay?¡± she warned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Only *ssholes do that,¡± said Corinne with a bored expression. Francine scoffed. ¡°Well, you certainly are one.¡± Corinne simply ignored her. She took the phone and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. After that, she came out to see Francine scratching her head. ¡®She must be having problems with one of the questions,¡¯ she thought with a smile. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, someone knocked on the door, so she went to open it. Bowen stood outside and gave her a slight bow before saying worriedly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I heard Miss Francine hade to disturb your sleep.¡± Corinne waved dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s studying here.¡± ¡®Stu¡­ Studying?¡¯ Bowen thought he had heard wrong, but he looked to where Corinne was gesturing with her eyes and saw Francine was indeed studying. ¡°This is unbelievable!¡¯ Chapter 875 Chapter 875 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t dare do anything to me. Though, I¡¯m afraid I need to keep an eye on her, so can you please ask the servant to bring my breakfast to me?¡± said Corinne softly. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Bowen nodded. ¡°Certainly. I¡¯ll ask the servant to bring it right away. And umm¡­ Ma¡¯am? Let me know if Miss Francine is acting up again.¡± Corinne gave him an OK hand gesture before closing the door. Francine had justpleted a few pages of the questions by the time Corinne finished her breakfast. Instead of rushing her, Corinne simply sat on the other end of the sofa and yed on her phone. It was noon in the blink of an eye, and Francine finished the questions on thest page before she handed the practice book to Corinne to check. ¡°I¡¯ve finished! Let¡¯s see how you try to back out of your promise now. Corinne put down her phone and took the practice book. A smile quickly appeared on her face while she flipped through the pages. Francine frowned unhappily. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Seems like I¡¯ve overestimated you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Go on, just give it to me straight!¡± Corinne threw the opened book onto the table. ¡°I should have started you off with the practice book meant for a third-grader instead of a practice book meant for a fifth-grader.¡± Francine was shocked, but that soon turned into anger. ¡°Corinne Carew! Are you telling me I only have the IQ of a third- grader?¡± Corinne rubbed her chin. After thinking the question over, she answered, ¡°No. I think it¡¯s more urate to say you have the IQ of a second-grader. It took you the whole morning toplete the questions in the book, yet you didn¡¯t even get any of them. right. Youck even the basic math knowledge that an elementary kid would have. This makes me wonder what you¡¯ve been doing in school all this while, Francine.¡± Francine angrily stood with arms akimbo. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! I must¡¯ve gotten at least one right. You¡¯re just trying to get out of buying Hermes bags for me! Don¡¯t make promises like that if you don¡¯t n on keeping them!¡± Corinne remained unfazed. ¡°We can take photos of the pages and send them to your college friends to check if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Nothing was more important to Francine than her pride, so she would never agree to that. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Corinne calmly handed her a tablet. ¡°Learn this if you don¡¯t want your friends to think you¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve downloaded a learning app for you. You can redo those questions after listening to the lessons there. My promise of buying you ten Hermes bags if you get at least half of the correct still stands after this.¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m teaching you how to do math. And if you¡¯re not willing to learn from me, I can always ask your brother toe home to teach you. But¡­he might get very angry at you once he finds out you can¡¯t even do math at the elementary level.¡± Francine was beyond annoyed, but she would rather take Corinne over Jeremy any day. She knew Corinne was the type to make good on her threat, however, so she forced herself to take the tablet, put on the earphones, and listened to the lessons. Due to how powerful her family was, no one in her elementary school dared to discipline Francine. Thus, she spent all her school days ying around, which was why shecked even the basics in subjects like math and science. In the end, her academic score was so bad that the family had to use their influence to get her into high school and college. She knew she was not good at studying, but that did not seem to worry her since her family was wealthy enough to ensure she would never have to work a day in her life. ¡®Why should I waste my time studying all this useless stuff? D*mn you, Corinne! She must be mental to make me do this,¡¯ she thought. After listening to the lesson for an hour, Francine rubbed out all the wrong answers in the book so she could redo the questions. Spin to im Your Surprise Reward! Chapter 876 Chapter 876 Francine skipped her lunch just so she could redo the questions. After painstakingly going through the questions again, she passed the book to Corinne. ¡°Here. All done.¡± Corinne took a look at it and chuckled softly. ¡°Not bad. You¡¯ve got ten questions right. Quite an improvement.¡¯¡¯ Francine felt a little humiliated. ¡¯I only got ten questions right after listening to the lesson for an hour?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m hungry! I¡¯m going to have my lunch now.¡± She could not stand to be humiliated by the one person she looked down at the most, so she chose to run away. ¡°Wait,¡± ordered Corinne softly. Francine stopped in her tracks and turned back to re at her. ¡°What? I can¡¯t even have my lunch? Do you want me to starve to death?¡± Corinne put down the practice book, stood up, and put on her jacket. ¡°I¡¯m hungry too, so let¡¯s go out and eat together.¡± Francine was a little surprised. ¡¯She¡¯s inviting me out to lunch? Is this another one of her tricks?¡¯ ¡°Heh! I wouldn¡¯t be caught dead with you out in public. Don¡¯t you know how embarrassing that is?¡± Instead of being angry, Corinne straightened out her jacket and said, ¡°What if we drop by the Hermes store on the way to get you a bag?¡± Francine¡¯s eyes widened like saucers, and she could have sworn she heard wrong. ¡°What did you say?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Francine had no idea what Corinne was up to. I want to, but I didn¡¯t get half of the questions right¡­¡± ¡°You get ten Hermes bags if you get half of the questions right, so going in that vein, you get one Hermes bag when you get ten questions right.¡± Francine¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡± Corinne took out a gold card and held it between her two fingers. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m lying? So what do you say?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Francine swiftly dered. ¡¯But just give me a moment to change!¡± She thus ran into her room to change into something better. Corinne yawnedzily as she watched Francine excitedly run back to her room. ¡®Sometimes, I really envy girls who get their happiness from bags. After all, their dreams only required some hard-earned money¡­¡¯ She never had any interest in material stuff. What she wanted to achieve was something intangible¡­ something that was difficult to put into words but would give her immeasurable peace and spiritual fulfillment once she obtained it. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Bowen was both surprised and happy that the two girls, who did not get along with each other, were going out to eat together. He quickly arranged for the family¡¯s driver to drive them to the mall. During the car ride, Francine hummed happily as she checked out thetest Hermes bag on her phone while Corinne looked out at the window, lost in her thoughts. Suddenly, Francine showed Corinne her phone. ¡°Corinne, which of these two colors looks better?¡± Corinne took a nce and said, ¡°The one on the right.¡± Francine thought so, too. ¡°Hey, you got quite a good taste for a country bumpkin.¡± Francine had been calling Corinne a country bumpkin since she married into the family, so instead of getting angry, she simply ignored her. That was how desensitized she was to the insult. Chapter 877 Chapter 877 Francine¡¯s curiosity was then piqued. ¡°Hey, Corinne. Why don¡¯t you get yourself a little something too since you have full ess to my brother¡¯s credit card?¡± ¡°I have everything I need, so there¡¯s no need to buy anything.¡± Frowning, Francine looked Corinne up and down with disgust. ¡®Her clothes are so basic¡­ I mean, she¡¯s pretty enough to wear such basic clothing, but how will anybody know she¡¯s rich if she doesn¡¯t wear branded stuff?¡± ¡°Of course you need to buy something! In fact, you should throw away all the clothes you have now and revamp your wardrobe. Corinne, you¡¯re Missus Hart now, so you should dress ordingly. If not, you¡¯ll just be an embarrassment to my brother.¡± Corinne raised her head to look at Francine with something she could not quite decipher. This made Francine realize what she had just said. Thus, she cleared her throat awkwardly and said, ¡°Ahem! Don¡¯t get me wrong. This is by no way me epting you as my sister-inw¡­ I just think you should at least clean yourself up since that lovesick brother of mine insisted on keeping you by his side. I¡¯m only doing this for my brother. Only a polished woman is worthy enough for him.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thank you for your advice, but your brother doesn¡¯t care what I wear, and I don¡¯t have any interest in branded stuff. I¡¯ll make sure I dress ordingly when the situation requires, but when it comes to day-to-day clothes¡­you can forget about it.¡± Francine rolled her eyes. ¡°Hmph! You must think all this money is chump change. What you¡¯re really after is all my family¡¯s fortune. That¡¯s why you¡¯re working so hard to have my brother wrapped around your little finger!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right, but you can¡¯t fault me for being good at it. You would¡¯ve done the same if you¡¯re as good as I am at getting a guy to willingly give all of his money to you.¡± Francine crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please. I¡¯m not as maniptive as you are.¡± The two girls made a beeline to the Hermes shop as soon as they arrived at the mall. Francine happily weaved around the shelves to choose a bag that she liked while Corinne waited in the waiting area with a coffee in her hand. ¡°Corinne.¡± Sometimeter, someone called out her name. She looked over and saw Jason walking over with a femininely dressed woman on his side. Jason smiled at her. ¡°So it is you, Corinne. I thought I was wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah. What a coincidence,¡± said Corinne with a nod. She did not stand up but continued sipping her coffee. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go over there and pick out a few bags you like while I stay and talk to my friend here,¡± said Jason softly to the woman beside him. The woman did not seem to want to leave. She threw a guarded nce at Corinne before finally nodding and turning to check out the bags. Jason immediately sat beside Corinne as soon as the woman left. ¡°Corinne, are you here alone? Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± he asked. ¡°I came here with Francine. I promised her I¡¯d buy her a bag, so I¡¯m just waiting for her here while she picks the bag she wants,¡± said Corinne indifferently.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Well, how nice of you to bring your sister-inw to do some bag shopping.¡± Corinne ignored his sarcastic remark and instead asked, ¡°Was that your girlfriend?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± answered Jason without hesitation. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Why did you bring her bag shopping if she¡¯s not your girlfriend? Oh, I get it now. You¡¯re so rich that you can afford to buy bags for any random woman you want.¡± Jason smiled helplessly. ¡°She¡¯s really not my girlfriend but a woman my parents are trying to set me up with. I was just racking my head trying to think of what I should do¡­but since you¡¯re here now, why don¡¯t you help me out?¡± ¡°How?¡± Chapter 878 Chapter 878 Jason moved closer to Corinne. ¡°Help me get out of this arranged marriage in a way that won¡¯t make both sides of the family mad.¡± Corinne frowned. She did not bother to conceal the disgust she felt. ¡°You know you can just tell her you¡¯re not interested, right? Why waste everybody¡¯s time by pretending to be a gentleman and bringing her here to shop for bags? It¡¯s just going to make her think you¡¯re interested in her.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°I did tell her that, but she insisted it doesn¡¯t matter since we can slowly get to know each other and ¡®who knows, fall in love one day¡¯. I¡¯ve taken her out to lunch and to a movie¡­but I don¡¯t know what else we can do. She didn¡¯t want to go home, so she dragged me out to this mall. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯ve always been a smart one. Can you pleasee up with a way to get me out of this?¡± Corinne took a sip of her coffee. She then looked up and down at the exasperated Jason, thinking, ¡®Well, with that handsome face of his and wealthy family background, any girl would be hard-pressed to let him go. His family must¡¯ve chosen a girl whoes from the same family background as him, so this doesn¡¯t only concern them but everyone on both sides of the family. Hmm¡­this is going to be tricky. One move, and his parents wille down hard on him.¡± wrong ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. Jason grinned. ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!¡± The woman Jason was with came running back to him soon after. She must be worried about leaving him alone with Corinne. She held up thetest bag while two beaming sales assistants followed behind. ¡°Jason, how do I look with this bag?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jason nced at the bag and nodded smilingly. ¡°It looks good on you.¡± It sounded like apliment on the surface, but the woman knew Jason was only paying her lip service. Her interest was not actually in the bag but in Corinne. She looked questioningly at her and asked, ¡°Jason, what are you guys talking about? Who¡¯s thisdy? Why haven¡¯t you introduced her to me?¡± Social norms dictated that Jason should have introduced the two women to each other, but if he did that, it would make it seem like he ced a huge importance on the woman his parents were trying to set him up with. He was worried Corinne would get the wrong idea, and that was why he did not introduce her to her. ¡®Now that I think about it, I¡¯m definitely overthinking the whole thing since Corinne has never shown any interest in my business¡­ he thought self-mockingly. Smiling gracefully, he then introduced the two women to each other. ¡°Oh, where are my manners? Here, let me introduce you two. This is an old friend of mine, Corinne Carew. And this here is the daughter of my dad¡¯s best friend, L Jefferson.¡± ¡®The daughter of his dad¡¯s best friend?¡¯ L was not happy with how Jason introduced her. ¡®Am I overthinking things, or is he trying to keep a distance from me in front of Corinne?¡± ¡°So nice to meet you, Miss Corinne,¡± said L warmly. She decided to y nice since she still did not know who Corinne really was. ¡°Likewise, Miss L,¡± Corinne replied with a smile. L sat on the armrest beside Jason to stake her territory over him. ¡°Jason, how long have you known Miss Corinne? I know almost all the socialites in New Capital City, so howe I¡¯ve never seen her before? Who is her family?¡± she asked curiously. It was obvious she was trying to gather intel to see whether Corinne was worthy of being her rival. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 ¡°She¡¯s actually¡­¡± Jason was about to say Corinne was Jeremy¡¯s wife when Corinne cut him off. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°We actually got to know each other through having the same illness,¡± quipped Corinne. ¡°Illness?¡± repeated L in shock. Jason never expected Corinne would respond in such a way. He initially frowned, but he then smiled in anticipation of what she was going to say next. Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. He and I were in the same group chat created to talk about our illness. We were just talking about how he was doing just now.¡± L looked questioningly at Jason. ¡°What illness is she talking about? Jason, are you sick? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Uh-oh. Sounds like you haven¡¯t told her yet, Jason,¡± said Corinne in mock surprise. Jason smiled and decided to y along. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t found the right time to tell her yet.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have been such a big bbermouth,¡± said Corinne apologetically. Jason shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I have to tell her sooner orter.¡± L was immensely confused. ¡°Jason, what illness do you have? You can¡¯t keep this kind of information from me!¡± Before Jason could say anything. Corinne replied on his behalf, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss L. What he has isn¡¯t serious, and he won¡¯t die from it. It¡¯s just a little intractable disease, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s contagious, but as long as you take the necessary precautions¡­¡± As soon as L heard the word, ¡®contagious¡¯, she jumped away from Jason in panic as she tried to recall all the times she hade in contact with him. Even the two sales assistants who followed her there instinctively took a step back. Seeing L¡¯s reaction, Corinne continued saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss L! The chances of it passing on to another person is very small, but it¡¯s very hard to cure it when you get it, so¡­¡± The bbergasted L took out her phone to send a message quickly. Not five seconds after that, her phone rang. She smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Excuse me, I need to take this.¡± After that, she strode to the other side and said in a loud voice in response to what the person on the other end of the phone said, ¡°What? Everyone¡¯s there, and you¡¯re all waiting for me? Oh fine, I¡¯ll be there in a sec!¡± She then hung up the phone and turned to face Jason and Corinne. This time, she made sure to keep her -distance from both of them. ¡°Sorry, Jason. My besties invited me to have a spa day with them, so¡­¡± she trailed off awkwardly. Jason stood up and took out his car keys. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Why don¡¯t I give you a ride to the spa?¡± L smiled forcefully and waved her hand. ¡°No¡­ No thanks. You should stay here with Miss Corinne! It¡¯s not every day you guys get to talk to each other.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± said Jason ¡®ruefully¡¯. ¡°Enjoy your spa session, then.¡± ¡°Will do. I¡¯ll be off, then. Have fun with each other, Jason, Miss Corinne.¡± After that, she ran out of the store. The two sales assistants held the bag L was holding with two fingers as though they were holding something poisonous. Then, they quickly backed away from Jason and Corinne and went to sanitize the bag. Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Jason felt like crying andughing at the sight. He then turned to look at Corinne, who sipped her coffee peacefully. ¡°Corinne, I might never get a wife if word gets out about this. What woman would want to marry a man who has an incurable intractable disease?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You were the one who asked me to get out of the arranged marriage. What happens after this is none of my problems,¡± Corinne replied nonchntly. Jason rubbed his chin and smiled at her. ¡°That won¡¯t do! You have to marry me if I can¡¯t get a wife because of this!¡± Corinne gave him a bored side-eye. ¡°How can I do that when I¡¯m married?¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not in a rush. I can wait until you¡¯re divorced.¡± Corinne took it as a joke. ¡°And what if I¡¯m never getting a divorce?¡± she asked after chuckling. ¡°Oh, you will,¡± Jason said meaningfully. ¡°That sounded more like a threat than a joke¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. She turned to him and raised her eyebrow. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Jason smiled mysteriously. ¡°Because I know Jeremy. We¡¯ve been friends since we were kids, after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s his reason for thinking Jeremy will divorce me one day?¡¯ Corinne scoffed. ¡°Is that so? And you don¡¯t mind marrying a divorcee?¡± She knew most men would mind marrying a divorcee, especially when said divorcee used to be his friend¡¯s wife. Jason smiled coyly. ¡°I will mind if it¡¯s any other woman but you, Corinne¡­ It¡¯ll be like a dreame true for me if I get to marry you. In fact, it¡¯s one of my biggest regrets to not know you sooner than Jeremy.¡± Corinne was unfazed by his cheesy lines. ¡°Oh, please. You can save it. None of what you said was even remotely funny.¡± Jason¡¯s expression became serious, and gone was his usual flirtatious smile. ¡°Corinne, I was being genuine. If you break up with Jeremy-¡± ¡°Corinne, which of these bags look better on¡­¡± Francine suddenly ran over with a bunch of bags in her arms, but her expression faltered when she saw Jason talking to Corinne on the sofa. She even heard the words ¡®divorce¡¯ and ¡®Jeremy¡¯ from Jason¡¯s lips. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne calmly sipped her coffee while looking at the bags Francine was holding. ¡°All of them look good, though the color on the right suits you better. The one in the middle and on the left has a more mature -looking color.¡± At that moment, Francine did not care which bag looked better on her. All her attention had been shifted to Jason. ¡°Jason, what are you doing here?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I just happened to be passing by.¡± He thought it would be pointless to exin the whole arranged marriage thing to Francine. Francine frowned. She did not like how popr Corinne was or how she was sitting so close to another man. ¡°Come here right now, Corinne Carew!¡± she demanded. In truth, Corinne was not sitting on the same sofa as Jason. It was just that the two sofas they were sitting on were positioned quite close to each other, but it was not like they were the ones who ced the sofas like that. They were in a store, after all. Not wanting to spoil Francine, Corinne remained seated where she was. ¡°What do you want? Just say it.¡± Francine called Corinne over because she did not want her sitting so close with Jason, so she understandably became even angrier when she saw Corinne still seated. Thus, she tried another tactic. She held up the bag in her right hand and said fiercely, ¡°I want this one!¡± Chapter 881 Chapter 881 Corinne took out the gold credit card from her pocket and passed it to Francine. ¡°Here, you can use this card. It doesn¡¯t require a pin code,¡± Francine walked over and snatched the card from her. She threw her an angry nce before going over to the payment counter. After Francine left, Jason raised his eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s not Jeremy¡¯s card, is it?¡± he asked interestedly. ¡°How did you know?¡± asked Corinne. Jason smiled. ¡°Because Jeremy only uses ck cards.¡± The bank only gave out ck cards to their most exclusive clients; wealth was not the sole criterion for eligibility. On the other hand, they would give out gold cards to any client who had a certain amount of savings in their ount. Jason straightened himself in his seat. ¡°You¡¯re using your money to buy a bag for Francine? You do realize we¡¯re at the Hermes store, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve promised her I¡¯d buy her one. I can use Jeremy¡¯s card, but I don¡¯t have a habit of using other people¡¯s money to make someone like me.¡± The look in Jason¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°Looks like you have a clear boundary between your and Jeremy¡¯s money.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®Why does he insist on finding nonexistent problems in my rtionship with Jeremy?¡¯ Not wanting to talk to him anymore, Corinne simply kept her mouth shut and waited for Francine to finish paying so they could have lunch. Jason was not going to give up so easily. ¡°Corinne, how well do you think you know Jeremy?¡± Corinne tossed him an annoyed nce. ¡°I can¡¯t say I know him very well, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get to know him better as time passes.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°No, you don¡¯t know him at all. You wouldn¡¯t have married him if you did.¡± Corinne frowned unhappily. ¡°Mister Talbot, I highly advise you not to casually assume or specte on other people¡¯s wishes. Else, it just makes you look like a fool.¡± She then put down the coffee in her hand and went to find Francine. ¡®Ugh, he¡¯s so annoying! He¡¯ll just keep spouting nonsense if I stay there.¡± She did not understand why Jeremy would keep being friends with Jason, who might look like a gentleman but was actually the devil. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have helped him get rid of L just now.¡± Once Corinne found Francine, the two of them made their way out of the store with a bag in hand. ¨C However, Jason chased after them and asked politely, ¡°Where are you two heading? I¡¯ll give you girls a ride.¡± The joy on Francine¡¯s face from getting the bag she wanted immediately turned into a scowl when she saw Jason. She quickly looked to Corinne for her response. ¡°No, thank you. We¡¯re just going to have lunch nearby,¡± said Corinne coldly. ¡°May I join you?¡± asked Jason, not giving up.Corinne looked at him in annoyance. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have lunch with Miss L? Overeating isn¡¯t good for your health, you know.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jason shrugged. He knew he was not wee. ¡®Oh well, Francine is here too, so there¡¯s no point in pushing it.¡¯ He would have shamelessly joined Corinne for lunch if she was alone. Thus, he took out his phone and waved it at Corinne. ¡°Very well, then. I won¡¯t bother you girls anymore. I¡¯ll see you again, Corinne.¡± Chapter 882 Chapter 882 Not wanting to let Corinne talk to Jason anymore, Francine dragged her out of the store. Once outside, she let go of her and muttered ¡®sl*t¡¯ under her breath. Corinne pretended not to have heard it. She looked around and asked, ¡°What do you want to have for lunch?¡± Francine nearly blew up when she failed to bait Corinne into a fight. ¡°I saw everything! Jason used a photo of you as his phone¡¯s wallpaper! Isn¡¯t it enough that you¡¯ve seduced my brother that you¡¯re now seducing Jason, too?¡± Corinne did not even notice Jason used a photo of her as his phone¡¯s wallpaper. Surprised, she could not help but wonder how Jason managed to get her photo. After thinking about it, she recalled him saving a photo of her when he helped Annie take a group photo during the party held at Lunar Century Manorst time. ¡®Ugh¡­ Doesn¡¯t he have any boundaries at all?¡¯ she thought angrily. Then, while walking to the Asian cuisine restaurant in front of them, Corinne answered nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to believe me if I tell you I didn¡¯t seduce him, so we should just stop this conversation and have lunch first ¡¯cause I¡¯m sure am hungry.¡± Francine had no choice but to follow angrily behind her. She was frustrated at how nonchnt Corinne This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. was. The two of them sat in the restaurant and ordered their food. However, even when everything was served, Francine remained unmoving. She simply red vehemently at Corinne with her arms crossed as though Corinne had just killed her family. Corinne took a few bites before looking up at Francine. ¡°Why are you so angry? So what if I¡¯ve exchanged a few words with another man? Isn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity for you to go running back to your brother and snitch on me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll cheat on my brother,¡± replied Francine unhappily. Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, won¡¯t that be perfect for you? I mean, you did try to set me upst time. I¡¯ll be kicked out of your family if I¡¯m found cheating, then you can ask your brother to marry someone you¡¯re happy to call your sister-inw.¡± Francine was speechless. I did go overboard with what I did to Corinnest time¡­¡¯ she thought guiltily. She did not get the idea of hiring somebody to r*pe Corinne until she heard from Anya during one of their phone calls about a piece of local news that shocked everyone. ¡®It was so stupid of me. Good thing Corinne was smart enough to not fall for my trap¡­¡¯ For some reason, she did not truly want Jeremy to give her a new sister-inw. ¡°Corinne, I know you¡¯re not interested in Jason, but you should know that men will always be attracted to -beautiful women like you, so make sure you keep your distance and not let my brother down.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll let your brother down?¡± Francine rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s head over heels for you, so what can I do? And it¡¯s not like I have the power to kick you out of the house.¡± Corinne chuckled softly and ced a piece of meat on her te. ¡°Here, eat this. You shouldn¡¯t worry your little head about adult business when you can¡¯t even do elementary math.¡± Francine¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m one year older than you!¡± ¡°Oh, so you know that, too,¡± said Corinne after taking another bite of her food. Francine fell speechless. After that, hunger got the best of them two, so they stopped talking and ate quietly. ¡°Corinne!¡± After a while, Corinne heard a somewhat unfamiliar voice calling out her name. She could not quite ce who the voice belonged to. ¡®What the heck is going on today? Why does it seem like I¡¯m bumping into everyone wherever I go?¡± She turned around and saw a tall, skinny young man dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans walking toward them. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 The joy on the young man¡¯s face was evident. He scratched his head shyly and said, ¡°It is you, Corinne! I was walking past the window when I saw you, so I thought I¡¯d say hi. I haven¡¯t seen you since you graduated¡­¡± ¡®Oh, it¡¯s him! Chester Mansfield, my university junior.¡± Corinne nodded at him politely. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while. Are you doing some shopping?¡± Chester shook his head. ¡°Nope. I just started offering part-time tutoring services, so I came to the schools nearby to pass out some flyers. I got hungry though, so I came to see if there¡¯s any fast-food restaurant to grab a bite before I resume.¡± Corinne smiled lightly. ¡°Sounds like hard work.¡± She was not close with Chester, and the only reason she remembered him was that he was quite handsome, good at both his studies and basketball, and would make his presence known to her whenever he could. He even gave her a button on her graduation day to remember him by, which she still had no idea what it was for. Corinne had no intention to ask Chester to join them for lunch, the reason being he was a guy and it was not like they knew each other well-so what was the point? However, when she saw Francine blushing madly and was flustered, Corinne remembered something. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right. Francine has a crush on Chester. She even wrote him that love letter¡­ But he turned her down in the end.¡¯ Corinne grinned mischievously and changed her mind. ¡°Chester, do you want to join us for lunch? It¡¯ll be my treat.¡± Chester worshiped Corinne like a goddess, so he was ted and surprised to receive the invitation. ¡°R¡­ Really?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne smiled and jerked her chin to point to the seat beside Francine. ¡°Yeah, sure. Why don¡¯t you sit over there?¡± Chester nodded happily and went over to the empty seat. He was about to sit and greet Francine when he realized who she was. ¡°Francine?¡± The red-faced Francine looked at him shyly and greeted, ¡°Hi, Chester¡­¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Wow, so you two know each other?¡± Francine nodded shyly. Gone was her usual shrewish behavior and was reced by a picture-perfect demuredy. Seeing this, Corinne smiled and thought, ¡®So it¡¯s true what they said. A girl will be moredylike in front of her crush. After that, she called the waiter over to order more food. Both Francine and Chester were blushing madly by then. Francine because of Chester and Chester because of Corinne. Corinne was the only one who did not let the situation affect her appetite. She kept eating while talking. ¡°So how¡¯s the work going so far? You must be making a lot of money as a tutor.¡± Chester rubbed the back of his head shyly. ¡°I haven¡¯t really gotten anyone to hire me yet, hence the flyers.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and looked at Francine, who was eating very daintily. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. ¡°How much do you charge for tutoring?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a newbie, so I charge ten dors an hour.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not expensive at all.¡± When Jeremy arrived at the restaurant, he immediately recognized Chester to be the young man who gave Corinne the second button she was wearing, causing his expression to darken. Chapter 884 Chapter 884 Although Chester started shy, he quickly opened up a little. After all, he was the studious school hunk, so he had been to a lot of functions where it required him to put his best foot forward. He started to chat endlessly to Corinne about the new things that happened in school recently; not those vulgar gossips but some positive or hrious happenings instead. To be honest, Corinne had no impression of the other students of different grades from her. She did not know most of the people Chester was talking about, but the stories he told sounded interesting, so she would ask him to borate more from time to time. That was until a certain man pulled out a chair and sat next to her. He exuded such a strong cold aura that it stopped Chester mid-sentence. Chester stared in astonishment at the man who appeared out of the blue, and a chill ran up his spine when he sensed the hostility washing over him. At first, he was puzzled as to who he was, but he immediately remembered seeing this man at Corinne¡¯s graduation ceremony before. He remembered because the man sitting opposite him was the most good-looking man he ever met. His temperament and aura were so outstanding that Chester could not help but be deeply impressed. ¡®Corinne called him Mister that time, so he must be her uncle or something¡­ Thus, out of his fondness for Corinne and wanting to make a good impression, Chester stood up and greeted him politely, ¡°Hello, Sir!¡± The title only worsened Jeremy¡¯s expression, and he was already a little worried about the nearly ten-year age gap between him and Corinne. There were many instances when he did not understand the ngs and jokes Corinne slipped in their day-to-day conversations and would often have to look up the meaning. on his phone. Their generational gap was not really that big, but it could not be said to be nonexistent as well. The fact that Chester called him ¡®sir¡¯ only served to highlight the ten-year age gap between them. Seeing as he did not get a response from Jeremy, Chester started to wonder if he did wrong. ¡°Sir, on behalf of everyone in my school, I¡¯d like to thank you for donating the funds needed to build the Corinne Building. It has just finished building, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll help further education for many more students to come!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Silently, Jeremy expressionlessly took a sip of Corinne¡¯s water. Seeing this, Chester frowned. ¡®I know they¡¯re family, but it¡¯s still inappropriate to share a ss of water, no? Francine saw the anger on Jeremy¡¯s face and was afraid that her crush would say something else to make him even angrier, which would not end well for anyone, so she quickly said, ¡°Chester, meet my¡­ brother¡­¡± Chester did a double take. ¡°Oh! Uh¡­ I thought he was Corinne¡¯s uncle¡­ So you¡¯re all each other¡¯s rtives? Before Francine could speak, Corinne answered him, ¡°No, he¡¯s my husband.¡± Chester¡¯s pupils shrank. The reveal was like a sudden bolt, and it took him a long while to recover from the shock. Meanwhile, Jeremy¡¯s rigid expression eased a great deal when he heard Corinne calling him her husband. He turned and beamed at Corinne happily. Chester found it difficult to ept the news; he even thought Corinne was joking. After all, Corinne and Jeremy did not seem like they would be in the same school year. ¡°But¡­didn¡¯t you attend Corinne¡¯s graduation ceremony as her parent?¡± he asked. Jeremy nced sharply at Chester. ¡°And who says a husband cannot be considered as a representative?¡± Chester was dumbfounded, but then a frown appeared on his head. Corinne had ordered Jeremy¡¯s food with Chester¡¯s order back when she called for the waiter. After all, she received a text from Jeremy asking her whether she was done shopping as soon as she sat in the restaurant. Her reply to him was simply the restaurant¡¯s address since she knew he woulde. Jeremy asked her if she was done shopping and not what she was doing. Obviously, their driver had reported to him their schedule for the day, which did not surprise her. Chapter 885 Chapter 885 ¡°Mister, howe you got off work so early today?¡± asked Corinne casually. There was none of the usual formality she reserved for those not close to her. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything scheduled after my meeting, so I thought I¡¯de pick you up.¡± Jeremy tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re eating spicy food behind my back again?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°I can¡¯t help it¡­ I was craving it.¡± Chester¡¯s heart broke into a million pieces when he saw the interaction before him. He never expected the woman he had been pining for all these years to be married. He nned to confess his feelings to her right after he graduated so she could see the fine man he had worked hard to be. s, someone beat him to it. He sat back down again and smiled awkwardly. ¡°When did you get married, Corinne?¡± ¡°Sometime before the graduation ceremony,¡± said Corinne after thinking about it. ¡®It¡¯d be more urate to say we were just business partners then¡­.but no harm counting from that day onward since we¡¯re official now.¡¯ ¡°I see.¡± Chester was crestfallen. He no longer wanted to share the fun things that happened in school with Corinne and wanted to leave so badly, but it would be rude to do that when Jeremy had just arrived. Thus, he forced himself to finish the food on his te before standing up and saying, ¡°Thanks for buying me lunch, Corinne. Let¡¯s go out with the rest of the gang sometimes. It¡¯ll be our treat. I¡¯ll take my leave here since I still have some flyers to pass out.¡± Corinne nodded. She then turned to Francine and said, ¡°Francine, you¡¯re done eating, right? Why don¡¯t you go help Chester pass out the flyers?¡± Francine first looked at Corinne with surprise, and she then turned to look at Chester, blushing. Normally, she would scoff at being asked to do something so menial, but if it was with Chester¡­she would be more than happy to! However, Chester shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s not much left to pass out, anyway.¡± ¡°No, I insist she helps out. She¡¯s been trying to lose some weight recently, so walking around will do her good,¡± replied Corinne with a smile. It dawned on Francine that Corinne was trying to help her, so she quickly nodded and said, ¡°She¡¯s right! I¡¯ve been trying to lose some weight¡­¡± Chester took everything Corinne said at face value, so he turned to look at Francine. ¡°You¡¯re not fat at all, so there¡¯s no need for you to lose any weight.¡± ¡®Oh my god! My crush just told me I don¡¯t need to lose any weight. Gah! I¡¯m so happy!¡¯ thought Francine. She started blushing madly while her heart thumped loudly. After thinking over it, Chester realized this might be Corinne¡¯s way of asking him to help her lure Francine away so she could have some alone time with Jeremy. He was happy to help, but he could not help but feel sorry for himself. Francine quickly followed Chester out of the restaurant. She was so excited that she even forgot about her newly-bought Hermes bag. Corinne smiled as she watched the two of them leave. ¡°So that¡¯s what you do when I¡¯m not around? Flirt with young guys?¡± asked Jeremy unhappily. Chapter 886 Chapter 886 Corinne turned to face Jeremy. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell your sister has a huge crush on Chester? I¡¯m just making more opportunities for her to bond with him.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the type of guy you used to like?¡± ¡°The type of guy I used to like? Mister, how did you know which type of guy I used to like?¡± asked Corinne quizzically. ¡°You told me yourself: you like men younger than you and who¡¯ll listen to you. Have you forgotten?¡± scoffed Jeremy. Corinne nodded in realization. ¡°Ah, I did tell you that! I do still like men who are younger than me and who¡¯ll listen to me.¡± Jeremy thought she would try to exin herself or spin some story to make him feel better, so he was understandably surprised to hear her admitting to it swiftly. His eyes dimmed, and his jaw tensed. ¡°Hmph! No wonder you treat me as if I¡¯m invisible sometimes,¡± he said coldly. Corinne lifted a piece of steak near Jeremy¡¯s mouth. ¡°Mister, I know you¡¯re jealous, but who doesn¡¯t have a type when ites to their dream person? In fact, I¡¯m willing to bet I wasn¡¯t your type at the start, so we adults must ept whatever reality gives us.¡± ¡®What reality gives us?¡¯ Jeremy scoffed. ¡®She really knows how to make it sound like she¡¯s settling for me, huh?¡± Jeremy did not eat the piece of steak Corinne was feeding him and turned his head away unhappily. Corinne did not force him and simply popped the piece of steak into her mouth. Jeremy refused to speak from then on, which was how the usually mature man started the ¡®silent war¡¯ treatment. This stumped Corinne, but she decided to coax Jeremy since he went out of his way to pick her up after work ¡°Mister, you might not be young, but I like that you¡¯re very handsome!¡± Jeremy looked askance at her. ¡°Like? That¡¯s all?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough?¡± Jeremy turned back around and lifted her chin. ¡°No. It should be love!¡± Their interaction caught the attention of all the diners in the restaurant. Corinne knew how much Jeremy loved to kiss her, but she did not want so many people in for the free show, so she moved her face away. ¡°Mister, hurry and eat your food! I¡¯ve ordered so much for you.¡± Jeremy did not force her. He simply picked away all the spicy herbs from her food to stop her from eating so much spicy food. Half an hourter, they walked out of the restaurant. Corinne rubbed her protruding belly and said, ¡°Phew! I¡¯m super full. Mister, can we walk back home instead of taking the car?¡± To that, Jeremy would, of course, agree. He held her hand, and the two of them slowly made their way out of the mall. Once outside, he steered her into the quieter alleys that had less traffic and exhaust fumes-more suitable for walking. The two of them chatted while walking, and they came to an elementary school. It was after school hours, and Chester along with Francine were passing out flyers to the parents who came to fetch their kids.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Francine, being the spoiled brat she was, had never done such a menial job before. Thus, her face immediately reddened with anger when any of the parents, not wanting to take the flyers, waved her away rudely. She forced herself to calm down after each incident, though she looked rightly miserable. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 Chester noticed Francine¡¯s difort, so he walked over and gentlyforted her before reaching out to take the rest of the flyers from her. He could not bear to let her continue with the job. However, Francine insisted on finishing what she started. She refused to let go of the flyers and boldly introduced Chester¡¯s tutoring service to the impatient parents before politely passing them the flyers. Corinne raised her eyebrow when she saw this. ¡°Hey, Mister, are you happy with the brother-inw I picked for you?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy was surprised to see his arrogant little sister willingly letting down her pride to help a poor guy pass out flyers. However, the admiration on his face quickly disappeared when he remembered that poor. guy used to covet his wife. ¡°He¡¯s okay,¡± he answered coldly. ¡°He¡¯s the top student in his ss, and both of his parents are intellectuals. Not only is he good-looking. but he¡¯s humble too. What¡¯s rare about him is he never flirts around. I mean, where can you find someone like this nowadays?¡± Jeremy frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°It sounds like you know him very well. Could it be because you¡¯ve had an interest in him before?¡± Corinne knew Jeremy was jealous again, so she tried to exin, ¡°He¡¯s the school¡¯s hunk, so all the girls in our school would talk about him often. I just happen to overhear them sometimes.¡± Jeremy scowled and scoffed coldly. ¡°If that kid is as good as you say he is, then he won¡¯t fall for Francine at all.¡± ¡®He¡¯s right. A schrly family wouldn¡¯t be coerced by a wealthy family. The only good qualities Francine has are her looks and her wealthy family. Other than that, she doesn¡¯t have much going for her. Though, there¡¯s a chance Jeremy is just jealous and won¡¯t admit just how excellent Chester is¡­¡± Corinne did not say any of that out loud, of course. The two of them simply let Francine be and walked a little further from the school to avoid bumping into her. However, what Corinne did not expect was that the city hall was located in front of the school. She watched a couple who had just registered their marriagee out hand-in-hand. They radiated sheer joy as they discussed where they should go to celebrate. Seeing this brought back the memory of Jeremy¡¯s vague, evasive attitude when Annie suggested he bring Corinne to register their marriage in the city hall. Frankly, she did not really care about that piece of marriage certificate as she knew that it would not be able to protect her rtionship with Jeremy from going sour or for him to suddenly treat her wrong. She only needed to look at what happened to her mother¡¯s broken marriage to know that. Thus, it did not make a big difference to her whether she got a marriage certificate or not. However, she could not help but feel a little peeved at Jeremy¡¯s evasive attitude that day. ¡°Hey Mister, since we¡¯re here, do you wanna go get the marriage certificate?¡± Corinne asked nonchntly as though she was just asking him whether he wanted to get some ice cream. Jeremy was surprised. He looked toward the city hall for a second before turning to look back at her. Why the sudden urge to get a marriage certificate?¡± His tone made it sound like she was asking for something unreasonable. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched slightly. ¡°We might as well, since we¡¯re here. What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t want to?¡± Jeremy patted her head, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring the necessary documents today, so let¡¯s do it another day.¡± Corinne refused to give up that easily. She smiled and said, ¡°You can ask Tommy to bring the documents over. Your office isn¡¯t that far from here, anyway.¡± Jeremy pursed his lips and looked at her silently for a long while. His eyes darkened second by second, making it hard for Corinne to know what he was thinking about. Nheless, she was no fool-Jeremy¡¯s silence was all the answer she needed. Chapter 888 Chapter 888 Given Jeremy¡¯s evasive attitude, Corinne did not think it necessarily meant he did not want to get a marriage certificate with her before this. However, she was sure he really did not want to register their marriage when she heard his response at this very moment. The wedding they had was very simple. He invited some of his closest rtives for dinner as a symbolic gesture. Even his rtives knew tacitly that Jeremy only held the wedding as a way of pacifying his grandfather and that he was not serious about his marriage to Corinne. After all, what wealthy, powerful family would hold such a simple wedding like that? Therefore, not many outsiders knew Jeremy was actually married. ¡®He seems to not want other people to know he¡¯s married¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh,e on, I was joking! There¡¯s no need to look so scared. It¡¯s not as if I want to get a marriage certificate with you anyway,¡± said Corinne with a shrug. Jeremy frowned. ¡°Who do you want to get a marriage certificate with if not me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. I can get the marriage certificate with whoever I want. I won¡¯t even tell you after I get one, either,¡± said Corinne jokingly before getting into the car. Their driver had been slowly following them from behind. ¡ª Jeremy got into the car after Corinne, and the first thing he did in there was to roll down the divider between the front and back seats. Then, he pulled Corinne into his arms, held her face with both hands) and kissed her fervently as though they had not met for a few years. He liked to grab her chin roughly and slowly worked his tongue into her mouth. However, she kept her mouth shut tight. She could tell Jeremy liked and desired her, yet he did not want to register their marriage! Not able to satiate his burning desire, Jeremy started to get impatient. ¡°Be a good girl and open your mouth,¡± he coaxed seductively. Corinne frowned and pushed him away. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little carsick, so let¡¯s not.¡± Jeremy noticed she was indeed a little pale, so even though he did not get what he wanted, he had no choice but to give her onest peck on the cheek and stop himself. Corinne had eaten too much, which upset her stomach. The first thing she did when she got home was to rush into the bathroom to throw up. However, she was not sure whether it was due to motion sickness or pregnancy. Seeing her like this, Jeremy decided to let her rest for the night. However, he could not stop his hands from roving around her body while he hugged her to sleep. The hand that fondled her chest became more brazen to the point Corinne had to warn him to cut it out. ¡°Mister, stop doing that!¡± ¡°Cail me honey,¡± said Jeremy seductively while nuzzling her neck. Corinne did not do as he asked. ¡®Why should I when he doesn¡¯t want to get the marriage certificate with me?¡¯ She was still fuming about what happened this afternoon. ¡®Is this how all men are? They¡¯ll work harder when you¡¯re hard to get, but they won¡¯t cherish you as much when the ¡®honeymoon phase¡¯ wears off? He must be giving himself a way out of the rtionship by not registering our marriage. Breaking up is definitely less messy than getting a divorce.¡¯ Corinne recently found out a lot of things about her mother. She learned that Maxwell pulled out all the stops when he courted Emily before. Their rtionship was the envy of everyone who knew them. ¡®And look what happened after that! It didn¡¯t take that long for Maxwell to fool around outside every night and knock up Phoebe! My poor mother is cast aside like a broken doll!¡¯ Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Corinne did not think herself special or lucky enough to meet a man who would forever be loyal to her. She just found Jeremy to be different from all the other guys she knew. He made her feel secure, so there might be a chance their rtionship wouldst. ¡®Oh well, time tells.¡¯ Today, she found out Jeremy was indeed different from all the other guys she knew, but not in the she thought. He seemed to be tired of a rtionship faster than any guy, and being more experienced than her, he even made sure to keep a way out for when he wanted to get out of the rtionship. way That night, Corinne ¨C with her back against Jeremy-pretended to be asleep and did not turn around to face him, no matter how much he fondled or hugged her. As the minutes ticked by, she fell asleep and had a depressing dream. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. She dreamt she had been pushed into the well, just like when she was a child, and had no strength to climb out of the well. She tried shouting, but no one came. She was overridden by fear, but the only thing she could do was stare up at the opening of the well, hoping for someone to find and rescue her. A whileter, someone did find her, and it was Jeremy! His face appeared over the opening of the well, looking down at her. She was overjoyed at the prospect of being rescued, so she reached up to him, waiting for him to pull her up, but he remained unmoving and continued to stare at her coldly. Confused, she shouted out loud for him to save her, but he simply turned around expressionlessly. A minuteter, someone else heaved a huge boulder on top of the opening of the well, and this shrouded her in darkness. No matter how loud or long she shouted for help, no one else came to save her. The air in the well thinned out until she found herself unable to breathe¡­ Gasp! Corinne¡¯s eyelids pped wide open, drenched in sweat. It was also at this moment that she knew the reason for her dream. Jeremy was actually on top of her and kissing her! The dream put her in a bad mood, so she punched Jeremy to get him to get off her. It was not one of those friendly punches but a true punch that was meant to knock someone out. Jeremy groaned out of pain and immediately let her go. Panting, he asked, ¡°Why did you hit me so hard? Are you trying to kill your husband?¡± ¡®Husband? Pah! He dares to call himself my husband when we¡¯re not even legally married?¡¯ thought Corinne angrily. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want to do it tonight, so why did you ambush me while I¡¯m sleeping?¡± she asked weakly. Under the moonlight, Jeremy¡¯s gaze seemed even more beguiling. It was obvious he was riled up from the prospect of getting some intimacy. ¡®He would¡¯ve forced himself on me if I hadn¡¯t woken up from the nightmare,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°You kept screaming ¡®Mister! Mister!¡¯ just now, so I thought you wanted some,¡± said Jeremy seductively. Corinne sat up, turned on themp beside her bed, and tried topose herself. It was then Jeremy realized she was soaked in sweat, which alerted him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Jeremy moved closer to hug her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was just a dream. I¡¯m here now,¡± he said while stroking her back lightly. Corinne remained unmoved. She looked at him coldly. ¡°I dreamt about you.¡± This surprised him. ¡°I was in your nightmare?¡± She did not push him away, but she did not snuggle up against him like she used to, either. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with a nod, frowning. Jeremy finally realized why Corinne called-out to him in her dream. He sighed helplessly and asked, ¡°What was the nightmare about? Was I bullying you?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t only bully me in my nightmare but in real life, too!¡± scoffed Corinne. Chapter 890 Chapter 890 Jeremyughed. ¡°Surely you can¡¯t call kissing you bullying you, right?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask for my consent and only cared about what you were feeling, so yes, I¡¯d call that bullying!¡± Corinne answered with a scowl. Jeremy felt sorry for her, thinking the nightmare must have scared her. He ced his forehead against hers and said gently, ¡°There, there. I¡¯m sorry for bullying you in and outside of your dream. Please don¡¯t be mad at me, sweetheart.¡± The way he called her ¡®sweetheart¡¯ so seductively caused Corinne to tremble involuntarily. She looked into his eyes and saw there was only sincerity and love in them. She was about to ask him why he did not want to get a marriage certificate with her but told herself to forget it. Men were known to say anything a woman wanted to hear just to get them into bed, after all. Besides, it might make him think she really wanted to be legally married to him, or he might even say, ¡®Let¡¯s do it tomorrow if that¡¯s what you want.¡¯ That would make it seem like she coerced him into doing it, so what was the point in that? What she wanted was hismitment, not that piece of paper. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she felt. Thus, she said sourly, ¡°Get out of the room, Mister.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Where will I sleep? It¡¯s sote now.¡± Corinne pushed him away unhappily. ¡°You can sleep in the guest room or the study. I just want to have a good night¡¯s sleep!¡± Jeremy was reluctant to do as she asked. He held her face in his hand and tapped her nose. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do anything to you tonight, okay?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± She then used her knee to nudge Jeremy¡¯s family jewel to show why she did not trust him-it was hard. Jeremy frowned. He nearly pounced on Corinne when she touched him there. ¡®This little rascal knows how to get my engine going!¡¯ He finally got down from bed, but instead of leaving the room, he went to the bathroom to take a shower. After a while, he came out with his hair wet. By then, Corinne had fallen asleep, having wrapped the nket around her and was lying horizontally against the headrest. There was a frown on her forehead as though she was having a nightmare again. Jeremy walked over and turned her to the correct position before ironing out the frown on her forehead. After that, he checked the time and did a mental calction in his head before picking up his phone from the bedside table. He then went to the balcony to make an international call. ¡°When are youing back?¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You miss me already?¡± said a woman¡¯s cheerful voice. Jeremy was already at work by the time Corinne woke up the next day. The first thing she did was to check her phone for messages, but there was none of the usual ¡®remember to eat your breakfast¡¯ messages from Jeremy today. Dazed, she sat still before she got off her bed to wash up. While on her way downstairs to have her breakfast, she bumped into Francine, who happily bounced toward her. Francine was humming cheerfully and surprisingly greeted Corinne first. ¡°Good morning, Corinne!¡± The two girls went downstairs together. ¡°You look happy today,¡± said Corinne with a raise of her eyebrow. ¡°I guess you can say that,¡± Francine replied with unconcealed joy. Once they sat at the table, Corinne saw Francine still immersed in her happiness, so she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the bag I bought you yesterday?¡± The happiness instantly evaporated from Francine¡¯s face. ¡°Oh my god! I left it in the restaurant yesterday! What should I do? What should I do?!¡± she cried out in shock. ¡°Someone must¡¯ve taken it by now. I really like that bag!¡± Chapter 891 Chapter 891 Bowen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Francine. Ma¡¯am has brought back your bag and instructed one of the maids to put it in your coatroom.¡± Francine sighed in relief and stared at Corinne with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re ying tricks on me again, Corinne!¡± Corinne casually ate and asked, ¡°What time did youe home after distributing flyers with Chester yesterday?¡± Francine blushed upon hearing Chester¡¯s name and responded shyly, ¡°Umm, some time past eight, I think? Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°There probably aren¡¯t a lot of students at the school gate by six, right? Where did the two of you go after that?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t go anywhere. We just took a stroll!¡± Francine lowered his head shyly and continued eating. Bowen came over with a water bottle to fill Corinne¡¯s ss. As he did that, he whispered to her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, the bodyguards saw her eating at a roadside shack with a boy. The boy even kept her company until they reached home!¡± ¡®No wonder Francine is this cheery. Things are going very well between them!¡¯ Corinne was not too surprised to hear that. Her junior, Chester, had been raised well enough by his family, and he would never Tet a girl go home alone. A sudden thought then urred to Francine as she said, ¡°By the way, Corinne, my grandparents will being home in another two days.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Corinne responded curtly and showed little reaction as she ate. She had met Pam before, so she knew that the olddy was very kind. On the other hand, she had not met Greg yet. Rumor had it that he bargained to only undergo an operation if Jeremy got married. Francine frowned and said, ¡°Grandma likes you a lot, but Grandpa has very high standards. He might not be entirely satisfied with you as his granddaughter-inw! You need to be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± Corinne was still busy eating and remained somewhat absent-minded. ¡®How am I supposed to be mentally prepared? I can¡¯t even be sure that we will end up bing a family in the future! Ugh, I¡¯ll just roll with it.¡¯ At that moment, a servant walked in and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, someone who ims to be your schoolmate is asking to see you.¡± This alerted Francine before Corinne could exin the situation. ¡°Is it a man or a woman?¡± The servant said truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s a man.¡± Francine frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Corinne? How could you invite a man over when my brother isn¡¯t home?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow and looked at her. ¡°Why do you sound even more jealous than your brother? Can¡¯t I be friends with someone of the opposite gender?¡± Francine blinked uneasily. She raised her chin and snorted arrogantly. ¡°Tch! No one¡¯s jealous of you! You¡¯re overthinking!¡± Corinne merely turned and said to the servant, ¡°I called him here. Let him in.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The servant dutifully went and invited the person in. After a while, the servant came back with none other than Chester. As soon as Francine saw that the guest was Chester, she immediately realized that she could not meet him in pajamas and bed hair. In a split second, she jumped up and ran upstairs like the wind. Chester had just stepped into the dining hall when he saw a figure disappearing upstairs. ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± Corinne smiled faintly and said, ¡°Oh, she just went back to her room to get her phone! You¡¯re here pretty early, though. Have you had breakfast yet?¡± Chester had a disappointed expression as he looked at Corinne, but he tried his best to act naturally. ¡°I have, thanks.¡± Corinne raised her hand and gestured toward the chair. ¡°Well, in that case, take a seat.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The servant stepped forward and pulled a chair for Chester, who walked over and sat down. ¡°Whose homework do you want me to help with? Are there any children at your home?¡± he asked. Chapter 892 Chapter 892 Corinne was almost done eating, so she sipped her water. ¡°It¡¯s not a child. It¡¯s Francine.¡± A little surprised, Chester frowned. ¡°Francine is a university student. I can only teach elementary and middle school students.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just treat her as an elementary school student?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ How am I supposed to do that? Isn¡¯t it weird that I have to tutor a university student in elementary school subjects?¡± Corinne said earnestly, ¡°She¡¯s never put in any effort in her studies since she was a child, and she has terrible basic knowledge. I don¡¯t need to borate, do I? I¡¯m sure you know how poor her grades are in university.¡± Chester kept quiet. Francine¡¯s grades were indeed horrible, and she failed all her subjects every time. Corinne then said, ¡°Her privileged life means that she doesn¡¯t need to be smart to earn a living, but I still hope that she has some bit of general knowledge that she could use in her daily life. Do you think you could do that?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate.¡± Chester recalled having rejected Francine¡¯s confession once, and he felt as if he needed to avoid her as much as possible. He only brought Francine to distribute flyers the previous day because Corinne wanted his help to keep Francine upied. Upon seeing his reluctance, Corinne added, ¡°We can pay you a higher wage. Didn¡¯t you want to work and study at the same time? I remembered you saying that you wanted to save some money to start a business before your graduation?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Although Chester was not from a wealthy family, his family¡¯s financial background was not all that bad. He only came out to work to be independent as soon as possible. When it came to the prospect of gaining capital to start a business, Chester was beginning to feel persuaded as he knew he needed the money. After considering Corinne¡¯s proposal, Chester nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it. May I ask to what extent would you like me to tutor her?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Until you feel you have enough money to start a business!¡± Chester thought for a while and said, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll do my best to try and meet your demands.¡± After that was settled, Corinne turned and ordered, ¡°Bowen, could you get the servants to clear one of the guest rooms and rece the bed with arge desk? I want our new tutor to have a proper study room to tutor Francine.¡± Bowen was a little surprised that Corinne would be so considerate about Francine¡¯s studies, so he hurriedly sent someone to do as she instructed. When Francine ran downstairs to get fruits and drinks for Chester, she made a point to stop in front of Corinne. She called out in a rather harsh tone, ¡°Hey, Corinne!¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses., ¡°You called?¡± Francine had a stifled expression before she finally said, ¡°Thanks.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°You know the answer to that!¡± Francine cocked her chin arrogantly and went back upstairs with the food to receive counseling from her sweetheart. Corinne watched on as Francine ran back upstairs. She spoke to Bowen for a while and then went out alone. Over at the Crescent Building¡¯s construction site, the plot ofnd Jeremy bought for the construction of the new office building was not a vacant lot but a dpidated residential area in the city center. The original buildings had been demolished before the construction started, and work on the foundation was finally beginning. The foundation was very important as it was linked to the building¡¯s safety for many years toe. Corinne wore a helmet and checked the construction site. Aaron followed nervously beside her and supported her from time to time in case she hurt herself. He was extremely cautious and said to her, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be here, boss. The air is dusty!¡± As soon as Corinne confirmed that the building¡¯s foundation was to her satisfaction, she said to Aaron stringently, ¡°This is a veryrge project, and ourpany¡¯s reputation is at stake. I need to supervise everything carefully and ensure that no one cuts any corners!¡± Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Aaron would often sport a yful smile, but he traded that yfulness with sternness whenever he was at work. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. I¡¯ll send someone over to keep watch every day.¡± Corinne fully trusted Aaron¡¯s capabilities, but she felt a little uneasy if she did not visit the ce and check it herself. When Aaron saw her meticulousnesspared to previous projects, he jokingly said, ¡°You seem to care about Mister Jeremy a lot, boss. You¡¯re pretty invested in his future workce!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°My concern is whether or not the end product can satisfy our client. I can redraw the design, but I won¡¯t be able to demolish the building and rebuild it if something goes wrong.¡± Aaron smiled knowingly and handed her an uncapped bottle of mineral water. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll keep an eye on things over here so you don¡¯t need toe here all the time. You¡¯re pregnant, for heavens¡¯ sake! Pregnant women can¡¯t go to construction sites.¡± Corinne took the mineral water Aaron handed to her and was about to drink it, but she spotted a familiar figure from the corner of her eye. A tall man dressed in a suit with a slicked-backed hairstyle was approaching from a distance. Several subordinates were with the man, and the leader of the engineering team brought them around the construction site. It was Jeremy! Corinne turned around almost reflexively and quickly hid behind a nearby truck. Aaron squatted with her, too. At the far end, Jeremy halted his footsteps as if he noticed something. His sharp eyes stared at the nearby truck. ¡°Do you have female workers on your engineering team?¡± The leader was taken aback by the question and scratched his head. ¡°No, not at all! Women are neither capable nor willing to do such aborious, dirty job!¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, averted his gaze, and followed the engineering team leader to the other end. When he walked off, Aaron poked his head out to look at Jeremy¡¯s back. ¡°Why are you hiding, boss? Isn¡¯t he your husband? Why are you afraid of being seen by your husband?¡± Corinne leanedzily against the truck. ¡°All he knows is that I have shares in Newmoon Group, but that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t want him to know my true position in thepany, at least not now. I also don¡¯t want him to find out that I¡¯m Moon, or that I did the design for the Holden Group¡¯s building.¡± Aaron was puzzled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the other day that you wanted your rtionship with him to be built on honesty and trust? ¡°1 Corinne drank a big sip of water and said, ¡°Trust and honesty must go both ways. Only an idiot would show trust and honesty without receiving the same in return!¡± Aaron could sense that something was amiss. ¡°Did you argue with him?¡± Corinne had an unimpressed expression. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why-¡± Aaron¡¯s sentence was interrupted by his ring ringtone. ¡°Hold on a sec while I answer this call.¡± Aaron took out his phone, walked a few steps away, and answered, ¡°I¡¯m at the construction site now. What¡¯s up? No, I¡¯m not hungry. You can go ahead and eat without me! Fine, just put it on my desk. I¡¯ll eat it once I¡¯m back at the office. Okay, focus on your work.¡± After ending the call, Aaron turned around and said, ¡°Where was I?¡± Corinne ignored his question and asked instead, ¡°Who was it?¡± Aaron shrugged and confessed, ¡°Some clerk who wants to hit on me. She¡¯s been bringing me all sorts of delicious food recently, and I¡¯m putting on so much weight that my abs are going to turn into a lump of fat!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hit on her.¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°You know her?¡± Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Corinne answered, ¡°She¡¯s my niece.¡± Aaron smiled knowingly. ¡°You and I grew up together in the countryside, and I know you don¡¯t have a niece! I¡¯m guessing she must be Mister Jeremy¡¯s niece. Is your rtionship with Mister Jeremy so serious now that you¡¯re even treating his niece as one of your own?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Just don¡¯t mess around with her, okay? She¡¯s a good girl. I¡¯ll smack you if you y with her feelings.¡± Afraid of being beaten up by his superior, he pouted and said, ¡°Hey! Just because she¡¯s a good girl doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m automatically a bad person, right?¡± Corinne knew his character well. They were childhood friends, after all. She could not stand the sight of Aaron putting on an act. She stood up and walked and walked away. ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Aaron chased after her. ¡°Wait! My car is over there. Come with me. I¡¯ll drive you back!¡± Corinne waved without looking back. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯ll take a taxi!¡± Aaron shrugged helplessly as he watched Corinne walk away. She tended to keep a low profile and did not even drive a car. Hearing his phone ring twice, he lowered his head to look at his phone. It was a picture that Annie sent him. There were four different dishes along with one soup. [ Here¡¯s your lunch for today!] Aaron replied to her with a ¡®greedy¡¯ emoji. ¡®So, this woman is Jeremy¡¯s niece? Why would she get a job at Newmoon Group?¡¯ he thought. He put away his phone and walked out from the back of the truck. All of a sudden, he saw Jeremy standing there with his hands in his trouser pockets, staring unemotively at him. Aaron was startled at first, but he calmed himself in an instant. He smiled at Jeremy and asked, ¡°Are you here to inspect our work, Mister Jeremy?¡± A car stopped right beside Corinne as soon as she left the construction site. She nced over and saw the rear window being lowered slowly. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Anya¡¯s innocent-looking face poked out. She smiled brightly at Corinne, and there was no trace of the embarrassment she suffered when her ruse was exposed at the hospital a few days ago. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence to meet you here!!! Corinne nodded. ¡°That it is.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Anya asked. ¡°Would you like me to give you a ride?¡± Corinne was in no mood to talk to her. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± She then walked forward and ignored Anya. Anya told the driver to drive slower so she could follow Corinne. ¡°Just get in the car and let me give you a ride, Corinne! It¡¯s been a few days since west saw each other, and I¡¯ve missed you loads!¡± ¡®Doesn¡¯t Anya feel disgusted at herself when she spits out all these hypocritical statements?¡¯ Corinne knew Anya¡¯s character. She would never believe that Anya would miss her. Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Anya would never be kind to Corinne, especially not after what happened. Corinne stared at the road ahead and replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not going that way, though.¡± Anya smiled enthusiastically and said, ¡°I can always make a detour for you! We¡¯re on good terms with each other now, right? It¡¯s not a big deal for me to send you there!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself.¡± ¡¯You¡¯re not afraid of me, are you?¡¯ Corinne chuckled. ¡°Why should I be afraid of you?¡± Anya continued to smile innocently. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll retaliate against you for what you did? Rx, Corinne! Even if I wanted to retaliate, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to do it at this time. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to you in my car! I¡¯d be giving myself away then! I¡¯m not that stupid. I don¡¯t do things that work against my favor!¡± Corinne nced at her. ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Anya then pleaded, ¡°I just want to have a nice conversation with you. Is that too much to ask?¡± Although Corinne knew that Anya¡¯s offer was not sincere, she decided to get into the car anyway. It would be difficult for Corinne to get a taxi if Anya kept following her. Corinne yawned tiredly after getting into the car. ¡°Could you send me back to the Holdens¡¯ estate, please?¡± Anya then answered a little awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m going to deliver lunch to Lucas right now, though. Can I send you back afterward?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne frowned slightly. She already guessed that Anya was not heading the same way as her. ¡°Okay.¡± Anya patted the lunch box in her hand and smiled sweetly. ¡°My brother loves the food from this restaurant. He finishes them all the time.¡± Corinne did not even bother to look up and replied drily, ¡°Is that so?¡± She knew that Anya had nothing better to talk about. Anya¡¯s smile faded when she saw Corinne¡¯s nonchnt expression. She had a slightly disgusted look on her face, but that soon turned into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already epted that Jeremy isn¡¯t going to be with me anymore, but I want to know how you managed to change Lucas¡¯ view of me.¡± Corinne shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a bit confused by your question, Miss Anya. Has his view of you changed? It doesn¡¯t look like that to me.¡± Anya frowned and tried to keep smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t try to act confused. Lucas hated you in the beginning, but it¡¯s pretty obvious that his attitude toward you has changed.¡± Corinne answered, ¡°Your brother never really liked me, but he doesn¡¯t really hate me either. Isn¡¯t it because of your scheming that he had such a bad impression of me? Now that everything¡¯s been resolved, it shouldn¡¯te as a surprise that he¡¯d treat me slightly better. After all, he already knows that it was all a misunderstanding!¡± Anya could not contain her emotions and let out a sneer. ¡°Slightly better? It¡¯s more than just ¡®slightly¡¯, okay? He¡¯s being overly nice to you! It¡¯s just in weird! What¡¯s your deal with him, anyway?¡± Anya¡¯s probing questions made Corinne raise her guard. Anya and her mother, Phoebe, have been sending people to investigate her origins in the countryside. Though Corinne had tasked Aaron with sending people over to deal with them, there was still every possibility that Anya¡¯s people might dig up some clues. For the time being, at least, Corinne must ensure that neither Anya nor Pheobe were able to discover her blood rtionship with the Riveras. After all, her investigation into what happened to her mother would go south if those two ever found out. After a few seconds of silence, Corinne nced up and chuckled. ¡°Are you jealous, then? Is it so unbearable to see your beloved brother show the asional kindness to another girl?¡± Anya was triggered by that remark. She gritted her teeth subtly and smiled even more. ¡°Why would I be jealous? Lucas has lots of female friends. I have no reason to be jealous of them! In Lucas¡¯ eyes, those women can neverpare to me. I¡¯m just weirded out because girls like you were never his type!¡± Corinne smiled in response. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you ask your brother why his attitude toward me has changed so drastically? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll tell you since he loves you so much!¡± Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Corinne¡¯s remark made Anya¡¯s face frown. She could no longer maintain the demure smile on her face. She only asked Corinne because Lucas did not divulge anything to Anya. However, Corinne seemed to be insinuating that Anya had fallen out of favor with Lucas. Anya did not want to let Corinne get away with mocking her, so she replied calmly, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll ask Lucaster!¡± Anya looked out the car window and gritted her teeth with a vicious expression. ¡®We¡¯ve arrived, Corinne. I¡¯m going up to deliver food to my brother now. Do you want toe with me?¡± Corinne leaned backzily and closed her eyes disinterestedly. ¡°No, I can wait here for you until you¡¯re done. But you should hurry up because I¡¯m not feeling very patient today.¡± Anya did not insist. She was just offering out of politeness, anyway. ¡°Okay. Wait here for me, and don¡¯t go anywhere! I have something else to tell youter. It¡¯s about Jeremy!¡± Corinne answered insipidly and showed little interest. Anya red at her casually before getting out of the car. She carried her lunch box and made her way to the Rivera Group building. At the door of the president¡¯s office, Edmund stopped Anya and said, ¡°Why are you here, Miss Anya? Didn¡¯t Mister Lucas tell you not to go to so much trouble to bring him food?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble!¡± Anya shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do at home, and Lucas is always so busy with work. I¡¯m worried that he doesn¡¯t eat his meals on time. Could you go in and tell him that I brought him his favorite stir-fries today? It¡¯d be great if he could eat them while they¡¯re still warm!¡± Edmund frowned and reached out for the lunch box. ¡°I¡¯ll help you pass it to him once he¡¯s done with work.¡± Anya was not prepared to just hand it over like that. She looked at Edmund with a bright yet innocent look and said, ¡°Is he so busy that he doesn¡¯t even have time for me? He hasn¡¯t been home for several days now, and I miss him terribly¡­¡± Edmund felt conflicted. Apart from going to the hospital instead of going home. Lucas did so mainly to avoid Anya as he was not interested to hear her exnations. ¡°Mister Lucas is unfortunately very busy at work these past couple of days. He has to clock in extra hours quite frequently. But you don¡¯t have to worry about him, though. I¡¯ll make sure to remind him to eat on time. Just pass the food to me.¡± Anya felt like crying; she did not believe Edmund one bit. ¡°I know it was wrong for me to lie to Lucas before, and I also know that I¡¯ve crossed the line when I schemed against Corinne to win Jeremy¡¯s heart. I¡¯ve turned over a new leaf, I promise! I even politely invited Corinne into the car when I came across her on the road earlier. I nned to give her a ride, and I even told the driver to send her home! I¡¯m making an effort to correct my mistakes! Why is Lucas still so reluctant to see me?¡± Edmund¡¯s expression changed subtly. ¡°Are you saying that Miss Corinne is here, too?¡± Anya wanted to prove to Edmund that she had reflected on her mistakes and was actively trying to correct them. Through that, she hoped that Edmund would put in a good word to her brother. That was partly why she mentioned her ¡®kindness¡¯ in sending Corinne back home. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Edmund, however, seemed to have focused on another thingpletely. He seemed more interested to confirm that Corinne was there! Anya felt a little suspicious, but she nodded anyway. ¡°Yes. I saw her walking on the side of the road earlier, so I invited her to hop in so I could give her a ride. Please let me meet Lucas, Edmund. I¡¯ll leave as soon as I meet him. Corinne is waiting for me to send her home!¡± Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Edmund thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go in and talk to him.¡± Anya smiled mischievously. She felt as though she had achieved sess. As long as Edmund went in and told him that she had turned over a new leaf, Lucas would not be so harsh on her anymore! As expected, Lucas came out to meet her in person. ¡°Lucas! I brought your favorite stir-fries!¡¯ Anya rushed toward Lucas like she always did and acted coquettishly. However, Lucas pushed her away coldly and nced around. ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne? Isn¡¯t she with you?¡± Anya was taken aback. ¡®Why is he asking about Corinne?!¡¯ ¡¯Umm¡­ Corinne is waiting for me in the car downstairs! I¡¯m on good terms with her now. If she¡¯s willing to get in the same car with me, it means she¡¯s willing to forgive me! I know I was wrong, so please don¡¯t stay angry at me, okay?¡± Anya then wanted to throw herself into Lucas¡¯ embrace again. Lucas ced one hand on her shoulder. He exerted a bit of force to stop her froming any closer. He then asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t shee up here?¡¯ Anya frowned subtly. She could sense that Lucas was showing a little too much concern for Corinne, but she did not dare to show her dissatisfaction with him at that moment. ¡¯I invited Corinne up, but she didn¡¯t want to. She said she would wait for me in the car, so I didn¡¯t force her.¡± Lucas looked downcast. ¡°She refused your invitation toe up?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Anya nodded. Lucas felt helpless. Corinne probably refused because she did not want to see her sorry excuse of a brother. Edmund knew what was on Lucas¡¯ mind, so he stepped forward and asked, ¡°Shall I invite Miss Corinne up?¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Yes. Ask her nicely toe up here and have lunch.¡± ¡°Understood!¡¯ Edmund immediately turned so he could do as he was told. Lucas looked on uneasily as Edmund left. He was a little worried that Edmund might not be able to convince Corinne toe up, so he thought of going over to meet her himself. Then again, he felt that doing so would make him look a little too suspicious. For the first time, Anya could see the uneasiness on Lucas¡¯ face. She wondered if Corinne was the cause. She was infinitely curious as to why Lucas cared so much about Corinne. ¡°Why does Corinne seem so important to you? Must you ask Edmund to invite her over?¡± she blurted that question as curiosity got the better of her. Lucas snapped back to his senses and looked calmly at Anya. ¡°She is Grandpa¡¯s savior, but our family has never treated her well before. You, especially, should know better than anyone what you¡¯ve done to her in the past. Don¡¯t you think our family should right those wrongs and be nicer to her?¡± Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Chapter 898 Anya frowned innocently. ¡°I know that I was wrong when I didn¡¯t treat Corinne well in the past, but I don¡¯t think you should treat her that well. Corinne is Jeremy¡¯s wife, so she¡¯s considered a member of the Holdens, too. The Riveras haven¡¯t been on good terms with the Holdens for quite some time. If you treat her too nicely, others might think that we¡¯re weak¡­¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Corinne and the Holdens are two separate entities! Why do you think we shouldn¡¯t treat her well? It should be you, of all people, who are supposed to be more polite to her!¡± Anya was a little afraid when she heard Lucas¡¯ tone. She said hurriedly, ¡°I treat her with the utmost respect, Lucas! I even offered to give her a ride today! You¡¯ve never been mean to her, so I just think you shouldn¡¯t lower yourself for her. I feel heartbroken when I see you like that¡­¡± Lucas red coldly at her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel that way for me.¡± He then turned around and went back into the office. Since Edmund was not around to stop Anya from following him, she bit her lip begrudgingly and followed Lucas in with her lunch box. Outside the building, Corinne closed her eyes when someone knocked on the ss window and woke her up. ¡°Miss Corinne!¡± Edmund called softly. Corinne woke up from her nap. She lowered the car window and saidzily, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Edmund. What¡¯s up?¡± Enter title¡­ 10/7/23, 12:47 AM Read The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished Chapter 898 https://en.novelxo/the-day-i-kissed-an-older- man-by-cher-the-cherished/r1008011.html 2/3 Edmund quite liked it when Corinne spoke to him in a less-formal tone. He was never very friendly with her because of Lucas, yet she never held it against him and treated him politely nheless. ¡°As you¡¯re already here, Mister Lucas invited you toe up and have a meal.¡± Corinne waved her hand to reject the offer. ¡°I appreciate the gesture, but I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡± Edmund was not surprised. He already expected her to reject the offer, and there was nothing he could do about it. Corinne had never been treated well during her time at thepany, so it should not be surprising she would not be keen on going upstairs. Edmund thought for a moment and asked once more, ¡°It just so happens to be lunch hour. If I recall, you quite enjoy our cafeteria¡¯s food. Just think of it as a restaurant and have lunch there. At least you would¡¯ve gotten something out of coming here.¡± Corinne did enjoy the food served there, and she particrly enjoyed one of the pork dishes there. Although it had been a while since she worked there, she remembered how delicious thatThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. particr dish was. Edmund had been instructed by Lucas to watch her every move, so it was not surprising he would know what kind of food she ate at the cafeteria. Corinne nced at him. She had been swayed by the possibility of having lunch there. ¡°Isn¡¯t it exclusively for thepany¡¯s employees?¡± Edmund nodded respectfully. ¡°It won¡¯t be an issue if it was you.¡± Corinne asked again. ¡°Should I pay for the meal, then?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Edmund replied. ¡°Mister Lucas will never allow it! Just eat whatever you like to your heart¡¯s content!¡± Corinne¡¯s expression soured, and she immediately lost interest. ¡°Forget about it, then. I¡¯m not the kind of person who likes freeloading.¡± Edmund frowned. ¡°Okay, okay! You can pay for your lunch then!¡± Corinne got out of the car. She decided to head upstairs for lunch before going back home. There was nothing for her to do at home, anyway. Before she walked into the building, Corinne saw a queue at the ice cream kiosk of a fast-food restaurant just opposite. She craved some ice cream, so she said to Edmund, ¡°You can go on ahead. I¡¯ll catch up. I¡¯m going to get an ice cream before heading up.¡± Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Edmund looked at the ice cream kiosk and said, ¡°How about you head up first? I¡¯ll get the ice cream for you. Just let me know which vor you¡¯d like!¡¯ ¡°Vani, please.¡± Corinne took out a banknote and handed it to him. ¡®Here¡¯s the money for the ice cream!¡± Edmund was about to wave his hand and refuse when he saw the frown on Corinne¡¯s face. She seemed to be warning him that she would not go up if he did not take the money from her. Edmund had no choice but to ept the money before waiting in line. Since she had someone to help buy the ice cream, Corinne immediately made her way into thepany. Unexpectedly, she ran into an acquaintance soon as she entered the elevator. A beautifully dressed woman with red lips was startled to see Corinne enter the elevator. She remarked in an odd tone, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Corinne! You were formerly Mister Lucas¡¯ secretary and was later promoted to the sales manager role, right?¡± Corinne recognized her as one of the staff members. After Lucas transferred her to the sales department, the same female employee reced her as Lucas¡¯ secretary. However, she could not remember the woman¡¯s name at that time. Corinne tended not to concern herself with unimportant people, and she simply nodded with a smile. ¡°Long time no see.¡± The female employee purposely moved closer to Corinne and said teasingly, ¡®I heard that you were fired by Mister Lucas! Why are you here today?¡± Corinne repliedzily. ¡°For lunch.¡± The female employee frowned and sneered. ¡°Lunch? Do you think ourpany is a restaurant that you cane to whenever you want? Don¡¯t be so silly!¡± Corinne yawned and nced up to see how many floors she had passed. ¡®I find it silly, too.¡± The female staff member felt that Corinne was merely brushing her off with that remark. She did not believe that Corinne was just there for lunch, so she began to pry, ¡°Hey, be honest, will you? Why are you here, Corinne? Are you going to get yourself rehired?¡± Corinne nced at her. ¡°Why are you so curious about me?¡± The female employee rolled her eyes in disgust. ¡°We¡¯re ex-colleagues, right? Can¡¯t I show concern for an ex-colleague?¡± She was not just purely curious, of course. Anya had tasked her to keep an eye on Corinne¡¯s every move and ry anything of note back to her. However, Anyater ignored her after Corinne was fired by Lucas. Since Corinne had reappeared back at thepany, she felt that she could use the opportunity to inquire about Corinne and report any findings to Anya. That way, she could establish a better rtionship with Anya so sheProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. could put in a good word for her. s, Corinne ignored her. The female employee continued to pester Corinne and became upset when she did not answer. ¡®Hey! Corinne! I¡¯m asking you a question! ¡°How can you be so arrogant and ignore me?! ¡°What¡¯s with that act, huh? You only worked a couple of days at the sales department, and Mister Lucas fired you in the end, too! ¡°If you¡¯re trying to get yourself rehired, I¡¯ll have you know that a highly- educated person who is several times morepetent than you has been appointed to that position already. You¡¯ll never get the job back!¡± Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Chapter 900 Corinne kept quiet and did not even look at the woman. Instead, she raised her hand and used her pinky to dig into her ear as if she had heard some noise. Corinne¡¯s calmness irked the woman. She grabbed Corinne angrily. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you! Are you deaf? Why aren¡¯t you answering me? Have you no manners, you b*tch?!¡¯ The elevator doors opened with a ding. Lucas was about to enter the elevator. His expression darkened when he saw what was happening inside. Time seemed to pass very slowly after he knew Corinne was just outside the building. He was a little anxious in waiting for Edmund toe up with her, and he was also worried that Edmund would not be able to persuade her toe up. Fearing that Corinne might leave, he decided to head downstairs and fetch her. However, he was surprised when he saw the scene in the elevator. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lucas asked sternly. The female employee was taken aback when she turned and saw her boss just outside the elevator. She felt a little awkward, so she quickly tried to exin herself, ¡°Mister Lucas, do you remember her? You fired her some time ago, and she¡¯s back today for some unknown reason! I asked her what business she was here for, but she just kept quiet! She¡¯s so suspicious! I have a hunch that she¡¯s here to steal our business secrets, so I just-¡± ¡°Let her go,¡± Lucas interjected. The employee was startled by his frigid expression. She released Corinne right away. Lucas strode into the elevator and gently grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand to check if she was okay. His expression soured as soon as he noticed that her wrists were red. He turned around and asked coldly, ¡°Which department are you in?¡± The female employee could not understand what was happening, and she was a little overwhelmed by everything. At the same time, she also felt somewhat disappointed that she had not left an impression on him.¡± Umm¡­ Mister Lucas, I used to be your secretary, but I was transferred to the marketing department. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± ¡°Pack your bags and get lost. You¡¯re fired,¡± Lucas informed without a second thought. The female employee was stunned, and her eyes widened in shock. ¡°Mister Lucas? I¡­¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Get out!¡± Lucas lost his patience and did not want to listen to the woman¡¯s nonsense. He then turned to look at Corinne and said in a soft tone, ¡°Why did it take you so long toe up? Have you had lunch yet?¡± Corinne shook off Lucas¡¯ hand in disgust and said indifferently, ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m here for lunch.¡± Lucas did not get angry at her after being rejected. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Right. You couldn¡¯t havee up here to see me. Anyway, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to lunch.¡± Corinne frowned. She did not want to go to the cafeteria with Lucas. However, she knew she could not get rid of him as she was on his turf. She thus decided to go along with him and avoid any unnecessary trouble. The female employee stood frozen in confoundment. ¡®Did he just fire me? Why? Just because I grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand? Didn¡¯t he use to hate Corinne a lot before and even go so far as to fire her? What in the world is going on? Mister Lucas even spoke in such a gentle tone to Corinne as if he was afraid of making her unhappy!¡¯ Amid her confusion, a gloomy-faced Anya walked up to her slowly. Anya narrowed her eyes as she looked in the direction Lucas and Corinne headed. Doubt and resentment began to fill her hea Chapter 901 Chapter 901 As soon as Anya appeared, the female employee immediately held her arm as though she was herst hope. ¡®Miss Anya, thank goodness you¡¯re here! I don¡¯t know why, but Mister Lucas just fired me. Please help me get my job back!¡± Anya shook her off with disgust as though she had just been touched by something dirty. ¡°Get off me! Why should I help you get your job back? You¡¯re nothing but a lowly nobody!¡± The female employee was stunned. She looked at Anya in disbelief. ¡°Miss Anya? Didn¡¯t you say you see a lot of potential in me? You¡¯ve even asked me to keep an eye on Corinne for you, and-¡° Anya hated how she was blocking her path, so she pushed her away. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re stupid enough to believe what I said! You should take a good look in the mirror, you idiot!¡± The woman fell to the floor and immediately broke down crying. Not only was she fired from her job, but Anya abandoned her, too! ¡®What have I done to deserve this?¡¯ she wailed internally. In her mind, Anya was the kindest person she ever met, so she could not believe she would turn out to be so cold-blooded. Meanwhile, in the Rivera Group building¡¯s cafeteria. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. The bustling cafeteria fell silent because of Lucas¡¯ arrival. No one dared to speak, and the only sounds that could be heard were the scraping of the tes and the chewing of the food. Lucas picked out all the carrots in the dishes before pushing the te to Corinne. ¡°There, all the carrots are gone. You can eat now, Corinne.¡± Corinne frowned at the carrot-less dishes. She then looked up at Lucas and said, ¡°But carrots are one of my favorites. Why did you take them out?¡± Lucas was surprised. ¡°You like carrots? But as your brother, I remember you hated them when you were little.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°People do change, you know. Plus, I don¡¯t even remember what I liked or didn¡¯t like to eat when I was little. By the way, can you stop referring to yourself as my brother? I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll stop¡­¡± said Lucas helplessly. ¡®Til go get some carrots for you now. ¡ö He then got up, but before he took a step, Corinne said, ¡°No, thanks. There are some perfectly good carrots here. We shouldn¡¯t waste food like that.¡± She then pulled the teful of carrots Lucas had picked out closer to her before digging into her food. Lucas sat back down with resignation. He felt hurt when he saw her eating the carrots he had picked out. ¡®She hated carrots the most when she was little, but all of a sudden, she likes it now? Just what did she go through to make her change her mind?¡¯ Well, Corinne would not havee to love carrots if she had anything else to eat as a child. Beggars could not be choosers, after all. While it was true Corinne got to leave out a peaceful childhood and teenagehood in the covenant, she did not have the luxury to be a picky eater. The covenant¡¯s meals could be summed up in one word-nd. Also, the nuns would only eat the cheapest vegetable in the season, and it was an unspoken rule everyone had to eat what was served. In fact, out of all the dishes, the ones with carrots could be deemed as the most vorful. Lucas¡¯ eyes reddened a little. He felt sorry for Corinne. ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t have to eat that. I¡¯ll get you some new ones. There¡¯s no need to worry about wasting food here,¡± he said after getting up. ¡°No, Mister Lucas. That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± said Corinne sternly. ¡°I¡¯m okay with eating this, so there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself.¡± 1 Lucas felt crestfallen. ¡®Seems like she¡¯s still unwilling to ept me as her brother¡­¡¯ he thought with resignation. Chapter 902 Chapter 902 Chapter 902 ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about wasting food here,¡¯ Lucas insisted. He could not bear to see Corinne being like this. ¡°Is it because you think it makes me look cheap to eat these?¡± Corinne asked with a raised eyebrow. Lucas was stunned. ¡°No, of course not!¡± he said quickly. Corinne¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Then can you please stop telling me what I should and shouldn¡¯t eat?¡± Lucas was speechless. He had no choice but to sit back down. He looked at Corinne with a forlorn expression, thinking he would do anything she asked as long as it made her happy. Corinne nonchntly ate a bite of the honey garlic pork chop before saying, ¡® Mister Lucas, I¡¯d like to keep the fact that we¡¯re rted by blood to ourselves. I hope you haven¡¯t told anyone yet.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I haven¡¯t told anyone about this yet. You have my word that I won¡¯t tell anyone else until you¡¯re ready to return to the family. If I tell my Grandpa Cedric and Grandma Beatrice, they¡¯d definitely rush to the Holdens¡¯ mansion to bring you home. I¡¯m sure Grandpa Edgar and Grandma Gertrude would do the same. ¡°Not to mention our seven uncles and twelve cousins abroad would fly back the moment they heard of the news. You might not remember them, but they miss you very much. There¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll be overwhelmed by them all, so no, I haven¡¯t told anyone yet.¡± Enter title¡­ 10/9/23, 5:07 AM Read The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished Chapter 902 https://en.novelxo/the-day-i- kissed-an-older-man-by-cher-the-cherished/r1010301.html 2/3 Corinne was not surprised to learn Edgar and Gertrude would look for her since she was their granddaughter. She was sure they would wee her with open arms and not care who her father was as long as they knew Emily to be her mother. However, it was a different story with the Riveras. Corinne suddenly smirked and asked, ¡°Why would Grandpa Cedric and Grandma Beatrice care whether I¡¯m still alive? Didn¡¯t they use me of being a child born out of an illicit affair? Why would they want me back into the family? By the way, didn¡¯t you think the same as them, too?¡¯ ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Lucas did not know what to say to make Corinne believe him. He grabbed her hand in a panic and said, ¡°You have to believe me, Corinne! I¡¯ve never thought of you that way!¡± It just so happened Anya saw Lucas grabbing Corinne¡¯s hand the moment she stepped into the cafeteria. She was stunned, but curiosity and jealousy overtook her, causing her to re vehemently at Corinne. She took out her phone, snapped a photo of them, and sent it to Jeremy. Jeremy will be furious once he learns Corinne has been flirting with another man behind his back!¡¯ she thought. ¡®It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t hear what they were talking about, though. But why would they need to hold hands while talking?¡¯ Thus, she walked up to them and asked innocently, ¡°Lucas, I¡¯ve brought you lunch, so why are you eating here in the cafeteria?¡± Corinne quickly pulled her hand away from Lucas. Lucas simply let her go. He then straightened himself up and answered,¡¯ I¡¯m just being a good host to Miss Corinne.¡± Anya turned to look at Corinne and blinked innocently at her. ¡°Corinne, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to wait for me downstairs since you didn¡¯t want toe up here? So why¡­¡± Corinne threw her an indifferent nce before answering, ¡°You were taking too long and I got hungry, so I thought I¡¯ll have my lunch here before leaving.¡± Anya dropped her head sadly as though she was caught doing something wrong. ¡°Sorry, Corinne. I shouldn¡¯t have made you wait that long. But since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you join me and Lucas for lunch? The food I brought is way better than the food in the cafeteria.¡± She then ced four containers on top of the table and opened up the lids before passing Lucas a pair of cutleries. ¡°Here, Lucas. You must be hungry after all the work you did. Hurry and eat the food before they get cold!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Chapter 903 Lucas epted the cutleries but did not start eating. Instead, he stared at Corinne gently. Anya was not happy to see this but did not show her displeasure. Smiling, she pushed one of the containers toward Corinne. ¡°Here, Corinne. Try this,¡± she said in her sickeningly sweet tone. Corinne thanked her lightly, but she did not eat the food. Anya blushed when she did not get the response she wanted from both of them. She felt like she was a lowly maid serving a difficult employer. However, she reminded herself to keep smiling. She then pulled out the chair next to Lucas and sat down. ¡®There must be something going on between them since they stopped talking the moment I arrived,¡¯ thought Anya suspiciously. She took out her phone to check whether Jeremy had seen the photo she sent him. He did, but he did not reply. After thinking over it, she sent him another message. [Jeremy, I know I have no right to contact you anymore, but I thought I should let you know about this. Corinne doesn¡¯t seem to know how to keep her boundaries with other men. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for a married woman like her to openly grope my brother¡¯s hand like that.] After a while, she received a reply from Jeremy. [Where is this?] Enter title¡­ 10/10/23, 12:51 AM Read The Day I Kissed An Older Man by Cher the Cherished Chapter 903 https://en.novelxo/the-day-i-kissed-an-older-man-by-cher-the- cherished/r1010701.html 2/3 Anya could smell her victory was near, so she quickly replied, [Corinne is eating lunch with Lucas at Rivera Group¡¯s cafeteria. Didn¡¯t she tell you she wasing?] She received no reply from Jeremy after that. Edmund walked up with a bowl of ice cream just when Corinne was done eating. He was finally able to get the ice cream after queuing up for a long time. ¡°Here¡¯s the ice cream you wanted. Miss Corinne.¡± It just so happened Corinne was craving something sweet, so she stood up and epted the ice cream gratefully. ¡°Thanks for going through all that trouble, Edmund!¡± At that moment, Lucas grew envious of Edmund. ¡®Oh, how I wish Corinne would just call me by my name instead of addressing me so formally!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Suddenly, Edmund felt a chill run up his spine. He could tell Lucas was not happy with him, but he had no idea what he had done wrong to elicit his ire. ¡°Miss Corinne, this is the change from buying the ice cream,¡± said Edmund respectfully while presenting it to her. Corinne simply waved her hand. ¡°Keep the change. It¡¯s just enough to pay for the lunch I had in here. I¡¯m done eating, so I¡¯ll make a move now. Bye.¡± After that, she strolled casually out of the cafeteria. ¡°Corinne, wait! I¡¯ming with you,¡± said Anya as she got up to chase after Corinne. ¡°Why did you even ept her money?¡± Lucas asked Edmund as Edmund sent off the two girls with his eyes. He turned to him and said helplessly, ¡°Miss Corinne insisted that I take her money. She said she won¡¯te up here unless I take it.¡± Chapter 904 Chapter 904 Lucas had experienced how stubborn Corinne could be, so he let the matter slide. He then sighed tiredly before sharply asking, ¡®What did she call you just now?¡± Edmund was intimidated by Lucas¡¯ stare. ¡¯Umm¡­ She called me Edmund as usual¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Anya knew there was a surveince camera inside the elevator, so she reminded herself to tread cautiously to avoid leaving any dirt for Lucas to hold over her head. Thus, she refrained from saying anything to Corinne while in the elevator, but as soon as they got out of the building and into the car, she said snarkily, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re really good at having men wrapped around your little finger, huh? Even Lucas can¡¯t escape that fate.¡± ¡°You tter me,¡± said Corinne without bothering to look at her. She then yawned before saying to the driver, ¡°Mister, can you please drop me off at the Holdens¡¯ first?¡± Anya red at Corinne vehemently. She hated how nonchnt she was being. ¡°Corinne, if I¡¯ve guessed correctly, you and Jeremy haven¡¯t registered your marriage yet, right?¡± she asked with a scoff. Corinne¡¯s sleepy eyes suddenly widened. She narrowed her eyes and frowned at Anya. Judging by Corinne¡¯s response, Anya knew she was right. She smiled mysteriously and continued, ¡°I knew Jeremy would never get legally married to you. Oh, Corinne. So what if you¡¯ve moved in with him? without the marriage certificate, you¡¯re just a fake Missus Holden, and I¡¯m pretty sure it won¡¯t be long until you¡¯re kicked out of the house.¡± Anya¡¯s words aroused Corinne¡¯s suspicion. ¡°Oh? How did you know he¡¯ll never get legally married to me?¡± she asked seriously. Anya looked n at Corinne in disgust. ¡°The Holdens will never ept a girl with a background like yours as a Missus Holden. Prominent and wealthy families like ours are all about marrying their sons and daughters off to partners who have simr backgrounds. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true Jeremy really likes you now, but just how long will thatst? A year? Two years? There wille a day when he¡¯s bored of you. You must think your position is secure just because you¡¯re carrying his baby, right? Tsk, tsk, tsk. How wrong you are. ¡°You do know he could kick you out of the house and keep the baby in the family, right? He could marry some rich heiress to be his wife and the baby¡¯s mother. But of course, there¡¯s another important reason why Jeremy won¡¯t get legally married to you.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°And what might that be?¡± She was confident Jeremy was not the type to care about his partner¡¯s background, but something suspicious was definitely going on since he would be evasive whenever she brought up getting a marriage certificate. Anya smiled smugly. It was rare for her to have Corinne¡¯s full attention.¡± Corinne, seems like you don¡¯t really know Jeremy that well at all. Here I thought he sees you as the most important person in his life, but he doesn¡¯t even tell you everything. Why, it doesn¡¯t even look like you know as much as me!¡± Corinne was not in the mood topete with Anya about who knew Jeremy better. Instead, she frowned and asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the important reason?¡± Anya was going to drag this out for as long as she could. That was the only way to make her happy. ¡°You want to know? Well, I¡¯m not going to tell you. You should go ask Jeremy instead. But I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tell you.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne knew Anya was not going to tell her no matter how much she asked, so she just gave up. She turned her face away and closed her eyes to take a short nap. By the time she reached home, it was already past two o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Chapter 905 Chapter 905 After Corinne got out of the car, Anya rolled down her window and said snarkily, ¡°Good luck, Corinne.¡± She then ordered the driver to send her home. Corinne narrowed her eyes at the disappearing car. ¡®Does she truly know the reason Jeremy doesn¡¯t want to get legally married to me, or is she just bluffing?¡¯ After that, she went inside the mansion. As soon as she entered the yard, she saw a luxury limousine she had never seen before parked in front of the entrance. ¡®Someone¡¯s here?¡¯ she asked herself. Just as she was thinking who it could be, a servant greeted her, ¡°Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re back! Mister Greg and Mister Pam havee back today and are looking for you. Miss Pam looked so disappointed when I told her you went out. Why don¡¯t you go greet her now?¡± ¡®Oh, so Grandpa and Grandma havee back?¡¯ Corinne grew nervous. She had met Pam before but not Greg. ¡°Corinne!¡± Pam called out to her warmly as soon as she stepped into the foyer. Pam got up and walked over smilingly. She gently held Corinne¡¯s arms and studied her. Then, she frowned. ¡°Corinne, did you slim down again? Why, it¡¯s only been a few months since I¡¯m gone. That won¡¯t do! You need to eat more. I won¡¯t be traveling anywhere else this time, so I can cook your favorites for you every day. I must fatten you!¡± Corinne immediately had a shback of the time she got a nosebleed after drinking the soup Pam made, causing her to suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of pressure. She smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°T- Thanks, Grandma. I¡¯ll be looking forward to it.¡± Francine, who was sitting close by, crossed her arms and scoffed.¡± Grandma only has eyes for Corinne now,¡¯ she said in a tone dripping with jealousy. Her tutoring session with Chester must have ended since he was nowhere to be seen. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Pam turned and rolled her eyes at her. ¡°You silly girl. You had all my attention for so many years. Can¡¯t you just let Corinne have some of it for now?¡± Francine pouted. Frankly, she did not dislike Corinne as much as before, so she was not that angry to see Pam spoiling Corinne. Pam led Corinne to an old man who was sitting in a wheelchair. ¡°Greg, this is Corinne, our granddaughter-inw. Isn¡¯t she just as cute and pretty as me?¡± she introduced with a smile. ¡®Hello, Grandpa,¡± greeted Corinne politely, making sure to meet his eyes. Though wheelchair-bound, Greg still retained his usual domineering qualities to him. Anyone who was not close to him would easily be cowed by his oppressive aura. Greg looked Corinne up and down before finally fixing his gaze on her face. He could not quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something off about her. Frowning, he asked, ¡°She¡¯s our granddaughter-inw? That can¡¯t be right. She looks so different from the photo on the marriage certificate.¡± Pam coughed loudly. ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s time for you to take your medicine, you old fool. Francine, go get your grandfather¡¯s medicine and some water!¡± Francine was in a good mood today, so she did as Pam asked. After that, no one brought up what Greg said anymore. Pam turned her attention back to Corinne. She smiled kindly and asked, ¡°Corinne, where did you go just now?¡± Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Corinne heard what Greg said, but she remained impassive. Instead, she smiled and answered, ¡°I went to look for a friend. Sorry, Grandma. I didn¡¯t know you and Grandpa would being home today. I would¡¯ve stayed home and waited for you.¡± Pam shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Corinne. It was ast-minute decision, so it was our fault for not informing you sooner. Even Jeremy has no idea we¡¯re here. By the way, you must be tired from your little outing. Why don¡¯t you go up and have a good rest? I¡¯ll cook something for you and Jeremy once he¡¯s back.¡¯ Corinne nodded. ¡°Alright. Thanks, Grandma.¡± She was indeed tired. Her energy level had been on the decline ever since she got pregnant, which was why she was happy to take up Pam on her suggestion. The thought of staying downstairs to talk with Pam did enter Corinne¡¯s mind, but she had a feeling Pam did not want her to do that. Midway up the stairs, Corinne looked back at them and saw Pam walking over to Greg with a frown and lightly hitting him on the arm. The elderly woman then bent and whispered something to him. It seemed like she was telling him to be careful in choosing his words. Corinne¡¯s eyes dimmed a little. She looked away and made her way into her room. ¡®So things aren¡¯t as simple as they seem in this family. Maybe that¡¯s why Jeremy doesn¡¯t want to register our marriage yet.¡¯ She was immediately ovee by exhaustion once she was back in her room. However, she could not sleep no matter how she tossed and turned. After a while, the door swung open, and in walked Jeremy. Seeing her eyes shut, Jeremy walked over to the bed and pulled the nket over her. The sound of the movement caused her to open her eyes. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy was a little surprised when she woke up. He sat on the bed and asked gently, ¡°Did I wake you?¡± Corinne looked him straight in the eyes. ¡®I wasn¡¯t sleeping.¡± Jeremy stroked her cheek lightly. ¡°Then why did you keep your eyes closed? Were you pretending to be asleep?¡¯ Corinne frowned. ¡°No. I wanted to sleep but couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you sick?¡± Corinne found it ufortable to talk while lying down, so she sat up. ¡°No. It¡¯s probably ¡¯cause I slept too muchst night.¡± Jeremy was relieved to hear that. ¡°Where did you go today?¡± he asked. ¡°Nowhere.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°I know you went out, so why won¡¯t you tell me where?¡± Corinne looked into his eyes. ¡°Must I tell you where I go every time? It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever reported to me about your whereabouts!¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback, but he suddenly smiled. ¡°Well, do you want me to do that?¡¯ ¡°No. I don¡¯t have that kind of interest,¡± deadpanned Corinne. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. He could sense something was off about Corinne. ¡°Are you in a bad mood? Why are you talking to me like that?¡¯ Corinne was indeed in a bad mood. She focused her gaze on him, and after a minute of silence, she uttered, ¡°Jeremy Holden.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®This is the first time she called me by my full name. This can¡¯t be good.¡¯ Chapter 907 Chapter 907 Jeremy had no idea why Corinne would address him by his full name, so he asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Corinne looked into his eyes. ¡°Are you hiding anything from me?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression stifled for a moment before it fell back to normal. He held her face between his hands and asked, ¡°Why would you ask me that?¡¯ Corinne did not dodge his hands nor did she react. She simply stared at him. ¡°I had a dream where you lied to me about everything. I want to make sure you aren¡¯t hiding anything from me right now. Well, are you?¡± Jeremy remembered how scared Corinne looked when she woke up from her nightmarest night. He sighed helplessly and said, ¡°So you¡¯re still angry at me for what happened in your nightmarest night? It wasn¡¯t real, so don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ¡®Jeremy Holden, answer my question. Are you, or are you not hiding anything from me?¡¯ Corinne asked emotionlessly. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t get mad if youe clean to me now, but if you don¡¯t and I find out about it in the future¡­ Well, you can kiss this rtionship goodbye!¡± Jeremy was confused as to why she acted like that. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hiding anything from you.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure?¡¯ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Two seconds of silence ensued before he nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne scrutinized him silently. Jeremy moved his hand from her cheek to her chin. He gave it a light squeeze before leaning in for a kiss. Corinne turned her head away. ¡®Mister, your grandparents came home today, so you better behave.¡¯ Not getting what he wanted, Jeremy frowned. He then rested his chin on her forehead. ¡°So we¡¯re doing the not-kissing thing again, huh? I knew you went to Rivera Group to visit your brother today¡­ My question is, why didn¡¯t you drop by my office for a visit, too?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback, but her surprise did notst long. ¡®Of course he¡¯d know. We¡¯re in New Capital City after all. Nothing ever gets past him on his turf.¡¯ Being in a bad mood, Corinne did not ask him how he came by that information. She simply let him rest his chin on her head, but she made sure to avert her gaze from his. ¡°He¡¯s not my brother, so stop calling him that,¡± said Corinne with her eyes down. Jeremy seemed peeved by her refusal to meet his eyes. He lifted her chin, so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. He then scoffed and asked, ¡°Why did you let him hold your hands, then?¡± The jealousy in his tone was apparent, but this time, Corinne ignored it. Instead, she frowned and shot back, ¡°That caught me off, too. But how did you know all this?¡± ¡°Anya sent me a photo,¡± replied Jeremy honestly. Corinne scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯ve kept contact with her even though you knew she wasn¡¯t your savior.¡± Jeremy suddenly grinned when he saw she was angered. ¡°Is this jealousy I smell on you?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°No. Why should I be?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve kept in contact with Anya.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡± ¡®So howe you¡¯ll visit Lucas but not me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re never a bother to me.¡± Chapter 908 Chapter 908 Corinne smiled indifferently. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll drop by your office one day.¡± Jeremy furrowed his brow and moved closer to her. ¡°Before that, how about I give you a little bother first?¡± ¡®Give me a little bother?¡¯ Corinne did not even have time to figure out what he meant before his warm lips fell on hers. All she could see was his handsome face while he pushed her against the headboard. After a few seconds or so, Corinne finally snapped out of her shock. The first thing she did was to push him away, but no matter how she pushed back, Jeremy remained rooted to where he was. After all, there existed a vast difference in strength between her and Jeremy. ¡®Well, if you can¡¯t beat them, join them,¡¯ thought Corinne. She decided not to waste her energy and instead hooked her arms around Jeremy¡¯s neck and kissed him back. Jeremy¡¯s pupils dted. He was surprised by her reaction, but he then smiled as he eased himself into the enjoyment. However, their making-out session was interrupted by a knock on the door. ¡°Mister Jeremy, Miss Pam has asked the two of you toe down for dinner,¡± said Bowen from the other side of the door. Jeremy smiled. ¡°Fine, then. Let¡¯s continue where we left off tonight. For now, let¡¯s go down and have dinner with the grandparents.¡± ¡®Continue tonight? As if!¡¯ Corinne gave him an annoyed side-eye, but there was no hiding the blush creeping up her cheeks. She was not hungry at all. She had a huge lunch at the Riveras¡¯ ce, but she knew it would be rude to not show up for dinner since it was the first day Jeremy¡¯s grandparents hade back. Thus, she got up and followed Jeremy downstairs. Jeremy smiled. ¡°Fine, then. Let¡¯s continue where we left off tonight. For now, let¡¯s go down and have dinner with the grandparents.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Continue tonight? As if!¡¯ Corinne gave him an annoyed side-eye, but there was no hiding the blush creeping up her cheeks. She was not hungry at all. She had a huge lunch at the Riveras¡¯ ce, but she knew it would be rude to not show up for dinner since it was the first day Jeremy¡¯s grandparents hade back. Thus, she got up and followed Jeremy downstairs. As soon as they entered the dining room, they were greeted with a delicious aroma of food. Greg and Francine were already sitting at the table. Jeremy held her hand and led her over to Greg. ¡°Hello, Grandpa,¡± Jeremy greeted him respectfully. ¡°Hello, Grandpa,¡± Corinne followed suit. Greg simply nodded at Jeremy, then at Corinne. Chapter 909 Chapter 909 Previously, Corinne got a nosebleed after drinking the soup Pam made for her. Pam was filled with guilt when Jeremy brought up the past. After rolling her eyes at Jeremy, she smiled apologetically at Corinne. ¡°Sorry aboutst time, Corinne. I didn¡¯t mean to give you a nosebleed. It¡¯s just that you looked so skinny, so I wanted to fatten you up a little. I promise I won¡¯t force you to drink chicken soup every day now. You won¡¯t get a nosebleed if you drink it every other day.¡± Corinne nodded and smiled. ¡°I know you meant well, Grandma.¡± ¡®She¡¯s not only beautiful but kind too,¡¯ thought Pam, liking this granddaughter-inw of hers from the bottom of her heart. She was pleased with Corinne, but the same sentiment could not be said for Jeremy. Frowning, she scolded him, ¡°Jeremy, you need to take care of Corinne more! Look at how skinny she has be.¡± Jeremy pulled out a chair and sat beside Corinne. He turned to look at Corinne before stroking her hair gently like she was a kitten. ¡°You¡¯re right, Grandma. She¡¯s too skinny. We must fatten her up!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After that, he whispered into her ear. ¡°You can give me the soup if you don¡¯t want to drink it.¡± Corinne nodded. She was a little distressed at how to deal with the soup since she was not hungry at all, so she was grateful that Jeremy hade to the rescue. Pam could not help but smile kindly when she saw Corinne and Jeremy talking in a hushed tone. She nudged Greg and said, ¡°Check out that aloof grandson of ours. He¡¯s even learned how to be loving to others!¡¯ Being a man of few words, Greg said nothing. He simply frowned when he saw how softly Jeremy was talking to Corinne. Corinne felt the way Greg was staring at her. ¡®It¡¯s obvious Grandpa doesn¡¯t like me as much as Grandma does¡­¡¯ Throughout the dinner, Pam was very attentive to Corinne. She kept piling food on her te to the point that Corinne could not possibly finish it all. It was a good thing Jeremy was well aware of what was happening, so he would secretly help her eat the food on her te from time to time. At the tail-end of the dinner, a servant suddenly came in and reported,¡± Mister Jeremy, some people are asking for Miss Corinne outside.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°For me?¡± The servant nodded. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. Three of them hade before. They said they¡¯re your family.¡± ¡®My family?¡¯ Corinne instantly thought of the Riveras but then quickly changed her mind. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be them ¡¯cause the servant would¡¯ve recognized them. Plus, Lucas promised me he won¡¯t tell the others about my real identity yet.¡¯ Corinne might not have liked Lucas, but she trusted he would keep his promise. ¡®So the only possible answer is the Carews havee. But why would they? They haven¡¯t contacted me since I cut ties with them. This can¡¯t be good.¡¯ Pam had no idea of the convoluted rtionship Corinne had with the Carews; she thought it was just her inws dropping in for a visit so she smiled and said, ¡°Corinne, you should ask your family to join US for dinner. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to whip up a few more dishes.¡± The servant was about to pass on the order to the kitchen when Corinne stood up and said Chapter 910 Chapter 910 Corinne followed the servant out of the dining room. Jeremy knew howplicated Corinne¡¯s rtionship was with the Carews, so out of worry for her, he stood up and made his way out too. All of a sudden, Greg stopped him. ¡¯Jeremy,¡± Greg called out sternly. Jeremy turned back to look at him. ¡°Yes, Grandpa?¡± Frowning, he turned his wheelchair around. ¡°Come to my room. I have something to ask you.¡± Jeremy turned to look at Corinne¡¯s disappearing figure with disappointment. After thinking over it, he followed Greg into his room. As soon as she stepped outside, Corinne saw Sherlyn¡¯s old red sports car. Sherlyn¡¯s eyes, which were caked in heavy makeup, widened with hatred when she saw Corinne. Corinne ordered the servant who followed her out to go back inside the mansion before she walked up to Sherlyn. Sherlyn got down from her sports car and arrogantly walked up to Corinne in her six-inch heels. ¡°Well, hello there, Corinne. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Corinne looked at her calmly. ¡°To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± Sherlyn scoffed after looking at Corinne from head to toe. ¡°One would think you¡¯re not some Missus Holden at all. I thought you¡¯ll be dripping in jewelry and branded items, but you still look as cheap as ever!¡± Corinne knew how shallow Sherlyn was, so she did not take what she said to heart. However, someone else did. Francine immediately shot out of the mansion. ¡°Who are you calling cheap?!¡± she shouted. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re high-ss just because you¡¯re wearing branded clothes? Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t expect a hick like you to know just howst season everything you¡¯re wearing is!¡± Sherlyn was shocked by the sudden scolding and frowned unhappily at Francine. However, her anger subsided a little when she saw the other woman dressed in thetest branded wear. ¡®Excuse me Miss, but I¡¯m talking about Corinne, not you.¡± Francine had never been the type to back down from a fight. ¡°I won¡¯t allow you to talk bad about Corinne either! You should take a good look in the mirror beforeing for my sister-inw like that!¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Sherlyn¡¯s expression darkened, but she dared not offend the Holdens. She forced herself to calm down by taking a few deep breaths before she turned to Corinne and said, ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯te alone. Mom and Dad are here, too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just get straight to the point and tell the reason for your visit, ¡¯ said Corinne indifferently. Sherlyn scoffed. ¡°Need you ask?¡± The more she looked at Corinne, the more she hated her. ¡®God, I hate her so much! She¡¯s the reason I became a D-list actress. People were begging me to star in their movies when I was still popr. Now, I have to do the begging! What right does Corinne have to be Missus Holden?¡¯ Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°How would I know if I don¡¯t ask?¡± Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Marvin got out of the front passenger seat and rushed over angrily to where Corinne and the others were. As usual, he did not get a grasp of the situation before scolding her,¡± Corinne, how can you live your life as a wealthy man¡¯s wife so carefreely when you caused so much suffering for others? I regret ever taking you in!¡± Lilliana also got down from the car. She looked at Corinne smugly. Corinne was unfazed by their arrival. She simply said calmly, ¡¯Uncle Marvin, can you exin to me what you meant by that? Just what suffering did I cause to others to make youe running here to use me like this?¡± Marvin pointed at her angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me, you ingrate! I should¡¯ve beaten you to death when I had the chance to spare myself from the disgrace you brought to the family!¡± ¡®Ingrate? Howughable for him to call me that when he¡¯s never raised me. All he had ever done was to feed me a few times before leaving me with his rtives in the countryside,¡¯ thought Corinne. While she was grateful that he took her in when her mother asked him to, she repaid whatever debt she had. ¡®How dare they use me like that when they should be grateful I didn¡¯t pursue all the abuse they heaped upon me when I was little?¡¯ Francine stood with her arms on her hips and threatened, ¡°Who do you think you are?! You better speak nicely, or I¡¯ll get someone to kick you off our property!¡± Enter title¡­ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Before Jeremy followed Greg into his room, he turned and gave Francine a look. She knew that was his way of asking her to keep an eye on Corinne. For Jeremy¡¯s sake, she could not hold back her anger the moment she saw someone shouting at Corinne. Marvin¡¯s expression darkened at being scolded by someone much younger than him. However, he did not dare offend Francine since she was from a powerful family. ¡®Excuse me, miss, but this is none of your business. Corinne is my adopted daughter, so I have the right to speak to her however I want.¡± As if those words would work on Francine! Irked by Marvin¡¯s attitude, she was about to offer up a retort when Corinne patted her lightly on the shoulder. ¡®Francine, head back inside now. I can handle this myself.¡± Not being able to unleash all her anger, Francine turned back to look at Corinne unhappily. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not doing this for you but for Jeremy. I can¡¯t stand to see anyone speak so rudely to his wife!¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s really okay. Now, be a good girl and go back inside.¡± This elicited another frown from Francine. ¡®Why is she speaking to me like I¡¯m a kid?¡¯ Corinne knew Francine would not listen to her, so she gently pulled her to the side before stepping toward Marvin. ¡°Uncle Marvin, why don¡¯t you just get straight to the point?¡± Marvin frowned unhappily. ¡°Where are your manners, child? Shouldn¡¯t you invite us in before asking us to tell you the reason for our visit?¡± If this were any other day, Corinne might have invited them in to hear what they had to say, but not today. Pam and Greg had juste back. Greg, especially, was still wheelchair-bound and had notpletely recovered. ¡®Who knows what this mad bunch of people will say if I let them in? I wouldn¡¯t want Grandpa to get all worked up by them Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Chapter 912 ¡®Say whatever you want here. You can leave if you don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t have much time to be wasting here with you,¡± commented Corinne curtly. Marvin could stand Corinne¡¯s arrogant attitude. ¡°What did you say? Corinne Carew, don¡¯t forget who raised you!¡± Corinneughed. ¡°Ha! Of course I won¡¯t forget. It was Mother Cathrina, not you.¡± ¡®Why you!¡± Marvin seemed to have deted a little. At that moment, Lilliana held Marvin¡¯s elbow, sighed, and said snarkily,¡¯ Marvin, it stands to reason Corinne won¡¯t see US as her adopted parents anymore since she¡¯s married into the Holden family.¡± It wasughable when Marvin called himself Corinne¡¯s adopted father, but when Lilliana called herself Corinne¡¯s adopted mother¡­ It sounded like the greatest joke of the century. Not only did Lilliana not raise Corinne, but she actually abused her! ¡¯Ha! How dare she call herself my adopted mother!¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne smirked at Lilliana. ¡°Aunt Li Iliana, you¡¯re mistaken. It¡¯s not only now I don¡¯t see you as my adopted mother but I¡¯ve done so from the very beginning.¡± Lilliana¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Why you!¡± Enter title¡­ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Sherlyn jumped in to defend her mother. She pointed at Corinne and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t get so cocky, Corinne! Today might just be thest day you can call yourself Jeremy¡¯s wife. I¡¯m sure the Holdens will kick you out of the house once they know your true colors!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡®My true colors? What are the Carews nning now?¡¯ ¡°What is all thismotion about?¡± rang a kindly old voice. Everyone saw Pam being led out of the house by a maid. The elderly woman nced at the three strangers before turning to Corinne. ¡°Corinne, what¡¯s going on here? Are they your family?¡± she asked with a concerned tone. Things had just gottenplicated with Pam thrown into the mix. ¡°Grandma, they¡¯re not¡ª¡¯ ¡®Yes! We¡¯re her family!¡¯ interrupted Marvin. He walked up to Pam and bowed humbly before her. ¡°Hello, Ma¡¯am. You must be Miss Pam. I¡¯m Corinne¡¯s father, Marvin.¡± Pam looked him up and down. She hade across so many people in her life that she could tell what kind of man Marvin was with just one look. She knew Marvin was a man with no backbone and took an instinctive dislike toward him. However, she still kept an ounce of politeness in her behavior since he was, after all, Corinne¡¯s father. She nodded at him and said, ¡°Well, hello.¡¯ After that, she turned to Corinne and asked, ¡°Corinne, is he really your father?¡¯ Corinne shook her head. ¡¯ No.¡± ¡¯I am!¡± shouted Marvin. Pam frowned in consternation at the different answers given to her. However, she would rather believe Corinne than Marvin. ¡®Corinne, is he or is he not?¡± Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Chapter 913 Corinne walked up to Pam. She held her by the arm and shook her head resolutely. ¡°Grandma, he¡¯s not my father.¡± ¡°Then why did theye to find you? Do you need me to handle this?¡± asked Pam worriedly. Corinne was touched by Pam¡¯s attentiveness. She smiled and shook her head again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I¡¯ll take care of this myself. You¡¯ve only just finished dinner, so it¡¯s best you go back inside to take a rest.¡± She then turned to look at Francine. ¡°Francine, bring Grandma in with you. Don¡¯t let her worry, you hear?¡± Surprisingly, Francine simply nodded and led Pam into the mansion by the elbow. Pam was still worried about Corinne but decided not to say anything since she insisted she could handle it herself. ¡°Ma¡¯am, wait! We are Corinne¡¯s family. This ingrate cut ties with US after marrying into your family!¡± shouted Sherlyn. Pam paused in her tracks. Seeing this, Liliiana quickly added, ¡°Ma¡¯am, we are Corinne¡¯s family- honest! Otherwise, why would we come here to find her? She broke off contact with US ever since marrying into your family ¡¯cause she thinks we¡¯re too poor! Ma¡¯am, I can tell you¡¯re a fair woman, and I¡¯m pretty sure a prominent family like yours will never ept an ingrate as a granddaughterinw, right?¡± After that, she nudged Marvin to get him to say something as well. Marvin came to his senses and immediately knew what LiIIiana wanted him to do. My wife is right! Corinne is our daughter, and I¡¯m her father!¡± Pam half-turned to look at the three of them before fixing her gaze on Marvin only. She narrowed her eyes and Enter title¡­ asked, ¡°Then why does Corinne insist you¡¯re not her father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not his biological father but her adopted father instead,¡± exined Marvin helplessly. Pam frowned. ¡°And how long have you acted as her adopted father?¡± ¡°More than ten years, ma¡¯am. I took her in when she was about four or five, and she took myst name ever since then. She started thinking we were not good enough for her after marrying into your family. In fact, she hasn¡¯t even visited US once, and I bet it¡¯s because she thinks we¡¯re a disgrace. It makes me shudder to think how ruthless she can be,¡± answered Marvin quickly. ¡°If it makes you shudder to think about her that way, why are you here now? Just what motive do you have foring here to find her?¡± asked Pam. Marvin¡¯s expression faltered in guilt. He was silent for a while before answering, ¡°Ma¡¯am, something happened, and I was left with no choice but to find her. People from my old hometown came crying to me after they found out what Corinne did to them a few years back. You see, I had no choice but to bring them here.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®What I did to them? What did I ever do to them? Why do I have no recollection of that at all?¡¯ Pam finally turned and looked sternly at Marvin. ¡°Mister Carew, you better exin just what Corinne did to make you and your familye all the way here to kick up a fuss!¡± Marvin sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. It¡¯ll be quicker if you ask the users to exin it themselves.¡± He then turned to the old red sports car and said,¡¯ Youdies cane out now.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 914 Chapter 914 1. 2. ? 3. 4. ? 5. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The Day I Kissed An Older Man By Cher the Cherished Chapter 914 Posted by AbMark, 13 Views, Released on October 16, 2023 Options Chapter 914 Two women came out of the sports car. One looked to be about 40 or 50 years old, and the other looked to be about 20 years old. They were both dressed very inly. The 20 year-old-woman, who was sporting two braids, was dressed in an old checkered shirt, washed-out jeans, and dirty sneakers. As they got closer, Corinne thought that looked familiar, yet she could not quite put her finger on where she met them. The older woman red at Corinne as soon as she was near her. ¡°Corinne, have you no shame living such a luxurious life while you¡¯re to me for the pitiful condition you¡¯ve put my daughter in?¡± she sneered. ¡®Ah, so they¡¯re mother and daughter,¡¯ thought Corinne. She looked at the older woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with what you did to US by ying dumb!¡± spat the older woman angrily. Throughout the conversation, her daughter kept her head lowered. Judging by her trembling shoulders, she seemed to be crying quietly. ¡°And what did I do to you?¡± asked Corinne lightly. She was quite curious to know what she did. The older woman turned her head away with a scoff before dragging her daughter past Corinne. ¡°We¡¯re not interested in talking to you since you¡¯re married now. Your inws should be the ones handling this matter.¡± Seeing they were about to walk up to Pam, Corinne immediately stood in between them. ¡°I alone should be held responsible for the wrongdoings I¡¯vemitted. The only person you should talk to is me.¡± Enter title¡­ The older woman was livid. ¡°Talk to you? As if you can everpensate for all the loss we¡¯ve rued over the years! Get out of my way now!¡± Corinne moved to the side again when she saw the mother- daughter duo trying to get past her again. She did not want to trouble Pam with all this mess. ¡°Corinne, you wouldn¡¯t worry about US going to talk to Old Missus Holden if you¡¯re as innocent as you say you are!¡± said Marvin after walking up to Corinne to stop her from blocking Josephine and her mother from entering the mansion. Then, he said to the elder woman, ¡°That elderly woman you saw just now is the matriarch of the family. Everyone respects her very much. You can tell her what Corinne did to you, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll give you the justice you seek for.¡± The mother-daughter duo sessfully got past Corinne with Marvin¡¯s help. Once they got in front of Pam, they fell to their knees and put their heads on the ground. Francine frowned. She had no idea what the mother-daughter duo had up their sleeves, so her first instinct was to stand in front of Pam with her arms wide open. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, your granddaughter-inw is a bad person! You must make her pay for what she did to my daughter, Josephine!¡± cried the woman. Seeing this, Corinne pushed Marvin away and put herself in between Francine and Josephine¡¯s mother. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, you can discuss anything with me! Just leave my grandmother alone!¡± At that moment, Pam knew things would not be easily solved, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Corinne. Let them speak to me.¡± Corinne turned back to look at Pam with an apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry for troubling you again, Grandma.¡± Pam shook her head kindly. ¡°No need to apologize, Corinne. We¡¯re family, after all. Though, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t stop troubling you if you don¡¯t give them a chance to say what they want to me, so how about we let them do that?¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze started to waver a little bit. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like Grandma believed their words. In fact, she¡¯s still standing firmly by my side.¡¯ She thought Pam would be taken in by their words. After all, the elderly woman was not her real grandmother, and there was no trust built up between them over the years Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Thus, Pam¡¯s thoughtfulness startled and soothed Corinne¡¯s heart.¡¯ Grandma¡¯s right. These people aren¡¯t going to give up that easily. They¡¯re going toe again and again until they get to say whatever they want to the Holdens.¡¯ After thinking about it, Corinne nodded and said, ¡°Okay. Well do it your way, Grandma.¡± Pam nodded as well. As they finally came to an understanding, she stepped forward and looked down at the kneeling, crying mother-daughter duo. ¡°Stop crying, you two,¡± she ordered sternly. ¡°You¡¯re going to make other people think we have a death in the family if you keep this up!¡± The mother-daughter duo were immediately shocked into silence. After a while, the older woman said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, we didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble for you. It¡¯s just that Corinne did a number on US, and we have no one else to turn to¡­¡± Pam ignored her and turned to the servant waiting for instructions instead. ¡°Bring them in first so we won¡¯t be the laughingstock of the neighborhood. Well talk once everyone is inside.¡± The servant nodded. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± After that, Francine led Pam back into the mansion. Corinne was about to help Pam, but Sherlyn, in her six-inch high heels, blocked her from doing that. Enter title¡­ Sherlyn smiled sinisterly and lifted her chin proudly. ¡°Like I said: this will be thest day you can ever step foot in this mansion, Corinne!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not for you to decide. Though I must tell you-your good days are numbered.¡± ¡®Why you!¡± Sherlyn gritted her teeth. Corinne pushed her away with one finger and went upto help Pam into the mansion. ¡°Mom, Dad, look at how she treated me!¡± Sherlyn stomped so hard that she nearly fell. Lilliana caught her just in time. ¡°Now now, Sherlyn. There¡¯s no need to get angry over that. After all, I¡¯m sure the Holdens will kick her out of the house once they find out what she did in the past.¡± After thinking about it, Sherlyn felt a little better. She quickly followed them into the mansion to watch the drama unfold. Bowen and several servants were waiting in the main living room forthem toe. Jeremy and Greg, on the other hand, were still talking in Greg¡¯s room. Pam sat primly on an armchair. She might not like the visitors, but she still asked the servants to bring in some coffee for them. ¡°Now tell me, just what did Corinne do to make youe here to kick up a fuss?¡± she asked after taking a sip of coffee. Josephine¡¯s mother had never seen such a grand house. She only stopped looking around in awe when Pam asked her the question.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Josephine¡¯s mother clutched her daughter¡¯s hand tightly. She cried pitifully, ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re from Westrise Vige. Josephine, my daughter here, and Corinne were in the same ss in high school.¡± Corinne, sitting beside Pam, was sipping her coffee. Hearing this, she looked at Josephine. ¡®She does look like one of the girls in my ss, but I don¡¯t think I was ever close to her.¡¯ ¡°So?¡± prompted Pam. ¡°Corinne wasn¡¯t doing all that well in high school. She¡¯d often skip ss to hang out with the young thugs outside of school,¡± Josephine¡¯s mother continued. Pam frowned. She did not really believe the older woman¡¯s words. She turned to look at her sensible granddaughter-inw and thought, ¡®No matter how I see it, Corinne doesn¡¯t look like someone who¡¯d skip ss.¡¯ ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne simply smiled as if she was listening to the funniest joke on earth and calmly sipping her coffee. Josephine¡¯s mother added, ¡°On the day of their SAT exams, my daughter arrived in ss on time. She¡¯s the top student in her year, and every teacher held her in high regard. But when it came to getting her results, there was no record of her name in the system. ¡°We all thought it was weird, so we went to the school to ask for an exnation. But the school just gave US some vague excuse to get US off their case. We couldn¡¯t do anything after that since we¡¯re just ordinary folks with no power or connections. Thus, we resigned ourselves to fate, and my daughter didn¡¯t pursue her education after that. She stayed back home to help us with the farm¡­¡± Both the older woman and Josephine started to sob pitifully at this point in the story. Pam felt a little sympathetic to Josephine¡¯s misfortune, but the story did not seemplete. ¡°But what does this have to do with Corinne? Why did youe here to look for her?¡± Josephine¡¯s mother raised her head and looked angrily at Pam. ¡°Of course it does. She¡¯s the one who used my daughter¡¯s result to get into the University of New Capital City!¡± Pam was shocked. ¡°What?! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Josephine¡¯s mother wiped away her tears. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it was only recently that we found out Corinne didn¡¯t take her SAT exams at all. She had a rich boyfriend then and, through her boyfriend¡¯s father¡¯s connection, managed to swap her results with my daughter¡¯s so she could attend the best university in the country! ¡°Because of her, my poor daughter had no choice but to stay back and help the family with the farm. How can I just sit by and do nothing when my poor daughter¡¯s bright future has been ripped out from under her very feet?! This is her life we¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Josephine¡¯s mother became so emotional that she clutched her daughter, and the two of them started sobbing hysterically. It was a pitiful sight to see. Pam¡¯s face remained impassive. She was about to say something when Corinne ced her hand on top of hers. Corinne smiled at her lightly before turning her attention back to the sobbing mother and daughter. ¡°Excuse me, Ma¡¯am. Before Iment on whether what you told US is true or not, might I ask you a few questions first?¡± Chapter 917 Chapter 917 Josephine¡¯s mother raised her head from her daughter¡¯s shoulder and wiped her tears with her sleeves. ¡°Ask away! There¡¯s no way for you to worm yourself out of this when you know what I said was true!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne smirked and asked evenly, ¡°You mentioned your daughter was a top student. Why didn¡¯t you let her repeat another year after you found out there was no record of her SAT exam results in the system? ¡°If she was as excellent as you said she was, she could¡¯ve gotten into University of New Capital City after repeating another year of school. And even if she wasn¡¯t, she could¡¯ve gone to trade school instead of wasting her youth farming, right?¡± Josephine¡¯s mother¡¯s expression changed. She then red vehemently at Corinne. ¡°How can you talk so nonchntly? Don¡¯t you know it takes money to repeat another year or go to trade school? We¡¯ve spent what we have to send her to high school so that she might change her life through higher education, but you stole all that away from her!¡± ¡°Going to university takes money, too! Does that mean you¡¯re going to stop her from going to university as well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get a full ride schrship with her grades!¡± said Josephine¡¯s mother with unwavering determination. Corinne simplyughed. Josephine¡¯s mother started to panic. ¡°What¡­ What are youughing at?¡± Corinne waved her hand, not wanting to waste her breath on arguing whether Josephine would have gotten a full ride schrship. Instead, she said, ¡°Let me ask you another question. You said I didn¡¯t take my SAT exams. Do you have any proof? Why would I avoid taking exams if I n on going to university?¡± Josephine¡¯s mother frowned. ¡°You must¡¯ve thought it was pointless for you to take the exams since you¡¯re so bad at studying. Plus, you have your rich boyfriend to pull some strings for you, so that makes it even more pointless for you to take the exams when you know you¡¯re going to get into University of New Capital City anyhow.¡± Corinne picked up her coffee and took a sip to quench her thirst. ¡°It all sounds like you don¡¯t have any proof. In fact, I could sue you for defamation.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother gritted her teeth and red at Corinne. She then nced at her daughter and decided to change tactics after considering her choices. ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯te out with every dirty thing you did because you¡¯re a girl, and nothing it¡¯s as important as a girl¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t force my hand into telling everyone all that,¡± she said emphatically. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about all that. Feel free to say anything you like,¡± replied Corinne nonchntly. Josephine¡¯s mother pointed angrily at her. ¡°Fine, have it your way. The reason you didn¡¯t take your SAT exams was because you went to get an abortion a few days before. You were too weak to even step foot into the exam hall.¡± Pam had remained calm before all of this, but here, she could not help but frown deeply and asked, ¡®Corinne had an abortion?¡± Josephine¡¯s mother nodded resolutely. ¡®Yes, Ma¡¯am. I heard Corinne had more than one abortion. She had always had a bad reputation from a young age. Her rich boyfriend¡¯s parents didn¡¯t approve of her, so she decided to force them to ept her by using the baby she was carrying as a bargaining chip. ¡°In the end, she agreed to get rid of the baby when her boyfriend¡¯s father offered to get her into University of New Capital City. She finally got what she wanted. If you ask me, the baby¡¯s father could¡¯ve been anyone since she used to hang out with the thugs outside of the school all the time.¡± Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Marvin scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡°Sigh! Just my rotten luck to have taken in a shameless daughter!¡± Sherlyn clutched his elbow and said, ¡°Dad, you shouldn¡¯t get sad over that ingrate. After all, you still have me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, Marvin. We still have Sherlyn! As for Corinne, the only thing we can do is hope for her to come to her senses and pay what she owes to Josephine!¡± Josephine¡¯s mother¡¯s act was so convincing that Pam could not help but believe her a little. She turned to look at Corinne, not wanting to believe the granddaughter-inw she adored was that kind of person. ¡°You could say I used Josephine¡¯s results and that I had an abortion, but if you don¡¯t have proof¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you in court,¡± said Corinne calmly. ¡°The proof is that you had an abortion a few days before the exams!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Where did I have an abortion? Which hospital did I do it at? Who was the attending doctor?¡± asked Corinne rapidly. ¡°As if anyone would know that many details about your dirty deeds. I bet you did it at the unlicensed clinic that closed down years ago.¡± ¡¯It closed down? Why, that¡¯s as good as not having any proof.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother gritted her teeth and said determinedly, ¡°Corinne, I might not have proof of your abortion, but I can prove you¡¯re bad at your studies and that you couldn¡¯t have gotten into University of New Capital City by your own effort.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? And how are you going to prove that?¡± Josephine¡¯s mother scoffed. ¡°Your old high school has records of you skipping ss. How can someone who skipped ss so often be good at their studies? Ma¡¯am, you can ask someone to go check Corinne¡¯s attendance records in our town¡¯s high school; you¡¯ll see for yourself who¡¯s telling the truth here.¡± Pam looked hesitantly at Corinne with eyes filled with mixed feelings. ¡¯ Corinne, I¡­¡± Corinne was speechless. It was true she often skipped ss during high school, but it was not to hang out with the thugs! At the time, she had just founded Newmoon Group and had to do everything herself since neither Xante nor Aaron could handle it alone. However, she mastered her schoolwork a long time ago. She never missed an exam and had been rmended to many universities for admission. This was a known fact to all the teachers and the principal. ¡®But the fact that they dare toe here today means they¡¯ve paid off the teachers and the principal. And even if they didn¡¯t, the teachers and the principal might not dare to testify for me if they were put under duress,¡¯ thought Corinne. Josephine¡¯s mother thought she had won when she saw Corinne being silent. ¡°Cat got your tongue, Corinne? You know you often skipped sses in high school, and this alone is enough proof of how bad of a student you are!¡± ¡°Whether or not my wife is a good student is not up to you to say. I alone know better than anyone else what kind of person she is!¡± Chapter 919 Chapter 919 Jeremy¡¯s deep voice came from behind them, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. The Carews, Josephine, and her mother turned to look at him. All of them were shocked and awed by just how handsome he was, especially Sherlyn. This was not the first time she met Jeremy, but her heart would race whenever she met him. ¡®I was so close to marrying him! I would¡¯ve been his wife if it weren¡¯t for Corinne.¡¯ The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. However, there was nothing she could do then but to watch Jeremy gracefully sit beside Corinne. 1 Jeremy even picked up Corinne¡¯s coffee and drank it nonchntly. The way he behaved with Corinne was so intimate that Sherlyn could not help but go green with envy. Even Josephine stared at Jeremy dazedly. Out of all the young women there, only Corinne seemed to be unperturbed by Jeremy¡¯s entrance. She simply nced at him before turning her attention back to Josephine and her mother. Jeremy narrowed his eyes at the unexpected visitors. ¡°If your only aim is toe here to nder my wife, there¡¯s still time for you to leave. But if you continue to keep up what you were doing¡­ Well, don¡¯t me me for what I¡¯m about to do.¡± His tone was calm, yet it sounded oppressive and ominous. His words bore deep into everyone¡¯s mind, sending chills up their spines. The Carews knew just how protective Jeremy was of Corinne, so they dared not speak a word. However, that did not stop Sherlyn from staring dreamily at him. Although Josephine¡¯s mother was cowed by the terrifying aura Jeremy was emitting, she was not about to give up easily. ¡°Excuse me, but I take it your Corinne¡¯s current husband?¡± she asked in mock bravado. Jeremy nced at her coldly. He did not like how she added the word ¡® current¡¯ in front of ¡®husband¡¯. It was as if she was implying Corinne had other husbands before him. ¡°Yes, I am. How can I help you?¡± Jeremy¡¯s aura was so oppressive that Josephine¡¯s mother shrank back a little. ¡°Mister Jeremy, it¡¯s a good thing you came. I wasn¡¯t ndering Corinne. I only came here to seek justice for my daughter! After all, your wife is the reason my daughter lost her chance to get into the best university in the country.¡± Jeremy calmly ced his hand on Corinne¡¯s shoulder to show everyone whose side he was on. ¡°I heard some of what you said just now. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s unreasonable for Corinne to ask you for proof, but it seems like you don¡¯t even have that.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother started to panic under Jeremy¡¯s crushing gaze. ¡°As I said, the proof is Corinne¡¯s ss attendance record. She skipped ss almost every day to hang out with some thugs. She didn¡¯t study hard at all. Was it possible for her to get into University of New Capital City? ¡°Mister Jeremy, I know it might be hard for you to ept all this, but I¡¯m only telling the truth. Corinne wasn¡¯t a good girl in high school, and there¡¯s a chance she¡¯s lying to you.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened as he said emotionlessly, ¡°And as I said, I know better than anyone else whether she¡¯s a good person or not.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother was surprised to learn just how much Jeremy trusted Corinne. However, she was not about to back down because of that. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, you must think Corinne was still pure on your first night with her, right? Well, let me tell you something. The medical field is so technologically advanced now that some sl*ts can repair their ¡®down there¡¯ with surgery to make their husband think they¡¯ve been chaste all their lives.¡± Chapter 920 Chapter 920 Everyone there knew what Josephine¡¯s mother meant by ¡¯down there¡¯. They were all adults, after all. That was, everyone except Francine. She frowned and asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s ¡®down there¡¯?¡± Everyone turned to look at her with annoyance. Even Josephine¡¯s mother was stumped by her question. Pam pped Francine¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt while the grown-ups are talking.¡± Francine pulled her hand back out of pain; she did not even know what she had done wrong. ¡°But Grandma, I¡¯m not a kid anymore! In fact, I¡¯m a year older than Corinne,¡± she said with a pout. Pam furrowed her brow. ¡°This has nothing to do with you, so go back to your room now!¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anything anymore!¡± Francine did not want to go back to her room; she wanted to see how the whole thing would y out in the end. Although she did not really like Corinne, she did not think she was the type of girl who would fool around with other men. In fact, during the times when she fought tooth and nail to banish Corinne from the house, she could not dig up any dirt about Corinne at all. other thaning from a less-than-ideal background, Corinne¡¯s record was squeaky clean. Seeing Jeremy silent, Josephine¡¯s mother decided to strike while the iron was hot. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you shouldn¡¯t marry someone who cheats and lies to get what they want. Corinne isn¡¯t worthy of you at all! But it¡¯s not toote. With your status and your fortune, you can easily find another reputable woman to marry after you divorce Corinne.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He simply stared at Josephine¡¯s mother and said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it sounds like you¡¯re very familiar with the repairing of womanly bits.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Josephine¡¯s mother was a woman after all, so found it rather embarrassing to talk about this kind of topic with another man. ¡°I just happened toe across an advertisement talking about that. It¡¯s said that many girls who were active in that department would often opt for that kind of surgery to marry a good man. Mister Jeremy, I won¡¯t you weren¡¯t fooled by her at all!¡± Jeremy smiled emotionlessly. ¡°I know for a fact my wife didn¡¯t undergo the surgery you¡¯re implying. Besides, this isn¡¯t something an outsider like you should concern yourself about. The first night we did it, she was still a V¡ª ¡¯ Corinne, who was calm up until then, blushed and stopped Jeremy from continuing. ¡®Ahh! Has he no shame? I won¡¯t ever be able to show myself in this house if he talks about our bedroom business like this.¡¯ ¡°Ahem! That¡¯s enough. Ma¡¯am, you¡¯re more than wee to sue me if you still insist I was the one who stole your daughter¡¯s university spot from her. I¡¯ll see you in court then,¡± interrupted Corinne. Jeremy smiled and stroked Corinne¡¯s hair. ¡°Why are you blushing like that? Weren¡¯t you the one who forced yourself on me that night?¡± he teased. Corinne¡¯s face turned beet red. ¡°Jeremy Holden! Can¡¯t you see that Grandma is here?¡±From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 921 Chapter 921 ¡°So behave yourself a little!¡± Corinne moved away from Jeremy in annoyance. However, Jeremy was having none of that. He pulled her back into his arms. Even when Corinne struggled, he whispered adoringly into her ear,¡± Hey, be a good girl now. I¡¯m going to kiss you in front of everyone if you don¡¯t stop moving.¡± This made Corinne even more irritated. ¡®Ugh! This is so embarrassing. How can I ever show my face in front of Grandma again?¡¯ She knew better than anyone that Jeremy never makes empty threats. He might really kiss me in front of everyone if I don¡¯t stop moving¡­¡¯ She decided to give up the fight and buried her head into Jeremy¡¯s chest. This way, she could pretend she was not there. Seeing this, Pam¡¯s gaze gradually softened. ¡®Jeremy must have a firm grasp of her past to trust her so much. After all, the most precious thing a couple could have is trust in each other,¡¯ she thought, more confident in her thoughts. After that, she mentally berated herself for believing some stranger¡¯s words over Corinne¡¯s. Josephine¡¯s mother looked at Jeremy in shock. Not only did she not get what she wanted, but she had to witness this lovey-dovey act in front of her. This caused her to scowl. ¡¯Look at him, cuddling and looking at her adoringly. Did my words not mean anything to him at all?¡¯ Seeing how helpless Josephine¡¯s mother looked, Liliiana worried that their trip would be in vain. She could not stand to see Corinne living such a blissful life because in her heart, she always felt Corinne had stolen what was rightfully Sherlyn¡¯s. Thus, she decided to do something about it. ¡°Mister Jeremy, thisdy here is known as the most honest person in our town. She didn¡¯t mean to drive a wedge between you and Corinne. In fact, I believe everything she said, so it¡¯s my advice that you be careful around Corinne.¡± Jeremy was massaging Corinne¡¯s palm. Hearing this, he nced at Lilliana. ¡°If I remember correctly, you¡¯re Corinne¡¯s adopted mother, right?¡± Lilliana felt honored that Jeremy still remembered who she was. She nodded happily and said, ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m so d you remember that.¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°As her adopted mother, how can you bring an outsider into my house to nder my wife like that? In fact, I can¡¯t help but think you mustn¡¯t have been a very good adopted mother to Corinne while she was growing.¡± Li Iliana¡¯s expression changed. ¡°No! That¡¯s not how it is. She started it first by being ungrateful¡­ I finally saw her true colors and thought you should know, too,¡± she quickly exined. Jeremy took another look at Liliiana¡¯s lying face, causing his eyes to turn even colder than before. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell me what you all came here for? Just what it is you¡¯re trying to achieve by making a scene?¡± he growled deeply. Lilliana dared not say anything else since all of her previous attempts just seemed to make Jeremy even madder. Thus, she gave Josephine¡¯s mother a look and gestured with her chin for her to say something. From N?velDrama.Org. Josephine¡¯s mother blinked at her a few times before turning to look at Jeremy. ¡°I want Corinne to get my daughter a cushy job in Holden Group inpensation for her causing my daughter to lose out on her chance in attending university. I want her to give back my daughter¡¯s bright future!¡± Chapter 922 Chapter 922 I also want her toe clean to everyone about what she did to my daughter. I want her to apologize publicly!¡± Hearing this, Corinne slowly raised her head and turned to look at Josephine¡¯s mother as if she was looking at something ridiculous. However, Jeremy pressed her face back into his chest as he did not want her to dirty her eyes by looking at these conniving people. Jeremy nced at Josephine, who had been crying ever since she arrived.¡¯ Your daughter isn¡¯t qualified to work at mypany since she doesn¡¯t have a degree.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother frowned and said, ¡°She would have if Corinne didn¡¯t steal her spot! Mister Jeremy, Corinne is now your wife, and I can tell you two love each other very much. Thus, it¡¯s only natural for you to bear the consequences of what she did in the past. I know you¡¯re the president of yourpany, and that means everything you say matters! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll only need to say a word to get my daughter a job in yourpany.¡± ¡¯You still haven¡¯t been able to prove that my wife took your daughter¡¯s spot in University of New Capital City. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little absurd to negotiate with me with such a flimsy bargaining chip?¡± remarked Jeremy indifferently. Although Josephine¡¯s mother was a little intimidated by Jeremy¡¯s oppressive aura, she was unwilling to back easily. ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times. The proof is Corinne¡¯s high school ss attendance record!¡± ¡®Skipping ss often doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s bad at her studies. Haven¡¯t you heard of the word ¡®genius¡¯ before?¡¯ Jeremy asked steadily. ¡°If you can¡¯t show us any other proof but still insist my wife took your daughter¡¯s spot, I suggest we ask them to retake the SAT exams that year to see who can score the highest grade.¡± Josephine¡¯s mother¡¯s expression changed. Her gaze darted around before she finallyposed herself. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s not fair. Corinne spent thest few years attending the best university in the country while my daughter did farmwork. She must¡¯ve forgotten a lot of the lessons, so how can she score higher than your wife?¡± Before Jeremy could say anything, Pam scoffed and said, ¡°You shot down every idea we have, yet you can¡¯t even show any proof. All you know how to do is make a scene. Do you really think our home is somewhere you can do whatever you want without consequences? Bowen! Show our guests out!¡± ¡®Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± replied Bowen. Josephine¡¯s mother started to panic. Her trip would be in vain if she was kicked out of the mansion! ¡°How dare you kick US out? You should take responsibility for what Corinne did since she married into your family! I¡¯m not asking for much; just for her to make a public apology and to get my daughter a job in thepany!¡± ¡®We can talk about your terms if you can give US some proof. Until then, you¡¯ll leave her alone,¡± said Jeremy lightly. Bowen, do what you have to do to get them out of the house now.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy!¡¯ Bowen immediately summoned the bodyguards to drag Josephine and her mother out of the mansion. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Josephine¡¯s mother was no match for the burly bodyguards, so she resorted to screaming. ¡°I won¡¯t give up, Corinne! You ruined my daughter¡¯s life! ¡®And you, Holdens! You¡¯ll all get what¡¯sing for you for using your power to bully us. We might be poor, but we¡¯re not cowards! You have more to lose than us! We¡¯ll see whoes out the winner in the end!¡± Chapter 923 Chapter 923 ¡°Let¡¯s go, Josephine! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make them pay for ruining your future!¡± After that, all that could hear was Josephine¡¯s crying and her mother¡¯s string of curses. With the duo kicked out, only the Carews were left sitting dazedly in the living room. With her hands on her hips, Francine walked up to them and sharply asked, ¡°What are you three still doing here? Go now before we ask the bodyguards to drag you out, too!¡± That snapped the Carews out of their shock. They immediately got up and left. However, before he left, Marvin said worriedly, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Jeremy, I want you to know I had no choice but to bring Josephine and her mother here since they wouldn¡¯t leave my house unless I promised them I¡¯d do so. Please bear in mind we have nothing to do with them should they do something in the future to cross you.¡± Pam looked at the cowardly Marvin in disgust. She could not believe he was Corinne¡¯s adoptive father. ¡®She¡¯s so different from her family! I¡¯m so d she turned out better than them. If not, there¡¯ll be one more unruly child in the world.¡¯ Even Francine thought badly about Marvin. She walked up to him and waved him away in annoyance. ¡°Shoo! Go now. We don¡¯t want to see the three of you anymore.¡± Jeremy ignored Marvin. Instead, he looked down at Corinne and whispered softly, ¡°Annie called me, looking for you. She said she couldn¡¯t get you on the phone.¡± Corinne checked her pocket, and it was then she realized her phone was not on her. ¡°I must¡¯ve left my phone in the bedroom. Did she tell you why she was looking for me?¡± Jeremy shook his head. ¡°Nope. I did ask her, but she won¡¯t tell me. She said she¡¯ll only tell you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go up and give her a call now. Can you please let me go?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll go up together.¡± Jeremy then stood up with her still in his arms. Corinne¡¯s face reddened. ¡°Mister, what are you doing?! Grandma is looking at us! Put me down this instant!¡± Jeremy ignores Corinne¡¯s protests. He looked at Pam and asked,¡± Grandma, do you mind if I carry Corinne upstairs?¡± Pam was more than happy to see Jeremy and Corinne being romantic since this just increased her chance of getting a great-grandchild. ¡°Of course I wont mind! This is how you newlyweds should behave. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne, you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed since it¡¯s so rare to see Jeremy being so loving to another person,¡± she said with a smile. Corinne smiled awkwardly. ¡°Grandma¡­¡± She was so embarrassed that she wished for nothing more than the ground to swallow her! Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Before Sherlyn left, she saw Jeremy scooping up Corinne in his arms, causing her to nearly explode with jealous rage. ¡¯It¡¯s not fair! Why does that country bumpkin get all the love from someone like Jeremy?! I would¡¯ve been his wife if it wasn¡¯t for her! Just wait, Corinne! I¡¯m going to make you pay for ruining my life!¡¯ Jeremy carried Corinne up the stairs while Pam looked at them happily. ¡¯ I¡¯ve got to hand it to Corinne: She really whipped Jeremy into shape. I never thought I¡¯d live to see this lovey-dovey side of him.¡± Francine simply shrugged, so used to it by then. ¡®Jeremy certainly has changed a lot since he met Corinne.1 At that moment, Greg came in in his wheelchair. When he saw Jeremy carrying Corinne up the stairs, he scoffed. ¡°Hmph! How inappropriate!¡± Hearing this, Pam threw a warning look at him. ¡°Just what has gotten into youtely?¡± ¡°Why did that punk have to marry a wild girl like her? I haven¡¯t even been back long, yet look what happened! All that fuss from her family¡­¡± replied Greg angrily. Pam frowned. ¡°You were the one who pressured him to get married in the first ce! Shouldn¡¯t you be happy to see them happily in love?¡± Greg became even more annoyed. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have pressured him to get married if there weren¡¯t rumors going around about his sexuality! I¡¯m old, Pam, and I can¡¯t afford to cross those people anymore. That doesn¡¯t mean he should just marry any girl! Why, she¡¯s just a child! Younger than Francine. In fact, I¡¯d be happier if he stayed with the girl he¡¯s legally married to!¡± Pam¡¯s expression fell, and she quickly covered his mouth. ¡°Shh, be quiet! Do you I told you this afternoon? We mustn¡¯t speak of that in front of Corinne.¡± Greg pulled her hand away and stubbornly said, ¡®I don¡¯t care if she heard me or not! what she thinks? I¡¯m older than her, so she should respect me instead of the other way around!¡± Pam smacked her forehead as she felt a migraineing up. ¡°Fine, fine. You should go back to your books now. Francine, take your grandfather to his study.¡± Francine nodded and pushed Greg in the direction of his study. She was actually feeling a little conflicted. She knew Greg did not like the fact that Corinne was so young, but for some reason, she hoped Corinne would stay. In fact, she was starting to worry Greg would do something to meddle with Jeremy¡¯s marriage in the future. Jeremy ced Corinne on their bed before falling over her like a looming cloud. Corinne knew what he was nning to do, so she immediately covered his mouth with her hand. ¡°Wait. Have you forgotten what I¡¯vee up here to do? I need to call Annie first, so get off me.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Jeremy pulled away her hand. ¡°She can wait. I can¡¯t.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister, don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m pregnant. My body really can¡¯t handle all that twisting and turning you put me through.¡± Jeremy lowered himself even more so much so she could feel his breath washing over her face. ¡°Who was it that told me we can still do it as long as I make sure to be gentle?¡± Corinne blushed. ¡®I must be out of my mind to say that to him that night. But who was I to know he¡¯d want to do this every night?¡¯ Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Corinne knew not to fight her way out of this; not when she was trapped under Jeremy. Thus, she simply said, ¡°Cut it out, Mister! Annie is still waiting for me to call her. It might be something urgent. Why don¡¯t you get up first, and well talk about thister?¡± ¡¯Does that mean I can do whatever I want to herter?¡¯ thought Jeremy. He did not want Corinne to be thinking about other stuff while they were doing it, so he got up from her. Corinne immediately got off the bed to look for her phone. After that, she ran into the bathroom and locked the door before calling Annie. ¡®He mighte barging in if I don¡¯t lock the door¡­¡¯ The call quickly went through. ¡°Corinne!¡± chirped Annie happily. It sounded like she had been waiting for her to call back for a long time. ¡°What were you doing? Why didn¡¯t you pick up any of my calls?¡± ¡°I left my phone in the bedroom while I was having dinner downstairs. What¡¯s up? Did something urgent happen?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Frankly, I called because of¡­ Aaron¡­¡± answered Annie awkwardly. ¡°Aaron?!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°Did he do something to you?¡± ¡°No!¡± Annie said quickly. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡®Well, get on to the point!¡± said Corinne impatiently. ¡®What could¡¯ve happened between then? Did that punk ignore my warning to leave Annie alone?¡¯ Aaron was known as a yer, while Annie was the type of girl who would fall madly in love with a guy if he so much as smiled at her. The two of them were the perfect recipe for disaster. After humming and muttering for half a day, Annie finally gave up. It was just too hard to say what she wanted to say over the phone. Thus, she decided to change the topic. ¡°Ugh, forget it! Well talk about this another time. Let¡¯s talk about you and Uncle Jeremy instead!¡± ¡°Talk about me and your Uncle Jeremy? What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± ¡°We can talk about your wedding photos! The photo studio was waiting for you two to choose the photo, but they couldn¡¯t seem to reach either of you, so they called me instead. I thought you two would find it troublesome to go there, so I chose the photos for you. ¡°It just so happens I got the photos back to them, and oh my god-they look amazing! If you¡¯re free now, you cane over with Jeremy to pick up the photos. Maybe I can talk to you about Aaron, too?¡± Corinne frowned. She was not that interested in her wedding photos. What she wanted to find out was what Aaron did to Annie. ¡®Whatever it is, it sounds like it¡¯s not something to talk about over the phone¡­¡¯ she thought. ¡°Okay. Well go there right away.¡± After hanging up, Corinne rushed out of the bathroom to tell Jeremy to get ready. However, before she could even do that, she found herself pressed against the wall as soon as she stepped out. She started to blush when Jeremy nuzzled her neck. ¡°Stop it, Mister! Annie asked US to pick up our wedding photos at her house!¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That can wait until tomorrow,¡± drawled Jeremy. ¡°No! I want to go now,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Jeremy chuckled lightly and blew heatedly into her ear. ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll make youe now.¡± Chapter 926 Chapter 926 Corinne¡¯s face turned beet red from the dirty talk. ¡°Jeremy Holden! You¡­¡± Jeremy leaned down and put his forehead against hers. ¡°I, what?¡± Corinne red at him. ¡°You better stop now, or¡­ Or I¡¯m going to get angry at you!¡± Jeremy kissed the tip of her nose before yfully ruffling her hair. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stop now. Go put on more clothes. It¡¯s cold outside. I¡¯ll take you to Annie¡¯s house after you¡¯re done changing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Corinne sighed in relief. She walked past Jeremy to get her clothes from the closet. She was about to take off her T-shirt to change into a sweater when she sensed Jeremy staring at her intently. She turned around and frowned at him. ¡°Look away, Mister!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen your naked body before,¡± said Jeremy with a smirk. He was standing casually at the other side of the room with both of his hands shoved inside his pants pockets. He was dressed in only his white shirt, which was bulging out with his toned muscles. His tie was pulled loose, revealing his neck. He was the epitome of an alpha male. Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s not because of that! I¡­ I just don¡¯t trust you not to do anything to me.¡± After that, she decided to change in the bathroom. Jeremy stopped smiling and pinched the bridge of his nose. Enter title¡­ Corinne was right; he could not help himself around her. It was as if she had him under some sort of spell. ¡®I should control myself a little since she¡¯s pregnant,¡¯ he told himself. The two of them went downstairs and told Pam where they were going before leaving the mansion. This they did not take the chauffeured car. Instead, Jeremy decided to drive, and they soon arrived at Annie¡¯s ce. Annie immediately ran out of the house with her arms wide open as soon as Corinne stepped out of the car. ¡°Corinne! You¡¯re finally here.¡± She was about to give her a bear hug when Jeremy pulled her away by the cor. After that, he put his arm around Corinne to protect her. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant right now, so please behave yourself,¡± he lectured sternly. Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡®Oh, look who¡¯s talking. If only he takes his advice!¡¯ Annie frowned, but she realized she was in the wrong after getting lectured by Jeremy. ¡°Oops, sorry! I forgot she¡¯s pregnant. Are you okay, Corinne? I didn¡¯t scare you, did I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. And ignore your Uncle Jeremy. He¡¯s making a fuss about nothing,¡± said Corinne lightly. This time, Annie was on Jeremy¡¯s side. She shook her head and said seriously, ¡°No, he¡¯s right to be worried. You¡¯re pregnant after all. I¡¯ll be sure to be careful around you.¡± After that, she moved closer and carefully held Corinne¡¯s arm. ¡°Here, Corinne. I¡¯ll help you into the house.¡± ¡®The bump isn¡¯t even showing yet, and she¡¯s treating me like an old woman?¡¯ thought Corinne with resignation. Corinne felt even more defeated when she saw Zeke, Gerald, Jason, and a few other girls she had not seen before sitting inside the living room. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± she asked annoyedly.From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 927 Chapter 927 Annie smiled and answered, ¡°I invited them over. The wedding photos should be shown during the wedding dinner, but since you and Uncle Jeremy took the photos after the wedding dinner, I thought I¡¯d ask everyone over to look at them together. I mean, wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if no one was able to admire the wedding photos?¡± Corinne frowned. It was not her intention to take wedding photos; Annie was the one who dragged her into taking them. In the end, Corinne thought it would be nice to have a memento of her wedding, but she did not think that this would happen. Zeke, who was sitting on the sofa, wavedzily at them. ¡°Jeremy, why are you and Corinne always the latest to the party? Drink this ** of beer as punishment.¡± Jeremy walked over and sat on an armchair. ¡°That¡¯s ¡¯cause I¡¯m not as free as you.¡± Zeke simply shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯m single, after all.¡± Gerald pa**ed Jeremy a ** of beer. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but Annie only has beer in the house.¡± Jeremy waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m driving, so I¡¯ll pa**.¡± After that, the four men chatted among themselves. Annie pulled Corinne over to where she was sitting. ¡°Let¡¯s look at your wedding photo. I must say I was stunned by how beautiful you looked in your wedding dress! The staff at the photo studio kept telling me how beautiful you were when I went to pick up the photos. They even asked whether it¡¯s possible to use your photos as promotional material, but I turned them down. I know you and Uncle Jeremy value your privacy very much.¡± Enter title¡­ She pa**ed Corinne a thick photo album as she praised her. Corinne put the photo album in herp and felt a little touched when she looked at the photos of her and Jeremy kissing and hugging. ¡®The photo studio Annie rmended is not that bad at all. The photos are amazing.¡¯ From N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy wore a suit prepared by the studio, which made him look younger than his age. Thus, it did not seem like he was much older than Corinne. Frankly, Jeremy was very good-looking, and his skin was so wless that it became the envy of many women. However, due to his status, he had to make himself look older than he was bybing his hair back and wearing only formal suits. He did not look like he was 30 years old every time he came out of the shower with his hair down. In fact, it would not be a reach to say he could pa** off as a college student if he dressed in T-shirts and jeans. Corinne looked at the photos in a daze. Seeing this, Jeremy became interested as well. ¡°Hey, little rascal. Let me have a look, too.¡± Corinne snapped out of her daze and pa**ed him the photo album. Jeremy flipped through the pages, and slowly, his eyes narrowed. This was the first time he had ever taken so many photos in one go. In fact, there were not many photos of him growing up. Annie moved closer to Jeremy and asked slyly, ¡°Corinne looks so gorgeous in her wedding dress, doesn¡¯t she, Uncle Jeremy?¡± Jeremy looked quietly at Corinne and said lightly, ¡°She looks okay. If I must say, she¡¯s not that photogenic.¡± Corinne frowned when she heard that. ¡°Uncle Jeremy! How can you say that? Don¡¯t you know how many men will kill to have a beautiful wife like Corinne? Tsk, tsk! You shouldn¡¯t take her for granted,¡± scolded Annie. Zeke chuckled lightly. ¡°What he means is, Corinne looks good in the photo but not as good as she looks in real life. Right, Jeremy?¡± Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Jeremy shot the bbermouth Zeke a cold nce. He did not say anything, so it was a silent admission. It was only then Annie realized how dense she had been. ¡°That¡¯s true. I also think Corinne looks better in real life. She doesn¡¯t even need makeup. Her beauty is unparalleled!¡± said Annie with a nod. Corinne pursed her lips, embarra**ed by Annie¡¯s high praise. There were a few other girls in the living room, too. They were either Zeke¡¯s or Annie¡¯s friends. Corinne noticed the girls had been staring at Jeremy and checking out her face and clothes ever since the two of them walked in. ¡®I didn¡¯te here to show off my beauty,¡¯ thought Corinne. She then got up and said, ¡°Please excuse me, everyone. Annie, let¡¯s go to your room to talk for a bit.¡± Annie had something to tell her too, so she nodded. ¡°Sure thing. Follow me this way.¡± Corinne followed Annie to her room. Annie pulled out a beanbag chair for Corinne to sit on. She then smiled and asked, ¡°Corinne, what do you want to drink? I¡¯ll ask the servant to bring it in for you.¡± Corinne sat down and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty. No, thanks.¡± She then looked quietly into Annie¡¯s innocent eyes. ¡°Now tell me: What¡¯s this thing about Aaron?¡± Enter title¡­ Annie¡¯s face immediately reddened at the mention of Aaron. Her eyshes fluttered as she said shyly, ¡°Umm¡­ Yes, about him¡­ He¡­¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°He, what?¡± said Corinne impatiently. ¡®Ugh! I¡¯m going to beat him up if he dares to do anything to Annie, especially after I told him to leave her alone.¡¯ Annie quickly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, Corinne. He didn¡¯t do anything to me. It¡¯s just that¡­ He suddenly proposed to me today, but I haven¡¯t given him an answer yet. I wanted to ask you first¡­¡± ¡°What?! He! Proposed to you?!¡± It was a good thing Corinne was not drinking anything then, on it. ¡®What the hell is he thinking? Didn¡¯t he say he¡¯s never going to get married?¡¯ There was only one bean bag chair in the room and Annie did not want to sit on the bed, so she simply squatted beside Corinne like an obedient, yet clueless puppy. ¡°Yeah¡­ He asked me whether I want to marry him or not.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°What did you want to ask me over the phone, then?¡± Annie blinked innocently at her and smiled shyly. ¡°Aaron told me you¡¯re the most important friend in his life. In fact, he sees you more like a parent than a friend. He¡¯ll respect your wishes in everything, so he asked me to ask you for your opinion before giving him an answer. We can get married as long as we have your blessings.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Why that punk¡­ This is a trap!¡¯ Seeing Corinne staying silent, Annie lightly nudged her leg. ¡°Corinne, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Aren¡¯t you going to give us your blessing?¡± Corinne snapped out of her shock and looked at her lovestruck niece-inw. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to give you two my blessing.¡± Chapter 929 Chapter 929 Annie reeled in shock at Corinne¡¯s response. She frowned and asked, ¡°Why?¡± She thought Corinne would be happy and give her blessing to her and Aaron. ¡°The two of you aren¡¯tpatible. You¡¯ll end up hurt if you marry him.¡± ¡°Why does it sound like you have a bias against Aaron? He sees you as his family, but it seems like you see him as a dirtbag.¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not called bias when I know him so well. I watched him grow up, so I know just how many broken hearts he left in his wake. He¡¯s important to me as a friend and as a family, but he won¡¯t make a good husband.¡± Annie was stunned. She blinked in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s been with many women?¡± ¡°Yes. Loads.¡± ¡°Can you give me a number?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne frowned. ¡°He¡¯s twenty-three years old this year. And from the age of eighteen, he¡¯d change to a new girlfriend every week. You do the math.¡± ¡°That is a lot¡­¡± murmured Annie disappointedly. Corinne patted Annie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, at least you found out before things got serious. Just ignore him from now on, and remember not to believe anything he says. They¡¯re all lies.¡± Annie hung her head low sadly, thinking. Enter title¡­ Just when Corinne thought she was about to give up, she looked up excitedly again. ¡°I¡¯m okay with his past! It¡¯s not like I have a thing for a man who never had a rtionship before. I¡¯m fine as long as he stays loyal to me after we¡¯re married.¡± Corinne did a facepalm. ¡°Do you really think a yer will stay loyal to you? Don¡¯t be stupid!¡± Annie still believed love could conquer all. She pouted and said, ¡°Everything is possible you, so what¡¯s to say Aaron won¡¯t change for me, too?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Jeremy changed for me?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°His heart used to be as cold as ice, but now, it has melted for you and you only! He doesn¡¯t even look at other women.¡± Corinne thought back to Jeremy¡¯s attitude toward her from the very start. ¡°That¡¯s just his nature. Besides, he¡¯s always been uninterested in other women even before he met me. You can¡¯t say he changed because of me. ¡°Aaron, however, is different. He¡¯s always been a yboy since young. Nothing or no woman has ever held his interest for more than a week. That is his nature, and you should know just how hard it is to change someone¡¯s nature.¡± Annie was not going to give up that easily. ¡°It¡¯s hard¡­but not impossible, right? Corinne, I really like him. He¡¯s so good to me, and I don¡¯t want to give him up just yet. Not when we haven¡¯t even given our rtionship a chance.¡± Corinne stared at the stubborn Annie for a long while before saying with a sigh, ¡°I¡¯m only giving you advice from my perspective, but I can¡¯t do anything if you insist on going ahead with the marriage. However, I need to warn you, Annie, that a man would do anything to make you happy when he¡¯s interested in you. When he¡¯s not¡­ Well, he¡¯ll treat you so cold, you¡¯ll start to wonder what did you ever see in him. ¡°Take me and your Uncle Jeremy for instance. I¡¯m fully prepared for the day he¡¯d fall out of love with me, so I suggest you don¡¯t start a rtionship if you can¡¯t handle the ending of it. Though, if you think you can, go ahead and try. As for your marriage to Aaron, you can ept his proposal if you¡¯re okay with an open rtionship. If not, you¡¯lle to regret ever marrying him.¡± Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Annie listened to Corinne as though she was receiving the gospel. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be okay with an open rtionship, but I really like him¡­ And I don¡¯t wanna give up just yet. Corinne, can you teach me how to be okay if the rtionship ends?¡± Corinne sighed. She knew there was no stopping Annie, so she patted her shoulder and said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be scared of getting hurt if you like him that much. Whether you¡¯lle out of the end of a rtionship unscathed depends on your nature. I can¡¯t teach you that.¡± To be honest, Corinne was not that confident whether she would be okay should Jeremy break up with her one day. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say on this matter. You should just follow your heart,¡± she added. After that, she got up so she could go outside to give Aaron a scathing phone call. ¡®I told him to leave Annie alone, so what the hell is he doing proposing to her?! He must be trying to piss me off!¡¯ This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She walked out of the room and was about to find a quiet ce to call Aaron when she saw a tall, handsome figure walking down the stairs. She did not need to see his face to know that it was her husband, Jeremy. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he be downstairs? Did he juste up? Was he heading up to look for me? That can¡¯t be right. He would¡¯ve knocked on Annie¡¯s door if he was looking for me. Was he just using the bathroom upstairs?¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne decided not to overthink the whole thing, so she went into the bathroom not far away and closed the door to give Aaron a call. Aaron picked up on the second ring. ¡°What¡¯s up, Boss?¡± he asked nonchntly. Enter title¡­ ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± hissed Corinne. ¡°What do you mean, Boss? What are you talking about?¡± he drawledzily. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb! Why did you propose to Annie?¡± The yfulness in Aaron¡¯s thickened. ¡°Ah. That. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve met such an innocent girl, so I thought I¡¯ll ask her to marry me to see her reaction.¡± Corinne knew Aaron could not be serious about Annie since he had not been serious about any girl ever since his first love turned him down. She felt anger welling up inside her, but she kept her voiceposed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to leave her alone? Do my words mean nothing to you?¡± What she did not add was Annie, the lovestruck fool she was, might just kill herself if she knew she was getting yed. Aaron could sense Corinne was livid, so he became serious. ¡°Hey, calm down, boss. Did she really ask you for your blessing?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Corinne retorted. Aaron was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been so long since a girl actually believed me!¡± At that moment, Corinne wished she could punch Aaron in the face. ¡°Aaron, I warn you. You either take this rtionship seriously or make her hate you forever. But you have to do it in a way that doesn¡¯t hurt her soul or pride. I¡¯m going to make you pay if anything happens to her!¡± Aaron was jealous. ¡°Boss, why are you threatening me like this? She¡¯s an outsider, isn¡¯t she? Have you forgotten she¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s niece, not yours? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s more important than me to you!¡± Corinne¡¯s tone became calmer after two seconds of silence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose niece she is. Just know that she¡¯s a good girl, and I won¡¯t allow you to break her heart. Understood?¡± ¡°Fine. I promise I won¡¯t do anything to her anymore,¡± said Aaron, giving in. Corinne hung up the phone, and she was startled to see the angry expression on her face when she looked up at the mirror. ¡®It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve scolded Aaron like that¡­ Is he right? Do I care so much about Annie because she¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s niece? No¡­ This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Jeremy. Chapter 931 Chapter 931 ¡®It¡¯s because Annie has always been kind to me. I don¡¯t want to see her get hurt.¡¯ After that, Corinne headed downstairs to look for Jeremy. Halfway down, however, she saw something that stopped her. Jeremy had changed seats. Jeremy was sitting in an armchair before she headed upstairs with Annie, but at this moment, he sat in the middle of a three-seater. On his left was Zeke, and on his right was a girl sitting very close to him. The fact that he changed seats meant he did go upstairs. Corinne narrowed her eyes. She could not help but admit to herself that she was a little pissed that the girl was sitting so close to her husband. She walked over to them so quietly that no one noticed her approaching. The girl sitting next to Jeremy took out her phone before taking a deep breath to muster up the courage to sit closer to Jeremy and asked, ¡°M¡ªMister Jeremy, can I get your social media ount?¡± Corinne did not stop walking when she heard that as she was confident Jeremy would turn the girl down. To her shock, Jeremy actually agreed. ¡°Sure.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. This made her stop walking. She watched anxiously as Jeremy took out his phone to exchange details with the girl. The girl blushed and whispered something in his ear. He did not move away and just sat there, listening. Corinne stayed rooted to the spot for a good long while. Then, she smiled. ¡®So he got tired of me sooner than I expected. Heh¡­ All men are the same. They¡¯ll look for new prey once the novelty wears off on the old one. I can¡¯t believe I was just praising him for his disinterest in women to Annie just now. Hm, how stupid of me.¡¯ ¡°Corinne, why are you standing there? Come, sit!¡± said Jason, smiling and waving her over. He was talking to Zeke before he spotted Corinne. Hearing her name, Jeremy turned to look at her, too. His expression remained as impassive as ever. The girl who asked for his contact details immediately got up and sat somewhere else like nothing happened once she saw Corinne hade back. Corinne snapped out of her shock and walked over to them. Instead of sitting next to Jeremy, she simply walked past him and sat next to Jason. Jason was a little surprised at this, so he turned to look at Jeremy with a raised eyebrow to see what his reaction would be. Everyone sensed something was off too, so they all turned to look at Jeremy. Jeremy simply narrowed his eyes and said nothing. There was no hint of emotion on his face as he looked down at his phone. ¡®He must be checking to see if that girl has added him as a friend,¡¯ thought Corinne. The spot she was sitting allowed her to take a good look at the girl who asked for Jeremy¡¯s contact details. The girl looked young and fresh. She was not particrly striking, but her age made up for her looks. ¡°Corinne, what¡¯s the matter? Why did you choose to sit next to me?¡± Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Corinne yawned. ¡°The empty seat here looks morefortable, so I decided to sit here. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Of course not. Though, I¡¯m afraid someone else would.¡± He gestured pointedly at Jeremy with his eyes when he said that. However, Jeremy did not even look his way. He continued to scroll on his phone with one hand while resting his cheek on the other. Corinne threw him an indifferent nce before picking up some snacks from the coffee table. The TV was ying some sci-fi movie, but no one was actually paying attention to it. She turned to watch the movie and popped the snacks into her mouth. Zeke was sitting on the sofa¡¯s armrest and talking to the other girls. From time to time, he would turn around to speak a few words with Gerald. Everything looked so harmonious, yet there seemed to be an ominous tension lingering in the air. ¡°Corinne, I saw the photos. You¡¯re absolutely gorgeous in that wedding dress. It¡¯s such a shame though, that I don¡¯t get to see you wear that in real life,¡± said Jason with a smile as he poured a ss of juice and passed it to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Corinne, but she immediately ced the juice on the coffee table without taking a sip. ¡°But you¡¯re not missing out on anything. Besides, you¡¯ll be able to see your bride in a wedding dress when you get married one day.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Something shed across Jeremy¡¯s eyes when she saw Corinne put the juice on the coffee table. Jason smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I hope I get to marry the girl of my dreams one day, and I hope that she¡¯s ¡ª¡± Corinne could almost hear him end the sentence with ¡®you¡¯, causing her to frown. ¡®Here he goes again, trying to break up me and Jeremy.¡¯ Thus, it was a good thing he was cut off by Annie calling her from the top of the stairs. ¡°Corinne!¡± Annie suddenly shouted before running down the stairs in a panic. Her footsteps were loud as she ran. ¡°Corinne¡­ Umm¡­¡± panted the pale Annie. She was so out of breath that she could not even form a proper sentence. Corinne was getting tired, thinking Annie was going to ask for her blessing again. Frowning, she said, ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to meddle with your rtionship anymore. You can do whatever you like, okay?¡± Annie frowned. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about that!¡± she said quickly. ¡°Look, Corinne. Check out your VeeTube ount. You¡¯ve be one of the trending topics!¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m one of the trending topics?¡± Everyone quickly took out their phone to check out their VeeTube. Annie was right. Corinne had indeed be one of the trending topics. [#YoungMissusHoldenStolessUniSpot] [#YoungMissusHoldenSl*t] [#CorinneCarewFakedSATGrade] [#HoldenGroupShareDrop] [#HoldenGroupAbuseOfPower] Corinne frowned when she saw the hashtags. When she looked up, she saw everyone looking at her questioningly. Everyone, except for Jeremy. He was still scrolling and tapping away on his phone nonchntly as if the whole thing had nothing to do with him. ¡°Corinne, what the hell is going on?¡± asked Annie worriedly. Chapter 933 Chapter 933 ¡°Corinne, is this all true? If it is, Holden Group will suffer a heavy loss because of you. Jeremy will cry because of this!¡± said Zeke. ¡°Corinne? Are you okay?¡± asked Jason concernedly. Corinne did not answer anyone. She simply stared at Jeremy to see what his reaction would be, but he never once looked up at her. ¡®Josephine and her mother must¡¯ve gone to the media to expose her since they failed to get what they wanted when they came to the house,¡¯ she thought. However, it was impossible for a pair of mother and daughter without connections to create such a big ruckus online. The media in Zendonia knew not to report anything about Holden Group carelessly; not unless they wanted to cross Jeremy. Thus, it did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that someone else was behind this. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, one of the girls eximed, ¡°Huh? All the hashtags are gone!¡± The other girls checked their phones as well. ¡°She¡¯s right! They¡¯re all gone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why did they all disappear?¡± ¡°Yeah! All my searches came up empty.¡± Corinne checked her phone too, and they were right. The trending topics had changed to some other news on VeeTube; anything concerning her or Holden Group were all gone. At that moment, Jeremy put away his phone and gracefully stood up. He then nced at Corinne and asked, ¡°Are you leaving with me?¡± Corinne could not help but feel like he was trying to pick a fight with her by asking her that question. ¡°Would you have let me stay if I say I don¡¯t want to leave just yet?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°No,¡± Jeremy uttered firmly. Corinne smirked bitterly. ¡®I knew it,¡¯ she thought. Nheless, she did not want to actually stay. Thus, she got up. Seeing this, Annie said, ¡°But you two just came! Why are you in a rush to leave, Uncle Jeremy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Corinne needs to rest,¡± he answered. Annie looked at Corinne. ¡®Oh, right. She¡¯s pregnant. Yeah, it¡¯s best for her to go home and rest.¡¯ Even though she wanted to talk to Corinne a bit more, she knew she had to be sensible about this. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go out alone these few days. We still don¡¯t know why the hashtags suddenly disappeared, and I¡¯m worried some of the more extreme social media users might do something crazy to you. Just be careful, yeah?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Will do.¡± Annie put the photo album in an exquisite leather case for them to bring home. Jeremy took it from her hand before putting one arm around Corinne. He then bid farewell to his friends and led her out of the house. ¡­ ¡°Sorry, Mister,¡± Corinne said solemnly as soon as they got into the car. Jeremy had just started the engine. Hearing this, he turned to look at her. ¡°What are you saying sorry for?¡± ¡°The hashtags were all aimed at me, and they must¡¯ve caused a lot of damage to Holden Group. But don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll handle the rest of the matter myself. And if Holden Group¡¯s shares don¡¯t rebound after that, I¡¯ll try to find a way topensate you for the losses.¡± Jeremy suddenly stopped the car. They had not even gotten far from Annie¡¯s house yet. The ear-splitting screech of the tire shocked Corinne. ¡®What the hell is wrong with him? Why did he stop the car?¡¯ With his hands still on the steering wheel, he turned to look at her coldly. ¡°Corinne Carew, do you know who you¡¯re talking to right now?¡± Corinne was confused. She looked to the front and the back of the car before turning back to him. ¡°I don¡¯t see a third person here, so I am talking to you, of course.¡± Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Jeremy roughly lifted Corinne¡¯s chin. ¡°Who am I to you?¡± Corinne was speechless. Noting her silence, Jeremy repeated his question more sternly, ¡°Answer me! Who am I to you?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ You¡¯re my boyfriend¡­?¡± murmured Corinne vaguely. Jeremy¡¯s lower jaw tensed as he smirked. ¡°We have a babying, and you still see me as just your boyfriend?¡± Corinne frowned. She was really at a loss at what she should call him. Jeremy moved his face closer to hers and bit her ear. ¡°You little rascal. That¡¯s not what you call me while we¡¯re in bed.¡± Corinne did not really feel pain. Nheless, she blushed madly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she cried while trying to push him away. Jeremy grabbed her hand to stop her from pushing him away. He then gazed into her eyes. ¡°Do you seriously think I¡¯ll me you and ask you topensate me for the losses just because of some scandal? Corinne, you might still see me as an outsider, but I don¡¯t.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡°I just don¡¯t like causing trouble for other people¡­¡± ¡°Tsk! There it is again. ¡®Other people¡¯! To you, I¡¯m either an outsider or ¡®other people¡¯!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne was confused. ¡®He¡¯s been acting strange ever since I came down from Annie¡¯s room.¡¯ ¡°Mister, why do you insist on picking a fight with me?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrow. ¡°Me, picking a fight with you? Hasn¡¯t it ever crossed your mind that I wouldn¡¯t be like this if you¡¯ve just taken me seriously?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°But I am serious about you!¡± Jeremy tried to suppress the anger rising in him, so he rolled down the window and turned his face outside to let the cold night wind wash over him. He would have lit up a cigarette if it were not for Corinne being pregnant. After a long silence, he scoffed and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who advised Annie to not start a rtionship unless she can handle the ending of it.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡®What? How did he know all that?¡¯ She then remembered Jeremy walking down the stairs after she came out of Annie¡¯s room. ¡®He must¡¯vee up to look for me and was about to knock on the door when he heard our conversation. Ugh¡­ He can¡¯t possibly think he¡¯s in the same category as Aaron, does he?¡¯ Before she could exin herself, Jeremy said mockingly, ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the type who can end a rtionship like it meant nothing to you. Just likest time, when you left me without a word. I can¡¯t help but wonder if you are going to do that to me once you¡¯re bored of me.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to leave you.¡± For some reason, she found it cute that Jeremy would throw a tantrum just because of something she said casually to Annie. The stark contrast between his usual serious demeanor made her want to burst outughing. Jeremy scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to leave me? Then why did you say I¡¯m your boyfriend? Is it because it¡¯ll be easier for you to break up with me then?¡± Corinne frowned. She had a bone to pick with Jeremy, too. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking! I¡¯m not the one who gave some random girl my contact details just now!¡± she said with a scoff. Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Jeremy was stunned. He turned to look at her with an indecipherable emotion shing in his eyes. He then took out his phone and shoved it into her palm. ¡°Take a look and find out for yourself why I gave her my contact details!¡± Corinne thought she might as well since he volunteered to let her go through his phone. Jeremy had indeed epted the girl¡¯s friend request invitation. After that, the girl sent him a lot of photos and a link, but he did not reply. Corinne blushed with embarrassment after she looked at the photos and link. ¡°That girl is Annie¡¯s ssmate. She¡¯s now working at a high-end postpartum care center and heard from Annie that you¡¯re pregnant. She asked me whether I¡¯d be interested in their services. She¡¯d send me the photos and details before I proceed with the booking. I thought you might need it, so I agreed to exchange contact details with her.¡± Corinne fell silent. ¡°Even though you¡¯re still far off from the due date, I thought it might be best I learn more about postpartum care since this is the first time I came across all this¡­¡± Jeremy added unhappily. Corinne remained silent. ¡®How should I know that the girl was just trying to get some business?¡¯ she thought while twiddling her thumb with her head down. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Seeing this, Jeremy frowned and lifted up her chin. ¡°Is this why you ignored me and sat next to Jason?¡± Corinne pouted. ¡°I thought¡­¡± Jeremy scoffed angrily. ¡°You thought I was flirting with another girl behind your back, right?¡± Corinne did not deny that. ¡°Looking at the situation, anyone would¡¯ve thought the same thing! I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve trusted you more. I promise I won¡¯t make the same mistake anymore.¡± Jeremy did not feel vindicated at all. Instead, he held her face in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this so you¡¯ll apologize to me, little rascal. I just want you to remember to talk to me if you see me doing something you don¡¯t like. This way, there won¡¯t be any misunderstanding between us, okay?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s heart softened when he saw how pitiful she looked. He brushed her cheek softly and cooed, ¡°But you did do something well today. You remembered not to drink anything another man gave you.¡± He was talking about the ss of juice Jason gave her, which she immediately put down without taking a sip. Corinne pouted. ¡°That¡¯s ¡¯cause I wasn¡¯t thirsty then.¡± Jeremy knew she was just being stubborn, so he pretended to be angry. ¡°Where¡¯s the good girl from before?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow. Corinne smiled and decided to let the matter rest. ¡®I might as well take this opportunity to ask him about the marriage certificate since he¡¯s told me I can ask him anything¡­¡¯ ¡°Mister, why don¡¯t you want to get legally married to me?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened at the question. After two seconds of silence, he finally answered, ¡°I do want to get legally married to you.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Then why do you always avoid the topic whenever I bring it up?¡± Jeremy looked at her. His mouth parted a little before it shut closed again. After thinking over it, he decided not to tell her the real reason. ¡°Just give me a bit more time, okay, little rascal?¡± Even though Corinne really wanted to know his reason, she could tell it was difficult for him to tell her. Not wanting to upset him, she just said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 936 Chapter 936 Jeremy stopped the car somewhere off the mansion¡¯s gate. Corinne was so tired that she could not wait to take a shower and sleep. Thus, when she realized the car had stopped, she asked, ¡°Why did you stop the car here?¡± Jeremy gestured with his chin to somewhere in front of them. ¡°That¡¯s Lucas¡¯ car. He¡¯s probably here to look for you.¡± Corinne looked to where he was gesturing and saw a car parked at the side of the road. Lucas must have noticed them too, so he got down from the car and stood there looking at them. Seeing this, Jeremy turned to Corinne. ¡°Do you want to talk to him? I can just drive into the mansion if you don¡¯t want to.¡± He would not have even asked her if it were not for the fact he knew Lucas was her brother. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°I might as well find out what he wants since he¡¯s made the trip.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you here,¡± said Jeremy while ruffling her hair. After that, Corinne got down from the car and walked toward Lucas. Lucas¡¯ eyes immediately lit up when she saw Corinne get out of the car. He met her halfway and greeted her gently, ¡°Hey, Corinne.¡± ¡°How can I help you, Mister Lucas?¡± she asked apathetically. ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. Shall we talk inside the car?¡± Corinne nodded and followed him to his car. Lucas turned around and gave Jeremy a nod to show that he appreciated him letting Corinne talk to him. He then opened his car door for Corinne before she even had the chance to touch the door handle. Corinne thanked him out of politeness before getting into the car. After closing the door, Lucas entered the car from the other side. ¡°So what did you want to talk about, Mister Lucas?¡± Corinne asked as soon as his door closed. Lucas was used to Corinne¡¯s cold attitude toward him as it was not like he could do anything about it. ¡°Corinne, I saw all the hashtags. What¡¯s all that about?¡± Corinne had a feeling he came to talk to her about this. ¡°Beats me.¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t know whether someone is targeting you or the Holdens?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°They¡¯re probably targeting me. The Holdens just happen to be coteral damage. Were you the one who made the hashtags disappear?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Lucas did think about making the hashtags disappear, but they were all gone by the time he was going to do something about it. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t even have the time to reach before they all disappeared. My guess it was Jeremy who did that.¡± Corinne looked out the window at Jeremy¡¯s car. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡¯ Chapter 937 Chapter 937 ¡®Jeremy has been tapping away on his phone when I came down from Annie¡¯s room. He kept ignoring me at the time, but it had to be then that he made the hashtags vanish,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Corinne, the hashtags might¡¯ve disappeared, but this rumor won¡¯t die down that easily. To be on the safe side, it¡¯s best if you stay home these few days,¡± urged Lucas. Corinne nodded. ¡°Thanks for your concern, but I can take care of myself. I¡¯m going to head back now if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Corinne sat back down. ¡°Yes?¡± Lucas looked at her, conflicted. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t you find the whole thing weird? The mediapanies here would never dare to report about Holden Group unless they had conclusive evidence. ¡°After the hashtags disappeared, I asked someone to look into the matter, and they found out some mediapany from abroad started the whole thing. This makes me think the culprit isn¡¯t only targeting you but every one of the Holdens. You must be careful, okay?¡± Corinne was starting to get annoyed at him repeatedly telling her to be careful. Suppressing her anger, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I get it. Thank you.¡± After that, Corinne got out of the car, and Jeremy drove over to pick her up so she could walk less. After getting into the car, Jeremy reversed the car a few meters and drove into the mansion. Lucas watched as everything transpired before sighing with resignation. Edmund turned back to ask him, ¡°Mister Lucas, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure Mister Jeremy will keep Miss Corinne safe.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°He¡¯s the reason I¡¯m worried about her. His family has a veryplicated rtionship with the public, which means Corinne will be a target just by associating herself with them. I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be a day of peace for Corinne after the hashtag fiasco.¡± Edmund fell silent. He knew howplicated Jeremy¡¯s past was and only hoped that Corinne would be safe. ¡°Edmund, arrange for some men to keep watch outside the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Call me instantly if Corinne goes out,¡± Lucas ordered. ¡°Mister Lucas, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to suddenly station our men outside the Holdens¡¯ mansion, given the bad blood between the two families. This might just spark another conflict,¡± replied Edmund hesitantly. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Lucas frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t care about all that. Corinne¡¯s safety is my priority right now. Just do as I say, and make sure the Holdens don¡¯t find out.¡± ¡°Understood, Mister Lucas.¡± After that, they drove away. Corinne followed Jeremy into the mansion, and they thought Greg and Pam would be sleeping. Instead, the two elderly people were sitting in the living room with wretched expressions. ¡°I¡¯ve never been so humiliated in my life! That wild child has brought nothing but disgrace to this family!¡± shouted Greg angrily. ¡°Calm down, you stupid man! We don¡¯t even know whether the news about Corinne is true. I, for one, don¡¯t think she¡¯s that kind of girl,¡± said Pam, trying to pacify Greg. Greg scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t think she is? How long have you known her? You should know by now just how devious some people can be! We haven¡¯t been back for a day, but look at all the trouble she caused for this family! Anyway, it¡¯s not like she and Jeremy are legally married. We should just ask her to pack up her things and leave this house. Then, we¡¯ll hold a press conference to rify we have nothing to do with her.¡± ¡°No! We can¡¯t do that!¡± cried Pam and Francine at the same time. The two of them exchanged nces with each other. ¡°Grandpa, we shouldn¡¯t do something so hical. Corinne is the woman Jeremy chose to be his wife. We¡¯ll be theughingstock in the city if word gets out we kicked her out because of some unfounded rumor,¡± implored Francine. ¡°Francine¡¯s right! We cannot kick her out of the house. Besides, you yourself were surprised to find Francine getting along with Corinne. Plus, there¡¯s no way Jeremy will agree to this,¡± added Pam. Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Greg smacked his wheelchair¡¯s armrest and scoffed angrily. ¡°So what if he doesn¡¯t agree? Who¡¯s the grandfather here¡ªhim or me? As long as I¡¯m still alive, I get to say how this family will be run!¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ I forget just how stubborn you can get,¡± uttered Pam with dismay. She was about to persuade Greg when a voice sounded from behind them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing trouble for this family and thepany, Grandpa. But don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯ll restore thepany¡¯s reputation andpensate you for any losses you might have incurred because of me,¡± said Corinne. Greg was stunned to hear her voice. However, his frown deepened when he turned to look at her. Both Pam and Francine did the same, too. Corinne and Jeremy stood somewhere not far behind them. Pam blushed sheepishly. ¡°Corinne, Jeremy, when did you two get home? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± ¡°We just arrived,¡± answered Jeremy. Greg looked at Corinne suspiciously. ¡°You say you¡¯llpensate us for the loss? How?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell how when I haven¡¯t done it. But I can promise you that if I don¡¯t do what I said I¡¯d do, I¡¯ll leave this house. You won¡¯t need to kick me out then,¡± Corinne answered calmly. The suspicion in Greg¡¯s eye became stronger when she saw how confident Corinne was. ¡®She must be bluffing!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ve cooked up.¡± Corinne gave him a curt nod before turning to smile at Pam. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m a little tired right now, so I¡¯ll head back to my room now. I hope you and Grandpa turn in early too.¡± Pam was embarrassed for Greg¡¯s outburst toward Corinne, so she said gently, ¡°Alright, dear. And don¡¯t pay your grandfather much heed. He¡¯s nothing but an old fool. I believe you¡¯re a good kid no matter what.¡± Corinne smiled at Pam again and went upstairs. Greg scoffed. ¡°I bet she¡¯s all talk!¡± Jeremy stayed where he was. He narrowed his eyes at his stubborn grandfather. ¡°Grandpa, you should go to bed early if you have nothing good to say,¡± he said coldly. After that, he followed Corinne up the stairs. Greg red vehemently at Jeremy¡¯s back. ¡®What does he mean by that? Is he calling me a nag?¡¯ Pam red at Greg. ¡°Can you just stop meddling in the kids¡¯ affairs, you old fool?¡± Greg¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have involved myself in this if it weren¡¯t for the fact our family had been dragged through the mud!¡± ¡°Fine, fine. It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go to bed. I¡¯m sure Jeremy will take care of this matter.¡± Pam knew it was futile to keep arguing with Greg, so she decided to just stop. She walked over and pushed him back to his room. Francine sighed and went back to her room, too. If this had happened before, she would be jumping in glee and adding fuel to the fire. Chapter 939 Chapter 939 At this moment, however, Francine felt a little about her instead. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡­ As soon as she got back into her room, Corinne took off her jacket, wormed under the nket, and hugged her pillow. Jeremy, too, took off his suit jacket and ced it on the sofa while loosening his tie with his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t take what Grandpa said to heart. He doesn¡¯t get a say about our rtionship,¡± he said in his deep voice. Hearing this, Corinnezily half-opened her eyes to look at him. ¡°Are you serious? Weren¡¯t you the one who married a random girl you met not even for one second just because your grandfather pressured you to get married?¡± Jeremy looked down at her. ¡°Desperate time calls for desperate measures. He was critically ill then and refused to get an operation until I got married.¡± Corinne, still hugging the pillow, pouted and kicked his legs lightly. Then you¡¯ll have no choice but to kick me out of the house.¡± Jeremy grabbed her restless feet and pulled her out of the nket. He fell over her, trapping her between the bed and his body. ¡°You¡¯re my universe now. Unless Grandpa is prepared to lose me, no one can ever kick you out of this house.¡± ¡®He just said I¡¯m his universe¡­¡¯ Corinne was shocked to hear him say that, but she quickly pretended to be annoyed. ¡°Tsk! You men are all liars.¡± Jeremy pinched her nose. ¡°So are you women! Why did you promise Grandpa you¡¯ll leave this house if you can¡¯t deliver what you promised?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mister, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t trust me to solve this matter efficiently.¡± Jeremy looked condescendingly into her eyes. ¡°I trust you, but there¡¯s always a chance things won¡¯t go ording to your n,¡± he lectured her. ¡°What if you can¡¯t deliver on your promise? Are you going to leave me then? How can you say something like that so casually?¡± Corinne blinked at him. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ll just bring you along with me if things don¡¯t go ording to my n! Will youe with me, Mister?¡± Jeremy was stunned, but a warm flush crept across his usually cold face. ¡°Can I be a househusband if I go with you?¡± Corinne nodded and answered, ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Oh? Then when are we going to get the money to support ourselves?¡± he asked with great interest. Corinne rolled her eyes arrogantly. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to worry about. I can guarantee you won¡¯tck anything!¡± Jeremy chuckled softly before rubbing her nose with his. ¡°Silly girl. I¡¯ll definitely leave with you if the timees, but you don¡¯t need to support me. I don¡¯t need this family to get a job that would allow me to make enough money to bring up our family. I¡¯m willing to do anything as long as it means I get to stay by your side.¡± Corinne was touched by his words, so much so that she felt like she was on cloud nine. ¡°Ahem! Mister, why don¡¯t you take a shower now?¡± Jeremy looked at her with zing eyes. ¡°How about you join me?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyebrows shot up in rm. ¡°Here you go again, Mister!¡± ¡°I was just teasing you. I promise I won¡¯t do anything to you tonight.¡± He then kissed the corner of her lips and got up to go to the bathroom. Corinne sat up and checked her phone to see if there was any more news about her. Chapter 940 Chapter 940 There was none. The trending topics were all about some other celebrities. ¡®Jeremy must¡¯ve buried the news after all¡­¡¯ However, she had a lot of unread messages on her social media ount. She tapped open to see them. She received the most messages from Annie, which was right at the top of the list. She started to read them all after clicking on the chat window. [Corinne, have you and Uncle Jeremy reached home?] [Corinne! Corinne! You¡¯re trending again!] [Someone has posted some screenshots of the news in some forums abroad.] [Corinne, the mother and daughter who used you of stealing the daughter¡¯s university spot is doing a live stream in some app. They¡¯ve painted themselves as some poor victim. You should look.] Attached to the message was a link. Corinne quickly clicked on the link and saw it was indeed Josephine and her mother. The older woman was sobbing while describing the ¡®injustice¡¯ Corinne brought on to her daughter. Josephine, as usual, was crying with her head lowered. Thousands of people were watching the live stream while angryments poured in. [Are we going to just watch and do nothing while Holden Group bullies us regr folks?] [They¡¯re nothing but evil capitalists!] [The SAT exams are the only chances for us ordinary people to change our lives, yet rich people didn¡¯t think twice about stealing that chance away from us!] [They¡¯re pure evil! They¡¯ve even buried the news in the country, so we must do what we can to keep this topic alive abroad. We must bring justice to Miss Josephine!] [Yes, you¡¯re right! We must keep this topic trending!] At that moment, a social media user called ¡®LuckyAnn¡¯ posted ament that was starkly different from the rest. [Stop talking bullsh*t! Corinne wasn¡¯t even married to Jeremy when she was in high school. Even if the Holdens were capable of helping her to fake the SAT grades, why would they do something like that for someone they don¡¯t know?] [The fact that you¡¯re speaking up for the Holdens must mean that you¡¯ve been paid off by them!] [LuckyAnn: F*ck you!] [Everyone, look! She knows she¡¯s been exposed. That¡¯s why she¡¯s cursing like that!] This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. LuckyAnn then replied, [You brainless bunch don¡¯t even know when you¡¯re being conned by others! Don¡¯t you know Corinne came from a poor background too? How could she have the money to pay off the school?] [Haha! We have nothing to gain from this, so if there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s been conned, it¡¯s you! Tell me: Just how much is the Holdens paying you toment here? Let us know so we can earn some of that sweet moh, too.] [Yeah! Let us earn some of that money, too!] It was a good thing there were still some sane people in this world as another social media user posted, [I was in the same high school as Corinne. I remember she was a kind girl and the belle of the school. She was never involved in any scandal, and even though she often skipped ss, she still managed to get top scores in all of her exams¡­] [Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird that she still manages to get top scores in all of her exams when she skips ss often? If what you say is true, then that just means she¡¯s been faking her exam scores before the SAT exams. And if you¡¯re lying, it just means you¡¯re one of the other people being paid off by the Holdens!] [I¡¯m not! I¡¯m just telling it like how it is.] [Then can you tell us why Corinne often skips school? Is it so that she can fool around with some guy?] [That must be it! I mean, what girl would skip ss that often without a good reason?] LuckyAnn thenmented, [Oh, just piss off, would ya?] Chapter 941 Chapter 941 [Look! She¡¯s getting all anxious again!] [Is she Corinne?] LuckyAnn replied, [I¡¯m Joe Mama!] Corinne looked at the screen and knew right away that the enthusiastic individual with the ¡®LuckyAnn¡¯ username was Annie. She exited the live stream and sent a message to Annie. [Go to bed. Don¡¯t waste your time with them.] Annie quickly sent another message. [But I¡¯m pissed at them, Corinne! They¡¯re ndering you when they don¡¯t even understand what¡¯s going on!] [I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so I have no reason to be afraid of anything. Be a good girl, and ignore them.] Annie sent another emoticon denoting her frustration. Corinne did not reply to her anymore and clicked into the group chat just below her chat with Annie. [Aaron: What¡¯s going on, boss? Why are people ndering your university entrance exam all of a sudden?] [Xante: Our boss is the top student in the university entrance examination. That much is undisputed. Everyone in her year knows that she excelled in her studies!] [Aaron: Exactly! Every piece of news about her that has gone viral is nothing more than a bunch of bull! They¡¯re alleging that our boss got into the university using that person¡¯s grades when it was the dean who personally made sure she enrolled in the university!] Corinne typed a reply. [The truth is often buried under a sea of wild rumors.] [Aaron: That mother and her daughter who cried in the live stream¡­ Who are they? Holden Group¡¯s stock market value has dived because of this incident. Things are much more serious than I imagined!] [Corinne: She¡¯s a ssmate of mine in high school. They couldn¡¯t have made such a hugemotion on their own. Someone must be helping them to influence public opinion online.] [Aaron: What should we do now? You¡¯re skilled enough to hack into those tforms and remove the posts!] Corinne pondered over Aaron¡¯s suggestion before replying, [Let it be for now. I¡¯m nning to observe the way this incident progresses. Did you send anyone to keep an eye on the Carews recently, Aaron?] [Aaron: The Carews? I¡¯ve not paid any attention to them after you severed ties with them. Does this incident have something to do with them?] [Corinne: Get someone to watch their every move for the next couple of days. I¡¯m curious to know if they might be in contact with anyone. If you receive any information, make sure to let me know at once.] [Aaron: At yourmand!] [Xante: Is everything okay on your end? Did Mister Jeremy get angry at you?] With the Holden Group¡¯s stock market value plummeting because of what happened, it was med for it. After all, she was the reason for the crashing value. [Corinne: Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. He isn¡¯t the type to believe something blindly.] ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. [Xante: That¡¯s good to hear, Boss. Come back home if they ever treat you badly, okay?] Corinne replied sinctly, [I will.] Xante and Aaron were more than just her subordinates¡ªthey were like family to her. The three of them grew up together and faced many hardships with each other along the way. As soon as she exited the group chat, she saw that the most recent unread message was from Jason. Corinne was reminded of Jason¡¯s devilish face. He was the kind of person who would revel amid chaos. Though Corinne did not want to click on his message, she gave it a bit of thought and decided to click on it in the end. [How are you holding up, Corinne? Are the Holdens being harsh on you? If you need my help, just say the word, and I¡¯ll do what I can.] It was one of those rare asions that Jason refrained from making any flirtyments. Corinne did not n to reply to him at all, but Jeremy chanced upon that message as soon as he came out of the shower. Chapter 942 Chapter 942 Jeremy wiped his hair with a dry towel. He sat at the edge of the bed and saw Jason¡¯s message when he nced at her phone. His expression turned gloomy. ¡°Do you still contact Jason in private?¡± Corinne looked at him. ¡°Not at all. He sends me messages once in a while, but I¡¯ve never once replied to him.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy¡¯s tone sounded a little displeased. ¡°When did he send you a request?¡± Corinne never intended to hide the truth from him. ¡°When you and I were done with the wedding photos, he sent a friend request invitation to me after we left the Lunar Century Manor. I didn¡¯t ept it at the time, but he kept sending requests several times every day. I felt a little bad ignoring him, so I epted it.¡± Jeremy leaned closer to her and rubbed her head. ¡°Ignore him whenever I¡¯m not around.¡± Corinne blinked curiously. ¡°That was what I nned to do all along! But isn¡¯t he your good friend? Shouldn¡¯t I show a little more courtesy to your friend for your sake?¡± Jeremy stared into her eyes and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to show courtesy to anyone for my sake. You have the freedom to entertain or ignore anyone if you so wish.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t like Jason very much? I heard that you and he are childhood friends.¡± ¡°There are different levels of friendship, even among childhood friends.¡± ¡°Are you closer to Zeke and Gerald, then?¡± Jeremy frowned slightly. ¡°Why are you so concerned about all of them at thiste hour? Let¡¯s go to bed!¡± Jeremy lifted her nket and got in. The fresh and fragrant smell of his shower gel filled the air. Corinne blushed and felt a little awkward at that moment. ¡°You¡¯ve already bathed, but I haven¡¯t! I¡¯m going to do so right now!¡± The man wrapped her in his arms and pressed her tightly into his embrace. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Just let me hug you!¡± Corinne looked up at the man¡¯s handsome chin before protesting with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep without taking a bath!¡± Jeremy moved his chin closer and rubbed it on her head. ¡°I¡¯m just going to hold you in my arms as we sleep. I promise I won¡¯t do anything to you tonight. Go to bed!¡± ¡°Mister¡­¡± ¡°Be good.¡± Corinne felt helpless. She was hugged so tightly that she could not move even if she wanted to. She nned to wait for him to fall asleep before getting out of bed to take a shower, but his scent was so pleasant that she fell asleep before she knew it. The next day, Corinne saw Jeremy sleeping soundly beside her. That did not happen very often as Jeremy usually left for thepany before she woke up. As soon as she opened her eyes today, she saw Jeremy lying on his side. He was resting his head on his hand while staring at her with a half-smile. She had no idea how long he had been looking at her like that. A little uneasy, she frowned. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left for work? And why are you looking at me like that?¡± Jeremy said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do at thepany today, so there¡¯s no point going there too early. I can still make it in time after having breakfast with you.¡± The previous day¡¯s incident had caused the Holdens¡¯ stock market value to plummet, yet he seemed so unperturbed by it. By right, he should be heading to thepany as soon as he could to reassure his shareholders. Corinne frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t have to look at me like that, do you?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is looking at my wife against thew now?¡± Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Corinne¡¯s cheeks felt warm when he called her his ¡®wife¡¯. She immediately sat up and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take a showerst night, so please excuse me while I freshen up.¡± Jeremy chuckled as he watched her dash into the bathroom and lock the door. He got up and changed his clothes, too. After Corinne came out of the shower, Jeremy went in and freshened up as well. The two of them then left the bedroom and went downstairs for breakfast. However, Jeremy was not too happy when he saw an outsider in the dining hall. When Pam saw her grandson and granddaughter-inw, she beckoned with a smile. ¡°Jeremy, Corinne, you two should sit and have some breakfast. I made some delicious oats today! Taste it and see if it¡¯s to your liking.¡± Corinne smiled obediently. ¡°Thank you, Grandma.¡± She then looked politely at Greg and said, ¡°Good morning, Grandpa.¡± Greg was still unhappy over the previous day¡¯s incident and let out a disgruntled grunt. Corinne did not take offense. She was about to sit when she realized that Jeremy did not take a seat beside her. She turned to look at him. As it turned out, he was staring unhappily at Chester, who sat diagonally opposite Francine. Pam noticed Jeremy¡¯s odd reaction and introduced Chester to him. ¡°This is Francine¡¯s tutor. He¡¯ll be helping her with her studies. He came a little early today, so I told him to join us for some breakfast!¡± Chester stood up politely, looked at Corinne, and said, ¡°Good morning, Corinne.¡± Corinne reciprocated with a smile. ¡°Good morning.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Meanwhile, Jeremy was ncing at Chester with some animosity. When Chester made eye contact with him, there seemed to be a subtle exchange of hostility between them. Chester was silent for a moment, but he eventually greeted Jeremy and said, ¡°Good morning, mister!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression became very gloomy when he heard that. The atmosphere seemed to have changed ever so slightly. Pam did not understand what was going on, but she could keenly sense that Jeremy did not seem too pleased with the new tutor. However, Pam soon realized that Chester had addressed Corinne rather directly. She could they had met before. ¡°Do you know Francine¡¯s tutor?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s one of the top students in my university.¡± Greg snorted angrily. ¡°Did you just say ¡®your¡¯ university? That¡¯s still up for debate!¡± Pam shot the old man an unhappy look and chastised him softly, ¡°Can¡¯t you keep your mouth shut when you¡¯re eating?¡± Though Chester was not part of the family, he could still sense the insinuation in Greg¡¯s statement. Chester had read the previous night¡¯s news as well as what people were saying online. He sent Corinne several messages to ask her what was going on, but Corinne never replied to him. He became very worried, and he rushed to the Holdens as early as he could to see if Corinne was doing okay. He was a little relieved when he saw her beside Jeremy, believing that everything was fine at home. After hearing Greg¡¯s sarcastic remarks, however, he began to realize the reason behind the Holden Group¡¯s stock market value¡¯s sudden plummet. At that moment, he began to worry about Corinne¡¯s rtionship with her inws. Although everyone online doubted her education history as well as her grades, he knew first-hand that Corinne¡¯s academic qualifications were gained from hard work. He had noticed every detail about her when he had a crush on her. As a result, he could not help but feel a sense of injustice on behalf of his crush. ¡°All thosements about Corinne are fake. Corinne got into the university by relying on her abilities. I can vouch for that!¡± Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Jeremy narrowed his eyes. He walked up and pulled a dining chair so he could sit. Greg and Pam nced at Chester when he stood up for Corinne. Francine looked at him before turning to Jeremy and noticing his scowl. She wanted to tug on Chester¡¯s clothes so he would keep his thoughts to himself. Greg cleared his throat and said, ¡°Did you just say you can vouch for her, young man? How exactly are you going to do that?¡± ¡°If the rumors online were true, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain her good grades after her enrolment. However, she continued to excel and make the university proud. As soon as that news went viral yesterday, everyone in our university felt that it was a bunch of baloney. Many of our fellow students helped correct the negative perception that Corinne was garnering, but our voices will be buried underyers of sensationalments. ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, you may either send someone to check with the university or ask our dean to disprove those allegations.¡± Greg frowned after hearing Chester¡¯s defending Corinne. He looked pensively at Corinne before ncing at Chester again. ¡°Your words hold no weight. I¡¯ll send someone to verify your statements with the university. I won¡¯t simply ept your ims as the truth. If what you said turns out to be true, the matter ends there. However, if the ims online turn out to be true, we won¡¯t hesitate to remove this fraudster from our household!¡± Chester wanted to protest, but Corinne interrupted him and said, ¡°I appreciate you standing up for me, but let¡¯s focus on eating breakfast.¡± She also pulled a chair and sat down beside Jeremy. Once she had taken her seat, she reached out to take the cutlery. Chester frowned in frustration. ¡°Corinne, I¡ª¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne interrupted him calmly, ¡°You¡¯re here today as Francine¡¯s tutor. You need only concern yourself with helping Francine¡¯s study. There¡¯s no point worrying about anything else.¡± Chester seemed to still want to protest. ¡°But¡­¡± Francine handed a ss of milk to him and tugged on his clothes so he would sit. ¡°Have a ss of milk, Chester!¡± Jeremy was already very unhappy, and his displeasure would only worsen if Chester continued to make a fuss. Pam was unable to stop her husband from saying what he wanted, so all she could do was put in her effort to try and lighten the mood. She asked with a smile, ¡°What do you think of the oats that I made, Corinne?¡± Corinne stirred the bowl of oats and scooped some with her spoon. After tasting them, she said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s delicious! Your cooking is as amazing as ever!¡± Pam smiled when she heard that. Greg snorted coldly. ¡°You¡¯re young, but you sure know how to sweet-talk!¡± Corinne nced at Greg and smiled without responding to his remark. Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Corinne genuinely liked the food Pam prepared and was not simply trying to tter Pam out of politeness. Greg was already biased against her, so he naturally took issue with her words and actions. She treated her elders politely, but she was never one to suck up to anyone. If a person did not like her, she would not make the extra effort to try and win them over. Pam felt very embarrassed. She could only re at her stubborn husband and sigh helplessly. She then said to Corinne, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Eat as much as you want. There¡¯s still plenty in the kitchen!¡± Corinne did not take offense to Greg¡¯s attitude toward her and smiled obediently. ¡°Okay!¡± Her phone then rang twice while she was busy eating. Corinne took it out of her pocket to check the message. It was from Aaron. [Aaron: Your prediction was pretty spot on, boss. Lilliana and Sherlyn left the house early this morning. They met park on the expressway. Anya gave them a suitcase, which I assume is filled with cash. ] N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Corinne was not surprised at all to read the message from Aaron. She continued to eat her oats while clicking on the photo attachment. The photo was taken from a candid angle, and it was clear that Anya had handed over a ck suitcase to Sherlyn under the cover of the shrubbery. At that moment, Jeremy pushed the chair backward and got up. He had eaten only a few mouthfuls, and he put on his jacket after standing up. He had a word with his grandparents before walking out. When he was about to leave, Corinne sipped some water before getting up and saying, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I have something to take care of too, so I¡¯m going out with Mister Jeremy. Please excuse me.¡± She then turned to Chester and Francine. ¡°Eat more so you¡¯ll have enough energyter. Teach her well, Chester. Francine, remember to focus on your studies.¡± Corinne then went out and caught up with Jeremy. After walking past the gate, Jeremy nced coldly at Corinne and asked gruffly, ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Am I not allowed to?¡± The man snorted coldly. ¡°Do I still have a ce in your heart after your junior came all the way here? Wouldn¡¯t it be more convenient for you to meet him privately behind my back if you stayed at home?¡± Corinne knew that Chester was the cause of why Jeremy had such a gloomy expression during breakfast. She spread her palms helplessly and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that Chester is Francine¡¯s crush? I asked him to tutor her so she¡¯ll spend more time with him! As Francine¡¯s elder brother, you¡¯ll end up having to worry about her if she never progresses in school and gets a bad boy as her boyfriend!¡± Jeremy nced askance at her and responded dully, ¡°I¡¯m more worried about getting a brother-inw that has a crush on my wife!¡± Corinne facepalmed. ¡°Teenagers tend to be unrealistic, and I don¡¯t know him all that well either! Take us, as an example. We were never the ideal type for each other before this, right? But didn¡¯t we end up falling for each other all the same?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve fallenpletely head over heels for you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression eased up a little as if he could not bear to get angry at her. He then took the coat that was draped on his arm and put it over her shoulders. ¡°Why did you leave the house without a coat? The least you could do is wear one so I won¡¯t be so worried about your health!¡± Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Corinne pursed her lips. ¡°You were the one who left in such a hurry without waiting for me!¡± Jeremy bent over slightly to touch her forehead. ¡°This is my fault again?¡± Corinne raised her chin. ¡°Well, is it mine?¡± ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s my fault!¡± Jeremy pursed his lips and smiled helplessly. ¡°Were you going toe with me to thepany?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No. I was going to ask you to drop me off at the Riveras.¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrow worriedly. ¡°What business do you have going there?¡± Something would always happen to her whenever she went to the Riveras, so it was understandable for Jeremy to worry about her when he knew she wanted to head there alone. Corinne said firmly, ¡°To deal with all those allegations online. A day has passed, so it¡¯s about time I settle everything.¡± Jeremy was startled for a moment before he realized what Corinne meant by that. ¡°Was Anya behind all this?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°She does things to the extreme sometimes. Since she can¡¯t have you to herself, she wants to destroy me by ruining my reputation. Whether or not the Holdens end up getting caught in the crossfire doesn¡¯t concern her anymore.¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, then.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No. You should go to thepany now and try to get thepany¡¯s stock market value under control. I can solve my problems.¡± Jeremy frowned and asked somewhat reproachingly, ¡°Does that mean you don¡¯t need me anymore?¡± Corinne knew Jeremy was worried about her, so she exined to him properly, ¡°I still need you, but we have to prioritize what¡¯s important. If the Holdens¡¯ stock continues to drop, your dear grandpa might strangle me to death!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy knew his grandfather¡¯s dictatorial character well. Corinne¡¯s logic made perfect sense too. He could only stroke her hair gently and say, ¡°I won¡¯t go with you then, but I want Lucas to stay at home and keep an eye on things.¡± Corinne frowned in disgust when Lucas¡¯ name was mentioned. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to have to entertain him.¡± Jeremy and Lucas had a very ordinary friendship, but Jeremy knew Lucas was someone who would protect a sibling with his life. In the past, Lucas was prejudiced against Corinne because he did not know Corinne was his sister. However, that has since changed. With Lucas knowing the truth, he would never let anyone harm Corinne. As long as Lucas was around in case the situation went awry, Jeremy could head to thepany with peace of mind. Jeremy coaxed Corinne, ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like talking to him, you can just ignore him. However, he must be around so I won¡¯t have to worry about you being there alone.¡± Corinne had no choice but to nod reluctantly. ¡°Okay. It doesn¡¯t matter to me if Lucas wants to stay at home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my good girl.¡± Jeremy patted her head lovingly. ¡°I¡¯ll head to thepany after dropping you, and then I¡¯lle back a littleter to pick you up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They got into the car right after that. Jeremy fastened her seat belt and then gave Lucas a call. At that moment, Lucas was heading to the Rivera Group. As he sat in the car, he could not help himself from feeling nervous for the Holden Group after reading some news on the stock market. He had never been interested to know what happened to the Holdens since his family did not get along well with theirs. However, he could no longer ignore anything that happened to Holdens. His beloved younger sister married one of the Holdens by mistake. Whether he liked it or not, Jeremy was his brother-inw. Any family feud had to be put aside for the sake of his younger sister, and he had to lend a helping hand whenever he could. Although everything online at that moment was untrue, it all revolved around Corinne. If things were allowed to continue as they were, Corinne might have to face a difficult life at the Holdens. She would have nowhere else to go if things turned bad, especially since she would not want to be at the Riveras due to being estranged from him. Lucas was deep in thought over how he could help the Holdens stabilize their plummeting position in the stock market. All of a sudden, his cell phone started ringing, and the caller was none other than Jeremy. He looked rather surprised as he raised his eyebrows. Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Jeremy would never call Lucas under normal circumstances. The only connection Lucas had with Jeremy was Corinne. ¡®Did something happen to Corinne?¡¯ fretted Lucas. He answered the phone right away. After listening to what Jeremy had to say to him, Lucas¡¯s pupils shrank, and he said firmly, ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll be at home today.¡± When the call was over, Lucas closed hisptop and said to the driver, ¡°Make a U-turn and send me back home.¡± The driver was a little startled to hear that. He thought he had misheard Lucas, thus he repeated, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re not going to thepany today?¡± ¡°Yes. Turn the car around and bring me back home.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lucas ran into Jeremy when he arrived back home. Thetter had just dropped Corinne off. When Lucas saw Jeremy¡¯s car, he told the driver to stop at the gate so he could open the door and get off. He immediately walked toward Corinne. Jeremy had just gotten out of the car with Corinne too. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and leaned in to whisper something to her. Then, he straightened his posture and looked at Lucas, who had just arrived. With a serious expression, he said to Lucas, ¡°Take care of her on my behalf.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her even if you didn¡¯t tell me to.¡± Jeremy said nothing else. He patted Corinne¡¯s head and said, ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°I will. You should get going now, or you¡¯re going to bete!¡± Lucas then invited Corinne in warmly. ¡°Come in with me, Corinne.¡± Corinne nodded and followed Lucas in. From N?velDrama.Org. After watching Corinne enter the gate, Jeremy got into the car and drove away slowly. The door to the house was several hundred meters away from the gate. Corinne followed Lucas quietly. She had nothing to talk to him about. Lucas, wanting to ask her something, turned and spoke softly, ¡°I¡¯m d you came home, Corinne. Though, I can¡¯t help but wonder why you¡¯re here.¡± Jeremy said on the phone that Corinne woulde by the Riveras, but he did not specify why Corinne would be there. He knew that Corinne could not havee back to recognize his family, so there had to be another reason for her presence there. Corinne looked straight ahead as she said, ¡°I¡¯m here to chat with Anya.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly. He was a little surprised that Corinne came to look for Anya. The rtionship between Corinne and Anya had turned tense after what happened thest time around, which begged the question of why she would want to meet Anya. Before Lucas was able to ask any further questions, they soon arrived at the door of the house. When they entered, they heard Anya¡¯s mother¡ªPhoebe¡ªspeaking to her inws. ¡°Dad, Mom, haven¡¯t you seen the news online? I knew long ago that Corinne isn¡¯t a good person, but I can¡¯tment on her because she saved Dad. This recent expose merely confirmed my suspicions! I don¡¯t think she saved you by pure coincidence. It had to have been orchestrated!¡± Cedric always had a good impression of Corinne. Therefore, he kept an open mind and held a wait- and-see attitude despite reading the rumors floating online. Chapter 948 Chapter 948 ¡°I highly doubt the ims made against Corinne online. Besides, why would she orchestrate something like that against me? I¡¯m just an old man! Lucas gave her a check as a token of thanks for saving my life, but she never thought of epting it!¡± Beatrice nodded to what her husband said. She had a good impression of Corinne from the first time they met, though that was probably inrge part due to Corinne¡¯s simrity to their missing granddaughter, Luna. In conclusion, neither of them believed Corinne to be the sort of evil person with bad intentions. Phoebe frowned and shook her head after hearing Cedric¡¯s defense of Corinne. ¡°The two of you are being too naive! She obviously wouldn¡¯t take the money that Lucas offered her if she was motivated by something else!¡± Cedric frowned, obviously a little wary of his stepdaughter-inw¡¯s ims. ¡°Tell me, then. What would a young girl like her be motivated by?¡± Phoebe sighed and said, ¡°The two of you might not have gone to the hospital when Sunny was hospitalized, but I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve heard about what happened there. Corinne imed that she was the one who saved Jeremy, not Anya! Jeremy even believed Corinne, and he now thinks Anya lied to him throughout the years.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Cedric and Beatrice looked at each other. The old man frowned and said, ¡°We know what happened, but didn¡¯t Anya lie about her infertility so that Jeremy boy will take responsibility for her for the rest of her life? This is Anya¡¯s fault entirely. It¡¯s an utter embarrassment to our family that she ckmailed him emotionally for so many years. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ve never supported her proposed marriage to Jeremy, yet she stubbornly refused to listen to us. As her mother, you went so far as to allow her to continue entertaining that idea despite knowing that our family isn¡¯t on good terms with the Holdens. You didn¡¯t even make an effort to control her. Why are you ming all that on Corinne?¡± Cedric might be old, but his mind was still sharp. Phoebe¡¯s expression became a little distorted when Cedric pointed out the cold, hard facts. She forced a smile and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t about whether or not I can control her. It¡¯s futile to try and control something that involves one¡¯s feelings! ¡°Lucas has spoiled her since she was young. He gives in to all her requests. Now that she¡¯s all grown up and falls in love with a man, she shows the same stubbornness and is willing to do whatever it takes to be his woman! ¡°As much as I want to control her, I can¡¯t just force her to do as I say! But that being said, Anya did save Jeremy, and she had been infertile for the past few years after saving him and being poisoned in the process. ¡°So many years have passed since then, and her body had recovered without her knowing! You¡¯ve both seen her grow up, so you should know her character by now. She may be stubborn in her desire to marry Jeremy, but she will never twist the facts! ¡°Corinne, on the other hand, took Anya¡¯s credit for what happened and convinced everyone that Anya had been lying. Isn¡¯t that worse?¡± Chapter 949 Chapter 949 Anya was tearing up while she sat beside Phoebe, and Cedric felt a bit ofpassion for her when he looked at her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Both he and his wife Beatrice have watched Anya grow up. Though she might be a bit spoiled and stubborn due to her mood swings, she was kind and sensible most of the time. Her character did not fit with the image of a person who told lies. When Phoebe saw that Cedric was beginning to feel swayed by what she said, she quickly followed up with more to say. ¡°When I said that Corinne had other motives for saving you, I was referring to her desire to remove Anya from Jeremy¡¯s life. Corinne was Anya¡¯s rival in winning Jeremy¡¯s heart, so she orchestrated the entire situation to save you and gain your trust. That way, she can creep into our family and find ways to sever Anya¡¯s ties with Jeremy. ¡°Based on the facts, she has achieved her goal. After she figured out that Anya had saved Jeremy, she made up some details about saving Jeremy that Anya had forgotten and used them to show Jeremy that she saved him! That would spell the end of Anya¡¯s future with Jeremy! ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure the Riveras are more than happy to see Anya severing ties with Jeremy, but I firmly believe we shouldn¡¯t question Anya¡¯s character simply because of what Corinne said. ¡°Anya isn¡¯t the liar that Corinne makes her out to be! She¡¯s been hiding at home and crying her eyes out because everyone misunderstood her. Her eyes are swollen, and she¡¯s nearly gone blind from all the crying. ¡°I don¡¯t care that Jeremy believed Corinne¡¯s lies and didn¡¯t listen to Anya. But now, even her beloved elder brother ignores her because of Corinne¡¯s lies. Lucas used to dote on her a lot, but he doesn¡¯t even show any concern toward her now. Anya has been very depressed because of this. ¡°I genuinely hope that you two can see through Corinne¡¯s true colors. Please don¡¯t misunderstand your granddaughter simply because of a stranger¡¯s unproven ims! The fact that Corinne ndered Anya shows just how evil she is! Now, people have exposed her to faking the results of her university entrance exams. They dug up the dirt on all those abortions she had. You shouldn¡¯t believe a word of what that wretched girl says!¡± As Anya listened to her mother¡¯s fervent attempts to help her turn the situation around, she made sure to y her part in cooperating. Aggrievedly, she wiped her tears and said, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma¡­ I was wrongly used of all that! I never lied, and it was Corinne who nned all this to target me! Now, even Dad and Lucas don¡¯t talk to me anymore. I went to the hospital to see Sunny, and he ignored me too. I feel really helpless right now. If my brother who loved me the most since I was a little girl doesn¡¯t even want to talk to me because of an outsider, I don¡¯t know what else I¡¯m supposed to do. I feel depressed¡­¡± Her crying intensified as she spoke. She stood up from the sofa and knelt on the ground. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma¡­ Please don¡¯t treat me like how Dad, Lucas, and Sunny treat me! I feel worthless, and I won¡¯t be able to survive¡­¡± Both Cedric and Beatrice frowned in distress when Anya bawled her eyes out. ¡°Okay, Anya,¡± said Cedric. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can get up now!¡± ¡°Yes, please do get up!¡± coaxed Beatrice. ¡°Your infertility might be cured, but you can¡¯t kneel on the ground like that and put a strain on yourself!¡± Anya smirked subtly when her grandparents finally started to feel sorry for her again. At that moment, a servant came over and informed them, ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am¡­ Mister Lucas is back. He brought Miss Corinne with him.¡± Phoebe and Anya nced at each other. They did not expect Corinne to find them so quickly, especially since they were careful to leave no traces. Chapter 950 Chapter 950 Anya was still kneeling on the ground. She was rmed and displeased to see Corinne standing beside Lucas. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to thepany, Lucas? Why did youe back?¡± Lucas heard everything that Phoebe and Anya said about Corinne. He never liked Phoebe in the first ce, and he was even more disgusted after what she felt. There was a stark look of disappointment in his eyes as he looked at his younger half-sister, whom he used to love so much. ¡°Corinne mentioned that she wanted to talk to you, so I figured I¡¯de back and hear what she has to say,¡± Lucas said. Anya stood up from the ground. She blinked nkly and asked, ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡± Corinne nced at her uninterestedly and ignored her for the time being. She faced the elderly couple and smiled politely at them. ¡°Grandpa Cedric, Grandma Beatrice, good morning, and sorry for bothering all of you.¡± Phoebe and Anya¡¯s provocation led Cedric and Beatrice to somewhat doubt Corinne. However, they still had a bit of affection for her and hoped she was not as the rumors imed she was. Cedric said, ¡°No need to be so polite, Corinne. Please, have a seat. We can talk.¡± Phoebe nodded. ¡°Yes. Have a seat!¡± ¡°Thanks. Don¡¯t mind if I do, then.¡± Corinne smiled and took a seat on the single-seater sofa next to Cedric. Standing for too long was a little tiring too as she was pregnant. She nced at Anya who was standing at one side and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Sit, and we can talk.¡± Anya frowned. She was upset because Corinne was acting as if Anya was an outsider. Nevertheless, she still had to keep up appearances and ensure she exuded an aura of magnanimity. She forced a smile and sat back gracefully on the sofa. She put on an attitude to show that she was the host and said, ¡°Make yourselffortable. Can someone fetch her something to drink, please?¡± Corinne epted the gesture and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything special. Just warm water will do.¡± Meanwhile, Lucas had sat calmly on a chair that the servant had brought over. He kept quiet while observing the situation. When the servant handed over some warm water to Corinne, she took a sip and said, ¡°Did you visit a park this morning, Miss Anya?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Anya was stunned. ¡°Not! I went to bed a littlete yesterday, so I just woke up not too long ago.¡± Corinne took another sip of water and raised her eyebrow. ¡°No? Then why were you spotted carrying a ck leather suitcase in a park just off the expressway?¡± Anya¡¯s expression fell a little when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Who told you that they saw me there? I haven¡¯t stepped out of the house today. That person must¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else!¡± Corinne grinned and took out her phone. She tapped it a few times and showed the screen to everyone. ¡°But the person in this photo is clearly you!¡± Chapter 951 Chapter 951 Anya turned pale when Corinne revealed the photo of herself meeting Lilliana and Sherlyn. Phoebe saw the photo too, and she had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Corinne showed the photo to Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, is this Anya in the photo?¡± Lucas took Corinne¡¯s phone and studied the photo. A frown appeared on his face as he then looked at the pale-faced Anya. ¡°What were you doing there?¡± he asked her. Anya never thought she would be photographed, given how cautious she had been. ¡®Both Lilliana and Sherlyn must¡¯ve aroused Corinne¡¯s suspicion!¡¯ Anya blinked guiltily. ¡°Lucas, I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Lucas scoffed angrily. ¡°Huh! You didn¡¯t, you say? How can you still deny any wrongdoing when you¡¯ve been photographed meeting Lilliana and Sherlyn?¡± ¡°That photo might be fake, for all we know! Photo maniption technology is so advanced right now. That photo could¡¯ve been Photoshopped! I won¡¯t even be surprised if she used AI technology to create a deep-fake video about me. Lucas, you mustn¡¯t believe everything you see!¡± insisted Anya. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah, Lucas. You mustn¡¯t jump to conclusions like that,¡± said Phoebe. ¡°Judging from how she came prepared with that photo, Miss Corinne doesn¡¯t seem to havee with good intentions. Chaos seems to follow her whenever shees to our house! Lucas, you must think this through carefully, or she¡¯ll y you!¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Aunt Phoebe, do you really think Miss Corinne has that much free time to waste on our family?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Corinne nced at Phoebe. ¡°Miss Phoebe, I can assure you this photo isn¡¯t fake. You¡¯re more than wee to take this photo to be analyzed at any credible fake photo detectionpany. I¡¯m willing to bow in front of your daughter and ask for forgiveness if the photo turns out to be fake,¡± she said calmly. Phoebe knew the photo was real, of course, but she would never admit that out loud. ¡®But we¡¯ll be busted if we take that photo to be analyzed!¡¯ She red at Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, you must¡¯ve paid off all the credible fake photo detection companies since you so confidently showed us the photo. What¡¯s to say we won¡¯t get a false report if we take that photo to get analyzed?¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re a very cautious one, Miss Phoebe. Even if it was as you said, that I paid off all the credible fake photo detectionpanies in the country, you can always look for the companies abroad. Plus, it¡¯s not that hard to check whether a photo is Photoshopped¡­ I believe it¡¯d be an easy-peasy job to find someone trustworthy to do it, given the Riveras¡¯ connections.¡± Phoebe gritted her teeth and said nothing. Anya pinched her inner palm to calm herself. She then put on an innocent expression and asked, ¡°Corinne, just what are you trying to achieve by showing us that photo?¡± Corinne looked at her indifferently. ¡°Miss Anya, the two women you¡¯ve met up with were my stepmother, Lilliana, and her daughter, Sherlyn. The three of you aren¡¯t from the same circle, so why would you meet with them in some rural park outside of the city that early in the morning? And what¡¯s inside that ck leather case you have in your hand?¡± Anya¡¯s expression subtly faltered, but she had been trained to maintain herposure at all times. Thus, no one really noticed the change in her expression. ¡°That can¡¯t be me in the photo since I didn¡¯t even go out this morning! You can ask the servants in the house if you don¡¯t believe me. Go on. Ask them whether any of them saw me go out this morning!¡± Chapter 952 Chapter 952 ¡®It looks like she¡¯s not going to admit her wrongdoing unless I have some irrefutable evidence,¡¯ thought Corinne. She put her palm to her face and shook her head. ¡®Ugh, she and her mother are being ridiculous! The proof is right in front of them, yet they¡¯re still trying to worm their way out.¡¯ Looking at how helpless Corinne looked, Anya thought she was giving up. ¡°Corinne, you should ask your stepmother and her daughter instead who they met in the park just now and what they got from the stranger. I can assure you that I wasn¡¯t the one who met up with them¡­¡± she advised kindly. Corinne smiled. ¡°Miss Anya, it sounds like you and your mother will alwaysbel incriminating photos and videos of you and her as fake.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that we want tobel them as fake. It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t prove they¡¯re real, either. Plus, you¡¯ve always been biased against me because of Jeremy. Not to mention, you see me as your love rival¡­¡± said Anya innocently. ¡®Love rival? Ha!¡¯ Corinne never saw Anya as her love rival at all. She never fought over Jeremy with her before. That one time when she mistakenly thought something was going on between Anya and Jeremy, she chose to leave him without hesitation. Dear Readers Books Are Daily Updated Click On Link Below To Join Our Official Telegram Group To Get Latest Books Updates.. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Corinne could tell Jeremy did not even like Anya at all. Thus, why would she see her as a love rival? ¡®Anya¡¯s really full of herself, huh?¡¯ With her forehead still resting on her hand, Corinne said, ¡°Miss Anya, you¡¯re really delusional, do you know that? I¡¯m so busy with my life that you don¡¯t evene into my radar at all.¡± Anya smiled. ¡°Corinne, we¡¯re all girls here, so I understand how stubborn we can be. But I must say, it¡¯s no big deal if you admit it.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne scoffed lightly. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll just leave you to your delusions. Back to the main topic, Miss Anya. We can check the surveince camera in the street if you and your mother insist that this photo is fake. There won¡¯t be an issue of whether the footage is fake ¡¯cause everyone knows it can¡¯t be fake. ¡°Miss Anya, you drove the spare car that you bought without your family knowing to the park outside the city this morning, right? Did you know the surveince camera caught you in action? There¡¯s even a record of a traffic ticket being issued to you for running a red light.¡± As she spoke, Corinne took back her phone from Lucas and opened up a traffic management app to check the relevant surveince footage. Anya immediately paled when she saw what Corinne was doing. A minute ago, she thought that she did not have the means to get the surveince footage. Corinne not only had the means to do that, but she also connected her phone to the TV in the Riveras¡¯ living room so everyone could watch the footage together! The surveince footage was very clear, and there was even the time and date stamped on the upper right corner. It showed Anya driving an inconspicuous car to the outer city at five o¡¯clock in the morning! Phoebe started to panic. Cedric and Beatrice started frowning. Then, they both turned to look at their lying granddaughter with eyes filled with disappointment and confusion. Chapter 953 Chapter 953 They were disappointed Anya lied and was baffled as to why she would do that. Lucas narrowed his eyes at Anya after looking at the surveince footage. ¡°How do you exin this, Anya? Why is there a traffic record of you driving out of the city when you¡¯ve insisted you didn¡¯t?¡± Anya became a little deted when faced with Lucas. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, so I went for a drive to cheer myself up. I thought I¡¯d drive out of the city since it¡¯s a quieter route, but that doesn¡¯t mean I went to the park!¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Miss Anya, didn¡¯t you insist you didn¡¯t go out this morning? Why the change in tune of your story? Which is the truth, then? Aren¡¯t you just contradicting yourself?¡± Anya¡¯s gaze darted around. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Lucas frowned. He hadpletely given up on Anya. ¡°Why did you sneak out of the house and choose a car your family didn¡¯t even know you had if you were just going out for a drive to cheer yourself up?¡± asked Corinne. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this just prove you didn¡¯t want anyone to know where you were going or who you were meeting? If you have nothing to hide, Miss Anya, why did you go through all this trouble, huh?¡± Anya¡¯s eyes were trembling so hard they seemed about to fall out of their sockets. She could not think of a retort at all. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Corinne, that¡¯s enough!¡± Phoebe interjected. ¡°Just what are you trying to achieve bying to my house this early in the morning to sling baseless usations at my daughter?¡± Corinne looked condescendingly at her. ¡°Miss Phoebe, I¡¯m not slinging baseless usations at your daughter. In fact, I think she¡¯s just like you: A woman who¡¯s willing to do anything to get what she wants.¡± Phoebe scowled. ¡°How¡­ How dare you talk to me like that? Mom, Dad, Lucas, you all heard what she said, right? She¡¯s finally showing her true colors!¡± Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces. They both thought Corinne was a little hostile today, but Lucas¡¯ heart went out to her since he understood why she hated Phoebe so much. Corinne ignored Phoebe. ¡°Yesterday, my stepmother brought her husband, daughter, and the mother- daughter duo who ndered me online to my house. The mother-daughter duo said they hade to seek justice from the Holdens because I supposedly stole her precious daughter¡¯s university spot and even used me of being a high-school sl*t. The Holdens didn¡¯t buy their lies, so they turned to the inte to nder me. ¡°But how could two ordinary people who came from the countryside cause this big of a ruckus in such a short time? It¡¯s impossible. Not to mention, they did the same thing overseas when their news and publicments were banned in our country. ¡°I¡¯m not worried about my reputation being damaged since I knew I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. But what p*sses me off is that they had to involve the Holdens. Not only did the Holden Group¡¯s shares drop to the bottom, but the family¡¯s reputation was dragged through the mud, too. ¡°So don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a coincidence Anya just so happened to be at the same park with my stepmother and her daughter for her to pass them the ck leather case containing god-knows-what.¡± Chapter 954 Chapter 954 Corinne picked up the cooled water and drank before turning to smile at the guilt-stricken Anya. ¡°But if I were to guess, that ck leather case must be filled with cash, right? But why would Anya give my stepmother so much cash? Was she trying to be a good daughter in my stead? No. There¡¯s only one reason: Miss Anya bribed my stepmother, who never liked me, to bring Josephine and her mother to the Holdens¡¯ mansion to malign me so that I¡¯d be kicked out of the house. ¡°But their n failed, so Miss Anya asked my stepmother to teach Josephine and her mother to bring the matter online. Both Josephine and her mother don¡¯t look like people who know their way around online, so it was obvious someone must¡¯ve guided them. Who¡¯d be more qualified to do that than my stepmother? She had honed her skill of creating a buzz to make her precious daughter famous back then. ¡°But having my stepmother guide Josephine and her mother wasn¡¯t enough. The one surefire way of making sure the buzz doesn¡¯t die down is to use money to fuel the mes. Though, the Carews don¡¯t have any money or connections. The most they could do was to create a little buzz before the news died down again. Plus, there were not many things they could do since the Holdens had issued stern warnings to all the mediapanies to not report on the scandal. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡°But then, Josephine and her mother decided to take the matter overseas. Someone must¡¯ve given them the resources to do that. And who else would dare to risk crossing the Holdens by backing Josephine and her mother when they had no proof to show what they said was true¡ªexcept for the Riveras?¡± Cedric and Beatrice could not help but frown when they heard the usation. The Riveras might not get along with the Holdens, but they would never kick someone when they were down or participate in something that did not bring any benefit to their interest. Lucas, however, knew Corinne was not really talking about everyone in the Rivera family. ¡°Corinne, are you saying¡­¡± Corinne took another unhurried sip of her water. ¡°The mastermind behind the online ndering is none other than Miss Anya! She was the one who nned the whole thing, and she was also the one who fueled the mes.¡± Cedric and Beatrice looked at Anya in disbelief. Lucas, however, was not surprised since he was no longer blind to just how evil Anya could be, Though, he still med himself for spoiling her in the past. Anya still had not given up yet. She red vehemently at Corinne as if she was the victim. ¡°Corinne, what right do you have to use me like that? Where¡¯s your proof? I don¡¯t even know the mother and daughter who ndered you online, nor have I ever met them. You can¡¯t malign me like this just because you want to prove yourself innocent.¡± Corinne scoffed coldly. ¡°It¡¯s true you don¡¯t know Josephine and her mother since you¡¯ve always been cautious not to leave any traces. That¡¯s why you chose to pay off my stepmother to do your bidding instead while you secretly used your family¡¯s connection and influence abroad to create a buzz around the lies they had been spouting nonstop!¡± Chapter 955 Chapter 955 Anya cried as she shook her head woefully. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t¡­ Stop ndering me, Corinne! I swear, I only went for a drive and nothing more this morning. You seriously have to stop using me of things I didn¡¯t do!¡± Corinne expected her to react like that. ¡°Tell me, Miss Anya. Between you and me, who is ndering whom? You were even willing to sacrifice Jeremy, the person you purportedly love the most, to destroy me. There seems to be no end to just how ruthless you can be!¡± After thinking it over, the only way for Anya to get out of this was to use the victim card since she lacked both logic and evidence. She quickly pretended to be on the verge of having a meltdown. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Please, stop. I swear I didn¡¯t do any of the things you used me of doing. I promise I won¡¯t ever try to steal Jeremy away from you again, so please just stop all this! Have some mercy, Corinne. I¡­ I¡­ Okay, how about I p myself? Will that make you forgive me? Will that make you hate me less?¡± Without waiting for Corinne¡¯s answer, she started pping herself. Left and right. Left and right. Left and right. The ppings and her tears were seemingly endless. Corinne hated nothing more than a person who resorted to crying when they knew they were about to lose the fight. Thus, she did not feel any pity for Anya at all. However, Anya was still the pampered little princess in the Rivera household, so both Cedric and Beatrice could not bear to see her cry. It was obvious they would still love her, ept her, and forgive her no matter what she did wrong. Lucas looked at Anya with conflicted feelings. On one hand, he hated nothing more than a lying, scheming person. On the other hand, Anya was still his sister. Even though he no longer liked or admired her as before, he still held a hint of sibling love toward her. Then again, as much as he could not bear to see Anya pping herself to the point of her cheeks turning bright red, it was not strong enough to overturn all the resentment he felt toward her for all the things she did to Corinne. Thus, he said nothing to stop her. As Anya¡¯s mother, Phoebe hurt the most to see her daughter acting like that. She quickly went up to stop her from pping herself. ¡°Anya, why are you doing this? So what if Corinne doesn¡¯t like you? You still have your family who loves you. Stop pping yourself now. It pains me to see you like this!¡± Anya shook Phoebe off before crying and pping herself even harder. ¡°Leave me alone! Corinne¡¯s not going to stop ndering me until she sees I¡¯ve suffered enough. I don¡¯t want Grandpa, Grandma, and Lucas to be disappointed in me because of what she said. If pping myself will make Corinne happy, I won¡¯t stop until she tells me to stop!¡± Phoebe started sobbing, too. ¡°Oh, Anya¡­¡± Then, as if being inspired by her daughter, she started pping herself as well. ¡°Miss Corinne, are you doing this as revenge because I spoke badly about you to Anya¡¯s grandparents? You should take out your anger on me instead of my daughter! You¡¯ve already stolen the man she loves most in this life away from her, so what more do you want?! I beg of you¡­ Please stop hurting my daughter.¡± At that moment, Cedric, Beatrice, and Lucas felt unimaginably overwhelmed by the sounds of Phoebe and Anya crying and pping themselves. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The servants had never seen something like this in all the 10 or 20 years they had been working for the Riveras. They could not help but be awed by Corinne¡¯s capability of bringing down Phoebe and Anya in front of Cedric and Beatrice. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Stop making a fool of yourself this instant!¡± roared Lucas. Only then did Phoebe and Anya stop pping themselves. They looked at Lucas, trembling. Anya¡¯s eyes werepletely swollen and red by then. ¡°Lucas¡­¡± she cried out to him hoarsely. Chapter 956 Chapter 956 Lucas frowned, and his eyes darkened with annoyance. ¡°So you resorted to hysterics once you ran out of counter-arguments? Do you think this will make you look innocent?¡± ¡®Hysterics? Did he really use that word on me? No! I¡¯m Anya Rivera, the second daughter of Maxwell Rivera. I¡¯m not the one for hysterics! Plus, I was forced by Corinne to do this ¡¯cause only by doing this can I get Grandpa, Grandma, and Lucas to stand on my side.¡¯ It might have worked on Cedric and Beatrice, but what Anya did not expect was that Lucas had changed. He no longer loved or epted her unconditionally anymore. Tears poured out from Anya¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lucas, I don¡¯t mean to behave this way, either¡­ But Corinne left me with no choice. You were there when she insisted on calling me the mastermind behind her online scandal. I¡­ I just feel so wronged¡­¡± Lucas¡¯ expression hardened. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s throwing baseless usations at you.¡± Anya looked hurt. ¡°Lucas, how can you not believe me? How can you believe her instead?¡± ¡°The traffic surveince footage proved you went out this morning when you say you didn¡¯t. Based on this alone, it makes it very hard for me to believe everything you told us just now,¡± replied Lucas. Anya blinked a few times out of guilt. She then implored Lucas, her eyes akin to a sad puppy, ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with me wanting to go out for a drive? And I¡¯ve told you, I¡¯ve never met Corinne¡¯s stepmother in my life. That photo she showed us must¡¯ve been Photoshopped! I swear that wasn¡¯t me in the photo.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He was frustrated at how unrepentant Anya was. He was that close to giving her a beating or kicking her out of the house, but s, he knew he should not do that. At that moment, Vicky checked the time on her watch. ¡°Mister Lucas, my stepmother and her daughter should be here by now. Can you please ask someone to bring them in?¡± Lucas was stunned for a couple of seconds, but he nodded after guessing what Corinne was about to do. He then gestured with his eyes for a servant to bring Lilliana and Sherlyn into the living room. Anya¡¯s turned even paler than before when she heard Lilliana and Sherlyn wereing. ¡®Corinne got them toe? But Lilliana already took my money! Is she trying to betray me?!¡¯ She looked pleadingly at Phoebe, but her mother was at a loss for what to do as well. Corinne suddenly got up before Lilliana and Sherlyn came in. ¡°It¡¯s no secret I don¡¯t have a good rtionship with my stepmother, so I took the liberty to use Miss Anya¡¯s name to invite them here. We should all leave the room and leave her here alone. This way, we¡¯ll be able to find out whether my stepmother knows Miss Anya or not. What do you all think?¡± Lucas got up too and said to the servants standing by, ¡°Help Grandpa and Grandma back to their room.¡± Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces. They found it very odd that their usually cold and aloof grandson would so easily go along with everything Corinne said. It was out of his character! However, they both thought Corinne¡¯s request sounded reasonable. If doing so could rule out the suspicion Anya knew Lilliana, then it was not too much trouble for them to do what Corinne said. Thus, they both got up with the help of the servants and went back to their room, which was only just a little distance away from the living room. Corinne nced at the pale-faced Anya before saying to Phoebe, ¡°You should go too, Miss Phoebe. Both Grandpa Cedric and Grandma Beatrice had gone back to their room, so it¡¯d be rude of you to stay? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. here too.¡± Phoebe wanted to stay to help Anya, but she had no choice but to leave the living room after Corinne said that. Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Before Phoebe got up, she put her hand over Anya¡¯s to remind her to stay calm and improvise no matter what would happen. Anya looked up at her with panicked eyes; it seemed like she would not be calming down anytime soon. As much as Phoebe wanted to stay, she had to follow Cedric and Beatrice back to their room. Corinne was the next to follow. Lucas threw a doubtful nce at Anya before going into the room, too. After they all went into the room, Corinne kept the door slightly ajar so they could all hear what was going on outside. A few momentster, Lilliana and Sherlyn were led into the grand living room by a servant. The two women looked confused as they did not know why Anya had asked them toe. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Lilliana smiled charmingly at Anya, who sat alone on the sofa. ¡°How can I help you, Miss Anya? Do you have any other instructions other than the ones you gave us this morning?¡± Sherlyn smiled, too. ¡°Yes, Miss Anya. Just let us know if you want us to do anything else. Did you call us over because you think we need to make up more dirt about Corinne? Well, consider that done. My whole family including me hates her so much that we can¡¯t wait to see her life ruined.¡± Anya was as pale as a ghost. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you two? I¡¯ve never met you two in my life at all¡­¡± she said with a frown. Lilliana and Sherlyn were both shocked. They exchanged confused nces before turning back to look at Anya. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re Miss Anya, correct?¡± Lilliana asked after recovering from her shock. ¡°Miss Anya, have you forgotten we met this morning at the park? Not to mention, you were the one who chose the location,¡± said Sherlyn in disbelief. Anya blinked rapidly at Lilliana and Sherlyn, hoping they would get the hint. ¡°I don¡¯t know you two, and I¡¯ve never seen you two before. Stop pretending like you know me.¡± Lilliana and Sherlyn had no idea what was going on, so they failed to get Anya¡¯s hint. ¡°Mom, do you think Miss Anya has a twin? It¡¯s possible the one we met this morning was her twin sister,¡± whispered Sherlyn. Lilliana frowned in consternation. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never heard she has a twin sister.¡± At that moment, everyone in Cedric and Beatrice¡¯s room had their suspicions confirmed. The two elderly people, with the help of their servants, were the first to walk into the living room. The first thing they did was to look at Anya with eyes filled with disappointment. ¡°How could you do this, Anya? I can¡¯t believe you were the mastermind behind Corinne¡¯s online scandal!¡± growled Cedric furiously. Beatrice was livid as well. ¡°How can you lie to your grandparents? Who taught you to do that? What happened to the good girl we all know?!¡± Chapter 958 Chapter 958 Before Phoebe got up, she put her hand over Anya¡¯s to remind her to stay calm and improvise no matter what would happen. Anya looked up at her with panicked eyes; it seemed like she would not be calming down anytime soon. As much as Phoebe wanted to stay, she had to follow Cedric and Beatrice back to their room. Corinne was the next to follow. Lucas threw a doubtful nce at Anya before going into the room, too. After they all went into the room, Corinne kept the door slightly ajar so they could all hear what was going on outside. A few momentster, Lilliana and Sherlyn were led into the grand living room by a servant. The two women looked confused as they did not know why Anya had asked them toe. Lilliana smiled charmingly at Anya, who sat alone on the sofa. ¡°How can I help you, Miss Anya? Do you have any other instructions other than the ones you gave us this morning?¡± Sherlyn smiled, too. ¡°Yes, Miss Anya. Just let us know if you want us to do anything else. Did you call us over because you think we need to make up more dirt about Corinne? Well, consider that done. My whole family including me hates her so much that we can¡¯t wait to see her life ruined.¡± Anya was as pale as a ghost. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you two? I¡¯ve never met you two in my life at all¡­¡± she said with a frown. Lilliana and Sherlyn were both shocked. They exchanged confused nces before turning back to look at Anya. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re Miss Anya, correct?¡± Lilliana asked after recovering from her shock. ¡°Miss Anya, have you forgotten we met this morning at the park? Not to mention, you were the one who chose the location,¡± said Sherlyn in disbelief. Anya blinked rapidly at Lilliana and Sherlyn, hoping they would get the hint. ¡°I don¡¯t know you two, and I¡¯ve never seen you two before. Stop pretending like you know me.¡± Lilliana and Sherlyn had no idea what was going on, so they failed to get Anya¡¯s hint. ¡°Mom, do you think Miss Anya has a twin? It¡¯s possible the one we met this morning was her twin sister,¡± whispered Sherlyn. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Lilliana frowned in consternation. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never heard she has a twin sister.¡± At that moment, everyone in Cedric and Beatrice¡¯s room had their suspicions confirmed. The two elderly people, with the help of their servants, were the first to walk into the living room. The first thing they did was to look at Anya with eyes filled with disappointment. ¡°How could you do this, Anya? I can¡¯t believe you were the mastermind behind Corinne¡¯s online scandal!¡± growled Cedric furiously. Beatrice was livid as well. ¡°How can you lie to your grandparents? Who taught you to do that? What happened to the good girl we all know?!¡± Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Cedrice walked toward Corinne with a cane. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Corinne. I¡¯ll teach them a lesson for framing you.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Cedric. For believing me.¡± Lilliana and Sherlyn knew they could never escape this. They thought Cedric was referring to them instead of Anya and Phoebe when he said he would teach ¡®them¡¯ a lesson, causing them to want to run away in fright. Lilliana forcibly smiled. ¡°Umm¡­ Excuse me, but I need to go home to attend to some urgent matters. We¡¯re going to make a move now.¡± Sherlyn grasped Lilliana¡¯s elbow anxiously. ¡°G¡­ Goodbye, then.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. After that, they ran out of the living room as quickly as possible and since the servants did not receive any order to stop them, they just let them go. Cedric and Beatrice paid no mind to Lilliana and Sherlyn at all. What they were really concerned about was how to punish Phoebe and Anya¡ªthe two women who brought disgrace to their family name. The two elderly people sat down, scowling. Frowning, Cedric looked at Phoebe and Anya. ¡°What do you two have to say for yourself now?¡± he asked with a scoff. Anya was having an internal meltdown. She did not know what to say nor could she speak. Phoebe, however, was not going to surrender just yet. She gritted her teeth and thought, ¡®If I¡¯m going down today, I¡¯m bringing Corinne down with me!¡¯ ¡°Dad, even if Anya was the mastermind behind the online scandal about Corinne, who¡¯s to say there¡¯s no truth to the stories? Maybe Anya was just trying to show everyone Corinne¡¯s true colors so that fewer people would be taken in by her!¡± said Phoebe. Anya immediately calmed down when she heard what Phoebe said. A secondter, an idea popped into her head. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I admit I was the one who asked Corinne¡¯s stepmother to make public all the shameful things Corinne put Josephine and her mother through. ¡°I heard Josephine and her mother suffered a lot because of what Corinne did, so I couldn¡¯t stand by and just do nothing. I must help bring justice to them. I was scared you¡¯ll all tell me to mind my own business after finding out what I did. That was why I pretended I didn¡¯t know Corinne¡¯s stepmother just then¡­¡± Anya was the best at crying. She cried so hard that her shoulder started shaking. Phoebe grabbed her shoulder woefully before turning to scowl at Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, if you have nothing to hide, why didn¡¯t you address the allegations online?¡± The spotlight was on Corinne again. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Miss Phoebe, the whole thing had gotten out of hand already. Do you really think anyone would believe me now?¡± Phoebe rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°People will believe you if you can show them proof you didn¡¯t do it. In other words, you can¡¯t seriously ask people to believe you based on your words alone, right? Or could it be that you don¡¯t have any proof at all?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have any proof at all.¡± Phoebe smiled victoriously. She cornered Corinne where she wanted her! ¡°You can¡¯t me the social media users for taking Josephine and her mother¡¯s side then, can you?¡± Chapter 960 Chapter 960 ¡°The allegations must be true since you don¡¯t have any proof to say otherwise. Anya was just trying to do something kind for Josephine and her mother anonymously. That was why she asked your stepmother to be the middle person!¡± Corinne was so impressed by Phoebe¡¯s quick wit to turn the tables around that she nearly pped for her. ¡®Phoebe might be shameless, but she sure is quick-witted!¡¯ ¡°I might not have any proof, but I have this!¡± Corinne casually tapped on her temple. No one knew what she was talking about. Phoebe frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Is this another trick of yours? Well, you should give it up now!¡± Corinne crossed her arms nonchntly. ¡°Josephine and her mother kept saying I couldn¡¯t have gotten into University of New Capital City with my grade, given how I always skipped ss. Well, why don¡¯t Josephine and Ipete in a test where the whole thing will be broadcasted live?¡± Anya knew all the things Josephine and her mother said were fake and that it was Lilliana who taught them to say that. There was a very high chance their lies would be exposed if Corinne were topete in a test against Josephine. Thus, she squeezed her mother¡¯s hand, signaling to find a way to stop Corinne¡¯s idea from moving forward. Phoebe, of course, knew what Anya was worried about. Thus, she said, ¡°That girl had no choice but to earn a living by farming after you stole her university spot from her. She must¡¯ve forgotten all that she learned in high school already! You, on the other hand, received the best education in the country, yet you want topete in a test with her? Do you seriously think that¡¯s fair?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Phoebe. The test won¡¯t be that hard. It¡¯ll be on the most basic subject knowledge. I¡¯m sure a true straight-A student like Josephine won¡¯t forget something so simply just because she makes her living by farming. I mean, wouldn¡¯t it have been difficult for her to get into the University of New Capital City if she had such a bad memory?¡± Corinne knew Anya and Phoebe were trying to stop the test from happening, so she decided not to ask for their opinions on the idea anymore. Instead, she turned to the two elderly people and asked, ¡°Grandpa Cedric, Grandma Beatrice, do you think my idea is fair?¡± Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces with each other. They both agreed that it was fair for Corinne to do so. ¡®Corinne¡¯s right. A true straight A-student wouldn¡¯t have forgotten all that she learned so easily.¡¯ Cedric nodded. ¡°I think that¡¯s a perfect idea, Corinne.¡± Beatrice nodded too. ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± Phoebe could not do anything to stop Corinne as both Cedric and Beatrice had spoken. ¡°Then, might I trouble you to arrange for the test, Grandpa Cedric? I¡¯m worried that Miss Phoebe and Miss Anya will suspect me of cheating if Ie up with the test questions. This way, it¡¯ll save us all the time to say who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong again,¡± said Corinne. ¡°Of course, Corinne. Don¡¯t worry. You can leave that to me,¡± said Cedric authoritatively. ¡°Thank you, Grandpa Cedric,¡± said Corinne with a polite smile. Then, she looked at Phoebe and Anya. ¡°I¡¯ll give Josephine three days to study. Three dayster, I¡¯ll hold a press conference where the test will be broadcast live. I¡¯ll admit to all the allegations online if Josephine gets a higher score than me. If she doesn¡¯t, then that just proves all the allegations she and her mother are spreading online are untrue!¡± Both Phoebe and Anya red at Corinne and tried to suppress their objections. Just when Corinne was prepared to leave the ce, she suddenly remembered something. ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t have Josephine or her mother¡¯s contact, so please pass the message to them for me, Miss Anya.¡± She shrugged and said politely, ¡°Grandpa Cedric, Grandma Beatrice, Mister Lucas, I¡¯ll be off now. Please remember to watch the live broadcast of the test three dayster. Goodbye.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Corinne walked out of the entrance when both Cedric and Beatrice called out her name at the same time. ¡°Corinne!¡± She heard them, but she did not stop walking. Chapter 961 Chapter 961 Corinne guessed Cedric and Beatrice wanted her to stay for dinner to make up for all the trouble Phoebe and Anya caused her. However, she did not want to stay a minute longer than she had to. All she wanted to do was say her piece and peace out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa, Grandma. I¡¯ll give Corinne a ride,¡± said Lucas consolingly. Cedric nodded. ¡°Yes, you must do that. We¡¯ve caused nothing but trouble for her.¡± ¡°Lucas, tell Corinne how sorry we are,¡± added Beatrice. ¡°I know,¡± said Lucas. The three of them ignored Phoebe and Anya throughout the conversation. They must have thought they were nothing but a nuisance by then. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡­ When Corinne stepped out of the mansion, she bumped into Maxwell who seemed to havee from the garden, judging by his soil-caked hands. He might have dressed very well all the time, but his hands seemed to be forever dirty. Also, he did not seem to care about any of the happenings in the house. Well, not as much as he did with his nts. Maxwell was surprised to see Corinne there, but he then smiled warmly at her. ¡°Miss Corinne, how long have you been here?¡± Even though Corinne knew Maxwell was her birth father, she could not help but feel resentment toward him for abandoning her mother. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for quite a while already,¡± she answered coldly. Maxwell nodded. ¡°And you¡¯re leaving now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Corinne before walking past him. ¡°The flower you likedst time has bloomed even more now. Do you want to go take a look at them?¡± Maxwell asked kindly. Corinne stopped walking. ¡®ording to this dirtbag, those flowers used to be Mom¡¯s favorite flower¡­¡¯ She remembered how the rare gray-blue flowers reminded her of the bright moonlight. She must have inherited her mother¡¯s good taste as she thought those flowers were breathtakingly beautiful as well. However, she could not help but feel her love for the flower had been tainted because Maxwell was the one who grew those flowers. ¡®This dirtbag cheated on Mom with that evil Phoebe! Mom wouldn¡¯t haven¡¯t gone missing if he didn¡¯t abandon her. He¡¯s worse than trash! He doesn¡¯t even deserve a polite smile from me!¡¯ ¡°No,¡± she uttered coldly before walking off. Maxwell turned around to look at Corinne helplessly with gradually dimming eyes. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Maxwell sighed and turned around. He was walking back to the mansion when he bumped into another person. This time, it was his son, Lucas. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work today?¡± Maxwell asked with concern, though it seemed to have notnded well with Lucas. Lucas nced at his father coldly. ¡°I¡¯m going right now,¡± he said neutrally. Maxwell was used to being treated so coldly by Lucas, so he thought nothing of it and walked back to the mansion. The atmosphere inside the mansion was very gloomy. Phoebe and Anya were still hugging each other, crying. Maxwell simply nced at them and walked upstairs to wash his hand in his attached bathroom without asking anything. It was as if nothing happened at all. Cedric, who was in the living room, was beyond irked at their incessant crying. ¡°For god¡¯s sake, will you two just stop crying?! Especially you, Anya. You should be ashamed of what you did,¡± he said angrily. Anya¡¯s eyes were grossly swollen by then. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± she whimpered. Phoebe wiped away her tears. ¡°Dad, Anya was just trying¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, Phoebe!¡± boomed Cedric before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Is this how you raised your daughter? Anya must¡¯ve learned all those dirty tricks from you! After all, you¡¯re the type that¡¯s willing to do anything to get their hands on something that¡¯s not theirs!¡± Phoebe¡¯s expression hardened, but she broke out in sobs again. ¡°Dad, Mom, you¡¯d rather believe the words of an outsider instead of mine and Anya¡¯s?! Yes, it¡¯s true Anya was the mastermind behind the online scandal, but hasn¡¯t it ever crossed your mind that she¡¯s doing it to bring justice to all the people who Corinne had hurt?¡± Cedric frowned, but before he could say anything, Beatrice¡ªwho was massaging her temples¡ªbutted in impatiently, ¡°We¡¯ll find out in three days whether Corinne stole Josephine¡¯s university spot from her. Let¡¯s just drop this topic until then. Also, can you please stop crying? It¡¯s giving me a headache!¡± Cedric looked at Beatrice worriedly when she said she was getting a headache from all the crying. He then turned back to Phoebe and Anya. ¡°Stop crying now, and go do what you¡¯re supposed to do. I swear you two are going to be the death of us one day!¡± he reprimanded sternly. From N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe did not dare to say anything after that. She quickly pulled Anya up, and the two of them went back to their rooms resentfully. ¡°Are you alright, old dear?¡± asked Cedric worriedly. ¡°Shall I ask for the doctor toe?¡± Beatrice waved her hand. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯m fine. I just need a little quiet time.¡± Cedric visibly rxed after he heard that. ¡­ Phoebe led the still-crying Anya back to her room. After closing the door, she said, ¡°There, there. Stop crying. We need toe up with a n to make Corinne fail her test!¡± Anya was close to despair. ¡°It¡¯s impossible. The test will be broadcasted live, so we¡¯ll definitely be caught if we decide to tamper with the test. Plus, during my previous research, I learned Corinne was indeed a straight-A student ever since she was young. The test should be a piece of cake for her!¡± Phoebe scowled at her daughter. ¡°Are you really going to give up just like that? Anya, have you forgotten all the things I¡¯ve taught you? Nothing is set in stone. There¡¯s always a chance to turn things around!¡± It was, of course, Anya¡¯s biggest hope to turn things around. She looked at her mother despairingly. ¡°And how will we do that? I really can¡¯t think of anything we can do.¡± Chapter 963 Chapter 963 ¡°Find the best tutor you can in the country to get Josephine up to speed on every subject,¡± Phoebe answered after thinking it over. Anya frowned. ¡°Mom, we only have three days. Even if Josephine studies twenty-four hours every day, she¡¯ll still lose to the straight-A Corinne.¡± Phoebe narrowed her eyes slyly. ¡°Corinne asked your grandfather to arrange the test paper, right? Well, I¡¯ll figure out a way to get those test papers within these two days. That¡¯ll give Josephine an advantage over Corinne.¡± Anya¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard Phoebe¡¯s brilliant idea. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ll do just that. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get Corinne this time! Her life will definitely be ruined forever! Hahaha!¡± Phoebe nodded. ¡°Now go find that tutor for Josephine. It¡¯s best if she equips herself with some basic knowledge so that she¡¯d be less likely to get exposed as a fraud.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get on to it now!¡± ¡­ Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Phoebe went back to her room after that, only to see Maxwell¡ªwho had just finished showering¡ª walking out of the bathroom dressed only in his boxers. Though his face was lined with age, his physique maintained its youthful tautness. Phoebe¡¯s eyes burned with passion when she saw Maxwell¡¯s six-pack abs. She lusted for him, so much so that she started to drool a little. Seeing this, Maxwell quickly wrapped a towel around himself as though Phoebe was a pervert. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± he asked with an annoyed frown. Phoebe frowned. ¡°Maxwell, I¡¯m your wife. We even have two kids together! Why would I need to knock beforeing into our room?¡± That room might be theirs, but Maxwell never shared the same bed with her ever since she moved in. Instead, he slept in a separate cubicle inside the room. The cubicle was so small that there was only room for a foldable single bed. There was no ce for Maxwell to put his stuff, so his clothes remained in the main bedroom. He would usually change in the bathroom if Phoebe was in the room. Maxwell ignored Phoebe. He picked up his clothes to finish changing in his little cubicle. Phoebe could not stand it anymore. She ran up and hugged Maxwell from behind, making sure to rub herself against his body. ¡°Maxwell, when are you going to stop ignoring me? It¡¯s been so long since we¡¯ve done it, so I¡¯m sure you must be itching for it too. Or have you been getting some from outside? But god knows what diseases they have¡­ Maxwell, I¡¯m so lonely. Can you please stop punishing me like this?¡± Any guy would have surrendered to her seduction then and there. Any guy, except for Maxwell. Unmoved, he simply uttered coldly, ¡°Let me go.¡± Phoebe did not want to. Her hands started moving down his body. ¡°Maxwell¡­¡± Maxwell was finally at the end of his patience. He grabbed her hand and flung her away from him. ¡°You got the life you wanted! You¡¯re already a Missus Rivera! What more do you want from me?¡± Phoebe fell to the ground, but she had not given up just yet. She looked lustily and Maxwell as she quickly unbuttoned her clothes. ¡°What I wanted was your love! Not the status thates with being a Missus Rivera! Look at me, Maxwell! All these years, I¡¯ve kept my body beautiful for you!¡± Chapter 964 Chapter 964 Phoebe was hoping her alluring body would elicit Maxwell¡¯s desire for her. Maxwell merely stared at her face. ¡°Feel free to get another man to satisfy you if you¡¯re desperate for some action. I promise I won¡¯t get jealous or anything.¡± He walked past her to get into his cubicle. Phoebe was humiliated! She used to be the belle of the school, with men lining up to ask her to be their girlfriend. In all her life so far, Maxwell was the only one who treated her as if she was invisible! God must be ying a joke on her because not only was Maxwell her best friend¡¯s husband, but also because she fell hopelessly in love with him at first sight. She must have him no matter what! ¡°Tell me, Maxwell. Just what makes Emily better than me? Why won¡¯t you even touch me? I¡¯m much hotter than that skinny-ass Emily!¡± Maxwell paused in his tracks when he heard Emily¡¯s name. ¡°Stop bringing her up,¡± he ordered gruffly. From N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe did not listen to him. ¡°You know she¡¯s a sl*t, right? She cheated on you with another man and even had a daughter with him! So tell me, Maxwell. How can that sl*t be better than me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kick you out of the house if you don¡¯t shut up this instant!¡± roared Maxwell angrily. Phoebe jumped up in fright. Maxwell might be cold toward her, but he rarely ever blew up like this. ¡®Why is he reacting like this? Don¡¯t tell me he still hasn¡¯t forgotten that sl*t after so many years!¡¯ grunted Phoebe. Maxwell was unwilling to waste his breath on Phoebe anymore nor was he willing to listen to her talking nonsense. Thus, he went into his cubicle and locked the door. Embarrassed, Phoebe put her clothes back on. After collecting her thoughts, she decided to put her rtionship on the back burner since it was more important to find a way to steal the test paper for Anya. ¡­ Meanwhile, Corinne decided to take the subway since it was difficult to get a taxi in the high-end residential area, and there was no bus stop either. While walking to the nearest subway station, a ck sedan suddenly appeared beside her. After rolling down the window, Lucas poked his head from the back passenger seat. ¡°Corinne, where are you heading?¡± he asked gently. ¡°Let me give you a ride.¡± Corinne nced at him and kept walking. ¡°No thanks. We¡¯re not that close.¡± Lucas looked hurt. He sighed helplessly. ¡°If you¡¯re not willing to ept me as your brother, can you at least ept me as your friend?¡± Corinne never broke her stride. She would not even spare him a nce. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± Lucas was speechless. Then again, he found it understandable why Corinne would hate him so much. After all, he had said and done a lot of mean things to her to protect Anya. He felt himself undeserving of Corinne¡¯s forgiveness. Thus, after thinking it over, he asked the driver to stop the car. He then got out of the car and walked with Corinne, who frowned when she realized what was happening. ¡°Mister Lucas, can you please walk somewhere else? You¡¯re blocking my sunlight.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± said Lucas sheepishly. He slowed down and walked around to the other side of Corinne. Corinne looked at him from the corner of her eyes and said nothing. As annoying as it was, there was nothing she could do since it was a public area. She had no right to stop him from walking there, too. The two of them were silent all the way. After 10 minutes, they came upon a crosswalk, and after that was the subway station. Chapter 965 Chapter 965 Corinne was ted. ¡®I can shake Lucas off once I get to the subway station!¡¯ she thought. After looking left and right for any iing cars, Corinne stepped onto the crosswalk and sped up so she could get away from Lucas. Just as she was about to reach the other side, a car heading straight for her suddenly appeared out of nowhere! She had no time to react! Before it was toote, Lucas threw himself onto her. Wanting to make sure Corinne¡¯s baby would not get crushed, Lucas turned Corinne around when they fell so she would fall on top of him. At that moment, only the sound of the car tires screeching and the muffled thud of Lucas hitting the ground could be heard. It was a dangerously close call! The first thing Corinne did after she recovered from her shock was to mentally note down the details of the car that nearly hit them. It was a gray van with the car te number XXXXX. After that, she looked down at Lucas. ¡°Mister Lucas, are you okay?¡± she asked as she got up. Lucas sat up, too. The first thing he did was not to check whether he was hurt but to lightly pat Corinne¡¯s head. ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s okay now. Just remember to be more careful next time.¡± Corinne was a little moved by his gesture. He seemed to be more worried about her than himself. She bent down to help him up. Lucas was pleasantly surprised by her gesture. With her help, he slowly stood up while making sure his right foot stayed off the ground. Ever the observant one, Corinne quickly noticed that little detail. ¡°Did the car hit your leg?¡± she asked with a frown.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucas shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay.¡± Corinne felt a little disconcerted. She did not know what to say. Lucas seemed not to be taking his injured foot seriously. He limped forward and gged down a taxi. He then turned around and said, ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll drop you off at the Holdens¡¯ first.¡± Corinne gazed at him for a few seconds. She then gave him a curt nod and got into the car. After they both got in, Lucas gave the taxi driver the Holdens¡¯ address, but Corinne immediately changed the destination. ¡°Mister, please drive us to the nearest hospital.¡± Lucas was stunned. He turned to face her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to go to the hospital.¡± Corinne frowned and kept her eyes fixed ahead. ¡°It¡¯s best to have your foot checked. I really don¡¯t want to owe you anything.¡± ¡°Silly girl. You¡¯ll never owe me anything. In fact, I¡¯m the one who owes you. I shouldn¡¯t have treated you so harshly before. I¡¯m the one who should be sorry to you.¡± Corinne turned to the side to look at him. Her heart suddenly tightened when she saw his bloodshot eyes. She quickly turned to look out of the window at the passing street scenery. ¡°I don¡¯t me you for treating me so harshly before since you didn¡¯t know who I was then,¡± she said coldly. Lucas¡¯ expression warmed up a little. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ve forgiven me?¡± he asked cautiously. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first to check for any broken bones,¡± said Corinne, avoiding his question. Lucas smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t mind losing a limb if that means you¡¯ll talk to me.¡± Corinne frowned and gave him a side-eye. ¡°I sincerely hope it neveres to that since I don¡¯t want to forever have to bear the burden of taking care of you.¡± Lucas ruffled her hair lovingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m okay. I won¡¯t ever let you take any responsibility for me nor do you have to take care of me. I¡¯ll be happy as long as you visit me once in a while.¡± Corinne fell silent. Chapter 966 Chapter 966 Corinne helped Lucas, who was hopping on one foot, out of the orthopedic department to a chair so he could rest for a bit. The doctor had ordered an X-ray of Lucas¡¯ foot. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Lucas was not keen on sitting; he wanted to go straight to the X-ray room. Corinne immediately stopped him when she saw he was about to put his injured foot down. ¡°Don¡¯t move. The doctor said you shouldn¡¯t put pressure on that foot until we have the X-ray result.¡± Lucas believed the doctor was overreacting. ¡°A few steps won¡¯t hurt,¡± he insisted. ¡°No. Stop! Don¡¯t move!¡± Corinne cried out in a panic. Lucas did not dare to disobey Corinne¡¯s order, so he sat back down. ¡°Stay here, and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go get you a wheelchair,¡± said Corinne gruffly. Lucas smiled and nodded. ¡®I would¡¯ve gotten hurt earlier if I knew I¡¯d receive this kind of treatment from her.¡¯ Corinne got a wheelchair for the nurse. She then helped Lucas onto it and wheeled him to the X-ray room. She made sure to carefully support him throughout the whole process. Lucas did not feel like his level of injury warranted Corinne to treat him like that, but there was no denying that he enjoyed her caring for him. This was something he never thought he would get to experience in this life. After the X-ray session was done, Corinne wheeled Lucas back to the orthopedic department to show the doctor the X-ray result. Even without the doctor¡¯s expert eye, she could tell Lucas had injured his foot based on the result. The doctor diagnosed Lucas with a minor bone fracture. He ordered the nurse to put his foot in a cast and prescribed some pain medicine and anti-inmmatory medicine for him. The only precaution Lucas would need to take was to avoid putting pressure on his foot for a month, which meant he would not be able to walk properly until he recovered. Corinne wheeled Lucas out of the orthopedic department worriedly. She was definitely not in a good mood. She never had any intention to ept Lucas as her brother, nor did she want to have anything to do with him. However, she still felt bad for being the reason Lucas had to be wheelchair-bound for a month. The wheelchair belonged to the hospital, and they were only allowed to use it up to the hospital entrance. Thus, Corinne suggested, ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯m sorry you got hurt because of me. Rest assured that I¡¯ll compensate you for the medical fees, lost wages, emotional damage, and any additional fees you might have incurred. Though, it¡¯s best to call your family toe pick you up since it¡¯ll be hard for me to send you back alone.¡± Lucas could not help but feel disappointed to hear Corinne say that since it meant she still saw him as an outsider. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m okay. You don¡¯t have to feel bad about what happened.¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°In any case, why don¡¯t you call your family toe pick you up first?¡± Lucas reached for his pocket and realized in shock that his phone was missing. ¡°My phone must¡¯ve flew off when I was hit by the car.¡± Corinne frowned deeply. ¡®What should I do now? I don¡¯t have his family¡¯s contact number. But then again, I wouldn¡¯t want to call them even if I have. They¡¯ll just me me for getting Mister Lucas injured¡­ Gah! This is so annoying!¡¯ However, it was not like she had the strength to carry a six-feet-tall grown man by herself, nor could she just leave him there. After thinking through all of her options, she decided to call Jeremy. The call quickly went through. ¡°Yes?¡± drawled Jeremyzily. ¡°Mister, are you free now?¡± Jeremy could tell something was wrong based on Corinne¡¯s tone alone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Where are you now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital,¡± replied Corinne honestly. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Jeremy, who was sitting at the head of the table of the meeting room in hispany, immediately stood up. His usually aloof face was riddled with rarely-seen anxiety. ¡°What happened? Why are you in the hospital? Are you sick?¡± ¡®I should¡¯ve gone with her to the Riveras!¡¯ he thought. ¡®Did they hurt her again?¡¯ All kinds of possible scenarios shed through his mind, making it difficult for him to breathe. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m okay.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Why did you go to the hospital if you¡¯re okay? By the way, which hospital are you at right now?¡± Corinne was starting to get a headache. ¡°Lucas broke his foot when he tried to save me from getting hit by a car. He can¡¯t walk at the moment and he lost his phone, so we have no way of contacting his family. I can¡¯t carry him either, so¡­¡± Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to carry him even if you have the strength to do so. Wait right there. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Corinne replied with a nod before hanging up the phone. Jeremy put away his phone and looked at his subordinates, who were looking back at him with mouths agape. ¡°Meeting¡¯s over,¡± he announced coldly. He then quickly walked out of the meeting room. His subordinates immediately broke out in a spirited discussion after he left the room. ¡°Who do you think it was that called Mister Jeremy just now? It was the first time I ever saw him panicking like that.¡± ¡°It must be a woman!¡± ¡°I never heard that Mister Jeremy is in a rtionship with anyone. He even ignored all the women who tried to get close to him! There are even some rumors going around that Mister Jeremy doesn¡¯t like women¡­¡± ¡°But I heard he got married recently!¡± ¡°What? He got married? That¡¯s impossible. Given his status, he must¡¯ve married some heiress, which means their marriage will be sshed all over the news. And yet there¡¯s not even a peep.¡± ¡°Maybe he wanted to keep everything low profile ¡¯cause I heard his wife is so much younger than him. I also heard she¡¯s not an heiress but just an ordinary girl from an ordinary background¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Absolutely impossible! No way would a prominent family like his allow him to marry some ordinary girl. They¡¯re all about marrying off their children to strengthen their business alliance.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so, too! What I heard was that Mister Jeremy seems to be very close with Miss Anya, and there were talks of marriage between them¡­¡± ¡°Miss Anya from the Rivera family? That¡¯s even more impossible.¡± ¡°What? Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Anyaes from a family just as prominent as Jeremy¡¯s, but everyone knows there¡¯s bad blood between the two families. Their family would never allow them to get married to each other.¡± ¡°Oh. What a pity. I think they¡¯re perfect for each other.¡± ¡°What are you all talking about? Haven¡¯t you seen the scandal that¡¯s been making rounds on the inte? It says the young Missus Holden stole a university spot from a poor girl from the countryside. Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife has been the trending topic for a couple of days, and you all here are discussing whether he¡¯s married? Don¡¯t you know his wife is the reason ourpany share price has been falling like crazy?¡± ¡°Wait, what? I didn¡¯t read that news. An old-timer like me doesn¡¯t spend his free time following trending topics.¡± ¡°But are the allegations true? Did Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife really steal the university spot from that girl?¡± ¡°Beats me. But it might be true since the Holdens do have the capability to pull strings like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crossing the line! It¡¯s already hard for regr folks like that girl to have a chance at a brighter future, so how could Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife do something like that?¡± Jeremy, who was sitting at the head of the table of the meeting room in hispany, immediately stood up. His usually aloof face was riddled with rarely-seen anxiety. ¡°What happened? Why are you in the hospital? Are you sick?¡± ¡®I should¡¯ve gone with her to the Riveras!¡¯ he thought. ¡®Did they hurt her again?¡¯ All kinds of possible scenarios shed through his mind, making it difficult for him to breathe. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Mister, I¡¯m okay.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Why did you go to the hospital if you¡¯re okay? By the way, which hospital are you at right now?¡± Corinne was starting to get a headache. ¡°Lucas broke his foot when he tried to save me from getting hit by a car. He can¡¯t walk at the moment and he lost his phone, so we have no way of contacting hisFrom N?velDrama.Org. family. I can¡¯t carry him either, so¡­¡± Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to carry him even if you have the strength to do so. Wait right there. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Corinne replied with a nod before hanging up the phone. Jeremy put away his phone and looked at his subordinates, who were looking back at him with mouths agape. ¡°Meeting¡¯s over,¡± he announced coldly. He then quickly walked out of the meeting room. His subordinates immediately broke out in a spirited discussion after he left the room. ¡°Who do you think it was that called Mister Jeremy just now? It was the first time I ever saw him panicking like that.¡± ¡°It must be a woman!¡± ¡°I never heard that Mister Jeremy is in a rtionship with anyone. He even ignored all the women who tried to get close to him! There are even some rumors going around that Mister Jeremy doesn¡¯t like women¡­¡± ¡°But I heard he got married recently!¡± ¡°What? He got married? That¡¯s impossible. Given his status, he must¡¯ve married some heiress, which means their marriage will be sshed all over the news. And yet there¡¯s not even a peep.¡± ¡°Maybe he wanted to keep everything low profile ¡¯cause I heard his wife is so much younger than him. I also heard she¡¯s not an heiress but just an ordinary girl from an ordinary background¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Absolutely impossible! No way would a prominent family like his allow him to marry some ordinary girl. They¡¯re all about marrying off their children to strengthen their business alliance.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so, too! What I heard was that Mister Jeremy seems to be very close with Miss Anya, and there were talks of marriage between them¡­¡± ¡°Miss Anya from the Rivera family? That¡¯s even more impossible.¡± ¡°What? Why would you say that?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Anyaes from a family just as prominent as Jeremy¡¯s, but everyone knows there¡¯s bad blood between the two families. Their family would never allow them to get married to each other.¡± ¡°Oh. What a pity. I think they¡¯re perfect for each other.¡± ¡°What are you all talking about? Haven¡¯t you seen the scandal that¡¯s been making rounds on the inte? It says the young Missus Holden stole a university spot from a poor girl from the countryside. Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife has been the trending topic for a couple of days, and you all here are discussing whether he¡¯s married? Don¡¯t you know his wife is the reason ourpany share price has been falling like crazy?¡± ¡°Wait, what? I didn¡¯t read that news. An old-timer like me doesn¡¯t spend his free time following trending topics.¡± ¡°But are the allegations true? Did Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife really steal the university spot from that girl?¡± ¡°Beats me. But it might be true since the Holdens do have the capability to pull strings like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s crossing the line! It¡¯s already hard for regr folks like that girl to have a chance at a brighter future, so how could Mister Jeremy¡¯s wife do something like that?¡± Chapter 968 Chapter 968 At that moment, Tommy walked in and knocked on the door twice to break the discussion. ¡°Ahem! Why are you still all here when the meeting¡¯s over? How about I pass on all the questions you¡¯ve raised to Mister Jeremyter?¡± Everything stopped talking when they saw Tommy walk in. They exchanged nces before collecting their things and walking out of the meeting room. ¡­ Corinne was helping Lucas to drink water from a bottle when Jeremy reached the hospital. He frowned when he saw what they were doing from a distance. ¡®That little rascal has never fed me water before!¡¯ He walked up to Corinne from behind and red at Lucas. ¡°I heard it¡¯s your foot that got broken, so why can¡¯t you use your own hand to drink water?¡± Corinne stood up and turned when she heard his voice. ¡°Mister, you¡¯re here!¡± Jeremy nced at her and took the bottle of mineral water from her hand. He then walked forward and looked down condescendingly at Lucas. ¡°Can you drink the water yourself? Or do you need me to feed you?¡± he asked unkindly. There was no warmth in Lucas¡¯ eyes either when he looked at Jeremy. In fact, he was frowning. He snatched the bottle from Jeremy and said, ¡°No, thanks. I can do it just fine.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister, the pain from his foot is causing him to feel weak in the hands too. That¡¯s why I helped him with the water just now.¡± Jeremy scoffed and gave her a stern side nce. ¡°How thoughtful of you,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°If only you¡¯re as thoughtful to me as you¡¯re to him.¡± Corinne was speechless. Lucas did not like how Jeremy was talking to Corinne. He frowned unhappily and said, ¡°Can you speak a little more kindly to her?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy turned back to him. ¡°This is between me and my wife. An outsider like you has no right to meddle in our business.¡± Lucas was speechless. ¡®Did he just call me an outsider?¡¯ Corinne was not angry at Jeremy at all. She was used to him getting jealous over the smallest thing. She fluttered her eyshes. ¡°Mister, you came so fast. Were you not busy at work?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll always be my priority no matter how busy work gets. Let¡¯s go!¡± Jeremy grabbed her hand and dragged her off in the other direction. Corinne stumbled in a bid to keep up with his pace. Frowning, she turned around to look at Lucas. ¡°Mister¡­ What about Mister Lucas?¡± ¡°He has hands, doesn¡¯t he? He can push himself around!¡± replied Jeremy coldly. Corinne was speechless. Lucas red at Jeremy. ¡®How dare he steal my sister from me?¡¯ His face darkened as he pushed himself forward to keep up with them. ¡®Why did he have toe and ruin my time with Corinne? We were just making good progress together,¡¯ he grunted. Once they reached the hospital entrance, Lucas got down from the wheelchair and gave it back to the nurse manning the reception counter. Corinne tugged at Jeremy¡¯s finger. ¡°Mister, the doctor said Lucas shouldn¡¯t put pressure on his foot. Why don¡¯t you piggyback him to your car?¡± Jeremy nced at Lucas with disgust. ¡°Piggyback him?¡± It was obvious he did not want to do it. Corinne frowned. ¡°Yeah. I mean, why else would I ask you toe here?¡± Chapter 969 Chapter 969 Lucas did not like Jeremy either, but he wanted to get back at him for ruining his time with Corinne. He thus spread his arm widely and said, ¡°Thanks for the piggyback, brother-inw!¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. The title ¡®brother-inw¡¯ unsettled Jeremy. He felt happy, but he was annoyed as well. In the end, he did not give Lucas a piggyback because he could not ept having another man lying on his back, but he had to find a way to make Corinne happy at the same time. Thus, he walked up to Lucas and scooped him up into his strong arms. He then carried him into the car as passersby watched on. A handsome man carrying another equally handsome man in his arms was really a sight to behold! All the eyes of the nurses manning the reception counter lit up, and they quickly covered their mouths to stop themselves from screaming like fangirls. All the other hospital-goers snuck nces at Jeremy and Lucas, wondering what their rtionship was. Only Lucas was unhappy about the situation; he had never been carried by a man like this before. He felt humiliated and worried someone would recognize him. However, he could not jump down, so he red at Jeremy before burying his face into his chest to avoid being identified. However, this act only made passersby think he was being shy, which made the others more sure he and Jeremy were a couple. Seeing this, Corinne was nonplussed. She did not know whether she should follow closely behind them. Finally, the three of them came to the parking lot where there were fewer people. Jeremy put Lucas in the back seat and closed the door roughly. He then smoothed out the creases on his clothes with annoyance before walking over to the passenger seat side. After opening the door, he turned around to look at Corinne. ¡°Get in, little rascal.¡± Corinne quickly got in the car and let Jeremy put on the seatbelt for her as usual. He then got into the driver¡¯s seat, put on his seat belt, started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot. Not long after they left the hospital, Lucas took note of the direction they were going in. ¡°Don¡¯t send me home.¡± Jeremy was so focused on driving that he did not hear what Lucas said. Corinne, however, turned to ask Lucas, ¡°Where do you want to go, then? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going back to work in that condition.¡± Lucas shook his head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going back to work. I have a ce at West Beach. It¡¯s closer to here, so you can drop me off there.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister Lucas, we don¡¯t mind driving you back to your family¡¯s ce. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t afford to pay for the petrol. Right, Mister?¡± Jeremy smiled and stroked her cheek gently. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± he said adoringly. ¡°No. I can¡¯t go back looking like this. I¡¯m worried my grandparents will get a shock, and I¡¯d like to avoid that if I could. Just drop me off at my ce in West Beach. I¡¯d like to have some alone time as well,¡± said Lucas. Corinne understood his concern, but¡­ ¡°How are you going to take care of yourself with a broken foot?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Edmund to hire a private nurse for meter. Corinne, there¡¯s really no need to worry about me,¡± Lucas said with a smile. Corinne shrugged and turned back to look at Jeremy. ¡°You heard what he said, Mister. Just drop him off at West Beach.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Jeremy replied. After that, he drove toward Lucas¡¯ intended location. After a while, they came to a high-end residential area in West Beach. Jeremy parked the car and carried Lucas out of the car. Chapter 970 Chapter 970 No matter how resistant Lucas was to the idea of Jeremy carrying him again, he did not dare to disobey Corinne¡¯s order. Thus, he resigned to his fate and let Jeremy carry him out of the car. Once they reached the floor where Lucas¡¯ apartment was, Jeremy put him down so he could open the door. After keying in the passcode, Jeremy stepped forward to support him, but Lucas quickly waved him away, hopped into the apartment, and sat on the sofa. Jeremy and Corinne stayed outside the door, and they decided to leave once they saw Lucas made it safely inside. ¡°Since you two are here, why not stay for some drinks before leaving?¡± Lucas asked. Corinne was not interested in doing that. Though, she was worried about leaving Lucas alone as she was sure Lucas would try to walk the moment she would leave. Thus, she thought she might as well stay until Edmund came with the private nurse. She turned to Jeremy. ¡°Mister, are you thirsty?¡± Jeremy knew what she was hinting at. He nodded, replying, ¡°Yeah. A little.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s take Mister Lucas up on his offer, then,¡± said Corinne. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Thus, the two of them went into the apartment. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient for me to move around at the moment, so you can go into the kitchen to make whatever you like to drink,¡± said Lucas. Corinne did just as she was told. After making sure Corinne had gone into the kitchen, Lucas nced at Jeremy. ¡°Have a seat.¡± Jeremy sat on the armchair and crossed his legs casually. ¡°So are you going to tell me what happened? How did you get hit by the car?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes alertly when he recalled the car ident. ¡°Corinne was halfway through the crosswalk while I was checking to make sure no car wasing from both sides of the road. All of a sudden, a car came out of nowhere, going straight for Corinne. It certainly didn¡¯t look like the driver had any intention of braking¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils shrank a little while thoughts filled his mind. Lucas fixed his stern gaze on him. ¡°Jeremy, I don¡¯t need to remind you just how many enemies your family had made over the years, right? Normally, I¡¯d have no interest in meddling in your family affairs, but since Corinne has married you now¡­ You have to take full responsibility for her safety. You mustn¡¯t let her fall into any danger because of you!¡± After a long while of silence, Jeremy asked, ¡°Do you remember what car it was?¡± ¡°It was a gray van with the car te number XXXXX.¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll look into who the owner is. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t ever let this happen again.¡± Suddenly, they both heard Corinne screaming in the kitchen, causing them to jump up in shock and look toward the kitchen. Corinne shot out of the kitchen with two bottles of soda as if she had seen a ghost while a white Samoyed excitedly chased her from behind. Jeremy immediately got up and strode to where Corinne was. He then pulled her behind him and shouted at the dog to stay away from them. ¡°Come here, Ralphy,¡± ordered Lucas. The white Samoyed quickly trotted up to him and rubbed its head on Lucas¡¯ leg. Lucas stroked his head and apologized to Corinne. ¡°Sorry, Corinne. Ralphy must¡¯ve frightened you. He¡¯s just a little clingy, that¡¯s all.¡± Corinne was not afraid of dogs at all. She was just shocked when Ralphy suddenly appeared behind her. Chapter 971 Chapter 971 After she calmed down, Corinne walked back and sat on the sofa hand-in-hand with Jeremy. ¡°Mister Lucas, you don¡¯t even live here. Why would you keep a dog here?¡± she asked curiously. Lucas stroked Ralphy¡¯s head. ¡°He¡¯s not mine.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°But he lives here.¡± ¡°A friend of mine went on an overseas trip and asked if Ralphy could stay in this apartment for the time being,¡± exined Lucas patiently. ¡°Someone wille every day to feed and walk him, while I¡¯ll drop by from time to time to make sure he¡¯s okay.¡± To Corinne, Lucas was a person who had a very strong ss consciousness. He would never do something that did not benefit him, so why would he agree to take care of his friend¡¯s dog? ¡°Which friend is this? Is it a man or a woman?¡± asked Corinne curiously. Lucas was a little surprised Corinne would ask him those questions, but he smiled nheless. ¡°So you¡¯re finally interested in my personal life?¡± Corinne frowned and twisted off the cap of her soda bottle. ¡°I was only asking for the fun of it. You can choose not to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Lucas would not dare to not answer Corinne¡¯s question, of course. ¡°It¡¯s a woman.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°And are you two dating?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯re just friends.¡± Corinne pursed her lips, tasting the sweetness of the soda. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± After all, why would someone like Lucas be willing to take care of Ralphy if his owner was just a ¡®friend¡¯? This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®There must be more to their rtionship than just a friend,¡¯ she thought. Lucas smiled. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. Plus, she¡¯s already married.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t say I condone this behavior of being a homewrecker.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Trust me, nothing is going on between us. Plus, you¡¯ll be the first to know if I¡¯m dating anyone.¡± Corinne pouted. She suddenly lost all interest in the topic. After giving her awful soda to Jeremy, she got up from the sofa and called Ralphy over to the balcony to y with her. At that moment, only Jeremy and Lucas were left in the living room. Lucas leaned back on the sofa tiredly. ¡°How¡¯s Holden Group¡¯s share price now? Did you manage to get everything under control?¡± Jeremy took a sip of Corinne¡¯s soda before answering, ¡°Yes. It was difficult, but not something unmanageable.¡± It was rare for Lucas to show kindness to Jeremy. ¡°Let me know if you need any help. I¡¯ll get Edmund to do anything that needs doing.¡± Jeremy was surprised. He then looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a new perspective. ¡°Mister Lucas, in what capacity are you talking to me now? As Corinne¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°My family must bear the responsibility for yourpany¡¯s falling share price since Anya was behind the online scandal. And you know, one thing led to another¡­¡± Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have wanted you to be my brother-inw, but since Corinne chose you, I have no choice but to respect her choice.¡± Jeremy chuckled softly. ¡°Mister Lucas, where are your principles? Remember how you kept pressuring me to take responsibility for Anya, the apple of your eye? How can you change your stance just because you found out Corinne was your long-lost sister? Do you really think Corinne would be grateful to you just because of this?¡± Lucas did not know what to say. He knew he was being contradictory, and this caused him endless regret. ¡°Sorry. I admit that I was wrong back then.¡± Chapter 972 Chapter 972 Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Corinne doesn¡¯t want to ept you as her brother. Even if she does, I¡¯ll never allow her to do that!¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Why? Is it because you¡¯re afraid the bad blood between our families will affect your rtionship with Corinne?¡± ¡°Nothing can ever affect my rtionship with Corinne. But, if she epts your family as hers, it¡¯ll make her position awkward in my family. I can protect her when I¡¯m with her, but it¡¯s not like I can bring her along wherever I go. ¡°Plus, I know her; she won¡¯t like for me to do that too. Given how hard her life was when she was young, I think it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t add any more trouble for her. It¡¯s not wrong to keep the status quo too, you know.¡± After mulling over it, Lucas concluded that what Jeremy said was reasonable. ¡°I¡¯m all for keeping the status quo for now, but I won¡¯t stand by and do nothing if you hurt you.¡± Jeremy drank a mouthful of the soda before saying confidently, ¡°That¡¯ll never happen.¡± After a while, Edmund arrived at the apartment with the private nurse. Corinne ryed the doctor¡¯s orders to Edmund before leaving with Jeremy. At first, Edmund was a little surprised to find Jeremy in Lucas¡¯ apartment but less so after discovering Corinne was there too. ¡®This apartment holds a special meaning to Mister Lucas,¡¯ he thought. ¡®He rarely allows anyone to come here. Even Miss Anya hasn¡¯t been here before. Miss Corinne, however, is his long-lost sister and the person he cares about the most. It¡¯s not surprising he¡¯d allow her toe here.¡¯ ¡°Mister Lucas, how did you hurt your foot? Has the driver been caught yet? Should I ask someone to look into it,¡± Edmund asked. ¡°Jeremy will take care of that. Edmund, did you or the rest of the patrol teame across anyone suspicious when patrolling around the Holdens¡¯ mansion in thest few days?¡± replied Lucas. Edmund shook his head. ¡°None so far.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Continue with the patrol, and remind them to be vignt.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ Three dayster, Corinne held a press conference at Central Park. Before that, Aaron was tasked with inviting all the major media yers at home and abroad as exam invigtors. The press conference was scheduled for eight o¡¯clock in the morning, but the park was already jam-packed with reporters and camera persons a little past seven o¡¯clock. Corinne was just a nobody to them. Before the scandal broke out, there was no information about her at all. The only people who knew her were limited to her lecturers and ex-ssmates at University of New Capital City. Thus, the only reason why the major media yers would be interested in her was because there was a rumor going around online that she was Jeremy Holden¡¯s wife. The Holden Group was the richest and more powerfulpany in the country, so any news about it would definitely attract attention. This morning, Jeremy drove to hispany after dropping Corinne off at Central Park. Aaron and Xante¡¯s car was parked nearby, and Corinne went to look for them before the reporters found out she was there already. It was not even half past seven when she got into their car, and she had no ns of getting out of the car until the press conference began. She knew she would be hounded by the reporters to get an exclusive interview should she get out before then. Chapter 973 Aaron and Xante both turned to look at the yawning Corinne after she got into the car. "Boss, you''re here alone? Why didn''t the Holdens arrange an entourage to support you? Where''s Mister Jeremy?" asked Aaron unhappily. Xante was simrly displeased, too. "Yeah. Why didn''t the Holdense, too? Are they worried you''ll lose thepetition, that this is their way of leaving themselves a way out?" Corinne shook her head tiredly. "You guys are overthinking things. It was Jeremy who dropped me off. I don''t think thispetition is a big deal, so I asked him to go to work." Aaron frowned. "So he went to work just like you asked him to? Does he even love you? How can he abandon you to the reporters? Isn''t he worried that they''ll eat you up?" Corinne raised her eyebrow nonchntly. "As if I''ll let them eat me up." Aaron shrugged. "I know you won''t ''cause you''re a true straight-A student, but it''s not like Jeremy knows you as I do!" "It''s not like he can do much if he stays for thepetition. His presence will only fuel the mes. The main thing is I don''t want the media to tie me too closely with the Holdens. This way, there''ll be a less likely chance of Holden Group''s share price dropping again should I get involved in another scandal. It''s best to keep them guessing whether I''m really married to Jeremy." After thinking it over, Aaron thought what Corinne said made sense. "Fine. But my heart really goes out to you, Boss. I mean, what''s the point of having a husband if you can''t lean on him in times like this?" Corinne side-eyed him. "Just mind your own business. What''s the status of the thing I asked you to dost time?" ? Aaron smiled. "Which one, Boss? You asked me to do so many that I don''t know which one you''re talking about." Of course, he knew exactly which ''thing'' Corinne was talking about. Corinne''s eyes darkened. "Stop ying dumb! Is Annie still working at thepany?" Aaron shrugged. "Yeah." Corinne narrowed her eyes. "What''s her position?" Aaron smiled. "Um... My... My secretary." Corinne frowned. "Do my words mean nothing to you? Why do you insist on ying with her feelings?" Aaron waved both of his hands. "No! That''s not it. I won''t ever dare to y with your niece''s feelings. There''s a good reason I asked her to be my secretary." Corinne red at him threateningly. "A good reason?" Aaron sighed. "Yeah. You told me to make her hate me in a way that wouldn''t hurt her pride, right? So I asked her to be my secretary. That way, she can get to know my true colors little by little. Eventually, she''lle to hate me so much that she''ll resign on her own ord. But if I fire her, it''ll only make her want me even more. I mean, no woman would be willing to give up on such a charming guy as myself after all." Both Corinne and Xante looked suspiciously at him. "And how are you going to show her your true colors?" Aaron smirked lewdly. "Well... I n to..." He then covered up his face shyly. "Gah, I''m too embarrassed to say..." Corinne was speechless. Xante rolled her eyes at him. "Boss, he ns to bring a different woman back to his office every day and do unspeakable things to them. It''s all very cheap, if you ask me."From N?velDrama.Org. "That''s not true, Xante, and you know it! Do you really think I''ll do something like that in the office? Yes, I''m going to bring a different woman back every day, but I''m not actually going to do anything to them! It''s all just an act to make Annie hate me, remember?" Xante frowned in disgust. "That still doesn''t make you innocent, you know." Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Aaron put his hands under his cheeks. "But I''ve always been very innocent." Xante pretended to puke. Suddenly, she saw what was happening outside the car from the corner of her eyes. "Boss, Josephine and her mother are here," she said solemnly. Corinne looked out the window and saw Josephine and her mother surrounded by the reporters. Josephine and her mother kept to their version of the story whenever the reporters asked them any questions regarding the scandal. Also, they announced confidently that Josephine woulde out as the winner today. In fact, Josephine had changed. She was no longer the timid girl who only knew how to cry at the smallest provocation. She was fielding the questions confidently as though she had already won the competition. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. "She looks confident. ording to our research, she was an average student at school. There''s a chance she might cheat on the test." Corinne nodded. "Well, let''s just see how she ns to pull that off when the test is being broadcasted live." After that, she got out of the car. Seeing this, the reporters rushed over to her side. However, just when they were about to reach her, a wall of burly men suddenly appeared to block their path. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne was surprised to see them there. ''Jeremy, Lucas, or both of them must''ve hired these men to protect me¡­'' She was grateful either way since this meant she could walk up to the stage without getting harassed by the reporters. There was a standing microphone in the middle of the stage and a table on either side of it. Corinne sat at the table on the left to wait quietly for the test to begin. Seeing this, Josephine and her mother also went up to the stage. Josephine sat at the table on the right while her mother red threateningly at Corinne. "Corinne, there''s still time for you to save yourself. You only need to own up to your mistake before the test begins. Otherwise, it''ll be worse once you lose to my daughter." Corinne smiled. "That''s still too early to say. How do you know I''ll lose to your daughter for sure?" Josephine''s mother scoffed, rolled her eyes, and turned her face away. The host who presided over the press conference was arranged by the Riveras. After the host walked up to the stage, he first asked Josephine''s mother to step off the stage before doing a sound check on the microphone and adjusting the height of it. "Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, I''ll need you all to take your seats and keep the noise level to a minimum. Thepetition between Miss Corinne and Miss Josephine is about to begin! This competition will be broadcasted live to ensure the fairness, transparency, and impartiality of the test results!" To not dy thepetition starting since that was what they went there for, the reporters quickly returned to their seats. The host introduced the teacher who came up with the test paper, as well as the subjects Corinne and Josephine would be tested on. After that, he held up the test paper to the camera to show that they would each receive the same test paper before giving it out to them. Josephine''s eyes immediately lit up with confidence when she saw the questions on the test paper. She then peeked at Corinne to see her reaction. Corinne was yawning with her cheek resting on one hand while her other hand was spinning her pen lethargically. She looked like the bad student who always slept in ss. In fact, she did not seem to be taking the test seriously. ''She must be stumped by the questions,'' thought Josephine gleefully as her victory was even more assured. She then picked up her pen and began to answer the questions. Chapter 975 Chapter 975 Thement section on the live broadcast exploded with all sorts ofments. [Corinne looks like she''s just fooling around. Is she even taking this test seriously?] [What more can you expect from a problem student like her? A leopard can''t change its spots. We shouldn''t expect her to win thispetition.] [Yeah. Compared to her, Josephine looks like a straight-A student.] [Look at how serious and confident Josephine is!] [I think so, too. I support Josephine. Down with all the evil capitalists!] [I''m an alumnus of the University of New Capital City, so I can say with certainty Corinne is a true straight-A student!] [Hey, did Corinne pay you to say that? How much is she paying you?] [You''ll all see for yourself what I said was true once the test result came out.] [Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Josephine is a straight-A student too, you know.] ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. [Go, Corinne! Everyone from the University of New Capital City is rooting for you.] [Yo, look how united those people from the University of New Capital City are. I wonder if they''re getting any benefits for showing support to the evil capitalists.] [We''re showing support for Corinne, not the evil capitalists!] [Same difference! She wouldn''t have gotten to where she is now if it weren''t for the Holden Group pulling strings to get her into the University of New Capital City. Showing support for her is as good as showing support for the evil capitalists!] [I bet they''re kissing *ss right now in the hopes of getting a job offer from Holden Group after they graduate.] [Huh! And they call themselves students of an elite university. They''re a joke, that''s what they are!] [Everyone, stop fighting! We''ll know for sure who''s lying after the test resultes out. You can all continue with this war afterward.] [He''s right! Go, Josephine! Show the evil capitalist that we regr folks aren''t to be messed with either!] [Corinne will win for sure!] [Josephine will win for sure!] ¡­ Both Corinne and Josephine had no idea of the war going on in thement section. Cedric, Beatrice, Greg, and Pam were watching the live broadcast and waiting for the result at home too. Lucas, who was off work due to his injury, was watching the live broadcast from his apartment while stroking Ralphy. Jeremy was not at work, too. He was in his car and watching the live broadcast on the car''s TV with one hand on his cheek. The minutes ticked by, and both Corinne and Josephine were nearly at the end of the test. The test paper consisted of three pages. For the sake of convenience, the test was not divided into subjects but of various subjects cobbled together. Josephine was the first to finish the test. She got up and handed her test paper to the host. Immediately afterward, Corinne put down her pen and put up her hand to let the host know she finished her test as well. The host went to pick up her paper, and he asked the high-school teacher who came up with the test paper to go up the stage so he could mark both of the papers live. Chapter 976 Chapter 976 People were still fighting in thement section while the high-school teacher was marking the paper. [Josephine must be the one who''s telling the truth since she was the one who handed in her paper first!] [Yeah! Corinne looks like she only handed in her paper because she started to panic after Josephine handed in hers.] [So what if she handed in her paper too? The most important thing is to get the answers right.] [Look, everyone. Corinne''s slumping her head on the table. Is she sleeping?! Is this all a joke to her?] [I have a ssmate exactly like her. He always scores the worst in all of our tests. The only thing he knows how to do is to sleep in ss. You can''t me us for thinking Corinne is the one who''s lying!] [Y''all must''ve not met a real straight-A student. Don''t you know they''re not the nerds we think they are? A real straight A-student is the type of person who can sleep through the ss and still get really good grades!] [Haha! As if! I''ll never believe there''s actually someone like that in the world! This is real life we''re talking about, not a movie.] [Well, if you went to the same university as her like I did, you''d know her life is kinda like a movie. Plus, you not having met someone like that doesn''t mean they don''t exist. In fact, that''s saying more about you than her, so why don''t you broaden your horizon a little, eh?] [Yeah, yeah. Next, you''re going to say only those who studied at the University of New Capital City have the broadest horizon in the world! Well, I hope you can still be as cocky as this after the result [Hey, I think the teacher has finished marking the paper. That means they''re going to announce the result soon!] [I can''t wait! Josephine will win for sure!] ¡­ The teacher handed both the test papers back to the host. A conflicted frown immediately appeared on the host''s face when he saw the result. After that, he looked at the horde of reporters and camera people off the stage and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the result is out! The specially invited teacher has judiciously marked the paper, and it turns out there''s no winner or loser in thispetition as Miss Corinne and Miss Josephine both got perfect scores!" All the reporters and camera people frowned in unison. "They both got perfect scores? How will we know who got a spot in the University of New Capital City back then?" "Does this mean both of them were straight-A students?" "Oh man, how are we supposed to report about this then? Who was the one who actually got into the University of New Capital City?" "It must be Josephine! Didn''t her mother say Corinne went to terminate her baby instead of taking her SAT?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Yeah! Even if they both got perfect scores now, Josephine looked more like the part of a good student." "That''s what I think, too¡­" Thement section exploded again. [What the hell? They both got perfect scores? How are we supposed to know who was telling the truth then?] [It''s Josephine, of course! I mean, she had been farming for thest few years, yet she still could get a perfect score. Doesn''t that just prove as much?] [Yeah! Corinne must''ve gotten up to speed with high school material after she got into the University of New Capital City, the best university in the country! It''s not surprising she''ll get a perfect score.] [Oh my god! You guys are obviously ying favorites! I mean, Corinne gets a perfect score and it doesn''t prove anything, but Josephine gets a perfect score and she''s the one telling the truth? Double standard much?] Chapter 977 Chapter 977 [Well, we''re just talking based on the situational evidence! Josephine is so much smarter than Corinne since she got a perfect score even after not studying for such a long time.] [Yeah! That makes Josephine the real straight A-student here!] ¡­ Meanwhile, the Riveras, who were watching thepetition at home, all sported different expressions when they heard the result. Both Cedric and Beatrice frowned. They were leaning toward Corinne''s side, but after the results were revealed, they did not know who to believe anymore. Maxwell continued to drink his coffee while he watched the TV screen worriedly. ''Why does Corinne keep on yawning? Is she so nervous that she didn''t get to sleepst night?'' Anya and Phoebe exchanged nces with each other. They had expected Josephine to get a perfect score since Phoebe managed to get the test paper from the high-school teacher before the competition. After that, she got someone to fill in all the questions with the correct answer before sending the test paper to Josephine for her to memorize the whole thing. However, they were disappointed to know Corinne got a perfect score too. They thought she would not be able to pull off such a feat and that she might make a mistake or two. They would havee out as the winner! In the end, thepetition ended in a draw, and they did not know what next step they should take. After thinking it over, Phoebe asked, "Mom, Dad. Who do you think won thepetition?" "Didn''t you hear what the host said? Both of them got perfect scores, so it''s a draw," answered Cedric. "Yes. They showed us both of their test papers, and they did indeed get perfect scores," added Beatrice. Phoebe shook her head. "I know they both got perfect scores, but I still think there''s a way to find out who''s really the winner." Cedric frowned. "How?" Phoebe opened up thement section for them to read. "Look, most of thementers say Josephine is the real winner since she still got a perfect score after spending thest few years farming. Corinne only graduated from university this year, which meant she had been receiving the best education money can buy in thest few years, so it''s not surprising she got a perfect score. Compared to her, doesn''t Josephine''s score hold more weight?" "Mom''s right," said Anya, agreeing with Phoebe. "Corinne must''ve worried she would be exposed if she scored too low in her university exams, so she must''ve gotten her up to speed with high school material after she got into the University of New Capital City. Josephine had spent thest few years working in the field, yet she still managed to get a perfect score. Do you know how hard that is to achieve?" Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces with each other while suspicions about Corinne started blooming in their hearts. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Maxwell looked at the troublemaker Phoebe with disgust but said nothing. Meanwhile, at the Holdens'' mansion. Greg smacked his wheelchair armrest heavily. "I told you so! Thispetition will only bring more humiliation to our family name! What is Corinne going to do now that the other girl got a perfect score too?!" "Oh, calm down. It''s not like Corinne failed to get a perfect score too," said Pam with a frown. Greg scoffed. "That''s likeparing apples and oranges! It''s not surprising your granddaughter-in- law will get a perfect score since she just graduated this year. The other girl has spent thest few years working on her family''s farm!" "You do know she''s both of our granddaughter-inw, right?" "No. I''ll never ept some random girl I don''t know as my granddaughter-inw." Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Back at the press conference, a reporter asked, "Miss Corinne, Miss Josephine, do you have anything to say for yourself now that we can''t find out for sure who it was that got into the University of New Capital City since thepetition ended in a draw?" Josephine quickly put up her hand, and the host passed her the microphone. "I think I should be crowned as the winner as I turned in the test paper first," said Josephine with a slight ent. "And also because I answered all the questions based on all the knowledge I gained in high school. In the time that Corinne was studying at the University of New Capital City, I was working on my family''s farm, yet she handed in the test paperter than me." The reporters all nodded along to what she said. They felt she must be telling the truth since she defended herself so confidently. "Miss Josephine is right. Straight-A students are always the first to hand in their test papers since they go through the questions very fast." "Yeah, I think Miss Josephine is smarter than Corinne, too!" "Yeah! She makes taking the test paper look so easy, even though she hasn''t been studying for the past few years. I mean, if it were me, I would''ve long forgotten all that I''ve learned in high school." "Me too! To be honest, I can''t even answer half of the questions on the test they were taking!" "Seems like Miss Josephine was the person who got into the University of New Capital City!" "Miss Corinne, do you have anything to say?" asked a reporter. However, he failed to receive a reply from Corinne since she was fast asleep on the table. Pregnancy had made her crave more sleep than usual. Coupled with the fact that she had woken up very early this morning, she dozed off after turning in her test paper. The reporter frowned. "Well, that''s rude of you. Serves you right for losing thepetition, then!" The host blushed with embarrassment. He quickly walked over and knocked on Corinne''s table. "Miss Corinne? Miss Corinne. Wake up, please." ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. It was only then Corinne woke up. She looked tiredly at the host. "What''s up?" The host frowned. "Miss Corinne, this isn''t the time nor the ce to be sleeping. A reporter asked you a question just now, so please answer him." Corinne raised her eyebrow. "Oh. What did the reporter ask me?" She was really fast asleep, so she did not hear the question. Her nonchnt attitude started to get on everyone''s nerves. "The reporter asked you whether you have anything to say for yourself now that you and Miss Josephine both got perfect scores," the host exined. Corinne narrowed her eyes. "We both got perfect scores?" Chapter 979 Chapter 979 Corinne nced at Josephine, who looked as smug as her mother down the stage. "Yes, you both got perfect scores. You were fast asleep when the result was announced," said the host. Corinne yawned and uttered lightly, "That''s impossible." The reporters and camera people all looked at her with disbelief. "What does she mean? That she got a perfect score, or that Josephine got a perfect score?" "It''s thetter, duh! Miss Corinne must''ve expected Miss Josephine to have forgotten all the things she learned in high school. Miss Josephine getting a perfect score so effortlessly was out of her expectation." "That makes sense. Miss Corinne is just too cocky for her good." The discussion kept going on off the stage. "Miss Corinne, let me exin," said the host. "After you both handed in the test paper, the teacher came up to the stage to mark them. Once he was done marking, the result was shown to everyone here and the people watching the live broadcast. There was no objection raised. "Which brings us to now. Miss Josephine thinks she should be crowned the winner since she was the first to hand in her test paper. We''d like to hear if you have anything to say about that." Corinne covered her mouth and yawnedzily. "Just because she handed in the paper first doesn''t mean she''s smarter than me. I mean, I''ve never heard of bonus marks being given for the person handing in their test paper first." "Even without the extra marks given for handing in her test paper first, we still think Miss Josephine is smarter than you!" shouted a reporter. Corinne turned to him. "Why?" "Because not only did you study in the best university in the country but also had plenty of time to get yourself up to speed on all the high school subjects you failed to learn in the past. Miss Josephine spent all her time working on her family''s farm for the past few years, yet she still managed to get a perfect score. Is that not enough to prove she''s smarter than you?" the reporter replied. Corinne chuckled softly. "Sir, your conclusion is clearly based on the assumption that I stole Miss Josephine''s university spot. So it doesn''t really hold much weight." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. The reporter was made speechless by her meticulous logic, but he insisted on defending Josephine. "Then do you have any other evidence to prove you didn''t steal Miss Josephine''s university spot?" Corinne shook her head. "No, I don''t." The reporter scoffed. "Well, doesn''t that just make you even more suspicious?" Corinne looked down condescendingly on the biased reporter. "First of all, a basic quality of being a good reporter is to be able to always maintain a neutral and objective view on the subject you''re reporting. You do not have this quality, it seems. "Also, in any event, no matter the circumstances, the burden of proof lies on the user. But it seems like you can''t even grasp this simple logic. I wonder which mediapany are you working under ''cause it seems like your employer has no intention of surviving in this field." The reporter''s expression hardened. "Why you¡­" The other reporters were basically on Josephine''s side too. They already had the mentality of helping the weak, but Corinne''s nonchnt attitude just pushed them to side with Josephine even more. Another reporter stood up to defend his colleague, "So what you''re saying is you don''t have the evidence to prove you didn''t steal Miss Josephine''s university spot but that still doesn''t give us the right to suspect you? Why do you insist on forcing your logic down our throats?" Corinne smiled calmly. "I must admit, I didn''t expect her to get a perfect test score since she was only an average student in high school. This is certainly a real doozy, but to prove I didn''t steal her university spot, I''m willing to do a retest. What do you say, Miss Josephine?" Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Josephine started to panic a little. "A¡­ A retest?" Corinne nodded. "Yeah. We should do a retest since this one ended up in a draw. I''m sure everyone was hoping there will be a clear winner in today''spetition. Don''t you think so?" This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Josephine''s gaze started to dart around. "Umm¡­ I¡­" At that moment, Josephine''s mother ran up to the stage. "Don''t be a sore loser, Corinne!" Corinne smiled. "But I didn''t lose. We both got perfect scores." "Even so, everyone seems to think my daughter is the clear winner. You say you want to do a retest again? How? It takes time for the teacher toe up with the test paper, so it''s not like you and Josephine can take another test immediately." Corinne smiled. "I didn''t say we need the teacher toe up with another set of questions. We can just use the ones who did before." Josephine''s mother was caught off guard by her answer. She had no idea where Corinne was going with this. "Then what''s the point of doing the retest? The two of you will just get perfect scores again. Or do you want topete to see who hands in the test paper the fastest?" The reporters and camera people were confused by Corinne''s suggestion, too. "Yeah, what''s the point of doing a retest with the same questions?" "I bet she''s just doing this to buy herself some time. Is she going to ask for another retest if this second test ends up in a draw too? When will it ever end?" "Why can''t she just be honest and admit her wrongdoing? Everyone will probably forgive her if she makes a sincere apology." Corinne turned to face the audience and shouted to get heard over the noise, "There''s no need to come up with new questions since we only need to rece the numbers in the question with new numbers!" This confused everyone even more. "That''s even more pointless!" "Corinne Carew, why can''t you just ept the fact that Josephine is smarter than you?" "What''s the point of changing the numbers since you can just get to the new answer using the same form as before?" Corinne picked up her pen and started twirling it. "Oh, but there is a point. A person who has a solid and real understanding of the theory behind the form would be able to get to the new answer even when the numbers had changed. And I promise you all, I''ll admit defeat if we both get perfect scores in the retest." Everyone exchanged nces. "Miss Josephine, do the retest! You have nothing to fear since you''re smarter than her! Make her eat her words!" "Yeah! You should do it! We''re all rooting for you!" "You have nothing to lose since Miss Corinne said she''ll admit defeat if you both get perfect scores!" Josephine could not get out of the retest anymore, not when everyone was cheering her on. Corinne, still twirling her pen, looked at her quietly. "Miss Josephine, are you perhaps scared of competing against me again?" Josephine did not say anything. ''Oh no, what should I do?! I have no idea how to calcte the answer at all¡­ It was only through memorization of the answer that I managed to get a perfect score!'' Seeing this, Josephine''s mother immediately said with annoyance, "My daughter is tired. She doesn''t have the energy to do a retest." Chapter 981 Chapter 981 Corinne looked at Josephine from head to toe. "I''m sure taking a test is no more tiring than working on the farm the whole," she said sarcastically. "She''s mentally tired, not physically tired," retorted Josephine''s mother. "It won''t take up much of her brain power since only the numbers have changed. The retest should be easy-peasy for her," said Corinne. Josephine''s mother wanted to argue back again, but the reporters and camera people kept encouraging Josephine to do a retest. Even thementers were in support of the retest. They wanted to see Corinne admit defeat. Thus, Josephine and her mother were at a loss for what to do. The response from the audience was so enthusiastic that the host knew it would be impossible to get out of a retest. "Since everyone agrees to the retest, let''s ask the teacher toe up to the stage once more to change the numbers on the test paper. Then, we''ll print out the new copy for Miss Corinne and Miss Josephine!" Josephine''s mother tensed up when she heard the host announce the retest while Josephine was close to having a meltdown. "Mom, what should we do? I don''t know how to answer those questions at all¡­" she whispered hurriedly. Her mother red at her. "Didn''t you memorize all the answers already? You just have to use the same form to get the answer. You''re more stupid than I thought if you can''t answer the questions just because the numbers have changed!" "Mom, I can''t do it." Josephine was not the smartest cookie in the first ce. It took her a lot of effort to simply memorize the test answer to the point where there was no time left to memorize the form at all. Her mother was about to talk strategy with her when the host rushed over to them. "I''m sorry, Missus rk, but you''ll need to get off the stage because Josephine needs to get ready for the retest." Thus, she had no choice but to get off the stage, praying Josephine would work hard to get another perfect score. As the reporters, camera people, and the live broadcast audience watched keenly, the teacher changed the numbers on the test paper. After that, he printed two new copies and handed them to the host. Thus, the retest began. Josephine started to feel dizzy when she saw the unfamiliar numbers dancing on the test paper. She tried to calcte the answer based on the answer she memorized for the first test. Corinne, however, twirled her pen for a while before she started doing her test. The reporters and camera people could not help but think the way Josephine approached her test was so much better than Corinne''s nonchnt attitude. The same was true for thementers; they felt like Corinne was not taking this seriously. However, they did not expect Corinne to be the first one to hand in her test paper this time. It took her only 20 minutes toplete all the questions since only the numbers had changed. It was a piece of cake for her. Everyone thought Josephine was about to finish too, she was nowhere near finishing. In fact, she was sweating and counting on her fingers. Some of thementers found this very strange. [What''s the matter with Josephine? Why hasn''t she handed in her test yet? Even Corinne handed in hers already.] [She''s sweating bullets. Don''t tell me she doesn''t know how to answer just because the numbers have changed?] [Don''t talk nonsense. That can''t be possible. It''s more likely she''s not feeling well or is getting a heatstroke.] [But she looks like she''s stumped by the questions.]This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 982 Chapter 982 The minutes ticked by. When it was time to hand in the paper an hour and a halfter, it seemed that Josephine still had not finished writing. To ensure fairness, the host went to tell her the time was up, and she had no choice but to hand in her paper to him. She then looked nervously at her mother. After the host collected Josephine''s paper, he invited the teacher toe up to the stage to mark both papers again. This time, it did not take him long to tally up each candidate''s score. The host''s eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the result. He then announced the result to everyone. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. I have in my hand both Miss Corinne''s and Miss Josephine''s retest scores. And just likest time, Miss Corinne got a perfect score! Unfortunately, Miss Josephine was unable to finish the test in the given period, but the parts that she did earned her a score of¡­two points! For only one True or False question, she got correct!" Everyone present broke out in an uproar when Josephine''s result was announced. "What the hell is going on? How is it possible Miss Josephine only got two points?" "Didn''t you hear what the host said? He said Miss Josephine didn''t finish the test." "Even so, how can she only get two points? She got a perfect scorest round, so she should get the same score this round since only the numbers have changed." "The True or False question she got correct must''ve been a lucky guess. In other words, she was supposed to get zero points?" "Then how do you exin the perfect score she got on the first test?" "I have no idea either¡­" Josephine hung her head low. She was ashamed to face the cameras. Both she and her mother never expected Corinne would request a retest. She tried her best to answer the questions, but she failed to get even one right. Calling her screwed would certainly be an understatement. At that moment, the reporters had Josephine''s mother surrounded. "Missus rk, do you have anything to say to the fact your daughter only got two points in the retest?" From N?velDrama.Org. "You were so confident about your daughter''s abilities, so can you exin why she can''t even answer the questions even though the only difference between the first and second tests are the numbers?" "Did you make up the allegations about Corinne stealing your daughter''s university spot? Could it be that Josephine was never admitted to the University of New Capital City to begin with?" The reporters threw one rapid-fire question at her after another. Josephine''s mother tried to escape from the scene, but the reporters had her tightly surrounded. There was nowhere for her to run or hide, so she had no choice but to face them head-on. "Didn''t I already say Josephine is tired? It''s only natural she can''t perform as normal!" Everyone was of course unconvinced by Josephine''s mother''s vague exnation. "Even if she''s tired, there''s no way she only got two points, right? She got a perfect score on the first test! Making room for a mistake or two, she should be able to get more than what she''s got now!" "Did your daughter cheat on the first test?" "Your daughter failing the second test means Miss Corinne didn''t steal her university spot, right? She was admitted into the University of New Capital City based on her own merit!" Chapter 983 Chapter 983 Josephine''s mother backed away as the reporters kept advancing. Even though guilt was written all over her face, she stubbornly insisted, "My¡­ My daughter is the real straight-A student! She was admitted into the University of New Capital City on her own merits, and Corinne stole all that away from her!" The reporters were starting to feel resentful. They could not help but think they had been used by Josephine and her mother. "If she is a straight-A student, how could she only get two points on the second test? You better give us a good exnation for that!" "Yeah! Give us a good exnation!" "No one will ever believe a straight-A student only got two points on a test!" "As I''ve said, my daughter was tired, so she couldn''t perform as normal. Plus, she has even been studying for the past few years, so it''s not so strange for her to forget how to answer some questions, right?" The reporters scoffed one after another. "Not strange? You must be kidding us. It''s not just some questions she didn''t know how to answer, but all!" "I don''t think she was a straight-A student back in high school at all! It''s obvious Miss Josephine and her mother are using us to get the public on their side." "Give it up, Missus rk! We now know Miss Corinne was the one telling the truth. I can''t believe we were all taken in by your fake sob story!" Josephine''s mother turned pale in her panic. She was no match to the reporters'' barrage of criticisms at all. Thement section experienced a change in support, too. [The truth has finallye out! The good always win!] [Hey, where are all Josephine''s vapid fans? Why aren''t they saying anything now?] [They must be too ashamed to say anything now.] [Is this what you call a straight-A student? Someone who can''t answer the question just because the question has changed?] [Fine. I admit I was wrong. But why would Josephine use Corinne of stealing her university spot if nothing like that ever happened?] [What are you trying to say? Don''t tell me you still don''t believe Corinne got into the University of New Capital City based on her merits?] [I just don''t understand why Josephine would do something like this.] [Does a morally corrupt person need a reason to do bad things? If we understand the why behind their actions, that just shows we''re not that far off from being morally corrupt also.] [Argh! Josephine and her mother really know how to y the victim! I''m so angry at them for lying to us. Sorry, Corinne. For all the mean things I said about you just now.] [I was deceived by their sob story too! It never crossed my mind that they''re nothing but con artists. Ugh! They''re so evil for ying with people''s hearts.] [Didn''t I already tell y''all that Corinne is a real straight-A student? In fact, she was personally recruited by our university''s principal. Pity y''all didn''t believe me then.] [Man, Josephine''s mother sure is a stubborn one. Even now, she still insists her daughter is the real straight-A student. And Josephine is no better. Look at how she''s keeping her head low and not speaking. The two of them should apologize to Corinne in front of us!] [Yeah! Apologize now! Apologize now! Apologize now!] [I must say, Corinne has a very high EQ. She didn''t once lose her temper even when everyone was being mean to her and using her of things she didn''t do. I respect her for that.] This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. [Now that I think of it, we must''ve mistaken her confidence and steadfastness as not taking the test seriously.] [Can I say I''m about to change from being Corinne''s hater to a fan?] [Get lost! Corinne doesn''t need a brainless person like you to be her fan!] Chapter 984 Chapter 984 Faced with the reporters'' relentless criticism, Josephine''s mother finally could not take it anymore. She blew up in their faces and started cursing while hysterically headbutting the reporters blocking her way. After breaking through the crowd, she ran up the stage from the left to grab Josephine before running off the stage from the right to make their escape. Seeing this, some of the reporters started chasing after them while the rest stayed behind to interview Corinne. "Miss Corinne, they''ve escaped. Do you have any ns to sue them?" "You should sue them! Make them pay for spreading all those rumors about you." "And you should request a public apology too! Not to mentionpensation for reputational damage." Corinne remained seated at her table with one elbow propping up her face. "Forget it. They''re just pawns in someone else''s game. Plus, where are they going to find the money topensate me for my reputational damage? You see, there''s no need to waste my time on suing them." A reporter understood what Corinne was implying. "Miss Corinne, are you saying someone else instigated Josephine and her mother to nder you online? Who could that be? Do you have an enemy?" Corinne raised her eyebrow. "You''ve been working in the field of journalism long enough, so you should all know that the instigator''s ultimate aim isn''t to malign me. Think about it: Who has suffered the most loss in this matter?" Realization suddenly dawned on the reporters. "The answer''s gotta be Holden Group!" "You''re right! Holden Group suffered the most loss. Their share price has been dropping like crazy." "Does that mean Holden Group''spetitors were the instigator behind this?" Corinne smiled. Her silence said it all. She knew very well Anya was the real mastermind behind the whole thing, and Holden Group was just coteral damage. Thus, she made it seem like this was all done by Holden Group''spetitor to make use of the reporters'' guilty conscience so they would quickly clear up the misunderstanding surrounding Holden Group. The power of the media should not be underestimated. They had a wider reach and better credibility than if Corinne or Jeremy were toe out with their own statements to refute the rumors swirling around. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, another reporter stepped forward while his colleague, the cameraman, aimed the video camera at her. "Miss Corinne, is it true what the rumor says? That you and Mister Jeremy of Holden Group are in a rtionship?" Corinne was about to answer the question when her phone suddenly rang. She fished it out of her pocket and saw it was Jeremy calling her. After picking up the call, she heard Jeremy''s stern voice ordering her, "Don''t say anything about us to the reporters. Come here now. I''m parked behind the hill in the park." Corinne narrowed her eyes. Given the timing of Jeremy''s call, she heavily suspected he was worried she would disclose their rtionship to the reporters. Although she had no intention to give the reporter a straight answer, she could not help but feel sore about it. After a brief moment of silence, she finally asked, "Why are you still at the park? Didn''t you say you''re going off to work?" "I was worried about you. Come back to the car now. The test''s over." Chapter 985 Chapter 985 Corinne nodded. "Okay. I''m heading there now." After ending the call, she got up from the table and bid farewell to the reporters. She then walked off the stage and disappeared from their sight. "Miss Corinne, why are you leaving so fast? Who called you? Was it Mister Jeremy?" asked a relentless reporter. Corinne did not even turn around and simply walked away. ¡­ Meanwhile, back at the Holdens'' mansion. Greg and Pam watched the live broadcast till the end, and both of them sighed with relief after that. Pam was rather proud of how Corinne handled the whole thing. She nudged Greg, saying, "What did I say, huh? Corinne''s not the type of person who''d cheat her way into the University of New Capital City. It was so obvious someone was trying to make her look like a bad guy in front of us, and only an old fool like you will believe an outsider over your granddaughter-inw!" Greg knew he was wrong, but his pride would not let him admit it. "Hmph! Of all the people in the world, why did she get framed and not the others? I''ll tell you why! It''s ''cause there''s something really wrong with her character, and she must''ve made many enemies outside." Pam red at Greg. "How you''re acting now is the epitome of victim-ming. I have very good judgment when ites to people''s character, and what I can tell you is, Corinne is one of the good ones. And don''t you dare treat her rudely again, or I''ll divorce you." Greg was stunned. He never thought he would hear the word ''divorce''ing out of Pam. After all, who would divorce at their age? "Are you seriously threatening me? Well, two can y that game! You don''t need to wait till then to divorce me ''cause I''m divorcing you today!" Pam stood up angrily. "Fine! Let''s file our divorce at the courthouse now!" At that point, even if Greg regretted his words, he could not think up of a way to turn things around. He thought about what he could do when he suddenly clutched his chest as though he was having a heart attack. "Argh! My chest hurts. Medicine¡­ I need my medicine¡­" Seeing this, Pam started to panic. She went up to support him while screaming, "Someone, help! Mister Greg is having a heart attack! Get me his medicine!" Hearing this, Greg smiled smugly while he continued to be unconscious. At the same time, the atmosphere in the Riveras'' mansion was thick with tension. Phoebe and Anya were furious to see Corinneing out as the victor in both thepetition and in saving her reputation, while Cedric and Beatrice looked rxed. "What did I say? Corinne must be the one telling the truth. I''m not surprised that all the rumors spread by Josephine and her mother are untrue!" said Cedric. From N?velDrama.Org. Beatrice nced at Phoebe and Anya. "I couldn''t agree more. And you know what''s the worst part? Josephine and her mother are only pawns in someone else''s game. Which means someone else must''ve instigated the whole thing." Phoebe knew what Beatrice was hinting at, but she dared not say anything. Anya knew she waspletely screwed, but she did not want to give up without putting up ast struggle. "Grandpa, Grandma, you shouldn''t fall for Corinne''s trick. She must''vee prepared for the retest since she didn''t even think twice about suggesting it." Cedric scoffed angrily. "Are you trying to say Corinne cheated on the test? Just how did she manage to pull that off when there were so many cameras pointing at her? I was about to ask whether you or your mother stole the test paper from me and gave it to Josephine and her mother!" Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Both Phoebe and Anya turned pale at Cedric''s interrogation. "Umm¡­ Dad, what makes you think we''ll do something like that? You were the one who liaised with the teacher who came up with the test paper, and we never had contact with him. How can we steal the test paper?" Anya nodded. "She''s right, Grandpa. We''d never do something like that." Cedric scoffed at them. "Is that so? Would you never do something like that? Are you telling me Josephine and her mother snuck into our house and hacked into my email ount to steal the test paper? Tell me something: Do you think I''m that stupid, or do you think our house security system is only for show?" Phoebe blinked profusely in panic. "Dad, why¡­ Why do you insist someone has stolen the test paper from you? Has Corinne said something to you?" "If no one stole the test paper, how could Josephine get a perfect score on the first test, but only two points on her second test?" asked Cedric angrily. "It''s obvious she had the answer memorized for the first test. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "The teacher who came up with the questions emailed me a copy of the test paper beforehand. After checking through it, I gave him the green light to proceed. Now, besides the two of you, who else has the most to gain from helping Josephine plus has the opportunity to ess myputer?" "Dad, we didn''t steal the test paper!" Phoebe insisted stubbornly. This was definitely a hill she would die on. "You can use me, but how can you use Anya?" "Grandpa, my mom will never do something like that. There might be other reasons why Josephine did poorly on the second test¡­" said Anya weepily. Pam frowned deeply. She looked at her spoiled granddaughter as if she was a stranger. "Please wake up, Anya. We''ll forgive you if you admit what you did right now." Anya was stunned. ''They''ll forgive me if I admit what I did right now?'' Her resolution started to waver a little. ''But if I do that, I''ll lose their trust¡­ No! I cannot lose that!'' "Grandma, I really didn''t do it¡­" Cedric lost hope in getting an admission of guilt out of the unrepentant Phoebe and Anya. "I thought raising you here will make you be more like us. But you''re bing more and more like your mother. In fact, you''re exactly like her: Fake, maniptive, and greedy! Both of you are hopeless!" Anya tried to elicit some sympathy from Cedric by crying. "Grandpa¡­" "Enough!" boomed Cedric impatiently. "I don''t want to hear anything you or your mother have to say. Pack up your bags now. I''m sending you both to live in the summer vi. I can''t stand the sight of you two anymore." Chapter 987 Chapter 987 Phoebe was shocked. "Dad, you¡­ You want us to live in the countryside?" "Yes! Go pack your bags now, and I''ll get someone to drive you two there," grunted Cedric unwaveringly. Phoebe could not ept his decision. She copsed to the floor in a broken heap. "Why are you treating me like this, Dad? Are you really going to kick me and Anya out of the house because of Corinne?!" Cedric nced at her with annoyance. "You''re a really bad influence on the kids. Anya is already a lost cause, but there''s still hope for Sunny. I''m sending you to the countryside to prevent Sunny from turning out like you!" Phoebe started to sob hysterically. "Dad, you can''t treat me like this! I''m still Maxwell''s wife and your daughter-inw! How can you kick me out to the countryside? I''ll be theughingstock within our social circles if word gets out about this." Cedric had made up his mind and would not be moved by anything. Beatrice agreed with the arrangement. Anya was in too deep with her mother to be saveable, but Sunny was still at a moldable age. Thus, Cedric and Beatrice would do anything to save him from turning out like his mother. Seeing her tactics were not working on Cedric, Phoebe walked on her knees to Maxwell, who was sitting on the other side of the sofa. She then threw herself on his knees, pleading, "Maxwell, why aren''t you saying anything? Are you going to just watch Dad kick me and Anya out to the countryside?" Maxwell looked at her coldly. "Are you going to admit what you did?" he asked emotionlessly. Tears streaked down Phoebe''s cheek while her eyes shed unnaturally. "Maxwell, you got to believe me when I say Anya and I did nothing of that sort! How can you choose an outsider''s words over mine?" "You did nothing of that sort, you say?" Maxwell''s eyebrow raised sharply. "So you weren''t the one who taught Anya to look for Josephine and her mother to frame Corinne?" "It''s true Anya instigated the online scandal with the help of Josephine and her mother¡­ But it''s only because she thought their sob story was real and wanted to help them seek justice! "Moreover, the result of today''s test may not be fair. I think Corinne might''ve tampered with the test¡­ There''s a chance she might''ve paid off the teacher¡­" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Maxwell looked at her with disgust. "That teacher is an old friend of Dad. He''s held in very high regard in the education sector. The only reason he agreed to help out with thepetition is because of Dad. You can''t seriously think he''d be easily bought off with money, do you? "Besides, there were so many cameras pointing at Corinne and Josephine when they were doing the test, and they both received the same test paper. So there''s a record of how Josephine bungled the second test. And it''s not like Corinne can suck out all the knowledge in Josephine''s brain." Phoebe was speechless. Even though she was frustrated inside, she made sure to keep up the poor-me pretense. "Well¡­ Josephine and her mother lied to us! She took advantage of our kindness ''cause they knew they wouldn''t be able to fight against Corinne without our help! Maxwell, can''t you see Anya and I are the victims? They used us!" Maxwell flung Phoebe''s hands away from hisp. He then smoothed out the crease on his pants, his disgust evident in the way he behaved. "That''s enough! Stop pretending you''re the victim. The more you do that, the more we''ll think you''re a lost cause. I agree with Dad''s arrangement. You and Anya should go stay in the countryside and reflect on what you both did." Phoebe gritted her teeth. "Maxwell, can you really bear to see Anya and I suffer in the countryside? And have you forgotten Anya has a kid? The countryside is no ce for a kid to live!" "You''ve been to the summer vi before, so you should know how well-equipped the whole ce is. There''ll be servants to take care of you all too, so it''s not like we''re asking you to stay in prison." Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Phoebe panicked even more when she realized begging was not going to work on Maxwell. "I bet you''re secretly hoping I would stay at the summer vi forever so you can fool around with other women." Maxwell frowned. "You''re talking nonsense. Besides, you reap what you sow." Phoebe threw her head back andughed hysterically. "Hahaha! You''re the most hypocritical of us all, Maxwell! You haven''t touched me in so many years. In fact, we don''t even sleep in the same bed anymore. There''s no way you''ve been celibate all this while. You must have a side chick outside, don''t you? Well, let me tell you something, Maxwell Rivera: I''m not Emily. Don''t even think you''ll be able to get rid of me that easily!" Cedric blew his top when he heard what Phoebe said, already at the end of his patience. "You there, " he called out to the servants, "pack up their things and drive them to the summer vi." Then to Phoebe, he boomed, "How dare you speak so rudely in front of me? Is there no respect in this house anymore?" The servants quickly dragged Phoebe up from the floor. "Miss Phoebe, please get up from the floor. We''ll drive you to the summer vi now." Phoebe pushed them away hysterically. "I won''t go! I''m staying put no matter what! Go away! How dare you touch me, you ves!" Seeing this, the servants were conflicted. They all turned to Cedric to see what he would say. Cedric had had it with Phoebe''s hysterics. "What are you all still standing there for? Get her out of my sight immediately!" Hearing this, the servants decided to use a rougher method. They restrained Phoebe''s limbs and escorted her outside. Anya was carried outside by two servants as well. "Grandpa¡­ Grandma¡­ Dad¡­ I don''t want to go live in the countryside! I don''t want to! I was wrong! I now know what I did was wrong!" However, it was toote for that. Crying might have gotten Anya out of many situations in the past, but there woulde a day when everyone would get tired of that method. In the end, Anya ended up with the same fate as her mother. They were both ordered to be carted off to the summer vi. However, before they were wrestled into the car by the servants, they happened to bump into Corinne, who had rushed over from the press conference. Jeremy parked his ck car by the road. Corinne got down and saw the pitiful state both Phoebe and Anya were in while the servants filled the car up with their bags. She walked over with a smile. "Miss Phoebe, Miss Anya, are you two going on a trip?" No matter how sorry of a state Anya was in, she would never let Corinne see it. She puffed her chest and red at her. "This is all your fault, Corinne! You''re the reason I have nothing now! Nothing!" Corinne was unfazed. "Whether it''s my fault is yet to be determined. Though, you should know the life you had before was only possible because you stole it from someone else, Miss Anya." Anya was shocked. She looked at Corinne alertly. "What¡­ What do you mean?" Corinne smiled lightly. "I hope you can understand one truth in life, Miss Anya. Curses alwayse home to roost. And remember, don''t take things that don''t belong to you, because you''ll lose them sooner orter even if they don''t go back to their original owner." Anya could not help but feel unnerved when she stared back into Corinne''s unfathomable eyes. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe, who was experiencing a meltdown, started cursing Corinne the moment she saw her. "You b*tch! Don''t get cocky so fast! I swear you''ll die by my hand one day!" Chapter 989 Chapter 989 Corinne raised her eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, I can''t wait to see what you cook up." The servants had finished packing Anya and Phoebe''s bags into the car. "Miss Phoebe, Miss Anya, please get into the car now. Don''t make Mister Cedric any angrier than he is. I''m sure he''ll let both of youe home once he''s cooled down." Phoebe and Anya gave Corinne onest death stare before grudgingly getting into the car. ¡­ The mansion became quieter once Phoebe and Anya were sent away. From N?velDrama.Org. Cedric turned to his useless son. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You''re a grown man, yet you can''t even keep your wife and daughter under control! Look at what they''ve be!" Maxwell looked up from his phone. "Surprise, surprise. Are you not happy with this daughter-inw, too?" Cedric''s blood pressure immediately shot up. "I''m talking about you! Why are you asking me whether I''m happy or not?" "Weren''t you the one who insisted I should divorce Emily and marry Phoebe?" Maxwell asked calmly. "And now you''re not happy with Phoebe, too? That''s fine. Why don''t you choose someone you''re happy with for me to marry again?" Cedric was so furious that the veins on his temple popped out. He pointed a trembling finger at his only son. "Why, you¡­" Fearing her husband would have a heart attack, Beatrice immediately said, "Let it go, Maxwell." Maxwell nodded and went upstairs. Cedric inhaled sharply. Pointing at Maxwell''s back, he boomed, "Even till now, you''re still ming me for forcing you to divorce Emily?! Don''t you know I did it for your good? She cheated on you! Why would you still want to keep her around? She''ll only tarnish our family name if we don''t kick her out." Maxwell stopped walking. After a few seconds of silence, he finally turned around. "That''s right, she cheated on me, not you! But you know what? I don''t give a sh*t! So why should you? You didn''t do it for my good; you did it to save your face!" Cedric''s blood pressure went up dangerously high, and his asthma kicked in. "You¡­ You¡­ Ack¡­ Good-for-nothing useless son¡­ Cough, cough, cough!" Beatrice went up to support him. "Stop fighting, you two!" she said sternly. "You two will fight like cats and dogs every time Emily''s name is mentioned. Maxwell, I''m not taking sides here, but you''re a grown man now. Why do you insist on acting so stubbornly with your father?" Maxwell looked at Cedric, whose face was bright red with anger, and said nothing. He could not help but feel the person standing in front of him was not his father but a stranger. A few seconds later, he simply turned around and walked up the stairs. At that moment, a servant came to report, "Mister Cedric, Miss Corinne is here." Both Cedric and Beatrice were shocked. They looked outside the door and saw Corinne standing there with a servant. She was smiling, but it was the kind that did not reach her eyes. Maxwell, who was nearing the top of the stairs, immediately stopped walking when he heard Corinne had arrived. The look in his eyes softened when he turned to look at her. Beatrice was the first to snap out of her shock. Not knowing whether Corinne had heard them arguing, she smiled awkwardly and asked, "Corinne, what a surprise to see you. What brings you here at this time?" Chapter 990 Chapter 990 Corinne smiled. "Well, the press conference has ended, so I thought I''d drop by to wrap up a few things with Miss Anya and Miss Phoebe. Though, it seems like I''vee at a bad time. Should I¡­ come again another day?" Beatrice quickly waved for her toe in. "Oh, Corinne, you''re always wee here. Come in, come in! My husband and son were just having a little tiff, and I was just worried that you might''ve been frightened by it." This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne walked over to Beatrice and nced at Cedric, who was still fuming, before looking up at Maxwell, who was at the stairs. "Mister Maxwell, you''re a grown man. You shouldn''t argue with Grandpa Cedric so much. It''s really not that nice." Normally, Maxwell would simply go into his room even when there was a guest in the house. Because it was Corinne this time, he walked back into the living room. Maxwell looked at her kindly. "You must be tired after the test. Why not go home to rest now? I saw you dozing off at the press conference. Did you not sleep wellst night?" Corinne chuckled. "You watched the live broadcast of the test, too?" Maxwell nodded. "Yeah, I watched it together with my parents." Corinne nodded. "Cool." Beatrice was surprised Maxwell woulde back into the living room for Corinne. After snapping out of her trance, she said, "Come sit, Corinne. You too, Maxwell. I''m sure Corinne would be too embarrassed to sit if you keep standing there like that." "Okay," said Maxwell. He sat back down on the sofa. "Corinne, please take a seat, too." Corinne did as she was told without hesitation. She did not even have a chance to tell them her main purpose foring when Maxwell asked her gently, "Have you eaten? Are you hungry?" Corinne shook her head. "I''m not hungry, Mister Maxwell. Please don''t worry about me." Maxwell nodded. "The flowers are blooming again. Do you want to go take a look?" Corinne frowned. She did not like the over-enthusiastically way Maxwell was treating her. "No, thanks. I didn''te here to look at the flowers." Cedric scoffed rudely. "Did you hear that? Corinne has no interest in those stupid flowers at all. I''m ashamed to say I have a grown son who only knows to spend his day messing with those flowers instead of taking care of thepany! Good thing Lucas is old enough to take over thepany now. You''re a sorry excuse for a father, do you know that, Maxwell?" Maxwell was unfazed by his father''s reprimand since this was not the first time nor would it be the last time he had heard of the same thing. In fact, he only had eyes for Corinne at that moment. Beatrice patted Cedric''s hand lightly, signaling him to not say too much in front of Corinne. Cedric scoffed again. To his credit, he did not say anything more. Beatrice turned back to face Corinne. "Corinne, I''m sorry you have to see that. By the way, why did youe here today?" she asked. Corinne smiled. "Actually, I came here today to¡­" Chapter 991 Chapter 991 Inside a car heading for the countryside, Anya weepily whined, "Look at what you''ve done, Mom! It''s all over now! We''ll be sent to the countryside!" Phoebe had been in a bad mood. Herposure crumbled even more when she heard her daughter ming her. "I don''t care if other people me me, but I can''t take it if it''s from you! I''ve done all this for one person, and one person only¡ªand that''s you, Anya!" Anya was in no mood to understand her mother anymore. She grumbled, "I know you were doing it for me, but you didn''t help me at all! You just made my life worse than before! Had we admitted our mistakes in front of Grandpa and Grandma to show we''ve repented, they might just give us another chance instead of banishing us to the countryside!" Phoebe felt hurt by her daughter''s anger. "Oh, so you''re ming me now? You didn''t admit your mistakes quickly enough either! Besides, how are we supposed to admit our mistakes in that situation? Admitting is as good as setting it in stone. There''s no undoing it anymore!" Anya knew that, but she believed that the worst oue was still much better than being sent to live in the countryside. She hated that ce more than anything! They were banished to the countryside without a definite time frame and no indication of whether they would be allowed to return. Worse still, plenty of other family members were sent to keep an eye on them. Once they arrived, they probably would not even have the freedom to step in and out of the summer resort! That was hardly the kind of life Anya wanted! Anya grew agitated when she thought about all that, and the emotions made her cry even harder. Though Phoebe was unhappy Anya med her and made no effort to understand her, she still felt a little distressed when she saw Anya crying so severely. She had to rely on Anya for the rest of her life, for goodness'' sake! Phoebe patted Anya''s shoulder tofort her. "There, there, Anya. Don''t cry anymore! This is not the time for us to argue! If we drift apart, we''d be ying right into Corinne''s hands! She''llugh at us if she sees us like this!" Anya tried to stop crying when she heard what Phoebe said about Corinneughing at them. The last thing she wanted was to make a fool of herself in front of Corinne. She wiped away her tears and looked at Phoebe. "What do we do now, then? I''ve lost Lucas'' trust! I''ve lost the care and concern of Lucas, my grandparents, and my father. The worst thing is that I''ve lost my bargaining chip against Jeremy!" Phoebe thought for a moment and observed what the servants around her were doing. She discovered that some of them were looking at their phones while others were already dozing off. She leaned into her daughter''s ear and whispered, "I don''t have any quick n to turn things around, so we need to think long-term." Anya thought her mother had formted some useful n, but she was visibly unhappy when she heard that useless remark. ''Why does she even need to whisper something like that to me?'' To her surprise, Phoebe added, "Our priority right now is to avoid being sent to the summer resort in the countryside. If we go there, your grandpa''s people will keep an eye on us at all times!" ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Anya was a little taken aback by what Phoebe said, but she agreed with that line of reasoning. She then whispered in return, "But we''re already in the car!" Phoebe nced at the rearmost seat, where the young child cowered uneasily. "We brought Joey along, didn''t we? We can use him." Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Anya looked at Joey after hearing what Phoebe said. She looked at Joey before exchanging nces with Phoebe in tacit understanding. Anya shifted her position and sat next to Joey in the back row. Joey had been silent throughout the journey. He cowered to one side as soon as he saw Anya approach him. Anya''s presence left him fearful. Anya secretly reached out to Joey and pinched his arm fiercely. When she heard Joey scream in pain, she asked loudly, "Joey! Is something wrong?" She then ced her hand on Joey''s forehead and acted as if she was worried. "What?! His body temperature is so high!" Phoebe yed along and said, "What happened? Does he have a fever?" Anya nodded. "He does! He''s having a fever! What should we do, Mom?" Phoebe leveraged the situation to their advantage and said, "What else can we do? We need to go to a hospital, and fast! Joey has a fever! We need to send him to the hospital!" The servants were hesitant. Phoebe frowned andshed out at them. "Joey is having a fever! Why do you look so reluctant to bring him to a hospital? He might be an adopted child, but the two elders have epted him. Can you bear the responsibility if something happens to him?" The servants looked at each other. One of them finally said, "There''s a vige hospital nearby. Perhaps we can bring him there to get checked up for the time being?" Phoebe was anxious. "A vige hospital? Are you sure you want to let a doctor from such a small hospital treat Joey''s condition? What if the doctor misdiagnoses him and dys his treatment? Are you going to take responsibility for that?" The servants considered that request and eded to it in the end. They had no choice but to turn the car around and bring them to the city hospital. Half an hourter, Anya and Phoebe carried Joey into the consultation room after arriving at the hospital''s emergency department. The servant who followed them into the hospital waited dutifully at the entrance of the consultation room. However, there was no sign of Phoebe, Anya, or Joey even after some time had passed. The servant then decided to go in and check on them, but the doctor was busy seeing another patient. Phoebe, Anya, and Joey were nowhere to be seen. The doctor was unhappy that someone had entered without permission. Heshed out at her, "Who let you in? Get out and wait for your turn!" The servant asked the doctor, "Where are the twodies who came in with a child?" This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The doctor frowned and said, "They asked me to give the boy an injection to reduce his fever, so I told them to wait behind the curtain while I prepared the syringe. They were gone when I opened the curtain!" The servant looked behind the curtain and saw an open window. The emergency room was on the first floor, so anyone who climbed out of the window would already be outside the hospital! At that moment, the servant felt something was amiss and immediately called to report what happened. Anya and Phoebe fled the hospital with Joey and got into a cab right away. Anya breathed a sigh of relief after getting into the vehicle. "Where are we going now?" Phoebe said, "I have an apartment just off the expressway. The Riveras don''t know that it exists. We''ll head there and take a breather before nning our next move." Anya nodded. She was already very tired, so she had noints when she had a ce to stay. Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Initially, Anya was rather worried about their next n if they went to a hotel. After all, the hotel''s check-in record would make it easier for them to be located. If they were found, they would go back to square one. At that moment, Joey was crying softly in her arms. He had no idea what was going on, but he felt a sense of panic when things happened in such a rush. He did not dare to cry too violently anymore and could only do his best not to keep quiet. However, Anya could still hear his muffled cries since she was holding him. Ever since she found out that he was of no use to her, she viewed him as a burden. She showed neither patience nor love for him. "Stop crying! It''s annoying!" Joey had no idea what he did wrong. He looked at her uneasily and tried to talk to her, "Mom, Mom..." Anya shot back in disgust, "Don''t call me ''Mom''! I''m not your mother! You''re lucky I''m still doing the bare minimum to take care of you instead of abandoning you. Don''t make life difficult for me, or I''ll chuck you out of the car right now!" She did not want to carry him anymore, so she ced him on one side and let him sit alone. Joey felt aggrieved, but he did not dare to cry anymore. He wiped away his tears and tried his best to keep quiet. Soon, they arrived at the apartment off the expressway Phoebe bought under someone else''s name. Anya went to the shower to clear her mind. Once she calmed down, she and Phoebe began to put their minds together for their next move.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her phone vibrated as soon as she came out of the bathroom. Her expression turned to that of contempt when she saw that the caller was her useless best friend, Rosie. Rosie said she would help Anya get rid of Corinne, but Rosie never made any movement even after a long time had passed. She was worthless! Anya went to dry her hair without answering the call. After drying her hair, she noticed that her phone was still vibrating from Rosie''s persistent calls. Anya answered the phone impatiently. "Yes?" "Anya! What took you so long to answer my calls?" blurted Rosie anxiously. "Oh, I didn''t hear your calls because I was in the bath earlier." Rosie''s voice was trembling. "Anya, you¡­ You need to help me. You''re the only one who can help me now." Anya frowned in irritation. ''How am I supposed to help you when I can''t even help myself now?'' "What happened?" Anya asked. Rosie sighed and said, "Remember when I said I''ll help you get rid of Corinne? Well, I paid someone to stalk her and find the best opportunity to end Corinne''s life. I also promised him that I''ll take care of his family if he goes to jail. He epted my offer and agreed to do it. "Yesterday, the guy finally got a chance to execute his n and tried to ram a van into Corinne, but I didn''t expect Jeremy to find out his identity in less than a day. He sent someone to beat the man up today, and the man ratted me out! "What am I supposed to do now? Jeremy is going toe for me! Please try to persuade Jeremy, Anya! You''re the only one who can help me now..." Anya was a little surprised when she heard what Rosie said. "If that person rammed a van into Corinne yesterday, why is she still alive today?" "That person didn''t ram into Corinne. Lucas was beside her at that time, so he rushed over to protect her! The man ended up hurting Lucas while Corinne came out unscathed..." Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Anya''s pupils dted. ''Why would Lucas risk his life to protect Corinne? Something''s not right!'' Anya''s prolonged silence prompted Rosie to say, "Why aren''t you saying anything, Anya? You need to help me! If Jeremy takes it up with me, my family will be done for!" Anya snapped back to her senses. "It''s not that I don''t want to help you, Rosie. I just can''t help you right now." Rosie was puzzled. "What do you mean, you can''t help me? Aren''t you supposed to be Jeremy''s savior? Jeremy will always listen to you if you say something to him!" Anya sighed and sobbed aggrievedly. "A lot of things have happened recently that you don''t know about. Jeremy doesn''t think that I''m his savior anymore, and he won''t ever listen to me anymore." "What?" Rosie eximed in shock. "How did that happen? We all know that you risked your life to save Jeremy and became infertile because of that. Is Jeremy going to just abandon you like that? He''s not supposed to be that kind of person!" Anya sobbed. "It''s all Corinne''s fault. She tricked Jeremy into believing she saved him and that I was lying to him all this while. Jeremy ate it all up and ignored me since then. Now, my mother and I have been kicked out of the house by my grandfather. We were sent to live in the countryside! I''ve lost everything thanks to Corinne! As much as I want to help you, Rosie, there''s nothing much I can do. I''m sorry..." She continued sobbing at the end of her sentence. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Rosie was shocked and angry. "Corinne made Jeremy believe she was his savior?! Where did Corinne learn all these tricks? How was she even able to convince your family to kick you out when everyone doted on you since you were young?" Anya replied in a helpless, sarcastic tone, "She''s capable of anything if she can make Lucas risk his life for her." She manipted Rosie with thetter''s affection for Lucas. Rosie clutched her chest angrily on the other end of the line. "Corinne is a menace!" Anya had an idea and said, "I can''t help you now, Rosie. But what I do know is that our life would be so much more difficult if Corinne continues to be with Jeremy..." Rosie frowned worriedly. "What will it take for Corinne to leave him?" "Rosie," Anya began, "it''s only a matter of time for Jeremy to settle scores with your family after finding out you hired that man to kill Corinne. If Corinne''s dead, Jeremy''s feelings for me might return, and I might be able to persuade Jeremy to let you off..." Rosie went nk for a moment. After understanding what Anya was trying to say, she seemed to have made a firm decision and said, "I understand, Anya. You''ll hear from me soon!" The call ended at that. Anya grinned wickedly. She was hoping the bumbling Rosie would handle things better so there were no loose ends to worry about. Phoebe walked into Anya''s room and saw Anya spacing out by the window. She stepped forward and asked, "What''s on your mind, Anya? I ordered some takeout. You should eat some, too." Anya snapped back to her senses and asked mncholically, "Did you know that Lucas had a car ident yesterday?" Chapter 995 Chapter 995 Phoebe uttered in surprise, "Lucas had a car ident? What happened? If I remember correctly, he didn''te home yesterday. Was it because of the ident?" Anya narrowed her eyes slyly. "I believe so. He probably didn''t go home because he was worried Grandpa and Grandma would be worried about it." Phoebe did not have any familial bonds with her stepson, Lucas. He never respected her since young anyway, so she could care less if he died in a car ident. In fact, she would be even happier if the ident cost him his life! Lucas''s death was the only way Sunny would be the Riveras'' heir. She would no longer have to bow to the Riveras if that was the case. Anya was not concerned about Lucas''s well-being either. She knew from a young age he only loved her because he saw Luna in her. She even had to work hard to receive that sort of affection from him! At that moment, a thought urred to Anya. "Do you know how Lucas got into a car ident?" From N?velDrama.Org. Phoebe did not care at all. "It doesn''t matter to me! He doesn''t love you anymore, so there''s no reason for you to worry about him. Just leave him be!" Anya shook her head. "I''m not worried about him. I''m worried about something else." Phoebe froze. "What is it?" "A van nearly ran into Corinne. Lucas got into the ident because he tried to protect her." Phoebe was shocked to hear that. "Lucas risked his life for that b*tch?" Anya''s eyes narrowed slightly, "Yeah. You think it''s strange too, don''t you? Why would someone as aloof as him risk his life to save a random woman?" Phoebe had yet to realize Anya''s true reasons for raising her question. She eximed in disgust, "Well, it''s all because that b*tch is an expert at seducing men. Even someone like your brother can''t escape her charm!" Anya frowned. "It''s not that at all! I can bet that Lucas isn''t in love with Corinne!" Phoebe wondered aloud, "What else could it be if he''s not in love with her? What other feelings will a man have toward a woman?" Anya looked at her mother. She put forth her hypothesis in a serious tone, "If he''s in a rtionship with Corinne, shouldn''t he feel repulsed that Corinne and Jeremy are together? He doesn''t seem to be jealous of Jeremy at all. However, he cares for Corinne and shows Jeremy more courtesy than before. Don''t you think that''s strange? None of it seems to make any sense to me!" Phoebe saw the logic in Anya''s reasoning. "I see what you mean now that you''ve put it that way. So what''s your theory on why Lucas cares so much about Corinne?" Anya was silent for a few seconds. She then voiced out the one possibility that she feared most. "Do you think Corinne might be the long-lost Luna? Luna is the only person that Lucas would risk his life for." Phoebe''s expression soured when she heard Luna''s name. In all her years at the Riveras, her greatest worry was that the missing Emily might return with Luna. "But¡­ How?" Chapter 996 Chapter 996 Anya said firmly, "This is the only logical exnation. I can find no other reason why Lucas would care so much about her! And don''t you think Dad looks at Corinne differently now? Didn''t you notice something unusual about his tone whenever he spoke to her?" Phoebe felt a wave of fear when she recalled Maxwell''s reaction uponying eyes on Corinne. "If that''s true, it''s all the more reason to kill Corinne!" A ruthless expression appeared briefly in Anya''s eyes. "That''s for sure, but we can''t be the ones to do it." "Then who''s going to help us?" "I''ve arranged for someone to deal with Corinne. Let''s just wait and see what happens." Phoebe nced curiously at Anya. "Who is it?" Anya said, "You''ll find out if she seeds." Phoebe believed her daughter would not assign such an important task to an unreliable person. She did not ask any further and merely said, "Okay, Anya. Let''s eat. Tell your adopted son to eat something too. He ignores me when I talk to him, and he refuses to eat even if I feed him. He''s such a pain to take care of!" Anya had a look of disgust. "Leave him be, then. I''ll have one less thing to worry about if he starves to death!" Back at the Riveras, Corinne told Cedric and Beatrice the reason she skipped sses in senior high. She exined to them that she had learned everything that was supposed to be taught in school. Her financial conditions forced her to earn money by working, even though she had sses to attend. She was not lying when she said she had to work; she founded Newmoon Group at the time. The company was still in its infancy, hence why she had to devote more of her time to it. In essence, she was working for herself. She did not reveal anything about Newmoon Group because she did not want too many people to know about her identity. In addition, she was already weed by many prestigious universities even though she had yet to take the university entrance examination. She did not need to take the exam at all, but she still sat for it. The University of New Capital City was not her first choice at all. It was onlyter that the dean came to her and persuaded her to join them. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She wanted to make that clear to Cedric and Beatrice to prevent Phoebe and Anya from trying to fool them again. In addition, she revealed to the old couple that Phoebe and Anya had sent several people to the countryside to investigate her past. She also informed them that the two women had gotten someone to fabricate rumors online and nder her. Corinne''s detailed narration left Cedric and Beatrice distressed and a little sorry. They were heartbroken to hear that Corinne had to make a living for herself at such a young age at the expense of her time as a student. The old couple was even more ashamed of what their wretched daughter-inw and granddaughter did to Corinne. Beatrice reached out to hold Corinne''s hand. "We believe you. Rest assured that we''ll get justice for you. Phoebe and Anya will be punished for this. Cedric has sent some servants to bring them to the countryside! They''ll have some time out there." Cedric nodded. "You''ve suffered so much these few days. I''ll be stern with them even though they''re my family!" Chapter 997 Chapter 997 Corinne looked at Cedric''s and Beatrice''s kind appearance and recalled the disgust in their voices when she overheard them talking about Emily, her mother. Deep down, she viewed theirforting words to her with disdain. They probably would not be so kind to her if they knew she was the child of their former daughter-inw. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Corinne withdrew her hand casually and smiled. "Thank you both for trusting me." The punishment they gave Phoebe and Anya could hardly be called punishment. All they did was send them to the countryside summer home. ''What kind of punishment is that? It''s more like a vacation to me!'' All theforts of life were provided there, and food was provided too. The most that Phoebe and Anya would suffer from was loneliness if they stayed there too long. It was a far cry from the punishment the Riveras inflicted on her mother! Corinne was smiling politely, but her gaze had hardened with bitterness. "By the way, there is one more thing I''d like to discuss with you two." Beatrice said warmly, "Go ahead! We''ll do our best for you if it''s within our power!" "Yes!" Cedric added, "Feel free to ask!" Corinne had a faint smile as she said, "I hope you won''t misunderstand, though. I''m not here to talk terms with the two of you because of what Anya and her mother did to nder me. I simply wish to discuss this issue with you." Cedric exchanged nces with Beatrice. They did not know what Corinne wanted to discuss with them. However, they felt that Corinne was being much more polite and distant than usual. "Sure. We''re all ears, Corinne," said Beatrice. "What is it you wanted to discuss with us?" Corinne said tly, "Well, Miss Anya had been pretending to be Mister Jeremy''s savior. She lied that she was suffering from lifelong infertility to save him. It''s no different to emotional ckmail." Cedric was not around at the time of the incident and only heard about itter. Even so, he felt thoroughly ashamed of his granddaughter''s despicable behavior. "We know about that, Corinne. Are you seeking an apology from Anya or some sort of compensation from her?" Corinne shook her head. "No. I don''t need her worthless apology or anypensation for that matter. Before the truth came to light that Anya was perfectly healthy and was able to conceive, she told Mister Jeremy she liked children even though she was infertile. He then adopted a child with her while she was abroad, and they named him Joey. "As far as I know, Anya didn''t take good care of the child. He gets sick and injured all the time. I also heard that she treated the child indifferently after knowing he was of no use to her anymore. "Since she doesn''t like the child and isn''t keen on being responsible for him, I''d like to ask if you''ll allow Mister Jeremy to take Joey with him. After all, Mister Jeremy is one of the child''s legal guardians, too." Corinne had promised Joey that she would save him. She was adamant about seeing that promise through. Joey reminded her of when she was helpless as a child. After hearing Corinne finish her sentence, Cedric, Beatrice, and Maxwell all looked at her incredulously. Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Maxwell asked in surprise, "Are you saying you don''t mind Jeremy taking in the child Anya adopted?" Corinne nced at Maxwell. "Even if I did, it''s already toote. Joey has been adopted, and someone has to take care of him. An innocent child like him shouldn''t be allowed to suffer." From N?velDrama.Org. Maxwell looked at her admiringly. Most women would not be so kind as to ept a child her husband adopted with another woman. At that moment, the Riveras'' butler rushed over in a hurry and whispered something in Cedric''s ear. Cedric''s face soured at once. "How did that happen?! Get someone to start looking for them!" The butler nodded and turned around to leave. Cedric looked at Corinne confusedly and said, "You should go back home and rest. We''ll give your proposal some thought and let you know once we''ve made our decision." Corinne nodded. "I''ll excuse myself, then. I hope to hear from you soon." She then got up and politely bid them goodbye before preparing to leave. Maxwell stood up and said, "I''ll see you out." Corinne viewed her worthless father with indifference and remarked with some repulsion, "No need to trouble yourself. I know the way out." Maxwell could only halt his steps. "Okay. Take care on the way home." "I will," Corinne responded curtly before walking out. After walking out of the gate, she got into the ck car that had been waiting for her. Jeremy was sittingzily in the back seat while typing busily on hisptop keyboard. When he heard Corinne entering the car, he turned and nced at her. "Have you rified everything to the Riveras?" "Yes." Jeremy tapped the keys a few more times and closed theptop. He then caressed her cheek and said, "They nned to frame you, so now that the truth has been revealed, there''s no need for you toe and rify things with them anymore." Corinne said, "I''m making things clear to the old couple so that Anya and her mother won''t take advantage of any unsaid information to clear their name and continuemitting misdeeds. Their actions didn''t cause too big of an impact, but the public opinion that was turned against Holden Group is irreversible. Even though Holden Group is recovering in the stock market, we still need to be careful and cut off all chances for them to continue." Jeremy looked at her and pursed his lips. He pinched her cheek and said, "I''m d you were thinking of me all this while." Corinne ignored his teasing and said, "By the way, I just asked the Riveras for custody of Joey. They said they''ll think about it before replying to us." Jeremy was startled. "Why would you do that?" Corinne rolled her eyes at him. "Because you adopted him with Anya. You can''t just let go of all responsibility toward him. Besides, don''t you think his life is miserable at the Riveras? The way Anya raised him will scar him for life. "Anya doesn''t love him at all. She just wanted to use him as a means of emotional ckmail. Now that she can''t do that, Joey bes useless to her. She has no reason to be nice to that child. You''re one of Joey''s legal guardians too. He won''t have to suffer if you take him with you." Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked at her intently. "Are you sure you don''t mind if I take Joey with me?" Corinne shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I''d be lying if I said I didn''t mind it at all, but Joey is a cute kid. If he''s under our care, I can get a little preview of how to take care of children." Jeremy continued to stare at her before pulling her over and hugging her tightly. "I''m sorry I didn''t discuss this with you." Corinne leaned quietly on the man''s chest and closed her eyes. "Lots of things are beyond our control. I can understand what you felt when you were emotionally ckmailed by Anya." Jeremy blinked rapidly when he heard what Corinne said. Chapter 999 Chapter 999 "Corinne." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Yeah?" Jeremy lifted her chin and kissed her violently without warning! "Mmph!" Corinne''s eyes widened slightly, and she was taken aback by his sudden kiss. She could not push him away even when she pressed her hands against his chest, so she stopped struggling altogether. Jeremy took a while to break free from the kiss. When he finally did, Corinne took a breather. Jeremy calmed himself, gasped slightly, and said to her, "I''ll probably be very busy for quite some time, and I need to travel both within the country and abroad too. I won''t be able to spend a lot of time with you every day." The blush on Corinne''s face faded. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you have some overseas business to deal with?" The man nodded. "Yes. I''ll try my best to keep youpany at home if I have the time." Corinne thought for a while and suggested, "Where will you be going? Perhaps I can go with you?" Jeremy''s eyes lit up, and he seemed to be very happy. "Well, aren''t you clingy?" Corinne frowned and rolled her eyes at him. "I''m pretty free these days anyway, so I''ll just treat it as a holiday!" Jeremy smiled. He ced his palm on her head and rubbed gently. "Stay at home and take good care of your baby, okay? I''lle back to keep youpany when I can." Corinne was a little taken aback. She did not say any further and merely nodded. "Okay." Silently, however, she wondered, ''Is he stopping me from going with him because he thinks I''m a burden?'' 20 minutester, the car stopped at the door of the Holdens'' estate. Jeremy caressed Corinne''s head again and said, "I''ll be dropping you off now. Remember to eat your meals. I need to go to thepany now, but I''ll be back to keep youpanyter tonight." Jeremy probably had a lot of things to deal with since the Holdens'' stock value had not recovered fully. Corinne understood he would be busy, so she got out of the car obediently. After waving him goodbye, she turned and walked toward the gate. Jeremy waited until she reached the gate before nodding at the driver and signaling to drive away. Corinne was just about to enter the password for the gate when her phone rang. Pulling out her phone, she noticed it was an unknown number. As soon as she answered the call, the caller called out her name in a rather unhappy tone. "Corinne!" "Who are you?" Corinne asked. The caller replied, "Take three steps back, and you''ll see me." Corinne turned and looked behind her. There was no one there. She looked left and right too, but she spotted no one. "Sorry, but I have no time to entertain your pointless games," she said, stretching her finger across the screen to end the call. The caller seemed to know Corinne was going to hang up and immediately stopped her. "Wait! Don''t hang up!" Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 Corinne''s finger hovered above the red ''End Call'' icon. "Tell me who you are. If you have something to say to me, say it now." The caller said, "I''m right here! Just look left, and you''ll know who I am!" Corinne turned her head slightly to the left and saw a figure waving at her from a small alley. It was Rosie, whom she had not seen for a long time. She could not recognize Rosie''s voice as she used a voice changer during the call. A device like that was unnecessary if Rosie came with good intentions, so it was quite obvious she was up to no good. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne nced vigntly and chuckled. "Ah, it''s you, Miss Rosie. Why are you skulking there instead of approaching me? Does trying to be mysterious excite you or something?" Rosie stood at the entrance of the alley and said, "I do have something to talk to you about, Corinne. Come here and chat with me." Corinne was not going to let herself be fooled. She smiled politely and said, "No thanks. I''m already at the gate of the Holdens, so you''ll have toe in with me if you want that chat." Jeremy had sent plenty of people to hunt Rosie after her unsessful attempt at killing Corinne. She did not dare to go home or even book a hotel stay, much less enter the Holdens'' estate. "It''s not convenient for me to go in there. I heard that Jeremy''s grandparents are back. They''re old, so it might not be convenient for us to talk in their presence. It''d be best for you toe with me to find a quieter location where we can talk openly with each other." Rosie was Anya''s best friend, and Anya frequently manipted her to do her bidding. Thus, Rosie''s sudden appearance probably had something to do with Anya, too. Corinne did not intend to y along and said drily, "Sorry, but I''m beat today. If you''re keen on coming into the house to chat with me, let''s talk about it another day!" She ended the call and immediately entered the gate. The dial tone left Rosie fuming. She gritted her teeth angrily and was infuriated at how difficult it was to deal with Corinne. As she thought about the mission she had toplete, she rushed over quickly and caught up with Corinne before she entered. "Wait!" Corinne already had one foot past the gate. When she heard Rosie''s voice, she turned and smiled. "I take it you''ve changed your mind? Are you going toe in with me?" Rosie frowned. "Do I have a choice if you won''t chat with me somece else?" She would never have dared to step into the Holdens'' turf if Jeremy had gotten off the car instead of leaving. Since Jeremy was not around, Rosie decided she could go inside and have a seat. It would be a good opportunity to get everything done and over with. Corinne smiled. "Pleasee in, then!" She led Rosie into the house. Inside the living room, Greg was having lunch with Pam and Francine. When Pam heard the sound of someone changing their shoes, she looked up and saw that Corinne had returned. With a smile, she said, "You''re back! And just in time for lunch too! Wash your hands ande join us!" Corinne changed into her slippers before walking in. She greeted them with a smile and said, "A friend came to see me. She wants to talk to me about something, so is it okay if you ask someone to send the food up to my room? I''d like to eat while chatting with my friend." Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 ''Corinne has a friend over?'' It was only then Pam noticed someone standing anxiously behind Corinne. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. "Oh, it''s Rosie!" Rosie knew Pam and Greg. However, she could not help but feel guilty when she saw them since Jeremy''s men were looking for her all over the ce. "Grandpa Greg, Grandma Pam, it''s been a while. How have you two been doing?" "We''re both doing really well," answered Pam with a smile. "Corinne, why don''t you and Rosie head up now? I''ll get the servant to deliver your food upstairs after they''ve heated them." "Okay. Thanks, Grandma Pam," said Corinne with a polite smile. After that, she and Rosie went up to her room. Greg scoffed. "How rude of her. Why can''t she and her friend eat with us at the table? Is she worried we''ll hear something we shouldn''t have? She must be hiding something from us!" Pam threw him a warning nce. "Corinne is our granddaughter-inw and this is her home too, so she has the right to do whatever she feelsfortable with. Besides, they''re probably just going to have some girl talk. It''ll be awkward if you''re present too. I must say, old fool, you really should cut Corinne some ck since she proved she was innocent during the press conference this morning." Greg simply scoffed again and ate his meal silently. Francine, however, frowned. She looked up the stairs and muttered under her breath, "That''s weird¡­" Pam happened to hear what she said. "Francine, what are you thinking about? What''s weird?" Francine snapped out of her thoughts to answer her grandmother. "I just think it''s weird that Corinne and Rosie are friends now. Not only does Rosie hate Corinne, but she''s Anya''s best friend, too! We all know Anya sees Corinne as her love rival, so why would Rosie be friends with Corinne?" Pam frowned at the mention of Anya. "Nonsense. They were never rivals to begin with since Jeremy had no interest in Anya whatsoever." Francine pouted. Seeing this, Pam added, "Eat your food and stop thinking nonsense." "Yes, Grandma¡­" ¡­ Once the two girls reached Corinne''s room, Corinne told Rosie to make herself at home while she went to the bathroom to change into her loungewear. By the time she came out, a servant hadid out their lunch on the small table. Corinne was starving, so she quickly sat down and started eating. "Please help yourself, Miss Rosie," said Corinne with a smile. Rosie did note to eat. Frowning, she asked, "Corinne, did you bring me here to show off how happy you are to be living with Jeremy?" Corinne nearly spat out her food inughter. "What makes you think that?" Rosie red at her. "Well, why would anybody bring their guest into their room?" "You''re overthinking things. The reason I brought you into this room is because¡­" Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 "You said it''d be awkward to talk if Grandpa Greg and Grandma Pam were in the room. You wanted to tell me something, didn''t you? This room has the best soundproof wall, so feel free to say anything." ''This room has the best soundproof wall? Don''t tell me it''s ''cause they want to prevent the others from hearing what they''re doing at night. Oh my god, she''s such a shameless showoff!'' thought Rosie. Rosie could never be more wrong in interpreting Corinne''s response. Nheless, Corinne continued happily eating her meal. Rosie crossed her arms and looked at her with disgust. "Corinne, are you pregnant?" Corinne''s fork paused mid-air before she smiled. "Yeah, I am." Rosie frowned. "Does Jeremy know about it? What about his grandparents?" "Of course Jeremy knows about it, though his grandparents probably still don''t know. We haven''t announced the pregnancy yet ''cause we didn''t want them making a fuss about it." Rosie looked at her in disbelief and scoffed. "You''re the most shameless woman I''ve ever met, Corinne. Just when I thought you couldn''t be even more shameless, you prove me wrong. How can you not feel guilty at all?" Corinne did not understand what she was talking about. She bit a piece of meat, slowly chewed, and swallowed before raising her eyebrow. "Well, you''re the most illogical person I''ve ever met, Rosie," she said. "Just how am I illogical?" asked Rosie angrily. "Well, you said I''m the most shameless woman you''ve ever met, but then you asked me how can I not feel guilty at all? Which of the two do you want me to be?" Rosie was irked by Corinne''s nonchnt attitude. "Stop ying with words! I''m being serious here." Corinne threw her a bored nce. "Are you? I really can''t tell." "Stop ying dumb!" hissed Rosie between gritted teeth. "I was being serious when we were talking about your pregnancy." Corinne nodded. "Fine, but I told you I''m pregnant. What''s more, I don''t understand why I should feel guilty about that. It''s not like I''ve done anything wrong." Rosie scoffed. "You didn''t do anything wrong? Tell me then: Who''s the father?" Corinne was stunned before she burst intoughter. "Who''s the father of the baby, you ask? Who else can it be other than my husband, Jeremy?" Rosie crossed her arms and red at her. "You can drop the act ''cause Anya told me everything. The father of the baby isn''t Jeremy at all. You''re just using your pregnancy and his trust for you to marry into this family." ''Oh, this is getting interesting. I wonder what else Anya told Rosie to make her do the dirty work for her,'' thought Corinne. She put down her fork and sipped her water. "Tell me, then. Who do you think the father of the baby is?" Rosie was actually very reluctant to say it as the ''truth'' Anya told her was very difficult for her to ept. She gritted her teeth before she said, "The father of the baby is Lucas, isn''t he?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Corinne found Rosie''s answer so hrious that she spurted out all the water in her mouth. "Pfft! Ack, ack, ack!" The water sshed all over Rosie''s face, which made her scream. "Argh! What are you doing?" Corinne wiped her mouth with a tissue before pulling out another one for Rosie. "Sorry about that. I never expected Anya to tell you that!" she chuckled. Rosie snatched the tissue from her hand and wiped away the water on her face with disgust. "Well, she only tells me the truth. What else could she say?" Corinne smirked. She was curious to find out what other outrageous tales Anya told Rosie. "Did she tell you how I got pregnant with Lucas'' baby?" Rosie seemed to get even madder at the mention of that. She had worshiped Lucas since she was little. He was the only man she ever wanted to marry, so she could not stand the thought of him being defiled by the woman she hated the most in the world. "I can''t believe you''re asking me that! The only way you could''ve gotten pregnant by Lucas was if you slipped him some drugs to make him want to do it with you. He''d never do it with a woman like you otherwise!" ''I was right. Anya was making things up,'' Corinne thought with a sardonic grin. She said, "So you believe everything Anya says? Don''t you find the whole thing strange at all?" Corinne could not tell Rosie that Lucas was her brother, which meant doing the deed was impossible to happen.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Rosie rolled her eyes. "Anya and I grew up together, and we''re best friends. Why would she lie to me? You can''t seriously expect me to believe your story over hers, right?" Corinne smiled. "I''m not asking you to believe me. I''m just asking whether you find what she told you illogical." "How is it illogical? In fact, it sounds more like you''re trying to push the me to someone else." "I''m not pushing the me to someone else. I just find what she told you to be illogical. I mean, if the baby I''m carrying right now is Lucas'', why did I not force him to marry me? Why should I force Jeremy to marry me instead? Isn''t that riskier and illogical?" Rosie frowned. "That''s ''cause you found out Lucas'' not the type to be ckmailed into doing something he didn''t want. I know him the best. He''ll never bow to a woman like you. In fact, he hates being ckmailed the most! He wouldn''t have asked Edmund to bring you to go for an abortion if that wasn''t the case. "Just admit it, Corinne. You failed to force Lucas to marry you, so you told Jeremy the baby was his. That way, he has no choice but to marry you since he has a high sense of responsibility, unlike Lucas. Plus, you must''ve worked your seduction magic on him to make him believe you. But let me tell you something: You''ll never get away with this. You''ll be kicked out of this house too once they know the truth." Corinne keptughing while Rosie babbled. This made Rosie even angrier. "What¡­ What are youughing at, Corinne?! Have you no shame? Most people will feel guilty being found out for their wrongdoing, but you have the cheek tough?!" Stillughing, Corinne waved her hand. "I''m sorry, but I can''t hold it in anymore. You know, sometimes I wonder how it was possible for Anya to use you for so many years without you realizing. Well, now I know! Hahahaha!" Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 Rosie frowned. "Just what on earth are you talking about, Corinne? How did Anya use me? You have no right to speak badly about her!" Corinne willed herself to stopughing. She then sipped her water before saying, "Miss Rosie, have you noticed Anya had been using the same method to get her way over the years? She''ll always get someone else to do the dirty work for her. The only thing she needs to get you to do her bidding is to shed a few tears and y the victim card. No matter what happens in the end, she''s always the most innocent party in the whole matter." Rosie would never believe her best friend was the type of person Corinne said she was. "But she is innocent! She''s the kindest person I know. She couldn''t even bear to step on an ant, so how can you imply she''s maniptive? "Besides, the others and I protect her out of our own ord. She didn''t force us to do it. I bet you''re just jealous that many people love her. Stop making Anya look bad to me. I''ll never fall for your tricks!" ''Ugh. She''s a lost cause,'' thought Corinne while massaging her temples. "Fine, we won''t speak about other times since I have no idea what happened between you two. But what we can do is talk about the incidents where I was present. Miss Rosie, do you remember the time you were framed for hiring someone to hurt someone else, and you ended up in jail? "Well, Anya was the mastermind behind it all. She wanted to make me take the fall but failed to do that, so she made you take the fall instead. Anya isn''t only good at pretending to be innocent, but she does everything with caution as well. "She knew no n is foolproof, so she showed the suspect a picture of you and told him to testify against should things go south. She also gave strict orders to the suspect to not expose her under any circumstances." Rosie was shocked, but she quickly found the whole thing ridiculous. "You''re lying! You were the mastermind behind that incident. You''re the reason I was locked up in that stinky prison for a few months, so how dare you push the me to Anya? Especially when so much time has passed!" Corinne shook her head speechlessly. "If I was the mastermind behind that incident, why didn''t I make it so Anya was the one thrown into prison? What''s the point of throwing you into prison when we have no grudge between us?" Rosie fell silent. She was starting to see Corinne had a point. "Miss Rosie, take some time to think if what I said made sense. I knew Anya must''ve told you something from the way you suddenly asked to see me. She must''ve wanted you to do something for her, right?" ''She''s right. I did talk to Anya on the phone before I came here¡­'' thought Rosie. Her gaze started to waver, even though she did not want to believe she had been used by her best friend. Noting Rosie''s silence, Corinne asked, "Did she tell you I set her up this time? Causing her to lose the trust of her family and getting sent away to live in the countryside?" Rosie snapped out of her thoughts and frowned. "Yes, That''s what she told me¡­ "Corinne, I''ve been thinking it over, and¡­you''re right. Anya would always tell me some sob story to make me feel sorry for her so that I''d speak up on her behalf while she gets to keep her image clean." Corinne looked at her. "Well, it''s good you realized now. Just make sure you don''t get used by her anymore."N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Rosie nodded. "Corinne, when did you find out I was used by Anya?" she asked curiously. Corinne smiled. "From the beginning, frankly. You didn''t exactly treat me nicely when we first met. Back then, I thought it was because you like Jeremy too so you saw me as your rival." Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 "But then I got to know about Anya''s existence. After that, I realized every time you came to cause trouble for me, it was because of Anya. She''s good at taking advantage of other people''s love for her to make them do her bidding. Also, I''m guessing she told you she''ll put in a good word for you to Lucas so you and him will marry, and that you''re the only sister-inw she''ll ever ept?" Rosie stepped back. "How¡­ How did you know?" Corinne smiled. "It''s obvious you like Lucas, so she used that to her advantage. That''s why she lied to you, saying he''s the father of the baby I''m carrying. She was hoping by doing so, you''d get rid of me in a fit of jealousy." Through Corinne''s exnation, everything started to make sense to Rosie. However, the truth was not always pretty, so she found herself on the edge of breaking down. "A¡­ Anya has¡­been using me all this time?" Anya was Rosie''s best friend. They grew up together and would even wear the same outfits every day. Not only that, but they would go to dance lessons and even study abroad together too. Being born into a family that favored sons over daughters, Rosie always envied Anya, who was the apple of her family''s eyes. Not to mention, ever since she became best friends with her, her status in the family rose considerably. After all, not only was Anya the golden child in her family, but she was also Jeremy''s savior. To get on the Holdens'' good side, Rosie''s parents and grandparents started treating her better. They would buy her presents and hold an extravagant birthday party for her, just to invite Anya and Jeremy over to socialize with them. In fact, because of Anya''s rmendation, Rosie''s family received some business and investment from both the Riveras and Holdens, and the family business gradually revived. With the Riveras'' and Holdens'' help, Rosie''s family started to gain importance within the business circles. Ultimately, her family business became more prosperous. In the end, Rosie was hailed as the heroine who saved the family from bankruptcy. Because of this, she had always felt indebted to Anya. She saw Anya as the friend she could always count on, so she never expected Anya would use her like that. The shock of the discovery must have been too big of a blow as Rosie suddenly felt dizzy and was about to copse to the ground when Corinne quickly caught her just in time. "Miss Rosie, are you okay?" N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Rosie felt she was about to be sick. Frowning, she tried with some difficulty to open her eyes. After a while, Corinne''s beautiful face slowly came to focus. "Corinne...thank you for telling me the truth. Sorry for dropping in so suddenly. I''m going to head to Anya''s to ask her how she could lie to her best friend." She pushed Corinne away, straightened herself, and staggered out of the room, nearly hitting some furniture on her way out. It was obvious she still had not recovered from the shock. Seeing this, Corinne raised her eyebrow and went to support her. Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 "Miss Rosie, you don''t look too well. Should I ask my driver to give you a ride?" asked Corinne. She was not worried about Rosie since she used to hurt her. She just did not want the Holdens to get into trouble should anything happen to Rosie on her way to Anya''s house. Holden Group''s share price needed some time to recover to its previous height, and it was best not to let another scandal happen to throw a wrench into the whole thing again. Rosie waved her hand and shook her head determinedly. "No, leave me alone. I can get to Anya''s house by myself." She did not dare to ride in the Holdens'' car as Jeremy had put a hit on her. News must not have reached the mansion yet since no one tried to capture her yet. However, what if the driver identally reported her to Jeremy, and he asked the driver to drive her to Holden Group? She would not be able to get away then. Thus, Rosie insisted on leaving alone. She opened the door and was about to step out when she suddenly turned. "Corinne, if it''s not too much trouble, can you please walk me out of the mansion? I''m worried I''d bump into Grandpa Greg and Grandma Pam¡­ What if they start asking me questions?" After thinking it over, Corinne nodded and walked out with her. However, both Greg and Pam were not downstairs. Corinne guessed they were probably napping in their room. The only person in the living room was Francine, who was rapidly flipping through the TV channels with a bored expression. Chester could not tutor her on that day as he had something to do in school, and she could not help but miss him. It felt like it had been ages since shest saw him. Francine turned toward the stairs when she heard footstepsing down. She saw Rosie walking down with Corinne behind her. Remembering she forgot to greet Rosie when she first came in, Francine said, "Hey Rosie! Leaving so soon? Why don''t you stay for dinner as well? Jeremy will be back." Francine had the impression Rosie was quite good friends with Jeremy, Zeke, and the others. Rosie was a little taken aback. At that moment, any mention of Jeremy would send shivers down her spine. She squeezed out a smile and said, "It''s okay, Francine. I still have an errand to run. Let me buy you a meal some other day." For theck of anything better to do, Francine turned off the television and stood up. "Okay, I''ll see you off then." Rosie''s expression changed subtly. "There''s no need for that, Francine. Please continue with what you were doing." Francine had already walked up to her. She shrugged and said, "Don''t worry about it. Nothing interesting is on the television, anyway." Rosie was speechless. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Well, Miss Rosie, I guess I won''t need to see you off, now that Francine has volunteered to do that," said Corinne. Then, to Francine, she said, "It''s best to call a taxi for Miss Rosie. She''s not feeling that well." Francine nodded. "Okay." Rosie was shocked to see Francine behaving so nicely toward Corinne. ''Didn''t she used to hate Corinne with all her guts? Plus, I thought she was on Anya''s side¡­ What changed to make her ept Corinne?'' "Let''s go, Rosie. Corinne has just got back and needs her rest so I''ll see you off," said Francine to Rosie. Rosie looked at Francine and then at Corinne, who wanted to go back to her room to nap. Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 "Actually, I''d much prefer it if Corinne is the one to see me off," said Rosie. Corinne stopped walking and looked at her. Francine frowned. "You don''t want me to see you off, Rosie?" Rosie shook her head. "No, it''s not that. It''s just I remembered I have something to tell Corinne, and it''s not something a kid like you should hear." Francine''s cheeks puffed in anger. "Rosie, I''m not a kid anymore! I''m an adult!" Rosie smiled helplessly, but she did not say anything else to her. Instead, she looked at Corinne and said sincerely, "Corinne, can you please see me off? I remembered I have something to tell you. It''s about Jeremy¡­" Corinne narrowed her eyes. After thinking it over, she finally nodded. "Okay." Thus, the two of them walked toward the entrance. ''I wonder what she has to say to me¡­'' thought Corinne. ''There''s a chance she might tell me something important now that she knows Anya''s true colors.'' Francine secretly followed them out. After a few steps, Rosie noticed Francine was following them, so she stopped walking and looked at her. "Francine, stop following us. What I have to say to Corinne isn''t suitable for a kid to hear." Francine crossed her arms. "You can''t make me stop following you. Plus, I already said I''m not a kid anymore. I want to hear what you have to say about my brother, too!" Rosie frowned. "I really can''t say it in front of you ''cause it''s an X-rated topic." Francine''s eyes widened in surprise as her cheeks turned red. As embarrassed as she was, she stubbornly insisted, "Well, I''m an adult now, so whatever you have to say to Corinne, you can say it to me too! Seriously, I don''t get why you''re making such a big fuss about this!" Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Rosie was at a loss of what to do but she stood her ground. Thus, they were at an impasse. Seeing this, Corinne narrowed her eyes and beckoned Francine toe toward her. Francine frowned and walked up to her. "What?" Corinne leaned over and whispered something to her ear, causing Francine''s stubborn expression to immediately disappear. "Fine, I get it. I''ll stop following you guys. Happy?" said Francine. After that, she strode up the stairs. Rosie was awed to see the stubborn Francine so easily handled by Corinne. "What did you say to Francine?" Corinne smiled. "It''s a secret." Rosie frowned. "I respect you, Corinne. Not only did you make Jeremy fall head over heels with you, but even Francine, who used to hate you with all her guts, came around to liking you." Corinne was unfazed by the high praise. "You''re too kind, Miss Rosie. Let''s walk to the foyer now. I''m so looking forward to what X-rated things you have to tell me." Rosie''s lips twitched. She only used the excuse of Francine ''being a kid, thus not suitable to hear what they had to say'' to make her stop following them. ''Does Corinne really think I have something X-rated to tell her?'' wondered Rosie. Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 Once they were outside the gate, Corinne stopped walking and looked at Rosie. "You can say whatever you want to say to me here." Rosie looked around her. "But there''s a surveince camera here. If I remember correctly, the surveince system the Holdens use can pick up sounds as well." Corinne raised her eyebrow. "That is correct, but no one will check the records unless something out of the ordinary happens. You don''t have to worry about anyone finding out about what you say to me." Rosie looked troubled. "But there''s still a record of what I said. It''s hard for me to say what I have to say when I know it''ll leave a record. It''s just too embarrassing. Corinne, why don''t we go a bit further ahead? The surveince camera won''t be able to pick up our conversation if we go to that alley there. What do you say?" Corinne looked up at the surveince camera, and then at the alley Rosie was pointing at. Not only would the surveince camera be unable to pick up any sound from there, but the alley was also its blind spot. She grew vignt. Not only was Rosie trying to lure her to where the surveince camera could not see them, but she also stopped Francine from following them. Seeing the hesitation on Corinne''s face, Rosie asked, "Are you worried I''ll do something to you?" Corinne raised her eyebrow. "Well, will you?" Rosie smiled wryly. "You''re overthinking things, Corinne. You''ve already shown me Anya''s true colors, so why would I do the dirty work for her now? Besides, even if I want to hurt you, I wouldn''t have chosen this time since Grandpa Greg, Grandma Pam, and Francine all knew I hade to find you. "Not to mention, Francine saw you walking out with me. Not only do I not dare to do anything to you, but I have to worry that the Holdens would me me if something were to happen to you." Corinne narrowed her eyes. ''She''s right,'' she thought. Thus, she smiled and said, "Fine. Let''s go to that alley, then." Corinne followed Rosie to the mouth of the alley. "Now are you going to tell me just what is this all about?" Rosie nodded. "Yup. This ce is perfect." "Spit it out then. What X-rated thing did my husband do that I didn''t know?" Rosie''s eyes dimmed a little as she stared into Corinne''s eyes. "Well, Jeremy¡­ He¡­" She dragged out her words to buy herself some time because she found what she was about to say very embarrassing. Suddenly, the sound of a car engine starting came from inside the alley. Rosie took a nce to confirm the situation before pushing Corinne to the ground. "I have had it with you, Corinne! Drop dead!" Corinne''s eyes widened in shock. She lurched and fell to the middle of the alley. Hearing the sound of a speeding car, she instinctively looked toward the sound''s direction. The car headlights instantly blinded her, even though it was broad daylight. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Bang! Corinne flew into the air andnded on the windshield before rolling down to the ground. Blood immediately gushed out from the back of her head. The car reversed a few feet before quickly escaping through the avenue in front of the Holdens'' mansion. Rosie pretended to chase after the car so that the surveince camera would have a record of her panicking. She then went back to the crime scene. No one inside the mansion heard what happened outside since the walls were all soundproofed. Corinneid in a pool of blood with her eyes closed. At that moment, there seemed to be no signs of lifeing from her. Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Rosie looked down at Corinne''s unmoving body with hatred. "Did you really think you could drive a wedge between Anya and me? Well, you''re a fool if you think I''m going to believe anything you say. You deserve every bad thinging for you, you shameless b*tch!" Rosie waited a few more minutes to make sure Corinne was dead before running hysterically into the Holdens'' mansion, shouting, "Grandpa Greg! Grandma Pam! Francine! Come out quick! Corinne has been hit by a car!" Bowen was the first to rush out. "What did you say, Miss Rosie?!" he asked with shock. "I told Corinne she didn''t have to see me off, but she insisted on walking me to a spot where it''ll be easier to call for a taxi. I couldn''t. She wouldn''t listen to me, so I let her walk me there. A car suddenly sped out of the alley and hit Corinne! It was a hit-and-run!" whimpered Rosie. "What?!" eximed Pam who, along with Greg, hade out in time to hear what happened. She turned pale and nearly fainted, but Greg managed to catch her before she could fall. Greg was calmer than her. "How is she doing? Where''s she now?" he asked. "She''s lying bleeding on the ground outside. I gave her CPR, but she didn''t respond¡­" Pam clutched her chest as though she was about to have a heart attack. "Did you call the ambnce?" Greg asked with a frown. Rosie shook her head frantically. "No¡­ I was panicking so much that I forgot¡­ I''ll call them now." "Get the family doctor to check on Corinne now before the ambnce gets here," Greg ordered Bowen sternly. Bowen had already done that. "Yes, Mister Greg! Should I notify Mister Jeremy about what happened?" After thinking it over, Greg replied, "No. I don''t want him to panic and get into an ident too." Bowen thought that was sensible of Greg. After that, he rushed out to check on Corinne too. Pam''s chest hurt terribly. She clutched at her chest tightly as tears streamed down her face. "Corinne¡­ Oh, Corinne¡­ Please let nothing happen to that poor girl!" She then got up to go outside, but Greg grabbed her hand to stop her. "You won''t do Corinne any favor if you go outside now. What if you fainted again? Should the doctor save you or Corinne first?" Pam knew her body very well, and there was indeed a high chance of her fainting. Thus, she stayed inside. She wiped her tears, sat on the sofa, and took some anti-anxiety pills. The ambnce''s siren wailed across the air. The hospital reeked of the smell of death and disinfectant. The surgery room''s light had been lit for quite some time as everyone stood waiting outside with either a solemn expression or a tear-streaked face. Jeremy received the news from Tommy after his meeting ended. He immediately rushed over to the hospital. Lucas, too, rushed over after Rosie told him what happened over the phone. Lucas got there before Jeremy. The moment he saw him, he threw away his crutches and punched him.From N?velDrama.Org. "You b*stard! How can you let something like this happen to her?!" Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 Lucas'' punch startled everyone. Francine ran over and shoved Lucas away. "Why did you hit my brother? Who do you think you are?! You have no right to meddle in our family affairs!" she shouted. Jeremy simply wiped away the blood from his lips and strode to the surgery room. He was about to push open the door when Tommy stopped him. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Mister Jeremy, you''ll only serve as a distraction to the doctors if you go in now. Why don''t you let the doctors do what they do best and wait outside?" Jeremy lost his mind when he heard Corinne was hit by a car. At that moment, his eyes were blood- red, but Tommy''s words seemed to have hit the mark because he seemed to have calmed down slightly. He turned to Greg and Pam, who wereforted by their servants. He wanted to ask them what happened but feared that by doing so, it would worsen their already ill health. Thus, he turned to Francine instead. "Come here, Francine." Francine immediately walked over. "Yes, Jeremy?" "I saw her go into the mansion after dropping her off. She should''ve been resting at home. How did she end up getting hit by a car?" demanded Jeremy, his expression taken with silent rage. Francine was worried about Corinne, too. She did not expect something like this to happen either. "Corinne actually came back with Rosie in tow. She said they had something to talk about, so they went into your room after that. After some time, Rosie said she needed to leave, so Corinne went to see her off¡­ That was when she got hit by the car." It was only then Jeremy realized Rosie was there, too. He fixed his murderous gaze on her as though she was a prey. "You again?" The word ''again'' was significant as it implied Jeremy had decided she was the culprit. Corinne was nearly hit by a car three days ago. Fortunately, Lucas managed to push her out of the way. After some investigation, they found out the driver was working under Rosie''s order, but Rosie had gone into hiding by then. After two days of searching for her, Jeremy''s men came up empty-handed. Jeremy never expected Rosie would be brazen enough to finish what she started by going into their home. Jeremy''s eyes were so vicious that it sent a chill down Rosie''s spine. She pretended to be calm as she said, "Why¡­ Why are you looking at me like that? I didn''t do anything. I¡­ I only went to find Corinne to¡­to hang out¡­" Jeremy narrowed his eyes. "You never liked her, so why would you want to hang out with her? Not to mention, Corinne was nearly hit by a car three days ago, and we found out you were the mastermind behind it!" Rosie started trembling, but she then recalled what Anya said to her over the phone. She remembered she should not panic. "You''re right. I was the one behind the incident three days ago. I mistakenly thought Corinne was fooling around with Lucas. In a blind rage, I hired someone to scare her. But I never meant to cause any harm! The driver was only under the instruction to scare her, not hit her! You should me the driver for his bad driving skills instead of me! "I swear what happened today has nothing to do with me! Honest to god! I went to find her because I wanted to ask her something about the baby she''s carrying, and I got the answer I wanted. After that, she insisted on seeing me off, but a car suddenly sped out of the alley as we walked, and¡­" "Why ask about the baby she''s carrying?" asked Jeremy coldly. "Because I heard you''re not the baby''s father¡­and that the father is actually Lucas¡­ So I wanted to confirm it with her," said Rosie hesitantly. Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 "What?! Corinne''s pregnant?" eximed Pam in shock when she heard what Rosie said. She quickly got up and walked over to them. "Jeremy, is this true?" Jeremy had not announced Corinne''s pregnancy to his family as he was worried Pam would insist on plying Corinne with all sorts of nutritious food. He knew Corinne would be too kind to turn down, and she would end up with dangerously excessive nutrients. At this point, however, there was no need to hide the news of the pregnancy from his family. Thus, he nodded at Pam. This seemed to make Pam even more worried as not only did she fear for Corinne''s life but also the unborn baby''s. All of a sudden, she was hit with nausea, chest tightness, and difficulty in breathing. Jeremy reached out to steady his grandmother. Then, with a frown, he said to Francine, "You! Help Grandma to the chair." Francine did as she asked without protest, which was rare. She led Pam to the waiting chair to rest. Not wanting to be interrogated by Jeremy, Rosie followed Francine and Pam over to the waiting chair too. After thinking about it, she said to the old woman, "Don''t worry, Grandma Pam. There''s a high chance the baby Corinne''s carrying isn''t Jeremy''s. She didn''t give me a straight answer when I asked her who the baby''s father is, so I think¡ª" p! Rosie was smacked before she could finish her sentence, and her ears began to ring. After the ringing stopped, she turned to look at the person who pped her in wide-eyed disbelief. "Lu¡­ Lucas¡­ Why did you hit me?" she stammered with her hand on her cheek. She could not believe the man she worshiped would p her. She knew Lucas might be aloof most of the time, but he would never hit a woman. Lucas looked down at Rosie angrily. "You better watch what you''re saying. Don''t you think it''s rude to talk badly about other people when they can''t even defend themselves?" "But Lucas, I¡­" said Rosie weepily. That was as far as she got as she was at a loss of words. Pam did not understand nor did she care about theplicated web of rtionships between the youngsters. Instead, she put all of her attention into praying. "God, please keep Corinne and the baby safe. God, please¡­" At that moment, the surgery room''s light turned off. The doctor, whose forehead was slick with sweat, came out. He took off his surgical mask, shook his head, and sighed. "I''m sorry, but we did our best." The surgery had failed. Pam immediately passed out in shock. "Grandma! Grandma!" shouted Francine in a panic. Jeremy''s eyes widened in shock, but they quickly turned hollow. "What did you say? I dare you to say it one more time." The aura he was emitting was so threatening that it sent a chill up the doctor''s spine. s, it was not like the doctor could lie. From N?velDrama.Org. "I''m sorry, Mister Holden," repeated the doctor, "but your wife was sent here toote¡­" Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 "No, that''s impossible! What are you doing outside here? You should be inside trying to save her! Go back inside this instant!" roared Jeremy. He grabbed the doctor''s cor hysterically. "You better save her this instant, or I''ll burn this hospital to the ground!" Tommy came over to stop him. "Mister Jeremy! Mister Jeremy¡­ The doctor did his best, and I''m sure he didn''t want this to happen too¡­ Please calm down!" Lucas, who was in shock from the pain of losing Corinne, regained his senses. He walked up to Jeremy and started punching him hard, causing him to let go of the doctor. "Jeremy, this is both our fault! We were supposed to protect her! The only people we should hit are ourselves! Just when I finally found her¡­ I can''t believe I lost her again¡­" ¡­ Amid the chaos, Rosie snuck out to the stairwell so she could call Anya. The call quickly went through since Anya had been waiting for the call for a very long time. "How''s everything, Rosie?" "Anya, I did it! The doctor just came out to say there was nothing they could do to save Corinne! That b*tch is dead! We''ll never have to deal with her anymore. Finally, we can have Jeremy and Lucas all to ourselves!" Anya''s eyes lit up. She was so happy that she could not stop smiling. "Really? That''s great!" However, since this was the first time Rosie had done something like this¡ªindirectly causing someone''s death¡ªshe could not help but feel a little guilty, even though the person who died was someone she loathed. "Anya, are you sure what we did is okay? Sure, I hate Corinne just as much as you do, but I don''t think she deserves to die¡­" Anya''s smile turned into a frown when she heard that. After thinking it over, she finally answered, "Rosie, I actually feel more torn than you, but it''s not like we have any other options. We tried everything to make her leave Jeremy and Lucas, but she kept showing up. If anything else, it''s her fault. She forced us into doing this. If we don''t do this, we''ll lose everything to her!" ''Anya''s right. If we don''t do anything about it, Corinne will just think we''re a couple of pushovers. Not to mention, it''s her fault Anya was forced to live in the countryside,'' thought Rosie. "You''re right, Anya! Though, there''s something else I''m worried about. Both Lucas and Jeremy suspect I have something to do with Corinne''s ident since I was there with her. Please do something about it so they''ll stop suspecting me!" Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Of course. Now that Corinne is out of the picture, I''m sure Jeremy and Lucas will treat me like they did before. Still, you have to tell me all the details of what happened today so I cane up with a foolproof exnation for them, Rosie. This way, there''s less chance of you being exposed." Rosie nodded. She began to describe in detail what happened from the moment she met up with Corinne. ¡­ The hospital corridor reeked of death, so much so that even the air they inhaled felt cold. Lucas'' punches seemed to have sobered Jeremy. Jeremy sat on the floor with his head hung low, so no one could see his face. Lucas, whose hands were trembling nonstop, sat beside him. ''Oh, Corinne, my beloved sister¡­ I haven''t even begun to make up for the lost time, yet you''ve¡­left¡­'' He could never show Corinne his sincerity and prove himself to be a capable brother as she was gone. He would never be able to make up for all the suffering she went through when she was little. Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 Why did things have to be this way? N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Lucas wanted nothing more than to switch ces with Corinne. How he wished he was the one who got hit by the car instead! At that moment, Rosie¡ªwho just finished calling Anya¡ªcame over with a bottle of water. Out of guilt, she did not dare to be anywhere near Jeremy. She walked past him to get to Lucas so she could pass the bottle of water to him. "Lucas, do you want any water? I know you''re sad about Corinne''s death, but what''s done is done. Please feel better soon." Lucas red at her. "Why are you still here? Corinne would''ve been safe at home if it weren''t for you! Get lost! I don''t want to see your hypocritical face here!" He sent the bottle of water flying through the air. Rosie stepped back out of shock. "Lucas, is Corinne that important to you?" she asked weepily. Lucas was in no mood to talk to her, so he warned her, "I''m only going to warn you onest time. Get lost, or else!" "But I have nothing to do with Corinne''s death, Lucas! She¡­ She insisted on walking to the alley to get a taxi, even when I told her she didn''t have to! Her death might have more to do with fate than me!" ''Fate?!'' Lucas became even angrier. "Shut up! You better get out of my sight now, or I''ll make your whole family pay!" Rosie quickly fell silent, but she did not leave. She simply took a few steps back to wait for Anya, who was on her way, toe. ''Anya will exin everything to Lucas and Jeremy. They''ll see I really have nothing to do with Corinne''s death.'' At that moment, Jeremy''s phone chimed, indicating he had received a message. He did not take out his phone. In fact, he remained unmoving as though he was dead. His phone chimed again after a while, but he made no moves to check who it was. Nothing mattered to him anymore with Corinne dead. Seeing this, Tommy sighed dejectedly. He knew there was nothing he could do but watch over Jeremy. At the sound of the second chime, he looked down at Jeremy and sighed again when he noticed Jeremy was detached from reality. Suddenly, his phone chimed too. His pupils immediately shrank when he saw the message. After that, he bent down to whisper something to Jeremy when Anya''s voice suddenly rang through the air, interrupting them. Anya came running, panting. She squatted in front of Jeremy and asked worriedly, "Jeremy, are you okay?" Jeremy ignored her. His face was half covered by his hair, so no one could see his expression. Anya''s heart ached at the sight of Jeremy in such a state. "Jeremy, I came as soon as I heard what happened. Oh, poor Corinne! She had so much to live for¡­ "Jeremy¡­that''s just how life is. You''ll never know when someone will be gone from the earth forever, so please don''t be too sad about it." Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Meanwhile, in another hospital ward, Pam woke up from her unconsciousness with a splitting headache. She blinked a few times to take in her surroundings and realized Greg and Francine were sitting by her bedside. Francine grabbed her hand and said emotionally, "Grandma! You''re finally awake! You nearly scared me and Grandpa to death when you passed out!" From N?velDrama.Org. Greg sighed with relief, but he then frowned and said harshly, "I told you, you shouldn''t havee to the hospital! Now look at all the extra trouble you''ve caused us!" Not in the mood to deal with him, Pam ignored him. Even though she did not remember why she fainted, she did remember why she came to the hospital in the first ce. She grabbed Francine''s hand to help herself up. "Francine, how are Corinne and the baby now?" Francine''s expression slowly fell apart. She did not know how to answer Pam as she feared her grandmother would faint again if she told her the truth. Thus, she looked to Greg for help. Greg knew what she was worried about, so he deliberately scoffed and said, "You should worry about yourself instead of others, you old fool!" Pam knew they were trying to distract her, so she shook her head, saying, "I''m fine. I got a little dizzy, that''s all. Greg, Francine, please answer my question. How''s Corinne and the baby now? Are they both okay?" Francine remained silent. Greg, however, pushed Pam to lie back down on the bed. "Enough is enough. You''re too weak to have the luxury to worry about others right now. You should rest. The doctor will be hereter to check on your heart and blood pressure. We can talk about whatever you want at home once he gives us the clear," said Greg. Pam frowned and sat up again. "I know my body the best, and I say I''m fine! Plus, how can I not worry about Corinne and the baby? She''s our granddaughter-inw after all. Not to mention, the baby she''s carrying is a Holden!" Greg frowned and deliberately pulled an angry face. "How can you be so sure the baby she''s carrying is Jeremy''s? I heard she left him for some time while we were gone, and then she got pregnant not long after she came back. The baby''s father could be anyone. Don''t you think so too, Francine?" Francine was stunned. She had no doubts that the baby''s father was Jeremy. After spending some time with Corinne, she epted her as her sister-inw, so it was quite a pity she was lost to her forever. ''I know Grandpa is trying to get Grandma to hate Corinne so she won''t be too sad about her death, but¡­'' Francine was unwilling to malign Corinne until Greg cleared his throat and red at her. "Umm¡­ Yeah, Corinne did leave Jeremy for a while, and¡­she is popr with the guys, so¡­" In the end, Francine decided to go along with what Greg said for the sake of Pam''s health. "See, I told you so!" said Greg. "Even Francine knows how popr Corinne is with the guys. There''s no guarantee she didn''t fool around with another guy in the one month she left the house. You shouldn''t be taken in by her good girl image, you know. Besides, we can always find another girl for Jeremy to marry. I mean, who wouldn''t want to be a Missus Holden? We''ll never want for great-grandkids either!" Pam''s expression suddenly fell. She finally realized something. "Tell me the truth: Corinne is dead, isn''t she?" Francine kept quiet. ''Looks like nothing Grandpa says will keep Grandma from finding out the truth.'' Greg frowned. "Even if she is, it has nothing to do with us since she and Jeremy were never legally married in the first ce. She''s not really our granddaughter-inw yet, so you shouldn''t get too emotional about her." Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 Having her worst fear confirmed, Pam started to be hysterical. She threw off her nket and got down from the bed, despite Greg and Francine stopping her. "If you two won''t tell me, I''ll go ask the doctor myself!" Greg tried to get a hold of her, but there was not much he could do while being wheelchair-bound. Thus, he quickly ordered, "Francine, get your Grandma back here! She cannot find out the truth. The doctor said she''ll have another heart attack if she gets triggered again!" Francine quickly chased after her grandmother, who did not even bother to put on her shoes before she ran out of the hospital ward. Francine managed to catch up to her. With the help of their servants, they carried Pam back to the hospital ward, despite the old woman''s protest. Corinne''s death had be an irreversible fact, so the only thing they could do was to make sure Pam did not suffer any ill effects. Greg immediately called for a doctor to give Pam a shot of sedative once she was back in the ward. This way, she would be too out of it to worry about Corinne. Back at the surgery room''s waiting area¡­ N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Anya tried tofort Jeremy, but he simply ignored her. He did not even move when she pulled or touched him. It was as if his soul had left his body. Even though Anya was happy about Corinne''s death, she could not help but worry that Jeremy might go crazy with grief. ''Is Corinne that important to him? Come on, they only knew each other for a few months, so why is it so hard for him toe to terms with her death? After all, there''s plenty of fish in the sea. Take, for example, me! Why doesn''t he like me? Look at me, Jeremy!'' screamed Anya internally. She shook his body again. "Jeremy, say something. You''re starting to make me worry¡­" Still, she received no response from Jeremy. Rosie walked over. "Anya, why don''t you let Jeremy be for the time being? In fact, Lucas doesn''t look so good, either. Why don''t you gofort him?" Rosie''s intention could not be any more clear. Since Jeremy was in too much of a shock to listen to anyone, she wanted Anya to put in a few good words to Lucas about her so he would not hate her so much. Anya looked up at Rosie. They began a silent exchange of words using their eyes. Rosie hoped Anya would understand her and go talk to Lucas for her sake. However, to her surprise, what she got in the end was a p from Anya. p! This was the second time in the day Rosie was pped, and it hurt more this time. She looked at her best friend in total disbelief. "Anya! Why did you p me?" Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Anya was fuming, so much so that she started to hyperventte. Her shoulders rose and fell dramatically with each breath. "Rosie, I know you hate Corinne, but how can you get her killed?" she spoke with reddened eyes. "This is a real, living, breathing person we''re talking about! Not to mention, she was carrying a baby! Two lives, gone just like that¡ªand it''s all because of you!" Clutching her cheek, Rosie staggered backward. The pain she felt in her heart was a thousand times stronger than the burning pain on her face. She looked at Anya incredulously. ''Did she just openly use me of killing Corinne?'' "Anya, what¡­" ''But why?! I thought she came to clear my name! Or is this another new method she hade up with to get people on her side?'' Even then, Rosie had faith that Anya would never betray her. Hence, she tried to find all sorts of excuses for her. However, Lucas immediately looked sharply at Anya when he heard what she said. "Anya, who did you say got Corinne killed just now?" Anya pretended to helplessly wipe away her tears. "R¡­Rosie got Corinne killed! That foolish girl lured Corinne to the alley, where she knew it was the surveince camera''s blind spot, so the ouw she hired could run Corinne over with his car! I tried to talk her out of it, Lucas! And she promised me she''d never do anything to hurt Corinne. She went back on her promise!" ''Did Anya just expose me?!'' Rosie thought with shock. "Anya, how¡­ How could you do this to me?" she asked with wide-eyed disbelief. "I thought you were my best friend! I trusted you!" "Rosie, we''ve been best friends since we were young, so I''m willing to ept any ws you might have. But this¡­ This is just too much! Don''t you know killing is wrong?" Rosie was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. "But I did it for you, Anya! I did it so you can be with Jeremy again! How can you betray me at a time like this?" she said in quiet desperation. Anya took a deep breath as the tears kept falling down her cheeks. From N?velDrama.Org. "You did it for me? Rosie, I''ve told you a thousand times Jeremy and I can never go back to what we once were. That''s why I keep talking you out of hurting Corinne. You can try to reason with her, but you shouldn''t hire someone to kill her! Have you learned nothing from the time you were thrown into jail?" It was at that moment all the things Corinne said to Rosie that afternoon came rushing back into her mind. ''Anya is really good at pretending to be the innocent one¡­ She always takes advantage of other people''s love for her to do her bidding¡­'' Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 Rosie did not believe a word Corinne said about Anya. After all, why would she when she grew up being best friends with Anya? She believed she knew Anya the best in the world. ''No way would Anya use me! She''s the kindest and sweetest person I know!'' debated Rosie internally. However, there was no escaping from the truth staring at her. Her faith in Anya waspletely broken in that instant. "How could you stab me in the back like this, Anya?" Anya remained unfazed. "Rosie, I''m doing this for your own good," she said in mockpassion. "The truth will alwayse out in the end. You might be able to get away with it for a moment, but never forever. "Sooner orter, the police wille for you, and you might even get a harsher sentence for hiding your crime. Rosie, it''s best if you turn yourself in now. The judge might show you some leniency for doing that." Rosie could not stand Anya''s lying face. At this point, she wanted to take her down with her since there was no way she was getting out of hurting Corinne. She red vehemently at her. "Fine! I admit I hired an ouw to run Corinne over with a car! But you, Anya, should shoulder some of the me, too! You were the one who kept telling me what a bad person Corinne was. Even before you came back from abroad, you kept hinting to me to make trouble for her. Today was no exception. You indirectly told me to get rid of her. I wouldn''t have done so if it weren''t for you!" Lucas'' eyes turned colder than ice when he heard what Rosie said. There was no trace of sibling love for Anya when he looked at her. Instead, there was only hatred. "You have a part in this too?" he asked. Anya shook her head innocently. "No, Lucas. I don''t! I really don''t! Rosie is just saying that to drag me down with her!" Rosie chuckled softly. She knew she could never salvage her image in Lucas'' mind. Thus, she had no more fear of him finding out all the shady things she and Anya did to hurt Corinne. ''If I''m going down, Anya is going down with me!'' she thought. She trusted her, yet she betrayed her in the end. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Oh, drop the act, Anya! It''s funny that I never realized just how good your acting is until today. This is what you get for stabbing me in the back! Can you honestly say you had no part in what happened to Corinne today? "Have you forgotten what you said to me over the phone? Well, let me refresh your memory. You said only with Corinne dead can the two of us get the men of our dreams. You can''t seriously tell me that''s not you hinting at me to get rid of her!" "What are you talking about, Rosie?" whimpered Anya. "You shouldn''t make up lies like that about me! When did I ever ask you to get rid of Corinne? In fact, I remember clearly I tried to talk you out of hurting her over the phone." At that moment, Rosie felt nothing but hatred toward Anya, which was saying a lot as she never hated her before. ''She should get an Oscar for her performance,'' she thought sarcastically. ''In fact, I might''ve believed her if I wasn''t the one she''s trying to frame.'' Feeling it would be useless to continue talking to Anya, Rosie turned her attention to Lucas, who she knew she would never be able to marry in this life anymore. "Lucas, I hired the ouw to run over Corinne. Don''t worry, I''ll turn myself inter. But I hope you''ll see through Anya''s lies and believe me when I say she was the one who asked me to get rid of Corinne." As she spoke, she took out her phone and passed it to Lucas. "In fact, you can check my call history if you don''t believe me¡­" Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 "We made several calls to each other today to talk about how to get rid of Corinne, how to make it seem like we weren''t the culprits, and how to make sure she''s dead before asking for help¡­ Anya was involved from the start. In fact, she taught me everything," exined Rosie. Lucas took Rosie''s phone and, after scrolling through the call history, noted the many phone calls made between both girls. Thus, he started to believe Rosie over Anya. As disappointed as he was with Anya, he never expected her to be so vicious and cruel. Not only did she get rid of Corinne, but she was smart enough to get Rosie to do all the dirty work! Lucas red at Anya. "How do you exin the call history if you had no part in this, Anya? Is there no end to your scheming ways?!" roared Lucas. Anya was so frightened that she started trembling. Still, she kept up the act. "I knew it, Lucas! I knew you''d rather believe someone else''s words over mine¡­ But I can exin the call history," she whimpered, wiping away her tears. "All the calls were me trying to talk her out of hurting Corinne. She promised me she wouldn''t do anything stupid after I exhausted myself reasoning with her. But as you can see, she went back on her promise! "And thest call she made to me was to ask me toe to the hospital to save her after you all started suspecting her. I told her I wasn''t going to do that ''cause it''d be wrong for me to hide a crime!" Rosieughed hysterically when she heard what Anya said. "I can''t believe you said all that with a straight face! You tried to talk me out of hurting Corinne? As if! You were fanning the mes! You couldn''t wait for Corinne to be dead so you can get back with Jeremy!" Anya looked at Rosie disappointedly. "Rosie, must you drag me down with you? Besides, the call history alone isn''t enough proof to say I was involved with the nning. After all, you could be lying about what we talked about during the phone calls." Rosie scoffed. "I could say the same about you!" Anya sighed. "That''s where you''re wrong, Rosie," she said sadly. "I have proof." Rosie was shocked. "You have proof? What proof do you have? Stop lying, Anya!" Anya sniffled pitifully and wiped away her tears before taking out her phone from her pocket. "I''m not lying. I do have proof, and it''s in my phone!" Rosie frowned in confusion. "What is it, then? Don''t tell me it''s a call history too!" Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "No. I secretly recorded all of our phone conversations. I never intended to use them, but you left me with no choice, Rosie." "You recorded all of our conversations?" Rosie started to think back to all the things she said during the phone calls. "Well, that''s even better! Everyone can hear for themselves which of us two is the one telling the truth!" Rosie snatched Anya''s phone away from her hand. She yed the recording at full volume. "Listen to this, Lucas. Then you''ll see Anya was the one who taught me how to get rid of Corinne!" The recording started off normal. It was just regr chit-chat between two best friends, but then¡­ Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 The conversation between Rosie and Anya took a different turn. In the audio, Anya tried to talk Rosie out of hurting Corinne and saying things like she had forgiven her for stealing Jeremy. Rosie, however, persistently cursed Corinne and said she deserved to die. Toward the end of thest call, Rosie even described how she found the ouw willing to run over Corinne for some kind of payment before begging Anya toe to the hospital to save her. The weird thing was that every word Rosie said in the recording was from her very mouth, but it was obviously not in the correct order. Moreover, she was sure many of the things Anya said wereter added to the recording since she never heard her say all those things to her during their many phone calls. Thus, the recording merely confirmed what Anya said: That she tried to talk Rosie out of hurting Corinne, how Rosie was hellbent on getting rid of Corinne, and, finally, Rosie asking Anya for help in clearing her name. After the recording finished ying, Lucas red at Rosie. "Just what did Corinne do to you to deserve this? Why?! Why did you kill her?!" he asked between gritted teeth. Rosie was so shocked that she could only stare back nkly at Lucas. ''How¡­ How is this happening? Anya must''ve nned for things to end up like this all along!'' thought Rosie. She was right. Anya had been secretly recording all of their phone calls since way back and took out the part where Rosie was cursing Corinne to add to the recording she used seconds ago. ''Hahaha! Corinne had been telling the truth all along! Anya never saw me as a friend! I''m only a tool to her. I can''t believe I''ve been fooled by her innocent act all these years!'' Rosie knew she was finished. She copsed to the floor in a fit of hysterics. "How can you do this to me, Anya?! I trusted you more than I trusted my family! I see you as the most important person in my life! I did everything you asked just to make you happy!" Anya arranged her facial expression into one of sadness. "Rosie, if you''re really my best friend, you wouldn''t have tried to bring me down with you. Best friends don''t do that to each other. You''ve always hated Corinne, but your jealousy must''ve pushed you to get rid of her after you thought something was going on between her and Lucas!" "You were the one who told me Lucas is her baby''s father!" screamed Rosie hysterically. "How can you say it was all a misunderstanding? I wouldn''t even have known Corinne was pregnant if you didn''t tell me! You''re only doing this to save your own *ss! You''re a real b*tch, Anya! You had us all fooled with your innocent act¡­ You¡­ You¡­" Anya could not be bothered to listen to what the hysterical Anya had to say. Instead, she thought it was more important to make sure Lucas believed her. Thus, she turned toward him and said, "Lucas, I know Corinne and I hadn''t exactly gotten along in the past. I did some pretty bad things to her too, I know. But I never wished for her to die¡­ At most, I only wished for you all to stop liking her so much. Lucas, you get me, right? Yes, I''m not as innocent as I made you all believe, but neither am I vicious or ruthless enough to want someone dead!" Lucas looked at her coldly. He said nothing, so it was hard to tell whether he bought what she said. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The seconds ticked by, but he still said nothing. In the end, he turned toward Rosie. "Are you going to turn yourself in, or should I drag you to the police station?" he asked, ring at her hatefully. Rosie shook her head hysterically while tears of anguish rolled down her cheeks. She was unwilling to face the consequences of her actions. At that moment, Jeremy suddenly stood up and said coldly, "There''s no need for her to turn herself in." Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 Lucas'' pupils shrank. ''So he''s finallye back to life,'' he thought while looking at Jeremy. ''But what does he mean that Rosie doesn''t need to turn herself in?'' Jeremy lifted his head slightly to look at Rosie. His eyes were hollow, yet the intensity in his eyes was enough to kill with just one look. He slowly walked toward Rosie, who was sitting on the floor. Once there, he bent down and lifted her by the cor. "I''m going to make her pay with her life!" he roared before dragging her to the end of the corridor. Anya''s heart nearly jumped out when she saw how terrifying Jeremy was. However, her fright was quickly overpowered by relief once she realized she was safe. In fact, Jeremy getting rid of Rosie would work out in her favor since that meant she would not have to worry about Rosie testifying against her in the future. Lucas watched as Jeremy, who was not obviously in his right mind, dragged Rosie away. As much as he understood how Jeremy felt at that moment, he could not let himmit a crime. Besides, Corinne would not have wanted Jeremy to kill a person because of her either. Thus, Lucas started chasing after them. ''No, Jeremy. Don''t act rashly. Let thew decide what to do with her!'' he cried internally. He hoped to reach them in time to stop Jeremy from killing Rosie. Anya smiled in relief when she saw Lucas and Jeremy both gone. She was already in a good mood after getting rid of Corinne, but her mood only improved once she knew Rosie would be out of the picture, too. After all, she would not have to worry about Rosie taking revenge on her in the future. ''Now that they''re all gone, I can finally check on Corinne! I have to admit that b*tch is prettier than me even without makeup on, but getting run over by a car should''ve damaged her face, right?'' she thought. She was about to push the door open when it swung open from the inside. A couple of nurses were wheeling a dead body covered in white cloth out of the surgery room. From N?velDrama.Org. One of them frowned when she saw Anya blocking their path. "Excuse me, miss, but could you move out of the way? We need to quickly take this deceased patient to the morgue." At the words ''deceased patient'', Anya first thought of Corinne. She nced curiously at the dead body lying on the gurney, but the white cloth covering it made it impossible for her to tell who it was. "Excuse me, nurse, but is the deceased patient you''re wheeling to the morgue called Corinne Carew?" she asked. The nurse nodded. "Yes. Are you her family?" Anya shook her head. "No, but I knew her. Could I have a moment with her? You know, to say my goodbyes." "Of course. But we can''t let her stay in the surgery room any longer since another patient will need to use it soon. Oh, why don''t youe with us to the morgue? If you find that ce too scary, you can always say yourst goodbye to her during the funeral." Anya shook her head rapidly. "No, the morgue is fine. She was an important person to me, so I want to spend what little time we have together before she''s put to the ground." The nurse was moved by Anya''s pure-heartedness and bravery. ''They must''ve been really good friends,'' she thought. "Very well, then. Please follow us this way," she said. Thus, the nurses wheeled Corinne''s dead body to the morgue with Anya following from behind. It was freezing in the morgue. The air-conditioners were in full st to keep the dead bodies from rotting. Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 The nurses left the morgue after they put Corinne''s body on the stainless steel table. Before they left, one of them said, "Miss, I know you''re sad about your friend''s death, but it''s best not to stay in this ce for too long. You can leave after you''ve said your goodbyes." Anya nodded. "Okay. Thank you, nurse. Don''t worry, I''ll be fine." "And whatever you do, don''t lift the white cloth on the dead body, okay? I don''t want you to be frightened by the patient''s face; car crash victims aren''t always pretty to look at. There''ll be plenty of time to look at her after the morgue makeup artist works her magic on your friend," added the nurse. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Anya secretly jumped for joy, though she outwardly expressed sorrow. "Okay. I understand." After that, the nurses left her in the morgue as they had other duties to attend to. As soon as they left, Anya lifted the white cloth off Corinne''s face¡ªor, at least, what was left of her face. All she could see was a bloody pulp. It was a disgusting sight to behold. Anyone in their right mind would have puked. Anya was obviously not in her right mind as she suddenly cackled. "Hahahahaha! Serves you right, Corinne! Who''s the pretty one now? The car did a number on your face, huh? "Oh, what a pity you''re dead. I would love to find out whether Jeremy would still love you with this new ugly face of yours if you survived! My guess is he wouldn''t. In fact, he''ll puke if he sees your face now! "After all, men are visual creatures. The only reason he liked you was because you were pretty. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Why did you have to die so easily? What a buzzkill. You must feel lucky to have died at a point where Jeremy loves you the most. "Imagine if you didn''t die but lost the baby, all while having to live with that ugly face for the rest of your life¡­ You''ll experience what it feels like to have Jeremy slowly get tired of you until he decides to abandon you one day. Oh, just the thought of it makes me want to jump for joy! It''s a pity you''re dead, Corinne. Hahahahaha!" Anya did not feel any difort or fear at being alone in a room full of dead people¡ªwhich contradicted her innocent, fragile image. Sheughed louder and more maniacally until she stopped to look down and spat at Corinne''s bloody pulp of a face. "Tch! A country bumpkin like you will never be a worthy match for Jeremy. The only advantage you had over me is your pretty face, but even now, that''s gone! What''s more, I''ll never forgive you for stealing the title of his savior from me, you b*tch! "Did you really think you can be with him forever just because you''re his savior? Dream on! Jeremy is mine! I''m going to be with him forever and give him many babies! And there''s nothing you can do about it ''cause you''re dead! Hahaha!" Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 Anya knew there was no surveince camera in the morgue, so she dropped her sweet facade. Finally able to unleash all of the resentment she held toward Corinne, she cursed at her in every horrible way she could think of. "You''ve beaten me every time, but all that doesn''t matter now since I''m the final winner! Hahaha! You lost, Corinne!" Anya never nned to kill Corinne since she thought a country bumpkin like her was not worth dirtying her hands for. However, not only did Corinne steal Jeremy away from her, but she caused her to lose the trust and love of her family as well! "Serves you right for stealing everything from me!" N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Content with how long she unleashed mouthfuls of curses toward Corinne, Anya decided it was time to leave the morgue. She turned around and was immediately shocked when she saw Corinne staring at her two meters away. ''Ahh! It''s a ghost!'' Anya staggered back, nearly falling to the floor. She looked down at the Corinne lying on the stainless steel table, and then at the regr-looking Corinne staring at her. Both versions wore the same clothes. "Are¡­ Are you a ghost?" asked Anya shakily. The spot where the other Corinne stood was too dim to let Anya see whether she was real or simply just a shadow. Corinne silently smiled, which just made her look more sinister. Anya forced herself to swallow her fear. She red at Corinne and shouted, "Even if you''re a ghost, I''m not scared of you! I wasn''t afraid of you when you were alive, so what makes you think I''d be scared of you when you''re dead?!" She quickly took out her phone and threw it at Corinne. The phone simply passed through her body and fell to the ground with a tter. Anya was shocked. ''She really is a ghost!'' "Who do you think you''re trying to scare, Corinne? You''re already dead, so why don''t you hightail back to hell?!" Corinne smiled. "I''m going to scare you to death." Anya took a deep breath and scoffed in mock bravado. "You''re going to scare me to death? Well, sorry to disappoint, but you''re going to end up disappointed. I''m not going to be scared by a stupid ghost like you!" Corinne frowned. "Is that so? I thought a spoiled princess like you must be a coward." Anya realized Corinne never attempted to move toward her during their exchange, so she became even bolder. Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 ''Corinne would''ve turned me into shreds now if she''s a ghost capable of hurting people. Since she didn''t, it means the only thing she can do is to scare me,'' thought Anya. Anya cleared her throat and said, "Give it up, Corinne. You can''t scare me." Corinne sighed. "Fine. Since I can''t scare you, can you, at least, tell me something so I can rest in peace?" Anya frowned in confusion. "Tell you what?" Corinne blinked innocently. "Tell me how to be as good as you in pretending to be the nice girl and how to take advantage of the people around you. I admire how you can get everyone to willingly do the dirty work for you." Anya red at her. "Stop being sarcastic, Corinne! Have you forgotten how you caused me to lose the trust of all the people that used to love me?" Corinne raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure I did that and not you? Anya, you''ve not only used and lied to your brothers and best friend but also the man you love the most. Is there no one in this world you care about?" Anya threw her head back inughter. "Of course I do. In fact, I''ve always cared a lot about all of them." Corinne narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn''t have used them if you truly cared about them." Anya crossed her arms haughtily. "That''s just how rtionships work. You''ll inevitably use or get used by others. You can''t possibly think they didn''t use me too, right? Corinne, you''re insufferable even when you''re a ghost. When are you ever going to stop pretending to take the moral high ground?" Corinne ignored her jabs and instead said, "But I only ever see you using others. Tell me¡ªjust how did the others use you?" "Why don''t you leave the living to the living? I''m going out now, so move aside! I don''t have the time to waste with a ghost." Corinne remained standing where she was. "Come on. I''m already dead, and no one else is here, so please just answer my question. I want to learn from you how to manipte others so I can use it in my next life." Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Anya was starting to get impatient but not enough to allow her to run through a ghost without fear. "What do you want to know?" "I want to know how those people you used¡ªLucas, Sunny, Rosie, Jeremy, and Francine¡ªused you. From what I could see, they treated you with nothing but kindness." Anya looked at Corinne''s curious face and thought, ''Is she going to haunt me forever if I don''t tell her? I might as well exin everything to her. It''s not like she can do anything with the information, right?'' "You''re right. They were all very good to me, but they''re only doing it for their personal benefits and aim. They''re no better than me, frankly." Corinne raised her eyebrow. "Can you give me an example?" Anya scoffed. "Okay. Take Lucas for example. From the outside, he''s the doting brother who thinks I can do no wrong. He''s always the first to jump out to protect me no matter what. But the truth is, he did it to satisfy his own agenda." Corinne tilted her head. "What do you mean? Mister Lucas seems like he cherishes you. He even gave up his principles for you!" Anya chuckled softly. "That hypocrite didn''t do it for me. The only person he truly cherishes is his long-lost sister. He wouldn''t even spare me a nce when I first moved in to live with him and the rest of the family with my mom." Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 "It wasn''t until I started imitating Luna''s quirks, habits, and looks did Lucas ept me as his sister! I was just a recement for his long-lost sister. Everything he''s done for me is an attempt to assuage his regret toward his sister! Not only am I not thankful toward him, but I feel he''s a hypocrite," said Anya. Corinne was stunned. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What about Sunny? From what I can tell, he treats you really well¡­doesn''t he?" Anya rolled her eyes. "He''s nothing but a stupid, ungrateful brat. He''s only nice to me because I''ll put in a few good words for him to Lucas when he screws up his test. That way, he''ll get a lesser punishment. "He became taken in by you and kept telling me how great you are. Hmph! If I didn''t know any better, I would''ve thought you''re his sister instead of me from the way he kept defending you, an outsider, from me." "Then what about Jeremy? How did he use you? You lied to him about saving him, right? That was why he treated you as his savior," said Corinne. Anya''s expression softened at the mention of Jeremy. "He was good to me before you came into the picture. Even so, I knew he didn''t do it out of love for me. He was just trying to pay me back for saving him. "Not to mention, he knew I''d tell him everything I know about what''s going on in my familypany. You see, not only do both of our families hold a grudge against each other, but Rivera Group is Holden Group''s biggestpetitor. There were a few instances where he was able to easily outbid my brother for multi-million projects by using the information I gave him." Corinne took a few seconds to digest what Anya told her before asking again, "What about Francine? She always wanted you to be her sister-inw. She didn''t hide the fact she hates me and kept causing me trouble when I first moved in with Jeremy." A look of contempt filled Anya''s eyes at the mention of Francine. "Why, she''s the most shallow and basic girl I''ve ever met! She''s nice to me ''cause she knows I''m willing to buy her branded bags, shoes, and clothes. "She''s the illegitimate daughter Jeremy''s father had with another woman, and the only reason she was allowed to live with the main family is because she''s the first daughter in so many generations of sons. "Even though she grew up living at the mansion, she didn''t have that much money to throw around since her grandparents kept a tight lid on her spending. She hasn''t really been exposed to high-end brands. I''d give her the bags and shoes I deem too ugly to sell. Whenever that happens, that stupid girl will jump for joy and run around me like a little puppy." Corinne was struck speechless. It took her a while to ask Anya the final question. "Then¡­surely Rosie is the exception to all these people?" Anya had just as much contempt for Rosie as she had for Francine. "Rosie? I''ve never once thought of her as my best friend. It''s very obvious she''s only nice to me because she wants to use me to get closer to Lucas and marry into our family." "Then did you ever have the intention to set her up with Mister Lucas?" N?velDrama.Org content. Anya scoffed. "Of course not! Who does she think she is? My brother is one of the richest men in this country while she''s just a third-rate socialite. She''s beneath Lucas, and letting her marry into the family will drag our family name down, too! Though, I guess I should thank her for getting rid of you." Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 Corinne narrowed her eyes. "Is this how you show your gratitude? By letting Rosie take all the me and go to prison in your ce?" "Why not? I''ll go visit her often and make sure she gets plenty of good food in the prison," remarked Anya. Corinne tutted. "Miss Anya, I''m guessing you think you''re being quite generous, don''t you?" Anya red at Corinne. "You b*tch. What gives you the right to teach me how to be a decent human being? Everyone loved and trusted me before you came into the picture. I was the center of their worlds, and they were willing to do anything for me! "They all hate me now, and it''s all your fault! I hate you for stealing Jeremy from me, Corinne, and I hate you even more for causing me to lose everything! Because of you, I have to start everything from scratch and work harder to make them trust me again!" Corinne red at her. "Did you even, for one second, think you lost everything not because of me but because of your deceitful behavior? No one can make you lose anything if you''ve acted honestly and just." Anya did not take her words seriously at all. "Spare me the lecture, Corinne. Instead of wasting your time here spouting all those hypocritical words, you should just go to hell! Hahahaha!" Corinne remained calm at Anya''s insults. Suddenly, she pped her hands and said, "Alright, time to get up, everyone! Come and see Miss Anya''s true colors!" This startled Anya. She did not understand what Corinne was trying to pull. ''Who is she talking to?'' She got her answer a secondter. A chill went up her spine when she saw the supposedly dead bodies sitting up one after another, causing the white cloth covering them to fall off. She immediately fell backward to the ground. ''What the hell is going on? Don''t tell me Corinne can summon the dead now that she''s a ghost!'' she thought, turning pale. As she was trembling, one of the dead bodies jumped down from the table, strode toward her, and pped her face. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. "Anya, you heartless, two-faced b*tch! I think of you as my best friend, yet this is how you treat me? How can you abuse my trust like that? I was even willing to go through sh*t to make you happy!" Anya clutched her cheek and looked fearfully at the dead body who pped her. After taking a clearer look, she realized it was no dead body but Rosie instead! ''Rosie?! What is she doing here? Didn''t Jeremy get rid of her?'' Before she could figure out what was happening, a pnded heavily on her other cheek. Francine, too, had jumped from her table and ran over to p her. Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 "You evil woman! I can''t believe I wanted you to be my sister-inw. How dare you call me basic, stupid, and say horrible things about my past? You can take back all the ugly bags and shoes you gave me! I should''ve never trusted you! No wonder Jeremy didn''t want to marry you! Corinne is so much better than you! In fact, you''re worse than trash! Tch!" Anya looked at Francine with shock and embarrassment. "No, Francine¡­ This is all a misunderstanding! I didn''t mean what I said about you just now¡­ You should know I treated you the best out of everyone. Any time I saw something I thought you''d like, I''d buy it for you no matter how expensive they were¡­" Francine actually got angrier after that. She pped Anya another two times. p! p! "Tch! Stop lying, Anya! I might not have believed you were that kind of person if I hadn''t heard it myself. Since I have, you should know you''ll never worm out of this. You''re the most shameless woman I''ve ever met in my life!" rebuked Francine with her hands on her hips. ''Sh*t, I think I hurt my hips. Those two ps took a lot out of me. It''s all that hypocrite''s fault! It''s a good thing Corinne was smart enough to predict Anya''s every move. If not, we wouldn''t have thought to hide in the morgue,'' she thought. Francine was reluctant to go along with Corinne''s n because the Anya she knew was not a scheming, maniptive person. Well, she was certainly proved wrong. Not only was Anya scheming and maniptive, but she was also cruel, ruthless, and good at hiding her true colors. By then, Anya''s hair was sticking up all over her head from all the ps she received. She clutched her cheek and looked at Francine pitifully as she tried to exin, "Francine¡­ It''s not what you think it is¡­" However, the person standing in front of her was no longer Francine but Sunny. ''Sunny is here too?'' She was very relieved to see him, thinking here was someone who hade to her defense and to protect her. She grabbed his arm and said, "Thank god you''re here, Sunny! Quick, help me up!" However, Sunny simply stood still. He did not panic over her nor did he worry about her health, which was what he would usually do. No matter how Anya pulled him, he did not bend down to help her up. Disappointment and hurt filled his eyes when he looked down at Anya, who he used to think was the most perfect, kindest, and angelic person in the whole world. After a while, he shook off Anya''s hand and growled, "Don''t touch me, b*tch! You''re no sister of mine! I''ll never ept such a despicable woman as my sister!" Just when Anya thought Sunny would save him, he ruthlessly flung her to the floor. This time, she fell even harder than the previous two times. After all, no matter how hard Rosie and Francine pped her, their strength could never match that of a man. Anya was flung so hard that she was almost lying face down on the ground. After taking some time topose herself, she climbed up and wrapped her arms around Sunny''s legs. "Sunny, how could you treat me like this? I''ve spoiled you since you were little. Why are you treating me like a stranger?!" Disgusted by her touch, Sunny grabbed her wrist and flung her away again. "Well, you called me an ungrateful brat, right? I''m just being who you said I am! I''d rather be an ungrateful brat than have an evil sister like you! Now, get lost!"N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 After that, Sunny ran out as he wiped his tears. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. What happened today was a huge blow to him, and his whole world almost copsed. He found it difficult to ept that his own sister turned out to be the kind of person he despised the most. If Corinne had not sent him a text asking him toe to the hospital to see Anya''s true color, he would never have believed Anya to be that kind of person in a million years. His young heart would definitely need some time to recover from this kind of trauma. ''All this while, I thought Corinne was the one trying to steal Jeremy away from Anya¡­ Oh, how I regret doing all those mean things to her!'' he thought. Anya quickly sat up from the floor to chase after Sunny, wanting to exin things to him. She had lost Greg''s, Pam''s, Lucas'', and Maxwell''s trust. She could not afford to lose Sunny''s trust, too! After all, she and her mother depended on Sunny to take care of them for the rest of their lives once he inherited all of the Riveras'' fortune. However, no matter how much strength Anya exerted, she could not get off the floor. She suffered too much shock, causing her to feel weak in her limbs. Not giving up, she started crawling along the floor. Her hair was all messed up and covered half of her face, making her look like a banshee who crawled out of the deepest depth of hell. She kept crawling until a pair of familiar leather shoes appeared before her. She slowly raised her head and saw Lucas staring down at her. "Lucas¡­" she whimpered. "Lucas, help me up. I¡­I feel too weak to get up by myself¡­" Lucas looked at her coldly. "What did you just call me?" Anya reached out with tears streaming down her cheeks, hoping Lucas would hold her and tell her everything would be alright¡ªjust like how he always did before. "Lucas¡­ It''s me, Anya!" Lucas chuckled wryly. "Anya, you say?" "Yes! It''s me, Anya! Your sister who you love the most. I can''t get up. Please help me." "Oh, I know very well who you are." Anya smiled with relief. "Good, good. Now help me up. I don''t feel too good. I think I''ve been poisoned. I feel so weak all over¡­" Lucas remained unmoving. "Excuse me, miss, but why are you treating me as if I''m your brother? Didn''t you say I don''t see you as who you are but simply as a recement for my actual sister?" Anya was dumbfounded. "No, Lucas¡­ It isn''t what you think. I didn''t mean what I said. I only said those things to hurt Corinne. You mustn''t believe what I said just now." "I''m really disappointed in you. I admit, part of the reason I treat you nicer than the rest is because you remind me of Luna. For the most part, however, it''s because you''re also my sister, Anya! How could you call me a hypocrite?" "Lucas! Lucas¡­" "You''re even more vile than I thought." Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Anya shakily grabbed Lucas'' legs. "No, Lucas. It''s not like that¡­ Corinne''s ghost made me say all those things! Even in death, she insists on making life hell for me! This is what she wanted! She won''t stop until everyone leaves me! Lucas, you can''t let her fool you!" Lucas looked down at her condescendingly and frowned with disgust. He then lifted his leg to make Anya let go and stepped back to distance himself from her. Not caring how pathetic she looked, Anya crawled toward him again, hoping he would eventually come to her rescue as usual. However, mid-way through, she heard Beatrice''s voiceing from the door. "Anya, stop being so stubborn. Just admit you were wrong." This stopped Anya in her tracks. She turned toward the door, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw Beatrice walking through the door with Corinne supporting her. A split secondter, Cedric also appeared with his personal butler. ''Is that Corinne? Isn''t she supposed to be dead?!'' Anya snapped her head back to look at the dead body with the mangled face. It was right there! However, Corinne''s ''ghost'' was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only soul standing where the ''ghost'' used to be was Francine, who red at her with her arms crossed. ''How is this possible? Corinne''s supposed to be dead! The phone even flew through her body when I threw it at her! What is going on?! It can''t be a coincidence for everyone to be here while I said all those things¡­ Corinne must''ve nned all of this! That means she wasn''t dead!'' Amid Anya''s inner turmoil, Cedric and Beatrice slowly walked up to her. Once they stopped in front of her, Beatrice sighed and said, "Anya, your grandfather and I heard everything you said to Corinne. There''s no use arguing your way out of this. "We''ve given you nothing but love over the years partly because you do look a little like Luna, but you should know you''re every bit as much as our precious granddaughter as she is! We''ve never seen you as just her recement. We love you for who you are. "Especially your brother, Lucas. You should know better than anyone how much he''s cared for you, protected you, and spoiled you for the past twenty years! How could you say all those mean things about him? "And in what world is it right to use other people? Seriously, you need to get your sense of entitlement in check! I bet it was your mother who taught you all these ridiculous values!" Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Anya shook her head rapidly and said tearfully, "No, Grandma! It''s not like that! I didn''t¡­" Cedric scoffed. "Give it up, Beatrice. There''s no saving this one. She''s bing more like that scheming, unscrupulous, and unrepentant mother of hers." Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Anya looked at Cedric pitifully. "Grandpa, I didn''t! Corinne made me say all those things¡­" Cedric turned away in disappointment, unable to stand the sight of her. After all, she had brought nothing but shame to the family. Unable to get sympathy from anyone, Anya broke down into hysterics. Pointing at Corinne, she said, "This is all her doing! She''s the mastermind behind all of this! She''s supposed to be dead, yet she''s standing there without a scratch on her!" Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Both Cedric and Beatrice frowned at how unrepentant Anya was. Corinne looked down at Anya and chuckled softly. "Without a scratch on me? Are you blind, Anya? Do you not see this thing on my head?" she asked as she pointed to her bandaged head. Anya frowned. If she could, she would have killed Corinne with her re. "Why did you pretend to be dead if it weren''t to trick me into saying all those things?!" "You''re right," said Corinne with a nod. "I pretended to be dead for the precise reason you just mentioned." Anya''s eyes lit up. She quickly turned to Beatrice and Cedric and said pitifully, "Grandpa, Grandma, Lucas, you heard what she said! She admitted she tricked me into saying all those things." However, she failed to elicit the response she wanted from them. The three of them simply looked at her as though she was a lost cause. "You''re right, I did trick you into saying those things," said Corinne calmly. "I made you think I was dead so you''ll let your guard down. Only then would you be susceptible enough to reveal your real self. Miss Anya, those things you said about everybody just now were your real thoughts, were they not?" Anya crawled toward Corinne like a mad woman. She gnashed her teeth and screamed, "No! You set me up! You tricked me into saying those words! This is all your fault! All your fault!" Corinne stepped back just in time to prevent Anya from touching her. At the same time, Lucas stepped in front of Corinne and kicked Anya away. Anya fell face down to the floor again. After struggling to prop herself up, she continued to scream hysterically, "Did you just kick me, Lucas? And all because of that b*tch? Hahahaha! And you say you''re not a hypocrite? Who in the world would kick their sister to save an outsider? How am I supposed to believe you when you say you love me? You can''t possibly still think you''re a good big brother after kicking me away!" Lucas looked at her with both anger and chagrin. "It''s my fault for spoiling you so much that you turned out to be so horrible! What I failed to do as a brother, I''ll let sheer experience teach you!" He looked toward the door and said, "Officers, you may alle in now. Please take her away, and give her the just punishment she deserves!" Anya was shocked. ''The police are here?'' She instinctively turned toward the door. Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 Several police officers immediately walked in. Two of them walked up to Rosie and put her in handcuffs while the rest lifted Anya from the floor and handcuffed her. It took Anya a few seconds to register what was happening, but when she did, she immediately struggled. "What is this? What right do you have to handcuff me?!" she screamed. "Miss Anya, you''re suspected of abetting others tomit contract killing. We need you toe with us to the station to help with the investigation," said the lead officer. Anya chuckled coldly. "Where''s the proof of me having done what you''re using me of? Did that b*tch Corinne put you all up to this? Heh! You''ll be a fool if you think what she said can be trusted. I''m not going to the station with you all!" The lead officer frowned. "Miss Corinne has given us a piece of conclusive evidence. In the voice recording she provided us, you were heard encouraging Rosie to hire an ouw to run Corinne over with a car. You now have toe to the station for an interrogation." Anya''s mouth widened in disbelief. "What voice recording? That''s impossible!" She made sure to destroy the original voice recording. Corinne could not have gotten her hands on one! The lead officer knew it would be useless to reason with a person who was not in their right mind, and it was not like he could haul her back to the station without using force. Thus, he took out a voice recording yer and yed the evidence for everyone there to hear. The unedited version of the conversations between Anya and Rosie began to y. ''What¡­ How¡­'' How could something she had deleted appear again? Anya red at Corinne resentfully. "You! You did this! But how?!" N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne smirked. Recovering a deleted voice recording was easy for her. Anya did delete the original recording, but she managed to hack into Anya''s phone and retrieved the original recording, which she then handed to the police. With that recording, Anya could not possibly argue her way out of this. Thus, she allowed the officers to escort her out of the room with Rosie. However, when she walked past Corinne, she suddenly changed her mind and stood firm. No matter how the officers prodded or pulled her, she would not leave. She simply stood still and red at Corinne. Corinne returned her re with a smile. "I bet you''re still wondering why your phone was able to pass through my body, right?" Anya frowned and gnashed her teeth at Corinne. Her hate for Corinne waspounded by the fact of how she could easily see right through her. "Tsk, tsk! If only you spent some time learning about thetest technological advancement instead of scheming, you would''ve figured out that what you thought was my ghost was nothing but a holographic projection of my real body!" said Corinne with a smirk. "Why you!" Anya was so angry that she became lost for words. ''I should''ve known it was a holographic projection! That d*mn Corinne! How did she evere up with such an idea?! Ugh! I hate her so much!'' The officers had lost their patience by then. Not caring whether Anya was willing to cooperate, they finally resorted to using force to escort her out. Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 Both Cedric and Beatrice sighed as the police took away Anya. How could they not feel crestfallen that the granddaughter they loved and spoiled for so many years had fallen so far to the point of being jailed? However, they also knew Anya was no longer a child, so she must bear the consequences of her actions. Lucas, too, felt conflicted about Anya being taken away, but she had gone too far this time. He turned to Corinne. As much as he was relieved to see she was still alive, his heart ached when he saw her bandaged head. He could not help but wrap her up in a bear hug. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re still alive, Corinne! I was almost scared to death when I got the news¡­¡± Corinne did not put up a struggle. She did not hate Lucas as much as before but nor did she ept him fully. She simply stood quietly, enduring the hug. Except for the cut on her head, she was fine. Ever since she was nearly hit by a car three days ago, she knew she had to do something to protect herself as there was a high chance the same thing was going to happen again. Thus, she sewed ayer of bouncy sponge foam to the underside of her pants to act as an extra protectiveyer for the baby in her belly. This would greatly reduce any external impact from reaching the baby. The cut on her head was not so serious that it would cause brain damage, nor so minor that it would not require her to have some medical attention. As for the baby, it did kick around for a bit after the ident, but she was sure it would settle down once she got some good rest.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ In the surgery room, she asked the doctor to tell everyone waiting outside that the surgery had failed so she could expose Anya as the scheming woman she really was. Corinne wanted to end the feud once and for all. She wanted to expose Anya while she was still early on in her pregnancy to spare herself the headache of having to deal with her next time. Francine did not know Lucas and Corinne were siblings, so she walked up to them with a frown, pushed him away, and pulled Corinne to her side. ¡°Hey, keep your hands off my sister-inw!¡± she said angrily. ¡°She¡¯s a married woman now, so show her a little respect, alright? Even if you¡¯re interested in her, you¡¯ve lost your chance the moment she married my brother!¡± Lucas simply looked at Francine with a frown and said nothing. Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces with each other. They had noticed from the start that Lucas treated Corinne differently than before. Francine stood with her arms akimbo. She was about to continue cursing the Riveras when Corinne dragged her out of the room. ¡°Corinne, what are you doing? I¡¯m not done cursing at him yet. His sister is the reason you got run over by a car! Not to mention, Grandma nearly had a heart attack because of that! I¡¯m going to make the entire Rivera family pay for hurting you and Grandma!¡± Corinne threw a warning nce at her. ¡°Stop it, Francine. It¡¯s more important for us to let Grandma know that I¡¯m fine. God knows she must be in quite a shock right now.¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Francine pouted. ¡°So you do know just how much of a shock you gave her. How could you not let us into your n? Did you know Jeremy nearly¡­¡± Francine suddenly stopped speaking as she saw Jeremy in the corridor as soon as she walked out of the room. He was half-leaning against the wall with both hands shoved into his pockets. Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Jeremy looked at Francine with half-narrowed eyes and an indecipherable expression. Francine had seen how Jeremy broke down after receiving news of Corinne¡¯s death, so she knew just how important she was to him. She also understood Jeremy must be feeling all sorts of emotions, so it was best for her to give the couple some space. Corinne walked up to him. ¡°Hey, Mister.¡± Only when she got closer did she realize Jeremy was holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers. She did not know why, but it seemed like it had been a long time since Jeremy smoked. Jeremy threw the unlit cigarette to a trash can not far away before taking off his jacket and putting it around Corinne¡¯s shoulders. After that, he silently turned and left. Corinne frowned and followed after him. As dense as Francine could be sometimes, even she could tell something was off about the way her brother and sister-inw interacted with each other. Not daring to walk too close to them, she waited until they were a few meters away before silently following after them.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Along the way, neither Jeremy nor Corinne said a word. Meanwhile, back in the morgue. Edmund brought Lucas his crutches when he saw everything had settled. ¡°Mister Lucas, the doctor gave strict orders to not put pressure on your injured foot¡­¡± Lucas said nothing. He calmly epted the crutches and put them under his arms.N?velDrama.Org content. Cedric and Beatrice started panicking when they saw that. ¡°What happened, Lucas? What¡¯s the matter with your foot?¡± questioned Beatrice. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor injury, Grandma. Nothing a good rest couldn¡¯t cure. Don¡¯t worry,¡± replied Lucas gently. How could Beatrice not worry? ¡°Why do you need to use crutches if it¡¯s just a minor injury?¡± she asked. After thinking it over, she knew her grandson would never tell her the truth since he would not want to worry her. Thus, she turned to Edmund. ¡°Edmund, tell me what happened to Lucas¡¯ foot this instant!¡± Knowing Lucas would murder him if he told Beatrice the truth, he simply said, ¡°Mister Lucas is right. It¡¯s just a minor injury. Rest assured, I¡¯ll take care of him until he has fully recovered.¡± Beatrice was not going to stop until she got the answer she wanted. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you how his injury was. I asked you how he got injured. I watched him grow up, so I know it¡¯d be impossible for him to fall on his own ord!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­¡± Edmund looked to Lucas for instructions on what to say. Lucas was frowning, deep in thought, so he did not realize Edmund was staring at him. Beatrice could tell Edmund would never dare to tell her the truth while Lucas was in the room, so she asked Lucas to fetch Cedric¡¯s blood pressure medicine from the car as a way to lure him away. Since he was mentally upied, Lucas did not think too much about Beatrice¡¯s request. He simply nodded and went out to get the medicine. Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 Edmund was about to follow Lucas out, but Beatrice grabbed his arm to stop him. ¡°Stay here with us, Edmund.¡± ¡°Umm, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± said Edmund awkwardly. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. At that moment, all Lucas could think about was Corinne¡¯s condition, so he did not realize Edmund did not follow him out. As soon as Lucas was out of earshot, Beatrice asked, ¡°Edmund, tell me the truth now! How did Lucas injure his foot? Is it serious?¡± Edmund did not want to worry Beatrice by leaving her there, even though the room they were in was not a real morgue but a room the hospital set up to look like one. It had been left unused for many years, so it was quite dank and dark. It was not the best ce to leave two elderly people with frail health. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Lucas¡¯ injury isn¡¯t that serious. He only needs some rest, and he¡¯ll be good as new. Besides, he¡¯s not the type to take his health lightly. There¡¯s really no need for you to worry about him.¡± ¡°Stop giving me the roundabout, Edmund. I¡¯m asking you how Lucas injured his foot!¡± said Beatrice firmly. ¡°Uh¡­¡± There was no question about it¡ªLucas would kill him if he told Beatrice the truth. Still, it was not like he could just walk away and leave them there! ¡°Ma¡¯am, why don¡¯t we speak outside? I can feel this ce has bad energy, and I¡¯m worried you and Mister Cedric will fall sick if the two of you stay here any longer,¡± said Edmund, deliberately changing the subject. ¡°No! We don¡¯t believe in such mumbo-jumbo! You tell me this instant what happened to Lucas¡¯ foot! We¡¯re not going to leave this ce until you do!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Left without a choice, Edmund decided to tell her the truth. ¡°Okay, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll tell you what happened. Miss Rosie orchestrated another hit-and-run on Corinne before this. Three days ago, when Mister Lucas went to see Miss Corinne off after she left our house, a car came out of nowhere, wanting to run over Miss Corinne. ¡°Mister Lucas immediately jumped out to save Miss Corinne, but he himself got hurt in the process. He forbade me to tell you what happened because he was worried you¡¯d me Miss Corinne. So I¡¯d appreciate it if the two of you pretend you never heard what happened from me.¡± Cedric and Beatrice exchanged nces. They both felt there was something off about the whole thing. ¡°But why does Lucas care about Corinne so much? The only girl I¡¯ve ever seen him being nice to is Anya. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s really thinking of stealing Corinne from Jeremy!¡± said Beatrice. ¡°As much as we like Corinne, I¡¯ll never allow him to do something so shameful as to steal someone¡¯s wife. But I¡¯m sure Lucas isn¡¯t the type to give up his principles for a girl. Tell me, Edmund, why does Lucas care about Corinne so much to the point of him being willing to risk his life to save her? If I remember correctly, he didn¡¯t used to feel like this toward her.¡± Edmund did not know how to answer Beatrice and Cedric since Lucas told him Corinne did not wish for anyone to know her true identity. ¡®If I tell them the real reason, Miss Corinne will get mad at Mister Lucas, and Mister Lucas will get mad at me!¡¯ ¡°Edmund, why the silence? Answer the question!¡± boomed Cedric, sensing things were not as simple as they seemed. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 Edmund never felt pressure like this before. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s because¡­¡± Cedric red at him. ¡°You better not y dumb and tell us the truth. There¡¯ll be hell to pay if I detect a lie in your words!¡± ¡®I can¡¯t keep it a secret anymore. They¡¯re going to find out sooner orter¡­¡¯ thought Edmund. He sighed helplessly and said, ¡°It¡¯s because Miss Corinne is¡ª¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s your savior, Grandpa. We owe her that much,¡± Lucas chimed in just in time. Cedric and Beatrice turned toward the door and saw Lucas limping back in with the help of his crutches. Edmund sighed in relief. Faced with Cedric¡¯s immense pressure, he nearly blurted Corinne¡¯s secret! Lucas limped up to Cedric and passed him a bottle of medicine. ¡°Here¡¯s the blood pressure medicine you¡¯ve asked for, Grandpa.¡± Both Cedric and Beatrice were speechless. ¡®How did he get back so fast?¡¯ Lucas did not actually get the medicine himself. Halfway through, he suddenly realized Beatrice had sent him away on purpose, so he called his driver to deliver the medicine to him instead. Cedric epted the bottle of medicine and looked probingly at Lucas. ¡°Tell me the truth, Lucas. Is Corinne¡ª¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Lucas knew what Cedric wanted to ask, so he cut in. ¡°There¡¯s no need to overthink this, Grandpa, Grandma. Corinne is a good kid. She saved your life before, Grandpa, so I¡¯m just repaying her for doing that. You two must be tired now, so why not go home first?¡± After that, he half turned to Edmund and ordered, ¡°Edmund, see Grandpa and Grandma off to the car, ande back after that. I still have things I need you to do.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas,¡± said Edmund with a nod. Beatrice¡¯s eyes darkened. She knew how stubborn her grandson could be, so she decided to not pursue the matter for the time being. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll head home now. But make sure you take care of your foot, Lucas. You better let it heal properly so that it won¡¯t leave any aftereffects,¡± said Beatrice with concern. Lucas smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I know how to take care of myself.¡± Beatrice felt relieved to hear that. ¡°Good, good. Let¡¯s go then, Cedric.¡± Cedric was actually unhappy about not getting his questions answered, but he had no interest in staying in the ¡®morgue¡¯ any longer than he had to. Thus, he followed Beatrice out of the room without protest. ¡®There¡¯ll be plenty of time for me to ask Lucas who Corinne really is after he gets home,¡¯ he thought. Edmund saw the two elderly people off to their car. After they left, Lucas became deep in thought. ¡®Seems like they¡¯re suspecting Corinne to be Luna, but she¡¯s not ready toe back to the family yet¡­ And if I tell Grandpa and Grandma, they¡¯ll definitely make here home¡­¡¯ Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 Lucas was afraid it would cause Corinne a lot of trouble if Pam and Greg were to find out who she was. He failed to protect her before, so this time, he vowed to protect her at all costs. Meanwhile, in one of the high-end private hospital wards, Pam was sleeping under the sedative¡¯s influence. She was frowning in her sleep as though she was having a nightmare. Greg was sitting in his wheelchair by the bed, looking at her worriedly. He knew his wife would ask about Corinne the moment she woke up, so it was best to let her sleep as long as she could. ¡®Poor Corinne. Gone at such a young age¡­¡¯ he thought with a sigh. ¡°Hey, Grandpa Greg. How¡¯s Grandma Pam doing?¡± asked Corinne from behind him. At that moment, Greg was so focused on Pam that he did not recognize the voice to be Corinne¡¯s. Instead, he thought it was Francine who was asking. ¡°It¡¯ll take her some time to wake up,¡± he replied as he turned around. He immediately jumped in fright when he saw who was standing behind him, so much so that he lost control of his wheelchair and it crashed backward. ¡®Oh my god, it¡¯s Corinne!¡¯ Corinne was dressed in a blue-striped hospital gown. Other than her bandaged head and pale face, she looked rather healthy. ¡®Has¡­ Has shee back as a ghost to haunt me?¡¯ Seeing the fear in Greg¡¯s eyes, Corinne quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Grandpa Greg. I¡¯m not a ghost. Look, I¡¯m still alive!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Realizing that he had lost hisposure, Greg frowned and huffed, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Francine walked out from behind Corinne. ¡°Grandpa, Corinne only pretended to be dead, but she had a good reason for doing that! Anyway, it¡¯s a long story. I¡¯ll slowly exin it to you and Grandma after we get home. Just know that Corinne didn¡¯t mean to scare you two like that.¡± Greg looked at Francine, and then at Corinne. After calming down a little, he scoffed and muttered, ¡°Hmph! Not a peaceful day has gone by since that little troublemaker married into the family¡­¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Sorry for worrying you, Grandpa Greg.¡± Greg was stunned, but he lifted his stubbled chin proudly and turned his face away. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I wasn¡¯t worried about you! I was worried about my wife!¡± Corinne could not help but feel a little guilty when she looked at Pam, who was frowning in her sleep. She walked over and held the old woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandma Pam, it¡¯s me, Corinne. I¡¯m alive¡­ Don¡¯t worry anymore, okay?¡± Pam must have heard her as she slowly opened her eyes to look at her. ¡°Corinne? Is that really you? I thought¡­¡± Her voice started to fade as tears pooled in her eyes. Corinne sat by the bed to let Pam take a good look at her. ¡°It¡¯s really me, Grandma Pam. I¡¯m okay¡­¡± Pam clutched Corinne¡¯s hand tightly, and relief washed over her when she felt the warmthing off her skin. However, her relief did notst long as she suddenly remembered something. ¡°What about the baby in your womb?¡± ¡°The baby¡¯s fine, too. We¡¯re both fine, so don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± It was only then Pam allowed herself to fully rx. Still holding Corinne¡¯s hand, she tried to sit up. Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 Seeing this, Corinne quickly helped Pam up. She propped up her pillow behind her so it would be morefortable for her to lean against the headrest. After settling herself, Pam patted Corinne¡¯s hand. ¡°Corinne, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were pregnant? I would¡¯ve still been kept in the dark about it if it weren¡¯t for what happened today.¡± Corinne smiled and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it a secret from you. I just didn¡¯t want you to worry about me and¡­stopping me from doing all sorts of things to keep the baby safe.¡± Pam frowned. ¡°We¡¯re family. How can I not worry about you and the baby? You¡¯re both equally important to me! Look what happens when I¡¯m not there to stop you from doing things! You got hit by a car, for god¡¯s sake! Fortunately, you¡¯re still alive. I don¡¯t think I can handle losing you and the baby.¡± Corinne nodded docilely. ¡°Okay, I promise you I¡¯ll listen to everything you say from now on.¡± A smile finally appeared on Pam¡¯s face. ¡®Thank god both she and the baby are okay!¡¯ she thought and made a mental note to herself to arrange for more security to protect Corinne. Greg was relieved to see Pam getting better, but he could not help but grumble to Francine, ¡°Your grandmother only has eyes for her granddaughter-inw now¡­¡± Francine actually found her grandfather¡¯s jealousy hrious, which was a testament to how far she had come to change her opinion of Corinne. If this had happened before, she would be angry over the fact Pam seemed to favor Corinne above anyone else.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After spending some time with Corinne and getting to know Anya¡¯s true colors, all the prejudice she held toward Corinne vanished. In fact, she quite liked the lively and harmonious atmosphere in the room. ¡®I¡¯m going to be an aunt soon! Yay!¡¯ she thought happily. Suddenly, she realized one person was missing from the scene. ¡®Huh? Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡¯ She looked around the ward but saw no signs of him. At that moment, Corinne was cajoling Pam to eat a few bites of oatmeal when Francine tugged at her sleeves. ¡°Corinne, can youe over here for a sec?¡± Corinne handed the bowl of oatmeal to Pam so she could eat it herself before following Francine to the other side of the room. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Francine frowned. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Grandma, but haven¡¯t you noticed Jeremy isn¡¯t here?¡± Corinne knew Jeremy was angry at her, but she thought it was more important to make sure Pam was alright. After all, Jeremy was still young and strong, so she had faith he would be fine. Receiving no response from Corinne, Francine stood with her hands on her waist and said, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re starting to make me think you don¡¯t care about Jeremy at all! Did you know how sad he was when he thought you were dead? I¡¯ve never seen him so grief-stricken in my life!¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes narrowed for a second. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡®Took her long enough to worry about Jeremy!¡¯ thought Francine. ¡°I went out to look for him just now and saw him smoking alone in the stairwell. You should go over to make sure he¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about Grandma. I¡¯ll stay here with her,¡± she said. Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay, thanks. I¡¯ll leave Grandma Pam to you, then. Make sure she finishes her oatmeal.¡± After that, she walked out of the room. Once outside the corridor, she looked around to locate the door to the stairwell. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. ¡®Bingo! There it is.¡¯ She slowly made her way over and pushed open the door. ¡®Brr, it¡¯s a little cold here. Good thing I still have Mister¡¯s jacket on me!¡¯ It was very dark in the stairwell, so she could only vaguely make out Jeremy¡¯s silhouette leaning against the wall, and him puffing on the cigarette between his fingers from time to time. She knew he had given up smoking ever since he found out she was pregnant, and yet¡­ Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 ¡°Hey, Mister,¡± Corinne called out to Jeremy softly as she walked toward him. Jeremy turned to look at her and put out the cigarette silently. Corinne looked up at him. ¡°Why are you hiding and smoking here all alone? Don¡¯t you wanna know how your grandmother is doing?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. There was no obvious change to his expression. ¡°How is she doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already woken up and eaten something. She¡¯s actually doing pretty well.¡± ¡°Good,¡± uttered Jeremy emotionlessly. Corinne was not used to him acting like this. ¡°Are you angry at me for interrupting your smoking session?¡± she asked with a frown. Jeremy simply looked at her silently. Corinne waited for him to answer her question, but it was all in vain. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for bothering you,¡± she said testily. ¡°You can carry on what you were doing ¡¯cause I¡¯m going to go back now.¡± After that, she turned around and was about to leave when Jeremy suddenly asked in an inscrutable tone, ¡°Was it fun?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Stunned, Corinne stopped walking and turned around. ¡°Was what fun?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Was it fun to scare me like that?¡± Realization dawned on Corinne. ¡°Mister, I texted you while I was in the surgery room. It¡¯s your fault for not reading it. Not to mention, I texted Tommy to ask him to let you know I¡¯m okay. Didn¡¯t he tell you?¡± Jeremy¡¯s gaze hardened even more. His jaw became so tense, it caused the veins to pop up from underneath his skin. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still trying to justify yourself! I bet you won¡¯t be happy until I¡¯m lying six feet under!¡± Corinne was shocked. She did not mean for her words toe across so bluntly. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Jeremy pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°You little rascal¡­ How could you do that to me?¡± Corinne felt both angry and guilty at the same time. ¡°Anya is just going to keep causing me trouble if I don¡¯t get rid of her once and for all! Now that everyone knows her true colors, I can finally have some peace and quiet in my life¡­¡± ¡°But is it worth getting hit by a car for all that?¡± Jeremy asked sternly. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect Rosie would use the same trick twice in the span of three days¡­¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Is it that hard to admit you¡¯re wrong?¡± he said as she hugged her tighter. Corinne sighed. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m sorry. I promise I won¡¯t make you worry next time¡­¡± ¡°Next time?¡± ¡°I mean, there¡¯s not going to be a next time anymore¡­¡± Only then did Jeremy¡¯s anger dissipate a little. Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Corinne could still feel Jeremy trembling slightly. ¡®Seems like he¡¯s still traumatized by what happened¡­¡¯ In some twisted way, she felt rather touched as no one ever cared that much about her before. After Emily went missing, Corinne was treated worse than a stray by the people who were supposed to take care of her. ¡°Mister, what would you do if I truly died back there?¡± Phoebe, who was in the apartment, had settled down with a sheet mask on her face as she awaited good news from Anya. She thought their n would work for sure this time, so she was understandably surprised when she received the news of Anya¡¯s arrest. ¡®Lucas, Mom, and Dad all knew about Anya¡¯s arrest, yet they did nothing about it? Does that mean they¡¯ve given up on her? Oh no, what should I do?! What should I do?!¡¯ Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She never expected Corinne would fake her death to trick Anya into exposing her true self. Phoebe kept pacing around in circles until the sound of her phone ringing brought her back to the present. She thought she had found the answer to her problem when she saw it was Sunny calling. ¡®That¡¯s right. I still have Sunny! He can help me get Anya out!¡¯ She quickly answered her phone. ¡°Sunny!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Mom, where are you now?¡± asked Sunny raspily. ¡°I¡¯m at my apartment. How about you?¡± ¡°Since when did you have your own apartment?¡± ¡°Sunny, I don¡¯t have the time to exin everything now. I¡¯m going to text you the address so you can come here. We can discuss how to get Anya out.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Sunny before hanging up the phone. Phoebe quickly texted her address to Sunny. She anxiously waited for him to arrive. She could have discussed the matter with Sunny over the phone, but she did not want to risk it since she learned from the mole she nted in the Riveras¡¯ mansion that Corinne was able to incriminate Anya by using a voice recording. ¡®That little b*tch is more devious than she looks! I¡¯m not going to give her a chance to incriminate me or Sunny by leaving a voice recording. Anya¡¯s life is already ruined, so I must protect Sunny at all costs!¡¯ Sunny was her only hope. Nobody would dare to look down at her anymore once her son inherited all of the Riveras¡¯ family fortune. Phoebe continued to pace around the living room while waiting for Sunny. As she paced around, she could not shake the feeling she was being watched. After looking around, she noticed the bedroom door was slightly ajar, and a pair of big round eyes were secretly staring at her. Frowning, she quickly rushed over there and kicked the door wide open. Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 Joey fell backward from the force of impact and immediately cried. ¡°You mutt! How dare you spy on me?!¡± roared Phoebe. ¡°I¡­ I¡­not spying on you,¡± whimpered Joey. He really was not spying on her. He wanted to go out to the living room but was not sure whether it was safe for him to do so. He thought he would observe the situation outside first. Phoebe, who already thought of Joey as a nuisance, became even more irritated at him due to the anxiety and anger brought on by Anya¡¯s arrest. Thus, she decided to use him as a punching bag. She kicked him again. ¡°This is all your fault! Nothing ever went right for Anya after she adopted you. We should¡¯ve thrown you away the first chance we got!¡± Joey immediately curled up in pain. Almost every day, he would receive some kind of beating. Whenever Anya was upset, she would take it out on him. However, she would make sure to hit him on the parts of his body that would not be easily noticed should a bruise form. She was worried Lucas would find out what she had been doing to Joey. With Lucas not around, Anya was more brazen in her beatings.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Joey actually felt relieved when he saw Anya going out because that meant he would be spared from getting beaten up today. s, that was not the case. ¡®Why is Grandma hitting me too? She¡¯s so scary, just like Mommy¡­ I want to leave this ce¡­ I want to go back to my own country. I¡¯d rather starve in the orphanage than stay with these scary people¡­¡¯ Phoebe became even more annoyed when Joey started crying. She lifted him by the cor and pped his face harshly. ¡°Stop crying, you little jinx, or I¡¯ll give you something to cry about! Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re the reason your mommy was arrested by the police? Ooh, I should just kill you right here!¡± Phoebe kept pping Joey, even when his face became swollen and red. She had no intention of stopping until he was dead. ¡®There¡¯s no way the Holdens are going to let Anya marry into the family now that she has a criminal record. That means she needs to find another man to marry, and this little jinx will just get in the way! I might as well get rid of him for her now!¡¯ Suddenly, she heard the doorbell ringing. Only then did she let Joey go. She walked out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door after, and went to open the entrance door for Sunny toe in. ¡°Sunny, you¡¯re finally here!¡± she said, tears rolling down her face as she threw her arms around him. ¡°Have you heard? Anya has been arrested, and it¡¯s all Corinne¡¯s fault! You must think of a way to save your sister!¡± Sunny stood stiffly. He did not know how to feel about his mother. As a son, he was not immune to his mother¡¯s tears, but at the same time, he could tell from what his mother just said that everything Anya did had something to do with their mother. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡®Why? Why are both of them so vile, ruthless, and hypocritical? Why does she have to be my mother?¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. He pushed Phoebe away. ¡°Enough is enough! Anya got what she deserved, Mom! You need to wake up, too. Stop doing the wrong thing!¡± Phoebe looked at him in shock. ¡°Sunny, what are you talking about? How could you say that she got what she deserved? She¡¯s your sister, for god¡¯s sake! Hasn¡¯t she always spoiled you? How can you team up with other people to bully her? You¡¯re the one that needs to wake up!¡± Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Sunny wiped away his tears with his arm and said chokingly, ¡°But Mom, you should hear all the mean things she said about me, Lucas, Rosie, Francine, and even Jeremy! Not to mention, all the bad things she did over the years. ¡°I used to think she was the kindest and sweetest person in the world and that she deserved all the happiness in the world. That was why I hated Corinne so much ¡¯cause she stole Jeremy away from Anya. That was why I kept causing trouble for her. ¡°So you can¡¯t me me for saying Anya got what she deserved! She took advantage of our love and trust for her and hurt so many people in the past. She only has herself to me. Neither I nor you can help her at this point! ¡°I came here to find you to convince you to go along with Grandpa¡¯s arrangement. Go live in the summer vi, and take the time to do some self-reflection. You cane back once Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad have cooled down. But you should really give up the idea of getting Anya out. She needs to pay for all the bad things she has done.¡± Phoebe could not believe herst hope would say such things. She pointed angrily at him and shouted, ¡°You useless brat! Is this how you repay your sister and your mother after all the effort we¡¯ve spent in securing your future in the family?! ¡°Not only are you dumb, but you have no ambition at all! You and Lucas are both Riveras, so you have as much right as he does to take over the family business! Are you going to let him take away what rightfully belongs to you? Are you that stupid, huh, Sunny?!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny frowned. ¡°Mom, not only is Lucas the eldest son in the family, but he¡¯s also talented in many things. It¡¯s only right for him to take over the family business. Besides, I have no interest whatsoever in taking over the family business nor do I want to fight him for it. And even if I did fight him for it, I¡¯ll lose. Stop hoping for the impossible. I¡¯ll never fight Lucas for the right to take over the business.¡± Phoebe rolled her eyes in anger. ¡°You useless piece of sh*t! I regret ever giving birth to you! I¡¯ll have you know I used to be the belle of the school, and countless men have asked me to be their girlfriend! But to your father, I¡¯ll never be as good as that wh*re of his ex-wife. Now, even my son isn¡¯t as good as her son! Oh, why!? What¡¯s the point of giving birth if you¡¯re only going to turn out hopeless?!¡± Sunny looked at Phoebe pitifully and sighed. ¡°Mom, I brought some servants from home for you to take to the summer vi with you. I¡¯ve already instructed the servants in the summer vi to take care of you well, so please just stay there for the time being.¡± Phoebe looked at him with shock. It was bad enough that Sunny refused to help her, but he even sold her out?! ¡°You¡­ You ingrate! How can you betray your own mother? Oh, why can¡¯t you be like your sister Anya?! If only she was a boy¡­¡± Sunny did not want to waste his breath on his unrepentant mother, so he simply ordered the servant he brought from home. ¡°Bring her to the summer vi, and take good care of her.¡± The servant nodded. ¡°Yes, Mister Sunny.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After that, he walked away without looking back. He feared he would change his mind if he saw the resentment in his mother¡¯s eyes. ¡®Both Mom and Anya should be punished for what they did. I can¡¯t let them off the hook just because they¡¯re my family¡­¡¯ ¡°Sunny! Come back, Sunny!¡± screamed Phoebe hysterically when she saw him leaving. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me! You can¡¯t¡­¡± She started chasing after him, but the servant stopped her. Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 ¡°Ma¡¯am, please stop trying to escape. Mister Cedric and Mister Maxwell will have our heads if we fail to take you to the summer vi again,¡± said the servant. Phoebe pushed him away hysterically. ¡°Move out of the way! Who do you think you all are? You have no right to tell me what to do!¡± The servants had been tricked once, so this time, they decided to use force to carry out their orders. Two of them restrained Phoebe while the rest packed up her stuff. Since Phoebe had only stayed in the building for less than a day, there was not much stuff to pack. The servants collected the bits and pieces lying around the apartment in preparation to leave. Before they left, the lead servant heard the sound of cryinging from the bedroom, so he had his subordinate check on it. ¡°It¡¯s Mister Joey. He seems to be hurt ¡¯cause he¡¯s curled up on the floor crying.¡± The lead servant walked into the room. Joey was indeed curled up on the floor, trembling and crying. He was really quite pitiful to look at. Phoebe suddenly thought of something. ¡°Oh, no! He must¡¯ve fallen,¡± she said, pretending to be worried. ¡°Is he hurt? We have to take him to the hospital if he is!¡± rm bells went off inside the lead servant¡¯s head. After all, Phoebe and Anya had used the same trick to escape from them.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The lead servant squatted to check on Joey¡¯s condition. To his chagrin, Joey was really hurt this time. ¡°What are you still waiting for? Bring him to the hospital now!¡± urged Phoebe. The lead servant frowned. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it doesn¡¯t look like Mister Joey got his injury from a fall. What happened?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Phoebe¡¯s gaze shifted away in nervousness. ¡°How should I know? This naughty child was running around even when I told him not to. Maybe he knocked into one of the furniture while I wasn¡¯t looking. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter how he got hurt. It¡¯s more important to get him to the hospital. So let me go! I must get him to the hospital now!¡± Phoebe started struggling to break free. Joey immediately covered his head and trembled harder when he heard Phoebe wasing to get him. Phoebe did not seed in her attempt to break free since the servants restraining her did not dare to let her go without the lead servant¡¯s order. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you don¡¯t have to worry about Mister Joey anymore,¡± said the lead servant after weighing up his options. ¡°It just so happens Mister Cedric has ordered us to bring back Mister Joey for Mister Jeremy and his wife to raise.¡± Shock was stered on Phoebe¡¯s face, which then morphed into a scowl. ¡°No! Absolutely not! Joey is my grandson, so I won¡¯t allow anyone to take him from me! I¡¯ve already lost Anya, and now you want to take Joey away from me too? I¡¯ll be all alone in the summer vi! What¡¯s the point then? I might as well kill myself now!¡± After that, she made a gesture to bite her tongue. The lead servant immediately went up to stop her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please calm down.¡± Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to calm down! How can I be calm when you¡¯re going to take my precious grandson from me?! That¡¯s as good as asking me to die!¡± screamed Phoebe hysterically. The lead servant sighed helplessly and ordered his subordinates. ¡°Take Miss Phoebe and Mister Joey to the summer vi for now. I¡¯ll ask Mister Cedric for further instructions after this.¡± Phoebe was not satisfied with the oue. ¡°What? You¡¯re not going to bring Joey to the hospital first?! What if something happens to him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ve already checked, and Mister Joey only suffered some cuts and bruises. I¡¯ll get the doctor from the clinic near the summer vi to tend to his injuries once we¡¯re there,¡± said the lead servant. Phoebe frowned. ¡°No! I don¡¯t trust those hick doctors! Take Joey to the city¡¯s hospital now!¡± The servants were not going to fall for her trick this time. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please understand we¡¯re just following orders. Mister Cedric is going to severely punish us if we let you escape again. Take her away, boys,¡± said the lead servant. He gestured for one of his subordinates to pick up Joey. Together, they all left the apartment.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ As upset as she was, Phoebe knew it would be futile to keep fighting with the servants. However, she was notpletely without hope since she got to know from the lead servant that Jeremy still wanted Joey. ¡®I can use that kid as a bargaining chip. I mustn¡¯t let them take him away from me!¡¯ she thought. ¡­ The next day, Corinne realized she was lying on the hospital bed when she woke up. Thest thing she remembered before passing out was talking to Jeremy in the stairwell. ¡®Mister must¡¯ve carried me to the ward,¡¯ she thought. She lifted her heavy head to look at the clock in the room. It was eight something in the morning. ¡®That means I¡¯ve been out for nearly a day¡­ Wait a minute, where¡¯s Mister?¡¯ She quickly looked around the room for him. However, instead of Jeremy, she found Annie sleeping on the chair beside her bed. ¡®When did she get here?¡¯ Corinne propped herself up, and the noise woke Annie. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re awake! Don¡¯t move. Let me help you up!¡± She quickly got up and helped Corinne sit up after putting a pillow behind her. ¡°What are you doing here? Where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± asked Corinne after she made herselffortable. Annie spread her hands. ¡°Uncle Jeremy had to catch a flight early in the morning for a business trip. He called me and asked me toe and take care of you. He didn¡¯t feel at ease leaving you with Francine since he said she doesn¡¯t know how to take care of others.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡®Mister went on a business trip? Oh, that¡¯s right. He did tell me he¡¯d be very busy flying around in the coming days¡­ But why didn¡¯t he say goodbye to me before flying off?¡¯ Annie saw Corinne frowning, so she quickly exined, ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t get angry at Uncle Jeremy for not saying goodbye to you before he flew off. He didn¡¯t have the heart to wake you up when he saw you were sleeping so soundly.¡± Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 Corinne was not angry; she was just a little disappointed. ¡°Did he say when he¡¯ll be back?¡± Annie shook her head. ¡°Nope. He only told me to keep youpany here until hees back. And to make sure Francine doesn¡¯t do anything to make you angry.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± At that moment, Francine¡¯s voice came from the door. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make her angry! I¡¯ve epted my fate and epted her as my sister-inw, okay?¡± Both Corinne and Annie looked toward the door. They saw Francine walking in huffily with her hands on her hips. ¡°Ugh. I can¡¯t believe Jeremy would rather entrust Corinne to you than me!¡± Annie rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that surprising, considering how you treated Corinne in the past.¡± Francine fell silent as the memories of all the mean things she did to Corinne rushed back into her mind. This filled her with shame. Seeing the two girls were about aspatible as oil and water, Corinne quickly interrupted, ¡°Is there anything to eat? I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± said both Annie and Francine simultaneously. They then red at each other.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Corinne, I bought some chicken soup my mom made just for you. Wait here, I¡¯ll go get it for you now,¡± said Annie. She then went to get the container sitting in the cab. Meanwhile, Francine presented Corinne with the food Pam asked her to bring. ¡°Yo, Corinne, Grandma asked me to deliver breakfast to you. You should eat this instead of what an outsider brought.¡± Corinne was speechless. Annie came back and pushed Francine aside with her hips. ¡°Who are you calling an outsider? I was appointed by Uncle Jeremy to take care of Corinne. And, he specifically warned me not to let you anywhere near Corinne unless the circumstances call for it. I suggest you behave yourself, or I¡¯m going to call Uncle Jeremy to tell him you¡¯ve been a very bad girl!¡± Francine put down the container in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me calling you an outsider? You¡¯re a Levine, not a Holden! Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter if Jeremy doesn¡¯t want me anywhere near Corinne since it was Grandma who asked me to bring breakfast for Corinne. What right do you have to stop Corinne from eating the breakfast Grandma got the servant to specially prepare for her?!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Annie scoffed. ¡°I do have the right since Uncle Jeremy gave meplete say on how Corinne should be taken care of! Just leave the breakfast here and go! You¡¯ll only be an eyesore if you stay here.¡± Francine scoffed, too. ¡°Why you little brat! At the end of the day, I¡¯m still your aunt! How can you talk to me like that? Didn¡¯t your parents teach you any manners?¡± Annie gritted her teeth. ¡°Why you¡­¡± Francine, feeling that she had won, lifted her chin and said mockingly, ¡°Come now. Let me hear you call me Aunt Francine.¡± Annie red at her vehemently. She was so angry that her face turned beet red. However, the fact of the matter was she was indeed a generation younger than Francine. Corinne frowned. She was about to y the peacemaker when a gentle male voice came from the door. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite a sharp wit to you, Miss Francine. But aren¡¯t you worried others would think you¡¯re older than you are if they hear Miss Annie calling you ¡®aunt¡¯?¡± Annie instantly recognized the voice. Heart thumping, she quickly turned toward the door and saw Aaron entering the room with a flirtatious smile. Francine, too, turned to the door with a frown to see who would be so nosy as to stick his nose where he was not needed. Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 Corinne raised her eyebrow calmly when she saw Aaron walking in. ¡®What¡¯s he doing here?¡¯ Even though Francine was stunned by Aaron¡¯s good looks, she did fall head over heels for him as her heart already belonged to Chester, even if it was one-sided love at the moment. ring at him, she asked rudely, ¡°And just who are you? Didn¡¯t anyone teach you to knock before coming in? Seriously, the nerve of you.¡± Aaron smiled at Francine before turning to Corinne, saying coyly, ¡°Well, I never had to knock before going into her bedroom, so why do I need to start now?¡± Hearing this, Francine grew alert. She looked at Aaron from head to toe before looking probingly at Corinne. ¡°What?! Are you her ex-boyfriend?¡± Aaron said nothing. He simply smiled ambiguously instead. Francine assumed she had guessed right. She put her hands on her hips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, Corinne! How can you take the opportunity to meet with your old me while Jeremy is on his business trip? Do you not love him anymore?¡± Corinne gave Francine a side-eye before continuing to massage her temples tiredly. ¡°Ignore him. I don¡¯t have an ex-boyfriend. Even if I have, he certainly won¡¯t be one.¡± Francine was a little taken aback by Corinne¡¯s response, but she was not all that convinced. Aaron frowned unhappily. ¡°Boss, do you have to put me down like that in front of others? Am I not pretty enough for you?¡± Corinne was used to Aaron¡¯s vainness and silliness, so she did not think too much of it. Changing the topic, she asked, ¡°What are you doing here? You should be working at this hour.¡± Aaron shrugged. He walked over and looked at the injury on her head with concern. ¡°I couldn¡¯t focus on work after I heard you got hurt, so I came to make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine, so you can go back to work now. You need to work on your work ethic, you know that?¡± Corinne secretly nced at Annie to observe her reaction while she was talking. From the moment Aaron came in, Annie¡¯s lovestruck eyes never left him. She quickly put away her previous shrewish behavior and said demurely, ¡°How nice of you to visit Corinne, Mister Aaron. She¡¯s about to have her breakfast, so why don¡¯t you join her? You¡¯re about to be in for a real treat ¡¯cause these are all my mom¡¯s signature dishes.¡± Francine found it weird that Annie would suddenly speak so gently, so she quietly observed Annie¡¯s expression. She could instantly tell Annie had a major crush on Aaron. ¡®Ah, so this is the type of guy she likes. Hehe! My Chester is so much better looking than him, though.¡¯ Aaron smiled at Annie. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I already ate with friends before I came.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Alright, then,¡± said Annie disappointedly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you stay for a bit to have a chat?¡± After saying that, Annie brought over a chair for Aaron to sit on. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Aaron after sitting down unceremoniously before turning his attention back to Corinne. ¡°Boss, how are you feeling? Does your head hurt?¡± he asked worriedly. In contrast to his attitude toward Corinne, it was obvious Aaron only treated Annie with the bare minimum of politeness. Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Did you get hurt anywhere else? Don¡¯t hide anything from me, okay?¡± Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 ¡°I told you I¡¯m fine. Besides, why did youe alone? Where¡¯s Xante?¡± asked Corinne. N?velDrama.Org content. Based on her understanding of her two childhood friends, they would nevere alone in this kind of situation. Aaron smiled. ¡°They went to get some food for you from your favorite tapas restaurant. There was a long line since the restaurant was so busy. I don¡¯t like lining up, so I came first.¡± ¡®They? Who¡¯s they?¡¯ ¡°Who¡¯s Xante with?¡± Annie poured some water for Aaron. ¡°Here you go, Mister Aaron. Please have some water.¡± ¡°Thanks, Annie.¡± Aaron gracefully epted the ss of water while answering, ¡°Xante¡¯s with my girlfriend.¡± ¡®Girlfriend¡¯. The word was like a stab in the heart for Annie. She looked at Aaron in disbelief, thinking she heard wrong. However, Aaron did not look at her. Instead, he looked at Corinne with a smile. ¡°They should be here soon. Boss, my girlfriend is very nervous about meeting you, so please be kind to her, yeah? And please don¡¯t tell her any embarrassing stories about me.¡± Corinne had lost count of how many of Aaron¡¯s girlfriends she met with over the years, so she was not that interested to meet with this new one. She was, however, interested in Annie¡¯s reaction. She knew Annie had fallen head over heels for Aaron, and nothing Corinne said could ever convince her not to like him. Thus, she was sure Annie must be very hurt to find out about Aaron¡¯s new girlfriend. As expected, Annie¡¯s eyes started to turn red. She seemed a little bit at a loss for what to do, too. ¡°Hey, Annie. What¡¯s wrong? Did you get the pins and needles?¡± asked Francine, who was not exactly known for her ability to read the room, when she saw Annie fidgeting. Annie looked down in embarrassment. ¡°E¡ªExcuse me. I need to go to the restroom,¡± she said shakily before she ran out of the room. Seeing this, Corinne became worried. ¡°Francine, go with Annie to make sure she¡¯s okay. She doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± Francine pouted. ¡°Corinne, are you trying to get me to leave so you can be alone with this man?¡± Corinne frowned in annoyance. ¡°Cut it out. Go check on Annie now. Your brother will kill you if anything happens to her.¡± Bringing up Jeremy seemed to have done the trick as Francine immediately did what she was told, even though she did not care about Annie at all. After Francine went out, Corinne narrowed her eyes at Aaron. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron shrugged innocently. ¡°I¡¯m not! My girlfriend isingter; you¡¯ll see for yourself. And you have my guarantee that she¡¯s prettier than all the previous ones!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any of your girlfriends, Aaron. They neverst more than a week with you anyway! I¡¯m asking you why you have to bring her when you know Annie is here!¡± Aaron put up one hand. ¡°I swear to god I have no idea Annie¡¯ll be here. If I had known, I would¡¯vee at a different time. But, it might be just as well since there¡¯s a chance Annie might give up on me once she has met with my beautiful girlfriend. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Corinne just could not win with Aaron. ¡°I did say you have to make her hate you in a way that doesn¡¯t hurt her feelings. And you¡¯ve obviously failed at that.¡± Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 Aaron put his hand to his forehead and sighed helplessly. ¡°But what you¡¯re asking me to do is kinda impossible. I¡¯m quite the good catch, if you haven¡¯t noticed. Annie won¡¯t give up unless I hurt her feelings a bit.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why I warned you to stay away from girls like her! They¡¯re the type to fall hard and fast! Once they do, they won¡¯t give up no matter what. What you¡¯re doing is akin to committing a grave sin.¡± Aaron raised a corner of his lips. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit I shouldn¡¯t have done that. And I promise I¡¯ll never do it again.¡± Corinne simply scoffed and said nothing more. Aaron looked around the room and asked curiously, ¡°Boss, where¡¯s Mister Jeremy? Why isn¡¯t he here with you?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne looked out of the window at the blue sky. ¡°He went on an overseas business trip.¡± ¡°He did what?! How can he still have the mind to work when you¡¯re lying here in the hospital? Does he even care about you?¡± Corinne simply frowned and said nothing. ¡­Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Meanwhile, in the restroom. Annie sshed some cold water on her face. She then raised her head to look at her dripping-wet sorry reflection in the mirror. Her previous rtionship ended in total failure, having nearly married a dirtbag. She could not believe she would fall for another womanizer again. ¡®Is it me? Am I a ma for dirtbags? Oh, stupid, stupid Annie! Why can¡¯t I just be chill in love?¡¯ she mentally berated herself. Suddenly, Francine, with her arms crossed, appeared in the mirror. She lifted her chin and said arrogantly, ¡°I guess you¡¯re not as great as you think you are. If not, you wouldn¡¯t have fallen for such a silly yboy.¡± This pulled Annie out of her thoughts. She rolled her eyes at Francine. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing you think you are? Well, howe I never see you with any high-value guy?¡± Francine scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know the guy I¡¯m chasing right now is a very high-value guy. In fact, I don¡¯t mind bringing him to meet you once we¡¯re an item.¡± Annie chuckled coldly. ¡°As if a high-value guy will ever fall for a shallow girl like you.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Francine put her hands on her hips angrily. Even though she knew she was unworthy of a match to Chester, it still did not feel good to hear iting from Annie. ¡°Really, Annie. You won¡¯t even know what kindness looks like even if it bites you right in the face. I¡¯m just trying to warn you that guy seems like trouble, so how can you be so mean to me in return?¡± Annie wiped her face dry with a napkin. ¡°I might not be experienced in rtionships, but I don¡¯t need a little girl like you to tell me what to do.¡± She then threw the napkin into the trash can and walked past Francine. Not one to back down so easily, Francine turned around and chased after her. ¡°Who are you calling a little girl? How rude of you! Have you forgotten I¡¯m your aunt?!¡± Annie simply ignored her and quickened her pace. Francine, too, quickened her pace. ¡°By the way, who¡¯s that guy? Why does he call Corinne ¡®boss¡¯?¡± Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 Annie was worried Francine would do something stupid if she got the wrong idea about Corinne and Aaron¡¯s rtionship, so she quickly answered, ¡°He¡¯s Mister Aaron, vice-president of Newmoon Group. He and Corinne are very good friends. They go way back.¡± Francine frowned in confusion. ¡°What? Corinne is friends with Newmoon Group¡¯s vice-president? I thought she came from the countryside. How could she know someone like that?¡± Annie rolled her eyes at her. ¡°You¡¯re really as shallow as I thought you are. You shouldn¡¯t judge a person by their background, you know? So what if Corinne came from the countryside? Uncle Jeremy still fell madly in love with her, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s not that surprising Corinne will have some impressive friends, right?¡± Francine felt conflicted. ¡®So Corinne already knew some impressive people before she even met Jeremy, yet she never once name-dropped them to impress me. Looks like I really should get to know her better¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly quite good-looking. Why didn¡¯t Corinne get with him instead of my brother?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Annie rolled her eyes again. ¡°So what if he¡¯s good-looking? That means nothing if there¡¯s no spark between them. Plus, I just told you they go way back, so they¡¯re more like family than friends. It¡¯s hard to fall for your own brother or sister, don¡¯t you think? You better not bring this up to your grandparents, you hear?¡± Francine pouted. ¡°I was just asking. I never n to tell them!¡± ¡°D*mn right, you won¡¯t. Anyways, I need to head back to take care of Corinne now. Uncle Jeremy will kill us both if he finds out we left her alone in the room.¡± After that, Annie jogged back to Corinne¡¯s ward. By the time she got back, Xante and Aaron¡¯s girlfriend had already arrived.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She stood still in shock as she watched Aaron holding his girlfriend and kissing the top of her head on the sofa. This was not the first time she had seen Aaron being intimate with another girl, but the girl today was exceptionally gorgeous. Compared to all the previous party-loving heavily made-up girls Aaron brought to thepany, this girl looked very clean and docile. Even though Annie would feel jealous whenever Aaron fooled around with the party girls, she never felt threatened as her woman intuition told her Aaron was just treating them as casual hookups. In other words, he would never ask them to be his girlfriend, nor would he marry them. As with all lovestruck fools, she firmly believed Aaron would want to settle down once he met a girl he could see himself spending the rest of his life with. However, what she did not expect was that the girl would not be her, but someone else. Seeing him with his girlfriend at that moment seemed to have driven this point home. Annie was still in a trance when Francine came up from behind her. Francine saw Xante sitting beside Corinne¡¯s bed peeling an apple while Aaron was acting all lovey-dovey with his girlfriend on the sofa as though no one else was there. ¡°Corinne, who¡¯s this?¡± Francine walked over and looked up and down at Xante, who was dressed in branded items from head to toe. ¡®She looks great in that outfit! But why would someone who can afford so many branded stuff be peeling an apple for Corinne?¡¯ she wondered. ¡°She¡¯s my friend,¡± drawled Corinnezily. ¡®This woman is her friend, too?¡¯ thought Francine with a frown. ¡®Howe she never mentioned all these cool friends of hers?¡¯ At that moment, Annie had snapped out of her shock. She forced herself to look away from Aaron and his girlfriend and walked over to Xante. ¡°Miss Xante, let me help you cut up the apple of Corinne. I wouldn¡¯t want you hurting your hand.¡± Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 Xante did not stop what she was doing. After peeling thest of the apple¡¯s skin, she cut them into little wedges and fed them to Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know how to take care of Corinne since I took care of her in times like this before you two met.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Annie blinked. She could not help but feel something was off when she saw Xante gently feeding Corinne the apple slices. Even though they both worked in Newmoon Group, Annie rarely talked to Xante while working since Xante was a workaholic who gave off the vibe of ¡®I¡¯m busy, so don¡¯t talk to me unless necessary¡¯. Thus, it was a little jarring to see the aloof Xante acting so warmly toward Corinne. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen this side of her before¡­¡¯ Just when Annie was trying to figure out the rtionship between Corinne and Xante, Francine¡ªnever the one to keep what she was thinking to herself¡ªsaid, ¡°My brother really has his work cut out for him. Not only does he have to worry about other men stealing his wife, but he has to worry about other women stealing his wife too!¡± Annie was speechless. She quickly prodded Francine¡¯s side to shut her up. Xante was unfazed by what Francine said. She cut out another apple wedge and fed it to Corinne. ¡°Boss, since Mister Jeremy is on a business trip, why don¡¯t you stay at our ce once you¡¯re discharged from the hospital? I¡¯m worried about leaving you alone with the Holdens.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne thought over Xante¡¯s suggestion while chewing the apple. ¡°No! She¡¯s married to my brother, so that makes her a member of our family too! I won¡¯t allow her to stay with outsiders. Besides, you¡¯re the ones I should be worried about since you all seem to be eyeing my sister-inw,¡± said Francine. Corinne¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡®What in god¡¯s name is this girl talking about?¡¯ Xanted nced at Francine, causing her gold-rimmed sses to throw off some light. ¡°Miss Francine, you¡¯re getting the wrong idea. I¡¯m just worried Corinne will not be taken care of well in your home. After all, your brother won¡¯t even have a chance with her if she only allowed me to take care of her.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Xante is just going to make things worse by saying that!¡¯ Francine immediately walked over and pushed Xante away. ¡°Corinne, did you hear that? This woman has a hidden agenda against you. You need to stay away from her, or she¡¯ll try to take advantage of you!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®Only when she thinks others are trying to steal me away from her brother would she be so possessive of me¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh stop panicking, Francine. You¡¯re even worse than your brother. This here is an old friend of mine. You may address her as Miss Xante.¡± Francine looked warily at Xante, still not convinced she did not have a hidden agenda. ¡®No way am I going to call her that!¡¯ ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s my duty to make sure no one tries to steal you away while my brother is on his business trip!¡± Corinne was speechless again. Xante simply ignored Francine. She put down the knife and apple and pushed her gold-rimmed sses up. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m going to wash my hand,¡± she said as she got up. Corinne yawned and noddedzily. She then nced at Annie, who was looking at Aaron and his girlfriend from time to time with a frown on her face. After thinking about it, she called out to her. ¡°Annie.¡± Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 Annie snapped out of her trance. ¡°Yes, Corinne?¡± ¡°You can go back to work if you want. I¡¯m perfectly okay right here, so you don¡¯t have to stay the whole day with me. Though, I won¡¯t mind you dropping in from time to time.¡± Annie shook her head resolutely. ¡°No. I¡¯ve promised Uncle Jeremy I¡¯ll take care of you, so I cannot go back on my word.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything to him. Plus, you don¡¯t have to listen to everything he says. That workaholic thinks only his work is important, while yours isn¡¯t. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t think twice about asking you to take care of me. Don¡¯t pay him any mind.¡± Annie did not mind taking care of Corinne. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Corinne. I¡¯ve already asked for some time off from work. Mister Aaron was actually the one who approved my leave and arranged for another colleague to take over my work for the time being.¡± Hearing this, Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡®He approved of Annie¡¯s time off work, yet he told me he didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be here. Huh! Once a liar, always a liar.¡¯ Corinne sighed. She wanted Annie to leave because she knew the longer she stayed in the room, the more hurt she would be by Aaron¡¯s actions. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve already arranged for someone to take over Miss Annie¡¯s work, so why don¡¯t you let her stay? She seems like she really wants to take care of you,¡± said Aaron with a smile when he overheard their conversation. Corinne would have pped him if his girlfriend was not present. Noting that he did not receive any response, Aaron smiled and said, ¡°Miss Annie, I know I shouldn¡¯t ask since you¡¯re on leave, but might I trouble you to do something for me?¡± Annie started blushing madly. She looked toward Aaron¡¯s girlfriend. As conflicted as she felt, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything I can to help you, Mister Aaron.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best, Miss Annie. Can you please help me book a hotel room nearby? My girlfriend is actually a night owl, but she got up early today to visit Corinne. I¡¯d like to bring her to a hotel to rest now.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡®He wants me to book a hotel room for him and her girlfriend¡­?¡¯ thought Annie. Anyone with a brain would rightfully find this inappropriate. Annie might be a lovestruck fool, but she had a brain. ¡°Why don¡¯t you book it yourself? It¡¯s really easy to book it online now with your phone¡­¡± said Annie with a frown. ¡°Yeah! She has a point, you know!¡± said Francine. She thought Aaron¡¯s request was inappropriate, too. Aaron smiled helplessly. ¡°I know it¡¯s easy to book online, but my phone is out of battery. And it¡¯s not like I can ask my girlfriend to book it since it¡¯s a man¡¯s job to pay for the hotel room. Not to mention, she¡¯s too shy to do something like this too.¡± Annie was speechless. Francine rolled her eyes so hard that they nearly made a 360-degree turn. ¡°Then you two should just ¡®rest¡¯ in your car! Plus, I don¡¯t think your girlfriend is as shy as she makes out to be since she¡¯s obviously fine with having someone else book a hotel room for you two. I mean,e on¡ªwhat girl in their right mind would do it with her boyfriend in the middle of the day? She should just drop her act!¡± Hearing this, Aaron¡¯s girlfriend buried her head angrily into his chest. She looked like she was about to cry. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Aaron patted her lightly on the back. ¡°There, there. Just ignore her. I¡¯ll send you to the hotel ande back here so they won¡¯t have any grounds to say nonsense like that, okay?¡± His girlfriend nodded pitifully against his chest. Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 Francine stuck out her tongue and pretended to vomit. She hated nothing more than a girl who acted like she was innocent. Annie took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile. ¡°Okay, Mister Aaron. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll book a room in Hillmond Hotel for you.¡± ¡°Thanks for helping, Miss Annie,¡± said Aaron with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± After that, Annie went out to make a call to Hillmond Hotel since she was toozy to download an app just to book a hotel room. It was just as well as she needed a bit of fresh air or she would lose her mind. After Annie went out, Corinne picked up the knife Xante left and threw it at Aaron. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Aaron did not try to dodge the iing knife. Fortunately, the knife only brushed past his ear before it embedded itself into the wall. His girlfriend jumped up in fright, as did Francine. ¡®I never knew she knew how to throw a knife!¡¯ she thought in wide-eyed shock. Aaron hugged her girlfriend and said smilingly to Corinne, ¡°Boss, what was that for? You¡¯re only going to make yourself sad if I was hit by the knife.¡± Corinne frowned. She had enough of him. ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see your face anymore!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron shrugged. He got up with his girlfriend and bowed to Corinne. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll be leaving now. I¡¯ll leave Xante with you.¡± Then, he muttered to himself, ¡°I wonder if Miss Annie managed to book us a hotel room¡­¡± After Aaron led her fragile-looking girlfriend out of the room, Francine turned to look at Corinne with a frown. ¡°Ahem! Um¡­ Corinne, has your temper always been this explosive? Do you throw knives at people whenever you¡¯re upset?¡± Corinne gave her a side-eye. ¡°What? Is this your first day of knowing me?¡± Francine sported a lopsided smile, but her trembling voice betrayed her. ¡°O¡ªOf course not. I¡­ I still remember what you did on the first day we met each other.¡± On the first day they met each other, Corinne dunked Francine¡¯s head into the toilet bowl. ¡®Of course, it was ¡¯cause I bullied her into it. But throwing a knife at someone? That¡¯s really going overboard¡­¡¯ thought Francine. ¡°Then need you ask?¡± said Corinne lightly. ¡°You¡¯re not going to do the same thing to my brother in the future, right?¡± asked Francine anxiously. Corinne was a little taken aback. She looked up at Francine with an inscrutable expression. After a brief silence, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you seriously think I can win in a fight against your brother.¡± After thinking it over, Francine said, ¡°You¡¯re right. You can¡¯t win in a fight against Jeremy. But he¡¯s the type that¡¯ll never hit a woman, so what if you use that to your advantage?¡± Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, Jeremy must¡¯ve done something wrong for me to want to hit him, so let¡¯s just say he deserves it. But then again, I wouldn¡¯t waste my energy hitting him if he did do something wrong. There¡¯s really no need.¡± Francine frowned in confusion. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll just leave him. He can do whatever he wants once he has his freedom back.¡± Francine was a little taken aback. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll divorce Jeremy if he does something wrong?¡± Corinne looked out at the sky outside the window. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t have time to spend on a guy who doesn¡¯t know how to control himself.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t understand! You went through so much to finally be able to marry him. Not to mention, it took some time for Grandma and Grandpa to ept you. Could you bear to let all that go without a second thought? Most women would choose to stay in the rtionship even if they knew their husbands have a mistress outside. After all, it¡¯s not every day one marries into the Holden family.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°Even now you think I married your brother because I want to be a Missus Holden. Do you think I care about all the things thate with marrying into your family?¡± Francine fell silent. Before this, Francine genuinely thought all Corinne cared about was bing Missus Holden. After all, marrying into a family like the Holdens¡¯ was like winning the jackpot for a poor girl who came from the countryside. ¡®I know Corinne has real feelings for Jeremy, but wouldn¡¯t it be great if she gets both love and money at the same time?¡¯ However, as she slowly got to know Corinne, she realized there was more to her than meets the eye. Not only did Corinne know Xante and Aaron of Newmoon Group, but they actually addressed her as ¡®Boss¡¯. ¡®This means Corinne doesn¡¯t need a man to get status, power, and money. Maybe she already has all three but decides to keep it low-profile. There¡¯s a chance she loves Jeremy for who he is and not his money¡­¡¯ Francine pouted. ¡°Fine. Even if you don¡¯tck anything, please don¡¯t say things like divorcing Jeremy so easily. Unlike your friend Aaron, he¡¯s not the type that goes around screwing everything that moves. Besides, his reputation of celibacy is quite well known in our circles.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne smirked. ¡°You¡¯re right; Jeremy is different. But, who¡¯s to say he won¡¯t change in the future? I¡¯m just telling you, I won¡¯t raise a hand against your brother because it¡¯s pointless. The easiest thing would be for me to just leave him if he did do something that warrants me doing so.¡± Francine sighed. ¡°Now I know why Jeremy is so crazy about you. It must be because you¡¯re an independent woman who can live with or without him. I guess I should be happy to find out Jeremy¡¯s no different than all the other men who like a challenge, especially in the form of a woman.¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re right about that. The more I hold him at arm¡¯s length, the more he¡¯d want to achieve dominion over me. But having said that, this kind of feeling does wane over time, and there will eventuallye a day when your brother gets tired of me.¡± Francine puffed up her cheeks. ¡°You give up too easily, Corinne! If he gets tired of you, you should do everything you can to make him fall in love with you again! You¡¯re making it sound like you don¡¯t have a say in how long the marriage canst!¡± Corinne was a little taken aback, but she then smiled teasingly. ¡°I thought you can¡¯t wait for your brother to get rid of me so you can get a new sister-inw from a good background.¡± Francine blushed with shame. ¡°Okay, okay. Stop teasing me. I admit it was very shallow of me to always make fun of the fact you came from the countryside back then. I know how very wrong it was now. And¡­ And¡­¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°And what?¡± The usually arrogant Francine lowered her head and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m actually d you¡¯re my sister- inw. I¡­really admire you, and I¡¯m going to learn from you how to be a better person.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes before breaking out inughter. ¡°You¡¯re only saying that because of Chester, right?¡± Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 At the mention of her crush, Francine blushed even more. ¡°I¡­ I admit I¡¯m very thankful to you for setting me up with Chester, but that¡¯s not the main reason! I just don¡¯t hate you anymore. As long as you don¡¯t cheat on Jeremy, you¡¯re in my good books for life.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips curled up into a smile that did not reach her eyes. She then suddenlyid back down on the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never cheat on Jeremy. Even if I want to, I¡¯ll dump him first before hooking up with another man.¡± Francine was not happy with this answer either. ¡°No. You¡¯re not allowed to dump him either!¡± Corinne was starting to get very sleepy. ¡°Let¡¯s stop the topic here. Fetch me hot water if you¡¯re so free. I want to soak my feetter. They¡¯re feeling a little sore¡­¡± she said tiredly. Francine frowned and put her hands on her hips. ¡®Did she just ask me to fetch her hot water to soak her feet?¡¯ After thinking over it, she grudgingly did what Corinne said since she was pregnant with Jeremy¡¯s kid. Francine walked over to the door with a thermos in her hand. The moment she opened the door, however, she saw a person standing outside with his hand raised as though he was just about to knock on the door. ¡°Sunny? What are you doing here?¡± asked Francine warily. Sunny rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Umm¡­ How¡¯s Corinne doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be fine as long as you Riveras stop pulling shady sh*t!¡± she answered with a lift of her chin. ¡°I¡¯vee to apologize to Corinne on Anya¡¯s behalf. May¡­I go inside?¡± he asked awkwardly. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°She¡¯s resting right now. Plus, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d ever want to see you Riveras again!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny dropped his head in shame. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°You cane in,¡± came Corinne¡¯szy voice from inside the ward. Only then did Francine grudgingly move a little to make way for Sunny to go in. Of course, she did not forget to scoff at him while he was walking past her. Francine stayed at the doorway. No way she was going to leave Corinne alone with a Rivera. After all, this could be another one of their tricks to hurt Corinne. She used to be quite fond of the Riveras because of Anya, but ever since she discovered her true colors, she had nothing but animosity toward them. Sunny walked in and put the fruit basket he had bought for Corinne on the table. Then, he hummed as he thought about what to say to her. ¡°Umm¡­ So¡­ I didn¡¯t know what you like to eat, so I got you some fruits¡­¡± Corinne sat back up and leanedzily against the headrest again. ¡°Thank you, Mister Sunny. But there¡¯s no need for you to visit me since you yourself only got out of the hospital not that long ago.¡± Sunny looked guiltily at her. ¡°I¡¯ve actuallye to apologize for what my mother and sister did¡­ They¡¯ve really gone overboard this time.¡± Corinne smiled tightly. ¡°And you think I should forgive them just because you¡¯ve apologized on their behalf?¡± Sunny was a little taken aback. He quickly shook his head. ¡°No¡­ You don¡¯t have to forgive them. I¡¯m not going to force you to do that. I just want you to know how sorry I am¡­ I didn¡¯t exactly treat you well in the past, either.¡± ¡°Good, because I¡¯ll never forgive them. Though, I won¡¯t hold it over your head. Consider your apology epted. You should go home to study now.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished studying today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even better. You can do whatever you want, then.¡± Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 ¡°But there¡¯s nothing I want to do¡­¡± mumbled Sunny. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡®He doesn¡¯t look like he wants to leave, but there¡¯s nothing for him to do here either. Ugh, this is getting annoying! When are these people going to leave me alone?¡¯ At that moment, Xante came back. She sat back down on the chair beside the bed. ¡°Boss, what do you want to have for lunch? I¡¯ll get someone to deliver it to you.¡± Seeing Xante hade back, Francine left to fetch hot water. Corinne did not really have an appetite. She did not even finish her breakfast, so she was not in the mood to think about what to have for lunch. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter,¡± she said with a wave of her hand. Xante simply nodded and said nothing more. Sunny thought Xante looked familiar, but it was only after Xante sat to talk to Corinne did he remember where he met her before. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± he eximed, frowning. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Hello. Fancy meeting you here again,¡± she said with a smile.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny remembered Xante to be the woman who offered him a ride to Eden International after the taxi he was in broke down midway through tailing Corinne. However, not only did they fail to tail Corinne, but Xante actually dropped him off at Eden International Spa Center instead of Eden International Entertainment Club where the World Hacker Conference was held. Incensed, Sunny decided to book another ride to the right Eden International when Xante pretended to pass out from an asthma attack. Thus, he did not have a choice but to send her to the hospital, causing him to miss out on the World Hacker Conference. ¡®Now that I think about it, everything that happened then was too unlucky for them to be a coincidence,¡¯ thought Sunny. Sunny looked at Xante, then back at Corinne as the realization dawned on him. ¡°You two were in it together, weren¡¯t you?! The two of you were in cahoots to stop me from going to the World Hacker Conference.¡± Corinne said nothing. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses and said threateningly, ¡°It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t know so much, kid.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡®Who is she calling a kid?!¡¯ thought Sunny. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore! I¡¯m a full-grown adult!¡± Xante narrowed her eyes and looked him up and down. ¡°Oh, really?¡± she asked mockingly. Sunny could not stand having his ego bruised. ¡°How dare you look down on me like that? I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m six feet tall! You got a problem with that?¡± Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Xante shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± Sunny could not help but feel he was being mocked. ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t answered my question! What were you two doing in Kanton City? Why did you lure me away from the World Hacker Conference?¡± Sunny¡¯s voice grew louder, causing Xante to frown and throw him a warning nce. ¡°Have you forgotten there¡¯s a patient here? Corinne needs all the peace she can get to recover! I¡¯m going to ask security to escort you out if you don¡¯t stop shouting this instant!¡± That effectively silenced Sunny. He looked guiltily at Corinne¡¯s tired, pale face. If this had happened in the past, he would have continued shouting, but since his sister and mother were the reason Corinne ended up in the hospital, he thought he should have behaved himself. ¡°Xante, go back to work,¡± said Corinne with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished all my work. Don¡¯t worry, Boss.¡± Corinne was indeed tired. ¡°You guys can stay here if you want, but please be quiet. I want to sleep for a while.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She thenid back down on the bed, pulled the nket over her head, and checked her phone for unread messages. There were a few, but none of them was from Jeremy. ¡®Are all men like this? Do they all start losing interest in you once they get you? How can Mister leave on his business trip without saying goodbye? He could¡¯ve at least left me a message. But no, he didn¡¯t. Ugh, men!¡¯ scorned Corinne. ¡­ Xante leaned back on her chair and took out her phone to check if there were any messages from her subordinate. She was replying to a subordinate¡¯s message when Sunny asked her, ¡°Hey, you. What¡¯s your rtionship with Corinne?¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± she answered without even looking up. ¡°Besties?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you could call us that.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Xante did not actually like the word ¡®besties¡¯ since the term did not really encapste what she had with Corinne and Aaron. The three of them were more like family than friends. ¡°Why did you lure me away from the World Hacker Conference? What were you trying to hide from me?¡± whispered Sunny in a voice that was barely audible. Xante gave him a side-eye. ¡°Why are you asking this again?¡± Sunny was very curious since he had pretty much decided the whole thing was no coincidence. Why did they lure him away? What was Corinne doing in Kanton City? What were they trying to hide from him? These are all the questions he wanted answers to. ¡°Hey, have you forgotten that I got a brain concussion because of you?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether the whole passing out thing was all an act, but strictly speaking, I saved you that time. As your savior, you should show me the respect I deserve and answer all my questions!¡± Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 Xante raised her eyebrow at Sunny and smirked. ¡°Oh yes, I remember now. You¡¯ve got quite a hard skull, Mister Sunny. After all, you broke the hospital¡¯s ss door into smithereens with your head.¡± Sunny¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject!¡± he shouted, unable to control his voice. Xante quickly made a shushing motion by putting her finger to her lips before gesturing with her eyes at the fast-asleep Corinne. Only then did Sunny realize he was being too loud. He pursed his lips and shut up. Seeing Corinne fast asleep, Xante stood up and pulled the nket around her before walking over to the sofa and sitting to y on her phone to kill time. She knew Sunny would persist in asking questions if she stayed sitting beside Corinne, and she did not want to risk another outburst from him. Sunny scooted closer to her when he saw she was ying a game. ¡®Wow, her level is quite high. And her username is Little Rain Drop¡­? Why does that sound so familiar?¡¯ ¡°So you y this game, too? Let¡¯s y together. You can join my team.¡± Xante did not even look up from her phone when she said boredly, ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not interested in teaming up with a kid.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°What the heck is wrong with you? I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m a fully grown adult! Are you going senile or what?¡± Xante simply ignored him. Sunny grew irritated at not getting any response, but he reminded himself to stay cool as he was in the hospital. Thus, he crossed his arm and red at Xante from where he was sitting. After a few rounds of the game, Xante was starting to get tired. She looked toward the bed and saw Corinne was still sleeping, so she gestured to Sunny with her chin, saying, ¡°Mister Sunny, can you please sit somewhere else? I want to sleep here for a while.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny scoffed and stood up with a frown. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Thanks!¡± Xante immediately spread herself out on the sofa as soon as Sunny got up. ¡°Mister Sunny, if you¡¯re going to stay, can you watch over Corinne for a bit? Wake me up when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Sunny angrily. ¡®I hate it when people order me around like a kid. Why do I always get treated like a kid whenever I go?¡¯ Not having any interest in watching Xante sleep, Sunny nced at Corinne to make sure she was still asleep before walking over to the window to look out at the view, thinking about what he should do about his mother and sister in the future. After a while, he suddenly heard the sound of metal hitting the floor. He immediately turned around and saw Xante¡¯s sses had slipped and fallen to the floor when she turned to her side. ¡®And she calls herself an adult. Sheesh! She should¡¯ve taken off her sses before sleeping.¡¯ Sunny walked over in annoyance, but his irritation turned to awe when he got a look at Xante¡¯s face while bending down to pick up her sses. ¡®Oh¡­ Oh my god. She¡¯s beautiful!¡¯ Sunny stopped breathing for a second as his heart thumped loudly in his chest. ¡®Why¡­ Why is my heart beating so loudly? There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be interested in this old sod.¡¯ Xante must have felt his presence near her because she suddenly opened her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. They were almost nose-to-nose at that point. For some reason, Sunny could not help but feel guilty when he met her eyes, even though he did not do anything wrong. ¡°Umm¡­ You dropped your sses, so¡­I thought I¡¯d help you pick it up.¡± Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 ¡°Thanks,¡± said Xante with a smile. She then lifted his chin and looked into his eyes flirtatiously. ¡°From the way you blushed so quickly, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a virgin. I must say, that¡¯s kind of adorable.¡± Sunny¡¯s ears were red-hot by then. He quickly pushed her hand away. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?¡± Xante smiled and took her gold-rimmed sses from his hand. She then popped her sses back on and sat up on the sofa. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mister Sunny? Have I guessed wrong? Why are you blushing like that if you¡¯re not a virgin?¡± The color on Sunny¡¯s face alternated between turning dark in anger, and red out of embarrassment. ¡°As a girl, you shouldn¡¯t speak so wantonly about things like this! You should be embarrassed of yourself!¡± Xante chuckled softly. ¡°Why should I be embarrassed? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t done it before. There¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about. Now, get lost before I eat you up. Hahaha!¡± Sunny stared at Xante in disbelief. He never met a woman who was so good at the seduction game. She seemed to be easy yet unapproachable at the same time. After what seemed like ages, Sunny finally blurted, ¡°You¡¯re just a female version of a dirtbag!¡± Xante burst out inughter. ¡°Hahaha! This is the first time a guy has ever called me that. Not bad¡ªnot bad at all.¡± Sunny was speechless. ¡®I¡¯ve gotta hand it to her. She¡¯s not only a dirtbag but shameless as well!¡¯ Knock! Knock! Someone knocked on the door. Both Xante and Sunny looked toward the door and saw a man opening the door a crack. ¡°May I go in?¡± he asked politely. Sunny immediately recognized the man. He quickly went over and swung the door wide open. ¡°Jason, what are you doing here?¡± he asked with surprise. Jason sported his typical gentlemanly smile on his handsome face. ¡°I heard both Miss Pam and Corinne are in the hospital, so I came to visit them. How about you, Sunny? Howe you¡¯re here, too? Where¡¯s Lucas?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Lucas asked me toe take care of Corinne. He hurt his foot, so he couldn¡¯t make it here himself,¡± Sunny answered awkwardly. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I see,¡± said Jason simply with a smile. He gingerly made his way over to Corinne¡¯s bed. To his disappointment, she was still fast asleep. He then realized there was another person in the room, so he turned his head to look at Xante. The two of them knew each other since they worked together before, but that was as far as their rtionship went. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses, and they both exchanged nods as a way of greeting. Jason stood waiting beside Corinne¡¯s bed for a while, but she showed no signs of waking up. ¡°Looks like I came at the wrong time. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to wake up anytime soon.¡± Xante got up and walked over to them. ¡°Yeah. She needs all the rest she could get. I¡¯ll tell her you came to visit after she wakes up so I won¡¯t keep you now.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jason smiled mysteriously. ¡°I never expected you and Corinne to know each other so well.¡± ¡°Yeah. We go way back,¡± Xante replied with a tepid smile. Jason narrowed his eyes before saying tactfully, ¡°I see. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll leave for now ande some other time.¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Goodbye, Mister Jason.¡± Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 ¡°Let me walk you out, Jason,¡± said Sunny as he followed Jason out. He seemed like he had something to discuss with him. After they left, Xante turned to Corinne. ¡°You don¡¯t like him, do you, Boss?¡± she asked softly. Corinne slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Yeah, no. He¡¯s very annoying.¡± A faint light shed across Xante¡¯s gold-rimmed sses. ¡°But it seems like he has a crush on you.¡± Corinne was not surprised. She sat up and said listlessly, ¡°He¡¯s up to no good, that¡¯s what he is.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Xante raised her eyebrow. ¡°Not everyone who likes you is up to no good, you know?¡± Corinne scoffed lightly. ¡°No one in their right mind would confess their feelings to a married woman, let alone the wife of his good friend. Do you know he and Jeremy go way back? Tell me, then¡ªwhat good can he be up to by liking me?¡± Xante actually nodded. After all, men were the same everywhere. Every one of them would have some sort of unspeakable fetish. At that moment, Annie walked in with her head hung low. She sat on the sofa listlessly without saying a word. Corinne immediately noticed something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked with a frown. Annie shook her head, and despite her best effort to steady her voice, she said tearfully, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you hungry? Should I go get something for you to eat?¡± Corinne could tell Annie was crying before, causing her frown to be even deeper. ¡°What happened? Did Aaron do or say something to you?¡± Annie¡¯s shoulders tensed at the mention of Aaron¡¯s name. She then quickly shook her head. ¡°No, Mister Aaron didn¡¯t do or say anything to me. He already left with his girlfriend to go to the hotel.¡± Corinne did not know what to say to that. Xante looked at Annie, and then at Corinne. They both knew things were not as simple as that. After all, Annie did not look like nothing happened to her. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Suddenly, Francine barged in and said angrily, ¡°Stop lying, Annie! Where did the amazing Annie go? How can you let a man treat you like that? It¡¯s because of girls like you that guys think they can treat us like sh*t! Ugh, you¡¯re driving me up the wall!¡± Francine dropped by Pam¡¯s ward before going to get the hot water, and she just so happened to bump into Annie, who was crying while on the phone with someone. She walked a little closer to eavesdrop on the conversation. Her hearing was quite good, and the corridor was very quiet since no one was around. Even if the speakerphone was not turned on, she could still hear the hurtful words Aaron was spewing from the other end of the phone. Corinne could tell at a nce that Francine knew what had happened, so she ordered her, ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± Francine was beyond mad at that point. ¡°Mister Aaron called Annie to ask her to¡­to¡­ Gah! I¡¯m too embarrassed to say it! How is there such a shameless man in this world?!¡± Corinne¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What did he ask her to do? Tell me, now!¡± Blushing, Francine replied, ¡°He asked Annie to buy and deliver to him a certain brand¡¯s condom ¡¯cause he didn¡¯t like the ones the hotel provided.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Is that so? What brand did he want? I¡¯ll buy and deliver it to him,¡± said Corinne through gritted teeth. After that, she got down from the bed with the intention to deal with the b*stard. Seeing this, Xante quickly said, ¡°Calm down, Boss. I¡¯ll deal with himter.¡± ¡°That punk is getting more out of hand! Seems like I¡¯ve been too lenient to him over the years!¡± Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 Xante nodded. ¡°Yeah, that punk deserves a real beating, but you don¡¯t have to do it yourself. I¡¯ll deal with himter. You just stay here and rest. This is for your and the baby¡¯s own good.¡± Corinne was already in a bad mood before, but Aaron¡¯s antics made it worse. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Seeing that Corinne was infuriated because of what Aaron did to her, Annie quickly wiped away her tears and walked up to her. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m okay. Please don¡¯t be mad. Uncle Jeremy will kill me if he finds out about this¡­¡± Corinne looked at Annie with a deep frown on her face, thinking she would not feel better unless there was an outlet for her to unleash her anger. Xante naturally knew what Corinne was thinking about. ¡®Boss won¡¯t be able to sit still unless I go deal with that punk now.¡¯ Thus, she said, ¡°Miss Annie, please take care of Corinne for me while I go out to do something.¡± Annie nodded cooperatively. ¡°Sure thing, Miss Xante. I¡¯ll take good care of her.¡± Xante smiled. Then, she turned to Corinne and said meaningfully, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. You can leave it to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t show him any mercy. And take a video for me to watchter,¡± said Corinne coldly. ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± After that, Xante walked out of the room. It was only then Annie realized what Xante was going to do. ¡°Corinne, is Miss Xante going to find Miss Aaron? You have to stop her! I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m really okay. I don¡¯t want Miss Xante to bother Miss Aaron and his girlfriend because of me,¡± she said anxiously. Corinne gave Annie a side-eye. She did not stop Xante, nor did she change her mind. Then, she said to Francine, ¡°Go spend time with Grandma Pam. I only need Annie at the moment.¡± Francine pouted but, not daring to make Corinne mad again, simply went out. Only Corinne and Annie were left in the ward. Annie took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile. ¡°Corinne, Francine told me you wanted to soak your legs to get rid of the soreness. Let me get you a bucket to put the hot water in.¡± Considering it was inconvenient for her to move around due to her being pregnant, Corinne simply epted Annie¡¯s offer. ¡°Okay, sorry for troubling you,¡± she said with a nod. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Trouble? It¡¯s no trouble for me at all!¡± Annie quickly found a bucket for her. She then poured the hot water from the thermos inside before adding a bit of cold water. After testing the water temperature, she looked up and said, ¡°Corinne, is this temperature okay for you? I can add a little cold water if you think it¡¯s too hot.¡± Corinne moved to the edge of the bed and put her legs into the bucket. Relief immediately washed over her. ¡°Ahh, this is perfect.¡± Only then did Annie put the thermos aside. She then crouched to look at Corinne¡¯s slightly swollen legs. ¡°My mom told me that when she was pregnant with me, she¡¯d easily get sore and swollen legs to the point she couldn¡¯t walk a few steps without getting tired. At first, I thought she was exaggerating. ¡°But now that I see you suffering from sore legs when you¡¯re pregnant at a younger age than my mom was, I believe what she said. It¡¯s not that easy carrying a baby inside of you, huh? Even though your baby bump isn¡¯t that obvious yet, I can feel you¡¯re not as energetic as before.¡± Corinne looked down at her ¡®fat¡¯ legs. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why we women shouldn¡¯t get pregnant that easily. Not every man is worth it for us to go through this kind of suffering.¡± Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 Annie was a little taken aback. ¡°What do you mean, Corinne? Are you saying you regret getting pregnant with Uncle Jeremy?¡± Corinne¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°The baby might be an ident, but I don¡¯t regret it,¡± she said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you not to be so dazzled by romantic love that you start imagining a happily ever after with the guy when he hasn¡¯t asked you out on a date yet.¡± The message seemed to have gotten through to Annie because she nodded poutingly and said, ¡°Okay, Corinne, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I should¡¯ve listened to you in the beginning. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s laughable how I thought I could change a yer into husband material through the power of my love.¡± Corinne looked at Annie sympathetically. ¡°It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s him. He¡¯s just not the type to settle down and get married. I¡¯m just d you saw his true colors before it was toote. I hope you¡¯ll find a man who¡¯ll love and treasure you in the future.¡± Annie looked down at the floor as sweet memories of her and Aaron shed through her mind. Even though she was angry and sad about how Aaron treated her, she still found it very hard to let him go. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Corinne, in all the years you know Mister Aaron, has he never been in a serious rtionship before?¡± asked Annie curiously. She was wondering whether Aaron turned out to be how he was because of a rtionship that ended badly. ¡°Nope. Not even once,¡± Corinne answered without hesitation. Annie frowned in confusion. ¡°Then how did he turn out to be like this? I find it hard to believe someone is a yer from the moment he was born. He must¡¯ve yearned for true love when he was younger, right?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne could not help but frown when she thought back to Aaron¡¯s behavior in the past. She did try to rein him in a little, but it was all in vain. He would either drink himself stupid or y games 24/7 whenever she stopped him from chasing after girls. In the end, they came to apromise. He was allowed to chase after girls but only girls who were yers themselves. In other words, girls looking for serious rtionships were out of bounds for him. There had been so many girls over the years that even Aaron himself lost count of how many ¡®girlfriends¡¯ he had. ¡°That punk doesn¡¯t believe in love at all. Plus, he¡¯s not dating girls because he likes them. It¡¯s only because he¡¯s bored, and chasing after girls makes him feel alive. Annie, you should know, romantic love is not essential to some people. They¡¯ll never be moved by your love for them, no matter what you do or say. Forget about Aaron, and I¡¯ll ask your Uncle Jeremy to introduce someone even better- looking than him.¡± However, it was hard for some like Annie, who put romantic love above all else, toprehend that there were people who did not believe in love at all. After thinking it over, she asked curiously, ¡°Then, do you believe in love?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Corinne after one second. She did not believe in love at all. When she was a child and thought Marvin was her father, she hated him for abandoning her mother and ignoring her so he could be together with Lilliana. Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 Moreover, the feelings between Marvin and Lilliana were not strictly love. It was more like the two of them hade together for their own mutual benefits while making sure the other did not gain more than the other. Therefore, no, Corinne did not believe in love. Muchter, when she found out Marvin was not her biological father and that she was Maxwell¡¯s daughter¡­ She became even more convinced there was no such thing as love in this world. After all, Maxwell was even more of a dirtbag than Marvin. The former might look like a gentleman on the outside, but inside, he was a hypocrite through and through. The story of Maxwell and Emily began well enough. At first, the lovestruck Maxwell did not give up chasing Emily until she finally agreed to be his girlfriend and ultimately married him. However, not long after their wedding, he started staying out the whole night with his mistress with the end product being an illegitimate daughter. Yet, he had the nerve to use Emily of cheating on him. In the end, he teamed up with the rest of his family to drive her out of the house. At her wit¡¯s end, Emily had no choice but to entrust Corinne to Marvin while she vanished into thin air. Again, with a backstory like this, it was no wonder ¡®all men are the same¡¯ became Corinne¡¯s mantra. ¡°But you started to believe in love after meeting Uncle Jeremy, right?¡± asked Annie, blinking innocently. Corinne frowned when she thought of how Jeremy left without saying goodbye. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know.¡± Annie tilted her head in confusion. ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t know? Aren¡¯t you together with him because you love him?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°All I can say is I do care about him right now, and he¡¯s someone who¡¯s very important to me. He¡¯s so important that I can sacrifice everything I have for him. As for what this feeling is called, I don¡¯t know. Plus, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll feel the same way in the future. Not to mention, I don¡¯t know if he feels the same way about me.¡± Annie nodded her head rapidly. ¡°Trust me, Corinne, when I say Uncle Jeremy loves you. He really, really loves you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Corinne asked with a smirk. ¡®If he loves me, why didn¡¯t he call or message me? Even if he¡¯s flying to the South Pole, he should¡¯vended by now. Why hasn¡¯t he called or messaged me yet? Hmph!¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile, Sunny, who had seen Jason off, saw from a distance Xante walking out of the hospital. He was about to go ask her where she was heading when she got in a luxury sedan and left. Curious, Sunny gged down a taxi and asked the driver to follow the luxury sedan. ¡®I must get to the bottom of who she is and her rtionship with Corinne!¡¯ It was not long before Xante¡¯s car drove into the parking lot of a hotel, and the taxi followed suit. ¡­ Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Xante looked at her watch after knocking on the presidential suite. Aaron, with wet hair sticking to his head and only a towel wrapped around the lower half of his body, opened the door. It was obvious he had just finished taking a shower. Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 Xante scanned Aaron coldly before looking inside the presidential suite. ¡°What were you doing?¡± Aaron shrugged and smiled mischievously. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious I just took a shower?¡± Xante pushed him away and walked into the suite. She expected to see a naked woman inside, but there was no sign of any debauchery. The bed was clean and empty. She turned around to ask, ¡°Where¡¯s that girlfriend of yours?¡± Aaron closed the door and continued to dry his hair with another towel. ¡°Ugh, I sent her home. What¡¯s the point ofing to the hotel with me if she¡¯s not going to let me touch her?¡± Xante pushed her gold-rimmed sses up, pulled a chair, and sat down. ¡°There are other ways to make Miss Annie hate you without humiliating her, you know. How could you ask her to get you some condoms when you know how much she likes you? That¡¯s low, even for you. It¡¯s no wonder the boss is mad at you right now.¡± Aaron threw his towel aside and flopped downzily on the bed. ¡°Xante, don¡¯t you think you and the boss are asking a lot out of me? Does Miss Annie look like she has given up on me? How can I make her give up on me without making her hate me?¡± Xante took out her phone and nodded at him. ¡°Get up and put on your clothes.¡± Aaron did as she asked. ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± he asked while getting his clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once all your clothes are on.¡± Xante put her phone upright on the table. Thus, Aaron went to the bathroom to put on his clothes and after he came out, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Where we go¡ªouch!¡± Xante punched him hard in the face before he could finish his sentence. Caring about his handsome face the most, Aaron was instantly enraged. ¡°What was that for?! Why did you hit me in the face, Xante?¡± Xante ignored him and punched him again on the other side of his face, making him cry out in pain, before grabbing his wrist and throwing him over the shoulder. Aaron¡¯s freshly-cleaned body became dirty again. ¡°Xante, you she-devil! I¡¯m going to tell the boss you hit me again!¡± he said sulkily. Xante stepped on his body to prevent him from getting up from the floor. She looked down at him condescendingly and said, ¡°Save your breath; she asked me to beat you up. Can you grow up a little and stop making her worry about you? She was already in a bad mood to begin with, and now she has to deal with your antics?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Since he could not get up, Aaron just spread himselffortably on the floor. ¡°Tsk! Compared to that husband of hers, what I did is nothing. Out of the two of us, who do you really think was the one who put her in a bad mood?!¡± ¡°Even so, that¡¯s between them. We shouldn¡¯t meddle in her personal life.¡± ¡°Heh! The boss is going to get eaten up by that stupid Jeremy if we don¡¯t do something about it! Let me tell you something, Xante¡ªyou women are the same. You girls get so blinded by love that you cannot think straight. And let me repeat this: This applies to all women, including the boss.¡± Xante could tell Aaron was hinting at something. She lifted her foot and turned off the video recording before asking, ¡°What did you find out?¡± Aaron got up and dusted himself. To his credit, he did not hold a grudge toward Xante for beating him up. Instead, he got straight to the point. ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling something was off about Jeremy. On the surface, it looks like he really cares about the boss, yet he refused to get legally married to her. The boss might pretend she doesn¡¯t mind the whole thing, but deep down, it¡¯s a different story. ¡°When I heard Jeremy was going on a business trip today, I immediately asked someone to find out which flight he was on and then arranged for somebody to keep an eye out for him at Molomia¡¯s airport. Guess what? My hunch was correct! He really did go to Molomia to meet up with a woman!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What woman?¡± Xante asked with a frown. Aaron picked up his phone from the bedside table and offered it to Xante. ¡°Take a look at it yourself.¡± Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 Xante epted the phone from Aaron. With a tap, the screen revealed two photos of a woman picking up Jeremy from the airport. The woman was wearing skimpy clothing that barely covered her hot figure. Not to mention, she was quite good-looking as well. One of the photos showed Jeremy and the woman hugging each other. It was obvious they knew each other very well. ¡®How can he go around hugging other women when he¡¯s married?¡¯ thought Xante. Ever the calm one, even she could not control herself after seeing the two photos. ¡°D*mn that man! His wife is pregnant, yet he goes abroad to have a romantic rendezvous with another woman?!¡± Aaron smiled smugly. ¡°What did I tell you? Jeremy isn¡¯t the good husband as he makes himself out to be. All men are the same; we think with our lower half. Even the boss cannot escape this fate.¡± ¡°Not every man is the same as you!¡± ¡°At least I¡¯m honest about it. I don¡¯t pretend to be what I¡¯m not.¡± After thinking about it calmly, Xante threw Aaron¡¯s phone back to him. ¡°Don¡¯t let the boss know about this first. In the meantime, you¡¯re to fly to Molomia to investigate Jeremy¡¯s rtionship with that woman. It¡¯s hard enough for the boss to find someone she likes, so it¡¯ll be a pity if she breaks up with Jeremy because of some misunderstanding.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Aaron sighed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get onto it, then. Bye! I¡¯ll call you if there¡¯s any update.¡± After that, he put on his suit jacket and left. Both Xante and Aaron could tell Corinne really had feelings for Jeremy. Otherwise, she would not have kept the baby after she left him that first time. ¡®It took the boss a lot of mental struggle to decide whether to get back together with Jeremy, so if she finds out he betrayed her¡­¡¯ Xante did not want to imagine how horrible the aftermath would be then. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante thought Aaron had forgotten something, so she did not think much when she went to open the door. However, the person standing outside was not Aaron but Sunny instead. ¡®Oh, it¡¯s that brat who always caused trouble for the boss,¡¯ thought Xante coldly. She pushed her gold- rimmed sses up and asked with annoyance, ¡°What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?¡± Sunny lifted his chin proudly. ¡°Corinne doesn¡¯t want me staying in the hospital with her. Since I have nowhere else to go, I thought I¡¯d follow you here.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve gone to the theme park instead. I mean, aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯d eat you up?¡± asked Xante with a frown. ¡°Heh! As if you could ever do that!¡± replied Sunny bravely. After that, he swaggered into the presidential suite. After making a round and finding no man inside, he said mockingly, ¡°I thought you came here to have some ***y time, but it looks like I was wrong. You¡¯re really not as wanton as you made yourself out to be.¡± Xante narrowed her eyes and pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°That¡¯s ¡¯cause I was about to call for a guy toe. But since you¡¯re here now¡­ Why don¡¯t I show you what it¡¯s all about?¡± Sunny immediately turned beet red. However, he was not scared of Xante as he did not believe she would do anything to him. Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 ¡°Stop your bullsh*t! I came here to ask you why you helped Corinne lure me away that time. What was she doing in Kanton City? Does it have anything to do with the World Hacker Conference?¡± grilled Sunny. Seeing that Sunny had no intention to leave, Xante closed the door. ¡°Mister Sunny, you¡¯re certainly one curious cat. I can¡¯t believe you followed me to this hotel just to get answers to those questions.¡± Sunny crossed his arms. ¡°I just want to know what you two were up to. My hunch has always been correct, and it¡¯s telling me you and Corinne are hiding something from everyone! It definitely has something to do with the World Hacker Conference.¡± Xante slowly walked up to him with a coy smile. Sensing danger, Sunny slowly backed away as though she was a ghost. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?¡± Xante smiled and continued to walk toward him. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, it¡¯d be weird if I don¡¯t do anything with you, right? I mean, we are in a hotel. And what is a hotel best for if not for sleeping?¡± Xante ced an emphasis on the word ¡®sleeping¡¯ so Sunny was left without a doubt as to what she meant. By then, she already backed him into a corner. Sunny blushed madly. Being inexperienced, he never imagined a woman would be so forward when it came to matters of the bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t you daree any nearer! I¡¯m warning you¡­ I¡¯m going to hit you if you so much as touch me!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Xante chuckled softly. ¡°Is that so? Hit me, then. I like men who y rough.¡± She then danced her fingers seductively on top of Sunny¡¯s chest. ¡°Oops, I just touched you! What are you going to do about that?¡± Sunny was so flustered that his ears turned burning red too. ¡°How¡­ How can you be so shameless? Get away from me! Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re the one who has more to lose in this situation?¡± Xante smirked. ¡°I have more to lose? Are you sure about that? I actually can¡¯t wait to try it with a virgin¡­ What do you say?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ That was the final straw for Sunny. He pushed her away and ran to the other side of the room. ¡°Stop it! I know you¡¯re just doing this to scare me. I just want to know why you lured me away that time! I¡¯ll leave right after you tell me. I promise I won¡¯t stay a second longer.¡± Xante smiled. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. But! You have to take off your clothes first.¡± ¡°What? Wh¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Because I want to check out what you got underneath your clothes. You should know I don¡¯t give out free information. Mister Sunny, I promise I¡¯ll tell you everything I know as long as you let me see you naked.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Blushing and at a loss for words, Sunny simply pointed at her. He never met such a shameless woman as Xante, who could ask a man to take off his clothes like it was nothing. ¡®I can¡¯t believe Corinne is friends with her! She¡¯s a total bad influence! I must tell Corinne to stop hanging out with her.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not going to take off my clothes! Just answer me this. Why did you lure me away from following Corinne that day? Is it because she went to the World Hacker Conference too? Does she have a hidden identity she doesn¡¯t want people to know about?¡± Xante crossed her arms and looked at him lewdly. ¡°Hehe, Mister Sunny, didn¡¯t you hear what I said? I¡¯m not going to answer your questions unless you take off your clothes.¡± ¡°Have you no shame?!¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! You either take off your clothes or get lost!¡± Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Xante had Sunny backed into a corner again. Even though she was half a head shorter than him, he was actually scared of her. Still blushing, Sunny instinctively covered his chest with both of his hands. "You... You can''t force me to take off my clothes!" Xante smiled mockingly at him. "Tsk, tsk! What a wuss. You shouldn''t have followed me here if you''re not ready to y along with me. Now go run home to your mommy." Sunny was at the age where his ego triumphed over everything. Thus, what he could not stand the most was to be mocked. "Heh! Who are you calling a wuss?!" he shouted angrily. Xante raised her eyebrow. "Who else is there but you? As I said, you should go home now. I don''t want your parents toe screaming at me and calling me a bad influence for bringing you here." "And as I said, I''m not a kid anymore! I don''t need my parents'' permission to do anything. You know what? I changed my mind! I''m going to take off my clothes to show you I''m not scared of you!" He then took off his sweater and threw it on the ground as though he was a hot stud. Xante was a little stunned by how broad his shoulders actually were. She pushed her gold-rimmed sses up and could not help but take a gulp as she stared at his half-naked body. ... Three dayster, after a series of check-ups, the doctor deemed Corinne fit enough to be discharged from the hospital. Early in the morning, Pam-along with Francine and the servants-came to pick up her granddaughter-inw from the hospital.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The moment they were back at the mansion, Corinne was presented with a healthy meal, which she must finish, prepared by the nutritionist Pam hired. After the nose-bleeding incident, Pam thought it was better to hire a nutritionist to watch over Corinne''s diet than for herself to cook something for her granddaughter-inw. After she finished her meal, Corinne chatted with Pam for a while before finding an excuse to go back to her room. For some reason, she had been feeling restless and easily tired for the past few days. Not to mention, she would often wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. It had been three whole days, and she did not receive any calls or texts from Jeremy. Out of worry, she messaged him twice. One was her asking him what he was doing, and the other was asking when he would be back. Both of them went unanswered. She did not want to overthink the whole situation, but she just could not help herself. However, it was not like she could do anything since he was overseas at the moment. Thus, she decided to wait it out. Sheid on her bed with all her limbs spread out like a starfish, staring at the ceiling in a daze. Suddenly, she remembered something, and she quickly took out her phone to call Tommy. She had learned from Francine that Tommy did not go on the business trip with Jeremy. Instead, he stayed back to handle thepany''s affairs. It just so happened Corinne needed his help with something. The call quickly went through, and Tommy agreed to her request without hesitation. Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Throughout the call, never did Corinne once ask about Jeremy nor did Tommy mention him. ¡®If Mister wanted me to know about something, he would¡¯ve told me. I wouldn¡¯t need to ask other people about it. Since he doesn¡¯t want me to know what he¡¯s up to, there¡¯s no point in asking Tommy,¡¯ she thought. When night came, Tommy visited Corinne to give a status report on the task she asked him to do. Since it would be inappropriate to receive him into the bedroom, Corinne asked him to follow her to Jeremy¡¯s study. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I already went to the Riveras to ask for custody of Mister Joey,¡± said Tommy respectfully. Corinne was sitting casually on Jeremy¡¯s office chair with her cheek resting on her hand. ¡°And what did they say?¡± ¡°Mister Cedric and Mister Beatrice said you¡¯ve mentioned Mister Joey¡¯s custody arrangement to them before. After careful consideration, they both think it¡¯s best for you and Mister Jeremy to take care of him.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow and looked at Tommy¡¯s sides. ¡°So where is he? Why didn¡¯t you bring him here?¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Corinne could not help but see herself in Joey. ¡®Poor kid. He¡¯s been mistreated again and again after Anya found no more use of him.¡¯ ¡°Even though Mister Cedric and Mister Beatrice agreed to let you take Mister Joey away, Miss Phoebe insisted on keeping him by her side. She said that now that Miss Anya had been locked up, she can¡¯t lose her only grandson too. She even went as far as to threaten tomit suicide if they take Mister Joey away from her.¡± Corinne did not pity Phoebe. She only found the whole thingughable. ¡®So I see she has changed from a good mother act to a good grandmother act now that Anya isn¡¯t there to y the ¡®good daughter¡¯ act. When was she when Anya was abusing Joey? I guess the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree. Both of them are as evil as theye.¡¯ She knew Joey would suffer if he stayed any longer with Phoebe. Not to mention, she promised him she would get him out. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After thinking it through, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Miss Phoebe now? I want to see her.¡± ¡°Miss Phoebe has been sent away by Mister Cedric to live in the summer vi located in the countryside. Mister Joey is also there.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay. Arrange for someone to drive me to the summer vi tomorrow morning. I¡¯m going to talk to Phoebe about Joey¡¯s custody arrangement.¡± Tommy was a little taken aback. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t meet up with any of the Riveras alone. Miss Phoebe might do something drastic to you as revenge for getting Anya arrested. Not to mention, Mister Jeremy would never allow you to go meet with Miss Phoebe if he was here.¡± At the mention of Jeremy, Corinne became upset. ¡°Oh, so I need his permission to go somewhere now?¡± she asked with a frown. Tommy shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Ma¡¯am. Mister Jeremy is just concerned about your safety. It¡¯s best if you wait until hees back before going to talk to Miss Phoebe about Mister Joey¡¯s custody arrangement.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Then tell me, when will he be back?¡± Tommy hesitated for ten seconds before answering, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. It seems the problems overseas are trickier than we thought, so it¡¯ll take him some time to sort things out.¡± Corinne smiled coldly. ¡°I can wait, but I¡¯m not sure whether Joey can. I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t need to remind you just what sort of people Anya and her mother are. Do you really think Phoebe will treat Joey well? The kid is just an innocent pawn, and legally speaking, he¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s son. Can you bear the responsibility if something happens to him?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Corinne waved her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything; my mind is made up. Have the car wait for me at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow morning. And don¡¯t tell Grandma Pam anything about this¡ªI don¡¯t want her to worry.¡± As reluctant as Tommy was about the n, he did not try to convince her otherwise. Instead, he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be all for now. You may leave now.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± After Tommy left, Corinne stayed seated on the chair. ¡®Ugh, this is so tiring,¡¯ she thought while rubbing her temples. She would have preferred to ask Aaron to help with the arrangement, but he had not returned from attending a seminar abroad. Xante, too, was not in the city, and Corinne did not want to ask her toe back for such a trivial matter. Thus, that left only Tommy to handle the arrangement. It was just as well as it would make it look more legit if a staff member from the Holden family helped Corinne request an audience with Phoebe. After all, out of the two of them, only Jeremy was Joey¡¯s legal guardian. ¡®I hope Phoebe won¡¯t treat Joey too harshly¡­¡¯ thought Corinne while rubbing her pregnant belly as though it would make the baby grow faster. Perhaps it was her maternal instincts kicking in as she would be a mother, but she could not bear to see any kid suffering. After a while, Corinne walked out of the study, only to bump into Francine and Chester. Chester had just finished tutoring Francine and was about to leave. Whenever Chester was around, Francine would tamp down her overbearing attitude in favor of a more demure,dylike attitude. Chester¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he saw Corinne. ¡°Hey, Corinne.¡± Corinne nodded and smiled at him. ¡°Hey, Chester. Thanks for tutoring Francine as always.¡± ¡°Oh, the pleasure is all mine. I¡¯m sure people will be fighting over my job if they know I get to work in such a luxurious environment. Plus, the job itself isn¡¯t too hard either,¡± said Chester with a smile. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I¡¯m just d you don¡¯t find her too troublesome to teach.¡± Francine frowned and puffed up her cheeks in protest. She was not happy at being roasted in front of her crush. It was a good thing Chester was a kind and patient guy. He shook his head and said, ¡°Francine does lack the basics in some subjects, but she more than makes up for it with her eagerness to learn. In fact, she should be praised for her rapid improvement.¡± Hearing this, Francine quickly forgot about her resentment toward Corinne and blushed shyly. Corinne pursed her lips when she saw how happy Francine was. ¡®I wonder if she would¡¯ve been that eager to learn if her tutor was anyone else. Oh well, I guess this is what they called the power of love.¡¯ ¡°Corinne, I heard from Francine that you were hospitalized a few days ago. How are you feeling now?¡± Chester looked at Corinne all over as though he was checking for any injury. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for asking. It¡¯s gettingte, so you should head home now. Francine, why don¡¯t you ask Bowen to get one of the servants to give Chester a ride home?¡± Francine lifted her chin proudly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me to do that. I¡¯ve already had that in mind.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Corinne. After that, she turned to leave for her room, thinking she should take a shower before the night got too cold. ¡°Corinne, wait! I¡­ I have something I want to talk to you about.¡± Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 Chester suddenly shouted behind Corinne. Corinne stopped and turned around. Francine was a little surprised. She looked at Chester, then at Corinne suspiciously. ¡°I mean, if that¡¯s okay with you,¡± said Chester cautiously when Corinne made no replies. Corinne deliberated for a few seconds before nodding and saying, ¡°Okay. We can talk outside the yard. It¡¯s getting stuffy in here, so I could use some fresh air.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± said Chester with a nod. After that, they all went down the stairs together. Once at the entrance, Chester turned and said, ¡°Francine, thanks for seeing me off, but I¡¯d like to have a private word with Corinne. Please don¡¯t follow me out.¡± As much as Francine was not happy with the request, she did not dare object Chester. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay,¡± she said with a nod. She then watched helplessly as Chester and Corinne walked out of the door before quickly running over to the floor-to-ceiling window to spy on them. Francine was quite angry when she found out Chester used to have a crush on Corinne, but she calmed down a little after telling herself Corinne would never fight over Chester with her since she was with Jeremy. ¡®It looks like Chester hasn¡¯t given up on Corinne yet. Ooh, this is not good!¡¯ thought Francine. If this was any other guy, she would have snitched on Corinne to Jeremy already, but since this was Chester she was dealing with, she decided to let it slide. Only god knew what Jeremy would do to him once he found out what happened. The mansion¡¯s huge yard was filled with all sorts of trees and flowers, and at that moment, they were made even more beautiful by the moonlight washing over them. Corinne looked up in a trance at the moon hanging high above the sky. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a full moon!¡± said Chester after following suit. This shook Corinne out of her trance. She turned toward him and said, ¡°I almost forgot you¡¯re here too. What is it you wanted to talk to me about?¡± Chester frowned. After a while, he said, ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± Corinne gave him a curt nod. ¡°Okay, what is it?¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°That guy¡­ I mean, Francine¡¯s brother¡­ Is he good to you?¡± he asked in a bitter tone. Corinne was a little surprised by the question. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I heard from Francine that her brother has been away on a business trip for the past several days. But what kind of husband goes on a business trip when his wife is lying sick in the hospital? I just think that if a husband really loves his wife, he would¡¯ve stayed by her side when she needed him the most.¡± After a brief moment of silence, Corinne smiled and said, ¡°Thanks for your concern, but he¡¯s actually quite good to me.¡± ¡°Corinne, I know your husband is a very wealthy man, but you should just leave if you don¡¯t feel loved or happy here. No amount of material wealth is worth giving up on your happiness. You¡¯ll regret it in the future if you don¡¯t leave,¡± said Chester worriedly. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°So the only reason you think I¡¯m staying is because of how wealthy my husband is?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chester realized he misspoke, and he quickly tried to rectify himself. ¡°No¡­ What I mean is, I don¡¯t think you and him arepatible. He¡¯s ten years older than you. You guys won¡¯t be able to talk about the same thing or have the same values! Not to mention, he doesn¡¯t seem like he cares about you at all. Why stay?¡± Corinne smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly well aware of what I¡¯m doing. This is my marriage, so I alone have the right to make a call on whether I should stay or leave. But thank you for your concern.¡± Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 Chester knew he overstepped his boundaries. He dropped his head and sighed helplessly before looking up at Corinne with passion in his eyes. ¡°Corinne, if¡­ And I mean if¡­one day you became single again, would you consider¡ª¡± ¡°By the way, Chester, how do you feel about Francine?¡± interrupted Corinne with a smile. She knew what he wanted to say, so she cut him off. ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± asked Chester, flustered. Corinne smiled. ¡°Let me put it another way. What do you think of her?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s quite okay, I guess¡­ But why are you asking?¡± Corinne smiled mysteriously. ¡°That¡¯s good enough. It¡¯s gettingte so I won¡¯t keep you anymore. I¡¯m sure Francine has arranged for a car to send you back. It should be waiting at the main entrance.¡± Corinne¡¯s polite but firm way of asking him to leave made it difficult for Chester to say anything else. Thus, he gave her a polite nod and made his way to the entrance. After watching his retreating figure for a bit, Corinne started making her way back inside. However, the moment she turned around, she saw Francine rushing over angrily toward her. ¡°Hey, you! What did you and Chester talk about just now?¡± she asked fiercely. ¡°Nothing.¡± Corinne was tired. Not to mention, she had to wake up early tomorrow to go to the summer vi, so she was not in the mood to deal with Francine. Not easily deterred, Francine opened her arms wide to block Corinne from leaving. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯m going to call Jeremy and tell him you¡¯ve been secretly meeting with another man behind his back.¡± Corinne crossed her arms casually, jerked up her chin, and smiled smugly. ¡°Go ahead. It should be morning in Molomia right now, so I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll pick up your call.¡± Francine only said what she said to force Corinne to tell her what she wanted to know. However, she forgot that Corinne was no ordinary woman. She was probably the only woman in the world who was not scared of Jeremy. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Still, the words had left her lips, so there was no backing down. Corinne let out a yawn. ¡°Well, are you going to call him? If you¡¯re not, can you please move out of the way so I can go take my shower now?¡± ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m going to call him now! But let me warn you, he¡¯s not going to be as easy to deal with as me!¡± While Francine spoke, she took out her phone and called Jeremy. Corinne narrowed her eyes on Francine¡¯s phone. She did not expect Francine would actually call Jeremy since she was known to be scared of him despite her bratty behavior. She was actually a little happy Francine decided to call Jeremy since she wanted to know if he would pick up and what he would say if he did. The phone rang for quite a good while. Just when the two girls thought no one was going to pick up, the call went through. However, it was not Jeremy¡¯s voice that greeted them but a deep, ***y woman¡¯s voice. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Hello?¡± Corinne¡¯s pupils shrank a little as she looked at the phone in shock. Francine wanted to prove to Corinne that she dared to make this call, so she had it on speakerphone. She, too, was dumbfounded when she heard a woman¡¯s voice on the other end of the phone. ¡®Sh*t! Did I just identally expose Jeremy¡¯s affair?¡¯ ¡°Who are you? Why do you have my brother¡¯s phone?¡± interrogated Francine. Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 ¡°Is this Francine? Your brother is still sleeping. Did something urgent happen? Should I wake him up, or do you want to call him againter?¡± asked the woman. At the mention of her name, Francine immediately realized the woman obviously knew Jeremy well. However, she did not recognize the woman¡¯s voice, so she had no idea whether it was anyone from their circle of friends. Still, she knew she should not say more in front of Corinne, so she said to the woman on the phone, ¡°It¡¯s nothing urgent. I¡¯ll call him againter.¡± After that, she quickly hung up the phone and looked toward Corinne to check her reaction. If it were any other woman, she would have snatched the phone away from Francine and asked the same question Francine did, or even straight away cursing her. However, Corinne was not any other woman¡ªshe did not even react. She simply looked away and said nothing. ¡®Sh*t. Her reaction is not normal. This is all my fault. I should say something to help Jeremy out¡­¡¯ thought Francine. Thus, she quickly exined, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m sure this is just a misunderstanding. That woman is probably the personal assistant my brother hired for his business trip since Tommy didn¡¯t go with him this time. I mean, have you seen him without a personal assistant before? Let me tell you, he¡¯s useless without one.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Corinne smiled calmly. ¡°Can a mere personal assistant go into his room when he¡¯s still sleeping and pick up his calls?¡± Francine scratched her head. ¡°Umm¡­ Maybe that personal assistant snuck in without my brother¡¯s knowing so she could seduce him! I mean, it¡¯s not that surprising if you really think about it. Even I have to admit Jeremy is quite the catch. But you should know he¡¯d never do anything to hurt you.¡± Corinneughed out loud. ¡°Fine. Whatever. Believe him all you want. I¡¯m just going to take my shower and sleep now.¡± After that, she walked back into the mansion and up to her room to shower. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Francine froze, thinking she was really in deep sh*t this time. She waited until Corinne had gone back inside before calling Jeremy¡¯s number again. This time, it was he himself who picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± greeted Jeremy with a tinge of impatience. ¡°Jeremy, did you just wake up?¡± whispered Francine cautiously. ¡°Yeah.¡± As if the sleepiness in his voice was not obvious enough. Francine gasped. ¡°Who was the woman who picked up your phone just now? Did¡­ Did you sleep with her?¡± After a brief silence, Jeremy said coldly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it night where you are right now? Why are you not sleeping? Just why are you calling me?¡± Francine shrank her neck in fright. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m not calling for myself but for¡­Corinne.¡± ¡°Did something happen to her? Is she okay?¡± asked Jeremy quickly in a tone that was one octave higher than his usual tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just¡­ She was beside me when the woman picked up your phone and, uh¡­ She heard everything the woman said. Hey Jeremy¡­you¡¯re not cheating on Corinne, right?¡± All she got back as a response was the beep as Jeremy hung up on her without warning. Francine stared at her phone with a frown, thinking, ¡®All hell is about to break loose at home. What should I do? If I had known this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have called Jeremy just to make a point to Corinne!¡¯ Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 Corinne was in the shower when her phone started ringing. However, it switched off not long after as it had run out of battery. After blow-drying her hair, Corinne connected her phone to the charger and went to sleep without turning it back on. The next morning, Corinne left for the summer vi after taking her breakfast and giving Pam a safe excuse as to where she was going. Pam, ever the worrier, was reluctant to let Corinne go out alone, but she felt more reassured after knowing Tommy would be apanying her. ¡®Jeremy must¡¯ve arranged security detail for Corinne,¡¯ thought Pam. Since it was a weekend, it meant Chester would being in the morning to tutor Francine, so she woke up earlier than usual to tidy up her room. At first, being worried about Corinne going out alone, she wanted to apany her. However, she did not really want to miss the chance to see Chester. In the end, she chose to stay at home to wait for Chester after learning Tommy would be apanying Corinne. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡®Corinne¡¯s gonna be fine with Tommy apanying her,¡¯ Francine told herself. ¡­ Tommy sat in the front passenger seat while Corinne sat in the back seat. Together, they drove to the Riveras¡¯ summer vi. Tommy had notified the Riveras that Corinne would be dropping by, so the servants were on standby to receive her. Even though the Riveras and the Holdens had bad blood between them, it did not seem to carry over to Corinne as the Riveras seem to really like her. The car drove along the country road. Tommy shut hisptop close after finishing some work. He then turned to look at Corinne, who was resting with her eyes closed. ¡°Ma¡¯am, did you sleep very earlyst night?¡± ¡°I think so. I didn¡¯t check the time before I went to sleep. Why do you ask?¡± replied Corinne without opening her eyes. ¡°Your phone was turned off when Mister Jeremy called youst night. He got worried about you, so he called me. He sounded very relieved after I told him you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°My phone ran out of batteryst night,¡± said Corinne absent-mindedly. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She did see the missed call from Jeremy this morning when she switched on her phone. She called him back, but his phone was turned off. She chalked it down to the time difference between the two countries and did not bother to call him a second time. All this while, she had been waiting for him to call her, which he should have done the moment he landed in Molomia. Yet, he only called her after so many days had passed. Not to mention, there was a high possibility he would not have called yesterday if the whole thing with the other woman did not happen. Corinne was starting to wonder what her rtionship with Jeremy was. The more she wondered, the more she felt there was no point in continuing the marriage. In fact, she was not even interested to find out who the woman on the other side of the phone was. Back in the car, Corinne opened her eyes slowly. ¡°Tommy, just what new project did Holden Group launch in Molomia that requires Jeremy to be there all the time?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Tommy¡¯s gaze darted around. Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Is it a trade secret?¡± Tommy still did not know how to answer her. Corinne was really put off by hisck of response, so she closed her eyes again. ¡°Forget it. Take it as I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Worried that she was angry, Tommy quickly exined, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s not some sort of trade secret. Even if it is, Mister Jeremy won¡¯t keep it hidden from you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have the clearance to tell you what you want to know. Of course, you can call and ask Mister Jeremy. He¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know.¡± Corinne sneered. ¡®If he wanted me to know, he would¡¯ve told me before he went on the business trip. He wouldn¡¯t have waited until I asked.¡¯ She decided not to probe further as it was getting meaningless. Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Corinne would hate to be one of those women whose whole world revolved around a man. Previously, she left Jeremy once because of the misunderstanding Anya caused, so she did not want to make the same mistake again. She would wait for Jeremy to return and exin everything to her, but until then, she had to brace herself for the worse. As a matter of fact, she was proud of herself for being so clear-headed. After all, how could she expect her husband to be loyal when her own father was a dirtbag who betrayed her mother? Also, she read many reputable social research reports that said the probability of men cheating on their pregnant wives was very high. Previously, she thought Jeremy was better than most men, or at least he was not the fickle type. However, the recent incident made her believe all men, with no exception, were the same; they all liked to sow their seeds around. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll ask him when he returns,¡± said Corinne. Seeing how listless Corinne looked, Tommy became worried she suspected Jeremy of something he did not do. In the end, however, he just said, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± ¡­ After driving for two hours, they finally arrived at the Riveras¡¯ summer vi. Corinne exited the car and narrowed her eyes on the building in front of her. The summer vi was truly a sight to behold. Emzoned across the marble fixed on a gate was the word ¡®Rivera¡¯. It was obvious the architect had taken a page out of ssical Greek or Roman architecture, making it seem like they had been transported back in time. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that evil woman Phoebe still gets to stay in such a nice ce aftermitting so many crimes!¡¯ thought Corinne.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Tommy walked up to the gate and rang the doorbell. A kindly old man appeared on the monitor. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°I work for Mister Jeremy Holden, and his wife hase to visit Miss Phoebe. We have obtained Mister Cedric¡¯s permission to do so.¡± Having received instructions from Cedric about the visit, the kindly old man nodded and said, ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Not long after, a servant came out to wee them. ¡°Miss Corinne, this way please.¡± The fact that the servant called her ¡®Miss Corinne¡¯ instead of ¡®Missus Holden¡¯ made it obvious he was none too happy about receiving a guest from the Holden family. The servant brought Corinne and Tommy to the drawing room. A minuteter, they were served tea and snacks. ¡°Miss Corinne, please wait here for a moment. Ma¡¯am will be down soon after changing her clothes.¡± Corinne nodded and reached out to take a piece of snack. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Jeremy has given me strict instructions not to let you eat anything while you¡¯re here,¡± said Tommy in a bid to stop her. Corinne frowned, but she shrugged and pulled back her hand. A few minutester, Phoebe appeared in the drawing room. Even though she was approaching 50 years old, she did not look a day over 30 years old. She was dressedvishly, so much so that it would be hard-pressed for anyone to think she was in any way affected by her unfavorable situation. Phoebe red at Corinne with hatred. ¡°Fancy seeing you here, Miss Corinne,¡± she said sarcastically. Corinne smiled at her. ¡°Hello, Miss Phoebe. I trust that you¡¯ve been well since Ist saw you.¡± ¡°You must be disappointed to see me looking so well,¡± said Phoebe with a smirk. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d be a shell of my former self just because Anya is arrested? Well, you couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. This is nothingpared to all the storms I¡¯ve weathered before. Just wait¡ªI¡¯ll make a comeback in no time.¡± Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 Corinne smiled at Phoebe coolly. ¡°Miss Phoebe, why are you so worked up? I haven¡¯t even said anything.¡± Phoebe became even more irked at Corinne¡¯s nonchnt attitude. She hated how her words had no effect on her. ¡°You might be cocky now, Corinne, but mark my words¡ªyou¡¯re not going tost long with the Holdens either!¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°Do you really think they¡¯ll like a country bumpkin like you? I¡¯m willing to bet Jeremy will soon be sick of you. Then, he¡¯ll ask you to get as far as possible from him.¡± Corinne remained unfazed. ¡°Thank you for your wise words, Miss Phoebe. But can we get to what I came to talk about now? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been told of my reason foring here. Joey is of no use to you now, and you seem to have no interest in raising him. Why don¡¯t you let me take him away? That way, everyone gets a happy ending.¡± Phoebe widened her eyes in anger. ¡°Dream on if you think I¡¯m going to let you do that! He¡¯s my grandson, and Anya got him fair and square! What right do you have to take him away?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have a right, but my husband does. He¡¯s also Joey¡¯s legal guardian. Miss Phoebe, why do you insist on keeping Joey by your side when he is of no more use to you? Not to mention, you don¡¯t love him at all.¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Phoebe scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s true that the child is of no more use to us, but don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing! You just wanted to prove how kind you are to the Holdens by bringing the child back. Well, that¡¯s not going to happen, and there¡¯s nothing you evil b*tch can do about it.¡± ¡°Miss Phoebe! Please watch your words when speaking to Miss Corinne,¡± warned Tommy. Phoebe crossed her arms haughtily. Since she and Corinne disliked each other, she felt there was no need to put up an act in front of the Holdens anymore. ¡°Why should I? She¡¯s nothing but a country bumpkin who just happened to get lucky. So no, I won¡¯t watch my words when speaking to her!¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± Tommy frowned. He could not stand Phoebe¡¯s overbearing attitude. He was about to say something more when Corinne raised her hand to stop him. Corinne paid no mind to Phoebe¡¯s words. Her priority then was to get Joey out of there. ¡°What can I do to make you agree to let me take Joey away?¡± Phoebe lifted her chin arrogantly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do that¡¯ll make me agree to let you take my grandson away! You better not try me, Corinne. I¡¯m going to hit my head against the wall if you dare to take him away!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne had no intention to force Phoebe to give up Joey. In fact, she was hoping to talk some sense into her. Phoebe might look like she was doing well on the outside, but inside, she was falling apart. She knew she had no bargaining chips left, hence why she clung to Joey. ¡®She might kill herself if I forcibly take Joey away from here,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡®And her dying would make this even trickier.¡¯ Corinne did not truly care whether Phoebe lived or died. It was just that she did not want her dead just yet because she still had not found the evidence she needed to prove her mother¡¯s innocence. ¡®She¡¯s the culprit behind my mother¡¯s disappearance. If she dies, there¡¯ll be no one left on earth who knows the whole story of what happened back then,¡¯ thought Corinne. Thus, she decided to back down for the moment. ¡°Fine. I promise I won¡¯t take Joey away now. But since I¡¯m here, at least let me see him for a while.¡± Phoebe rolled her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s taking a nap right now, so you can¡¯t see him.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Miss Phoebe, need I remind you that it was Mister Cedric himself who permitted me toe here? I highly suggest you give a little if you still have hopes of ever going back to live at the city mansion. Seriously, you won¡¯t do yourself any favor by making an enemy out of me.¡± Phoebe was a little taken aback by her words. After thinking it over, she realized Corinne had a point. ¡®She¡¯s right. This little b*tch wouldn¡¯t have been able to step foot in this ce if Dad hadn¡¯t permitted her. She¡¯s his savior, so he¡¯ll just think more badly about me if words get back to him about how I won¡¯t even let her see Joey.¡¯ Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 In the end, Phoebe said sulkily, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go check if he¡¯s woken up from his nap.¡± Corinne smiled, satisfied. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Miss Phoebe.¡± After a while, Phoebe came back with Joey. Joey looked fearfully around the room. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw Corinne, but they quickly dimmed again. Even though growing up in the orphanage turned Joey into a sensitive and insecure child, Corinne still remembered the look of awe in his eyes when she first met him. That was why it was especially jarring for her to realize Joey had be so fearful through his stay with Anya and Phoebe that he did not even dare to look others in the eye anymore. His whole body language screamed how he wished he was dead. Corinne could not help but see herself in him. She waved him over. ¡°Come here, Joey.¡± Joey instinctively took a few steps back before turning up his head to look at Phoebe. Phoebe thought there was no point in stopping Corinne from talking to Joey since she already brought him there, so she said sarcastically to Joey, ¡°What are you standing there for? Go to her now!¡± Joey, being young, could not tell when a grown-up was sarcastic. He thought Phoebe meant what she said, so he cautiously made his way to Corinne. Corinne stroked his bony cheeks. ¡°Look at how scrawny you¡¯ve be. Are you not eating well?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Joey¡¯s first instinct was not to answer Corinne¡¯s question but to look at Phoebe to see whether he was allowed to say anything. Phoebe gave him a look, and Joey immediately knew that was his cue to keep his mouth shut. Scared, he shrank back a little and said nothing. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned when she saw the many bruises and wounds on Joey¡¯s skin. ¡°How did you get all those bruises and cuts?¡± she asked him. Joey looked down and shook his head. Corinne knew he was too scared to speak, so she said gently, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared of, little guy. You can tell me anything. No one can hurt you as long as I¡¯m here.¡± Joey looked up at her anxiously. He opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately closed it and hung his head low when he heard Phoebe clearing her throat. Seeing this caused Corinne to frown. ¡°Miss Corinne, there¡¯s no point in asking a kid who can barely reply to all those questions. Plus, he¡¯s at the age where all he does is run around knocking into things, so it¡¯s not surprising he¡¯d get all those bruises and cuts. I guess boys will always be boys,¡± said Phoebe. Corinne secretly balled her hands into fists. She wanted so badly to curse Anya and Phoebe for hurting Joey and taking out their anger on him. Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 However, Corinne quickly took a deep breath topose herself. All her hard work would be in vain if she blew up. She smiled at Phoebe nonchntly. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, Miss Phoebe, but I¡¯m going to stay here for a while since you¡¯re not willing to let me take Joey with me. Plus, the mountain air will be good for the baby in my womb.¡± Joey looked up happily at Corinne when he heard she was going to stay. Phoebe looked annoyed at first, but an idea suddenly came to her mind. She smiled cunningly. ¡°Of course you¡¯re more than wee to stay. I was feeling a bit lonely anyway, so I¡¯ll be d to have someone to talk to.¡± ¡°Great. That settles it, then.¡± Tommy frowned with worry. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a¡­¡± Corinne knew what he was going to say, so she chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. I¡¯m only going to stay for a few days.¡± After that, she stood up and took Joey¡¯s hand. ¡°Joey, can you please give me a tour of the vi?¡± It seemed Joey had be scared of human touch as he immediately shrank back his hand, but Corinne managed to keep a tight grip on it. All of sudden, he felt a sense of security and courage flowing from Corinne¡¯s hand to him, and he did not want to let go of that feeling. Joey nodded docilely to show he was willing to show her around. Thus, the two of them walked out of the drawing room together. Corinne could not bear to leave Joey alone with Phoebe. He was still too young to be able to save himself. Tommy followed anxiously behind them to make sure no harm woulde to them.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Worried Joey would blurt out something he should not have, Phoebe, too, followed them out of the drawing room. Corinne¡¯s legs started to feel sore after touring half of the summer vi, so she asked Joey to take her to a ce where she could rest. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The servants had prepared a clean and elegant room for her. ¡®Mister Cedric must¡¯ve instructed them to give me the best guest room,¡¯ she thought, knowing Phoebe would never give her this kind of treatment. Joey wanted to stay with Corinne in her room, but Phoebe would not allow him to do that as she was worried Joey would snitch on her. So, she forced him toe with her. Corinne wanted to keep Joey by her side too, but she decided not to say anything when she saw how insistent Phoebe was to stop that from happening. She consoled herself with the fact that at least Phoebe would not dare to hit Joey while she was in the summer vi for a few days. After all, the older woman would not want to be caught in the act, right? Tommy stood guard at the door while Corinne took a nap inside the guest room, and he waved the servants away when they brought her some food. Even though she was staying there temporarily, he was determined that no food prepared in the vi should ever cross Corinne¡¯s lips. ¡®What if Miss Phoebe spiked the food with something?¡¯ he asked himself, not wanting to risk it. It was better to be safe than sorry; he could not afford to let anything bad happen to Corinne and her baby. Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 After Corinne woke up, she came out to see Tommy standing straight at the door. ¡°Tommy, you can let your guard down a little. Miss Phoebe isn¡¯t stupid enough to do anything to me for the time being,¡± she said while massaging her temples. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Miss Phoebe always looks like she wants to strangle you,¡± said Tommy with a frown. Corinne smiled. ¡°As if she could ever do that.¡± Tommy sighed. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you sure you want to stay here? Honestly speaking, Mister Joey looks fine to me. Why don¡¯t you wait until Mister Jeremy is back? The two of you can pick Mister Joey up together afterward.¡± Corinne could not help but feel her heart ache whenever she thought of poor Joey. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly think he¡¯s being treated well here. He might not be Jeremy¡¯s biological son, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can just abandon him here! The moment Jeremy adopted him is the moment he committed to taking care of him, for better or for worse. Plus, I¡¯m pretty sure Jeremy won¡¯t sit by and do nothing if he saw how scared Joey was of Phoebe.¡± Tommy opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. ¡®She¡¯s right. Mister Jeremy won¡¯t sit by and do nothing. He has a very strong sense of responsibility. If not, he wouldn¡¯t have let Miss Anya use him for so many years to pay her back for saving his life.¡¯ Corinne waved her hand dismissively, signaling to Tommy that was the end of the discussion. ¡°You can go back to New Capital City if you have something else to do. I can handle everything here myself.¡± Tommy would never leave Corinne alone. He shook his head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ma¡¯am. I don¡¯t have anything waiting for me back in the city, so it¡¯s no problem for me to stay here with you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne knew nothing she said would make Tommy leave, so she rubbed her belly and said, ¡°I¡¯m starving. Get the kitchen to make something for me to eat.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s fine if you want to stay here, but it¡¯s best not to eat anything made by the servants here. What if Miss Phoebe decides to poison your food as revenge?¡± said Tommy warily. ¡°It¡¯ll be disastrous if you eat the food. We¡¯re in the mountains where the good hospitals are miles away, so it¡¯s best not to eat the food here.¡± Even though Corinne knew Tommy¡¯s worry was not unfounded, she still was not happy about his suggestion. ¡°So you¡¯d rather I starve?¡± Tommy waved his hand. ¡°No. I can bring you out to eat if you¡¯re hungry. The local government is trying to develop this area into a tourist destination, so there are some nice homestays nearby where you can dine in.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°And you¡¯re not worried I¡¯ll eat something I shouldn¡¯t have in the homestays?¡± Tommy smiled. ¡°Well, dining there is a much safer optionpared to dining here. But, the best option is to go back home. If not, Mister Greg and Miss Pam will be worried about you.¡± Corinne went back into her room to put on a jacket. ¡°Cut the crap and bring me to the homestay now. As for Grandpa Greg and Grandma Pam, I¡¯ll call themter to exin everything.¡± Tommy nodded helplessly. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Corinne wanted to bring Joey with her to dine at the homestay too, but she did not even need to ask Phoebe to know she would never let Joey step out of the vi. Thus, Corinne quickly gave up on the thought. Tommy drove her to the best homestay in the area. After they made their order, he went to the kitchen to supervise the whole cooking process. ¡®He¡¯s taking the whole caution thing a bit too far, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. At that moment, someone pulled out the chair across from her. N?velDrama.Org content. Corinne looked up in a daze and saw a familiar, devilishly handsome face. ¡°What a coincidence seeing you here, Corinne. Are you here for a holiday too?¡± greeted Jason. Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Corinne gazed at Jason for a while before giving him a superficial smile. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. It¡¯s so much of a coincidence that I can¡¯t help but think this was nned.¡± Jason put his cheek on his hand and looked at Corinne flirtatiously. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. I really didn¡¯t know you were going to be here.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± uttered Corinne curtly. She was not interested in what he was doing there, so she did not continue the conversation any further. Instead, she picked up her cup to drink the free coffee provided by the homestay. However, Jason snatched the cup before it even got close to her lips. Stunned, Corinne looked up at Jason unhappily. ¡°What did you do that for?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jason took a sip from the cup of coffee he took from Corinne. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. You shouldn¡¯t drink any coffee.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine to have just a little!¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°Nope, you can¡¯t even have a little. Drink some water if you¡¯re thirsty. Best to avoid tea and coffee if you can help it.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®This jerk is as meddlesome as ever!¡¯ However, her annoyance quickly morphed into sadness. ¡®Jeremy should be the one reminding me not to drink anything with caffeine, yet he¡¯s not here¡­¡¯ At that moment, the waiter ced two local dishes on the table. Corinne snapped out of her trance and picked up her utensils. ¡°May I join you?¡± asked Jason politely.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°If I say no, will you go away?¡± Jason smiled and shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Then you might as well don¡¯t ask.¡± To this, Jason simply picked up his fork to take a bite out of each dish. Tommy came out from the kitchen after all the food had been served. ¡°Mister Jason, what are you doing here?¡± he asked with surprise when he saw him sitting across from Corinne. ¡°I¡¯m here on holiday,¡± replied Jason with a smile. ¡°You came here to have a holiday?¡± repeated Tommy with disbelief. Jason nodded. ¡°I got bored of all the usual ces, so I thought I¡¯de to experience what the locals have to offer. This holiday is a reward I gave myself for working really hard to the point of getting a burnout for the past few months. Corinne and I were just talking about what a coincidence for us to meet each other here.¡± Tommy nodded suspiciously. ¡°I see. It does sound much like a coincidence.¡± ¡°By the way, I heard Jeremy is out of the country?¡± he asked nonchntly while picking up the food from the tes. ¡°Yes. He¡¯s currently taking care of business abroad,¡± replied Tommy. Jason smiled. ¡°I see. I was wondering why Corinne is here alone.¡± Tommy was speechless. ¡®Why does it sound like he¡¯s ming Mister Jeremy for not being here with Ma¡¯am?¡¯ Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Corinne paid no mind to what Jason said. She continued eating as though nothing happened. Jason was not really eating by then. He rested his cheek on his hand and gazed at her seductively until she finished eating. ¡°I see you¡¯re not a picky eater at all, Corinne. The food here isn¡¯t really that great, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t expect a homestay restaurant to taste like a three-star Michelin restaurant, can you?¡± replied Corinne indifferently. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m just giving my objective opinion. The food is really not that great. How about I bring you to an authentic farm-to-table restaurant tomorrow? You¡¯ll know what I say is true then.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks,¡± said Corinne disinterestedly. ¡°We won¡¯t be interrupting your holiday now, Mister Jason. Tommy, go pay the bill.¡± Tommy nodded and went to the counter to pay the bill. However, not only did the waiter refuse to take his money, but he handed over some change to him. ¡°Mister Jason has paid for the food. This is the change.¡± Tommy frowned. He first looked at Jason before turning to Corinne with a questioning look. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ Corinne heard what the waiter said. She gave Jason a side-eye before getting up and saying, ¡°Thanks for the meal. I¡¯ll let Jeremy know so he can buy you a meal when he¡¯s back.¡± After that, she and Tommy left the homestay. She knew it would be a waste of time to offer to give the money back to Jason since he would never ept it, so she might as well let Jeremy handle it when he came back. Once they were outside of the homestay, Corinne immediately smelled clean mountain air. She looked toward the horizon, which quickly brought to mind her childhood.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She hade here before with Mother Cathrina to collect mountain herbs. Together, they walked past this very homestay many times before. The difference was that the muddy mountain roads that were difficult to walk on had been turned into glossy ck asphalt roads. Not to mention, the conditions in the vige were much better than before. It had been so many years since Corinnest returned. The vige where she lived when she was a child was on the other side of the mountain. In the past, going back and forth required walking across the mountains, but with a road built, it needed only 15 minutes to make the same journey by car. Being in that ce suddenly made Corinne miss Mother Cathrina. She looked at the time and thought it was still early. ¡°Tommy, I want to go somewhere. Can you please drive me there?¡± Both of them got into the car. Before Tommy even started the engine, however, someone opened the back seat door and sat next to Corinne. From the rearview mirror, Tommy realized it was Jason. As much as Tommy found it rude for Jason to do that, he knew he could not order him to get out because Jason was a good friend of Jeremy. Thus, he could only hope Corinne would say something to Jason about the intrusion. Corinne looked sideways at Jason. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Jason smiled at her. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s so rare to bump into a familiar face here. I was hoping you won¡¯t mind me joining you for a drive.¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I do mind,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Any other person would have gotten out of the car in embarrassment, but Jason simply smiled even wider at her. ¡°Oh,e on. Don¡¯t be like this, Corinne. Why not see it as a thank you for me treating you to a meal? Also, I¡¯m starting to get bored being by myself¡­¡± ¡°Then why did youe alone?¡± Corinne asked with a frown. Jason spread his hands helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I wanted toe alone. Pity the single guy.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Oh, please. As if no girls are lining up to be your girlfriend. You only need to crook your finger, and they¡¯ll be throwing themselves at you. Not to mention, you could¡¯ve brought the girl your parents have set you up with for some bonding time.¡± Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 Jason chuckled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m ttered you think so highly of me, Corinne, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m now here alone. So what do you say? Could I please join you for a drive?¡± Corinne was speechless. It was obvious Jason was not going to take no for an answer. Tommy looked at Corinne through the rearview mirror. ¡°Ma¡¯am, should I¡­¡± Corinne did not want to waste her breath arguing with Jason anymore as the sun was about to set. Thus, she waved and said, ¡°Forget it. Just drive.¡± Tommy frowned and nodded. ¡®I need to report this to Mister Jeremy as soon as possible.¡¯ The car drove along the winding mountain road. Corinne looked out at the breathtaking scenery outside the window, thinking how nice it would be to let the mountain air wash over her skin. Thus, she started rolling down her window. Before she could even get far, however, Jason reached out and rolled it back up. Corinne red at him. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get a headache from the cold wind. Seriously, don¡¯t forget you¡¯re pregnant now. You need to take care of yourself better,¡± said Jason with a mischievous glint in his eyes. ¡°Mister Jason, has anyone ever told you how meddlesome you are?¡± Corinne asked with a frown. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jason shook his head. ¡°Nope. Because I don¡¯t usually treat everybody like how I treat you,¡± he said with a smile. At that moment, Corinne noticed how close Jason was sitting next to her. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Now can you please move back to where you were sitting before? It¡¯s inappropriate of you to sit so close to a married woman.¡± Jason shrugged nonchntly before moving back to his seat.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne turned back to look out of the window, but it was not even five secondster when Jason¡¯s voice was heard again. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m actually surprised Jeremy would allow you toe to a ce like this alone when you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback by Jason¡¯s insinuation, but she did not say anything. Tommy, however, could not stand Jason anymore. Fearing Corinne would start thinking too much, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Jason, but Miss Corinne is not here alone. Mister Jeremy instructed me to look after her for these few days. I¡¯m to protect her safety at all costs.¡± Jason chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯ve nearly forgotten you¡¯re here too, Tommy. But I still think it should be the husband who apanies his wife wherever she goes. I mean, it¡¯s just a fact that an employee can never rece the existence of a husband, right?¡± Tommy frowned. ¡°Well, Mister Jeremy is attending to some very important matters as we speak. But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make it up to Miss Corinne once he¡¯s back. There¡¯s really nothing for you to worry about, Mister Jason.¡± Jason pursed his lips. ¡°Of course, of course. Jeremy likes Corinne so much, so it¡¯s not surprising he¡¯ll treat her well. Forgive me for not keeping my big mouth shut.¡± Corinne never said a word from the beginning to the end. ¡­ It took them 15 minutes to arrive at Athene Convent, where Corinne grew up. She looked at the entrance que absent-mindedly before turning to Jason, saying, ¡°Mister Jason, I¡¯m going to drop by the convent for a while. I assume you won¡¯t have any interest in following me inside, so you can either wait in the car or walk around.¡± Jason gazed at her intently while smiling nonchntly. ¡°Well, your assumption is wrong. I might as well go inside with you since I¡¯m here.¡± Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Corinne could not fathom how Jason could still smile so frivolously in such a solemn ce. ¡°You cane in with me, but please behave. This isn¡¯t a ce ying jokes or games,¡± said Corinne sternly. Jason immediately stopped smiling and nodded seriously. ¡°Okay. You have my word.¡± After that, the two of them got out of the car. Worried about leaving Corinne alone with Jason, Tommy quickly parked the car a little distance away before getting out to follow them into the convent too. Corinne could smell the scent of sandalwood the moment she stepped into the convent. Though it was not a popr ce for worshipers toe, there were still a few of them offering prayers up at the altar. Corinne slowly walked inside and looked around. She noted that the ce looked just as it was before. In other words, nothing had changed in all the years she had been gone. She stepped over the threshold to enter the main hall, and she then saw a middle-aged nun tending to a worshiper. After confirming her diagnosis, the nun rapidly wrote down a herbal remedy and passed it to the worshiper. ¡°Make a tincture out of the herbs listed here and take it three times a day. Try to avoid spicy or unhealthy food for the time being.¡± The worshiper quickly thanked the nun before leaving. Corinne waited until the worshiper had left before walking over and sitting in front of the nun. The nun was busy tidying up the bits and bobs on her desk that she did not look up when she asked, ¡°How can I help you today, child?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Corinne took a deep breath before saying softly, ¡°It¡¯s me, Mother Cathrina.¡± Mother Cathrina¡¯s hands stopped. She then looked up at Corinne in a daze. Apart from a few extra wrinkles around her eyes, she still looked the same as ever. Very quickly, she regained herposure. ¡°Wee back, child,¡± she said with a nod.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. ¡°Mother Cathrina, how have you been? I¡¯m so sorry for not coming sooner. So many things happened over the years that I couldn¡¯t find the time to drop by.¡± Mother Cathrina shook her head softly. ¡°No need to feel terrible, Corinne. It¡¯s only natural for you to leave this ce since you¡¯re not ordained as a nun. It has always been my hope for you to live happily outside instead of worrying about us here.¡± Since Corinne lost her mother at a young age, she was especially appreciative of the mother figure role Mother Cathrina yed during her years of growing up despite Mother Cathrina being a nun. While she did care for Corinne deeply, she still made sure to keep a firm boundary between the two of them to prevent Corinne from getting overly attached to her. Corinne took a deep breath topose herself; she did not want to end up sobbing in front of Mother Cathrina within minutes of being back. ¡°Thank you. For your understanding.¡± At that moment, two nuns walked in with a broom and spotted Corinne. One of them had stayed in Athene Convent for as long as Corinne could remember, so she immediately recognized her. ¡°Corinne? Is that you? Have youe back?¡± Corinne turned to look at her and she, too, recognized the old nun. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mother Kalista. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± Mother Kalista reacted more emotionally than Mother Cathrina. She quickly strode over and took Corinne¡¯s hands in hers. She then looked her up and down and said happily, ¡°It¡¯s really you, Corinne! My, how much you¡¯ve grown! You¡¯re even more beautiful than ever. I¡¯m so d to see you doing well.¡± Corinne smiled superficially before pulling her hand. She did not like Mother Kalista at all, but she had to show respect for her since her rank in the convent put her at the very top. She remembered how Mother Kalista was not that willing to take her in when she was sent to the convent. After all, the convent was not really flushed with donations, and it was not an orphanage either. Taking Corinne in would mean they would have toe up with the resources to feed one more mouth. In short, she would be nothing but a burden. Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 It was only through Mother Cathrina¡¯s insistence that Corinne was allowed to stay in the convent. After that, during all the years Corinne was living in the convent, Mother Kalista would always gripe about her existence to Mother Cathrina and, from time to time, would suggest sending her to the orphanage instead. However, Mother Cathrina never wavered in her decision. She kept Corinne close by her side, causing the other nuns to resent her and take Mother Kalista¡¯s side. Seeing Mother Cathrina getting ostracized because of her, Corinne did what she could to make her life easier. She took up most of the chores in the convent and ate as little as possible to burden anyone. As time passed, the other nuns slowly epted her. No longer did they threaten to send her to the orphanage. That was until, not caring about the other nuns¡¯ objections, Mother Cathrina borrowed money from the convent¡¯s fund to pay for Corinne¡¯s education. Not surprisingly, the bullying started again after that. Corinne witnessed it all, so she vowed to herself she would not spend a single penny from the convent after getting into high school. She pushed herself to win schrships after schrships, as well as to start a business while she was still in school. When her business started making money, she returned all the money Mother Cathrina borrowed from the convent to silence the other nuns. From then on, Mother Kalista and the other nuns had a 180-degree change in attitude toward her. They became friendlier to her, but it only made Corinne dislike them even more for their hypocrisy. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡®They might be dressed in a nun¡¯s clothing, but they surely don¡¯t behave like one. In fact, the only person who really behaves like one in the whole convent is Mother Cathrina. She only cares about doing good instead of other worldly matters,¡¯ thought Corinne. Mother Kalista realized she must have been too sudden with Corinne when she saw her quickly withdrawing her hands. Thus, she smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Sorry if I frightened you, Corinne. I was just so happy to see you that I forgot you never liked other people touching you since you were young.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mother Kalista. How have you all been well these years?¡± Mother Kalista smiled at her. ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve been very well! We¡¯ve used some of the money you sent us to repair several of the halls and statues in the convent while Sister Cathrina donated the rest of it to the needy vigers around the area.¡± Corinne could tell Mother Kalista was making an indirectint about Mother Cathrina to her. Though, it was nothing new to her since the nuns there¡ªwith Mother Cathrina being the exception¡ª saw money as more important than many things. Even after Corinne finished paying back the money Mother Cathrina borrowed to pay for her education, she did not stop giving to the convent. Nheless, she made sure only Mother Cathrina had the sole discretion as to how the extra money should be used as Corinne did not trust the other nuns. She believed there were not many honest people in the world, and this belief extended to the convent too. Corinne frowned and turned to ask Mother Cathrina, ¡°Why did you donate all the money to the vigers? I sent you money because I want you all to eat better.¡± Mother Cathrina stood up and said serenely, ¡°We cannot be choosy about what we eat or use. Keeping the money will only bring trouble for the convent.¡± Corinne sighed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯ve not only grown taller, Corinne, but thinner too!¡± said Mother Kalista. ¡°How are you doing in the big city? You must be rolling in cash, right?¡± Corinne gave her a faint smile. ¡°Is that so? I must be losing weight due to the stress I¡¯ve been feeling.¡± She deliberately ignored Mother Kalista¡¯s question about money as she knew that was her way of hinting to her to donate more money to the convent. In fact, she had donated quite arge amount of money to the convent over the years, yet that did not seem to satisfy the nuns there at all. ¡®I don¡¯t get why they¡¯re so obsessed about money. It¡¯s not like they can go on a shopping spree¡­¡¯ thought Corinne with a sigh. At that moment, Mother Cathrina must have felt annoyed by Mother Kalista¡¯s presence too because she said, ¡°Sister Kalista, why don¡¯t you go prepare some of Corinne¡¯s favorite dishes for her? It¡¯s not every day that she visits. As for the cleaning of the hall, I¡¯ll help you do itter.¡± ¡°Sure thing. I¡¯ll go whip up something for her now,¡± said Mother Kalista with a bright smile. After that, she turned to Corinne and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re used to all the fancy food outside, but I hope you won¡¯t be too put off by my cooking.¡± Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 Corinne was not hungry at all since she had eaten before she came. However, at that moment, she was willing to do anything to get Mother Kalista out of her sight. ¡°Of course not, Mother Kalista. I¡¯m actually looking forward to your cooking!¡± Only then would Mother Kalista leave her alone with Mother Cathrina, which was what Mother Cathrina wanted. After Mother Kalista left the hall, Mother Cathrina pulled Corinne to sit down. ¡°Corinne, why did you come back so suddenly? Did something happen?¡± Corinne was touched by her question. ¡®Only people who care about me will ask me that,¡¯ she thought. She quickly shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother Cathrina. Nothing happened. I was just in the neighborhood, so I thought I¡¯d drop by to visit you.¡± Mother Cathrina nodded with relief. She then asked, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation on your mother going?¡± Corinne had told her about Emily in the past, so Mother Cathrina knew why she worked so hard over the years.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne shook her head ruefully. ¡°I still have no idea whether she¡¯s dead or alive. However, I managed to find my brother and grandparents.¡± ¡°Oh? How are they doing? Did you tell them who you are?¡± ¡°No. They abandoned me and my mother, so I never want them to find out who I am.¡± ¡°Corinne, you really remind me of myself when I was young. Maybe that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about you all these years.¡± Corinne was surprised to hear Mother Cathrina talking about the past. She did not really know what happened to her back then. All she knew was that Mother Cathrina was a wanderer who happened to stumble into the convent and, after receiving permission from the abbess, became a nun. However, for some reason, the abbess did not allow her to be fully professed. ¡°The fact you can¡¯t forgive them means you still care about them.¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Tell me, Mother Cathrina, have you forgiven all the people who hurt you in the past?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t.¡± After a pause, she said, ¡°I have a son whom I miss very much.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback. This was the first time she heard Mother Cathrina ever mentioning her son. ¡°How old is he now?¡± ¡°He should be thirty years old this year. I wonder how he¡¯s doing now and whether he has his own family.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever think of going back to have a look?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing that? Plus, I don¡¯t ever want to see his father again.¡± ¡°You mean your ex-husband? Why not?¡± ¡°He has betrayed me countless times. Trust no men, Corinne. They¡¯re all liars.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit extreme? I¡¯m sure there are some honest men out there. Take, for example, me!¡± remarked Jason as he walked into the hall. ¡°And you are?¡± asked Mother Cathrina. ¡°He¡¯s an acquaintance of mine,¡± chimed Corinne before Jason could say anything, prompting him to look at her speechlessly. Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 Corinne was surprised to hear Mother Cathrina talking about the past. She did not really know what happened to her back then, and all she heard was Mother Cathrina was a wanderer who happened to stumble into the convent and became a nun after receiving permission from the abbess. However, for some reason, the abbess did not allow her to be fully professed. Mother Cathrina sighed and looked at Corinne wearily. ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t forgive them means you¡¯re still stuck in the past.¡± Corinne would have been angry had anyone else said that. However, she knew she owed Mother Cathrina for the life she had, so she simply asked softly, ¡°Tell me, Mother Cathrina¡ªhave you forgiven all the people who have hurt you in the past?¡± Mother Cathrina¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t. Nor will I ever.¡± Some strands of her hair had escaped out of her headdress as though reminding her all the hurt, the pain, and the worries of the past would always be with her, no matter where she went. After a pause, Mother Cathrina added, ¡°I actually have a son, Corinne. Not a day goes by without me missing him.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback by the revtion. This was the first time she ever heard Mother Cathrina mentioning her son. ¡°How old is he now?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Mother Cathrina took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°He should be thirty years old this year. I wonder how he¡¯s doing now? Maybe he has his own family now.¡± Corinne frowned in confusion. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever think of going back to have a look?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing that? Plus, I don¡¯t ever want to see his father again,¡± replied Mother Cathrina, looking down. Corinne frowned and blinked. ¡°You mean your ex-husband? Why not? Did he do something very bad to you? Like hitting you or¡­¡± It happened so long ago that Mother Cathrina needed some time to think. ¡°No, he never hit me, but he has betrayed me countless times.¡± After saying that, she patted Corinne meaningfully on the shoulder. ¡°Trust no men, Corinne. They¡¯re all liars, except for¡ª¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit extreme? I¡¯m sure there are some honest men out there. Take, for example, me!¡± said Jason suddenly as he walked into the hall. ¡°And you are?¡± asked Mother Cathrina, looking at him. ¡°He¡¯s an acquaintance of mine,¡± chimed Corinne while ring at him in annoyance. ¡®What? We¡¯ve known each other for so long, and she can¡¯t even find it in herself to call me a friend?¡¯ thought Jason, at a loss for words. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. He smiled wryly at Mother Cathrina and introduced himself. ¡°Hello, Mother Cathrina. My name is Jason Talbot. I¡¯m a friend of Corinne¡¯s. I came with her to visit you.¡± Mother Cathrina gazed at Jason questioningly before turning to Corinne with a worried frown. ¡°Corinne, you didn¡¯t tell me you have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°I do have a boyfriend, but it¡¯s not him. It¡¯ll be more urate to say he¡¯s my boyfriend¡¯s friend instead of my friend,¡± said Corinne honestly. Mother Cathrina fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Why is he here instead of your boyfriend?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Jason and I just happened to bump into each other while I was dining in one of the homestays near here. He said he wanted toe with me to the covenant, so here we are.¡± Mother Cathrina looked at Jason again with the same questioning eyes again. ¡°Jason, can you give us the room for a moment? I have something I¡¯d like to say to Corinne alone.¡± Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 Jason shrugged and smiled. ¡°I guess I can go pray at the altar again. I won¡¯t bother you two anymore. Corinne, I¡¯ll find youter, okay?¡± He winked at Corinne before walking out of the main hall. Corinne could feel the anger ring up inside of her. ¡®I told him to behave while he¡¯s here!¡¯ After Jason left, the usually taciturn Mother Cathrina grabbed Corinne¡¯s wrist and looked at her worriedly. ¡°Corinne, what kind of man is your boyfriend?¡± Corinne was caught off-guard by the question. After a brief pause, she answered hesitantly, ¡°Um¡­ He¡¯s a bit older than me, and¡­I guess he¡¯s not that bad.¡± ¡°Is he good to you?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Quite,¡± said Corinne since Jeremy¡¯s performance in thest few days was not that great, giving her cause to wonder if they really had a future together. Nevertheless, she decided to keep that to herself as she did not want to worry Mother Cathrina. Mother Cathrina stared intently into Corinne¡¯s eyes for a long time before looking up at the angel statue on the main altar. ¡°My ex-husband used to be good to me too, so much so that I thought I must be the luckiest woman in the world. However, not long after we got married, he started staying out the whole night, ignored my calls, and acted impatient with me. Then, we started fighting nonstop¡­ Muchter, I could count on one hand the number of times I saw him in a year¡­ He¡¯d stay with a different woman every week, and the worst part was, several of them had his babies.¡± Corinne frowned. She found it hard to believe that a woman as wise as Mother Cathrina could not escape the fate of marrying a dirtbag too. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Mother Cathrina. It sounds like you¡¯ve been through a lot,¡± said Corinne.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Mother Cathrina looked at Corinne with pity in her eyes. ¡°Corinne, once the love is gone, it doesn¡¯t take much for your significant other to get sick of you,¡± she said meaningfully. ¡°I used to ask myself what I¡¯d done wrong to make him hate me so much, but it wasn¡¯t until muchter that I realized there was no reason at all. He was simply tired of me. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t ever believe a man when he says he¡¯ll love you forever.¡± Corinne thought of what happened to her father and mother. Back then, Maxwell spared no effort in making Emily his wife, but everything changed after they got married. Maxwell did the three trifecta¡ª cheating, mistress, and illegitimate children¡ªthat would bring any marriage crumbling. ¡®I guess that¡¯s how all men are. They¡¯ll tell you how much they love you at the start, but once they have you, they¡¯ll start chasing after other women,¡¯ thought Corinne. She knew Mother Cathrina was just preparing her for the worst as she did not want Corinne to end up like her. Corinne was still mulling over Mother Cathrina¡¯s words when she meaningfully added, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not a really good nun. There are so many worldly things I cannot let go of just yet. That¡¯s why the abbess wouldn¡¯t allow me to be a fully professed nun. Plus, I didn¡¯t take you in out of kindness. I did it for my own hidden agenda.¡± ¡®She took me in for her own hidden agenda?¡¯ This was something that never crossed Corinne¡¯s mind. Confused, she asked, ¡°Mother Cathrina, is there something you¡¯d like me to do for you?¡± Mother Cathrina did not reply immediately. ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned, I have a son. He¡¯s my only lingering attachment to the outside world. You were also different even when you were little, and I like you very much, Corinne. It has always been my secret hope for you to marry my son somewhere down the line.¡± Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 Corinne was shocked to find out Mother Cathrina had been harboring this kind of hidden agenda all along. She cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°Ahem! Well¡­ I must say, that¡¯s¡ª¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Worried Corinne might have gotten the wrong idea, Mother Cathrina quickly added, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Corinne. It might look like I¡¯m doing all this for my son¡¯s benefit, but I¡¯m doing it for your benefit too. I don¡¯t want you to marry an unreliable man like I did. My ex-husband might be a good-for-nothing yer, but my son is certainly not. ¡°Even as a little boy, he hated his father with all his guts. He even took an oath to either take up celibacy or swear loyalty to one woman alone for the rest of his life. My son is the only man in the world I feel is worthy to entrust the rest of your life to, so I had hoped you¡¯d marry him. That way, you won¡¯t have to endure the pain of betrayal like I did.¡± Corinne never expected Mother Cathrina would one day try to set her up with her son. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, Mother Cathrina, but I already have a boyfriend¡­¡± Mother Cathrina smiled haplessly. ¡°Yes, I know. Though, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯re a wonderful girl, Corinne. Any man would be lucky to have you. I watched you grow up, and I have long regarded you as my child. I sincerely hope you¡¯ll find a man you can live happily ever after with.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mother Cathrina, for everything.¡± Mother Cathrina could not help but feel a little disappointed. In all the years Corinne stayed with her, she had raised her with the idea of making Corinne her future daughter-inw. She even went as far as changing Corinne¡¯s name. When Corinne first arrived in the convent, she went by the name of Luna, but Mother Cathrina did not like how the name seemed associated with the word ¡®lunatic¡¯. Thus, she changed her name to Corinne, which meant ¡®beautiful maiden¡¯ in the oldennguage. There was another reason why she chose that name for Corinne, which Corinne herself was not even aware of. Mother Cathrina¡¯s son¡¯s name was Jeremy, which meant ¡®God will uplift¡¯. Together with Corinne¡¯s name, their names woulde to mean ¡®God will uplift this beautiful maiden¡¯. Both Corinne and Jeremy were her biggest worry in this life. She would die happy if the two of them could live together for the rest of their lives. For some reason, she always had a feeling Corinne would end up with Jeremy after leaving the convent, despite knowing the Holdens would not ept anything less than the most beautiful heiress in the city to be Jeremy¡¯s wife. Then again, she also knew Jeremy would never fall for a girl with no personality. It was neither her liking nor her hope for Jeremy to end up as a sacrifice for the good of the family business, forever doomed to have his life dictated by dors and cents. ¡°Corinne, my door will always be open for you. If your boyfriend doesn¡¯t treat you well anymore one day¡­ Find me, okay?¡± said Mother Cathrina while holding Corinne¡¯s hand. Corinne smiled. ¡°Sorry for making you worry about me, Mother Cathrina. Rest assured, I¡¯m fully prepared to handle whatever the future has for me. You know I¡¯ll alwaysnd on my feet, right?¡± Mother Cathrina gazed intently at her before forcing a smile on her face. At that moment, Mother Kalista walked in and said, ¡°Corinne, the food is ready. You should eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± ¡°Mother Cathrina, you must be hungry too. Why don¡¯t you join me?¡± said Corinne. Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 Mother Cathrina waved her hand. ¡°You go, Corinne. I¡¯m not hungry. Besides, I want tomune with God to ease my troubled heart.¡± Hence, Corinne did not insist. She simply nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Mother Kalista could not care less whether Mother Cathrina joined them for a meal. She happily pulled Corinne, who had been their biggest donor to date, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Corinne. I¡¯m sure Sister Cathrina will join uster when she¡¯s hungry.¡± Corinne did not want to bother Mother Cathrinamuning with God. She bowed to her to show her gratitude for raising her before heading out with Mother Kalista. While walking out from the main hall, Corinne saw Jason standing outside under a tree with one hand raised to pluck the leaves. Under the reflection of the setting sun filtering through the gaps in the leaves, his side profile looked even more handsome. N?velDrama.Org content. ¡®A devilish man like him shouldn¡¯t appear in the convent. He¡¯ll just be forced to show his true form,¡¯ thought Corinne. Jason sensed someone was staring at him, so he turned to look at her. After that, he walked over with the plucked leaves still in his hand. ¡°Are you done talking to Mother Cathrina?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Mother Kalista looked at Jason and then at Corinne, thinking. ¡°Corinne, is this handsome man your friend?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°I guess you could say that, Mother Kalista,¡± said Corinne with an annoyed frown. Mother Kalista was impressed by how expensive Jason¡¯s clothes looked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him to join us for a bite?¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯d be more than happy to join youdies!¡± said Jason excitedly. Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°You wereining about the homestay food, so I don¡¯t see why you would want to eat the food in the convent.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never tried convent food before, so what¡¯s to say I won¡¯t like it? Besides, I heard eating food in the convent can purify one¡¯s heart!¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right, child. Eating food in the convent is good for your body, mind, and soul!¡± said Mother Kalista. ¡°Then don¡¯t mind if I do, Mother Kalista,¡± said Jason with a smile. Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll transform back to your true form after eating the food here?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Jason did not get what she was talking about. ¡°Who knows whether a pair of devil¡¯s horns or a tail would pop out after you eat the food here. Is it even safe for you to be walking on such holy grounds?¡± mocked Corinne. Jason was first stunned, but he then chuckled. ¡°Corinne, can I take it as you think I¡¯m so handsome that it is a sin?¡± Corinne ignored him and quickly caught up with Mother Kalista. She was not hungry but thought she might as well revisit her old childhood taste. Frankly speaking, she did kind of miss it. However, when it came to really eating it, she found herself unable to stomach anything. The taste of the food was the same as it was before, but she was too full. Not to mention, her pregnant hormones made her despise carrots even more. In the end, out of politeness, she forced herself to take a few bites before putting down her utensils. Thus, it was good, albeit surprising, that Jason¡ªwhoined about the homestay food¡ªfound himself loving the food in the convent. Not only did he finish his portion but Corinne¡¯s as well. Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 Corinne thought Jason had overstepped his boundaries by eating her food. She wanted to stop him, but he was too quick for her. ¡®Oh well, I didn¡¯t really touch the food anyway. Might as well not waste it and let him eat it,¡¯ she comforted herself. After eating, Jason put down his utensils. ¡°Mother Kalista, I never knew the food in the convent could be so delicious! Can Ie by for a meal again when I¡¯m free?¡± he asked. Mother Kalista smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course! I just hope you don¡¯t mind how in-looking the convent is.¡± Jason looked around at the shabby-looking room. ¡°It is kinda in looking. Maybe you can consider renovating the ce? That way, it¡¯ll be morefortable for you all to live in too.¡± Mother Kalista sighed loudly. ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to renovate, but this ce isn¡¯t really popr with the worshipers, so we don¡¯t get a lot of donations. What little donation we got is only enough for us to pay for our groceries, so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s beyond our capability to repair the convent.¡± Jason sighed sympathetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, Mother Kalista. It must be hard on you and the other nuns. How about I¡ª¡± Corinne knew what Jason wanted to say, so she cut in, ¡°Mother Kalista, didn¡¯t you just tell me you used the money I sent to the convent to repair some of the halls and statues in the convent?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Mother Kalista was looking at Jason hopefully when Corinne asked her the question. She blinked guiltily and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Corinne, most of the money you sent has been used to repair the main halls where all the statues lived. Sister Cathrina donated the rest of the money to the vigers. ¡°So you see, there¡¯s really none left to renovate our living quarters. You have no idea just how cold it gets in the winter. Also, water leaks everywhere when it rains¡­¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. From what she could see, there did not seem to be any big renovation done to the main halls. At most, they had gotten a fresh coat of paint, which did not take up much money. Moreover, the money she sent back over the years was in no way a small sum. Mother Cathrina would not have given all of them away. ¡®I believe some of the money was indeed given to the needy vigers while Mother Kalista split the rest among themselves. She must¡¯ve used the excuse of repairing the main halls and used only a little of it to do so. Now, she¡¯s giving us a sob story in the hopes of us donating again¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne did not mind donating money to the convent, but not if the money was only used to line Mother Kalista¡¯s and the other nuns¡¯ pockets. She had long discovered the nuns there were very money- driven. Ever since the former abbess passed away, Mother Kalista had taken it upon herself to be in charge of everything that went on in the convent. Thus, a lot of things had changed since Corinne left the ce, and she did not want to be used by the nuns there. Jason, however, could not care less about all that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother Kalista. I¡¯ll get my ountant to wire the convent some money after I¡¯m back in the city. I¡¯ll also spread the word about the convent¡¯s plight so more worshipers wille.¡± Hearing this, Mother Kalista immediately smiled. ¡°Oh, thank you! Thank you so much. Bless you, my child!¡± N?velDrama.Org content. Corinne frowned. ¡®What a hypocrite this old nun is. And what is wrong with that Jason? Why does he have to stick his nose in everything?¡¯ As much as she was annoyed about the whole thing, she did not stop Jason from donating since it was not her money. She simply stood up and bid Mother Kalista goodbye before walking out of the room. Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Initially, Corinne wanted to say goodbye to Mother Cathrina as well. Fearing she would interrupt her spiritual solemn moment, however, she decided to leave silently. As soon as she walked out of the convent, she saw Tommy standing by the car talking on the phone. ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy. I understand, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯ll make sure Miss Corinne is safe at all costs.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡®Looks like Tommy has told Mister where I am. But why didn¡¯t he call or text me?¡¯ She was finding it harder not to think that Jeremy did not care about her at all. Moreover, the Jeremy she knew was a man who was quick to be jealous, so how could he not spam her with calls the second he knew she was with Jason? ¡®Maybe it¡¯s true what Mother Cathrina says; all men will eventually get sick of their wives. The only reason he¡¯s asking Tommy to protect me is not because of me but the baby I¡¯m carrying,¡¯ thought Corinne. She silently got into the car. Jason immediately came rushing out of the convent and followed her into the car too. ¡°Corinne, why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Why should I wait for you? You should¡¯vee out the moment you finished eating.¡± ¡°But I needed to ask Mother Cathrina for the convent¡¯s bank ount. How should I know you¡¯ll leave without telling me?¡± whined Jason. Corinne frowned in annoyance. ¡°Why do you insist on donating to this convent? Don¡¯t you have any other ce to spend your money?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me donating to the convent?¡± asked Jason pitifully. ¡°I just want to help the nuns here to live a better life! Surely even you can see that¡¯s a good thing to do, right?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you seriously think Mother Kalista is going to use that money to repair the convent! Do you know how much money I¡¯ve given to the convent over the years? Loads! All that, and I don¡¯t see any repairs made to the convent at all!¡± Jason was stunned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying Mother Kalista is lining her pockets with the donation money?¡± Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But you know what? Do whatever you want. This has nothing to do with me anyway.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll donate less than what I initially intended. When all¡¯s said and done, you wouldn¡¯t be where you are right now if it wasn¡¯t for this convent. So, I don¡¯t mind donating a little to this ce. Even if the money ends up in Mother Kalista¡¯s hand, I¡¯ll just see it as thanking her for raising you.¡± Corinne frowned deeply and red at him with great annoyance. ¡°What does it have to do with you who raised me? Don¡¯t you think you should stop meddling in my business?¡± Jason spread out his hand nonchntly. ¡°Is that how you think about me? Well¡­ I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°Then I suggest you don¡¯t donate to the convent at all! Mother Kalista never took care of me. The only person who ever cared for me was Mother Cathrina! I know you¡¯re rich, Jason, but why don¡¯t you keep all that money for your future wife!¡±N?velDrama.Org content. Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Jason moved his face closer to hers. ¡°I already have enough money for my future wife to live comfortably with, so what Ick now is a wife. Say, why don¡¯t you help me find one, Corinne?¡± Corinne frowned with disgust. She was about to leave her alone when the car door on the driver¡¯s side opened, and Tommy sat down with a serious expression. ¡°Ahem!¡± he cleared his throat loudly. Jason sat back in his seat without any signs of embarrassment. ¡°Mister Jason, where should I drop you off?¡± asked Tommy with a frown. ¡°You can drop me off at whichever homestay Corinne is staying in. It¡¯ll be more convenient to take care of each other that way,¡± said Jason with a straight face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Jason, but Miss Corinne is staying with the Riveras at their summer vi. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be possible for you to follow along,¡± said Tommy. Jason raised his eyebrow. ¡°She¡¯s staying at the Riveras¡¯ simmer vi? Why, that¡¯s even better! I can just call Lucas to ask him to let me stay too.¡± Jason took out his phone and was dialing the numbers when Corinne snatched his phone. ¡°Mister Jason, just what are you trying to achieve by doing all this?¡± asked Corinne angrily. Jason spread out his hands innocently. ¡°Corinne, we¡¯re friends, are we not? I¡¯m just d I bumped into a familiar face in a ce like this, so forgive me for wanting to stay closer to you. I¡¯m actually quite scared to live alone in the mountains. Can you please, please take some pity on me and let me stay in the Riveras¡¯ summer vi with you?¡± Corinne did not buy his story. She chuckled coldly and said, ¡°Then why did youe here alone? What if you didn¡¯t run into me? You¡¯d have to stay alone in the homestay too.¡± Jason raised his head innocently. ¡°You¡¯re right, but I didn¡¯t think much before I came here. In fact, if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would¡¯ve forgotten the Riveras have a summer vi here. Let me ask Lucas if I can stay there. Who knows, he might evene to join us for a holiday.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡®Sh*t! I can¡¯t let him do that. Lucas wille rushing if he knows I¡¯m here too,¡¯ thought Corinne. She did not want him to go there since she knew he was still recovering from his broken foot. There was no need for him to further exacerbate his injury bying to stay in the mountain. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Frowning, Corinne threw Jason¡¯s phone back to him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t call Mister Lucas. The doctor has given him strict orders to rest at home, so he won¡¯t be able toe.¡± After that, she turned to Tommy and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just take Mister Jason to the Riveras¡¯ summer vi with us.¡± As reluctant as he was, Tommy could not defy Corinne¡¯s orders. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Jason smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve been to the Riveras¡¯ summer vi. I remembered thest time I was there was when we were still teenagers¡­¡± Not interested in walking down memoryne with him, Corinne cut in bluntly, ¡°Mister Jason, can you please be quiet? No one wants to hear about your childhood stories.¡± Instead of being angry, Jason simply chuckled and shrugged it off. To his credit, he did keep his silence. Half an hourter, they arrived at the summer vi. All the servants there knew Jason to be Lucas¡¯ good friend, so they quickly arranged a guest room for him to stay. Corinne left him to his own device and walked back to her room with Tommy behind her. Once they got to a ce with no one around, Tommy said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s best to stay away from Mister Jason.¡± Corinne never intended to spend time with Jason at all, but Tommy¡¯s advice sounded strange. After all, she remembered Jeremy telling her the same thing before. Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 After all, Jeremy did not seem to be as put off as he did with Jason when Corinne hung out with Zeke or Gerald alone. ¡°Why do you say that? Isn¡¯t Mister Jason an old friend of Jeremy¡¯s? As his wife, shouldn¡¯t I at least act polite to him?¡± she asked. Tommy looked at herplicatedly. ¡°Mister Jason is an old friend of Mister Jeremy, but I wouldn¡¯t call them close. Mister Jason is actually closer to Mister Lucas, while Mister Zeke and Mister Gerald are close to Mister Jeremy. ¡°Mister Zeke and Mister Gerald would never do anything that would harm Mister Jeremy nor would they overstep their boundaries when ites to you, Ma¡¯am. However, the same can¡¯t be said about Mister Jason. ¡°Not only is he Mister Jeremy¡¯s businesspetitor, but he has, more than once, tried to steal you from him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to stop until he gets what he wants.¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°So guys form cliques and have drama between themselves too. Hahaha! But don¡¯t worry, Tommy, I have no interest whatsoever in Mister Jason. He can try to flirt with me all he wants, but I¡¯ll never let him steal me away.¡± Tommy looked visibly relieved after he heard Corinne say that. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. One more thing, Ma¡¯am: Mister Jeremy has asked you to call him.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call himter. You can go back to your room now. I¡¯ll make sure to keep my door locked, so you don¡¯t need to keep a lookout outside my room.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. Goodnight, Ma¡¯am,¡± said Tommy with a nod. He was indeed tired. ¡®I need to make sure I get a good night¡¯s rest tonight so I can guard Miss Corinne well.¡¯ He knew the situation was safe for the time being since Corinne was told not to eat any food prepared in the house. Moreover, Phoebe would never dare openly hurt her. Thus, he went back to his room in peace. Jason, too, did not bother Corinne anymore. He went straight into the guest room prepared for him and stayed in there the whole night. After Corinne finished taking her shower, she walked out of the bathroom and dried her hair with a towel as she satzily on the bed. She then picked up the phone and, after a brief hesitation, dialed Jeremy¡¯s number. The phone rang for quite a while before he finally answered. ¡°Hello?¡± He sounded like he had just woken up. Given the time difference between the two countries, it was not surprising to find him sleeping at that hour. ¡°Tommy asked me to call you,¡± said Corinne indifferently. ¡°Why did you only call me when I asked you to? Why couldn¡¯t you have called me first?¡± questioned Jeremy unhappily. ¡®Heh! I could¡¯ve said the same thing to him! It¡¯s not like he made any effort to call or text me for the past few days!¡¯ thought Corinne. However, out loud, she simply asked, ¡°So how can I help you?¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. After a few seconds of silence, Jeremy said, ¡°Little rascal, I¡ª¡± However, before Jeremy could finish, a woman¡¯s voice interrupted him in the background. ¡°Jeremy, what are you doing? Hurry up! We need to leave soon!¡± Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 Corinne recognized that voice. It was the same woman who picked up Jeremy¡¯s phone when Francine called himst time. She felt her heart inexplicably aching. She did not ask him who the woman was as she trusted he would exin everything to her without needing to prompt him. To her surprise, he did no such thing. Instead, he quickly said, ¡°Hey, I gotta go now. Be a good girl and go to bed early, okay?¡± Corinne did not even have a chance to ask what was happening when Jeremy hung up on her. She listened as the disconnected tone floated into her ear. ¡®Who is that woman? Why didn¡¯t he exin himself?¡¯ she asked herself. She threw her phone aside and climbed into her bed. Feeling sad and insecure, she hugged her pillow tightly and curled herself into a ball. She spent almost every night in this way when she was a child. After she grew up and gained the ability to protect herself, she no longer slept in this position. However, at that moment, the sense of insecurity from childhood seemed to have rushed back to erode her self-esteem again. Slowly, she started to doze off without her knowing. By the time she woke up the next day, the sun was already shining brightly in the sky. The warm sunlight shone through the curtains, causing Corinne to slowly open her eyes. However, the first thing she saw was not the room¡¯s furnishing but a man¡¯s strong chest. Startled, she first thought she was still dreaming. She touched the chest in front of her, and to her shock, it was real. Even though she had just woken up, she remembered she had spent the night in the Riveras¡¯ summer vi. Moreover, Jeremy was not in the country either. ¡®Then who is this man sleeping beside me?¡¯ Various possibilities shed through Corinne¡¯s mind before Jason¡¯s devilishly handsome face settled in her mind. ¡®Sh*t! Don¡¯t tell me he managed to sneak into my roomst night!¡¯ thought Corinne with shock. She quickly pushed the man away and looked under the nket to see whether she was still clothed.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ To her disappointment, she found herself totally naked. ¡®Sh*t! This is not good!¡¯ She sat up suddenly and screamed angrily at the top of her lungs. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°What happened? Why are you screaming like that?¡± said a familiar voice. This effectively made Corinne stop screaming. She looked to the side and was surprised to find herself staring straight at Jeremy¡¯s face. Jeremy was sleeping on his side, his handsome face evidently looking tired. Suddenly, he sat up and moved closer to her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Who did you think I was?¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Even though she was still feeling a little shock, she sighed in relief. ¡°No one¡­ But you¡¯ve gotta admit, anyone would be scared if they suddenly found someone sleeping next to them.¡± At that moment, words alone could not express how d she was to find out she did not cheat on Jeremy after all. Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°Good girl. You did the right thing.¡± Corinne was not used to him treating her like this since they had not seen each other for many days. Corinne frowned and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°Mister, when did you get back? Why did youe here?¡± Jeremy rested his chin on her forehead and huskily spoke, ¡°I took the flight back homest night. And why did Ie here, you ask? Well, I wouldn¡¯t need to if you had just listened to me and stayed home instead ofing here. I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re doing this to avoid seeing me.¡± His warm breath tickled her face as he spoke, causing her to blush. ¡°So is this your way of giving me a surprise?¡± she asked a little unhappily. ¡°I guess you can say that,¡± said Jeremy. Corinne frowned. ¡°I appreciate your thought, but I¡¯ve told you that I don¡¯t like surprises! Next time, please let me know in advance when you¡¯reing back.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. It was true. Corinne did not like surprises, having to guess, or the unknown. What she preferred was having her ducks in the row. Jeremy pulled her into a hug and buried his face into her neck to breathe in her scent. He had sorely missed her scent while he was on his business trip. ¡°Okay, I promise you I¡¯ll do that next time.¡± Finding it hard to breathe as she was being squeezed tightly, Corinne started struggling. However, she gave up after a while as Jeremy seemed to hug her even tighter the more she struggled. ¡°Mister, I have another question!¡± she said with a pout. Jeremy rubbed his stubbled chin on her shoulder. ¡°Ask away.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Where are my clothes? I remember wearing them to sleepst night! Howe I¡¯m naked when I wake up?¡± she said crabbily. Jeremy traced Corinne¡¯s spine with his finger, as though he wanted tomit every dip and rise of her skin into his memory, while teasing her into submission. ¡°I wanted to hug you so badly since it¡¯s been so long since we saw each other. But your clothes were getting in the way,¡± he whispered seductively into her ear. Corinne felt a minor electric current jolting through her body whenever Jeremy touched her, causing her to get goosebumps. On one hand, she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling, but on the other, she was still angry at him. ¡°So you took off my clothes without first asking me?¡± she asked, frowning. Jeremy chuckled softly. ¡°As your husband, I have every right to take off your clothes whenever and wherever I want. Or would you have preferred I wake you up the next time so you can take them off yourself?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Are you sure you did nothing more than hug mest night?¡± Jeremy did not answer her question, but his silence said it all. ¡®It was pointless to ask him that question. Knowing him, he would of course take advantage of me while I¡¯m sleeping,¡¯ thought Corinne. This just made her even angrier. ¡°Well, you had me for the whole night, so you can let me go now,¡± said Corinne. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t had enough of you yet,¡± said Jeremy, hugging her tighter. Corinne was starting to get annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m starving. I want to go wash up and eat my breakfast now!¡± ¡°I only arrived at the airport at two in the morning, and it took me another hour to get here, so I didn¡¯t really get to sleep much. Be a good girl and lie here with me for just a while more, and I¡¯ll bring you out to eatter, okay?¡± For a moment, Corinne was very tempted to do as he said. However, she remembered the woman on the phone, and her anger red up again. ¡°No! I¡¯m not tired anymore; sleeping anymore will just give me a headache. You can sleep all you want if you¡¯re tired, but I¡¯m getting up!¡± She tried to break free from Jeremy¡¯s embrace, but¡­ Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 Jeremy bit Corinne¡¯s ear roughly. ¡°Stop moving! Who says you¡¯re going to get a headache by sleeping too much? Just lie here. I¡¯ll make you sofortable that you¡¯d think you¡¯re in heaven!¡± It was obvious what Jeremy meant, and Corinne could not help but blush. Nheless, she shoved him away angrily. ¡°Hmph! It doesn¡¯t sound like you¡¯re as tired as you¡¯re making yourself out to be since you still have the energy to say all this nonsense!¡± She quickly slipped out of the bed and put some distance between them to prevent Jeremy from pulling her back. However, she realized something was not quite right the next second. Not only did Jeremy not pull her back, but he did not seem upset about what she did either. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Instead, he lied down on his side, propped up his face with one hand, and stared at her with a taunting smirk. Corinne frowned, not understanding why he was looking at her like that until she felt the coldness creeping up on her skin. It was only then she remembered she was naked! She looked down at herself, blushing madly. ¡®Oh my god! How can I forget I¡¯m naked? No wonder he¡¯s looking at me like that! Where¡­ Where are my clothes?! Gah! This is so embarrassing!¡¯ For the first time ever, Corinne felt at a loss for what to do. Her hands went up and down her body, trying to cover herself as she looked around for her pajamas, but she failed to locate them. Thus, she quickly ran over to her luggage and grabbed the first thing she touched before rushing into the bathroom. After she put on her baby pink dress, she looked at her blushing sorry sight in the mirror. For some reason, she found herself always fumbling and quick to blush whenever Jeremy was around. ¡®This isn¡¯t me at all!¡¯ she told herself with a sigh. To not think about it further, she picked up her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open. Before she could react, Jeremy walked in smirked at her through the reflection of the mirror.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne was still embarrassed about being naked moments ago, so she frowned with wariness the moment Jeremy touched her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she mumbled indistinctly as her mouth was filled with foam. ¡°Nothing. Can¡¯t I just look at you?¡± he said with a smile. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°What¡¯s there to look at? I¡¯m just brushing my teeth.¡± Jeremy looked at her adoringly. ¡°Everything you do captivates me. I just can¡¯t get enough of you.¡± As corny as it was, Corinne could not help but blush again. ¡°Fine, you can watch. But nothing more than that, okay? If not, I¡¯ll get angry!¡± ¡°Okay. I promise you I¡¯ll just watch.¡± ¡®Why do I feel like he has be more clingy after his business trip?¡¯ wondered Corinne. ¡®The poor thing does look exhausted¡­ But he hasn¡¯t told me who the woman on the phone is yet, so I shouldn¡¯t go easy on him!¡¯ It was not like she could not ask him first, but she was holding out hope that Jeremy would tell her everything without her asking. ¡®I¡¯ll believe anything he says as long as he tells me everything without me prompting him,¡¯ she told herself. Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 However, if she were to ask Jeremy first, Corinne would not be happy with any answer she got from him. She would think he was hiding things from her or that he did not care about her since he obviously thought there was no need to exin himself. Even though Jeremy was clingy to her as though she was his lifeline, she did not feel touched at all. ¡®All men only have one thing on their minds!¡¯ she thought. She was really not in the mood to give him what he wanted. In fact, until he told her who the woman on the phone was first, she was not going to let him touch her! After brushing her teeth, she bent down to wash her face. During all these, Jeremy would sometimes loosen his grip to allow her to move more easily, but he never once let her gopletely. After she finished washing her face, Corinne straightened herself up to reach for her towel, but it was not there. Jeremy had taken it from the railing. He turned her around and lovingly wiped away the water dripping down her face. Stunned, Corinne tried to take the towel from him, but he just pushed her hand away. He carefully wiped her face with the towel, and their eyes met. Without Corinne noticing, the towel had been reced with Jeremy¡¯s fingers as he brushed her cheeks lightly before pressing his lips possessively and seductively. Corinne was not stupid. She knew what was going to happen next, so before he bent down to kiss her, she quickly covered his mouth with one hand. She already decided she would not let him kiss her until he told her why a woman was with him in his hotel room.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jeremy was not happy about being stopped at all. After all, he had been looking forward to this moment for a long time. He pried away her hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Corinne sullenly. Jeremy frowned. ¡°Then why won¡¯t you let me kiss you?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°You promised me you wouldn¡¯t do anything else other than watch me!¡± Jeremy leaned in closer. ¡°But you¡¯ve already finished washing up, right?¡± Corinne turned her head away. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to kiss me even after I finish washing up!¡± A deep frown appeared on Jeremy¡¯s forehead. ¡°Why not?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Because you don¡¯t have the right to do so!¡± Jeremy did not understand what she was saying. He pinched her chin and turned her head back around to face him. ¡°Why don¡¯t I have a right? Didn¡¯t you already say you¡¯re willing to be with me? I¡¯ve only been gone for a few days, and you¡¯ve changed your mind?¡± he asked sternly. Not wanting to be bewitched by his enchanting eyes. Corinne tried to turn her head away again. However, no matter how hard she tried, she was no match for Jeremy¡¯s strength. In fact, she was just making it even more painful for herself. Frowning, she said angrily, ¡°Stop¡­ You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Jeremy immediately loosened his grip. ¡°Let me take a look. Where does it hurt?¡± Corinne red at him angrily. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time you hurt me, you know! You only know how to use force to get what you want. All you care about is your feelings!¡± Stunned, Jeremy let go of herpletely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I promise I won¡¯t do it again. It¡¯s just that¡­ I miss you so, so much. Please don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± he said coaxingly. ¡°Hmph!¡± Corinne snorted sullenly and turned her face away. Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Seeing that Corinne was really unwilling to kiss him, Jeremy simply sighed and said, ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t force you if you don¡¯t want to do it.¡± True to his words, he let her go. Corinne did not let her guard down. ¡°Why are you still standing here, then?¡± she asked with a single eyebrow raised. ¡°Go on. Get out.¡± Jeremy tapped her on the nose. ¡°I should be the one saying that to you. You¡¯ve finished washing up, right? So it¡¯s now my turn. Of course, I won¡¯t mind if you choose to stay in here with me.¡± After that, he started unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his ***y corbone. Seeing this, Corinne quickly slipped out of the bathroom as she knew Jeremy would get frisky if she did not do so. ¡®Oh my god. The way she still blushes whenever she sees my body even though she¡¯s already pregnant with my kid is so cute!¡¯ thought Jeremy with a smile as he looked at her running out of the bathroom. Corinne made sure to shut the door after her to make it clear to Jeremy that under no circumstances was he to follow her out to take advantage of her. After she calmed down, she looked down sadly on the floor. What should have been a happy reunion was marred by the fact that Jeremy did not exin to her who the woman on the phone was. It was as if he thought he could get away with it by pretending the whole thing did not happen when he knew she had heard the woman¡¯s voice. Knock! Knock! Corinne had just finished changing when a knock sounded at the door. Thinking it was Tommy, she went to open the door. Instead, it was Jason, standing at the door with his usual smile instead.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Good morning, Corinne.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Yeah, good morning,¡± said Corinne with a perfunctory smile. ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look like you slept well at all,¡± asked Jason. Corinne was in no mood to chit-chat with him, so she asked bluntly, ¡°Can I help you?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing in particr. I just came to see if you¡¯d like to join me for breakfast.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯m not hungry yet, so you should go ahead without me,¡± said Corinne with a bored expression. After that, she moved to close her door. Having expected to receive this kind of response from her, Jason quickly slipped in through the crack like an eel. ¡°Mister Jason, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked Corinne unhappily. Jason sat on an armchair as though he was in his room. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m waiting for you to go have breakfast with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I¡¯m not hungry and to go ahead without me!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so boring eating alone!¡± whined Jason. ¡°At least with you there, I¡¯ll have somebody to talk to! I¡¯ve decided to wait here until you¡¯re hungry. Then we can go have breakfast together.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Mister Jason, hasn¡¯t anyone ever told you it¡¯s rude to barge into a woman¡¯s room this early in the morning?¡± Jason smiled innocently. ¡°But I didn¡¯t barge in here¡­ You were the one who opened the door for me, remember?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Why, he¡¯s the most shameless man I¡¯ve ever met!¡¯ Jason chuckled softly when he saw her unhappy face. ¡°If you don¡¯t like me being here,e have breakfast with me.¡± Corinne might have agreed readily if it was not for her husband in the bathroom. Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 Anyone would have thought something was going on between them if they saw Jason in Corinne¡¯s room this early in the morning. ¡®D*mn this shameless fool! Doesn¡¯t he know how incriminating this is?!¡¯ thought Corinne. Since Jeremy was there, she knew she should wait for him to finish taking his shower. ¡°Sorry, but it¡¯s really inconvenient for me to go anywhere right now. It¡¯s best if you go ahead without me,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Jason did not realize someone was in the bathroom as the summer vi boasted the best soundproof walls money could buy. He was about to say something to convince Corinne otherwise when Phoebe¡¯s voice suddenly came from the hallway. ¡°Joey! Why do you want to find her? Come back!¡± Corinne and Jason quickly looked toward the door in unison. To avoid any misunderstanding, Corinne purposely left the door slightly ajar after Jason slipped in. Joey carefully peeked in through the door and looked at Corinne hopefully. Corinne was walk over to him when Phoebe pushed open the door and pulled Joey back out. ¡°I already told you to not talk to a stranger! Why don¡¯t you ever listen to me?¡± Joey furrowed his eyebrows in distress, and he stuttered, ¡°Sis¡­ Sissy isn¡¯t¡­a stranger.¡± Phoebe became even angrier after she heard that. ¡°What do you mean, she isn¡¯t a stranger?! Let me tell you something: Apart from your mother and me, everyone else is a stranger to you. Only your mother and I have your best interest at heart, so you better stay with us! Understood?!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Joey pouted. He wanted to argue back, but his limited vocabry did not allow him to do so. Corinne narrowed her eyes after witnessing the whole ordeal from the door. ¡°Come here, Joey.¡± Joey¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he heard Corinne calling him over. Not caring about Phoebe, he half-ran to Corinne and wrapped his arms happily around her legs. ¡°Sissy!¡± babbled Joey. Corinne bent down to ruffle his hair. ¡°You¡¯re up early. Did you have something you wanted to tell me?¡± she asked gently. Joey shook his head and nced anxiously at Phoebe. He was only trying to escape from Phoebe¡¯s rage. For the past few days, she was easily irked at the drop of the hat. Knowing what Joey was thinking about, Corinne could not help but feel sorry for the boy. Thus, she turned to Phoebe to ask, ¡°Miss Phoebe, do you mind if Joey stays with me here for a bit?¡± Phoebe crossed her arms and red at her. ¡°I do mind; I¡¯m worried this naughty boy would bother you. Joey,e here. It¡¯s time for breakfast.¡± It was clear Joey did not want to go with her as he subconsciously tightened his grip around Corinne¡¯s legs as though he was begging her to save him. Corinne could not bear to see him like that. ¡®Miss Phoebe is definitely going to give Joey a scolding if he were to go with her.¡¯ ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no bother at all, Miss Phoebe,¡± said Corinne with a smile. ¡°In fact, I was hoping he¡¯d save me from the boredom. I hope you¡¯ll allow him to spend some time with me.¡± Phoebe scoffed. ¡°What can a kid like him do to save you from boredom? I think you should just forget about it!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 Corinne bent down to pick up Joey, who put his arms around her neck. ¡°We can chat about all sorts of things. Plus, this¡¯ll be a good practice before I give birth. You don¡¯t need to worry, Miss Phoebe. I¡¯ll never take him away without your permission.¡± ¡°As if I believe you! Where am I going to find him if you secretly take him away? Come, Joey. How many times have I told you not to let strangers pick you up?¡± said Phoebe angrily. She then walked over and tried to pick him up from Corinne¡¯s arm, but he clung to her tightly. This made Phoebe even angrier, so she started prying Joey off. Still, he did not let go. That was how much he did not want to be with Phoebe. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. In the end, Phoebe gave onest pull with all her strength, and only then did she pry Joey away from Corinne¡¯s arms, causing her to stumble back. ¡°Watch out, Corinne!¡± cried Jason, who kept himself hidden from Phoebe all this while. He quickly strode over to steady her. ¡°Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?¡± he asked with concern. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± said Corinne with a shake of her head. She then moved away from Jason, but it was too late. Phoebe was stunned to see Jasoning out of Corinne¡¯s room before a mocking smile appeared on her face. ¡°Well, fancy seeing you here, Jason. What are you doing in Corinne¡¯s room so early in the morning? Tsk, tsk! Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s a married woman?¡± Jason smiled calmly and politely at Phoebe. ¡°Aunt Phoebe, please don¡¯t get this the wrong way. I only came just now to ask Corinne to join me for breakfast.¡± ¡°Is that so? You two sure are chummy,¡± said Phoebe snidely.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°We are friends after all,¡± said Jason with the same smile on his face. ¡°Friends? Ha!¡± Phoebe took out her phone and started recording them. ¡°There¡¯s no pure friendship between a woman and man. Do you seriously think anyone will believe you only came to ask her to join you for breakfast? ¡°My, my. I¡¯ve really underestimated you, Corinne. I thought your target was only Jeremy, but I see now just how insatiable you are! Seems like you¡¯re willing to throw yourself at anyone, including Jason, to get your hands on wealth and power!¡± Corinne frowned and rolled her eyes at the troublemaker Jason. She then asked calmly, ¡°Miss Phoebe, do you have any proof I was throwing myself at Jason?¡± Phoebe chuckled snidely. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I mean, I caught you two hanging out in the same room this early in the morning.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°And is there aw that says two friends of the opposite *** cannot hang out in the room early in the morning? Plus, we have both of our clothes on, so what seems to be the problem?¡± Phoebe looked at their tidy clothes and frowned, but she still kept her phone aimed at Corinne and Jason. ¡°In any case, I have video evidence of you two hanging out in a room alone. Let¡¯s see what the people online will say after I post the video online!¡± Corinne chuckled softly. She was so bored with the whole thing. ¡°Miss Phoebe, it¡¯s obvious you haven¡¯t learned anything from yourst lesson. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t use the same tactic of trying to crush me with public opinion.¡± Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Phoebe thought back to what happenedst time and concluded she didck conclusive evidence. All of a sudden, she spotted something under the bed from the corner of her eyes. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ She quickly put Joey down and strode over before bending down to pick up a pair of rumpled pajamas andce-trimmed underwear from under the bed. She zoomed in the camera lens of her evidence whileughing maniacally. ¡°Hahaha! I found the evidence! Pray tell, what¡¯s all this doing under the bed if you two didn¡¯t do the hanky-panky as you said?¡± Corinne could not help but blush when she remembered how her pajamas and underwear came to end up under the bed. ¡°Ahem! How they ended up under the bed is for me to know alone. Give them back to me now!¡± She walked over to take back the clothes, but Phoebe quickly hid them behind her. ¡°What? Feeling guilty now, are we? Don¡¯t even think of destroying the evidence!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Those aren¡¯t evidence. They¡¯re just clothes which I¡¯ve changed out of.¡± Phoebe giggled sarcastically. ¡°Are you sure about that? Would a normal person hide their clothes under their bed after changing out of them? I think not! They must¡¯ve ended up under the bed while you two were in the throes of your passion! Give it up, Corinne! I¡¯m going to tell everyone in the Holden family about your affair. Ooh, I can¡¯t wait for them to kick you out of the house!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ It was true. She did not take the clothes off herself; Jeremy did that while she was sleeping. ¡®God, this is so embarrassing!¡¯ she thought as Phoebe waved her underwear up in the air. Jason walked over. ¡°Miss Phoebe, this is all a misunderstanding. I really arrived here a few moments ago. You can ask the servants if you don¡¯t believe me. They¡¯ll tell you they saw me walking here in the morning.¡± Phoebe gave Jason the side-eye. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid, Jason? You two would of course do anything to cover up the affair. The servants seeing you in the morning doesn¡¯t prove anything. In fact, it might be a tactic of yours for misleading us to think otherwise.¡± Exasperated, Jason was very close to pulling out his hair. ¡°Miss Phoebe, do you really have to think of us that way?¡± ¡°Ha! You should just drop the act since you called you and her ¡®us¡¯!¡± said Phoebe mockingly. ¡°Why did you suddenlye here if it wasn¡¯t for Corinne? How did you end up in her room when you so obviously didn¡¯te with her yesterday? I bet you¡¯re taking this opportunity to have an affair with her since Jeremy isn¡¯t here.¡± Jason frowned. He wanted to exin his way out of this, but he did not know where to start. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and a man¡¯s voice rang out threateningly, ¡°Who says I¡¯m not here?¡± Stunned, Phoebe looked at Jeremy with wide-eyed horror. Jason, too, was stunned. He turned around and a hint of surprise shed through his eyes. Only Corinne was unfazed by Jeremy¡¯s appearance. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Jeremy, wrapped up in a bathrobe, walked over to Corinne. ¡°Miss Phoebe, why are you so hellbent on causing trouble for my wife?¡± ¡°J¡ªJeremy¡­ What¡­ What are you doing here?¡± stuttered Phoebe. ¡°I came to find my wife.¡± Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s head adoringly as he spoke. Phoebe was speechless, but not wanting to give up, she showed him the pajamas and underwear she picked up from under the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her, Jeremy. She¡¯s cheating on you! Look. I found these under the bed. She must be afraid of you finding out, so she hid them under the bed.¡± Jeremy nced at the clothes that Corinne would only wear in private before snatching them. ¡°I took them off her. We were just doing a little catch-upst night. Surely that¡¯s allowed, right?¡± he said calmly. Corinne covered her face with her hands. ¡®God, this is so embarrassing! How can I ever show my face around these people anymore?¡¯ she thought, her lips trembling. ¡®Ugh! Jeremy shouldn¡¯t have said everything, too! Has he no shame?¡¯ Jason narrowed his eyes, which seemed to be dimming by the second. ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Well, if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± said Phoebe, fumbling for words. ¡°There¡¯s no if,¡± said Jeremy, his eyebrow raising sharply. Under Jeremy¡¯s intimidating stare, Phoebe¡¯s excitement turned to fear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know you came, either. It¡¯s my fault for not getting my facts right.¡± Not wanting to waste any more time on this matter, Jeremy simply uttered two words coldly, ¡°Get lost.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Phoebe nodded and quickly escaped out of the room, pulling Joey¡ªwho had no idea what was going on¡ªout with her. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, Joey!¡± she said. ¡°Wait,¡± uttered Jeremy authoritatively. Phoebe stopped and turned back slowly in fear to look at him. ¡°Yes, Jeremy? Is there anything else? If not, I really should get Joey to have his breakfast.¡± ¡°The kid can stay. You go,¡± he said in a tone that left no room for negotiation. Stunned, Phoebe looked down at Joey. She found herself even more reluctant to let him go when she knew Jeremy still cared about him. ¡°Jeremy, this kid can be quite a handful. It¡¯s best if I take care of him,¡± she said. ¡°Miss Phoebe, have you forgotten that I¡¯m his legal guardian?¡± asked Jeremy. ¡°Uh¡­ Fine¡­¡± Left with no choice, Phoebe let go of Joey and told him to be a good boy, albeit a little fakely, before leaving the room grudgingly. Joey¡¯s eyes lit up with the sweet taste of freedom. He toddled over to Jeremy, which he had not seen for a long time, and looked up at him with worship in his eyes. ¡°Dada!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Hey there, little guy,¡± said Jeremy while bending down to pat his head. He was actually not that close to Joey. It was Anya who did most of the caretaking after Joey was adopted. In fact, Jeremy would only go over to see him when Anya asked him toe over with one excuse or another. ¡°Jeremy, when did you get here?¡± asked Jason casually. Jeremy looked at his friend emotionlessly. ¡°Early this morning.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I see you¡¯re still the same as always. You don¡¯t ever tell us when you¡¯re leaving or when you¡¯reing back. We could¡¯ve given you a proper send-off and a wee-back, you know.¡± Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Jeremy gave Jason a small smile. ¡°I heard from Tommy that you¡¯ve been taking care of my wife. Should I hold a banquet to thank you then, Jason?¡± Corinne could feel the tension in the air between the two men. She would not even be surprised if thunder and lightning suddenly appeared in the room. However, it was obvious Jason did not want to have a direct confrontation since he smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m doing what any friend would¡¯ve done, so don¡¯t worry about it. I guess I should take my leave and head to breakfast alone now that you¡¯re here, Jeremy. Well, bye!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. After that, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and gave them a wave before leaving the room. No one saw just how empty and hollow his eyes looked the moment he walked out. To his credit, he made sure to shut the door after him. Jeremy¡¯s brow was slightly rxed after that. He looked at Corinne, whose face was still covered with her hands, andughed out loud. ¡°You can put your hands down now. They¡¯re all gone.¡± Corinne kept her hands up. She wished she could crawl into a hole and die at that moment. ¡®It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t find it embarrassing, but how could he drag me into it too? He really shouldn¡¯t implied we had s*xst night. Ugh!¡¯ Seeing she was standing stock still, Jeremy reached out to pry her hands away. ¡°Why are you covering your face like that? What do you think you are? An ostrich? You know I can still see you, right?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! Why did you have to tell them about our private business? Do you really want an image of us having s*x going through their minds?¡± Jeremy smiled and pinched her chin. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I want! That way, they¡¯ll know to stay away from you. I want them to get it through their heads that you¡¯re mine and mine alone.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Mister, do you think it makes you look ***y to act like this?¡± Jeremy raised his eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t think. I know I am.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t fault his logic.¡¯ Jeremy showed Corinne her pajamas and underwear. ¡°Do you still want to wear these?¡± Corinne quickly snatched the clothes and red at him angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t ever bring this up again!¡± Jeremy chuckled happily. He thought Corinne was so adorable that he almost could not stand all the serotonin rushing into his brain. Her only w, he thought, was not letting him ravage her. In fact, if Joey were not there in the room with them, Jeremy would have bit Corinne to ease his burning desire. While Corinne was hugging her underwear to herself in embarrassment, she felt someone tugging at her shirt. Stunned, she looked down and saw Joey clutching the hem of her shirt in his chubby fist. He looked up at her with bright, shiny eyes. Corinne quickly threw her underwear aside and bent down to ask gently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Joey? Are you hungry?¡± Joey shook his head. ¡°No¡­ Joey¡­ No hungry¡­¡± Corinne looked into his innocent eyes. ¡°What do you want to do, then? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re safe here. You can tell me anything.¡± Joey leaned against Corinne and looked up at Jeremy, thinking. After a few moments, he turned back to Corinne, saying, ¡°Take¡­ Take Joey¡­away¡­¡± Corinne immediately felt her heart tightened. Frowning, she stroked him softly on the head. ¡°Okay, you have my word. I¡¯m going to take you away no matter what!¡± Joey looked into her eyes and felt a sense of security he never felt before. He nodded docilely. ¡°Thank you¡­ Sissy¡­¡± Corinne was about to pat Joey on the head when Jeremy roughly lifted him up by the cor into the air. ¡°What did you call her just now?¡± he asked sternly. Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 Joey¡¯s legs dangled helplessly in the air. He looked at Corinne with big sad puppy eyes while crying, ¡°Sissy¡­ Sissy!¡¯ Jeremy frowned. He took a deep breath and said nothing else, but this just made Joey even more frightened. There was nearly a ten-year age difference between Jeremy and Corinne. Joey calling her ¡®Sissy¡¯ only served to highlight the generational gap between them. Seeing this, Corinne quickly took Joey from Jeremy. ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re scaring him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate for him to call you ¡®Sissy?¡± asked Jeremy with a hardened expression. Corinne rolled her eyes at him turning back to Joey. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him, Joey. You can call me anything you want. Sissy or Auntie doesn¡¯t make a difference to me,¡± she said while stroking his head. Hearing this, Joey visibly rxed. He nodded docilely and snuggled into Corinne¡¯s shoulder. As much as he was unhappy with Joey calling Corinne ¡®Sissy¡¯, Jeremy could not help but soften when he saw Corinne showering Joey with love. He lifted her chin and asked, ¡°Little rascal, you¡¯re really willing to ept this child?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°You make it sound like I have a choice. I might not have the experience of being a stepmother, but what I¡¯m good at is learning. In any case, it¡¯s better than leaving him with Miss Phoebe!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jeremy looked at her admiringly before kissing her forehead. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡®What is he thanking me for?¡¯ wondered Corinne. She did not feel like she had done anything worthy of being thanked, so the kiss caught her off-guard. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to bring Joey down for breakfast now. Come join us after you¡¯ve changed.¡± After that, she¡ªwith a poker face¡ªleft the room with Joey. Jeremy narrowed his eyes as he watched them leave. ¡®Why do I get the sense she doesn¡¯t want me anywhere near her?¡¯ ¡­ Corinne exhaled softly the moment she was out of the room. She nearly caved in to Jeremy¡¯s gentleness, but she was d she held her ground. ¡®I¡¯m not going to let him off the hook so easily!¡¯ she swore to herself. Joey looked at her curiously. ¡®Auntie Sissy¡­ Dada likes you?¡± ¡®Auntie Sissy? Well, that¡¯s new. But¡­¡¯ Corinne looked at Joey a little embarrassedly. ¡°Joey, do you know what it means to like someone?¡± Joey nodded seriously and tried to exin what he knew with his limited vocabry, ¡°It means¡­kissy kissy¡­¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ He was there when Jeremy kissed my forehead.¡¯ She did not know how to exin such aplicated topic to Joey. Joey blinked again, but this time in dismay. ¡°Dada¡­ No like¡­ Mama¡­ Dada no kiss Mama¡­ Mama angry¡­ Hit Joey¡­¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Corinne¡¯s heart ached at this. Joey was of course talking about Anya. ¡®Poor kid. Anya must¡¯ve taken her anger out on him every time she failed to get Jeremy¡¯s attention.¡¯ Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 ''Joey''s still so young. He doesn''t even know he''s just Anya''s pawn, yet he has to suffer through all those beatings. He must be traumatized...'' Corinne stroked Joey''s head fondly. "Don''t worry, Joey. I promise no one will every a finger on you anymore." Joey rested his cheek on Corinne''s shoulder and felt a sense of security and safety, which he never felt before. No matter what, he trusted Corinne and her promisepletely. Corinne carried Joey to the dining room where the servants hadid out avish breakfast spread. Jason had already started eating. He smiled when he saw her walking in. "Why are you here alone with the kid? Where''s Jeremy?" Corinne sat a few seats away from Jason before answering, "He''s putting on his clothes and will be here soon." "Oh." Jason picked up his ss of milk and took a sip to hide his disappointment. Corinne did not n to continue the conversation, so she positioned Joey at the crook of her elbow before feeding him a bite of the omelet. No one ever taught him to use utensils before, so he still required someone to feed him. In fact, for the past few days, he had to eat with his hand since Phoebe did not have the patience to feed him most of the time. Thus, he cherished the moments when Corinne attended to him. He opened his mouth wide to eat the omelet. It was the best thing he had ever eaten in all of his life. "Hey, Corinne," called Jason with an inscrutable smile. Corinne pulled out a tissue to wipe away the sauce at the corner of Joey''s lips. She did not even spare Jason a nce when she asked, "Yes? What is it this time?" "I''m quite surprised," he said with a smirk. "Quite surprised Jeremy is here?" Corinne asked absent-mindedly. "No." Jason smiled coyly at her. "I''m quite surprised you can so readily ept a child, who was adopted by your husband with another woman, as your own." Corinne''s spoon froze mid-air. After a moment of silence, she turned to look at him. "I''d be lying if I said I see him as my own, but what I can say is I feel sorry for him. After all, he''s innocent in all of this. Though, Mister Jason, why should any of this concern you?" Jason smiled and shook his head. "It doesn''t. Though I must say, I feel sorry for you too." Corinne frowned. She did not get what he was trying to say, but before she could ask him that, Jeremy interrupted. "And why would you feel sorry for her?"This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Jason''s face hardened for a second before his signature smile appeared. He turned to Jeremy and answered casually, "I feel sorry for her ''cause she needs to take care of someone else''s child when she herself is pregnant." "I don''t need you to feel sorry for my wife," said Jeremy calmly. He then sat next to Corinne and carried Joey to hisp. "Let me feed him. You should just enjoy your breakfast," he said gently as he spooned another bite of omelet into Joey''s mouth. Corinne did as she was told. Seeing this, Jason simply shrugged and took another sip of his milk before striking up the conversation again. "Jeremy, have you settled everything abroad?" "Not yet. But I miss my little rascal so much, so I thought I''de back for a few days to spend time with her. Why do you ask?" said Jeremy as he continued feeding Joey. Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 ¡°Oh, no reason in particr. I was just asking, that¡¯s all,¡± Jason answered with a smile. Jeremy scoffed lightly. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t changed at all, Jason. You always had a special interest in women who are taken.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Hearing this, Corinne looked at Jason incredulously. ¡®Huh? What did Jeremy mean by that? Does Jason have a history of breaking up couples so he could be with the women?¡¯ Jason did not seem embarrassed by the usation. ¡°Oh, believe me when I say I don¡¯t have that kind of interest in the slightest. In fact, you could even say I was the victim in everything that happened before,¡± he said with a wide grin. ¡®Everything that happened before? Ooh, I smell a juicy story!¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne¡¯s curiosity was definitely piqued. She looked at Jason and then at Jeremy with her eyebrows raised. She wanted to find out what happened between them in the past. Jeremy remained emotionless when Jason said he was the victim. It was as if he was toozy to expose his lies. Instead, he continued to feed Joey some oatmeal. Jason narrowed his eyes and said provocatively, ¡°But I must admit, I have fallen for your wife!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Hearing this nearly caused Corinne to choke on her milk. ¡°Cough! Ack, ack!¡± ¡®Is he crazy?¡¯ she thought. Jeremy threw Jason a calctive nce. ¡°I dare you to steal her from me.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Now, now. There¡¯s no need to be so worked up. You never strike me as someone with low confidence, so you can¡¯t possibly think I¡¯d steal her from you, right?¡± Jeremy looked at him coldly before turning to look at Corinne, who was watching them eagerly as though she was watching a soap opera. With a face filled with confidence, he turned to look back at Jason again. ¡°All I can say is you¡¯re not going to steal her away that easily. Jason, I hope that you won¡¯t test my limits since we¡¯re friends after all.¡± Jason chuckled softly. ¡°Is that so? When have the three of you ever seen me as your friend?¡± ¡®Three of you? Does he mean Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald?¡¯ Corinne became even more curious. ¡®This is even more exciting than watching a soap opera!¡¯ Jeremy simply said nothing. In other words, he was as good as admitting what Jason said was true. Jason was not at all surprised by Jeremy¡¯s silent admission. ¡°You want me to honor the bro code when you never saw me as a friend?¡± he asked sarcastically. Jeremy narrowed his eyes threateningly, causing the tension in the air to kick up a notch, so much so that Corinne fretted they would end up in a fistfight. Suddenly, Lucas¡¯ voice broke through the silence. ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents ever teach you two to not talk while you¡¯re eating?¡± he asked as he hobbled in with his crutches apanied by Edmund. Corinne was surprised to see Lucas there. She then frowned unhappily as she would have preferred him to rest at home. Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 ¡®So he still came.¡¯ Jason toned down his provocativeness when he saw Lucas walking in. ¡°Lucas, I¡¯ve known you for many years, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you like this,¡± he said teasingly. Lucas nced at him. ¡°I guess anything could happen, huh?¡± Jason smiled and went up to support him. ¡°Here. Let me help you, Lucas. It pains me to see you like this.¡± Lucas scoffed, but he did not turn down his offer. Corinne looked at the two of them and fell into a deep thought. ¡®It¡¯s just as Tommy said. Jason and Lucas are indeed closer to each other. At least they can joke around, far from Jason and Jeremy¡¯s rtionship. If going by that vein, Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald are closer too since they always roast each other.¡¯ Previously, Corinne thought the five guys were all good friends since they knew each other from a young age. She never thought they would form cliques among themselves too. Lucas sat down and looked at Corinne sternly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing here?¡± Corinne remained unfazed. She took a sip of her soup before replying, ¡°But you still found out I¡¯m here, right?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t you know how worried I was about you?¡± Lucas did not understand why Corinne would stille to the summer vi to meet Phoebe alone when Phoebe had teamed up with Anya to hurt her in the past. Even though he learned it was to get Joey¡¯s custody, he was still angry at her for not thinking about her safety. What if something bad happened again? It would be toote for regrets then! Corinne was not happy about being lectured. ¡°Mister Lucas, you¡¯ve seemed to have mistaken something. One, I didn¡¯te here alone, and I¡¯ve actually informed your grandparents beforeing here. ¡°Two, I didn¡¯t tell you because it¡¯s unnecessary. I might¡¯ve worked under you before, but don¡¯t you forget you¡¯ve already fired me. I¡¯m not your employee anymore. I¡¯m not obligated to tell you where I am.¡± Lucas was speechless. He saw her as his little sister, yet she only saw him as her former employer? He would not even be surprised if she saw him as someone more than a stranger! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Whenever he thought about this, he would feel indescribable pain and regret in his heart. As angry as he was, he knew he had no right to me her for not epting him as her brother. After all, he was a real jerk to her in the past. Lucas decided to take a softer approach after being reprimanded by Corinne. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not ming you. I was just so worried about you¡­¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about me since we¡¯re neither friends nor family! I hope you¡¯ll remember that in the future and stop meddling in my affairs!¡± Lucas was struck speechless again. Jason had never seen anyone speak so brazenly to Lucas before, so this exchange was interesting. At first, he did wonder whether Lucas had a crush on Corinne since he seemed to treat her differently than others. Then again, he knew Lucas did not really go for the cute, petite girls so¡­ After observing for some time, he guessed Corinne must be Lucas¡¯ long-lost sister. After all, only his long-lost sister could humble him to such a state. ¡°And here I thought you came here to find me, Lucas. It looks like youing here has nothing to do with me at all,¡± teased Jason. Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Lucas red at Jason. ¡°Oh, buzz off. Stay or leave, I don¡¯t care. As long as you keep that big mouth of yours shut.¡± Jason shrugged and pouted. ¡°See, you only talk to me like that! Meanwhile, you always try to please Corinne and Jeremy.¡± Lucas¡¯ gaze turned colder. He picked up his crutches and lifted them to hit Jason. Seeing this, Jason quickly stood up and said with a shrug, ¡°I¡¯m done eating, so I think I¡¯ll take a walk. See you guyster!¡± After that, he strode out of the room. Lucas put back his crutches and sighed. Corinne could tell Lucas and Jason were really, really good friends since they could be themselves around each other. Lucas decided to shift his attention to Jeremy since there was nothing he could do about Corinne. ¡°When did you get back?¡± he asked him. ¡°Early this morning,¡± answered Jeremy as he pulled out a tissue to wipe Joey¡¯s mouth. Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Hmph! How can you leave your pregnant wife while you wander abroad?¡± Jeremy frowned for a second, but that was the most expression he showed. He did think he was wrong to leave Corinne behind, but it was not like he had a choice. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°What I¡¯m dealing with abroad is quite tricky and requires my full time and attention. It¡¯s not like I can attend to her, either. It might even be worse if I brought her with me.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Then I hope you went there for business instead of something else. I swear to God, I¡¯ll kill you if you do anything to make Corinne cry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things, Lucas. Plus, if I remember correctly, Corinne hasn¡¯t epted you as her brother yet, so why don¡¯t you worry about yourself instead?¡± Lucas was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s right. I have no right to lecture him either since Corinne still won¡¯t ept me as her brother.¡¯ Lucas looked helplessly at Corinne, hoping she would pity him, but she would not even look at him. Instead, she was drinking her soup and would sometimes speak to Joey as though Lucas did not even exist. By that point, Joey was full from eating. Coupled with the feeling of safety and security, he started to feel a little sleepy. Last night, he did not sleep a wink as he was so worried Corinne would leave without him. He wanted to go check on her, but the fear of getting a beating from Phoebe stopped him. Thus, he had to fight hard to keep his eyes open after eating. Seeing this, Corinne¡ªwho was quite full herself¡ªreached out her hand and said, ¡°Mister, Joey is tired. Let me carry him back to his room. That way, you can have your breakfast too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, so I¡¯ll bring him back to his room. Plus, you need to eat more. Don¡¯t just drink your soup, okay?¡± said Jeremy gently. Jeremy then got up with Joey still in his arms and left the room before Corinne could say anything. Before he came, Jeremy instructed Tommy to supervise Corinne and make sure she did not eat anything prepared in the summer vi. Since he was here, Jeremy instructed Tommy to buy the ingredients from the local market and supervise the kitchen in cooking the food, so everything was safe for Corinne to eat. Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Thus, Jeremy asked Corinne to eat more. Corinne frowned as she watched Jeremy leave with Joey. ¡®Well, I guess I have some more room in my tummy, so I might as well eat more.¡¯ The personal chef in the summer vi was quite skilled at cooking so she heartily enjoyed the food. However, what she did not enjoy was Lucas staring at her eating from across the table. Lucas narrowed his eyes as he watched Jeremy leave the dining room. Being a smart cookie, he quickly understood Jeremy did that to give him some time with Corinne. ¡®He mighte off as cold most of the time, but he can be quite thoughtful. It¡¯s either that, or¡­he¡¯s just paving the road to call in a favor in the future when I be his brother-inw.¡¯ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Corinne, do you have anything else you¡¯d like to eat? I can ask Edmund to buy it for you,¡± said Lucas with concern.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ However, Corinne did not appreciate his concern at all. She frowned and gave him a warning look. ¡°No, thanks. Mister Lucas, I know you¡¯re trying to make up for all the hurtful things you did to me before, but I¡¯d much prefer it if you stop being overly concerned with me.¡± Lucas sighed with dismay. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try to keep that in mind¡­¡± Corinne took a bite of her sandwich and, while chewing, suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, Mister Lucas, did something happen in the past that caused Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald to hold a grudge toward Jason?¡± she asked with a raise of her eyebrow. Lucas was quite taken aback by her question. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Before you came in, Jeremy and Jason were having a go at each other. There was even mention of Jason breaking up somebody¡¯s rtionship¡­ I was wondering if you knew anything about it. If you do, can you tell me about it?¡± Even though Lucas would not call Jason his best friend, they were still friends. He thought it would not be appropriate for him toment on his friend¡¯s personal life. ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re a girl. It¡¯s best not to meddle in us men¡¯s affairs,¡± said Lucas. Corinne¡¯s hopeful expression fell. She then scoffed and said nothing more. Lucas started to panic a little when he saw her reaction. ¡®D*mnit! I¡¯ve made her angry again¡­ And just when she decided to strike up a conversation first.¡¯ After some hesitation, he made up his mind to tell Corinne about what happened in the past. However, just as he opened his mouth, they heard Phoebe¡¯s wailsing from outside the dining room. ¡°Jeremy, please! Can¡¯t you think of something to get Anya out? Won¡¯t you do it for old time¡¯s sake? You have my word that she won¡¯te between you and Miss Corinne anymore. Please! I beg you¡­¡± ¡°Old time¡¯s sake? You mean how she lied to me for more than ten years? There were no feelings to begin with! Miss Phoebe, seeing as you¡¯re my elder, I¡¯ve actually restrained myself from saying more hurtful things, so I hope you won¡¯t push your luck,¡± said Jeremy coldly. ¡°But Anya is innocent. She loves you so, so, so much!¡± ¡°You should be thankful I didn¡¯t pursue the matter when I found out you two lied to me. You dare ask me for a favor?¡± Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 ¡°No! Anya really loves you. She¡¯s willing to do anything for you¡­¡± Corinne got up to check on the situation outside. Phoebe was kneeling to Jeremy with tears streaming down her cheeks, begging for Anya¡¯s release. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡®Just how stupid can this old woman get? Does she really think Jeremy will help her after everything she and Anya did to him and me?¡¯ Phoebe¡¯s pleading did nothing to evoke Jeremy¡¯s sympathy. He simply looked down at her with cold hatred. ¡°Miss Phoebe, Anya has no one to me but herself for where she ended up today. No one else can help her unless she repents for what she did.¡± Realizing it was useless to beg Jeremy for help, Phoebe sobbed twice and wiped away her tears. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you want to y it, you can just give Joey back to me!¡± ¡°Give him back to you? Why should I when he¡¯s legally my adopted son?¡± questioned Jeremy mockingly. Phoebe stood up and dusted off her clothes. ¡°Mister Jeremy, have you forgotten that you and Anya agreed you¡¯d only help her adopt the kid but bear no responsibility for taking care of him? In other words, you don¡¯t have Joey¡¯s custody at all!¡± Joey did not quite understand what Phoebe said, but he could sense he was about to be in peril from her attitude. Thus, fearing he would be handed over to Phoebe again, he clutched Jeremy¡¯s clothes tightly. Jeremy patted Joey¡¯s back softly to calm him down while saying, ¡°You¡¯re right. Anya and I did talk about Joey¡¯s custody when she emotionally manipted me to adopt him. However, you¡¯ve forgotten to consider one thing, and that¡¯s thew. Since Anya is in jail right now, I naturally be Joey¡¯s main legal guardian which trumps his grandmother, you.¡± Phoebe knew thew was not on her side, but she would be screwed if she let go of her human bargaining chip without a fight. ¡°You¡¯re right, but what do you know about raising a kid, Jeremy? Isn¡¯t it better for me to take care of Joey?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s where Ie in. As his wife, I don¡¯t mind helping him raise Joey,¡± said Corinne as she strolled over casually to stand beside Jeremy. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°You? Hah! We all know a stepmother is never good to her stepchildren!¡± said Phoebe after she shook herself out of her shock. Corinne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not like Miss Anya is his real mother either. Plus, it¡¯s obvious Joey doesn¡¯t want to stay with you. Or are you so blind that you can¡¯t tell at all? If you and Miss Anya were good to him, he wouldn¡¯t have clung to my husband as though for dear life now, would he?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Phoebe red at her and said between gritted teeth, ¡°This matter only concerns Jeremy, so mind your own business!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, may I speak on her behalf?¡± chimed Lucas as he hobbled over with his crutches. ¡°Why do you insist on keeping Joey by your side? Are you even sure you can take care of him well?¡± Phoebe looked at Lucas with shock. She then seemingly deted a bit. ¡°Lucas. You¡¯vee too?¡± Lucas stopped beside Corinne. ¡°Aunt Phoebe, the reason Grandpa sent you here is so you can do some self-reflection, but from what I can see, you have no intention to change at all. How can you expect us to leave Joey with you?¡± ¡°But¡­ But¡­ Joey is Anya¡¯s kid¡­ My grandson!¡± stammered Phoebe, who had always been scared of Lucas. Lucas chuckled coldly. ¡°Anya turned out the way she did because of you. Are you trying to teach Joey the wrong things too? Do you really think Grandpa would allow you to do so? Even if he did, I¡¯ll stop you!¡± ¡°You¡­ You might as well kill me right now! End my misery! First, you let them take away Anya, and now you want to take away Joey too? What¡¯s the point of me living?!¡± Seeing as she could not win in an argument against Lucas and the others, Phoebe decided to threaten them with her life. In a fit of madness, she dashed toward a pir not far away with the intention of bashing her head against it. The servants started to panic when they saw that. They quickly rushed up to stop her, but¡­ Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 Before the servants could stop Phoebe, however, Lucas shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t stop her! Let her do whatever she wants!¡± The servants stopped when they heard that. Lucas chuckled coldly. ¡°I¡¯d like to see if a woman like her, who¡¯s willing to do anything to achieve glory and wealth, would kill herself.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Seeing that no one wasing to stop her, Phoebe slowed down a little before bumping her head lightly against the pir before she pretended to pass out. Lucas gestured with his chin for Edmund to check up on her. Edmund put his finger under Phoebe¡¯s nose for a few seconds before standing up and reporting, ¡°Miss Phoebe is still breathing, so she¡¯s probably just fainted.¡± A hint of disgust shed across Lucas¡¯ eyes. ¡°Ugh. You two there, carry her back to her room. She has caused enough trouble for the day.¡± The servants quickly carried Phoebe away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not going to die that easily. Next time, just let her be if she uses the same tactic to threaten you all again. She¡¯lle around by herself given enough time,¡± said Lucas to the rest of the servants.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± chorused the servants. After that, Lucas turned to Corinne. ¡°Corinne, are you okay? I hope she didn¡¯t scare you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. Actually, I¡¯m quite used to her theatrics since this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen her go crazy like that,¡± Corinne replied with a shrug. Lucas smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s true. Well, let¡¯s forget about the whole thing. We should head back to finish our breakfast.¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No, thanks. I kind of lost my appetite. You can go on without me. Jeremy and I will head back to our room now.¡± As much as Lucas wanted to talk with Corinne for a while longer, he did not stop her. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll see youter then,¡± he said with a nod. Corinne turned to Jeremy. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mister!¡± Thus, Jeremy¡ªwith Joey still in his arms¡ªfollowed her back to their room. ¡­ Joey fell asleep not long after they got back into their room. It was the best sleep he ever had since he knew he was safe with Corinne. Jeremy, who was tired out from catching the red-eye flight, soon fell asleep next to Joey too. Corinne¡¯s eyes softened when she saw the two of them sleeping soundly on the bed. Even though she was still angry at Jeremy, she could not deny she still cared about him. Thus, she walked over and draped the nket over him and Joey. Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 After that, Corinne went to pack her bags. Even though she only stayed a night at the summer vi, she could not wait to go home. ¡®Now that Jeremy¡¯s here, it should be no problem to bring Joey back with us,¡¯ she thought while packing her bags. ¡®There¡¯s no need for me to stay here any longer since I got what I came for.¡¯ Suddenly, her phone rang. Fearing the noise would wake Jeremy and Joey up, she quickly took her phone out of the room to answer the call. It was Aaron. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Boss, where are you now?¡± he asked hurriedly as soon as she picked up the phone. ¡°I¡¯m at the Riveras¡¯ summer vi. Why? Did something happen?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the summer vi? Drop me your location, and I¡¯ll drive over there right away. I have something really important to tell you!¡± From Aaron¡¯s tone, Corinne could tell it was serious¡ªthe kind that could not be discussed over the phone. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe here. I¡¯m going back tonight. We can meet at Twilight instead.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°That works too. Xante and I will make the necessary arrangements and wait for you at Twilight, then,¡± said Aaron. Corinne started to feel a little uneasy after they hung up the phone. ¡®It¡¯s rare to see Aaron being so serious¡­ What could have happened to make him act like that?¡¯ She put her phone back in her pocket, and the moment she turned around, she saw Jeremy leaning against the opened doorway staring at her intently. Startled, she asked with a frown, ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­ Don¡¯t you want to sleep a little longer?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who were you on the phone with just now? Why did you have toe out to take the call?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. She did not like the usatory tone he used. ¡°I was on the phone with Aaron, and I came out because I didn¡¯t want to wake you or Joey up! Happy?¡± Jeremy walked over and lifted her chin. ¡°You still contact Aaron even though you don¡¯t work together?¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ve already told you that he¡¯s a very important friend of mine. In fact, he¡¯s more like a family to me, so we can¡¯t not contact each other,¡± said Corinne honestly. Jeremy chuckled coldly. ¡°How can you see him as your family when you¡¯re not rted to him by blood? Plus, who¡¯s to say he sees you the same way as you do?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Just what are you trying to say, Mister? Don¡¯t you trust me at all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you that I don¡¯t trust but him! I mean, what kind of guy will keep on calling a married woman if he doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motive?¡± he questioned while stroking her cheek softly. Corinne stared straight into Jeremy¡¯s eyes with displeasure before chuckling and saying, ¡°I could say the same thing about you, Mister Jeremy. As a matter of fact, why don¡¯t you think about what you¡¯ve done first before pointing at me?¡± Jeremy could not help but frown when he heard her address him as ¡®Mister Jeremy¡¯. Not to mention, she was obviously hinting at something. ¡°Think about what I¡¯ve done? What did I do? Have I done something to upset you again?¡± Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 Corinne pushed Jeremy¡¯s hand away and turned her head to the side. ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you? You know very well what you¡¯ve done to upset me!¡± she grumbled. Jeremy¡¯s hand froze. His eyebrow came up as he tried to recall what he could have done to upset Corinne so much, but he could not recall anything. ¡°Why are you angry at me? I didn¡¯t even get angry at you when you wouldn¡¯t allow me to kiss you! What else do you want from me?¡± Corinne could not help but blush when she heard Jeremy say the word ¡®kiss¡¯ so naturally, but it did nothing to ease the anger ring up inside of her. ¡®Since we havee to this point, I might as well spell it out for him,¡¯ she thought. ¡°Jeremy Holden!¡± Corinne called him by his full name. Since she rarely did that, Jeremy knew just how much of a trouble he was in. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening,¡± he said solemnly. Corinne looked straight into his eyes. ¡°Did you or did you not spend the night with another woman while you were abroad?¡± Jeremy was quite taken aback by the question, but realization finally dawned on him. ¡°So you¡¯re angry at me because of that? And here I was, trying to figure out why you¡¯re giving me the cold shoulder when I¡¯ve only been away for a few days.¡± Corinne became even angrier when she saw he had no intention to exin himself. Instead, he was trying to change the topic! ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to exin yourself? I should warn you though, you better make sure I don¡¯t find out the truth if you n to lie to me. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to me forever!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ That made Jeremy panic a little. He quickly pulled her into an embrace. ¡°You little rascal, how can you say something like that? Don¡¯t you know how hurtful that is?¡± Corinne tried to break free from his embrace but failed. Thus, she resorted to punching serious! This will be the end of us if I catch you in a small lie.¡± Corinne could really pack a punch when she put her mind to it. Jeremy gasped at the pain, but he did not let her go. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t spend the night with any woman! I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that. In fact, all I did while abroad was work!¡± he said coaxingly. However, Corinne did not believe him. Her gaze immediately darkened. ¡°You¡¯re lying! I clearly heard a woman¡¯s voice in the background while you were on the phone with me. Not to mention, the same woman picked up your phone while you were sleeping. How do you exin that?¡± Corinne was disappointed. She might have forgiven him if he had told her the truth. Heck, she might have even believed him if he had told her the woman was a female friend or business partner who, through some unfortunate events, had no choice but to share a room with him and that nothing happened between them. However, the fact that he straight-out denied everything meant he was lying! Seeing the disappointment in Corinne¡¯s face, Jeremy frowned and quickly exined, ¡°You¡¯re right. I was sleeping. But it wasn¡¯t at the hotel. I¡¯ve been staying at the office ¡¯cause I¡¯ve been pulling one all- nighter after another ever since Inded. That¡¯s just how bad the situation abroad is. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°The woman who answered the call was a secretary. She just happened toe in to clean up my office when you called so she thought she¡¯d help me take a message. I called you back the other day to exin, but you didn¡¯t answer, and it slipped my mind after that. ¡°My work schedule abroad was so grueling to the point I couldn¡¯t find any time to contact you. Also, I was afraid that I¡¯d want to fly back the moment I heard your voice. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been forcing myself to not look at my phone. And guess what? I did! I immediately took the red-eye flight back here after you called me yesterday.¡± Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me¡­right?¡± asked Corinne. Jeremy hugged her tightly and rubbed his chin on her head. ¡°Do you know how sad I was when after all the effort I took toe back here, you wouldn¡¯t even let me kiss you?¡± His expression was so sincere that Corinne had no reason to not believe him. ¡°Well, I worry about you too. Next time, can you please let me know when you¡¯vended safely?¡± She looked up, pulled his head down by his tie, stood on her toes, and kissed him. Jeremy was caught off-guard by the sudden affection. Nheless, he smiled and ced his hand behind her head to kiss her back passionately. Corinne felt a little suffocated as though her brain was running out of oxygen. Somehow, Jeremy managed to take the lead from her. They were so engrossed in their kiss that they had no idea someone was watching them from some distance away. Various nts and trees were in the summer vi, and bamboo was the mostmon. Cedric had a soft spot for bamboos, so almost every corner of the garden would sport a small thicket of bamboo forest. Lucas and Jason, standing in one of the bamboo forests, were looking at Corinne and Jeremy kissing. Both of them were thinking of different things. Lucas never liked anyone from the Holden family, especially Jeremy, his businesspetitor. However, he could do nothing since Corinne was obviously smitten with his archnemesis.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ An angry frown appeared on his face when he saw them kissing. ¡®That b*stard is taking advantage of my poor sister!¡¯ he thought. He wished he could just rush over and beat Jeremy up, but he knew he had no right to do that since Corinne would not ept him as her brother. Jason¡¯s eyes dimmed when he saw Corinne wrapping her arms around Jeremy¡¯s neck and standing on her toes to kiss him. He never felt so jealous of another man in his whole life! Simrly, he had never been so smitten by a woman either. It was love at first sight for him, so much so he could not help but talk to Corinne when they first met. Therefore, it was not hard to imagine his disappointment when he found out Corinne was already married to Jeremy. He knew he should stay away from her, but he could not. He would inevitably find himself walking over to her like a moth to a me whenever he saw her. He also knew Corinne did not like him. It would be more urate to say she hated him, but still¡­he could not help himself. At first, he thought someone like her would treat Jeremy the same way she treated him. When he saw Corinne kissing Jeremy, however, she realized she actually loved him. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. A girl like Corinne, who worshiped freedom above all else, would not stay by a man¡¯s side unless she really loved him. Just like a bird, no tree could make it stay unless it willingly gave up its freedom. Women always flocked to Jason ever since he was young. After all, countless women would throw themselves at him whenever they found out who he was. Thus, he was not inexperienced when it came to dating. Throughout it all, however, he never knew what it was really like to fall for someone. Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 It was not until he met Corinne had Jason experienced what it was like to fall head over heels for someone. Unfortunately, this experience went hand-in-hand with heartbreak. Lucas clenched his fists to keep himself from rushing over to punch Jeremy. Taking the adage ¡®out of sight, out of mind¡¯ to heart, he decided to leave the ce. However, the moment he turned, he saw something he never expected to see on Jason¡¯s face¡ªthe look of lovelornness. Being smart, he knew what was happening. Frowning, he waved his hand in front of Jason. ¡°Hey, stop looking! She¡¯ll never be yours.¡± That snapped Jason out of his trance. A little embarrassed that Lucas caught him, he shrugged and said, ¡°Way to rub salt into the wound, Lucas. Who¡¯s to say Corinne won¡¯t divorce Jeremy one day? That¡¯ll be my chance then.¡± Lucas was a little taken aback. He stared at Jason with a frown. ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking? When have you ever seen me losing allmon sense for a woman?¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. ¡°Well, you better not do anything stupid. In any case, you and Jeremy are friends after all, so it¡¯s not right for you to pester his wife.¡± ¡°Why should I care about what they think since they don¡¯t like me anyway?¡± he asked nonchntly.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Well, they wouldn¡¯t have disliked you if you hadn¡¯t tried to steal both Zeke¡¯s and Gerald¡¯s girlfriends from them in the past!¡± Lucas angrily. ¡°In fact, they¡¯re kind enough to still see you as a friend. If it were me, I would¡¯ve killed you already!¡± ¡°Dude! How can you say that? As I¡¯ve told you a thousand times, I did not steal Zeke¡¯s and Gerald¡¯s girlfriend away from them! Their girlfriends were the ones who kept pestering me, saying Zeke and Gerald weren¡¯t treating them right. I was only trying tofort them when Zeke and Gerald happened to walk in. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t believe me either?!¡± Lucas rolled his eyes at him. ¡°I would have if they didn¡¯t happen to walk in on their girlfriends naked.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you they were the ones who took their clothes off them? Plus, I didn¡¯t so much as touch them in the end! You have to believe me, dude.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Lucas turned around with the help of his crutches. ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¡®dude¡¯. With a friend like you, who needs an enemy?¡± Jason followed after him with a mischievous grin. ¡°It¡¯s not like you have anything to worry about, Lucas. I mean, you¡¯re single after all. But you really should think about getting yourself a wife since you¡¯re not getting any younger. Aren¡¯t you just a little bit ashamed your sister is already married while you¡¯re still a bachelor?¡± Lucas stopped walking and used his crutches to hit Jason. ¡°Buzz off, and mind your own business! Being a bachelor is better than leaving a trail of broken hearts like you did! And let me warn you, I¡¯ll never let Corinne be together with you, even if one day she happens to be single again!¡± Jason managed to dodge Lucas¡¯ attack. ¡°Why not?¡± he asked with a mischievous grin. ¡°After all, I¡¯m gentler and funnier than Jeremy. I¡¯m sure Corinne will be happier with me than she is with him.¡± Lucas scoffed. ¡°Oh, please. How can she be happy when she¡¯ll need to deal with all the women who are gonnae knocking on your door?¡± ¡°Why you!¡± ¡­ That night, at Twilight. Aaron¡¯s face fell when he saw Corinne hade with Jeremy. ¡°I see that you¡¯re back, Mister Jeremy,¡± greeted Aaron with a superficial smile. ¡°Yeah. What business do you have with my wife?¡± replied Jeremy. Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. We just miss her, that¡¯s all. But I must say, I¡¯m impressed by your time management skill, Mister Jeremy. After all, you managed to keep both sides of your affairs happy,¡± said Aaron with a sarcastic smile. It was obvious he was mocking Jeremy. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m nothingpared to you,¡± said Jeremy calmly. He then picked up a ss of juice and passed it to Corinne. Normally, he would never talk to someone like Aaron, but since Aaron was Corinne¡¯s friend, he thought he should at least attempt to be civil. Aaron scoffed and was about to say something else when Xante nudged him with her thigh as a warning. Initially, Corinne was not really in favor of letting Jeremye with her, but she had no choice but to allow him to tag along after he expressed just how unhappy he was about her meeting Aaron. However, she instantly regretted not standing her ground after she saw how awkward Aaron and Xante¡¯s interaction was with Jeremy. Not to mention, it kind of defeated the purpose of meeting up with them since, more than likely, Aaron and Xante would not feelfortable enough to tell her what happened. Therefore, it was a blessing Jeremy suddenly received a call from Zeke at that moment. ¡°Jeremy, are you at Twilight?¡± asked Zeke. Jeremy raised his eyebrow. ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t even know you¡¯re back if Jason didn¡¯t tell us,¡± replied Zeke grumpily. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call us?¡± ¡°Where are you guys now?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at Twilight, too! We saw your car parked in the underground parking lot, so we called you to ask if you want to have a few drinks with us.¡± ¡°Which room?¡± ¡°A08!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. After Jeremy hung up the phone, he looked at Aaron and Xante contemtively before saying gently to Corinne, ¡°I¡¯m going to hang out with Zeke and the others for a while. I¡¯ll swing byter to get you, okay?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ He was willing to let Corinne hang out with Aaron as long as someone else was in the room with them. After all, he knew his presence would only make it awkward for them to talk about what they wanted. Happy to get rid of him, Corinne nodded rapidly. ¡°Okay. Have fun.¡± Jeremy stood up and left the room. Before he did, he warned Aaron, ¡°Don¡¯t make her drink any alcohol, okay?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need you to tell us that, Mister Jeremy. We¡¯re not stupid enough to let a pregnant woman drink! We¡¯re even more worried about her than you are,¡± said Aaron with a scoff. He muttered something else under his breath, but Jeremy decided to let the matter slide as he was a good friend of Corinne¡¯s. Jason immediately dropped his nonchnt attitude and sat up straighter as soon as Jeremy left the room. ¡°Boss, are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with that old geezer?¡± he asked seriously. Corinne sipped her juice absent-mindedly. ¡°At least he¡¯s not as much of a jerk as you.¡± She found it weird Aaron would suddenly pick on Jeremy like that since he did not really show any objection to them being together in the past. In fact, he had always behaved politely whenever he was with Jeremy. Aaron shrugged. ¡°Yes, I admit I¡¯m a dirtbag, but I never pretended to be anything else other than that. Boss, you do know the girls who I¡¯ve hooked up with never expected me to settle down with them, right? It¡¯s like an unspoken agreement between me and them that I¡¯m just in it for the good times. I can¡¯t sit by and watch you getting yed by Jeremy!¡± Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean? How is he ying with my feelings?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Aaron opened his mouth, but not knowing where to start, he closed it again. He then nudged Xante, saying, ¡°Xante, why don¡¯t you tell her?¡± Xante gave him a side-eye before pushing up her gold-rimmed sses. She looked at Corinne warily and said, ¡°Boss, I didn¡¯t want to tell you ¡¯cause you look so happy with Mister Jeremy. Plus, some things are better kept in the dark to keep the peace.¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t like things being kept hidden from me. Now tell me what¡¯s going on,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Xante sighed. ¡°The two of us went to Molomia to look into what Mister Jeremy was doing there after we found out something was off about him. While it¡¯s true hispany does have a few new projects there, that¡¯s not really why he went there.¡± Corinne¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°Then why did he go there?¡± ¡°He¡¯d meet up with a woman named Sophia almost every day. The way they behaved toward each other was too close forfort, so I looked into her and¡­¡± Xante found it hard to continue. ¡°And what? Go on. Spit it out now. Don¡¯t leave me hanging like that!¡± Corinne scolded with a frown. Xante took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°We found out Mister Jeremy and Sophia were actually legally married in Molomia, and¡­even now, their marriage still stands.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The light in the room was too dim for either of them to see Corinne¡¯s expression. She kept chewing on her straw and would drink from her ss from time to time. After a long moment of silence, she finally said, ¡°Do you have a picture of Sophia?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aaron quickly took out his phone and showed her the photo he had taken of Sophia. ¡°Here you go, Boss.¡± Corinne took his phone, and her eyes immediately dimmed when she saw the HD photo. While Sophia might not be what some people would call a conventional beauty, she did look exotic with her olive skin and high cheekbones. Not to mention, her skin-tight T-shirt and short A-line skirt only served to entuate her voluptuous figure. The photo showed her standing very close to Jeremy with the two of them being in deep discussion. Corinne knew Jeremy usually would not let a woman stand so close to him. Even Anya, whom he was mistakenly led to believe to be his savior, was told to keep some distance away from him. Thus, Corinne fell into a trance as she stared at the photo of Sophia holding on to Jeremy¡¯s arm intimately while he showed no signs of disgust. After a while, she calmly gave the phone back to Aaron. ¡°Okay. Thanks for telling me. You can both go back to your work now.¡± Xante and Aaron exchanged nces with each other. They could not help but think Corinne was acting a little too calmly for theirfort. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s your next step gonna be?¡± asked Aaron worriedly. Corinne said nothing. She simply put down her ss and walked out of the room. ¡®What should I do? What should I do?¡¯ she kept asking herself. Aaron got up to follow her out, but Xante stopped him. ¡°Give her some space, Aaron. You going after her will only make things worse for her.¡± Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Aaron turned and said worriedly, ¡°But what if she does something stupid? It¡¯s obvious she has fallen head over heels with Mister Jeremy, so what if she¡­¡± Xante spat at him. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense! When have you ever seen her do something stupid because of a man? You should have more trust in her.¡± After thinking about it, Aaron slumped back down on the sofa. ¡°That b*stard is worse than trash! In fact, he¡¯s even worse than me! How can he pretend to love Corinne while he¡¯s already married to some chick abroad?¡± ¡­ Corinne went up to the rooftop to get some fresh air. Since Twilight was under the helm of Newmoon Group, which meant a lot of the employees there knew her, she could go whenever she wanted in the building. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She dangled her arms over the railing and looked to the horizon, trying to empty her mind, when she heard some noiseing from one of the balconies below. Looking down, she saw it was Jeremy who hade out to smoke. From the first day she met Jeremy, apart from thinking he was aloof and a bit difficult to get along with, she never questioned his morals. Thus, she never imagined he would be married already. ¡®So that¡¯s why he¡¯s been avoiding getting legally married to me. Wait a minute¡­ Doesn¡¯t this mean I¡¯m the mistress in this scenario?¡¯ At that moment, a girl dressed in a spaghetti-strap dress walked over to the balcony to flirt with Jeremy.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Did youe alone, Mister Jeremy?¡± asked the girl. Jeremy puffed out a mouthful of smoke before giving her a passing nce. Seeing he did not seem to be annoyed with her presence, the girl walked closer to him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re married, Mister Jeremy. Why didn¡¯t you bring your wife along with you?¡± asked the girl with a smile. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and asked in an ambiguous tone, ¡°Who told you that?¡± The girl smiled even wider. ¡°Well, I read it online. Is the rumor not true, then?¡± Jeremy chuckled softly. ¡°Only dumb people would believe all those clickbait articles.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°So that means you¡¯re still single?¡± Jeremy puffed out another mouthful of smoke before saying decisively, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m still single.¡± Corinne actuallyughed out loud when she heard his answer, but it was because of how stupid she was. ¡®Well, he just proves me wrong again and again. I must be blind to not see any of his red gs!¡¯ she thought. The girl on the balcony looked up, but Corinne was long gone by then. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Mister Jeremy, did you hear someoneughing?¡± Jeremy flicked his cigarette ash before following the girl to look up. He saw nobody too. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything. It could just be the wind.¡± The girl looked confused. She could have sworn she heard someoneughing mockingly and pathetically. ¡®Was it just my imagination? Oh well. It¡¯s not every day I get to talk to Mister Jeremy, so I must make good use of this chance!¡¯ Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 The girl quickly took out her phone. ¡°Mister Jeremy, if you don¡¯t mind, can we exchange phone numbers?¡± ¡­ Corinne was in the taxi when Jeremy called. She looked briefly at the caller ID before answering her phone. ¡°Where are you?¡± asked Jeremy in his deep voice. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m in the taxi on my way home,¡± said Corinne neutrally. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me?¡± he asked unhappily. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you since you rarely have the time to hang out with your friends.¡± Jeremy pursed his lips for a few seconds before saying sternly, ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll go pick you up right away!¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary since I¡¯m almost home. You just have fun, okay? I¡¯m going to hang up now. Bye.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne quickly hung up after that. After she reached the Holdens¡¯ mansion, she immediately questioned herself why she came back there. She chalked it down as her needing some time to collect her thoughts before deciding what to do next. There were only a few servants on standby in the living room since Greg and Pam had retired for the night. As soon as Corinne walked upstairs, she bumped into Francine, who seemed like she had juste out of her room and was about to go downstairs. ¡°You sure took your sweet time toe back!¡± said Francine with her hands on her hips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you left me to babysit a kid so young! He kept crying for you. Did you know how much effort it took me to get him to sleep? Never again!¡± Corinne and Jeremy tasked Francine to look after Joey when the two of them went out. They did not let Pam babysit him because they were worried he would be too much of a handful for the old woman. ¡°me your brother,¡± said Corinne emotionlessly. ¡°He insisted oning with me, so we had no choice but to leave Joey with you. Plus, Joey¡¯s his kid, not mine.¡± Francine could tell something was off with Corinne, but she could not really put her finger on it. She took a peek behind Corinne and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy? Did youe back alone?¡± ¡°He¡¯s having drinks with Zeke and the others, so he should be backte,¡± she replied. After that, she walked past Francine to get into her own room. Francine frowned. She could tell Corinne was not in a good mood. Worried about her, she followed her and asked, ¡°Hey, are you okay? Why do you look so out of it?¡± Corinne avoided looking at her. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit tired, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Did you have a fight with Jeremy?¡± ¡°No.¡± Francine crossed her arms and pouted. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m not taking sides here, but you should know how hard it is for Jeremy to find time to spend with you. You shouldn¡¯t fight with him after all the trouble he had taken toe back here.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s all my fault. But don¡¯t worry. Your brother is going to give you a new sister- inw who¡¯s kind and thoughtful soon!¡± Francine was speechless. She did not expect Corinne to react like that. After her little outburst, Corinne ignored Francine and went back into her room. Francine immediately knew she had misspoken. She scratched her head and was about to apologize to Corinne when Corinne mmed the door in her face. Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 Francine nearly hit her nose on the door. She quickly stepped back and knocked on the door, shouting, ¡°Hey, Corinne! I didn¡¯t mean what I said just now. I just don¡¯t want to see you arguing with Jeremy¡­¡± No response came from inside the room. ¡°As a matter of fact, I don¡¯t ever want Jeremy to rece you with someone else anymore. I mean it! So please don¡¯t be angry. You can take what I said just now as me spouting nonsense!¡± Still, no response came from inside the room. ¡®How dare she still ignore me when I¡¯ve apologized?¡¯ thought Francine angrily. ¡°Hey, Corinne! You¡¯re not really angry, are you? I don¡¯t remember you being this touchy in the past. Fine, be angry all you want, but take that kid back with you! I don¡¯t want to babysit him anymore!¡± Francine received no response no matter what she said. ¡®This can¡¯t be good,¡¯ she thought with a frown. ¡®Something serious must¡¯ve happened to cause her to be like this.¡¯ The Corinne Francine knew would immediately retort should she do anything to upset her. Francine gave up knocking on the door after a while. She then went downstairs to get a drink of water. She was not worried about Joey since she had instructed a maid to care for the sleeping child. As long as he did not wake up, she had all the time in the world to think about why Corinne was acting so weird. Suddenly, she heard amotion at the main entrance, which interrupted her thoughts. She looked over and saw Jeremy rushing in and changing his shoes. She immediately put down her ss of water and walked over. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re back!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Is Corinne back yet?¡± he asked with a frown. Francine nodded. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s in her room now.¡± Jeremy visibly rxed and sighed with relief after hearing that. Francine blinked and asked cautiously, ¡°Jeremy, did you argue with Corinne?¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback. ¡°Did she say something to you?¡± Francine shook her head. ¡°Nope. But she seemed sort of sad and was acting weirdly. I thought I¡¯d ask you.¡± Jeremy frowned with consternation. ¡°We¡¯re fine. Go to sleep.¡± After that, he strode up the stairs. ¡°Jeremy, what about the kid? He¡¯s still in my room,¡± said Francine with a pout. ¡°Please look after him a while longer,¡± he said without looking back. Francine rolled her eyes and muttered, ¡°They¡¯re obviously not going to win any parents-of-the-year award¡­ How can they expect me, a single woman with no child of her own, to know how to take care of a toddler?¡± ¡­ Jeremy rushed upstairs and turned the doorknob, but the door would not open. ¡®That little rascal locked me out again? How dare she lock the door when she was the one who left without waiting for me?¡¯ He was really confused. After all, they were fine when they left the house. Frowning, he knocked on the door a few times and waited, but the door remained shut tightly. Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Jeremy ordered Bowen to get him the spare key. As soon as he walked into the room, he could smell the scent of body wash floating through the air. ¡®So she¡¯s taken her shower.¡¯ As upset as he was about being locked out, all of his anger disappeared when he saw Corinne curled up sleeping on the bed. She looked so cute with her face half buried in the pillow she was hugging. Any man would have found himself burning with desire if they saw her like that. Jeremy¡¯s face softened without him being aware of it. He bent down and quietly took away the pillow she was hugging and put it aside. He then turned her face upward so she would not be sleeping on her side. He looked down at her and realized her eyebrows were furrowed as though she was having a bad dream, so he gently smoothed them out. A few secondster, he subconsciously leaned down to kiss her; he could not stand just how cute she was! The kiss woke her up. Frowning, she muttered with annoyance, ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you dirty old man¡­¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback. He straightened himself and looked into her eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± Still frowning, she repeated brazenly, ¡°I said, don¡¯t touch me, you dirty old man.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face instantly darkened when he realized Corinne was not joking. ¡°Corinne Carew, I must have been too easy on you for you to treat me however you want!¡± Corinne turned over so she did not have to look at him. ¡°You¡¯re right! Give me an inch and I¡¯ll take a mile! You should just stay away from me!¡± Jeremy had never known to have a good temper, so his face immediately hardened when Corinne gave him the cold shoulder.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Turn around and look at me,¡± he ordered her through gritted teeth. Corinne simply ignored him. ¡°I said, turn around and look at me! Do you hear?¡± repeated Jeremy forcefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look at you right now! Buzz off!¡± No one ever dared to talk to Jeremy like that. He knew he should not get angry at his pregnant wife, but she was not making it any easier for him. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Suppressing his anger, he tugged his tie and repeated, ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this onest time. Turn. Around. And. Look. At. Me!¡± He was afraid he would do something to hurt her in a fit of blind anger if she did not turn around. Therefore, it was good that Corinne did turn around in the end. After that, she sat up and said, ¡°Fine! If you won¡¯t get out of the room, I will!¡± She then got down from her bed, put on her slippers, and started to walk out of the room without a second thought. Finally, Jeremy could not hold back his anger anymore. He grabbed her wrist and spun her back forcefully before roughly lifting her chin so she had to look at him. ¡°Tell me what have I done to make you angry! I¡¯m so sick of you giving me the silent treatment! Nothing ever gets solved if you don¡¯t talk to me!¡± he shouted angrily. Corinne looked at him dully. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for us to solve! I just want to sleep alone tonight, okay? There¡¯s now that says a couple has to sleep in the same bed all the time!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened even more. ¡°Do you think I stopped you from going out because I¡¯m angry at you not wanting to sleep in the same bed with me?¡± Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°Why else? What else am I good for apart from satisfying your s*xual urges? Do you even love me?¡± Jeremy could not believe she was actually asking him that. ¡°How can you even ask me that? Have I not proven myself enough? Why don¡¯t you just tell me why you¡¯re angry at me?¡± Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 Up until a second ago, Corinne was still holding out hope that Jeremy woulde clean with her, but her hope was dashed when she saw him acting self-righteously. She looked at him with a straight face and wondered what she ever saw in him. ¡°The very fact that you exist makes me angry. I don¡¯t want to see you right now!¡± she said coldly. Jeremy¡¯s eyes turned icy cold. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me? Do you hate me that much?¡± ¡°Yes! I hate you very, very much!¡± she said with great disdain. ¡°Mister Jeremy, I admit it was wrong for me to kiss you just because I want to get away from my blind date, but I¡¯ve already paid back for my mistake so I don¡¯t owe you anything anymore. I know you¡¯re interested in me because you thought I was ying hard to get, but I¡¯m not going to stand here and let you y with my feelings anymore!¡± Jeremy frowned and looked at her sharply. ¡°y with your feelings? You think I¡¯m not serious about you? Is that what this is all about?¡± Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that it? You look like you¡¯re having fun, but it¡¯s time to end this!¡± She pushed him away and walked away without looking back at him. Jeremy pulled her back again. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere! I¡¯ll leave the room,¡± he said as he let go of her wrist. After that, he strode angrily out of the room and closed the door with a loud bang. The sound startled Corinne, but she then looked down forlornly. The heater was on, yet she felt so unbelievably cold. Pam must have been woken up by the sound of their fighting as a few secondster, she knocked on her door.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Corinne? Are you in there? Is everything alright?¡± No matter how disappointed Corinne was with Jeremy, she would never hold it against his family. Thus, she took some deep breaths to calm herself before opening the door. ¡°Grandma, why haven¡¯t you slept yet? It¡¯s quitete,¡± she said with a smile. Pam looked at her pale face sympathetically. ¡°Corinne, I heard you arguing with Jeremy. Did he do something wrong? You can tell me. I¡¯ll make sure to teach him a lesson after this!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re fine, Grandma. It¡¯s just a little lovers¡¯ tiff. I¡¯m sorry if we¡¯ve woken you, but there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± She could tell Pam cared about her from the bottom of her heart, so she believed her when she said she would teach Jeremy a lesson. However, she also knew nothing Pam said to Jeremy would solve their problem. Pam grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand anxiously. ¡°I know it¡¯s not easy to live with Jeremy, given he¡¯s not the most romantic or good-tempered person out there. He¡¯s also a workaholic, so it¡¯s understandable you¡¯ll feel neglected. But don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m going to lecture him and make him apologize to you. This grandson of mine has no idea what¡¯sing for him!¡± Corinne forced out a smile. ¡°Thank you, Grandma, but there¡¯s no need to worry about us. You should head back to bed now.¡± Pam patted the back of Corinne¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay. You should get some sleep too. I hope you won¡¯t stay mad at Jeremy ¡¯cause that brat isn¡¯t really worth it. You have my word that I¡¯m going to give him a good scolding first thing tomorrow morning!¡± Corinne nodded. After making sure Pam got back to her room, she was about to close the food when Francine came out from the corner with Joey in tow. ¡°Corinne, wait! Don¡¯t close the door yet!¡± Corinne stopped what she was doing and looked at Francine indifferently. Francine walked over with Joey. ¡°I heard everything just now. Why did you lie to Grandma?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°Why did you tell her it was only a little lovers¡¯ tiff when it sounded more like your guys were on the verge of divorcing each other?¡± Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Corinne smiled coldly. ¡°So what if you heard everything? I have nothing to hide. However, there¡¯s one thing you got wrong. We don¡¯t need to get a divorce because we were never legally married in the first ce!¡± Francine was struck speechless. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Corinne massaged her temples tiredly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m going back to sleep now.¡± ¡°There is something else!¡± said Francine with a frown. ¡°Joey just woke up and was crying for you, so I brought him here.¡± Corinne nced coldly at the pitiful Joey. ¡°He¡¯s your brother¡¯s adopted son, so he has nothing to do with me. You should call your brother and ask him to take the kid off your hand.¡± After that, she closed the door. Halfway through, however, she stopped when she felt something had wrapped itself around her legs. She looked down and saw Joey looking up at her with big sad puppy eyes.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Auntie Sissy¡­ Joey wants to stay with you¡­¡± he said with a pout. Even though Corinne decided to cut ties with Jeremy, which meant she did not want to involve any of his business, she could not help but feel moved when she saw Joey like that. After some hesitation, she decided to take in Joey for the time being. She led him into her room by his hand. Before Corinne closed the door, Francine decided to try onest time to make here around. ¡°Umm, I might not know why you guys are fighting, but seeing how angry you are, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out it must be Jeremy¡¯s fault. But please give him another chance. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be willing to change for you.¡± Corinne said nothing. She had given Jeremy many chances toe clean but to no avail. In the just like any woman. No matter how confident she was, she could not escape the fate of getting hurt in love. It was the same for her mother, as well as Mother Cathrina and countless other women who thought they could live happily ever after once they married the man of their dreams. Corinne shut the door firmly after her as though shutting her heart from ever falling in love again. Francine simply sighed and went back to her room. Corinne carried Joey to her bed and sang him a luby to get him to sleep. However, he just looked at her with his bright, innocent eyes and said, ¡°Auntie Sissy, stay¡­ Stay with Dada.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be thinking about all this. Go to sleep, little guy.¡± Joey pouted. ¡°Auntie Sissy don¡¯t want Joey anymore?¡± Corinne did not know what to say to him. As much as she pitied him, there was no denying she was not rted to him in any way. It was not up to her to say whether she wanted him or not. Afraid she would abandon him, Joey grabbed Corinne¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°If Auntie Sissy go, Joey go also¡­¡± Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 Corinne was at a loss for what to do with Joey. On one hand, she did not want to traumatize him further with abandonment issues, but on the other, she did not want to saddle herself with him. In the end, she decided it was more important to get him to sleep. Thus, she said, ¡°There, there. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Go to sleep, and we can have breakfast together tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°O¡­kay¡­¡± said Joey before closing his eyes and falling asleep. The next morning, Corinne brought Joey down for breakfast after they had both washed up. Even though both Pam and Greg were very fond of Joey, the little boy still felt scared in the new environment. Thus, he clung to Corinne like his life depended on it. After breakfast, Corinne needed to discuss something with Xante and Aaron at thepany, so she gave Joey some pep talk before handing him over to Francine to look after. However, the moment she stepped out of the house, she saw Tommy and a line of bodyguards blocking her way. ¡°Good morning, Ma¡¯am,¡± Tommy greeted her respectfully. ¡°Why are you here? Don¡¯t you need to be at work?¡± she asked with a confused frown. ¡°I am working now. Mister Jeremy has arranged for us to be here.¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow unhappily. ¡°Why did he do that? Where is he now?¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy caught a flight back to Molomiast night. Before he left, he instructed us to stand guard at this mansion to protect you round the clock.¡± ¡®He flew back to Molomiast night? My, my. He sure is in a rush to go back to his legal wife,¡¯ thought Corinne. She chuckled coldly and said to Tommy, ¡°I appreciate his gesture, but I don¡¯t need you to protect me. Consider yourself and the others dismissed. You¡¯re free to do whatever you want.¡± After that, she tried to walk past them, but the bodyguards would not allow her to do so. ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± she asked with a darkened face. ¡°Mister Jeremy has said you¡¯re not allowed to leave this house until the baby is born,¡± exined Tommy. Corinne frowned unhappily. ¡°Move aside! I¡¯m a grown woman. I can go anywhere I want!¡± The bodyguards remained unmoved. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mister Jeremy thinks it¡¯s best for you to stay at home to ensure nothing bad happens to the baby. He also said you can go out all you want until you¡¯ve given birth,¡± said Tommy respectfully, trying to persuade her.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Realization suddenly dawned on Corinne. ¡°He¡¯s trying to keep me under house arrest, isn¡¯t he?¡± she asked contemptuously. Tommy shook his head. ¡°No. Mister Jeremy is doing this for your own good. He¡¯s not stopping you from meeting anyone since you¡¯re allowed to invite friends and family to this house.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°And what if I insist on going out?¡± Tommy bowed apologetically. ¡°With all due respect, Ma¡¯am, you won¡¯t be able to do that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± challenged Corinne. She hated nothing more in this world than to be threatened. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. At that moment, Pam walked over and smiled kindly at Corinne. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m sure Jeremy is only doing this for your own good, so why don¡¯t you just stay at home for the baby¡¯s sake? I¡¯ll cook whatever you want to eat, and you can even invite your friends over. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous feast for them.¡± Corinne looked sideways at Pam, who she always respected, with eyes filled with cold disappointment. She thought the old woman was on her side, but she realized she had been on Jeremy¡¯s side all along. ¡®Seems like the Holdens have made up their minds to keep me under house arrest!¡¯ thought Corinne. She said nothing to Pam. Instead, she went back to her own room to survey the situation from the balcony. Not only were there bodyguards at the main entrance of the mansion, but there were also some stationed every 90 meters outside the gate. She could not escape even if she had wings! Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 Corinne clenched her fists. She then quickly took out her phone to call Jeremy, who she previously had no intention of ever contacting again. Jeremy picked up soon enough, but he did not greet or say anything to her. ¡°Jeremy Holden, just what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Corinne asked angrily. ¡°So that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to address me from now on? Is this your way of showing me you don¡¯t want to be with me anymore?¡± Jeremy asked raspily. Corinne did not call him to talk about that! ¡°Mister Jeremy, we¡¯re not kids anymore. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s very childish of me to keep me under house arrest just because you¡¯re angry at me?¡± ¡°Heh. And here I thought you didn¡¯t know I was angry at you,¡± replied Jeremy sarcastically. Corinne tried to suppress her anger as she knew it would just make things worse. ¡°Call off your men! I need to go out.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Since when do I need to report to you every little detail of what I n to do? Where¡¯s my freedom in all of this?¡± ¡°The moment you married me, you gave up your freedom. After all, it¡¯s normal for a husband and wife to keep a tight leash on each other,¡± replied Jeremy in a neutral tone. ¡°Jeremy Holden! We¡¯re not legally married, so you have no right to take away my freedom!¡± shouted Corinne, unable to hold back her anger anymore. ¡°Just stay at home. I¡¯lle back to visit you once I find the time,¡± he said coldly. After that, he hung up the phone.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne was so furious that she nearly threw her phone down. ¡®That b*stard! What right does he have to treat me like this? So this is his true color, huh? Oh, what a fool I am to have fallen for his nice-guy act!¡¯ thought Corinne, gritting her teeth. She then told herself to calm down; it was more important to think of a way out than to mentally berate herself. ¡­ Meanwhile, at Newmoon Group, Aaron was drinking coffee. For some reason unknown to him, he was feeling very anxious. He walked out of his office to look for Xante. As soon as he pushed open his door, he saw a subordinate of his flirting with Annie, who¡ªjudging by herughing¡ªdid not seem to mind the least. Aaron found this weird. In the past, she would have ignored any flirtinging her way. He narrowed his eyes, curious as to why Annie would still work there after how he treated her. The subordinate¡¯s expression immediately became serious when he realized Aaron was staring at them. He then cleared his throat, greeted Aaron, and took the files Annie prepared for him back to his seat. Annie was startled to see Aaron standing there too. She quickly got up and bowed to him. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you, Mister Aaron?¡± she said professionally.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Aaron smiled and walked over to her. ¡°Not at the moment. But I must say, I¡¯m quite surprised to see you here.¡± ¡°I quite like the perks and benefits this job provides, so unless thepany fires me, I have no reason to resign,¡± replied Annie politely. Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°Won¡¯t it be better for you to work at your uncle¡¯spany? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll arrange for you to work in a better position with a higher sry. Plus, you won¡¯t need to make coffee for anyone there.¡± Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 ¡°You¡¯re right, Mister Aaron. My uncle would do what you said, but I don¡¯t want to live under his protection forever. I want to learn how to be independent,¡± exined Annie. Aaron was quite impressed by her attitude. ¡°Huh, not bad. Was your colleague flirting with you just now?¡± The sudden change of topic shocked Annie. ¡°No. He was asking me for help with his document. His stapler was broken, you see.¡± Aaron obviously did not believe her. ¡°He¡¯s quite the catch. He graduated from a famous university. Good-looking. Tall. You can consider him since ourpany has no policy against office romance.¡± Annie¡¯s gaze wavered for a second before her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. She felt unbelievably humiliated, but she did not blow up at Aaron. She simply nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll consider him if he shows signs of being interested in me. Thank you for your concern, Mister Aaron.¡± After a moment of awkward silence, Aaron smiled and said, ¡°Well, time for you to get back to work now. If anyonees to find me, tell me I¡¯m at Xante¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Aaron.¡± Aaron started making his way over to Xante¡¯s office. At some point, he tugged at his tie to loosen it. For some reason, he felt like he was suffocating. Xante¡¯s office was only a few steps from his. Given their rtionship, he never knocked to announce his arrival.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Instead, he simply opened the door and said, ¡°Hey Xante, did the boss call you? I don¡¯t know why but I¡¯ve been feeling an¡ª¡± He stopped talking at the shocking sight before him. Xante was pinned to the floor-to-ceiling window by a man who was sucking and kissing her neck. ¡®I know that guy! He¡¯s Sunny Rivera!¡¯ thought Aaron in shock. When Xante noticed Aaron had barged in, she calmly pushed Sunny away and straightened her clothes before sitting down on her chair. ¡°Well, finish what you started. You¡¯ve been feeling¡­?¡± prompted Xante after taking a sip of her coffee. Aaron snapped out of his trance. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ve been feeling anxious. I¡¯m worried Jeremy would do something to hurt the boss.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m nning to call the bosster.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, Aaron was obviously interested in something else by that point. He looked teasingly at the hickey on Xante¡¯s neck before walking over and poking it. ¡°Tsk, tsk! I never knew you were so wild, Xante.¡± Xante frowned and was about to say something when Sunny pped Aaron¡¯s hand away. ¡°Keep your hands off her! You have no right to touch her!¡± said Sunny protectively. Instead of being angry, Aaronughed. ¡°And you do? Is that why you were kissing her just now?¡± he asked with a smirk. Sunny¡¯s face immediately turned red from the teasing. ¡°At least I¡­ I have more rights than you! Just¡­ Just keep your boundaries in the future!¡± Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why do you have more right than I do?¡± Sunny¡¯s face turned even red. ¡°B¡ªBecause she¡­she¡¯s my g¡­¡± Aaron grinned wider. ¡°Yes? Go on. She¡¯s your, what?¡± Sunny was too proud to finish his sentence, so he nudged Xante. ¡°Hey, tell him what we are!¡± Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 Aaron looked at Xante. ¡°So are you guys together?¡± Xante sipped her coffee before replying indifferently, ¡°Nope.¡± Aaronughed. He then looked smugly at Sunny. ¡°Did you hear that? She said you guys aren¡¯t together.¡± He did not need to fan the mes since Sunny was already angry as it was. ¡°How can you say that? Have you forgotten what we did that day? You¡­ You¡­¡± The more he tried to exin himself, the redder his face got until he finally gave up. ¡°Oh, shut up and sit down! I¡¯m trying to work here,¡± chided Xante with annoyance. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Sunny did as she said. He plumped down on the sofa, fuming. Xante turned her attention to Aaron. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Aaron nced at Sunny with twinkling eyes. ¡°Xante, you dirty dog. He¡¯s just a kid,¡± he whispered teasingly.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante gave him the death re. ¡°Oh, please. He¡¯s practically an adult. Plus, do you think I¡¯m enjoying this? You don¡¯t know how much I wish I could shake him off!¡± Aaronughed. ¡°When did this happen? I can¡¯t say I ever saw you two talking.¡± Xante frowned. ¡°You remember that day at the hotel? He came after you left, and then¡­¡± Aaron was burning with the desire to know what happened next. ¡°And then you decided to¡­¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on. Don¡¯t get me the wrong way. I only nned to tease him a little, but he then forced me into it!¡± Aaron tutted and looked at her skeptically. Since they were very good friends, they did not pay any mind to their personal spaces and would sometimes unconsciously move closer to each other while talking. Normally, this would not arouse any suspicions, but to Sunny, it was akin to breaking thew. His eyes widened in anger when he saw Aaron standing so close to Xante. He then got up and pointed at him, saying, ¡°Why do you need to stand so close to her? She¡¯s not deaf! Move your face away from hers!¡± The angrier Sunny got, the more Aaron¡ªbeing the troublemaker he was¡ªwanted to tease him. Aaron deliberately put his arm around Xante¡¯s waist. ¡°But I like being close to her. Before she knew you, we¡¯d share a bed sometime. It¡¯s a pity you met her toote, Mister Sunny.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± That was the final straw for Sunny. With his anger rising, he rushed over to free Xante. ¡°Get up! Let go of her!¡± Aaron scooped Xante up into his arms. ¡°Make me,¡± he taunted. ¡°Argh! You piece of sh*t! Let go of my girlfriend! How many times do I have to tell you to keep your hands off her!¡± In a fit of panic, Sunny let slip the word ¡®girlfriend¡¯. Aaron finally got what he wanted. He put down Xante, whose expression was twisted, and said, ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s your girlfriend! You should¡¯ve told me sooner. I wouldn¡¯t have touched her if I knew.¡± Red in the face, Sunny walked over and pulled Xante to his side. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Touch her again, and I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 Aaron put his hands up. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t touch her again. Plus, only you would like a workaholic like her.¡± Sunny¡¯s expression hardened. He did not like anyone talking bad about his woman. Xante took off her sses and pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°You should leave if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯ll drop by your officeter,¡± she said to Aaron. Aaron shrugged. ¡°Okay, fine. I won¡¯t bother you two anymore. I¡¯ll call the boss now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell her anything about this, okay?¡± warned Xante. Aaron simply gave her an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture. He understood why she would not want Corinne to find out since there was a high chance Corinne would be angry at Xante for taking away her stepbrother¡¯s innocence. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. After Aaron went out, Xante put her sses back on and nced coldly at Sunny. ¡°Are you done ying? You should head home to study if you are.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already finished studying for the day!¡± said Sunny defensively. ¡°Then go do something else someone your age would do! You being here would only get in the way of me working!¡± said Xante with annoyance. As upset as Sunny was at being chased out, he did tone down his spoiled-brat attitude. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t bother you working. But promise me you¡¯ll keep your distance away from Aaron. He doesn¡¯t seem like a good guy to me.¡± Xante sat back down on her office chair and looked mockingly at him. ¡°Why should I promise you something like that? Do you really think I¡¯m your girlfriend?¡± Sunny frowned and then blushed. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of you!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante burst outughing. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to take care of me. We had s*x, but so what? We¡¯re not living in the old times where a man had to take care of a woman forever just because they slept together.¡± Sunny turned even redder from both shame and anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care. If you won¡¯t let me take care of you, then you take care of me. After all, it¡­ It was my first time.¡± ¡®Oy, I wouldn¡¯t have slept with him if I had known it was his first time,¡¯ thought Xante. She could feel a headacheing. That day, after Aaron left the hotel, Sunny would not let Xante leave until she answered his question. That was why she came up with the idea of teasing him to make him run away. What she did not expect was Sunny would really take off his clothes. One thing then led to another, and they somehow ended up on the bed with her on top of him. The excitement of it all seemed to have awoken some strong desire in Sunny, and Xante found herself pinned to the bed with him taking charge on top. Sunny became hooked after that one time. Xante could not shake him off no matter what she said or did. Moments ago, he came to the office to find her with some made-up excuse, and before she knew it, he had pinned her to the floor-to-ceiling window which he then proceeded to bite her hard on the neck. She thought her veins were going to burst. ¡®I would¡¯ve been eaten up by this puppy if Aaron hadn¡¯te in at the nick of time,¡¯ thought Xante. As for Sunny, he was a simple-minded boy. He was the type that would never change his course of action once he had his mind set on something or someone. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m hungry. When do you get off for lunch? Let¡¯s go out to eat.¡± ¡°I usually have my lunch here,¡± answered Xante lightly while flipping through some documents. ¡°Then what about me?¡± asked Sunny, visibly upset. ¡°You¡¯re a big boy. I¡¯m sure you can take care of your lunch yourselves,¡± Xante replied absent-mindedly. Sunny red at her vehemently. It was obvious from his pursed lips that he was not happy with the arrangement. Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Xante raised her eyebrow and nced at him. ¡°Why are you still here? Do you need money? Is that it?¡± Sunny suddenly felt like Xante did care about him after all. Otherwise, she would not have offered him money. ¡°No. I have enough money. But you should have lunch with me.¡± Xante frowned. ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s no ¡®should¡¯ or ¡®should not¡¯ in my world. Only a kid will use the word ¡®should¡¯ to get others to do what they want.¡± ¡°I told you a million times, I¡¯m not a kid!¡± ¡°Did I say you were?¡± Xante asked with a scoff. Sunny crossed his arms and sat back down on the sofa angrily. ¡®Ugh! How dare she treat me like that?¡¯ he thought. As a matter of fact, Xante was the first woman to ever treat him like he was nothing. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses and continued to focus on her task at hand. After finishing the paperwork, she was about to call for her secretary to take the documents away when she saw Sunny had fallen asleep on the sofa. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡®Should I call for the security to carry him out? But he¡¯s the boss¡¯ stepbrother, and she seems to have a soft spot for him¡­ She might get angry at me if something happens to him,¡¯ she thought while massaging her temples. The whole thing was giving her a headache.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ In the end, she walked over with a nket she kept for overnights at the office andid it on him. All of a sudden, Sunny snapped his eyes open. ¡°I knew it! You do care about me!¡± Xante was speechless. She had made sure to be as quiet as possible to not wake him up, but it was all in vain. Annoyed, she pulled the nket over his face and walked out of the office. Sunny threw off the nket and got up to chase after her. Xante was giving instructions to her secretary at the doorway, and the secretary looked at Sunny curiously when he came out of Xante¡¯s office. This annoyed Xante to no end, so she walked off after she finished giving instructions. Unfortunately, Sunny still followed her. Xante suddenly stopped walking and asked irritably, ¡°Why are you following me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I just know I want to be by your side.¡± Xante¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Even a husband and wife need to give each other space. Mister Sunny, I hope you¡¯ll stop following me,¡± she said mockingly. Sunny started blushing madly. ¡°Did¡­ Did you just call us husband and wife? Umm¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll let my family know, and then I¡¯ll bring you home to meet them. But I have to warn you, they¡¯ll probably only let me get married after I graduate from university. Lucas, especially, wants me to focus on my study. But if you¡¯re in a hurry, we can go register our marriage first. I, Sunny Rivera, promise you I¡¯ll take care of you and stay loyal to you forever.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The more Xante listened to him, the more annoyed she felt. ¡®Does he think we¡¯re living in the old times? There¡¯s now saying a man must marry a woman after he sleeps with her! Ugh. He¡¯s so foolish to the point that it¡¯sughable.¡¯ She never thought about marrying him nor did she want him to take responsibility for her. ¡°Mister Sunny, you seem to have mistaken me. I¡¯m asking you to stop following me and leave me alone. If you have so much free time on your hands, you should study or do something else. Do you understand me now?¡± Sunny scoffed. ¡°The school¡¯s having a winter break, and I¡¯ve already finished all of my homework. I have all the time in the world to hang out with you.¡± Chapter 1126 Chapter 1126 ¡®Is this kid stupid or something?¡¯ Xante wondered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hang out!¡± she grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! You obviously care about me. You wouldn¡¯t have given me the nket otherwise.¡± Xante was speechless. She felt like she was talking to a wall. Thus, she ignored Sunny and went to Aaron¡¯s office instead. Annie was nowhere to be seen when Xante arrived outside of Aaron¡¯s office, which she found to be very strange. Before she went in, she said sternly to Sunny, ¡°Wait outside! Don¡¯t follow me in!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go in with you? Why are you looking for Aaron again?¡± he asked unhappily. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, this is apany, and I¡¯m working! Aaron is my business partner and colleague. You, a non-employee, have no right to be there for our business discussion.¡± Sunny scoffed haughtily. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t bother you working. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Xante rolled her eyes at him before knocking on the door and entering Aaron¡¯s office. Sunny anxiously and obediently waited for her like a dog waiting for its owner to return. From time to time, he would put his ear against the door to hear what was going on inside. ¡°Sunny? Is that you?¡± Hearing his name, Sunny turned and saw Annie with a cup of coffee in her hand. ¡°Hey, it is you, Sunny!¡± said Annie with surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sunny was surprised to see Annie there too. ¡°I should ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?¡± Annie sat back down in her seat. ¡°I work here.¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What?! You work here? I thought you worked at your uncle¡¯s company!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I did, but it was so boring there that I came to work here instead. Plus, this is a good chance for me to learn how to be independent.¡± An idea suddenly popped into Sunny¡¯s mind. ¡°Are you guys still hiring? Can I work here?¡± Annie looked suspiciously at him. ¡°You want to work here? Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to work in your familypany?¡± Sunny pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be fun working there! My brother will watch me like a hawk, and he¡¯ll say nothing I do is ever good enough. Also, I want to learn how to be independent like you too!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Annie half-believed him. ¡°I don¡¯t think thepany hires students who haven¡¯t graduated from high school.¡± Sunny frowned in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m graduating soon!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Thepany doesn¡¯t hire part-timers either.¡± ¡°Then how did you get the job?¡± Annie rolled her eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not the same, okay? I¡¯m a university graduate. Not to mention, I got the job through legitimate means. I applied with my resume and went for the interview.¡± Sunny scoffed. ¡°You think you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯ve graduated from a university.¡± ¡°Yeah, real mature of you,¡± said Annie sarcastically. ¡°Anyway, you haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re here. Also, would you care to exin why you have your ear pressed against Mister Aaron¡¯s office door?¡± Sunny cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Umm¡­ I wasn¡¯t trying to eavesdrop or anything but¡­my¡­ My girlfriend is inside, and I¡¯m¡­worried about her.¡± ¡°What?! You have a girlfriend?¡± Sunny lifted his chin proudly. ¡°Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised?¡± Annie waved her hand andughed. ¡°I find that really hard to believe. I mean, what girl would be willing to date a kid like you? Hahahaha!¡± Sunny¡¯s face darkened. ¡°The only kid here is you!¡± Chapter 1127 Chapter 1127 What Sunny and Annie did not know was that the soundproof effect of Aaron¡¯s door was not as good as they imagined. Therefore, Aaron and Xante could hear everything they said outside. Xante was sitting across from Aaron¡¯s work desk with her head throbbing. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Xante? Why do you look so sad? Is the kid not to your liking?¡± teased Aaron. Xante rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Oh, shut up. What¡¯s so good about being followed by a kid all day?¡± Aaron rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have coitus with him in the first ce.¡± Xante did a facepalm. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s not a day I don¡¯t regret what I did in the hotel that day. Is there any way I can get rid of him?¡± Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°I can think of one, but what¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s very rare to find such a naive boy like him in this day and age, so why not have some fun with him first?¡± ¡°No, thanks! Quick, tell me how to get rid of him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You¡¯ll only need to call Lucas to tell him his little brother is bothering you, and he¡¯ll send someone to take care of him.¡± Xante had thought about this idea too, but she was worried Lucas would punish Sunny if she did. After all, she was partly to me for flirting with Sunny first. Seeing her being silent, Aaron raised his eyebrow pointedly. ¡°What? Are you worried Lucas is going to give Sunny a beating when he gets home?¡± ¡°The only way that kid will learn his lesson is if Lucas gives him a beating, so let¡¯s call him!¡± said Xante with a frown. She then took out her phone and called Lucas¡¯ office number. After she hung up the phone, Aaron tutted and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you actually called him!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses and nced at him in annoyance. ¡°You were the one who gave me the idea! Anyway, have you called the boss?¡± Aaron¡¯s expression became serious at the mention of Corinne. ¡°I did. But she didn¡¯t pick up.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xante checked the time on her phone. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! She should be up by now.¡± Aaron was very worried too. ¡°You try calling her. There¡¯s a chance Mister Jeremy might¡¯ve blocked my number from her phone.¡± Xante dialed Corinne¡¯s number, but it went to voicemail too. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The two of them exchanged nces with each other, both of them thinking, ¡®This can¡¯t be good.¡¯ ¡°She didn¡¯t reply to any of my messages either. This is very unlike her.¡± ¡°Do you think Mister Jeremy found out we told the boss about his secret wife abroad, so he decided to keep her away from us?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility. Should we go to the mansion to look for the boss?¡± ¡°But if Mister Jeremy is determined to keep her away from us, we won¡¯t be able to even get close to the mansion.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, outside Aaron¡¯s office, Sunny and Annie were still bickering with each other. ¡°Hey Sunny, you said your girlfriend is in Mister Aaron¡¯s office, right? What business does she have with him?¡± probed Annie. She was wondering if Aaron would be so much of a jerk that he would seduce Sunny¡¯s girlfriend too. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s probably giving him some orders or something.¡± ¡°Giving him some orders?¡± repeated Annie with shock. ¡°Who is she to order Mister Aaron?¡± Sunny pointed proudly to Xante¡¯s office, saying, ¡°Her office is just over there, so she has every right to order Mister Aaron around.¡± Chapter 1128 Chapter 1128 Annie nearly choked on the coffee she was drinking. ¡°Cough, cough! Are you saying your girlfriend is Miss Xante?¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Annie¡¯s jaw nearly dropped to the ground. ¡®The two of them couldn¡¯t be any more different, so how did they end up together?¡¯ ¡°Does that mean¡­you¡¯re going to be the trophy husband in the future?¡± muttered Annie. ¡°Oh my god, Annie. You should get your brain checked,¡± said Sunny unhappily. ¡°She¡¯s going to marry into my family, not the other way round. If anything, she¡¯s going to be the trophy wife.¡± Annie took another sip of her coffee. ¡°Is there a difference? But I must say, I¡¯m impressed you¡¯ve managed to snag Miss Xante. After all, she¡¯s a workaholic known to shun any advances from other men.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really? Is that really true?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Yeah! There were a few good-looking project partners who tried to court Miss Xante, but she turned them all down in the end. They¡¯d send her flowers and buy her bags, but she¡¯d either return the gifts or throw them away. As a matter of fact, some of my colleagues were starting to wonder if she doesn¡¯t like guys.¡± Sunny was very happy to hear that. Frankly, he was a little bummed out by how he and Xante started. He kept wondering if Xante treated other men the same way she treated him, so when Annie told him Xante usually shunned other men, he immediately felt relieved. ¡®So she¡¯s not as wild as she makes herself out to be!¡¯ he told himself. At that moment, the elevator door dinged open, and Edmund walked out with two burly bodyguards. Their target? Sunny Rivera. ¡°Wha¡­ What are you doing here, Edmund?¡± cried Sunny with shock. ¡°Mister Lucas asked me to escort you home.¡± ¡°Lucas did? How does he know I¡¯m here?¡± asked Sunny nervously. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°I told him,¡± said Xante indifferently as she walked out of Aaron¡¯s office. ¡°You¡­ You called my brother?¡± said Sunny in shock. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Yes. I wouldn¡¯t have to do that if you had just gone home as I told you to.¡± Sunny was hurt by the betrayal. ¡°How dare you! I just wanted to have lunch with you, yet you snitched on me to my brother? You know I fear him the most! How could you¡­¡± Xante felt a little guilty when she saw how hurt he was. Edmund put a hand on Sunny, who tried to break free from the bodyguards. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Mister Sunny.¡± ¡°No!¡± exploded Sunny. ¡°I¡¯m not going home! Let go of me!¡± Edmund sighed helplessly. He then gestured for the two burly bodyguards to escort Sunny out. After that, he gave Xante a curt nod before following the three of them to the elevator. Xante sighed with relief, but it was not even one secondter when she frowned. ¡°Why the sad face? Does it hurt you to see him being hauled back like that?¡± asked Aaron, who was leaning casually against the doorway. Xante turned around and red at him. ¡°P*ss off!¡± Aaron smiled and shrugged. He then looked at Annie, who was visibly in shock. Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129 She was talking to Sunny for a moment, and the next, he was hauled off by a couple of men. Needing time to process what just happened, she sipped her coffee while blinking. ¡°That coffee must be really good for you to be in a daze,¡± teased Aaron. His voice snapped Annie out of her shock. She quickly put her coffee down. Aaron smiled at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re allowed to have a little coffee break. But why didn¡¯t you order one for me too?¡± Annie got up to exin, ¡°Umm¡­ Actually, a colleague from another department bought this coffee, and¡­ We didn¡¯t get you one because we thought you wouldn¡¯t like cheap drinks like this.¡± Not wanting to throw her colleagues under the bus, she exined it in such a way that would not offend Aaron. Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°Oh, really? What makes you think I won¡¯t drink cheap drinks? Give it to me. I want to have a taste!¡± ¡®He wants to have a taste? But we didn¡¯t even order one for him!¡¯ Annie looked at him perplexedly. Before she could react, Aaron picked up her coffee from the table and sipped.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not bad. Tell them to get me one next time.¡± Annie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and colors began creeping in on her cheek. She looked at him in confusion. ¡®Did he really just drink from my cup?! Does that mean¡­we kissed? No, Annie, you¡¯re overthinking things. The thought probably never crossed his mind since he changes girlfriends like he changes underwear. He¡¯s probably used to having his way with women, so he didn¡¯t drink the coffee because of me. In fact, he would¡¯ve drank the coffee if it were anyone else other than me!¡¯ Annie shook her head to clear her head of unrealistic thoughts. She then took back her coffee and threw it in the trash can. ¡°Okay, Mister Aaron. I¡¯ll ask them to order you one in the future.¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes and nced at the coffee in the trash can. Suddenly he chuckled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you disliked me so much. Sorry for ruining your coffee.¡± Annie frowned and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I normally don¡¯t finish my coffee anyway.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression hardened. He was not used to being treated so coldly by Annie. After all, she used to be madly in love with him before. Then again, was this not what he wanted? Xante walked over and reminded him, ¡°Aaron, stop teasing the poor girl and get on with it.¡± Aaron snapped out of his trance and said seriously, ¡°Miss Annie, we need your help.¡± Annie bowed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m always at your service, Mister Aaron.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Are you sure? ¡®Cause this isn¡¯t a work matter but a personal matter.¡± Annie looked up curiously. ¡°A personal matter? Do borate.¡± ¡®He¡¯s not going to ask me to buy condoms again, is he?¡¯ she wondered. Aaron put his arm around Xante¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯d like to go to the Holdens¡¯ mansion, but we¡¯re worried they wouldn¡¯t wee us. So, we were hoping you¡¯ll take us there. It should be easier for us to get in since you¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s niece.¡± Annie was a little taken aback by his request. ¡°But why do you want to go to Uncle Jeremy¡¯s house, Mister Aaron? Did something happen?¡± Chapter 1130 Chapter 1130 ¡°We want to see how Corinne and the baby are doing and to pass her some supplements too,¡± replied Aaron. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t need me to bring you, right? I mean, I¡¯m sure the Holdens would wee you if that¡¯s all you wanted to do,¡± said Annie, confused. Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s better if we bring you. What if they wouldn¡¯t let us in? It¡¯ll mean we went there for nothing.¡± Annie thought the whole thing was rather weird, but what Aaron said made some sense as well. Thus, she nodded and said, ¡°Okay. Shall we leave after work?¡± ¡°No. We can leave right now if it¡¯s okay with you.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Annie blinked and checked the time on her phone. ¡°Well, I am kind of free¡­ Oh, alright. Let¡¯s go then.¡± Annie picked up her bag and shoved her phone inside. She then put on her coat and followed Aaron and Xante to the elevator. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. On the way, Aaron saw from the corner of his eyes the same brand of coffee Annie was drinking moments before sitting on top of a male colleague¡¯s desk. He even saw Annie and the male colleague exchanging smiles. Not to mention, the male colleague was exactly the one who flirted with her before. Once the driver drove the car around, Annie got in the front passenger seat while Xante and Aaron sat in the back seat. Annie looked out of the window and she suddenly thought of something. She took her phone out from her bag and texted Corinne, [Hey, I¡¯m on the way to see you with Mister Aaron and Miss Xante. Is there anything you want me to get for you?] She waited for a few minutes for Corinne to reply, but when she did not, she exited out of the app. However, a few secondster, she received a text from Marcus Bing, her colleague.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ [Why did you go out with Mister Aaron and Miss Xante?] [They asked me to help them with some personal matters.] [Personal matters? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re that close with them.] [Not really. We just happen to have mutual friends.] [I see. Doesn¡¯t this mean you won¡¯t have time for lunch? Is there anything to eat at the ce you¡¯re going?] Annie was pleasantly surprised. It had been so long since someone cared about her. Touched, she was about to reply when Aaron said, ¡°Miss Annie, you can text all you want, but you better not let anyone know where we¡¯re going.¡± Annie¡¯s fingers froze. She instinctively hid her phone from view before turning back to check whether Aaron was snooping in on her texts. She secretly sighed with relief when she saw he was settled comfortably in his seat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Aaron. I only texted Corinne to ask her if I can get her anything,¡± said Annie. Aaron smiled. ¡°That¡¯s fine, then.¡± Annie felt like Aaron seemed more threatening than usual, but she could not quite put her finger on why she felt like that. She quickly shot off another text to Marcus. [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to have my lunch. Catch you later.] [Stay safe. Call me if you need anything.] [Sure!] After that, Annie checked one more time for Corinne¡¯s reply, but there was none. Thus, she put her phone back into her bag. Aaron narrowed his eyes when he saw Annie acting suspiciously when she was replying to the messages. He then smiled mockingly and asked, ¡°Someone has a little crush on Marcus, I see?¡± ¡®So he was snooping after all! How else would he know who I was texting?¡¯ thought Annie in shock. Chapter 1131 Chapter 1131 ¡°What does that have to do with you, Mister Aaron? Even if I do have a crush on him, it¡¯s not like you can set us up, right?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°And what if I can? Give me two days to settle my stuff, and then I¡¯ll set you two up on a date.¡± Annie was speechless. She was only trying to get a rise out of him, so she did not expect he would actually agree to help her. ¡°No, thanks! I don¡¯t need your help at all.¡± Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll ask him out yourself?¡± Annie frowned and turned back to look at him. ¡°Mister Aaron, while it¡¯s true I failed to get you to agree to go on a date with me, that doesn¡¯t mean other guys will not ask me out on a date first! I¡¯m not as bad of a catch as you think I am!¡± Aaron pursed his lips into a tight smile. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure plenty of guys will find you very attractive.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Annie chose not to continue the conversation. She used to think Aaron was kind and funny, but at that moment, she just found him mean. ¡®Corinne is right. Mister Aaron isn¡¯t husband material at all. No woman will be able to leave unscathed if they get into a rtionship with him,¡¯ thought Annie. Not getting a reply from Annie, Aaron looked at Xante disinterestedly and realized she was staring at her phone intently. He moved a little closer to her to see who she was texting. Xante stared at Sunny¡¯s message speechlessly. [You b*tch! You sold me out! I hate you!] Xante did not reply to him, but that did not stop him from sending her another message.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ [You dare to tell my brother I was harassing you when you flirted with me first?] Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. No reply from her still. Ten secondster, another message from Sunny. [I just received a beating from Lucas. Are you happy now?] Xante frowned and her fingers hovered over the screen hesitantly before replying, [Where did he hit you?] [Everywhere! This is all your fault, you evil woman!] [Well, I hope you¡¯ve learned your lesson. Stay away from me, and you won¡¯t get a beating next time.] [As if! Don¡¯t think you¡¯re shaking me off that easily. We slept together, so that makes us a couple! Mark my words: There will be a time when Lucas will be too busy to care about me, and then I¡¯ll go find you again. You better not fool around with another man until then, or I¡¯m going to bite you to death!] Xante frowned. [Looks like you need more beating from your brother.] [No amount of beating from him is going to keep me away from you! I didn¡¯t fight with my brother because I didn¡¯t want to anger him since he¡¯s injured and all, but I, Sunny Rivera, will never bow to violence!] Xante decided to not reply to him anymore. Talking to Sunny was like talking to a brick wall¡ªpointless and headache-inducing. After a few minutes, she received a subdued message from Sunny. [Xante¡­ What are you doing right now? My brother has grounded me¡­ Can we have a video call?] Xante continued to ignore him. She was about to turn off her phone when she received a video call request from Sunny. Before she could do anything, Aaron snatched the phone away from her and epted the video call. Chapter 1132 Chapter 1132 It was toote by the time Xante realized what Aaron was doing. The video call went through, and Sunny¡¯s face peeked out unhappily from the screen. He lifted his chin proudly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to forgive you, Xante. I¡¯m partly to me for what happened today since I shouldn¡¯t have gone to your workce to bother you. I promise I won¡¯t do it again and will only find you after you¡¯ve clocked off work.¡± Aaron tutted. ¡°Not bad, Mister Sunny. It didn¡¯t take you long to learn from your mistake.¡± Sunny immediately red at the screen when he realized it was Aaron he was talking to. ¡°You again! Why do you have Xante¡¯s phone?¡± Before Aaron could say anything, Xante snatched her phone and said, ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± ¡°Wait! Xante¡ª¡± Sunny did not get far as Xante turned off her phone. After that, she red at Aaron. ¡°What the heck is wrong with you?!¡± Aaron shrugged. ¡°I just want to see whether Mister Sunny is serious about you, and I got my answer. He might be sort of spoiled, but at least he¡¯s willing to learn from his mistake. I think you should continue dating him.¡± ¡°As if!¡± Xante rolled her eyes at him before turning her face away and closing her eyes to take a short rest.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron grinned cheekily but his face fell when he realized Annie was looking at him with disgust from the rearview mirror. Finally, the trio arrived at the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Annie got out of the car and was curious to find so many bodyguards stationed around the mansion. She rang the doorbell, and Bowen¡¯s face immediately appeared on the monitor. ¡°Oh, hello, Miss Annie.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Hello, Bowen. I¡¯vee to see Corinne. Is she home?¡± ¡°She is¡­ Though I must ask, did youe alone, Miss Annie?¡± asked Bowen cautiously. ¡°No. I came with two friends.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Who are they? Are they friends of Miss Corinne, too?¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re very good friends with Corinne. You can just let her know I¡¯ve brought Mister Aaron and Miss Xante to visit her.¡± Bowen hesitated a little before replying, ¡°Very well then, Miss Annie. Please wait for a moment.¡± The monitor turned dark after that. ¡®Bowen must¡¯ve gone to ask Corinne for further instructions, but¡­ Since when did the security here be so tight? I don¡¯t remember seeing this many bodyguards before,¡¯ thought Annie. Xante and Aaron got out of the car too. They looked at each other when they saw the bodyguards around the mansion. After a while, Bowen along with a few other servants came out with some sort of security tools on their hands. ¡°Hey Bowen, did Corinne give us the green light to go in?¡± asked Annie. Bowen looked seriously at Xante and Aaron before saying, ¡°Miss Annie, since we¡¯ve never met your friends before, they¡¯ll need to go through a security check to ensure there are no dangerous items on them. Only then would they be allowed to see Miss Corinne.¡± Annie was stunned. ¡®They have to go through security checks?¡¯ Chapter 1133 Chapter 1133 ¡®No wonder those tools look so familiar! They¡¯re the same as those used in the airport for security screening! But¡­¡¯ ¡°Bowen, is this necessary? These people and Corinne go way back, so they¡¯re not bad people,¡± said Annie. ¡°Miss Annie, we¡¯re just doing our job. Mister Jeremy has left strict orders for us to perform security checks on everyone who visits Miss Corinne,¡± insisted Bowen. ¡°Fine,¡± said Annie with resignation. ¡°Let me ask my friends to see if they can ept it.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± replied Bowen respectfully. ¡®This is outrageous. I wonder if Mister Aaron and Miss Xante can ept this kind of treatment¡­¡¯ Annie walked over to them and was about to exin when Aaron said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. We ept the security checks.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re not angry, Mister Aaron?¡± asked Annie in shock. Aaron smiled. ¡°Your uncle did this out of concern for Corinne, so what reason do we have not to ept it?¡± ¡°Phew! I¡¯m so d you think that. It didn¡¯t used to be like this, you know. But Uncle Jeremy must¡¯ve been really worried about Corinne getting hurt during her pregnancy to do this¡­¡± said Annie with some embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Tell them we¡¯ll ept the security check.¡± ¡°Right away, Mister Aaron.¡± After Annie gave Bowen the green light, Bowen asked the servants to perform aprehensive security check on Aaron and Xante. At the same time, the supplements they bought were declined.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir, but Mister Jeremy doesn¡¯t allow Miss Corinne to eat anything that isn¡¯t prepared in- house. This is done out of consideration for her health so I¡¯ll let her know you¡¯ve bought her some gifts, but I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to give them to her,¡± said Bowen. Aaron smiled. ¡°Understood. I must say, the level of detail Mister Jeremy has in taking care of his wife is really something.¡± Bowen did not detect the sarcasm in Aaron¡¯s words, so after the security checks were done, he led them inside the mansion. The living room was grand and bright, and apart from the servants standing by, there was no one else. Bowen invited them to take a seat before saying respectfully, ¡°Please wait here while I get Miss Corinne.¡± After that, he went upstairs to get Corinne. It was obvious he did not announce their arrival. Five minutester, Corinne walked tiredly down the stairs with a toddler in tow. She was dressed in loungewear, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Corinne looked calm when she saw Aaron and Xante, but she did not meet their gaze. Annie stood up and rushed excitedly over to her. ¡°Oh my god, Corinne! The security here is so strict. In fact, it¡¯s even stricter than the airport¡¯s! We had to go through security checks before we were allowed in. They wouldn¡¯t even let us bring in the supplements we bought for you.¡± Corinne smiled tepidly. ¡°You can thank your Uncle Jeremy for that.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Annie chuckled wryly. ¡°I admit, he did go a little overboard. But it¡¯s all done out of consideration for you and the baby. He must be worried about you since he¡¯s not by your side.¡± Corinne smiled mockingly and said nothing. She sat on the sofa with Joey and looked absent-mindedly at Aaron and Xante. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Aaron and Xante were relieved to find Corinne unhurt, but then again, they could not help but feel weirded out by the tension in the air. Chapter 1134 Chapter 1134 Aaron saw the look in Corinne¡¯s eyes and knew what she was hinting at. Smiling, he said, ¡°Why, Miss Corinne. We¡¯vee to visit you, of course.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so long since we met, so we thought we¡¯d drop by,¡± added Xante. Both of them tacitly did not call her ¡®Boss¡¯. ¡°Great. You¡¯vee just at the right time. I was feeling bored, but with you guys here, we can y some bridge to kill time.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Aaron with a smile. ¡°Yay! Mister Aaron gave me half-day off, so I can y with you guys too. I¡¯ve always wanted to learn how to y bridge,¡± said Annie happily. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. At that moment, Pam came out of the kitchen with two maids. ¡°Corinne, I heard you have some friends over, so I made some snacks for them. Tell them to try it while it¡¯s still hot!¡± However, Corinne made no move to do so, which was weird since she had always been respectful of Pam. Annie quickly stood up and said, ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am. That¡¯s very thoughtful of you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Pam smiled kindly at her. ¡°You¡¯re Annie, right? It¡¯s been so long since youst dropped by that I nearly don¡¯t even recognize you anymore. My, my, you¡¯ve certainly grown into a beautiful youngdy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Ma¡¯am,¡± said Annie, blushing. Both Aaron and Xante got up to greet Pam. Since Pam never met them before, she retained a little wariness when talking to them. ¡°You two must be Corinne¡¯s friends. Sorry about the security checks, but Jeremy is really worried about Corinne getting hurt. Please don¡¯t take it personally,¡± she said politely. Aaron smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s totally understandable.¡± Xante said nothing. Pam gestured for the two maids to put down the snacks before sitting beside Corinne and Joey. Only then did Annie, Aaron, and Xante sit. ¡°Try the snacks. I hope they¡¯re to your liking,¡± said Pam politely. After that, she picked one of Corinne¡¯s favorites and passed it to her. ¡°Corinne, this is your favorite strawberry cookie. I¡¯ve made extra for you.¡± ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I appreciate the gesture, but I¡¯m not in the mood to eat any sweet stuff at the moment,¡± said Corinne coldly. Pam¡¯s hand paused. She did not get angry and passed the cookie to Joey instead. ¡°Here, child. Try this cookie, and let me know whether it¡¯s good or not.¡± Being a kid, Joey could not resist any sweet stuff, so he quickly took the cookie and ate it. Corinne simply nced at him and said nothing. Since Pam was there, Aaron and the rest of them found it awkward to talk about what they came for so they all fell silent. In the past, Pam had never been the one to insert herself into Corinne¡¯s friend group. She would go back to her room after serving some snacks so that Corinne and her friend could talk morefortably. Chapter 1135 Chapter 1135 However, since this was the first time Pam met Aaron and Xante, she did not feelfortable leaving Corinne alone with them. As much as she knew everyone was so quiet because of her, she did not n to leave. ¡°I overheard you kids say you want to y bridge? Well, that just happens to be my favorite card game! It¡¯s such a shame I don¡¯t get to y it as often as I like, so I hope you don¡¯t mind letting me join,¡± said Pam after sipping her tea. Both Aaron and Xante were speechless while Corinne sat still expressionlessly. Only Annie smiled and said, ¡°Sure! You can team up with me since I don¡¯t know how to y bridge at all. I¡¯ll be more than happy to learn a thing or two from a veteran like you.¡± ¡°No problem! I guarantee you¡¯ll be a pro by the end of the day. So, when shall we start?¡± asked Pam. Everyone looked at each other. Finally, Corinne said, ¡°Let¡¯s y after lunch. It¡¯d be rude to let my friends y on an empty stomach since they took the trouble toe all the way here.¡± Pam could tell from Corinne¡¯s tone that she was not happy. Sheughed to hide her embarrassment and then said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s y after lunch. Don¡¯t worry, Corinne. I¡¯ll never let your friends go hungry.¡± ¡°Is that so? I thought you Holdens are shameless enough to do anything.¡± Pam¡¯s smile froze. Nheless, she got up, saying, ¡°Well, I guess I should head to the kitchen, a treat as I¡¯ll personally cook for you. Stay here and chat for a while.¡± Annie got up too. ¡°Ma¡¯am, allow me to help you.¡± Pam smiled and waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Annie. I¡¯ll get the servants to help me. You stay here and chat with Corinne.¡± After that, she went to the kitchen with the maids. When she walked past Bowen, she gave him a pointed look. Bowen immediately understood what she was hinting at. He nodded and went over to the living room to stand behind Corinne.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Pam might be gone, but the situation was still the same as before. Aaron and the others did not find itfortable to talk about what they really wanted with Bowen listening, so they made some small talk instead. After thinking about it, Corinne suddenly whispered something to Joey, and the boy quickly got down from the sofa, picked up one of the tea cups, and ran off somewhere. Turning around, she asked, ¡°Bowen, can you please go make sure Joey doesn¡¯t trip and hurt himself? I¡¯d do it myself, but it¡¯d be rude to leave my friends. Plus, you wouldn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to Joey too, right? Think of what Mister Jeremy would do to the servants then.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Bowen was certainly put in a spot. He looked at Corinne and then at Joey, who was some distance away. One of the maids was already in pursuit, so after thinking about it, Bowen decided to stay in the living room. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the maid will take care of Mister Joey. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, eavesdropping on me and my friends is more important than Joey¡¯s safety?¡± ¡°No, Ma¡¯am!¡± eximed Bowen embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯m not eavesdropping on you or your friends. I¡¯m just standing by here in case you have any orders for me. Also, it¡¯s important for me to make sure your friends have a pleasant visit.¡± Corinne smiled coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about my friends not having a pleasant visit, you wouldn¡¯t have made them go through the ridiculous security checks.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just doing what Mister Jeremy asked us to do¡­¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°Fine, whatever. You don¡¯t have to exin it to me. I¡¯m only going to ask you onest time: Are you or are you not going to help me look after Joey?¡± Chapter 1136 Chapter 1136 ¡°Please don¡¯t get angry, Ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll go bring Mister Joey back right now,¡± said Bowen. After that, he went to look for Joey. ¡°Annie, go and help Bowen. Joey can be a handful sometimes,¡± said Corinne. ¡°Sure thing, Corinne!¡± said Annie naively. She had zero clue Corinne was doing this to divert her away. Finally, only Corinne, Aaron, and Xante were left in the living room. They did not waste time in getting to the crux of the matter. ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t you pick up or answer any of our messages?¡± Xante asked in a hushed tone. ¡°My phone has been tampered with. I can only call or receive calls from Jeremy. It wouldn¡¯t work when I tried to call or message you guys.¡± ¡°What?! Isn¡¯t this the same as being kept under house arrest?¡± scoffed Aaron. A hint of anger shed across Corinne¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing he knows I know about the other woman abroad and is afraid I¡¯ll run away again. He¡¯s doing all this to make sure the baby stays.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Holy sh*t! You don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to kick you out of the house after the baby is born, right?¡± Aaron asked in shock. Xante kicked him lightly. ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t be so loud and act normal. Don¡¯t forget where we are right now.¡± Aaron cleared his throat and sat up straighter. ¡°Ahem! So what do you n to do, Boss?¡± ¡°You two find a way to get me out of there.¡± Aaron stroked his chin. ¡°Judging by how wary Miss Pam is of us, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy.¡± Corinne obviously knew Pam was on her precious grandson¡¯s side. That was why the her every move so that it would be impossible for Corinne to tantly walk out of the house. ¡°I didn¡¯t say get me out today. Quick, one of you give me your phone so I at least have contact with the outside world.¡± Aaron nudged Xante with his elbow. ¡°Xante, you do it. I need my phone.¡± Xante nced coldly at him. ¡°I need my phone too! You leave yours!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the hold-up? You two should be volunteering for me to use your phone!¡± Xante would have given Corinne her phone if it were not for Sunny. She was afraid her boss would find out about their rtionship after reading all the nonsensical messages Sunny sent her. She took out her phone and cleared all the chat history before handing her phone to Corinne. Corinne quickly shoved the phone into a pocket. ¡°Be nice to Miss Pamter. She¡¯ll let her guard down if you can make her happy.¡± After that, she went to the kitchen to check on Pam. The kitchen was spacious and filled with natural sunlight. Even though Pam said she would cook herself, the staff did not dare to let her do so. Thus, the old woman was relegated to the role of a supervisor. All the servants bowed respectfully when they saw Corinneing in.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Chapter 1137 Chapter 1137 Pam was surprised to see Corinne in the kitchen. ¡°Corinne, what are you doing here? Don¡¯t you want to hang out with your friends? I¡¯ll let you know when lunch is ready.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. They¡¯ll be fine by themselves. I came to see if you need any help.¡± Pam waved her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I have plenty of help here. You should get out of the kitchen. All this smoke and grease isn¡¯t good for the baby.¡± Corinne looked down and stroked her belly. ¡°Grandma, you really care about this baby, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± replied Pam sincerely. ¡°How can I not care about my great-grandson?¡± Corinne smiled tepidly. ¡°Does that mean you won¡¯t care about me once the baby is born?¡± Pam was a little taken aback by the question. She quickly held Corinne¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Is everything alright? Why would you think like that?¡± Corinne smiled wryly. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think I¡¯m just a birthing machine for the family. I have no freedom or say in my life anymore.¡± ¡°But Corinne, we were good to you before you were pregnant too! It¡¯s just that we can¡¯t help but worry about the baby after what happened with Anya and everything. I want to be able to hold my great- grandson before I die, but never have I once thought you¡¯re just a birthing machine,¡± exined Pam patiently. Corinne still looked down. ¡°Still¡­ I feel that you and Jeremy have changed¡­¡± Pam squeezed Corinne¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that Jeremy has been busy these past weeks, but I promise I¡¯ll make him spend time with you once he¡¯s back.¡± Corinne pulled back her hand. ¡°Since you don¡¯t need my help, I¡¯ll go back to the living room, then.¡± After that, she walked listlessly out of the kitchen. It pained Pam to see Corinne like that, so she called out to her, ¡°Corinne, wait!¡± Corinne paused in her tracks and turned. ¡°Yes, Grandma?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Pam got up and stroked Corinne¡¯s face sadly. ¡°The pregnancy hormones must be making you more sensitive than usual. But don¡¯t worry, I can guarantee Jeremy loves you. I know you¡¯re mad at him for keeping you under house arrest, but he only does that to make sure you¡¯re safe¡­ I have an idea. If the weather is good tomorrow, I¡¯ll go out with you. The bodyguards will never dare to stop me. Let¡¯s go wherever you want to go!¡± ¡°Do you really mean that, Grandma?¡± asked Corinne happily. She got what she wanted. ¡°Of course. When have I ever lied to you?¡± said Pam seriously. ¡°Oh, thank you, thank you! Though, I haven¡¯t thought of where I want to go yet. I really hate the feeling of having someone watching my every move¡­ I¡¯ll let you know where I want to go after I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± ¡°I understand. Jeremy can be very overbearing sometimes. I¡¯ll give him a lecture once he¡¯s back, so just enjoy hanging out with your friends, okay? I¡¯ll let you know when the lunch is ready.¡± Corinne nodded obediently, but the moment she turned around, she changed back to her cool and calm self. As angry as she was about her freedom being taken away, she knew she could not count on anyone in the Holden family to help her. They were obviously of the same mind. Thus, she came up with the idea of using a softer approach to get Pam to bring her out. That way, it would be easier for her to escape. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She hadpletely given up on Jeremy to the point she was willing to give up the position of Missus Holden to the woman abroad. Chapter 1138 Chapter 1138 Xante was the only person in the living room by the time Corinne got back. She sat next to her and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Aaron?¡± Xante pointed with her chin to outside, where it was viewable through the floor-to-ceiling window. Corinne looked to where she pointed and saw Aaron and Annie ying with Joey on thewn. ¡°I thought Aaron doesn¡¯t like kids,¡± said Corinne with narrowed eyes. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°He doesn¡¯t. He¡¯s just putting up an act.¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± At that moment, Corinne saw Aaron reaching out to help Annie swipe off some leaves that had fallen on her hair. Annie instinctively stepped back, though she did thank him. After that, she focused her attention on Joey only. ¡°Aaron is still chasing after Annie?¡± Corinne asked with a frown. ¡°My guess is he can¡¯t help but chase after her. He¡¯s in way too deep than we thought,¡± replied Xante wisely.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°What do you mean?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°We watched him grow up, so we know just how much of a yer he is. He¡¯s never been before. Simrly, no girl has ever been serious about him since they all heard of his reputation. ¡°The saying ¡®like attracts like¡¯ is very apt to him. I mean, no decent girl would touch him with a three- meter pole. No decent girl except for Annie. She¡¯s kind, honest, and naive. I think he started falling for her after she kept bringing home-cooked meals for him every day. After all, no girl has ever treated him with respect or chased him like she did. In fact, I think he would¡¯ve asked Annie to be his girlfriend if you hadn¡¯t stopped him.¡± ¡°As if! So what if he asked Annie to be his girlfriend? Does he have any intention to marry her?¡± asked Corinne with somewhat conflicted feelings. ¡°Of course not,¡± Xante said without hesitation. ¡°You know very well he¡¯s a non-marriage advocate.¡± ¡°Well then, it¡¯s good that I stopped him because Annie has ns of getting married one day,¡± said Corinne. After what happened, she started to hold more negative views toward rtionship matters. ¡°Annie was deeply hurt by her dirtbag ex-fiance, and she¡¯s the type to want to get married after dating. She can¡¯t afford to get hurt the second time anymore. That¡¯s why I stopped Aaron from getting close to her.¡± Xante nodded thoughtfully. ¡°The kind of breakups that hurt the most is when you¡¯re left at the altar without any exnation. In fact, it would forever color all the rtionships after it.¡± ¡®She¡¯s right. No matter how strong a woman is, there¡¯s still no guarantee she won¡¯t get hurt in matters of love,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡­ At the Holdens¡¯ mansionpound, Aaron was holding Joey high up in the air. At first, Joey was frightened as it was his first time meeting Aaron, but after a while, he rxed and found the whole thing fun. Annie looked at Aaron, who looked so gentle and happy ying with Joey under the bright sunlight. A sense of warm and fuzzy feelings rushed over her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like kids so much, Mister Aaron,¡± said Annie. ¡°What makes you think I like kids?¡± Aaron asked while pulling Joey back into his arms. Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139 ¡°Well, you wouldn¡¯t have taken the time to y with Joey if you didn¡¯t like kids, right?¡± asked Annie. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m only doing it to help you. You looked kind of tired taking care of him,¡± answered Aaron. Annie was stunned, and her heart actually skipped a beat. ¡®He¡¯s only doing this to help me¡­ No, Annie! Don¡¯t overthink this. I shouldn¡¯t take the words of a serial flirter seriously.¡¯ She shook her head to clear her mind. ¡°Thanks for helping, but I still think you must¡¯ve liked kids. Otherwise, you¡¯ll find the whole thing annoying after five minutes. Just like my ex. He hates kids so much that he¡¯d growl at any kid whoes near him.¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes at the mention of Annie¡¯s ex. ¡°Then why did you choose to be with him?¡± he asked with a smirk. Annie sighed and said sadly, ¡°He actually treats me quite well, so I thought he¡¯d change after we have kids of our own. But then I found out it was all an act. He just wanted to use me to get close to Uncle Jeremy¡¯s family.¡± Aaron used Joey¡¯s chubby little finger to poke Annie¡¯s face, causing her to smile shyly. ¡°There, there. It¡¯s all in the past now. Plus, it¡¯s your ex¡¯s loss for not knowing a good thing when he had it. So cheer up, buttercup.¡± ¡®Does he mean I¡¯m the good thing?¡¯ thought Annie with shock. ¡®Then why doesn¡¯t he like me? He might as well not say things like that since it¡¯s making me more confused than ever.¡¯ At that moment, Annie¡¯s phone suddenly rang. ¡°Hey, Marcus. What¡¯s up?¡± she asked after she answered the call. ¡°Hey, Annie¡­ Are you still with Mister Aaron and Miss Xante?¡± Marcus asked gently and shyly. ¡°It¡¯s already lunchtime, so I was wondering whether you need me to help you order some food delivery¡­ I¡¯m actually quite worried you¡¯ll pass out from hunger.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Annie was both touched and embarrassed by Marcus¡¯ concern. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯m at my uncle¡¯s house right now, and we¡¯re going to have lunch soon.¡± ¡°Your uncle¡¯s house? Does that mean Mister Aaron and Miss Xante are there too?¡± Annie knew she had to keep Aaron¡¯s and Xante¡¯s whereabouts a secret, so she lied, ¡°Nope, they¡¯re not here. I came to my uncle¡¯s house alone after finishing my work.¡± She decided to leave it at that as she did not want her colleagues to find out she was the niece of Jeremy Holden. Previously, when everyone at Holden Group found out who she was, they would either tter her excessively or ask her for gossip about Jeremy. It was very annoying to say the least. To his credit, Marcus did not ask any more questions. Instead, he asked shyly, ¡°Then are you free tonight? If you are, would you like to go to the cinema with me? There¡¯s a new movie I¡¯ve been meaning to see.¡± ¡°Oh, a new movie came out? I didn¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll text you the movie detailster. We can go watch it together tonight if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°Okay, sure. I¡¯ll wait for your text then.¡± Annie immediately received a text from Marcus after she hung up the phone. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. It was a picture of an all-ck movie poster with only the word ¡®Curse¡¯ in red blood color. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a horror movie,¡± said Aaron near her suddenly. Annie quickly looked up and saw Aaron was looking at her phone too. She instinctively put her phone away and scolded him. ¡°Mister Aaron, you should really stop snooping on other people¡¯s phones.¡± Chapter 1140 Chapter 1140 Aaron simply ignored Annie¡¯sment and said, ¡°Tsk! He should be working instead of texting you! I need to talk to his supervisor about his work ethic.¡± Fearing Marcus would get into trouble, Annie quickly said, ¡°He called me during lunch break, so there¡¯s nothing wrong with his work ethic!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he text you before lunch break as well?¡± asked Aaron sternly. ¡°Umm¡­ He needed to ask me something about work. It was only for a few minutes!¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes suspiciously. ¡°You sure are protective of him. Does that mean you¡¯ll go on a movie date with him?¡± Annie looked unsure. ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about it,¡± she said tly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in horror movies. Plus, what if I screamed too loud in front of him? That¡¯ll be so embarrassing.¡± Aaron smirked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with me, then? I¡¯m looking forward to seeing you scream.¡± Annie was stunned. She thought she heard wrong. ¡°Mister Aaron, are you asking me to watch a movie with you?¡± Aaron nodded confidently. ¡°Yeah. You can hug me if you¡¯re scared. I don¡¯t mind being taken advantage of by you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Annie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Your joke isn¡¯t funny at all.¡± She hated how he would flirt with every chance he got; it was making it very hard for her to get over him. ¡®Ugh! Why does he have to be so hot? No, Annie! This won¡¯t do. You can¡¯t continue being like this.¡¯ She quickly took Joey away from Aaron. ¡°Thank you, Mister Aaron, for helping me with Joey. But I¡¯m hungry now, so we¡¯re going to head in to see whether lunch is ready.¡± After that, she started making her way back to the mansion. Aaron trotted after her and asked persistently, ¡°So do you want to watch a movie with me?¡± ¡°No! I do not!¡± Annie¡¯s heartbeat sped up as did her pace. She could not stand being yed around by Aaron anymore. Lunch was already ready by the time Annie got back to the mansion. ¡°You came just at the right time, Annie. I was about to ask the servant to call you in. Here, take a seat. I hope you¡¯ll find the food to your liking,¡± said Pam kindly. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will,¡± said Annie politely before sitting next to Corinne with Joey still in her arms. The moment Joey saw Corinne, he reached out his chubby hands to get her to carry him. Corinne smoothly took him off Annie¡¯s hands. Even though the two of them were not rted by blood, she knew how much he needed her, so she gave in to his request. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Annie, Aaron, and Xante were not the only guests there as the servants had asked Francine and Chester to join the others for lunch too. Thus, it was quite lively, to say the least. Greg did not care for the noise, so he asked the servants to bring his lunch to his room. Pam sat at the head of the table, and throughout the whole lunch, she would politely encourage everyone to eat more while piling food on Corinne¡¯s te. Even so, Corinne did not eat much since she fed most of the food to Joey. Seeing this, Pam offered to take care of Joey so that Corinne could eat in peace, but Joey would not let anyone else feed him. Thus, Pam had no choice but to give up and let Corinne feed him. Chapter 1141 Chapter 1141 Francine was a little puzzled when she saw so many guests at the house. She looked at Corinne who was feeding Joey, then at Annie who sat next to Corinne. Finally, her gaze shifted to Aaron sitting beside Annie. She frowned without hiding her displeasure. ¡°Why are you still in touch with this jerk, Annie? You¡¯re supposed to stay away from him!¡± Annie had been thoroughly focused on her food as she was hungry. When Francine made that remark without considering the asion, she felt embarrassed and did not know how to respond. Aaron, meanwhile, smiled at her instead of getting angry. ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you have a problem with me?¡± Francine was usually very bossy, more so when at her home. ¡°I do! I don¡¯t like you! Why would someone like youe to our home? We don¡¯t wee you here!¡± Her attitude was a little too direct, and it made everyone at the table feel a little awkward. Pam chastised her, ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Francine! This gentleman is Corinne¡¯s friend! Watch your tone!¡± Francine was a little unhappy when her grandmother reprimanded her. She looked at Corinne and said, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to single you out, but I think it¡¯s for the best if you avoid having any contact with jerks like him. Aren¡¯t you repulsed by how¡­casual he is?¡± Corinne silently red at Francine. Aaron was a nonchnt person whose attitude was far from perfect, but Corinne could not stand to hear other people badmouth him! Francine felt a chill down her spine when Corinne stared at her like that. However, Francine was a very straightforward person who never held back when it came to things she disliked. She red at Aaron and said, ¡°You have no idea how terrible of a person he was. He ys with Annie¡¯s feelings and leads her on, even though he doesn¡¯t feel the same way about her! When Corinne was hospitalized, he got a room with another woman and told Annie to send some contraception to him! What kind of person does that?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Pam was old enough not to have heard about such uncouth acts. She could not contain her shock and immediately asked, ¡°What?¡± Before Pam could say anything else, Annie was so embarrassed that she lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks, got up, and said, ¡°Sorry, please excuse me. I¡¯m already full, and I need to go to the bathroom!¡± The atmosphere at the table became even more awkward when Annie left. Aaron nced coldly at Francine before getting up to chase after Annie. Everyone else at the table looked unhappily at Francine. Francine felt a little ufortable when everyone stared at her, but she did not think that she was in the wrong. She hated jerks, and she felt that she was in the right for calling Aaron out! This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Corinne lost her appetite too. She down his chopsticks and said, ¡°I guess Francine doesn¡¯t wee my friends over. Forget about the meal, then. You people can continue! I¡¯ve had my fill!¡± She then left the table with Joey. Naturally, Xante left too. What was supposed to be a decent meal ended up bing a truly embarrassing situation. Pam frowned and red at her stubborn granddaughter. ¡°How could you say something like that about Corinne¡¯s friend?¡± Francine had an innocent look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! He¡¯s a jerk! He made Annie cry! I¡¯m only looking out for her!¡± Pam felt her head throb. ¡°Annie doesn¡¯t seem to be holding it against him, so who are you to comin about what happened? Are you satisfied now that they¡¯ve left the table?¡± Francine pursed her lips. ¡°Tch! It¡¯s their business if they leave. We can just continue with the meal!¡± Pam snorted. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that they all left without eating, but Corinne is pregnant. She left even though she barely ate anything! If something happens to her pregnancy, you¡¯ll never hear the end of it from Jeremy!¡± Chapter 1142 Chapter 1142 Francine felt aggrieved but did not dare to talk back to her grandmother. She fiddled with the food on her te with a fork, and the fork slipped out of her hand. She was already in a bad mood, and her mood worsened when the fork fell. She muttered something to herself and was about to bend down to pick it up when Chester bent down to take it before could. Since the fork was already dirty as it fell on the floor, Chester put it aside and handed his clean one to her. ¡°Here. I haven¡¯t used this yet.¡± Francine blushed at Chester¡¯s gesture and thanked him. Chester did not reply and got up before politely bidding Pam goodbye. He then picked up his backpack and walked out. As soon as Francine saw that the apple of her eye had left, she felt a little downcast and got up to chase after him. She ran out to the yard and finally caught up with Chester. She stood in front of him and asked uneasily, ¡°Why did you leave without eating? Are you angry? Do you think I¡¯m in the wrong?¡± Chester had an insipid expression as he answered, ¡°Your family¡¯s affairs have nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t have any particr view to say about what happened.¡± Though Chester¡¯s answer suggested he was not angry, Francine did not think that was so. As stubborn as she was in front of other people, she discarded her attitude and lowered her head to exin, ¡°But Aaron¡¯s a jerk. I just couldn¡¯t hold my anger back earlier. I hate it when he bullies other girls!¡± Chester could not bear to ignore her when she admitted her mistake to him like that. ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin anything to me. This involves your family, and I have no right to say anything. But, I do think you should control your temper, Francine. If you show your dissatisfaction all the time and speak your mind without any filter, society will give you a lot of k in the future.¡± Francine blinked in confusion. ¡°But I don¡¯t have to go to work in the future. No one¡¯s going to do anything to me if I stay at home!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Chester was a little surprised at that answer. He smiled self-deprecatingly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Your family¡¯s financial background is secure enough that you don¡¯t need to work for the rest of your life. You¡¯ll always be protected by your family. I¡¯m just thinking too much.¡± He walked past Francine and continued toward the gate. Francine felt very uneasy, so she ran up to him and grabbed his clothes. ¡°You¡¯re right, Chester. I¡¯ll change my temper! I¡¯ll learn to control it! Please don¡¯t be angry at me.¡± Chester felt helpless. ¡°I¡¯m not angry. Let me go!¡± Francine asked carefully, ¡°Then will you being over to help me with my homework tomorrow?¡± Chester nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my end of the promise since it¡¯s already been agreed upon that I¡¯ll help you to finish everything.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Francine sighed in relief and released him. ¡°I¡¯ll see you off!¡± She wanted the family driver to send him home, but because he was an independent person who stuck to his principles, he would be unhappy if he was driven home every time. Once or twice was more than enough. Since Francine insisted on seeing him off, Chester allowed her to apany him to the gate. A row of bodyguards stood guard at the gate. They had a serious look on their faces, and it was a little stressful to be in their presence. Chester looked at the bodyguards and asked with a frown, ¡°Is your brother treating Corinne as some kind of prisoner?¡± Francine looked helplessly at the bodyguards in front of the house. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on. It wasn¡¯t like this yesterday, but then they had an argument, and it was already like this earlier today!¡± The thought of Jeremy left Chester feeling some animosity. He said coldly, ¡°I hope your family will treat Corinne better. She¡¯s a good girl!¡± After some hesitance, Francine eventually asked him, ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you something, Chester. Do you like Corinne?¡± Chester kept quiet. He slung his backpack over his left shoulder and left without even turning to look at her. Chapter 1143 Chapter 1143 Back in the house. Annie looked in the mirror after washing her face in the bathroom. She felt a deep sense of self- loathing when she stared at her smudged makeup. She felt as though no man would ever love her. She foolishly thought she was the happiest woman in the world when she almost got married, but her groom had a quickie with another woman inside a storeroom right before the wedding. After he had been exposed, he showed no sign of regret and even threatened to leak her nudes. It was Jeremy and Corinne who helped her deal with him. Had it not been for the intimidating fact that Jeremy was her uncle, all the guests would haveughed at her. Then, she fell ignorantly in love with Aaron despite Corinne¡¯s repeated warnings and reminders. She stubbornly set out to win his heart, thinking she was special enough to make Aaron change his ways.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ In the end, she made a fool of herself. It was no surprise that Francine would chastise her like that. After all, who would buy contraception for their crush to use with another woman? The knocks on the bathroom door snapped Annie back to her senses. Thinking someone wanted to use the bathroom, she decided not to hog the ce to herself. She wiped her face with a tissue before opening the door. As soon as the door opened, she saw Aaron standing at the door. He looked poignantly at her. Annie said embarrassedly, ¡°I just finished using the toilet. It¡¯s your turn!¡± She lowered her head and walked out of the restroom. However, Aaron dragged her back into the bathroom before she even managed to step out. Aaron then closed the bathroom door and locked it. Annie reeled from the shock. ¡°Mister Aaron?¡± Aaron¡¯s cool fingers rubbed her tears away gently. ¡°Your makeup is smudged. Did you cry?¡± Annie looked away a little. ¡°No. I washed my face.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. That was one of the few times that Aaron had an apologetic expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that everyone looks negatively at you because of me.¡± Annie was startled. She did not expect Aaron to apologize to her. It took her a while to snap out of her confusion. ¡°No, I thought too highly of myself. My existence is a joke, anyway. It has always been like that since my wedding failed.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Who says your existence is a joke?¡± Annie continued to remind herself not to overthink things and read too much into how he was acting toward her. ¡°I know you don¡¯t have feelings for me. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you rejecting me in that sort of tactful manner. I don¡¯t me you at all.¡± Aaron stared silently at her before taking out a few small square foil packets from his pocket. Annie looked at what Aaron was holding and blushed. Those were the condoms she helped Aaron to buy! ¡®Why did he take them out and show them to me?¡¯ Chapter 1144 Chapter 1144 Annie stepped back almost instinctively. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aaron held them tightly and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t use any of the ones you bought for me the other day.¡± Annie was speechless. ¡®And? What is he trying to tell me? Is he saying he didn¡¯t use them because he did it raw with his girlfriend the other day? Is he trying to say he doesn¡¯t mind having a baby with her? Is he warning me to stop having feelings for him?¡¯ She felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Okay, okay. I get it. I won¡¯t bother you again in the future. You don¡¯t have to do this to me.¡± Aaron did not know how to react after concluding she had misunderstood. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I can¡¯t bring myself to use what you bought for me, so I didn¡¯t do anything with that woman.¡± ¡®What do you mean by that? You¡¯re acting super weird today! I can¡¯t even understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡¯ Annie thought to herself. She then asked, ¡°Umm¡­ What are you even talking about?¡± Aaron smiled and leaned over to her ear. He then whispered to her, ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who bought them, I¡¯ve decided to save them and use them with you in the future!¡± Annie¡¯s face turned red in an instant. Her lips twitched too, and she felt incredibly offended. She raised her hand and pped him twice. Then, she opened the bathroom door and left. Aaron walked out of the bathroom with two very clear p marks on his face. Corinne and Xante stood at the door and looked at him with disgust. Xante chided smugly, ¡°Serves you right!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind this at all!¡± Corinne rubbed her temples and said, ¡°Come upstairs with me.¡± Aaron and Xante followed her to her bedroom. Someone brought food to their room, perhaps as a gesture of apology from Pam who felt that Francine had crossed the line. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Joey was already fast asleep by then. After Corinne ced him down on the bed and covered him with the nket, she walked to the door and opened it slightly to peek outside. Once she confirmed no people were in the vicinity, she closed the door and sat on the sofa. She then said to Aaron and Xante, ¡°In two days, I¡¯ll ask Grandma Pam to bring me out of the house so I can clear my mind. I¡¯ll let you know when and where. There will be a lot of bodyguards following us at that time, so you two will have to find a way to lure them away. That¡¯ll be my chance to escape.¡± Aaron and Xante looked solemnly at each other before nodding to Corinne. Xante said, ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll arrange everything and synchronize with you.¡± ¡°Where do you n on escaping to?¡± Aaron asked. ¡°Should I book the flight in advance?¡± Corinne said curtly, ¡°Your sole responsibility is to distract those bodyguards. Don¡¯t bother about anything else. Where I head to after that isn¡¯t important.¡± Aaron frowned and asked unhappily, ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯re not going to tell us anything?¡± Corinne nced at him. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I haven¡¯t even decided where to go yet. I can¡¯t leave the country through the two of you.¡± ¡°Then who¡¯ll help you by then?¡± Aaron asked again. ¡°Jeremy knows I¡¯m in contact with the two of you,¡± she reminded. ¡°When I leave, he¡¯ll definitely demand answers from the two of you. If he finds out that you facilitated my departure, you¡¯re going to have a hard time dealing with him. That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m seeking someone else¡¯s help!¡± Chapter 1145 Chapter 1145 ¡°Who?¡± Aaron and Xante asked. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough if he¡¯s willing to help me.¡± Corinne felt that it was best not to tell them who she nned to seek help from until she was sure that person was willing to help. Aaron and Xante looked at each other. Neither could guess who Corinne wanted to seek. The three of them had lunch in the bedroom. When Corinne asked someone toe in to clean up the dishes, Bowen followed the servants in and passed on a message. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the card table has been set up. Madam Pam invited you and your friends for a round of card games.¡± ¡®Guess she hasn¡¯t forgotten about the card game, then¡­¡¯ Corinne thought. She nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll head down right away.¡± After Bowen excused himself, Corinne turned and told the two of them, ¡°We¡¯re ying card games with her.¡± Although Aaron and Xante were hardly interested in card games, they did not dare to disobey their boss¡¯s orders. Pam had told her servant to arrange the card table in the quiet and elegant tea room. After Corinne assigned two maids to keep watch over the soundly asleep Joey, she brought Aaron and Xante down. When she arrived at the living room, she saw Pam interceding between Annie and Francine. She specifically requested Francine to apologize to Annie. Annie was never the kind of person who held grudges, so she just nodded and forgave Francine without another word. However, Aaron was not too happy to see that.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ When Corinne came down with Aaron and Xante, Pam waved at them with an affectionate smile. ¡°Over here, Corinne! Tell your friends to y some card games with me. It¡¯s been a while since Ist yed, and I¡¯m feeling like it today!¡± Corinne smiled and brought her two friends over to sit around the table. Annie did now know how to y cards, so she took a chair and sat next to Pam. She helped the old lady hold the cards while learning the rules. Throughout the entire time, she did not look at Aaron at all and seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. Aaron, who sat opposite Pam, nced at Annie from time to time. Francine insisted on joining the game since she knew how to y cards. Meanwhile, Xante sat next to Corinne and yed as a team. Their agreement with Corinne was to take it easy and ensure Pam was happy. However, as soon as Aaron sat at the table, he seemed to have forgotten what Corinne told him and targeted Francine deliberately. After a few rounds, Francine got so angry that she wanted to flip the table. That was when she remembered the advice Chester gave her before leaving. He had hoped that she would change her temper, so she decided to take a deep breath and bear with it. Pam was astute enough to tell Aaron was deliberately making the game difficult for Francine. She could not find it in herself to me him either after those remarks that Francine made about him. Nevertheless, Aaron still made a point to lighten the atmosphere around Pam. As a result, her mood improved even more. It was already evening by the time they were done with a few rounds. Pam invited them all to have dinner, but both Aaron and Xante declined. Annie turned down the offer politely too, and she walked out of the house together with Aaron and Xante. Rather than get into Aaron¡¯s car, she politely waved goodbye to Xante and went off alone. Aaron told his driver to follow her slowly. He then lowered the window and said to her, ¡°Get in. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Annie continued walking and did not even bother to look at him. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯m good. I¡¯m not nning on going home right now.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 1146 Chapter 1146 Annie had been offended by what Aaron said to her in the bathroom earlier that day. She did not want to talk to him anymore and even considered skipping work the next day. Perhaps he genuinely did view her with contempt. There seemed to be no other exnation for why he would say such humiliating things to her! ¡°You¡¯re not nning on going home? Where are you going, then?¡± Aaron asked. He was leaning against the car window with his head jutting out slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have to report everything to you now that I¡¯ve clocked off work,¡± retorted Annie without looking at him. Aaron frowned slightly. ¡°You came with the two of us today, so it¡¯s considered officialpany business. We¡¯ll have to bear the responsibility if anything happens to you on the way home. Please get in the car, and stop being so unreasonable.¡± Annie insisted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if something happens to me, I¡¯m not going to me you and Miss Xante. You should go home and get some rest! Bye!¡± She then turned into an alley that cars could not drive into. She was incredibly annoyed at that moment and did not want to hear Aaron¡¯s disruptive voice. It was wintertime, during which the sun set much earlier. When Aaron saw Annie turning into the dark alley alone, he narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment before asking the driver to stop the car. Xante nced at him and could immediately tell what Aaron was thinking. She adjusted her gold- rimmed sses and said, ¡°Men are such jerks.¡± Aaron shrugged. ¡°I have no shame in admitting that.¡± He got out of the car and chased Annie into the alley. Xante did not want to wait for him any longer, so she raised her chin and signaled for the driver to leave. The alley that Annie ran into was dark, but Aaron caught up to her in no time. In response, Annie quickened her pace and ran out of the alley. She arrived at a lively area with many people. Aaron rushed out after her. He was about to go up to her when he saw Annieing up to a man.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Annie panted and said to the man, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcus. Did I keep you waiting long?¡± Marcus¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw her. He shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here! I thought you wouldn¡¯t show up!¡± Annie calmed herself and said, ¡°I won¡¯t stand you up after promising to watch a movie with you. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m a littlete, though. I lost track of time when I was at my uncle¡¯s ce!¡± Marcus had sent her another text message earlier in the afternoon. He asked if she had thought about his offer and if she wanted to watch a movie with him. Since she was in a bad mood at the time, she thought that it would be good to keep her mind upied with something else. She agreed to Marcus¡¯s invitation and sent him the location of their meeting point. Although she was not interested in horror movies, she might be able to forget those unhappy moments if the movie gave her a bit of a scare. Marcus smiled happily. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Annie nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± As the two of them walked in the crowd toward the nearby subway station, neither of them noticed that Aaron was staring at the two of them away from the crowd. He had a somewhat contrived look on his face. ¡®Tch. She seemed to move on pretty quickly. It seemed she already agreed to watch a movie with her colleagues.¡¯ Men who invited women to watch horror movies would almost certainly have ulterior motives, that much Aaron was certain. ¡®What does this have to do with me, though?¡¯ Aaron smirked nonchntly and turned around to take a taxi home. However, he clenched his fists tightly after barely taking a few steps and headed for the subway. No matter how he tried to wrap his head around it, he could not bear to imagine Annie hugging her colleague at the movie theater during the jumpscares in the movie. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Back at the Holdens, Corinne had gone upstairs after dinner. Joey was ying with some toys on the bed under the watchful eyes of maids. With her in the room, she allowed the maids to excuse themselves. Chapter 1147 Chapter 1147 Corinne brought some baby food for Joey. She told him to stop ying for a while and have dinner first. Joey was very obedient. He swiftly put down the toy and got off the bed to eat his dinner. Corinne taught him to eat with a spoon, and Joey followed suit with a nod. His movements might be a bit clumsy, but he was able to learn how to eat. Corinne could not help but feel a little emotional when she watched him use the spoon. She was leaving, and she did not know if the Holdens would take good care of her once she left. Since he was not blood-rted to anyone in the household, there was no guarantee that the jerk Jeremy might treat his adopted son well in the future. Even if he did, he was the kind of man who had little time to take care of his children. That was one of the reasons she taught Joey to eat with a spoon. He would be independent enough to feed himself if no one fed him after she left. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She was staring at Joey in a daze when her cell phone began to ring. She had two mobile phones at that moment: One was her own, and the other was left by Xante. The ringing came from her phone, and the caller was none other than Jeremy. Corinne was surprised that Jeremy would give her a call. ¡®Where did he get the time to call her when he was with his legal wife in another country?¡¯ His act proved that Aaron was right in calling him a control freak. Corinne snorted and answered the phone. She scoffed and answered the call. She did not take the initiative to say anything, and neither did Jeremy. In the end, however, Jeremy spoke first and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Keeping an eye on Joey while he eats his dinner,¡± Corinne answered. ¡°And you? Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She answered his question curtly, monotonously. If she had a choice, she would never have wanted to answer the call in the first ce. She did not want to speak with him at all. However, it was vital to her escape n that Jeremy let his guard down. The man seemed to sigh, and his tone sank too. ¡°Did you y cards with Grandma today? Are you tired?¡± Corinne tersely replied, ¡°I¡¯m feeling alright.¡± The man said again, ¡°Just let Grandma know that you¡¯re tired so you don¡¯t have to y with her for too long. You¡¯re in no condition to be sitting still for too long.¡± Corinne said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A round of card games isn¡¯t going to affect the pregnancy. Rx, okay? You can focus on things over on your end!¡± Jeremy was silent for some time at the other end of the line. Then, he said annoyedly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m calling you just to ask about the pregnancy?¡± Corinne answered bluntly, ¡°Yes.¡± Jeremy replied with an even more displeased tone. ¡°Let¡¯s end the call, then. I have nothing more to say to you.¡± Corinne hung up without hesitation. Jeremy merely said that in a moment of anger. Truth be told, he was still waiting for Corinne¡¯s exnation, but all he heard was the dial tone. In his anger, he gripped his phone so tightly that it nearly broke. At that moment, a woman came over and asked, ¡°Why the long face, Jeremy? Did something happen?¡± Chapter 1148 Chapter 1148 After ending the call and tossing the phone, Corinne took out a tissue and wiped Joey¡¯s messy face. She then lifted the little guy. ¡°Are you full?¡± Joey wrapped his arms around Corinne¡¯s neck and said, ¡°Mhm! I¡¯m full!¡± Corinne then gave him a mini-lecture, ¡°That¡¯s good. You need to learn how to use a spoon so you can eat without an adult¡¯s help in the future. That way, you won¡¯t get hungry even if there isn¡¯t anyone to feed you.¡± Joey looked at Corinne somewhat anxiously. ¡°You¡­won¡¯t be with me all the time?¡± Corinne smiled at him gently and avoided answering his question directly. She said, ¡°Your father will always be with you, but he¡¯ll be very busy with work. He can¡¯t be with you all the time, so you need to learn to be independent.¡± Joey nodded obediently. ¡°Okay. Joey will work hard and learn to be independent! You and Dada won¡¯t worry about me all the time.¡± Ever since she started taking care of Joey, she frequently spoke to him whenever she had time to spare. Their exchanges allowed him to pick up more words and learn to speak too. Although it was still somewhat incoherent babynguage, Corinne could understand him. Joey was a smart kid, but his learning curve had been dyed because of Anya¡¯s and Phoebe¡¯s antics. Joey suddenly leaned on Corinne¡¯s shoulder and muttered, ¡°Can I call you ¡®Mom¡¯?¡± His question startled Corinne because it came out of nowhere. ¡°Why do you want to call me ¡®Mom¡¯?¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. ¡°Because Dad said you¡¯ll be my mother from now on. I need to listen to you and protect you when I grow up. He even said that you have my little sister in your tummy¡­¡± Corinne felt her chest tighten. ¡°When did he tell you that?¡± ¡°On the mountain. You were asleep, but Dad wasn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Corinne was a little confused. ¡®Why would Jeremy tell Joey those things when he had a legal wife? Does he want her to raise Joey because the little boy epted her more? Does he want her to do that in addition to raising her child? Is it because he can¡¯t bear to let his legal wife suffer?¡¯Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne liked Joey dearly and did not mind taking him with her, but she felt that doing so would let Jeremy get the easy way out. ¡®What does he take me for?¡¯ she thought to herself. Corinne¡¯s silence left Joey feeling a little anxious. ¡°Can I?¡± Corinne snapped back to her senses and answered awkwardly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t just call anyone ¡®Mom¡¯. Once your fatheres back, you should ask him who you should be calling ¡®Mom¡¯.¡± Joey felt a little lost. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Corinne could tell that he was sad. There was nothing else she could do except pat Joey¡¯s head gently tofort him. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re full, you can continue ying again!¡± The role of a mother came with a lot of responsibility. She could not bring herself to be responsible in the sense that she did not want Joey to experience abandonment yet again. For that reason, she could not ept him calling her ¡®Mom¡¯. She would have brought Joey with her if she had the choice. She was more than happy to raise a child, after all. However, her priority was to rid herself of Jeremy. Taking his adopted son with him would only make him more desperate to go after her. s, she had to forgo it for the sake of the bigger picture. Joey obediently climbed back onto the bed and yed with his toys. Meanwhile, Corinne took out the phone that Xante left her and dialed a number. The call connected after some time. ¡°What can I do for you at thiste hour, Miss Xante?¡± Chapter 1149 Chapter 1149 There was a pleasant ring to the man¡¯s tone. Judging from the background, he seemed to be at home. Corinne said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Corinne.¡± Jason was stunned for a moment. His charming eyes then lit up. ¡°Corinne? I wouldn¡¯t have expected you to call me.¡± Corinne cut straight to the chase. ¡°Can you do me a favor?¡± Jason asked with a smile, ¡°Will I get anything in return?¡± Corinne frowned. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be asking me what sort of favor I want from you?¡± Jason answered flirtatiously, ¡°That¡¯s not important! As long as you give me a chance to get close to you, I¡¯ll agree without even batting an eye.¡± Corinne frowned. She always believed Aaron to be a one-of-a-kind flirt, but it was after meeting Jason that she realized that thetter was far ahead of Aaron in that aspect! She could not care less for his sweet-talking andid out her ns to him right away. Jason was forthright about it as well and proposed the benefits he would like in return. After considering his demands, Corinne eventually agreed and ended the call. Jason had other things to say, but Corinne ended the call before he could do so. He looked poignantly at the phone and sighed. ¡°Who were you talking to, Jason?¡± Zeke asked, putting his arm around Jason¡¯s shoulder.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason ced his phone away and smiled. ¡°One of my employees wanted to check something with me.¡± Zeke did not suspect a single thing and led Jason back to the wine table. ¡°Let¡¯s continue drinking, then! We¡¯ve gotta get Gerald drunk today!¡± On Corinne¡¯s end, she had just ended the call with Jason when another unknown number called. Since the phone belonged to Xante and the number was not saved, she did not n on answering calls on a whim and immediately declined it. To Corinne¡¯s surprise, the number called again, and Corinne pressed the button to hang up. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. It was on the sixth call that Corinne finally answered, and she only did so because she was worried there might be some sort of emergency. ¡°Why did you keep declining my calls, Xante?¡± Corinne wanted to exin to the caller that she was not Xante, but the caller¡¯s voice sounded familiar to her. ¡°Hmph! You even blocked me on social media! What are you trying to achieve? Didn¡¯t I already apologize to you?¡± Corinne recognized that voice as belonging to Sunny. She was a little surprised, because as far as she knew, they had no business with each other. ¡®Why would he call Xante?¡¯ she asked. Sunny then said, ¡°Hey! Xante? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you still angry with me? Come on, I¡¯ve already apologized to you! I didn¡¯t even get angry with you when you told on me to my brother and had him send someone to deal with me. You weren¡¯t like that when you pushed me into bed the other night! You can¡¯t do this to me! Do you think I¡¯ll let you get away with ignoring me after you slept with me? Keep dreaming!¡± Corinne finally understood what was going on. Her expression soured, and she massaged her temples. ¡°When did that happen?¡± Sunny was silent. Corinne then asked sternly, ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150 ¡°W¡ªWhy is Xante¡¯s phone w¡ªw¡ªwith you?¡± Corinne felt a headacheing on. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat my question. When did that happen?¡± Sunny did not know how to answer her. He was even more afraid of answering her when he remembered Xante¡¯s warning¡ªhe was not to breathe a word of what happened between them to Corinne. ¡°Oh, Lucas is telling me to do my homework! Talk to youter!¡± He ended the call swiftly. Corinne took a deep breath after hearing the dial tone. Having another problem on her hands was far from ideal. It was bad enough that Aaron got involved with Jeremy¡¯s niece. Even Xante hooked up with one of the Riveras. ¡®It¡¯s one thing after another¡­¡¯ Corinnemented. Early the next morning, Corinne brought Joey downstairs for breakfast as usual. Having taught the boy to eat with a spoon the day before, he had since picked up the necessary ability and did not even need to be fed at all. While Corinne was eating some oats, Greg¡ªwho never liked her very much and rarely showed any concern for her¡ªsaid, ¡°Don¡¯t just eat oats. Have some eggs and sausages too. You need the protein!¡± Corinne pursed her lips, smiled, and responded curtly and politely. She was not touched by his words at all. On the contrary, she felt that every single show of concern from the Holdens was for the developing fetus in her stomach! After breakfast, Francine brought Joey to y while Corinne spoke with Pam. Greg went to his study after breakfast, leaving only Pam inside the room. Corinne knocked on the door and walked in only after getting Pam¡¯s permission. Pam had her sses on when Corinne came in, and she was busy knitting some baby clothes.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ When Corinne came in, Pam smiled warmly, ¡°Ah, you came at just the right time! What do you think of this little dress that I made? Isn¡¯t it cute?¡± Corinne reciprocated with a smile as well. ¡°It¡¯s adorable! But, you don¡¯t have to go to all that trouble. We can just buy them next time.¡± Pam shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all! I¡¯m happy just thinking about your baby wearing the clothes I made! Besides, the clothes I make myself are so much better than buying ready-made ones from the store!¡± Corinne smiled, but it was merely a polite smile. She did not feel anything in particr at all. ¡°Is there something you need from me, Corinne?¡± Pam asked, putting down the half-knitted baby clothes. Corinne nodded. ¡°You said yesterday that you¡¯ll bring me out to clear my mind. Does that offer still stand?¡± ¡°It most certainly does!¡± Pam said. ¡°Is there any ce in particr that you¡¯d like to go to, Corinne?¡± Corinne sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m bored at home, so I¡¯d like to go out for a walk. How about we feed the pigeons at the public park? Will that be alright?¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Pam took Corinne¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Of course! You don¡¯t have to ask me for permission. You just need to tell me where you want to go!¡± Corinne smiled wryly. ¡°If that¡¯s truly the case, there won¡¯t be so many bodyguards guarding me at the door.¡± ¡°Umm, well¡­¡± Pam hesitated. Corinne finally said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s set then, Grandma. Let¡¯s go for that walk tomorrow morning then. I just checked the weather forecast, and it¡¯s the perfect weather for a walk tomorrow!¡± Chapter 1151 Chapter 1151 Pam¡¯s heart ached as she looked at Corinne. ¡®She looks healthy, but why isn¡¯t she as energetic as before?¡¯ Corinne turned to leave after she said what she hade to say. Her goal was to make Pam feel guilty so that the olddy would let her guard down. She vowed to escape from the Holdens, who changed her life¡¯s trajectory, no matter what tomorrow. Aftering out of Pam¡¯s room, Corinne saw Francine and Joey ying in the yard with Chester watching from the side. After thinking about it, she went out to join them. Joey immediately toddled over to Corinne when he saw her walking toward them. ¡°Auntie Sissy¡­¡± Francine followed after him, shouting yfully, ¡°You little ungrateful brat! I spent the whole day ying with you, yet you dumped me the moment you saw your Auntie Sissy?¡± Joey giggled at Francine while keeping his chubby arms wrapped around Corinne¡¯s legs. It was obvious who he preferred. Corinne ruffled his hair and said, ¡°Go y with Aunt Francine. I¡¯ll be watching you from over here.¡± Joey nodded obediently before pulling Francine to y at another side. Francine led him on herp. Together, they swung slowly. Corinne was relieved to see Francine being so patient with Joey. That way, even if she left the next day, Joey would still have Francine to take care of him. Chester walked over to greet her. ¡°Hey, Corinne.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne turned to smile politely at him. ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± ¡°I have no ss on Saturday, so I thought I¡¯de early to tutor Francine.¡± ¡°Oh. Thanks for your hard work.¡± Chester looked worriedly at Corinne when he heard the apathy in her voice. ¡°Corinne, are you really happy here?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t I look happy to you?¡± Chester frowned and looked at her closely. ¡°You seemed happy a while ago, but I can¡¯t help but feel you¡¯re not happy at all now.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been feeling down recently.¡± ¡°Those bodyguards outside are there to keep an eye on you, aren¡¯t they?¡± asked Chester angrily. ¡°Francine¡¯s brother doesn¡¯t look like a good husband at all!¡± Corinne did not bother to exin to him what was going on. After a moment of silence, she looked at Francine and Joey before saying meaningfully, ¡°Chester, if one day I¡¯m not here anymore, please make sure Francine treats that kid well. He really didn¡¯t have the best time growing up.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not here anymore?¡± repeated Chester in shock. Corinne did not n to reveal anything more than that, so it was a good thing Francine suddenly called out to him, ¡°Hey, Chester! Can youe over here to push us?¡± Chester was still waiting for Corinne to give him an exnation, but she just gestured with her chin. ¡°Go. She¡¯s calling you.¡± Knowing Corinne was not going to say anything more, Chester sighed and went over to Francine. Corinne was not at all worried Chester would say anything to Francine because she knew he was a guy who knew when to keep things to himself. The reason she said what she said to him was because she knew Francine would only listen to him. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. If Chester told Francine to take good care of Joey, she would take that as her life mission. Chapter 1152 Chapter 1152 Corinne looked around the yard. ¡®This will be myst time standing here.¡¯ The only person she could not really let go was Joey. Soon, night came. After dinner, Corinne took her shower and was about to read a bedtime story to Joey when her phone rang. She picked up her phone and saw Jeremy¡¯s name on the screen. ¡®What¡¯s up with him? Why is he calling me every day now?¡¯ she wondered. As much as she did not want to talk to him, Corinne forced herself to answer the phone as she did not want to make Jeremy suspicious. ¡°Have you slept?¡± asked Jeremy softly. It sounded like he had already moved on from what happened last night. ¡°What do you think? Would I have answered your phone if I was sleeping?¡± asked Corinne monotonously. ¡°I asked because I was afraid I¡¯d woken you up,¡± said Jeremy darkly. ¡°If you¡¯re really afraid of waking me up, you wouldn¡¯t have called at this hour!¡± said Corinne, hitting the nail on the head. After a few seconds of silence, Jeremy said softly again, ¡°I was busy, and this is the only hour I can call you. How was your day? Did you eat properly?¡± Corinne felt a little disgusted by his concern. She would rather not hear it, so she pressed the phone on Joey¡¯s ear instead, saying, ¡°Your daddy misses you, Joey. Why don¡¯t you talk to him for a while?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Dada!¡± shouted Joey happily. Jeremy was speechless. ¡°Hello? Dada? Hello? Hello¡­¡± repeated Joey when he did not receive a reply from Jeremy. Jeremy sighed. ¡°Hello, Joey.¡± Joey giggled happily. ¡°Dada,e back. Joey misses Dada.¡± ¡°Soon, Joey, soon. You need to be a good boy while I¡¯m not there, you hear?¡± ¡°Yes, Dada!¡± ¡°What is your mommy doing?¡± Joey was stunned. Then he looked down sadly. ¡°No Mama¡­ No¡­¡± He thought Jeremy was talking about Anya, but Joey did not want to see her as his mother since she would always scold and hit him. Jeremy rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°What is your sissy doing?¡± Joey looked at Corinne with shiny eyes. ¡°Auntie Sissy lying next to Joey! She good. Joey likes Auntie Sissy!¡± The call was not on speakerphone, so Corinne could only hear Joey¡¯s end of the conversation. She was a little tired holding up the phone for him, so she impatiently took back the phone and said, ¡°Mister, is there anything else? If not, I¡¯m going to put Joey to bed now.¡± ¡°Thanks for doing this, little rascal. I know it¡¯s hard to take care of a child unrted to you while pregnant,¡± said Jeremy apologetically. Corinne scoffed. ¡°If you really think that, you¡¯d be here to take care of yourself now. All you know how to do is pay me lip service!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. After that, she hung up the phone. Chapter 1153 Chapter 1153 ¡®Ugh! He¡¯s so annoying,¡¯ thought Corinne. She threw her phone aside,id down beside Joey, and sang him a luby to lull Joey to sleep and also to calm herself. ¡­ The next morning, they had breakfast earlier than usual since Pam woke up before dawn to supervise the kitchen staff in breakfast preparation. After breakfast, Pam, Corinne, Francine, and Joey got ready to go to Central Park for a stroll and to feed the pigeons. The bodyguards were about to stop them, but Pam simply red at them until they backed down. Later, the bodyguards reported the situation to their supervisor. With Pam in charge, the group was able to drive out of the mansion without a hitch. In the car, Pam patted Corinne¡¯s hand gently. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ve asked the servants to bring along some sandwiches and other food. You and Joey can eat in the car if you¡¯re hungryter.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne smiled. ¡°Thanks, Grandma. You didn¡¯t need to do that since we could just eat in the restaurant.¡± Pam shook her head. ¡°No, that simply won¡¯t do! You¡¯re pregnant, so it¡¯s best not to eat outside food. Who knows whether the ingredients they use are fresh or not? Also, most of their food is just hyped up by influencers, so it¡¯s best to eat food from home.¡± Francine, who was carrying Joey in herp,ughed out loud. ¡°Hahaha! Grandma, I didn¡¯t know you knew what hype up and influencers mean.¡± Pam scoffed. ¡°Of course I know! Even a boomer like me knows how to use the Inte.¡± Corinneughed too, but herugh sounded hollow. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. 30 minutester, the car stopped at Central Park. Since it was early in the morning, there were not many people except for a few joggers. However, there were plenty of pigeons. Corinne took the chance to secretly look around while Pam was upied with counting the pigeons with Joey. Just as she expected, the bodyguards followed them there. Some of them were keeping watch in their cars, which were parked some distance away from them, while others pretended to be joggers. After thinking about it, Corinne said, ¡°Grandma, wait here while I go buy some bread for the pigeon with Joey and Francine.¡± Pam nodded. ¡°Alright. Be careful. Francine, take care of Corinne, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma. You know this must be the hundred times you told me that today, right?¡± said Francine, Pam rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have to do that if you weren¡¯t so forgetful. Now, shoo! Go with Corinne to buy some bread.¡± Francine, who was carrying Joey, followed Corinne to a little food cart that sold pastries and bread. One bread roll cost two dors, and a dozen for 10 dors. Corinne asked for a dozen bread rolls and was about to pay with her digital wallet when someone suddenly snatched her phone away and ran off. The thief cut through the ground when a flock of pigeons was milling about, causing them to fly up into the air, and disturbing the people around them. ¡°Thief! Thief! That thief has stolen my phone!¡± shouted Corinne in a panic. The bodyguards immediately rushed over to her. ¡°Ma¡¯am. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Quick! Get me my phone back!¡± she ordered anxiously. ¡°That phone has private information about Jeremy. You must get it back!¡± Chapter 1154 Chapter 1154 Most of the bodyguards chased after the thief, and one stayed behind to guard Corinne. Joey started crying out of shock. Francine was panicking as well. ¡°Corinne, are you okay?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. You should gofort Grandma. She must¡¯ve had a fright.¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± Francine immediately went over to Pam with Joey in her arms. Corinne watched as Francine and Joey left. A minuteter, she raised her head and said to the bodyguard standing next to her, ¡°Help me to the fountain. I want to sit for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. Please be careful. Baby steps now.¡± The bodyguard carefully helped Corinne to the fountain. ¡°Is here okay for you, Ma¡¯am?¡± he asked once they got to the fountain. ¡°Yup,¡± Corinne replied with a nod. She pretended to sit down, but then she suddenly pushed the bodyguard into the fountain. She had already escaped quite a distance away by the time the bodyguard got out of the fountain. He immediately shouted, ¡°Quick! Chase after her! Miss Corinne has escaped!¡± The bodyguards who were standing by the car quickly chased after her. However, all of a sudden, a few women dressed the same as Corinne appeared in the crowd. It was all very chaotic since the bodyguards could not tell which was Corinne. Thus, they had no choice but to split up and approach every suspect. ¡°Hey, you! Stop there.¡± The lead bodyguard saw someone dressed like Corinne enter a ck minivan, so he quickly summoned his subordinates to block the minivan.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The minivan stopped in front of them. A secondter, the driver honked once, rolled down the window, and poked his head out. ¡°What do you guys think you¡¯re doing?¡± The lead bodyguard walked up to the window and said forcefully, ¡°Please let Miss Corinne out of the car.¡± ¡°Miss Corinne? Who the heck is that? There¡¯s no Miss Corinne in my boss¡¯ car!¡± shouted the driver angrily. ¡°I saw her getting into your car. Don¡¯t me me for doing something drastic if you don¡¯t let her out,¡± threatened the lead bodyguard. The driver was furious. ¡°Do something drastic? You¡¯re gonna do something drastic when you¡¯re the one who stopped me for no reason? Are you from the mafia or something?¡± At that moment, the back seat window slowly rolled down to reveal Aaron¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite interested to know just what kind of drastic measure you¡¯ll take.¡± The lead bodyguard recognized Aaron to be Corinne¡¯s friend, so he toned down his thuggish behavior. ¡°Mister Aaron, I know you¡¯re a friend of Miss Corinne, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to take her away. Please let her out.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Aaron raised his eyebrow. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t even know she¡¯s here. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve said hi to her.¡± ¡°Mister Aaron, we all saw her getting into your car just now.¡± ¡°Well, you must¡¯ve seen wrong, ¡¯cause she¡¯s really not in my car.¡± Chapter 1155 Chapter 1155 The lead bodyguard was not convinced. ¡°Then you won¡¯t mind us checking the inside of your car, right?¡± he asked with a frown. Aaron chuckled coldly. ¡°I do mind since I don¡¯t want your grubby hands dirtying it.¡± The lead bodyguard was not going to back down so easily. ¡°I know we don¡¯t have a right to check your car, but we won¡¯t move an inch unless you let us check your car or let Miss Corinne out.¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes. ¡°How are you going to make it up to me if I let you check my car and Corinne isn¡¯t inside?¡± The lead bodyguard was sure Corinne was inside the car, so he confidently answered, ¡°If Miss Corinne isn¡¯t in the car, all of us will apologize to you.¡± ¡°Very well, then. You may check the car!¡± said Aaron with a scoff. The lead bodyguard and his subordinates opened all the doors and looked inside, only to see a young woman who was dressed the same as Corinne sitting next to Aaron. The lead bodyguard immediately recognized the young woman to be Xante. ¡®So it wasn¡¯t Miss Corinne after all¡­ But why would Miss Xante wear the same clothes as Miss Corinne? Something is definitely fishy about the whole thing.¡¯ After thinking about it, he said, ¡°Mister Aaron, can you please get your driver to open the boot for me to check?¡± Aaron gestured with his chin, and the driver in front quickly opened the boot. The bodyguards checked every corner of the boot, but nothing else was in there apart from a set of golf clubs.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Are you done checking?¡± asked Aaron impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you Corinne isn¡¯t with us.¡± Frowning, the lead bodyguards walked up to him and said, ¡°Mister Aaron, please tell us where Miss Corinne is!¡± Aaronughed. ¡°My, you sure are funny. You stopped my car because you suspected Corinne to be inside. I even agreed to let you check the car! Now you¡¯re asking me to tell you when she is after failing to find her in my car? How the heck would I know where she is?¡± The lead bodyguard nced at Xante. ¡°Then why is Miss Xante wearing the same clothes as Miss Corinne? You can¡¯t possibly ask us to believe it was a coincidence that Miss Xante appeared at the same ce and same clothes as Miss Corinne.¡± Aaron nced disinterestedly at Xante¡¯s clothes before breaking out inughter. ¡°Well, they have the same taste in clothing, so it¡¯s not that weird to see them wearing the same thing sometimes.¡± ¡°Then can you exin what Miss Xante is doing here at this time?¡± asked the lead bodyguard with a hardened expression. Aaronughed as though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re trespassing when we¡¯re in Central Park, a public ce, for god¡¯s sake. There¡¯s a famous breakfast ce over there that we like to go to at least once a week. After breakfast, we decided to take a stroll. You can¡¯t tell me there¡¯s something wrong with that, right?¡± The lead bodyguard was speechless. Aaron beckoned for him toe closer. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can smell my clothes to see if it smells like a cafe.¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. This time, all of the bodyguards were speechless. Seeing this, Aaron¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°I¡¯ve already done my part to let you check my car, so don¡¯t me me for calling the cops if you all don¡¯t move your *ss right now!¡± The lead bodyguard hesitated for a while before gesturing for his subordinates to step aside with resignation. Aaron shut his car door and ordered the driver to drive away. Chapter 1156 Chapter 1156 The bodyguards watched helplessly as Aaron¡¯s minivan drove away, and they started to panic. ¡°What should we do now? How are we going to tell Mister Jeremy that we¡¯ve lost Miss Corinne?¡± ¡°Sh*t! He¡¯s definitely going to punish us for that!¡± ¡°We¡¯re done for¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± shouted the lead bodyguard through gritted teeth. ¡°Instead of sh*tting your pants over here, you all should be tailing Mister Aaron. He definitely has something to do with Miss Corinne¡¯s escape. It can¡¯t be a coincidence for them to be here. We might be able to find Miss Corinne if we follow them!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, where there were no surveince cameras along the street devoid of people, was a parked white Bugatti. Corinne half-jogged over to the car, got into it, and took off her wig. She had changed into the clothes left by Xante in one of the public restrooms to escape notice from the bodyguards. ¡°You look good in your disguise,¡± said Jason with a smirk. Corinne was tired from the journey, so she was in no mood to joke around with him. ¡°Cut the chit-chat and drive now.¡± Jason smiled, started the car engine, and drove her away from the park. Not long after that, he turned the car into a residential area. Seeing this, Corinne frowned and said, ¡°Where are you taking me? I thought we were going to the airport?¡± ¡°Going to the airport now is as good as turning yourself in,¡± exined Jason. ¡°The moment Jeremy knows you¡¯ve escaped, he¡¯ll arrange for his men to keep a close eye on you at every major airport and train station. Heck, it won¡¯t even surprise me if he puts some eyes over the highway too.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After thinking about it, Corinne found his exnation logical. However, she was not really convinced Jeremy would go through all that effort to find her. ¡°So where are you taking me, then?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the saying ¡®hiding in in sight¡¯? That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re for a couple of days, and when things die down, I¡¯ll arrange for a private jet to fly you out.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback, but she nodded after a while. ¡°Thanks, Jason. But is this really where you live?¡± She looked out at the average-looking buildings. No matter how she looked at them, they did not look like somewhere a rich guy like Jason would live. Jason smiled. ¡°Yeah, I live here. Why? You don¡¯t like it? I know it¡¯s not as nice as Jeremy¡¯s mansion, but it¡¯s still home.¡± Corinne shook her head and leaned backzily on her seat. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ve lived in ces far worse than this when I was little. It¡¯s just¡­ This doesn¡¯t look like a ce that a rich guy like you will live in. I mean, guys with daddy¡¯s money always live in a mansion or penthouse, don¡¯t they?¡± Jasonughed. ¡°Well, I used to live here when I was little. It¡¯s been a long time since I came here. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise for you to live in a shy ce when you¡¯ve just escaped from the Holdens, so that¡¯s why I brought you here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she said, even though she still found it weird that Jason would live in such a humble ce when he was little. ¡®Does that mean he didn¡¯t grow up rich?¡¯ she wondered. As curious as she was, she thought it would be rude for her to pry into his personal life. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. They stopped in front of a shabby-looking t since there was no underground parking. Together, they walked up to the second floor, and Jason took out a key to open the door. ¡°Wee to my humble abode,¡± said Jason. Chapter 1157 Chapter 1157 Corinne was pleasantly surprised when she entered the living room. Even though the building looked shabby and old from the outside, the inside of Jason¡¯s unit was clean and tastefully decorated. It did not look like anyone was living there at all. ¡°Have a seat while I get you something to drink,¡± said Jason before going to the kitchen. Corinne sat on the sofa and surveyed her new surroundings quietly when a ss of milk suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind giving you milk instead of a soft drink since you¡¯re pregnant,¡± said Jason with a wide grin. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Corinne with a polite smile after epting the ss of milk. Jason sipped his can of C and sat on the armchair next to the sofa. Corinne gazed at the ss of milk intently while swirling it slowly. Jason did not know whether tough or cry when he saw her doing that. ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ve spiked the milk with something?¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Corinne looked up at him. ¡°Nope. I was checking to see if the milk has gone bad since you said you rarelye here. God knows how long this thing has been in your fridge.¡± Jasonughed throatily. ¡°I went to the supermarket yesterday to get it for you. All the things in the fridge are freshly bought, so you can eat them without worry.¡± Corinne only drank the milk after making sure there was no weird smell or blobs in it. Jason rested her chin in his hand and looked at Corinne yfully. ¡°Are you really going to leave Jeremy this time?¡± The milk instantly turned sour inside Corinne¡¯s mouth the moment she heard Jeremy¡¯s name. ¡°Of course. Do you think I¡¯m doing all this for fun?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you tell me the reason?¡± Corinne did not really want to tell him, but she owed him for helping her so she gave him the short version of the story. ¡°He lied to me and yed with my feelings.¡± ¡°Just because of that?¡± asked Jason with a raised eyebrow. Corinne frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that serious enough? What¡¯s the point of staying together if there¡¯s no trust between us anymore?¡± Jason sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fairytale world we¡¯re living in. We adults need topromise a little when it comes to matters of love. There¡¯s no such thing as pure love.¡± Corinne did not refute his reasoning, but she still could not ept it. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s just chalk it down as me being naive. I guess I should just stay away from rtionships from now on.¡± ¡°Oh no. Please don¡¯t do that. There are still nice guys in the world. You¡¯re even talking to one right now!¡± said Jason with a smile while pointing at himself. Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Says the guy who ims there¡¯s no such thing as pure love. Don¡¯t tell me you expect me to believe you¡¯re a guy who¡¯ll stay loyal till the very end, do you?¡± Jason sat up a little straighter. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to believe that. But, what I can promise you is I¡¯ll never lie to you or pretend to be someone I¡¯m not. Corinne, you should know how I feel about you, right? Why don¡¯t you give me a chance now that you¡¯ve decided to leave Jeremy?¡± Corinne looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Are you being serious, Jason?¡± Jason nodded. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m not?¡± Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget I¡¯m carrying Jeremy¡¯s baby inside of me. I might have decided to leave him, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to get rid of the baby. Can you ept a woman who¡¯s carrying another man¡¯s baby?¡± ¡°Yup, I can. But, you have to give me a baby in the future too,¡± said Jason without hesitation. Corinne was speechless. Chapter 1158 Chapter 1158 Corinne never met a guy as crazy as Jason! She looked at him with disapproval and said, ¡°You can forget about the whole thing. I don¡¯t n to have a second child, nor do I n to find a stepfather for my kid.¡± Jason pretended to be hurt. ¡°But Corinne, I took a big risk to help you escape from the Holdens. Also, you promised to date me for a month in return for helping you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I haven¡¯t forgotten my promise. But, dating and marriage are different things, so you better give up the idea of us going any further than a date. I¡¯m already too tired to give marriage another try.¡± Jason gazed deeply into her eyes before reaching out to touch her, but his hand froze when he saw Corinne shrink back. He put down his hand and smiled to hide his embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know you¡¯re still feeling hurt over what Jeremy did to you, so I¡¯m willing to give you some time. I trust that one day, you¡¯ll ept my feelings for you.¡± At that moment, Corinne was not in a headspace to think about all that stuff. ¡°Thank you for your help today. I¡¯ll take your advice to stay here for a few days. You can go back to work now.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Jason smiled forlornly. ¡°Corinne, you really know how to kick a person away after using them.¡± Corinne chuckled wryly and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done using you at all.¡± Jason was speechless. ¡°By the way, don¡¯t tell Lucas about this,¡± added Corinne as an afterthought. Jason nodded solemnly. ¡°I know. But he¡¯ll definitely be worried about you.¡± Corinne fell silent for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care whether he¡¯s worried or not. The less people know that I¡¯m here, the better my chances of escaping from this city.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason gave her an ¡®OK¡¯ sign before Corinne unceremoniously pushed him out of the door. even shut for one second before he heard the sign of the lock turning from the inside. He was speechless. ¡®Wow, she¡¯s really treating the ce as her own home, huh.¡¯ Corinne was not trying to be rude or anything, but she knew Jason would incessantly flirt with her if she did not chase him out of the apartment. Besides, it would be inappropriate for a man and a woman who were not dating or married to each other to be alone in a room. After Jason left, Corinne sat back down on the sofa. Only then did she let the relief wash over her. However, she could not help but feel an indescribable emptiness filling her heart. ¡®Jeremy must¡¯ve heard about my escape by now,¡¯ she thought. ¡­ Meanwhile, back at the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Greg was watering his prized orchid when he heard amotioning from outside. Not a minuteter, a bodyguard wheeled Pam in in a wheelchair. Francine, who was carrying Joey, anxiously followed from behind. Seeing this, the servants quickly went to take care of them. Greg frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You were fine when you went out this morning, so how did you end up in a wheelchair like me?¡± Francine handed Joey, who had tired himself out from crying, over to the maid. After that, she walked up to Greg to exin, ¡°Grandpa, Corinne went missing and Grandma fainted out of shock. But don¡¯t worry. We sent her to the hospital right after, and the doctor said she¡¯ll be fine after some rest.¡± Greg¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°What? Corinne is missing? How is that even possible? How could a grown woman like her go missing?¡± Chapter 1159 Chapter 1159 Francine shook her head helplessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­but it seems like Corinne nned her escape.¡± ¡°Escape? Why would she want to run away? Did we mistreat her?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s mad ¡¯cause Jeremy kept her under house arrest¡­¡± Greg frowned. ¡°Just because of that? Who does she think she is? I forbid anyone to go look for her. Let¡¯s see how long she can survive on her own outside.¡± Pam, who was clutching her chest weakly, sat up a little straighter when she heard what Greg said. ¡°You old fool! What the heck are you talking about? Don¡¯t you know Corinne doesn¡¯t need us? She¡¯ll nevere back if we don¡¯t look for her.¡± Even though Greg looked a little worried, he stubbornly insisted on his standpoint. ¡°Hmph! She can stay missing for all I care!¡± Pam was so worried that she could feel her heart thumping quickly and loudly. Tears started to flow down her cheek. ¡°Have you forgotten she¡¯s pregnant? What if something bad happens to her and the baby?¡± she said with a sigh. Greg could not bear to see Pam so sad, so he waved his hand to ¡°Bring the olddy back to her room, and arrange for more people to look for Corinne.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Greg,¡± said the servants. Thus, Pam was wheeled back to her room to rest. Joey would not stop crying no matter what the maid did to distract him. Francine was worried his cries would annoy Greg, so she asked the maid to bring him to her room. Only then did the living room turn quiet. Greg looked out of the window anxiously. It would be a lie if he said he was not worried about Corinne.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Grandpa, should we report this to the cops? We might be able to find Corinne faster with their help,¡± suggested Francine. Greg nced at her. ¡°We can only report a person missing if they¡¯ve been gone for at least seventy-two hours, so it¡¯ll be pointless to go to the station now.¡± Francine pouted. ¡°Then what should we do? Jeremy must be worried sick about her now.¡± Greg raised his eyebrow. ¡°What? He knows about this already? Why did you tell him so fast? Doing this will only make him fly back.¡± Francine shook her head innocently. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who told him. It was those bodyguards out there. They¡¯re working under him, so of course they¡¯d report Corinne missing the moment it happened.¡± Greg¡¯s frown became even deeper. He put his hand to his forehead and said, ¡°Fine. Go up to their room now to see if there¡¯s any clue to where she might be going.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandpa,¡± said Francine with a nod. After that, she half-ran upstairs. The couple¡¯s room was not locked, so Francine had no problem going inside. She looked around the room carefully but found nothing suspicious. That was until she heard the sound of a phone ringing. Following the sound, she found Corinne¡¯s phone, and the caller ID showed it was Jeremy calling her. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t she bring her phone with her?¡¯ wondered Francine. Without hesitation, Francine answered the call. Jeremy¡¯s anxious voice immediately came through. ¡°Where did you go?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Jeremy, it¡¯s me. Francine.¡± After a pause, Jeremy asked, ¡°Have you found her?¡± ¡°No. Not yet,¡± said Francine regretfully. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure¡ª¡± Chapter 1160 Chapter 1160 ¡°Ask my men to continue looking for her. I¡¯ll catch the first flight back home!¡± interrupted Jeremy sternly. After that, he hung up the phone. Francine sighed helplessly. She then went through everything in Corinne¡¯s phone, but she found not a clue. ¡®What the heck is Corinne thinking? Does this mean she¡¯s really determined to break up with Jeremy?¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile, at Holden Group¡¯s branch office in Molomia. Jeremy quickly strode out of his office after picking up his suit jacket. As soon as he pushed open the door, he bumped into a woman who was just about to knock on the door. ¡°Jeremy, where are you going?¡± asked the scantily-d woman. ¡°I¡¯m going back home to attend to some urgent matter,¡± said Jeremy without stopping. The woman was stunned. She quickly followed him to the elevator. ¡°Jeremy, didn¡¯t you fly back a few days ago? What¡¯s so urgent that you need to go back again? Also, all the hard work you put in will be in vain if you go back now!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about that right now,¡± replied Jeremy. The woman had never seen Jeremy so panic-stricken before. After thinking about it, she asked cautiously, ¡°Does this have something to do with Miss Corinne?¡± Jeremy did not answer her. He stepped into the elevator the moment the door opened.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The woman chased after him. ¡°Jeremy, let me go back with you this time!¡± Jeremy looked at her with hesitation before nodding lightly.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia did not go home to pack her luggage. After getting into Jeremy¡¯s car, she called home and instructed the servant to send her stuff over to the destination. ¡­ While all this happened, Corinne was eating some noodles. Even though she had no appetite, she forced herself to eat something for the sake of the baby. To his credit, Jason was quite thoughtful. He stocked the fridge full of food and drinks. He even wrote a note detailing how to use the stove, crock pot, and electric griddle and stuck it on the fridge door. It was a good thing he wrote the memo, or Corinne would have a hard time figuring out how to use the slightly antiquated stove in the apartment. Of course, she did wonder how a spoiled young man like Jason would know his way around the kitchen. It was very perplexing, to say the least. After she finished her noodles, Corinne went to lie down on the bed. She received a text message from Jason the moment her head hit the pillow. [Feel free to use the tablet to watch a movie or y a game after you¡¯ve eaten. The IP address is registered under the cleaner thates once a week to clean the house, so you don¡¯t have to worry about Jeremy finding out you¡¯re here.] Corinne was a little taken aback by the text message. She looked around the room carefully but found nothing suspicious. [Are you spying on me through some hidden camera?] [Of course not! Even I won¡¯t do something so low. Plus, I¡¯m not as controlling or possessive as Jeremy.] Corinne simply replied to him with a smiley emoji. Looking at the emoji, Jason could just imagine Corinne smiling a smile that did not reach her eyes. Chapter 1161 Chapter 1161 ¡°You look happy. Who are you texting?¡± asked Lucas while holding a coffee cup after ncing at Jason. They were both in his office. ¡°No one. I mean, it was one of my employees. He had some questions about work,¡± said Jason before he quickly put away his phone. Lucas nced at him again. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still have time to drop by my office when you¡¯re so obviously busy with your work.¡± Jason picked up his coffee and took a sip before replying, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s busy work, but it sure is tedious. I¡¯m so annoyed with it, so I came here to hang out with you.¡± Lucas did not have the luxury of hanging out with Jason since he would have to go to a meeting. At that moment, Edmund knocked on the door and entered without waiting for Lucas to give his permission. ¡°Sir, something bad has happened!¡± he said nervously. Lucas looked up at him. ¡°What?¡± Edmund nced at Jason. He knew he was Lucas¡¯ best friend, so he did not bother to hide the news from him. ¡°Apparently, Miss Corinne has gone missing.¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes immediately darkened. ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± ¡°There have been more bodyguards than usual outside of the Holdens¡¯ mansion for the past two days, and we assumed it was because Mister Jeremy wanted to keep Corinne safe. This morning, Miss Corinne went to Central Park with Miss Pam, but she somehow went missing. The Holdens have their entire house staff looking for her now.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Lucas mmed down his coffee cup angrily. ¡°Grr! Corinne shouldn¡¯t have married that good-for-nothing who can¡¯t even keep his own wife safe. Edmund, take some men with you to look for her too. Bring her to me once you¡¯ve found her. Under no circumstances should you take her back to the Holdens.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± Lucas¡¯ expression remained worried after Edmund left the room. Jason, however, looked rxed as though he was watching a movie. He had promised Corinne he would not tell Lucas anything. ¡°Chill, Lucas. Corinne was fine before she met Jeremy, so I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be fine now too.¡± Lucas gave him a death re. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say since she¡¯s not your sister!¡± Jason raised his eyebrow and sipped his coffee before saying with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s true. She¡¯s not my sister. However, I do like her.¡± Lucas scoffed. ¡°I suggest you give up liking her since she¡¯ll never be with you. No, I shouldn¡¯t waste my time talking to you here. I should go look for her myself. What if she falls again? What will happen to her and the baby?¡± After that, he got up and hobbled slowly toward the door. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Jason immediately got up to stop him. ¡°Oh, sit down! You¡¯re in no condition to go look for her. You¡¯ll only be a burden to Edmund if you go look for Corinne now.¡± Lucas wished so badly he could throw away his crutches and run out of the office. ¡®Oh, why does she have to go missing when my foot is injured?¡¯ Jason patted his shoulder. ¡°Trust me. Corinne will be fine.¡± It was then Lucas started to suspect something. ¡°Why are you so sure? Do you know where she is?¡± Jason shook his head and smiled. ¡°Nope. But from what Edmund said, it sounded like Corinne purposely went missing to escape from the Holdens. If that¡¯s the case, she must¡¯ve nned out the whole thing, so you shouldn¡¯t worry so much.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°Corinne nned her escape from the Holdens? Why would she do that? I thought she and Jeremy were very much in love with each other?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯m only guessing. It could be Corinne wasn¡¯t happy at being kept at home.¡± Chapter 1162 Chapter 1162 Lucas scoffed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let Corinne marry Jeremy!¡± Jason patted Lucas¡¯ shoulder again. ¡°Come now. You don¡¯t want to hurt your foot again, so just wait here patiently. I¡¯ll go look for Corinne on your behalf.¡± After that, he strolled out of the office nonchntly. Frowning, Lucas watched him as he left before sighing helplessly. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡®I must make Corinnee back home once she¡¯s found so that she¡¯ll never have to suffer under Jeremy¡¯s rule again.¡¯ ¡­ Jeremy rushed back home as soon as his nended at midnight. He did not even bother to greet his grandparents before going upstairs to his room to look for clues. Even though Corinne was nowhere to be seen, the bedroom was still filled with the lingering scent of her favorite shampoo. Jeremy opened the wardrobe and noted she did not take any clothes with her at all. ¡®She left without saying goodbye again? But why?¡¯ He punched the wardrobe door. The noise brought Francine¡ªwho had been awake all the while¡ªto the room. Seeing the anguish on Jeremy¡¯s face, Francine cautiously greeted, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re back.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ He turned toward Francine. ¡°Did she say anything to you before she went missing?¡± Francine shook her head. ¡°No¡­ She¡­ Everything was normal. Neither Grandma her. We have no idea why¡­¡± Jeremy balled his hands into fists and hissed, ¡°Why did you bring her out?!¡± Francine pouted. ¡°She said she was bored out of her mind and needed some fresh air, so Grandma took pity on her and agreed to bring her out to Central Park¡­¡± Jeremy took a deep breath. ¡°Are you two happy now that she¡¯s gone missing?¡± ¡°Jeremy, how can you say that?¡± asked Francine pitifully. At that moment, Sophia walked into the room too. ¡°Jeremy, you shouldn¡¯t me your grandmother and Francine too much. I¡¯m sure they didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen too. The most important thing now is to find Corinne.¡± The veins on Jeremy¡¯s temple looked like they were about to pop. He did not need her to tell him what was most important to do at that moment. He had mobilized all of his men to look for Corinne, but it was like she had vanished into thin air! Surprised by the strange woman who suddenly appeared, Francine looked up and down at Sophia. ¡®Judging by the way she¡¯s dressed, she doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s from around here.¡¯ ¡°Jeremy, who¡¯s this?¡± she asked warily. Before Jeremy said anything, Sophia walked up to her with a smile and introduced herself brightly. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Sophia. You must be Francine. Your brother has told me so much about you.¡± Francine frowned. ¡°Are you close with Jeremy? What are you doing at our home?¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re pretty close. We go way back.¡± Francine looked at her with rm. ¡®If she¡¯s close with Jeremy, howe he has never mentioned her? Could she be the reason why Jeremy fought with Corinne a few nights ago?¡¯ Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163 Francine ignored Sophia and turned toward Jeremy in the hopes of unraveling the mystery. However, he left the room before she could even ask him. ¡°Jeremy, where are you going?!¡± shouted Francine as she chased after him. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, it was Sophia who answered her instead. ¡°Need you ask? He must¡¯ve gone to look for Miss Corinne.¡± Annoyed, Francine turned to her impatiently. ¡°What exactly is your rtionship with my brother? What right do you have to meddle in our family affairs?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you I¡¯m a very good friend of Jeremy¡¯s?¡± answered Sophia cheerfully. Living abroad gave her a good temper and an open mind. For some reason, Francine could not bring herself to like Sophia. ¡°It¡¯s still rude for you to barge in here even if you guys are close, so get out of here now!¡± Sophia shrugged and spread her hands. ¡°Where should I sleep tonight?¡± Francine frowned in annoyance. ¡°You can sleep in your home! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re expecting us to host you!¡± ¡°But my home is abroad. I don¡¯t have a house here, and I didn¡¯t have time to book a hotel ¡¯cause everything happened so fast.¡± The frown on Francine¡¯s forehead became deeper. ¡®Oh, so she lives abroad. No wonder she¡¯s dressed so differently than the girls here. Anyway, why the heck did Jeremy bring her back here? Isn¡¯t he worried Corinne will get mad at him? No, wait. Corinne is already mad at him. Is that why she ran away? Because of this girl?¡¯ As much as she did not like Sophia, she thought it would be rude to kick her out of the house since she was a good friend of Jeremy. After thinking through her options, she finally said roughly, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get the servants to prepare a room for you.¡± However, Sophia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep in the guest room. Don¡¯t you know all the bad energy will gather in a room that doesn¡¯t get used often? I think I¡¯ll just sleep in this room since Miss Corinne isn¡¯t here anyway.¡± ¡®Bad energy?¡¯ Francine thought she heard wrong. ¡®This girl sounds like she has a screw loose in her head!¡¯Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Miss Sophia, you¡¯ve got to be kidding me, right? This bedroom belongs to Jeremy and Corinne, so do you really think it¡¯s appropriate for you to sleep here?¡± asked Francine with a frown. Sophia nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t see why it¡¯s not appropriate. The two of them aren¡¯t home, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be sleeping with them.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to let you do that. It might be fine in whatever country youe from, but it¡¯s not fine here! You can leave the house if you don¡¯t want to sleep in the guest room,¡± said Francine forcefully. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to sleep in the guest room,¡± insisted Sophia. ¡°My tarot reader told me sleeping in the guest room will screw with my luck.¡± ¡®What a superstitious idiot!¡¯ thought Francine. She rolled her eyes and said, ¡°You must¡¯ve been scammed by your tarot reader. I¡¯ve never heard that sleeping in a guest room will screw with a person¡¯s luck.¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s true! My tarot reader is very famous from where Ie from. All of the things he predicted came true. Francine, if you won¡¯t let me sleep here, can you let me sleep in your room? I¡¯m fine with anywhere as long as it¡¯s not the guest room!¡± ¡®What? She wants to sleep in my room? Just how shameless can she be?¡¯ ¡°No! I don¡¯t like other people sleeping in my room.¡± At that moment, Sophia casually took off her jacket. ¡°I guess I have no choice but to sleep here tonight.¡± ¡°What the heck is wrong with you?¡± shouted Francine. ¡°Who the heck sleeps in other people¡¯s rooms the moment they arrive at somebody else¡¯s home?¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to sleep here if you¡¯d just agreed to let me sleep in your room.¡± ¡°Why should I agree? Who the heck do you think you are? You can¡¯t just sleep wherever you please!¡± Chapter 1164 Chapter 1164 ¡°Francine, you should be sleeping. Why are you here making a ruckus in your brother¡¯s room?¡± came Pam¡¯s tired voice from the hallway. She could not sleep out of worry for Corinne, so she got up to see what was going on when she heard Francine shouting. A minuteter, she pushed open the door. ¡°Grandma, Jeremy has brought a woman home. She ims she¡¯s a very good friend of his. I asked her to go sleep in the guest room, but she insisted on sleeping here ¡¯cause she doesn¡¯t want the bad energy in the guest room to affect her luck,¡± said Francine as soon as she saw Pam. ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s doing this on purpose?¡± Pam looked to where Francine was pointing and was stunned by the woman standing there. ¡°Hello, Grandma! I¡¯m Sophia,¡± she greeted Pam warmly. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯ve woken you up from your sleep.¡± Pam nodded after she snapped out of her shock. ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to stay since you¡¯re already here, but not in this room. You can stay in Francine¡¯s room, and she can go stay in the guest room.¡± ¡°Great! Thanks, Grandma,¡± said Sophia happily. Francine was not happy about the arrangement at all. ¡°Grandma, why did you say she can sleep in my room? I won¡¯t allow it!¡± Pam red at her sternly. ¡°Is this really the way to treat a guest?! She¡¯s your brother¡¯s friend and hase a long way from abroad. The least we could do is to make her stayfortable. Now, go and get your room ready for Miss Sophia!¡± Francine did not understand why Pam would take an outsider¡¯s side. ¡°But Grandma, Joey is sleeping in my room right now. It took me a lot coax him to sleep, so you can¡¯t possibly expect me to wake him up, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wake him up. Just quietly carry him to the guest room!¡± ¡°Grandma!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Just do as I say!¡± As much as Francine was not happy with the oue, she did not dare to defy Pam¡¯s order. Thus, she stomped once and left the room. ¡®Just who the heck is Sophia? Why does it seem like Grandma is pandering to her?¡¯ she wondered. After she left, Sophia smiled helplessly at Pam. ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble, Grandma.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no trouble at all. It¡¯s the least I can do after you helped our family so you go to Francine¡¯s room to rest? Just let the servants know if you need anything else.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± said Sophia cheerfully before following Francine out of the room. Pam remained standing where she was. She looked meaningfully at Jeremy and Corinne¡¯s bed before leaving the room and closing the door with a gentle click. ¡­ Meanwhile, Corinne was tossing and turning in the unfamiliar bedroom. Unable to sleep, she decided to y some games on the tablet. She was at the climax of the game when the doorbell suddenly rang. ¡®Who could it be?¡¯ she thought with rm. ¡®Jason said no one has lived in this apartment for a long time, so who would possiblye at this hour? I hope it¡¯s not Jeremy¡¯s men!¡¯ She put down the tablet, got out of the bed quietly, and tiptoed to the main door¡¯s peephole. However, the only thing she saw was an eye staring back at her, giving her a shock. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Then, before she could figure out what was happening, she heard Jason¡¯s cheeky voiceing from the corridor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can open the door. It¡¯s me, Jason.¡± Chapter 1165 Chapter 1165 Corinne sighed with relief. Frowning, she opened the door and said, ¡°What are you doing here sote?¡± Jason raised the takeout bag in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you can¡¯t sleep, so I bought you some supper.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. He then stepped inside and changed his shoes. His movements were so natural that Corinne found it hard to believe he had not been back in this apartment for a while. Corinne closed the door and crossed her arms. ¡°Jason, I know I was the one who asked for your help, but you shouldn¡¯t take it upon yourself to do things I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Jason ignored her and walked into the kitchen to get some tes out. ¡°It¡¯s cajun crawfish. Do you want some?¡± ¡°Of course I want some,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Jasonughed and beckoned with his finger at her. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Come over here! The cajun crawfish from this restaurant are delicious.¡± Corinne walked over and saw Jason had already put the cajun crawfish on the te. They looked and smelled really good. However, she could not help but find it odd that someone like Jason would eat cheap food like that. Jason passed her a fork and spoon. ¡°Go on, give it a try,¡± he prompted her with a smile. Corinne reached out but did not take the fork and spoon from him. ¡°Who eats crawfish with a fork and spoon? Do you have disposable stic gloves?¡± Jason shoved the fork and spoon into her hand with a smile. He then pressed her shoulder down to sit.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne frowned. ¡®Is he deaf or something? I told him I didn¡¯t want the fork and spoon but a pair of disposable gloves! The restaurant should¡¯ve given out some disposable stic gloves!¡¯ She was internallyining when she saw Jason putting on a pair of disposable stic gloves. She was about to say something when Jason started peeling the crawfish and putting the flesh on a little te for her. Corinne was a little taken aback. ¡®What¡­ What is he doing? Not only did he bring me supper, but he¡¯s actually peeling the crawfish for me?¡¯ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± asked Jason when he noticed Corinne staring dazedly at him. Corinne snapped out of her trance. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I can do it myself.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing it. The only thing you have to do when I¡¯m around is eat.¡± Corinne did not know what to say. She knew he was doing it out of kindness, but still, she felt very conflicted about it. She picked up her fork and started eating the peeled crawfish from the little te while observing Jason¡¯s skilled crawfish deshelling movement. ¡°Mister Jason, did you train yourself to be so good at shelling crawfish to get girls?¡± she asked. Jason¡¯s hands froze. He looked up at her and said, ¡°Why do you always think I have an ulterior motive for doing something? I could just be a natural at this.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Since when did a rich kid like you need to shell their own seafood? Unless you¡¯re doing it to get girls, I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d do it.¡± Jason scoffed. ¡°Heh! You¡¯re really underestimating me. I don¡¯t need to do this to get girls. In fact, I don¡¯t need to do anything to have girls throwing themselves at me. You¡¯re the only girl in the world who ignores me all the time.¡± Chapter 1166 Chapter 1166 Corinne¡¯s lips twitched for a second. She then ate a big mouthful of the crawfish. ¡°And yet, you keep showing your face in front of me even when I ignore you.¡± Jason put a freshly-peeled crawfish next to her lips. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m working hard to make you not ignore me.¡± Corinne was not used to being fed by another person, so she stabbed the crawfish with her fork before putting it into her mouth. Jason did not mind her rejection. ¡°Do you want to know what the Holdens are doing?¡± he asked with a smile. Corinne was a little taken aback by the sudden question and said nothing. She had been avoiding using her electronic devices or contacting Xante and Aaron the whole day. She was worried Jeremy would hunt her down using GPS technology. Although she had no idea what was going on with the Holdens, she could probably guess it. The Holdens must have mobilized their entire household staff to look for her since she was carrying their bloodline. They would never allow their kin to be wandering like a hobo outside. Not wanting to talk about the Holdens, Corinne changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯re right. The crawfish is delicious. Where did you buy it from? Can you send me the addresster?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason raised his eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the point of sending you the address? You¡¯ll be going abroad soon enough, so it¡¯s not like you can buy it anymore.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I nearly forgot about it,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. ¡°Tsk! Don¡¯t scare me like that. I thought you¡¯d changed your mind and wanted to go back to Jeremy.¡± It was impossible for that to happen since Corinne was the kind that would not change her mind once she decided. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Enough about me. Can I interview you, Jason?¡± Jason looked at her with great interest. ¡°Interview me? Of course you can. What do you want to ask?¡± Corinne looked around the two bedrooms and the living room in the apartment. ¡°You said you lived here when you were little, but didn¡¯t youe from a rich family? Why would your parents let you live in such an old apartment?¡± Something shed across Jason¡¯s eyes when he heard the questions. He did not stop peeling the crawfish as he answered, ¡°Didn¡¯t Jeremy tell you? I¡¯m not my parents¡¯ biological son.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression changed. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. Does that mean you¡¯re adopted?¡± Jason smiled and exined, ¡°I guess you can call me that. My adoptive parents used to have a son, but he died when he was little. Due to some unique reason, my adopted father was unable to have another child, so he decided to adopt a kid from his rtives to be his sessor. ¡°I was the son of a distant rtive of his. Both of my parents died, and for that reason, I was chosen to be his adopted son. Growing up, I was raised to be his sessor. This house was where we lived as a family.¡± ¡®That solves the mystery,¡¯ thought Corinne. She could not help but look at Jason with sympathy for the same plight they found themselves in when they were mere kids. Though he was lucky to be chosen to be a rich family¡¯s sessor, he must have felt trapped at the same time since he had no say in anything. Both he and Corinne grew up living under somebody else¡¯s roof with no sense of belonging. ¡°How old were you when they adopted you?¡± asked Corinne. ¡°Around seven or eight years old. I can remember almost everything about my birth parents.¡± Chapter 1167 Chapter 1167 Corinne put down her fork and rested her chin on her hand. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite surprised you turned out cheerful and optimistic.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Cheerful and optimistic? I guess. But you should know there¡¯s a lot of pressure that comes with being a sessor. The training was so harsh that I didn¡¯t even get to enjoy my childhood. Not to mention, everyone treats me like I¡¯m nothing just because I¡¯m not the biological son. It was hard to make friends in the wealthy circle. When I first took over thepany, the directors in thepany were so angry that they couldn¡¯t wait for me to fail.¡± Corinne nodded sympathetically. ¡°I can imagine how hard it must¡¯ve been for you back then. But aren¡¯t you d you pushed through ¡¯cause everyone has to bow to you now?¡± Jason smiled wryly. ¡°They only do that to my face, but when my back is turned, they¡¯ll talk sh*t about me. Even Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald think I¡¯m beneath them. The only person in the world who treats me like an equal is Lucas.¡± Corinne found it odd he would say that. She assumed Lucas was the type who thought everyone was beneath him. While it was true Jeremy, Zeke, and Gerald were closer to each other, it did not mean they looked down on Jason. Otherwise, they would not have hung out with him. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things. Jeremy¡¯s not the type to look down on others,¡± said Corinne. Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Even now you¡¯re still speaking up for him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not speaking up for him. I¡¯m just giving you an impartial observation. If he¡¯s really the type that judges people by their background, he wouldn¡¯t have married a country bumpkin like me.¡± Jason chuckled coldly. ¡°But you said he was ying you, right? Isn¡¯t that the reason you¡¯re running away from him?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s right. Why did I speak up for Jeremy at all?¡¯ ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s just forget about him. You should eat some of the crawfish too!¡± said Corinne in a friendlier tone than usual. Jason smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m happy to just peel them for you.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t possibly finish all of them. Besides, it¡¯s lonely eating by myself. It¡¯ll be more enjoyable if you share them with me.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll eat them with you.¡± Jason sat down to eat with her. Corinne started peeling her own crawfish since it tasted better when she did it herself. ¡°Corinne, do you know why I¡¯m so sure you¡¯re morepatible with me than Jeremy?¡± asked Jason suddenly. Corinne, who was still peeling the crawfish, raised her eyebrow. ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d be quiet while eating.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°But it¡¯ll be boring if we don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your mama ever teach you to keep your mouth shut while eating?¡± Jason¡¯s lips twitched. He could tell Corinne was trying to avoid the topic, but he did not care; he would tell her even if she did not want to hear. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We¡¯re morepatible since we had a simr childhood which gave us the values we have now. On the other hand, you and Jeremye from different worlds. The two of you together is like trying to fit a square block into a round hole, while we share the samenguage.¡± Corinne was not really in the mood to talk matters of the heart with Jason. ¡°Thousands of people share the same childhood, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯repatible. Mister Jason, you should go back home if you¡¯re not interested in eating the crawfish.¡± Jason smiled helplessly. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t talk about this topic anymore.¡± Chapter 1168 Chapter 1168 Jeremy drove to Aaron¡¯s home, or more urately, the home of Aaron, Xante, and Corinne. After getting out of the elevator, he persistently rang the doorbell. When nobody came to the door, he started to pound on the door angrily. It was a good thing there was only one unit of apartment on each floor, or someone would have comined about the noise. After a while, the door finally opened under Jeremy¡¯s persistent pounding. Aaron, dressed in his pajamas, scratched his head sleepily. ¡°Mister Jeremy, what are you doing here so late?¡± Jeremy was seething with anger. ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne? Ask her toe out this instant!¡± Aaron shrugged and spread his hand nonchntly. ¡°Mister Jeremy, your men had already checked my car and found nothing. I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re asking me where Corinne is. I should be the one asking you where she is.¡± Jeremy ignored what he said, pushed him to the side, and strode impatiently into the living room. ¡°Corinne Carew, get your *ss out here this instant!¡± Aaron followed him in with a frown. ¡°Mister Jeremy, do you know what you¡¯re doing is called ¡®trespassing¡¯? I can call the cops on you,¡± he said unhappily. Jeremy ignored him again. He strode over to the room where he saw Corinne packing her bagsst time and knocked on the door. Not getting a response, he opened the door and walked in. However, there was no one inside except for a fat white cat curled upzily on the bed. It immediately hissed and raised its hackles when it saw a stranger barging in. Aaron walked into the room, picked up the cat, and started stroking its fur to calm it down. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mister Jeremy! She¡¯s really not here!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jeremy¡¯s bloodshot eyes scanned every corner of the room, and they inevitably darkened when he saw no signs of Corinne. ¡°Where are you hiding her this time?¡± Aaron looked hurt. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. We have no idea where she is. Mister Jeremy, it seems like this time Corinne is really determined to hide from you. Do you think she¡¯lle to a ce where you can find her? She even cut off contact with us just so you won¡¯t be able to trace her. We tried calling her today, but all of our calls went straight to voicemail!¡± Jeremy balled his hands into fists. He was so angry he felt like his chest was about to explode. ¡®D*mn that little rascal! Looks like she¡¯s hellbent on hiding from me. Why can¡¯t she be like other wives?¡¯ He understood it was normal for a spouse to get angry and pretend to run away from home, but they would always choose a ce where they could easily be found by their husbands. Corinne, however, would escape to a parallel universe if she could just to get as far away from him as possible. ¡°Mister Jeremy, instead of looking for her, maybe you should ask yourself why Corinne would want to leave you. I suggest you stop looking for her if you did something to hurt her. From my understanding of her, she¡¯ll never forgive you even if you find her,¡± said Aaron roughly when he saw how dark Jeremy¡¯s expression was. Jeremy frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? What did I do to hurt her?¡± Aaron scoffed. ¡°How should I know? I¡¯m just telling you that Corinne will never disappear for no good reason.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Do you or do you not know where she is?¡± Aaron put his hand up and said, ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know. I wanted to ask her too, but she must¡¯ve turned off her phone. None of my calls went through.¡± Chapter 1169 Chapter 1169 Aaron was telling the truth; he genuinely did not know where Corinne was hiding. To avoid Jeremy finding her, Corinne forbade them to call her on the phone she was using then. Jeremy said nothing as Corinne¡¯s original phone was with him. Before he went to Molomia, he programmed the phone to only be able to receive calls from him and other emergency numbers. He could sense Corinne was plotting her escape, which was why he dispatched more bodyguards to keep an eye on her. He thought that by keeping her under house arrest, he would have all the time in the world to solve the problems between them after he came back from Molomia. Thus, he was understandably shocked when he received news of Corinne¡¯s escape. Jeremy did not mean to make life difficult for Aaron. Thus, after looking around once more to confirm Corinne was not in the area, he said coldly, ¡°Call me the moment you have news of her.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron wanted to curse at him but ultimately chose to cooperate with him to avoid suspicion. ¡°Sure. You have my word.¡± Jeremy left after that. Xante walked out of her room and happened to see Jeremy walking into the elevator. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and said, ¡°He looks like he¡¯s really panicking.¡± Aaron scoffed. ¡°Of course he¡¯s panicking. What man wouldn¡¯t panic when the woman carrying his baby has gone missing?¡± Xante shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the baby he¡¯s worrying about.¡± ¡°So what? At the end of the day, he lied to the boss. It makes me sick to see him pretending to be worried when he¡¯s married to another woman abroad,¡± said Aaron angrily. ¡°What if he has his reason for doing that?¡± ¡°I failed to think of any reason that would warrant him to get legally married to another woman abroad. And even if he did, he could exin it to the boss instead of lying to her. He should know the boss will try to see things from his side.¡± Xante shrugged. ¡°I was just guessing. Anyway, I wonder where the boss is right now and if she¡¯s eaten.¡± ¡°She should be fine. Didn¡¯t she say someone else is helping her? I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s at some nice ce waiting for the dust to settle so she can call us.¡± Xante sighed and nodded. ¡°I do hope so.¡± Corinne did not tell Xante and Aaron that the person she had asked for help was Jason as she knew Jeremy would definitely go to their ce to look for her. The less people know about Jason, the better. Xante went to close the door to stop the cat from running out before going back to her bedroom. ¡°Xante, wait!¡± called Aaron. Xante turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yeah?¡± Aaron took out his phone and threw it toward Xante, who caught it without any trouble. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Aaron smiled sinisterly. ¡°Your little lover boy has been calling me nonstop to ask me where you are, so why don¡¯t you tell him yourself?¡± Chapter 1170 Chapter 1170 Xante frowned and looked down at Aaron¡¯s phone, which he had put in silent mode. There was an iing call, and she did not need the caller ID to tell her it was from Sunny. Her sleepiness gave way to frustration as she thought, ¡®Oh my god, he¡¯s so annoying!¡¯ ¡°You can just turn off your phone, you know,¡± she said impatiently. Aaron gave a helpless shrug. ¡°Your little lover says he¡¯ll call the cops on me for kidnapping you if I turn off my phone. I don¡¯t want to go down to the police station if I can help it.¡± Xante was speechless. ¡®That crazy son of a b*tch.¡¯ She took Aaron¡¯s phone back to her room. When Sunny called her again, she leaned back against her headboard with a frown to take the call. ¡°Aaron! My sources tell me you live together with Xante! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t really call the cops if you don¡¯t let her answer my calls!¡± ¡°Call the cops, then. I dare you,¡± said Xante coldly. There was a brief silence before Sunny said in a high-pitched voice, ¡°Xante! Thank god you finally answered the phone! I was worried sick about you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about me?¡± asked Xante in an annoyed tone. Sunny did not know how to answer her, so he scoffed haughtily and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but just know that I worry about you whenever I can¡¯t contact you.¡± Xante could not stand him anymore. ¡°Sunny Rivera, I was fine before you came along, and I¡¯m going to be fine whether you¡¯re in my life or not! Stop harassing my friend ¡¯cause there¡¯s really nothing to worry about. Understood?!¡± Sunny inhaled sharply, and his voice sounded a little bit off when he childishly replied, ¡°Fine, whatever. I didn¡¯t mean to bother your friend, but how can I not panic when it was always Corinne who picked up your phone when I called you for the past two days? It¡¯s not like I can go find you since Lucas has grounded me.¡± Xante sat up straighter. ¡°What did you say? Corinne picked up when you called my phone?¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°Yeah. I was sort of wondering why she had your phone.¡± ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± asked Xante darkly. ¡°No¡­ Nothing,¡± answered Sunny guiltily. ¡°So you did talk about something. Tell me what it is now!¡± ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­ I didn¡¯t know it was her who picked up the call, so I said you need to take responsibility for me after sleeping with me¡­¡± Xante facepalmed herself. ¡°And what did she say after that?¡± ¡°She asked me when it happened,¡± replied Sunny in a trembling voice. ¡°How did you answer?¡± Xante was starting to get a headache. ¡°I didn¡¯t answer her since I remember you told me not to let her know anything about us! So I quickly hung up the phone,¡± answered Sunny honestly. Xante massaged her temples. ¡®What¡¯s the point of him hanging up the phone when he already told Corinne what he shouldn¡¯t have told her? She must be mad at me for sleeping with her kid brother. But it wasn¡¯t like I meant for that to happen. It¡¯s all Sunny¡¯s fault for giving in so easily and not stopping when I told him to!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed now. Don¡¯t call me unless there¡¯s an emergency. I have no time to y with you,¡± said Xante. She was about to hang up the phone when Sunny said in a trembling voice, ¡°I¡¯m actually outside¡­and it¡¯s so cold¡­ I can¡¯t sleep when it¡¯s so cold¡­¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Xante¡¯s thumb froze. ¡°Why are you still outside when it¡¯s sote?¡± she asked with a frown. Chapter 1171 Chapter 1171 ¡°I was so worried about you that I snuck out of the house to find you when my brother wasn¡¯t looking. I forgot to bring my wallet, and my phone is running out of battery¡­ Xante, can you pleasee pick me up?¡± exined Sunny pitifully. ¡°No. Find a way to get home yourself!¡± she said impatiently. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m scared to go home. Lucas doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s in a good mood today, and I¡¯ll definitely receive a beating if I go home now. Plus, I don¡¯t have any money to take the cab¡­¡± Xante would like to kick his behind if she could. ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯ll send someone over to drive you to a hotel where you can stay for the night. Then you can figure out a way to get home in the morning.¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t want someone else toe get me! I only want you! I¡¯d rather freeze to death than let someone else pick me up,¡± said Sunny stubbornly. Xante frowned. ¡°Fine. You can freeze to death for all I care!¡± After that, she hung up the phone. ¡®God. He¡¯s so annoying! What have I done to deserve this?¡¯ The penniless Sunny was in the underpass near Newmoon Group. He kept shivering since he had forgotten to bring his coat too. As angry as he was to hear the busy dial tone, he decided to put down his pride to call Xante again. However, his phonepletely ran out of battery before the call went through. ¡®D*mn it! I¡¯m so screwed!¡¯Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sunny put his phone back into his pocket. He then hugged himself and hopped around to warm himself. A live-streaming busker ying his guitar was live-streaming up ahead, so he decided to distract himself by listening to the songs. He found a clean spot to sit next to the busker. Suddenly, tears started flowing out of his eyes. He did not know why he was crying. Maybe it was because the song the busker was ying was too beautiful. It was an emotional love song which seemed apt to his situation then. In all the 18 years he had been alive, Sunny had never been humiliated by anyone except for Lucas. Coming from a wealthy and powerful family, he had always been adored and worshiped. That was, of course, until he met Xante. ¡®That b*tch! She seduced me first, and now she¡¯s ignoring me? How dare she!¡¯ he thought angrily. Despite the humiliation and cold shoulder, he could not stop himself from thinking about her. He wished he could see her every day or at least hear her voice. ¡®D*mn it! D*mn it! How could she break up with me when I¡¯m just getting started?¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more hurt he felt. He wiped his tears with his arm and scrunched up his face to stop himself from crying further. He thought no one would see him like that, but what he did not know was the camera on the busker¡¯s phone was able to capture him clearly where he sat. The viewers seemed to love him, and one comment after another popped up on the screen. No one was paying attention to the busker anymore as they were all more interested in the crying handsome young man. [He¡¯s really crying his heart out, huh? Must¡¯ve been dumped.] [No way. What girl in their right mind would dump a handsome guy like him?] [There, there. Let me hug you andfort you.] [He¡¯s exactly my type! I wonder which girl broke his heart.] Chapter 1172 Chapter 1172 The busker stopped ying his guitar and singing before he turned to look at Sunny when he saw the comments were all about him. ¡°Hey dude, are you okay?¡± he asked after putting down his guitar and walking over to him. Sunny did not want to let others see him cry, so he wiped his tears away with his arm. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. I¡­ I¡¯m just waiting for someone.¡± The busker did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Why are you crying, then? Did the person you were waiting for ditch you?¡± ¡°Get lost! Mind your own business,¡± said Sunny angrily. This irked the busker. Anyone would be if they got roared at for caring about somebody. However, he tried to let it slide since he thought Sunny looked like a runaway. ¡°If you have nowhere else to go, do you want to stay at my ce for the night? I¡¯m about done with my gig anyway.¡± Sunny was very tempted since he was freezing. ¡°Where do you live?¡± The busker smiled. ¡°Just nearby here. Wait a second while I pack up my equipment. Then we¡¯ll go.¡± Sunny epted his offer and stood up to help the busker pack. To him, anywhere would be better than staying outside. He would probably freeze to death if he stayed out any longer.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The busker turned off his livestream, packed up his stuff, and ced the guitar on his back. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said with a smile. Sunny nodded and followed him out of the underpass. He was so cold and so hungry. ¡°Dude, where do you live?¡± asked the busker while they were walking. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°New Capital City.¡± ¡°Did you fight with your parents and run away?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± The busker smiled and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have parents who care about you, you know. Man, I¡¯m so jealous of you. I know you must be angry at them, but you should really head home tomorrow morning.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any family at all?¡± The busker smiled ruefully. ¡°I do, but they never cared about me.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± The busker did not answer his question. Instead, he pointed to an alley up ahead and said, ¡°My ce is just right around the corner.¡± Sunny subconsciously sped up as he was eager to get out of the cold. However, before he even reached the alley, a white car came out of nowhere and blocked his path. The white car drove so fast that it frightened Sunny and the busker. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to f*cking drive?!¡± roared Sunny. He was already in a bad mood, and the idiotic driving made it even worse. ¡°Oh, believe me. I do know how to drive,¡± said Xante after getting out of her car. Sunny was stunned, but then he frowned. ¡°What are you doing here? I thought you didn¡¯t want to care about me anymore.¡± Xante ignored his tantrum. Instead, she looked at the busker beside him with scrutiny. ¡°Who¡¯s this? And where are you going with him?¡± ¡°Just a kind soul who¡¯s willing to take me in for the night,¡± replied Sunny darkly. Xante frowned and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Haven¡¯t your parents taught you anything about ¡®stranger danger¡¯? Get in the car now!¡± Sunny was tempted, but he was not going to let her off the hook that easily. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to care about me. Why should I get into your car?¡± he asked huffily. ¡°I¡¯m going to count to three, and I¡¯ll leave if you don¡¯t get into the car by the time I finish counting,¡± threatened Xante impatiently. Sunny scoffed and turned to the confused busker. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your channel?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ You can find me by searching ¡®The Lone Singer¡¯.¡± Chapter 1173 Chapter 1173 ¡°Okay. You can go home now. I¡¯ll be sure to check out your channel,¡± said Sunny. After that, he haughtily waved the busker goodbye before getting into Xante¡¯s car. Xante nced at the busker and got into the car too. She then drove off after making sure both she and Sunny had put on their seatbelts. Sunny, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, lifted his chin proudly. ¡°Hmph! I guess it¡¯s true when they say women mean yes when they say no! You still came after all. You know, you should just tell me if you really care about me. I promise I won¡¯tugh at you.¡± Xante was speechless. ¡®Here he goes again.¡¯ She would not havee all the way to pick up Sunny if Aaron had not seen the busker¡¯s livestream and told her Sunny was crying in the underpass. After all, it would be more troublesome for her if the Riveras med her should anything happen to him. It was a good thing her ce was close to the underpass Sunny was at, so it only took her less than 10 minutes to get there. ¡°By the way, how did you know where I was?¡± asked Sunny. Xante focused her attention on the road instead of answering him. Not getting an answer, Sunny starteding up with his own scenario. ¡°You must¡¯ve mobilized your men to look for me. Heck, I won¡¯t even be surprised if you call in some favors from the government to locate me using satellite positioning.¡± Xante frowned. ¡°Nope. I have better things to do than that.¡± Sunny scoffed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just admit you were worried sick about me? So how did you find me?¡± ¡°You got on the trending topic on one of the livestream apps,¡± replied Xante. Sunny was stunned. ¡°What? I was a trending topic? You¡¯re lying! I didn¡¯t even do anything, so how did I be a trending topic?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante knew his phone was out of battery, so she threw hers onto hisp. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± Sunny picked up Xante¡¯s new phone with a confused expression, but his confusion morphed into horror when he saw screenshots of him crying in the busker¡¯stest livestream. ¡°Who¡­ Who posted these?¡± he asked, all red in the face. ¡°The people who saw the livestream. You can¡¯t me anyone but yourself since you should¡¯ve taken care not to appear in the busker¡¯s livestream. I won¡¯t be surprised if this goes viral since everyone online is trying to find out who you are.¡± Sunny¡¯s face darkened. If given a choice, he would not have wanted to go viral this way! ¡°Do you think Lucas will see this?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t, his men would report to him when they saw it.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sunny was speechless. ¡°Sh*t. Lucas is going to call me an embarrassment to the family again if he sees this.¡± ¡°Xante, please do something about this! I know you know someone who can remove me from the trending topic!¡± Xante turned the car into a residential area. ¡°Do you know how much that would cost? Anyway, why should I help you?¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯ll owe you one if you can just get someone to delete that livestream video!¡± Xante ignored him and got out of the car after parking it in the underground parking lot. Sunny quickly unbuckled his seatbelt to chase after her. ¡°Xante! Say something! Are you going to help me or not?¡± Xante gave him a side nce. ¡°Aren¡¯t you in some sort of hacker league? Why waste money when you can ask your buddies to delete the livestream video?¡± Chapter 1174 Chapter 1174 Sunny felt embarrassed at the mention of his amateur hacker league. Scratching his head, he said, ¡°Most of the hackers in the league are high-school students, so they¡¯re only starting out. I wouldn¡¯t have asked you for help if I knew they could do it. Please, Xante. Help me out this one time.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Xante pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking, ¡®Oh, how did I ever get saddled with this teenager?¡¯ ¡­ It was alreadyte in the night when Jeremy got home. Everyone, apart from the household staff working the night shift, was asleep. The maid went up to take Jeremy¡¯s coat off him. She knew he had juste back from abroad that day. Considering the time difference, she asked, ¡°Mister Jeremy, have you eaten? Should I cook something for you?¡± Jeremy simply waved her away tiredly before going upstairs. When he entered his bedroom, he became even more overwhelmed with loss the moment his nose was hit by Corinne¡¯s familiar scent. The smell of her shampoo lingering in the air meant she had taken a shower and blow-dried her hair before leaving this morning. ¡®She must¡¯ve nned her escape down to thest detail since she even had the time to take a shower before she went,¡¯ thought Jeremy. He was about to go take a shower to cool himself down when he heard a noiseing from the bed.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The person on the bed, who seemed to be fast asleep, rolled to the other side. If he listened closely, he could hear the sound of quiet snoring. He stopped walking in shock and stared intently at the person on the bed. The person was curled up and hugging a pillow¡­dressed in Corinne¡¯s pajamas! ¡®Is it her? Did shee back?¡¯ Forgetting to turn on the light, Jeremy half-ran to the bed. ¡°Corinne. Hey, Corinne. Is that you?¡± The person on the bed stirred in her sleep. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Jeremy quickly scooped her up and hugged her tightly to his chest as though fearing she would run away again. ¡°You crazy little rascal! Oh, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back!¡± ¡®That¡¯s why the room smelled like her. She must¡¯ve taken a shower just now,¡¯ thought Jeremy while vigorously sniffing the woman¡¯s hair. He simply could not get enough of her smell. However, the crushing hug caused the woman to wake uppletely. ¡°Jeremy, what the heck are you doing?¡± Jeremy immediately tensed up. Sensing something was off, he pushed the woman away and reached out his hand to turn on the light located above the headboard. His eyes darkened when he saw Sophia¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you sleeping here?¡± he asked after standing up. Sophia rubbed her eyes sleepily. ¡°Grandpa arranged for me to sleep in Francine¡¯s room, but she kept squeezing me out of the bed. I had no choice but to sleep here,¡± she exined in a tone that showed she was not aware she had done anything wrong. ¡°Get out,¡± ordered Jeremy coldly. It was obvious he was not happy. ¡°You can sleep in any room you want except for this one!¡± Sophia shrugged unhappily. ¡°Why not? Miss Corinne isn¡¯t here, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m sleeping on the same bed as you. Why can¡¯t I sleep here? Anyway, you know I can¡¯t sleep in a guest room, right? Plus, even if she¡¯s here, I really don¡¯t think Miss Corinne would mind if I sleep here for the night.¡± Chapter 1175 Chapter 1175 Jeremy frowned and stared at Sophia coldly. ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t mind, I mind! Get out of this room this instant!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia frowned for a second before getting out of bed. The pajamas she was wearing were a little too small for her, so her breasts and behind were slightly revealed. The pajamas belonged to Corinne, who was of a more petite size. The pajamas would be too small for the big-boned Sophia. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you wearing her clothes?¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°My stuff hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Jeremy, have you forgotten that we came in such a rush that I didn¡¯t even get a chance to go home to pack my stuff? I wanted to borrow clothes from Francine, but she wouldn¡¯t lend me no matter how much I begged. I don¡¯t think she likes me very much. You see, I had no choice but to borrow from Corinne.¡± Not only was she wearing Corinne¡¯s pajamas, but she showered in their room too. The reason was the same: Francine did not let her shower in her room. Corinne¡¯s pajamas were already small on Sophia, but much more of her skin was revealed when she shrugged or raised her hand. However, Jeremypletely ignored all of that. Instead, he coldly said, ¡°Take. It. Off. Now.¡± Sophia was a little taken aback at first, but she then smiled flirtatiously. ¡°Are you sure you want me to take it off now?¡± After that, she made to take off her clothes. She was not wearing any underwear beneath it.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jeremy turned his back to her. ¡°You better change into your own clothes and give me back her clothes now.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Sophia with a sigh. ¡°You sure are no fun.¡± Jeremy went to the balcony to get some fresh air. Even though the smell in the room remained the same as before, he could not help but feel disgusted. He lit a cigarette darkly. After a while, he heard someoneing up from behind him. He did not need to turn around to know who it was, so he remained motionless as he puffed out a cloud of smoke. Sophia had changed back to her own clothes and came to talk to Jeremy. Frowning, she pretended to whine, ¡°Jeremy, we¡¯ve been friends for so long. Do you really have to act like this? It hurts me to be treated like this by you.¡± Jeremy nced at her emotionlessly. ¡°No matter how close we are, you¡¯re still a woman.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow. ¡°Oh, so you do know I¡¯m a woman after all. In all the years we¡¯ve known each other, I¡¯ve always thought you see me as a guy.¡± Jeremy took a drag of his cigarette before answering, ¡°I¡¯m a married man now, so unlike before, I have to keep some boundaries between myself and the opposite s*x.¡± Sophia snorted withughter. ¡°Okay, Mister Married Man, let me ask you something. Where is your wife now, huh? What¡¯s the point of keeping boundaries when she¡¯s not even here to see it?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened, even though he agreed with what Sophia said. ¡®She¡¯s right. What¡¯s the point of keeping my boundaries? It¡¯s not that little rascal would care.¡¯ ¡°Jeremy, you went out to find Miss Corinne just now, right? Judging from your face, you couldn¡¯t find her, right?¡± asked Sophia. Jeremy continued to silently smoke. ¡°Jeremy, what are you going to do if you can¡¯t find her this time?¡± asked Sophia again. Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°No, that¡¯ll never happen. I¡¯ll find her even if she has been turned into ash!¡± Chapter 1176 Chapter 1176 Sophia put her hand on the balcony railing and fluttered her eyshes at Jeremy. ¡°I¡¯m just saying ¡®if¡¯! I mean, would you take another woman as your wife if you can¡¯t find Miss Corinne?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®if¡¯ in this matter.¡± Sophia pouted. ¡°What a spoilsport! There¡¯s no harm in imagining a different scenario.¡± Jeremy nced at her. ¡°Just what are you trying to say here?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia beamed at him. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ If you can¡¯t find Miss Corinne, I¡¯ll be willing to live with you as a partner. I mean, we¡¯re already legally married abroad, so that makes us husband and wife too, right?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Indeed, they had gotten legally married abroad. Back then, Greg refused to undergo a life-saving surgery unless Jeremy got married. Thus, to appease his grandfather, he decided to find a woman to go through a fake marriage with him. He chose Sophia because they had known each other for a long time, and there was no drama between them so he asked her to help him. After they got legally married abroad, Jeremy took the marriage certificate back to New Capital City to show Greg. However, Greg was no old fool. Fearing Jeremy would get a divorce the instant he got the surgery, Greg told him that it was not enough for him to register their marriage. Jeremy would also need to announce their engagement and have a wedding in New Capital City. Jeremy had no choice but to agree to Greg¡¯s terms. However, Sophia failed to turn up at the wedding on time due to terrible flight conditions. It was also on that day, Jeremy met Corinne for the first time. After she kissed him, he dragged her to the wedding toplete the ceremony. Muchter, he slowly forgot about the marriage certificate he got with Sophia as they did not really stay in contact after the wedding. Jeremy had every intention to get legally married to Corinne since he nned to spend the rest of his life with her. However, he knew the city hall could find out about his marriage abroad, and Corinne would definitely be mad once she learned of the situation. Thus, he nned to exin everything to her only after revoking his marriage with Sophia. Jeremy thought Sophia would readily agree to the ¡®divorce¡¯, but she refused to cooperate with him unless she was given some sort ofpensation. She said her prospect of finding another partner in the future had been greatly diminished since she would have to carry the stigma of being a divorcee. Jeremy knew that, so he agreed topensate her. The tricky part was that Sophia did not want compensation in the form of money. What she really wanted was for him to stay with her in Molomia for a month, then she would agree to the divorce. Since he happened to have a new project in Molomia that required him to personally oversee the kickoff, he agreed to stay with her. However, things obviously did not go ording to his n. Chapter 1177 Chapter 1177 Jeremy scoffed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m in the mood to joke with you right now?¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°Why not? I mean, Miss Corinne could be having the best time in her life as we speak. There¡¯s no reason for you to be sad.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°That¡¯s enough chit-chat for the night. Go find another room to sleep in.¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°Where? I can¡¯t sleep here or in Francine¡¯s room, and I¡¯m not going to sleep in the guest room.¡± ¡°Only you would believe in the words of a tarot reader!¡± said Jeremy with annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s right! And I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that! You¡¯re never going to make me sleep in the guest room! You should just let me stay here for the night since it looks like you¡¯ll be too worried about Miss Corinne to ever fall asleep. I promise I¡¯ll go find a hotel tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°No!¡± Sophia rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°What a stingy man! I don¡¯t think Miss Corinne cares one bit whether another woman sleeps on her bed since it¡¯s so obvious she doesn¡¯t want to be with you anymore.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. At first, he tried to suppress his anger since Sophia was an old friend of his, and she also helped him out with the whole fake marriage thing. This time, however, she had gone too far. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for kicking you out of the house if you don¡¯t get out of the room this instant!¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°Oh please, Jeremy. You don¡¯t scare me. I know you, and you¡¯ll never do something like that to me. But I¡¯ve decided to be the bigger person, so I¡¯ll get out like you want. I¡¯ll just watch the television the whole night in the living room. Bye.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ After that, she strolled breezily out of the room. Jeremy did not even spare her a nce. He looked up at the sky, wondering where and what Corinne was doing. He was more worried than mad at her. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Sophia bumped into Francine, who was looking for her, the moment she came out of Jeremy¡¯s room. Francine put her hands to her hips and red at Sophia when she saw the woman walking out of Jeremy¡¯s room. ¡°Hey, you! What the hell were you doing in my brother¡¯s room? You must be up to no good. As a matter of fact, I won¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re the reason Corinne went messing!¡± ¡°Francine, how can you say something like that? I wanted to sleep in your room, but you kept squeezing me out of the bed! I had no choice but to sleep in Jeremy¡¯s room,¡± said Sophia unrepentantly. ¡°You could¡¯ve just slept in the guest room! And don¡¯t give me all that mumbo-jumbo about bad energy! They¡¯re probably just excuses you¡¯ve made up to sleep in Jeremy¡¯s bedroom. Well, you¡¯re not so smart if you think I¡¯m going to fall for that! Our family doesn¡¯t wee you, so I suggest you leave this house first thing tomorrow morning!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t speak for your whole family! Your grandmother seems to like me, or have you forgotten she asked you to give up your room for me? I have half a mind to tell her that you didn¡¯t do as she asked you to! Do you want to bet that she¡¯s going to ask you to move out so that I can stay in your room?¡± said Sophia confidently. Francine was beyond livid. She did not understand why Pam would allow such an annoying woman to stay in the house when there was a more important crisis to solve! ¡°Pah! My grandmother dotes on me a lot, so she¡¯ll definitely kick you out if I tell her you¡¯re bullying me! That is, unless you didn¡¯t use any of your voodoo magic on her!¡± Sophia smirked provocatively. ¡°As if I¡¯ll believe that! Tell her that, and see whose side she¡¯ll take!¡± ¡°Why you evil, shameless woman! How dare you act so cocky in front of me?¡± exploded Francine. Chapter 1178 Chapter 1178 ¡°Quiet down!¡± roared Jeremy angrily after he came out of his room. Francine jumped with fright when she heard Jeremy¡¯s voice. After that, she suddenly realized something. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re back. Were¡­ Were you also in the room? What were the two of you doing in there?¡± Jeremy did not feel the need to exin himself to Francine, so he simply scolded her, ¡°You should be sleeping at this hour! Go back to your room now.¡± ¡°No wonder Corinne ran away from home. Anyone would leave a husband like you,¡± muttered Francine under her breath so Jeremy would not hear her. She then red at Sophia before walking off. Sophia simply shrugged. ¡°You saw how she treated me, right, Jeremy? That¡¯s why I had no choice but to sleep in your room!¡± ¡°Please bear with the situation for at least this one night. I¡¯ll arrange for you to stay at the hotel tomorrow, and you won¡¯t have to see her anymore,¡± said Jeremy glumly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Fine.¡± After that, she went down to the living room to watch the television. Jeremy did not really care about Sophia. He only came out to stop the fight between Francine and Sophia as he could not stand the shouting.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The moment he went back to his room, he received a call from Tommy. Thinking it was news about Corinne, he quickly answered the phone. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve checked all of the immigration records, and there was no record of Miss Corinne leaving the city. We always have eyes on all the highways, and there were no signs of her. She must still be in the city,¡± reported Tommy. Jeremy¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Continue to look for her! Leave no stones unturned until you find her!¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡­ Six monthster. The new Holden Group building was finallypleted. Thepany would be moving in three days later, and there would be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with many reporters in attendance. At least, that was the n. There was an unwritten rule in the construction industry that the architect who designed the building must participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Otherwise, bad luck would befall the building upants and their safety. As superstitious as the rule sounded, most of the architects would still choose to join the ribbon-cutting ceremony. After all, being photographed with the building they designed would give them a sense of achievement. Gradually, what started out as a superstition turned into an irrefutable belief to the extent that if the architect did not show up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, he or she was as good as cursing for the building upants to fail. This went especially for big corporations. All of the buildings they upied were mostly skyscrapers, so safety was their utmost concern. Even the shareholders insisted the architect had to be present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Superstition aside, who would not want to make sure their business kicked off with a great start? Chapter 1179 Chapter 1179 The new Holden Group building was designed and constructed by Newmoon Group. However, the company representative sent an apologetic email saying Moon the architect would not be able to attend the ribbon-cutting as she was upied. However, to show thepany¡¯s sincerity, the president of Newmoon Group would attend on Moon¡¯s behalf. Holden Group¡¯s directors were furious when they found out about this. They would not ept Newmoon Group¡¯s president to attend on the architect¡¯s behalf. They even went so far as to think that Newmoon Group was cursing them to fail. Jeremy did not believe in all that mumbo-jumbo, but as the president of Holden Group, he had to respect the board of directors¡¯ wishes. Thus, he called Xante to let her know that hispany would not pay the remaining bnce of the payment unless Moon went to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. 150 million dors was not a small sum. That amount of money could spell the life or death of Newmoon Group. Thus, Xante was understandably upset. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you¡¯re being unreasonable. How can you threaten us with non-payment to force us into cooperation?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the one being unreasonable here?¡± asked Jeremy coldly. ¡°You know what it means when the architect doesn¡¯t attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, right? Do I really need to tell you what the news would say about mypany if they get wind of this? Miss Xante, I highly advise you to bring Moon to the ribbon-cutting ceremony if you want yourpany to survive in New Capital City.¡± On the other side of the phone, Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly proved me wrong, Mister Jeremy. I thought you wouldn¡¯t believe in superstitious mumbo-jumbo.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t, but it doesn¡¯t matter as this is what many other corporations believe. I believe not one of them will do business with you again if you insist on not bringing Moon to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.¡± Jeremy hung up the phone after that. Xante was speechless. It was not that Newmoon Group wanted to curse Holden Group, but how was she supposed to get Moon¡ªwho was actually Corinne¡ªto join the ribbon-cutting ceremony when her boss had been trying to hide from Jeremy for the past six months? It would be a disaster if Corinne was to meet with Jeremy again! At first, Xante toyed with the idea of getting someone to impersonate Moon for the ribbon-cutting ceremony since no photo of Moon was ever circted publicly before. In other words, no one knew what she really looked like. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy had seen Moon once when he came to thepany, but she was wearing a mask then, so he did not really get a good look at her. What Xante worried about was that Jeremy, who was familiar with Moon¡¯s work, would get suspicious if the impersonator failed to answer any of his questions. Xante would rather not deal with the bacsh if she could help it. ¡®But what should I do now? It¡¯s not like I can ask the boss to attend, right? That¡¯s as good as selling her out!¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile, Jeremy walked out of hispany building to attend an important business banquet. He pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly after getting into the car. He looked like something was weighing heavy on his mind. Corinne had seemingly vanished into thin air. No one had seen her, and there was no immigration or purchasing record or news of her. He initially suspected Xante and Aaron were hiding Corinne. After all, even if she did not want him, she would not abandon her old friends, right? Thus, he arranged for his men to watch Xante and Aaron¡¯s every move. s, they did nothing to warrant any suspicions at all. Chapter 1180 Chapter 1180 Moreover, Xante and Aaron were looking for Corinne as well. They, too, came up empty-handed. ¡®Where the hell is that girl hiding?¡¯ thought Jeremy. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re here.¡± Jeremy snapped out of his thoughts and looked out of the window. They had arrived at the hotel where the business banquet was held. He got out of the car and walked steadily to the banquet hall. As soon as he got there, avishly dressed ***y woman wound her arm around his. ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯rete! Everyone has been waiting for you,¡± said Sophia with a flirtatious smile. Jeremy unhooked her arm from his and walked to distance himself. ¡°Whye early when it¡¯s not an important event at all?¡± he asked aloofly. ¡°How can you say that about a business banquet? All the biggest corporations havee together to talk about thetest development in the industry, so it¡¯s really a good opportunity towork!¡± said Sophia. Jeremy was not interested in all that. He possessed all thetest global information at his very fingertips, so there was no need to waste his time in this kind ofworking event. He only attended because Zeke and Gerald had been calling him nonstop, asking him to join them in one event or the other. He thought it would be rude if he kept on turning them down.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Most of the events they invited him to attend were of the loud kind, so when they asked him to attend this business banquet, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity to hang out with them. Additionally, he attended this instead of the other events because no random girls would be throwing themselves at him. Sophia smiled at him. ¡°Alright, alright. If you¡¯re that reluctant to talk to the other people here, you can come hang out with me, Zeke, and Gerald. They¡¯re waiting for you on the balcony.¡± Jeremy nodded and followed her upstairs. Midway up the stairs, he happened to bump into Lucas, who wasing down from the stairs. The two men exchanged nces before walking past each other silently. It was obvious they did not like each other one bit. Previously, they would at least give each other a curt nod if they saw one another, and this was despite the bad blood between the two families. However, half a year ago, they became strangers to each other after having a huge fight about Corinne. Lucas felt he was already being kind by letting Jeremy live after Corinne disappeared, so there was no way he would acknowledge him on the stairs! Jeremy was not in the mood to care about Lucas either, so he walked to the balcony. Zeke immediately stood up with a ss of wine in his hand when he saw Jeremy. ¡°Hey Jeremy, it¡¯s been a while. Why do you keep turning down our invitations? Have you be a hermit or something?¡± he asked as he put his arm around Jeremy¡¯s shoulder. Jeremy gave him a cold side-eye before pushing him away. ¡°Get lost.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Zeke strode to where Gerald was like a hurt dog. ¡°Gerald, did you see that? I was only worried about him, yet he told me to get lost! Is this how one should treat a friend?¡± Gerald, who sat on the sofa, sipped his wine before saying, ¡°Serves you right.¡± After that, he picked up a ss of wine and passed it to Jeremy, who sat next to him. ¡°Hey man, how have you been? Any news about her yet?¡± Jeremy epted the ss of wine and clinked it with Gerald¡¯s. He shook his head darkly in response to his question. Chapter 1181 Chapter 1181 Gerald did not ask anything further. ¡°I must say, what¡¯s all this fuss about not being able to find Corinne? I mean, you can get any other woman you want, Jeremy. You should just forget about her,¡± said Zeke. Jeremy frowned and ignored him. Gerald red at Zeke. ¡°No one will think you¡¯re dumb if you don¡¯t open your mouth!¡± Zeke shrugged innocently and said, ¡°What? Am I wrong? This isn¡¯t the first time Corinne has run away. Why should Jeremy still care about her when she dumped him twice? If I were you, Jeremy, I would¡¯ve shacked up with another woman already.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression darkened. Gerald quickly kicked Zeke on the legs. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop annoying us and p*ss off downstairs?¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Zeke screamed out in pain. However, that did nothing to stop him from talking. Though, to his credit, he did bring up the liveliness of the atmosphere. Sophia, who sat on the armchair with a ss of wine in her hand,ughed at Zeke¡¯s antics. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re funny, Mister Zeke! I won¡¯t be surprised if girls are lining up to be your girlfriend!¡± Zeke spread his hands out helplessly. ¡°You would think that, but no girls would even give me the time of the day whenever I¡¯m around Jeremy, Zeke, Lucas, or Jason. That¡¯s why I always go out on the hunt alone. The girls won¡¯t know what they¡¯re missing out on if they don¡¯t see these handsome men.¡± Sophiaughed again. ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I think you¡¯re all handsome in your own way. Plus, they¡¯re not as approachable as you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Zeke smiled happily at being praised. ¡°Really? Then do you want to hang out with me sometime?¡± ¡°Of course. I could use a good time,¡± said Sophia with a breezy smile. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Zeke sat on the arm of Sophia¡¯s armchair and leaned down close to her. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ve been single for way too long, so what do you say you and I get together?¡± he said flirtatiously. Sophia was stunned, but she then pushed him away yfully. ¡°Hey man, I¡¯m one of the guys. Stop joking around.¡± Zeke leaned in closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. So what do you say? Do you want to be my girlfriend?¡± ¡°Mister Zeke, I¡¯m not interested in dating my friends. Stop this nonsense,¡± said Sophia with annoyance. Zeke raised his eyebrow and spread out his hands. ¡°See. You just proved my point. Even you don¡¯t want to date me, so what¡¯s to say about other girls?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get this the wrong way. I don¡¯t want to date you not because I don¡¯t like you but because I already have someone in mind. I can¡¯t really fall for any other guy at the moment. You should be more confident about your own charm, Mister Zeke,¡± exined Sophia. ¡°Ooh. Who¡¯s the guy? Do we know him? Tell us the name, and maybe we can help set you up with him!¡± Sophia furtively nced at Jeremy, who was sipping his wine. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. It¡¯s a secret!¡± she said, her gaze shifting. Zeke chuckled softly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me, ¡¯cause my guess is. It¡¯s either Jeremy or Gerald, right?¡± Sophia was silent for a few seconds before she waved her hand dismissively and said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop the conversation here. My love life is not for you to gossip about.¡± Zeke crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. ¡°So it¡¯s true! No girls would ever find me attractive whenever Jeremy and Gerald are here. Oh, poor me. I¡¯m going to be forever lonely.¡± Chapter 1182 Chapter 1182 Sophiaughed wryly. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting man, Mister Zeke.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of being interesting if you don¡¯t love me?¡± ¡°Oh, stop it. I know I¡¯m not your type either.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in a luxurious vi on the outskirts of the city, Corinne was watching the television while having her dinner. The vi belonged to Jason, and she had been living there for close to six months. She intended to fly out of the country with Jason¡¯s private jet after the storm died down. s, the chaos never settled as Jeremy still ordered his men to look for her and keep a close eye on all major transport systems. Even though she could use Jason¡¯s private jet, the pilot would still need to clear the flight with the air traffic controller, which would require him to submit all the passengers¡¯ names. She was sure she would be exposed then since Jeremy would be monitoring all the private jets leaving the country as well. Thus, she had no choice but to ept Jason¡¯s arrangement to hide out in the vi. The vi was located quite far from the city, and there were no other buildings around it. Thus, Corinne knew she would be safe there. Jason even arranged for his trusted servants to take care of her, and there would be deliveries of essentials every other day.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne did not have to stay at Jason¡¯s since both Xante and Aaron had many properties under their names too. She could hide out in any one of them, but doing so would put her at the risk of being discovered by Jeremy. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. She knew Jeremy would suspect Xante and Aaron had something to do with her disappearance. She had no idea how long she could live in hiding, but she was determined not to go back to Jeremy. ¡®What does that b*stard take me for? His concubine?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Even living as a concubine is better than a fake wife!¡¯ She once told him she did not care whether they got legally married or not, but that did not mean he could lie to her about being married to someone else! Moreover, she could not believe he still expected her and the baby to stay with him! Corinne was eating and thinking about all that when she received a new text message. The phone she used belonged to one of the servants, so she was not worried about being discovered. The text message was sent from an unknown number and was written in Morse Code instead of words. Her face instantly changed after she deciphered the message. The message was from Xante. Both she and Aaron had a rotation of different phone numbers they used to contact her, and as an added precaution, they onlymunicated with each other using Morse Code. The gist of the text message this time was Holden Group would be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new building in three days. They asked for the attendance of Moon with the stiption that they would not pay the remaining bnce they owed to Newmoon Group if she did not attend. Since Corinne was the one who negotiated the deal, she knew how much money was involved, so she knew this was no time for joking. Nheless¡­ She looked down at her baby bump and thought, ¡®This is going to be tricky¡­ If the baby bump isn¡¯t showing, I could just do what I didst time¡ªjoin the ceremony by wearing a mask and telling them I¡¯m allergic to UV rays. It¡¯s not like Jeremy¡¯s the type who¡¯d force me to take off my mask¡­¡¯ Chapter 1183 Chapter 1183 ¡®Jeremy¡¯s usually very cold to strangers, but the baby bump will attract too much attention. Then again, Newmoon Group will face the risk of bankruptcy if Holden Group doesn¡¯t pay the remaining bnce¡­¡¯ Corinne did not have the heart to sit idly as thepany she took so much effort to build went bankrupt. Not to mention, she had a kid to feed, so she could not lose thepany! However, no matter how much brainpower she used on the problem, she could note up with a perfect solution. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. She snapped back to the present and thought with rm, ¡®Who could it be?¡¯ No one woulde except for the delivery man, who woulde every other day to deliver groceries and other essentials, but he already came yesterday! Corinne frowned as she watched the servant open the door. She sighed with relief when she saw the servant bowing. ¡®It¡¯s just Jason. But what¡¯s he doing here again? The vi is a four-hour return journey from the city. Doesn¡¯t he think it¡¯s troublesome to visit me? Besides, I¡¯ve already told him to keep the visits to a minimum and that I¡¯ll contact him if there¡¯s anything.¡¯ Corinne knew Jason woulde up on Jeremy¡¯s radar too if his men caught wind of all the unusual and frequent visits to the vi. Jeremy was doing everything necessary to catch her! ¡®What the heck is he doing here? His presence will only cause me trouble,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Look what I brought you, Corinne,¡± said Jason with a gentle smile and a takeout box in his hand.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne frowned. She was already in a bad mood, but Jasoning over to visit for such a trivial reason made it even worse. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± she asked with annoyance. Jason pouted. ¡°What do you mean, why am I here again? Thest time I came was a month ago. Besides, I thought you might have some cravings, so I brought you your favorite cajun crawfish.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m willing to risk being found by Jeremy for some stupid cajun crawfish?¡± Jason walked over, put down the takeout box on the coffee table, and sat on the sofa. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was very careful, so I don¡¯t think Jeremy¡¯s men will notice anything suspicious. Corinne, it might not seem like it, but I¡¯m actually more worried than you about the whole thing. Trust me when I say I don¡¯t take your protection lightly,¡± he said with a smile. Corinne nced at him. ¡°You¡¯re more worried than me? Why? Is it because you¡¯re scared the Holdens woulde down hard on your family if they knew you¡¯re hiding me? Actually¡­ I think it¡¯s very risky for you too. That¡¯s why I told you you don¡¯t have to hide me here. I can just rent a ce in some backwater town.¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°Nonsense, Corinne. The fact that I¡¯m willing to help you means I¡¯m willing to take the risk. What I¡¯m trying to say is, I¡¯m worried that Jeremy will take you away if they find you. I¡¯ll never get to see you again if that happens.¡± Corinne was speechless. Jason touched the outside of the takeout box. The cajun crawfish was already cold since the journey there took two hours. He gestured for a servant to take and heat the cajun crawfish. After that, he looked at Corinne, who looked troubled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you in a bad mood? Is it because you¡¯re getting bored here?¡± Chapter 1184 Chapter 1184 Corinne leaned back against the sofa and answered absent-mindedly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Is it prenatal depression? Shall I get a doctor to check up on you?¡± asked Jason worriedly. Corinne shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve always been cautious, so I promise you the Holdens will never find you here. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself if you feel any difort,¡± assured Jason gently. Corinne looked up at him and said a little sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Mister Jason, for all you¡¯ve done for me. I really don¡¯t want to trouble you with any more stuff.¡± Jason pretended to be angry. ¡°You should drop the ¡®Mister¡¯ in front of my name if you really want to thank me!¡± Corinne knew Jason had feelings for her. Thus, she had been sure to keep her boundaries, whether through words or actions, so he would not get any wrong idea. However, this was not the first time Jason expressed his dissatisfaction at being called ¡®Mister Jason¡¯. He wanted her to simply call him ¡®Jason¡¯. To show her gratitude, Corinne broke her own rule and said, ¡°Thanks, Jason.¡± Jason grinned happily. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Now, would you tell me what¡¯s bothering you now? I¡¯m already in the deep with you, so I might as well help you till the end. I know you don¡¯t want to owe me, but you sort of already do.¡± It was true Corinne did not want to trouble Jason, but another reason she was reluctant to tell him was because she did not think he could help her in that matter. However, she had gotten to know him better in the past six months, so she did not quite mind sharing her problem with him.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Thus, she said, ¡°I¡¯m being required to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new building of Holden Group, which I obviously can¡¯t go.¡± Jason was shocked. ¡°Holden Group invited you to the ribbon-cutting ceremony? Does that mean Jeremy knows you¡¯re here?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Not me, exactly. It¡¯s another one of my identities.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s your other identity?¡± asked Jason puzzledly. ¡°There¡¯s a custom in the construction industry that says the architect must attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and if they don¡¯t, it¡¯s as good as cursing the other party. So¡­¡± Jason had heard of the custom too so he was not surprised, but what surprised him was that Corinne was Moon all along! ¡°So you¡¯re the famous architect Moon?¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t usually take on cases myself anymore. It¡¯s just that this time, Holden Group offered me a lot. Like, a lot.¡± Instead of being worried about the problem, Jason was pleasantly surprised. ¡°You¡¯re one hell of a woman, Corinne! Just how many more surprises are you keeping from us?¡± Moon was an internationally renowned architect, and she received many international awards for her designs. However, she never participated in any of the events, so only a handful of people knew what she looked like. That was why Jason was happy that Corinne would let him in on this little secret. Corinne nced listlessly at him. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m in the mood to talk about other surprises?¡± Jason cleared his throat and got back to the topic at hand. ¡°Corinne, since no one knows what Moon looks like, you can just get an impersonator to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.¡± Corinne rubbed her forehead. ¡°Jeremy and Moon met once before. Even though I had my mask on at that time, he had a certain impression of me. It would be difficult to get someone to impersonate me. ¡°If he deliberately asks some tricky questions about the source of inspiration and design concept of building, the person pretending to be me will easily be exposed. Then, Newmoon Group will have to kiss the hundred fifty million dors goodbye. Things will be even more troublesome if that happens!¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Chapter 1185 Chapter 1185 Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°Corinne, just what is your rtionship with Newmoon Group?¡± ¡°Xante and Aaron are my childhood friends,¡± said Corinne honestly. ¡°I see.¡± Jason got the gist of the whole thing, so he did not ask any further questions about it. ¡°This is certainly tricky. One hundred and fifty million dors isn¡¯t a small sum at all.¡± That was why Corinne was so frustrated. If it was only a few thousand or even one hundred thousand dors, she could have just let the whole thing be. ¡°Corinne, have you ever heard of an ancient art of face disguise, Metamorph?¡± asked Jason with a smile and a raised eyebrow. ¡®Metamorph?¡¯ Corinne frowned. ¡°What? Like in the magic world?¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°Not exactly. I heard there¡¯s a mask that will change your facepletely once you wear it.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Even if there¡¯s such a mask, how are you going to get it?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I can try to get it. Then you can wear the mask to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony without having to worry about being exposed.¡± Corinne was not convinced. ¡°But what about my baby bump? It¡¯s not like I can suck it in.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your baby bump? A million women in the world are pregnant at the same time. Corinne, you just have to walk confidently up to the stage, and no one would suspect anything.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne thought what he said sounded reasonable. However, that did nothing to assuage the guilt she felt. She was not confident that she could act like everything was normal in front of Jeremy with her eight-month baby bump. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about, Corinne. I¡¯ll get my man to look for the mask, and the only thing you need to do is to talk yourself out of your worry. Trust me, everything¡¯s going to be alright,¡± comforted Jason. Corinne nodded. As much as she did not like the n, she did not have anything better to go on with. Jason left after sharing the te of cajun crawfish with Corinne. The only thing she had to do was to wait for his news on the mask. Corinne became restless at the thought of having to meet Jeremy in three days. After all, she had not seen him for half a year and thought she would never have to see him again for the rest of her life. The next morning, Jason called her to let her know he had gotten the mask and that someone would be bringing it over to herter that night. Corinne had given herself pep talks throughout the day, so she felt more confident. She texted Xante in Morse Code to tell her that she would be attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony as Moon in two days. ¡­ Xante, who was still in her office, was shocked and worried when she read the text message Corinne sent her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®The boss is going to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony? Isn¡¯t she scared that Mister Jeremy will find out? Wouldn¡¯t all of her effort in hiding for the past six months be in vain?¡¯ Chapter 1186 Chapter 1186 At that moment, Xante¡¯s secretary knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Xante after snapping out of her trance. The secretary came in and presented a file. ¡°Miss Xante, these are the documents you¡¯ve asked for.¡± ¡°Thanks. You can put it there,¡± said Xante with a nod. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The secretary did as she was told. ¡°One more thing, Miss Xante¡­ Mister Sunny hase to visit you again. Should I let him in?¡± Xante pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Might as well.¡± She knew Sunny would stay outside her office until she let him in, and that would leave a bad impression on Xante¡¯s staff. ¡°As you wish, Miss Xante,¡± said the secretary before going out. A minuteter, Sunny swaggered into Xante¡¯s office and sat on the chair in front of her desk. ¡°Xante, it¡¯s nearly lunchtime. Where shall we eatter?¡± Xante looked at him expressionlessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to have lunch with you.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re going with me whether you like it or not.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante raised her eyebrow threateningly. ¡°Are you ordering me?¡± Sunny frowned. His voice faltered as he said, ¡°I went through a lot of trouble toe out today, and I have to get back soon. Won¡¯t you please have lunch with me?¡± ¡°Go eat it yourself. I¡¯m busy.¡± Sunny stood up, walked over to her, and put both of his arms on either side of her chair, effectively trapping her. He might be young, but he was so much taller than her. He red at her from above and said, ¡°It¡¯s just lunch! It won¡¯t take up much of your time. Xante, don¡¯t make me get down on my knees to beg you.¡± Xante could not help butugh at the way Sunny was ring and pleading with her. ¡°You seem more interested in eating me than eating lunch.¡± Sunny started blushing, and his gaze darted around. ¡°No¡­ I swear I¡¯m only thinking about lunch. I know you won¡¯t let me do anything more than that.¡± Xante tapped his head with the file in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know that.¡± Sunny blinked. ¡°Is this your way of agreeing you¡¯ll go to lunch with me?¡± Xante nodded reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m sort of hungry too, so I¡¯ll finish up my work after lunch.¡± Sunny happily gave her a quick peck on the face. ¡°I knew you won¡¯t turn me down!¡± Xante was a little stunned. She turned her face away, shoved him off, and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s only lunch. I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so happy. Let¡¯s go.¡± Sunny scratched his head and followed Xante out of the office. Since Xante¡¯s office was not that far from Aaron¡¯s, the moment she stepped out, she saw Aaron standing at his doorway staring at the empty secretary spot that Annie used to upy. She had not been to work for a long time. Xante walked over and waved her hand in front of his face. ¡°Hello, Earth to Aaron. Do you want to go to lunch with us?¡± Aaron snapped back to the present. He looked at Xante first before looking at Sunny. He then shook his head. ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t want to be a third wheel, so I¡¯ll go to the cafeteriater. You have fun with your little lover boy.¡± Xante rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You know you could¡¯ve just stopped at ¡®no, thanks¡¯.¡± After that, she walked toward the elevator with Sunny following behind her. Aaron gave the empty secretary spot onest meaningful look before going back into his office. Chapter 1187 Chapter 1187 Xante drove Sunny to a very famous fine-dining restaurant. She thought she should at least bring him to eat something good since he went through a lot of trouble to sneak out of his house. In the end, they bumped into somebody they knew in the restaurant. Jeremy was dining at the restaurant with a very ***ily dressed woman. They were eating and chatting as though no one else was in the world. Xante narrowed her eyes with disgust. ¡®Well, they certainly look cozy, yet he still wouldn¡¯t give up his search for the boss. I don¡¯t get it. Why does he still insist on looking for her? Why doesn¡¯t he just spend the rest of his life with his exotic wife? It¡¯s all his fault that the boss has to stay in hiding!¡¯ thought Xante. She did not n to greet Jeremy as they were not very close to begin with. Most of the interactions they had were always work-rted. However, she forgot one little thing, and that was Sunny. As soon as Sunny saw Jeremy, he waved to him and said, ¡°Jeremy, fancy seeing you here too!¡± Jeremy looked in their direction, so Xante had no choice but to give him a curt nod as a greeting.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ However, that was not the end of it as Sunny, who obviously could not read the room, quickly dragged her over to Jeremy¡¯s table. ¡°Jeremy, my girlfriend and I¡¯vee here to have lunch too.¡± Xante was speechless. Jeremy nced indifferently at Xante before turning back to Sunny, asking, ¡°Does your brother know you¡¯re dating Miss Xante?¡± Sunny frowned in dismay. ¡°He knows, but he thinks I¡¯m still too young to be dating. But I¡¯m not a kid anymore, so I¡¯m not going to listen to him. He can control every other aspect of my life, but not this one!¡± Jeremy looked at him thoughtfully and said nothing. Instead, he went back to cutting his steak. Sophia, however, giggled. ¡°My, Mister Sunny. I¡¯m sure your girlfriend feels very secure with you. After all, it¡¯s not every guy who¡¯d be willing to go against their family for a girl.¡± Sunny looked at Sophia. This was not the first time he met her, but they had not really exchanged any words before. All he knew was Sophia was a good friend of Jeremy¡¯s, and she seemed to know Zeke and Gerald too. For some reason, he could not bring himself to like her, so he ignored her. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Xante. She did not want to stay a second longer. Sunny nodded and they were about to go to their table. Suddenly, Sophia said warmly, ¡°Since we¡¯re all friends, why don¡¯t you join us? We still have a lot of food that hasn¡¯te. Take a seat, you two.¡± ¡°No, thanks. We¡¯ll order our own food,¡± said Xante. ¡°Miss Xante, I heard from Jeremy that you¡¯re Miss Corinne¡¯s friend. Well, I¡¯d love to get to know you better. I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about.¡± Xante stopped walking at the mention of Corinne. She turned back to look at Sophia warily, ¡°Exactly what do you want to talk about?¡± Sophiaughed heartily. ¡°About Miss Corinne, of course.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Xante narrowed her eyes. She could not help but wonder what Sophia was hiding under her smile. Chapter 1188 Chapter 1188 Sunny, on the other hand, did not think too much of it and said, ¡°Xante, let¡¯s just join them. The more the merrier after all.¡± After thinking about it, Xante walked over to their table with a mission to get to know Sophia better. ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if we do, then.¡± Sophia tilted her head and smiled at her. ¡°A friend of Jeremy is a friend of mine too. Please, go ahead.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses and scoffed internally. She knew Sophia¡¯s breezy attitude was all an act since every word of hers was meant to let others know just how close she was with Jeremy. As to whether Sophia was doing it on purpose or identally¡­ Well, that depended on who was the recipient of her message. Xante sat beside Sophia while Sunny took the seat beside Jeremy. There was an awkward silence once everyone was settled. Jeremy continued to cut his steak with an apathetic expression. It was as if he was not interested in what was going on in his surroundings at all. In fact, he would give only one-word answers whenever Sunny asked him any question.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia was not eating. She rested her chin on her hand and looked sideways at Xante. ¡°Miss Xante, can you tell me what kind of person Miss Corinne is?¡± she asked with a smile. Xante suddenly stopped cutting her steak. She turned to meet Sophia¡¯s curious eyes. ¡°Why are you so interested in her?¡± ¡°Because Jeremy won¡¯t stop bringing her up, so I¡¯m curious to know what she¡¯s like,¡± answered Sophia honestly. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get a chance to meet her when I came back, so it was a real pity that she left without saying goodbye.¡± ¡®Mister Jeremy won¡¯t stop bringing up the boss to this woman? Hmph! Only he¡¯d do something so outrageous as to talk about another woman to his legally married wife! I won¡¯t be surprised if he calls the boss his wife to Miss Sophia!¡¯ Xante did not want to answer Sophia, so she lifted her chin slightly and deflected her question with another question. ¡°You said Mister Jeremy won¡¯t stop talking about Miss Corinne, right? You should be asking him that question instead of me. I¡¯m sure he knows her better than me.¡± Sophia nced at the expressionless Jeremy beforeining to Xante, ¡°But he only gives me the bare bones of the story. Lately, no matter how much I ask him, he doesn¡¯t really like bringing up Miss Corinne anymore. I was hoping you¡¯ll tell me, Miss Xante. I¡¯m really curious about how she¡¯s able to make everyone like her so much.¡± ¡®Is this her way of digging up information about the boss because she thinks she¡¯s Mister Jeremy¡¯s mistress?¡¯ wondered Xante. She could not help but feel upset when the word ¡®mistress¡¯ shed through her mind. ¡®The boss is no one¡¯s mistress! She was conned into a sham marriage by Mister Jeremy!¡¯ However, she could understand why Sophia would see Corinne as Jeremy¡¯s mistress. Any wife would, in that case. ¡®The boss hates nothing more than someone who¡¯s a mistress. How could she not hate Mister Jeremy for turning her into one?¡¯ Chapter 1189 Chapter 1189 ¡®Heh! Sophia is something else, too! She knew I¡¯m the boss¡¯ friend, yet she dared to tell me Mister Jeremy doesn¡¯t really talk about the boss muchtely. She¡¯s obviously dering doing this to let me know Mister Jeremy is hers alone,¡¯ thought Xante. Xante went on to specte that Sophia was hoping she would tell Corinne of their conversation today so she would know to back off. ¡®Haha! These two maniptive b*stard and b*tch are meant for each other.¡¯ ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll tell you when Mister Jeremy obviously doesn¡¯t want to tell you? Miss Sophia, I¡¯m honored that you¡¯ll ask us to join you for lunch, but please bear in mind we¡¯re not really close enough to talk about a lot of things,¡± said Xante. Instead of being offended, Sophia smiled at her. ¡°Miss Xante, I was just curious. Why are you being so defensive? Could it be that you know where Miss Corinne is hiding now?¡± Jeremy suddenly snapped his head up to look at Xante when he heard that. Xante almost lost her cool. ¡®This woman isn¡¯t to be underestimated.¡¯ She pushed up her gold-rimmed sses out of habit and said, ¡°I wish I knew where she is ¡¯cause it¡¯s been quite a while since west saw her. We¡¯re all really worried about her. I¡¯m guessing she doesn¡¯t want to show herself ¡¯cause there¡¯s someone she wishes very much to avoid, so we won¡¯t force her to do so.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia pretended to be confused. ¡°She wants to avoid seeing someone? Miss Xante, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re referring to Jeremy. Why wouldn¡¯t Miss Corinne want to see him? From what I know, he¡¯s very good to her.¡± Xante smiled. ¡°¡®Good¡¯ is a very subjective word in this case. Is sweet-talking to trap another person in a lie good? If you think that¡¯s good, Miss Sophia, you can keep him all to yourself! Corinne has no need for a good-for-nothing like him!¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°I was right! You must know why Miss Corinne left Jeremy. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t say something like that to defend her!¡± She turned toward Jeremy. ¡°Did you hear that, Jeremy? Miss Xante seems to have it in for you. Miss Corinne must beining to her about you all the time.¡± Xante gritted her teeth secretly. ¡®This woman surely doesn¡¯t let up any opportunity to drive a wedge between the boss and Mister Jeremy! Wait¡­ I shouldn¡¯t get all worked up over this since the boss doesn¡¯t care how Mister Jeremy sees her anymore.¡¯ However, she felt difort with the way Jeremy gazed at her. ¡°Do I have something on my face, Mister Jeremy? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± she asked with a breezy smile. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you or do you not know where Corinne is right now?¡± he asked darkly, frowning. Xante¡¯s heart skipped a beat because Jeremy was looking at her as though he could see right through her soul. She told herself she could not let Corinne¡¯s hard work end up in vain just because she could not keep calm under pressure. Thus, she squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that I don¡¯t know, and neither does Aaron. We have our men looking for her everywhere, but we still came up empty-handed. I was about to ask you whether you have any news of her.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes gradually dimmed. He shook his head apathetically. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Xante scoffed. ¡°Looks like she doesn¡¯t really want to be found, huh? It¡¯s a pity Aaron and I lost her just because she doesn¡¯t want to see someone.¡± Jeremy frowned again. Sophia¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Miss Xante, did Miss Corinnein about Jeremy to you before?¡± Chapter 1190 Chapter 1190 Xante¡¯s eyes darkened, but she then smirked. ¡°So what if she did?¡± Sophia, with her chin resting in her hand, fluttered her eyshes at Xante. ¡°What did shein about? Let¡¯s see if what she said is true. My guess is that I¡¯ll probably agree with her about most things.¡± Xante scoffed. ¡°Miss Sophia, I really don¡¯t think we¡¯re close enough to have this kind of girl talk.¡± Sophia shrugged. She looked disappointed, but she did not ask any more questions. Surprisingly, Jeremy did. ¡°What did she say about me?¡± Xante was a little taken aback. She turned toward Jeremy, her gold-rimmed sses glinting, and smiled. ¡°Why should you care what she said about you?¡± ¡°Just what the hell did she say about me?¡± repeated Jeremy impatiently. Xante chuckled coldly. ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything. I was just joking with Miss Sophia, so just forget about it.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened with anger. Xante continued eating her steak to avoid looking at Jeremy¡¯s gaze. Sunny could feel the tension in the air and Jeremy¡¯s displeasure at Xante. Even so, he wanted to protect his girlfriend, so he tried to change the topic. ¡°Ahem! Jeremy, is there still no news about Corinne?¡± ¡°No,¡± uttered Jeremy coldly. He was so frustrated that he felt like a huge rock was pressing on his chest. Sunny, too, wanted to know where Corinne was. He knew Lucas was looking for her everywhere as well. From time to time, Lucas would ask Edmund whether there was any news of her, but the reply was always negative.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Jeremy. Corinne probably just needs some time for herself. I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle back soon enough.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Jeremy stood up. ¡°Excuse me. I need to go to the restroom.¡± Sunny stood up as well. ¡°I need to go too. Let¡¯s go together.¡± Jeremy nced at him and said nothing. Thus, the two of them made their way to the restroom. After the two men left, Sophia became even more brazen in her questioning. ¡°Miss Xante, if I guessed correctly, Miss Corinne must¡¯ve left after she found out Jeremy had gotten legally married to me, right?¡± Xante, who nned to ignore Sophia for the rest of the meal, was shocked when she heard that. She looked at her with widened eyes. Sophia smiled breezily. ¡°If that is her reason, then it¡¯s a pity she left.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. The more she spent time with Sophia, the more she found her difficult to understand. ¡°You sound like you really want her toe back. Do you not at all mind that she¡¯s your husband¡¯s mistress?¡± Sophiaughed heartily. ¡°Why should I mind? It¡¯s not like doing so would change anything. All men are the same. They¡¯ll get bored of their own wives and start looking for a side chick. Besides, Jeremy¡¯s not only handsome but rich and powerful as well. Do you know just how many women are willing to throw themselves at him? If I spend every minute of my day caring about them, I¡¯d be exhausted to death already. That¡¯s not how I want to live my life! It¡¯s no fun revolving your life around a guy, you know.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re open-minded if not anything else.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I have to be. I don¡¯t care what woman he shacks up with outside as long as he knows toe home eventually. By the way, can you pass a message to Miss Corinne if you happen to see her? Tell her that I want to get to know her, and I don¡¯t mind sharing Jeremy with her. I¡¯m sure she and I will be great friends!¡± Xante frowned. She had to admit that she never met a woman like Sophia before. Chapter 1191 Chapter 1191 Xante met countless wives of rich men, and many of them were powerless to stop their husbands from having affairs with other women. Most of them looked the other way, but few were as unbothered about it as Sophia. As Xante kept quiet, Sophia reminded kindly, ¡°Be realistic. It¡¯s tiring to live in a fantasy world.¡± ¡°Be realistic about what?¡± Xante did not understand what Sophia meant. Sophia smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Sunny. He¡¯s a young boy who¡¯s juste of age. I bet he made plenty of promises to you. Don¡¯t take them too seriously. Men are fickle; their feelingse and go. Once they lose interest, they¡¯ll act as if you don¡¯t even exist!¡± Xante was startled for a moment. She did not need to be reminded of such things as she was aware of that. Sunny pestered her incessantly because she was his first love. It was a refreshing new feeling for him, so feelings of love and whatnot were rather out of the question. She was not an 18-year-old girl, so she knew better than to take Sunny¡¯s feelings too seriously. Life could be very boring for her at times, so she was d to have a little pet¡ªso to speak¡ªthat she could asionally spend time with to relieve her boredom and loneliness. As time passed, she did not even need to chase Sunny away. He himself would get tired of her and leave.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Miss Sophia. I¡¯m already full, so carry on without me. Do convey my thanks to Mister Jeremy as well. I have some matters to handle at thepany, so if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± She put down her cutleries and got up. Sophia blinked. ¡°Going so soon? Won¡¯t you wait for Sunny?¡± Xante walked out of the restaurant without responding. Sunny came back from the bathroom to discover that Xante had left. He immediately frowned and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Xante?¡± Sophia said, ¡°She mentioned that she had some matters to handle at thepany and had to leave. Where¡¯s Jeremy? Why didn¡¯t hee back with you?¡± Sunny hurriedly said, ¡°He went out to smoke. Please excuse me, then!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Sophia asked. Sunny waved his hand without turning around. He hurried out to catch up with his girlfriend. Sophia smiled as she looked at Sunny¡¯s figure. She then got up and went to the bathroom to look for Jeremy. When Sunny ran to the underground parking lot, he was relieved to find Xante¡¯s car still there. He walked over in a rush and opened the door. After getting in the car, he grumbled, ¡°Why did you leave without waiting for me? I thought you left! We haven¡¯t even eaten yet!¡± Xante was busy typing a message on her cell phone. After sending the text, she turned and looked at Sunny with an unhappy expression. ¡°I waited for you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Sunny let out a child-like snort. ¡°But I haven¡¯t eaten much at all! I¡¯m still hungry!¡± Xante ced her phone down and leaned over to kiss his cheek. ¡°Would you like to eat something else?¡± Sunny blushed at the kiss. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like me.¡± Xante had a half-smile as she adjusted her gold-rimmed spectacles. ¡°Would you like to eat me?¡± Chapter 1192 Chapter 1192 Sunny felt a sudden wave of affection. ¡°Are you teasing me?¡± Although he had been fantasizing a lot after having his first taste of a woman, he still respected Xante¡¯s boundaries and did not force her if she did not want to do it. Truth be told, they only ever did it once. He later pestered Xante repeatedly, but Xante never allowed him to go further. Xante hooked his shirt cor with one finger. ¡°No. Sit still and buckle up. I¡¯m bringing you back to my ce.¡± Sunny gulped. Like a child who was eager to get his reward, he fastened his seat belt and put on his best behavior. Xante could not resist smiling when she saw that. An innocent puppy like him was much cuter than those unpredictable old hounds out there! Life was short, so there was no reason not to enjoy oneself to the fullest. Even a cute puppy would grow up and find someone better for it. Back at the restaurant, Jeremy leaned against a stairwell wall while smoking a cigarette pensively. Sophia quickly found him. She opened the door and walked in, saying, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Jeremy? Are you trying to relieve your worries alone with just a cigarette forpany?¡± Jeremy nced at her and exhaled a puff of smoke. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can leave.¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°But I didn¡¯t drive!¡± ¡°Tommy is outside. He can drive you.¡± ¡°No! I want to go with you!¡± Jeremy had an insipid expression. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to thepany, and I don¡¯t have time to be with you.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I can go to thepany with you and stay there,¡± Sophia offered. ¡°Thepany will be moving to a new office building in a few days, so I¡¯ll help you clean up. There¡¯s nothing for me to do anyway!¡± ¡°A secretary can do all that just fine.¡± Jeremy massages his temples. ¡°You can¡¯te and go as you please in thepany.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°Are you tired of me now? Have you forgotten our agreement?¡± The man seemed to remember something and felt a little helpless. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Sophia then smiled happily. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t bear to leave me alone!¡± ¡­ Two dayster, the Holden Group moved to their new premises. All the major mediapanies arrived early in an attempt to get their story out first. Jeremy would almost certainly attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the relocation. His true appearance had never been released on the inte, so the reporters were hoping to seize that opportunity to get a shot of Jeremy¡¯s face. They would then be able to post those photos because they acquired them through legitimate means. It would most certainly grab the headlines on the front page! This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. The ceremony soon began, and a professional emcee had been hired to host the ceremony. The emcee came to the stage and made some opening remarks before introducing each guest. The first few were the Holden Group¡¯s partners, as well as several other important shareholders. The reporters snapped pictures of them, but they were not very interested in any of those figures. Their main priority was Jeremy. Jeremy did not show up for a long time, but the emcee introduced another important guest¡ªMoon, the designer of the Holden Group¡¯s new building! Chapter 1193 Chapter 1193 Moon was very well-known in the architecture industry. However, she did not have a single public photo like Jeremy. Everyone knew her only by her name. There were rumors that she never revealed herself because she was young and beautiful. Since the reporters would not be able to photograph Jeremy, they could at least have a scoop if they were able to take a photograph of her! The reporters waited excitedly for Moon to take the stage, only to be disappointed when she was not the rumored beautiful young woman they expected. She was a slightly obese woman who wore shabby clothes, a hat, and a mask. None of the reporters were as keen as they were anymore. Corinne wore a thickyer of clothes. She straightened her waist and walked onto the stage, trying to look like she was just obese instead of pregnant. She had been nervous beforeing, worried Jeremy would be around. However, Jason managed to get some inside information that Jeremy might not be attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony. She could conduct herself calmly if she did not have to meet that man. After introducing all the guests, the emcee waited for a while and looked down the tform as if waiting for someone. It was not until one of the staff ran up to the stage and whispered something in his ear that he proceeded with the next part of the ceremony. He announced to the eager reporters that they had to proceed without Jeremy as he could not attend the ceremony due to certain matters. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Although the reporters were disappointed, there was nothing they could do about it except do their job and snap pictures of the event. When Corinne heard that the emcee¡¯s announcement was the same as what Jason notified her, she felt reassured and continued with the remainder of the ceremony with peace of mind. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was grand. After Corinne finished cutting the ribbon with all the guests, she slipped away under cover of all the excitement and hid in a corner. Her job was done, and she only needed to wait for the car that Jason arranged to pick her up. She wanted to use that opportunity to meet Aaron and Xante, but Xante had sent her a message saying that Jeremy was suspicious of them. For the sake of their safety, she ultimately decided against it. Jason¡¯s men were unfortunately stuck in a traffic jam, so they called her and asked her to find a ce to rest. That was Corinne¡¯s intention from the beginning. Being eight months pregnant, she was no longer as nimble as before. Standing for a long time would make her very tired, and her back would start to hurt as well.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She looked at thepleted building and felt the urge to look inside. Jeremy was not going to be there anyway, so she could rest there in the meantime. Once she made her decision, she walked slowly into the building. The general structure was her design, but the interior decor was designed by someone else. It was simple yet luxurious, and there was a bit of indifference that was simr to character. Then again, his true character was not indifferent¡ªit was all just y-pretend. Since she was already inside the building, she thought of going upstairs to have a look. When she first designed it, she put a lot of thought into the floor where the president¡¯s office was located. She had a good impression of him at the time, so she unconsciously spent a lot of thought on designing the vision andyout of his office. Though the ceremony mentioned the ¡®relocating¡¯ of the Holden Group, none of the important departments have officially moved there as therge-scale move might disrupt thepany¡¯s daily operations. No one was in the entire building, save for the janitors who were cleaning everything to prepare for the big move. Knowing not many people were around, Corinne boldly pressed the elevator button and went upstairs. The ce upstairs was rtively empty but for a few employees. When they saw hering over, they asked who she was and what business she had, to which she replied by showing the temporary ess card issued to her by the staff downstairs. She exined that she was the designer of the building. The employees did not doubt her after seeing her ess card and were very polite to her. They even weed her to have a look around. Chapter 1194 Chapter 1194 Corinne thanked the employees and gave a tour of the ce. There were some floor-to-ceiling windows on the side of the hallway, so she went there to look around. The view was as spectacr as she imagined, offering a glimpse of almost the entire city. Nevertheless, she knew the hallway could neverpare to the view in Jeremy¡¯s office. She specially designed his at the north end to overlook the city¡¯s beautiful Scented Lake, where he could watch the sun rise and set. Whenever he was tired from work, he could just nce up and see the beautiful scenery to relieve his fatigue. In hindsight, it was a waste to design such a beautiful office for that man. When she heard from the employees that Jeremy would not be around, she was tempted to go in and look. When they were not paying attention, she seized the moment to slip in.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The decor in the president¡¯s office was more upscalepared to themon areas. The atmosphere was mature and minimalist, which characterized Jeremy well. Corinne sighed as she stood by the floor- to-ceiling windows and looked out at Scented Lake. It was as beautiful as she imagined. s, she did not have the luxury of staying there and admiring the scenery for too long. There was a lounge in the staff area where she could wait for her ride to arrive before going down. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Corinne spent less than a minute inside the office. When she was about to leave, she was startled when she opened the door and saw someoneing in. She fretted it was Jeremy, but she sighed in relief when she spotted a curvaceous woman instead. ¡®Thank goodness it¡¯s not Jeremy.¡¯ Sophia was a little suspicious when she saw a strangering out of Jeremy¡¯s office. ¡°What are you doing? Who said you coulde in here?¡± Corinne recognized the woman at a nce. It was none other than the woman whom Aaron photographed walking with Jeremy¡ªshe was his legal wife. Thest thing Corinne wanted was to engage in a conversation with that woman. She merely apologized and exined, ¡°Sorry, I went into the wrong room.¡± She then walked past Sophia to leave. Sophia frowned skeptically and did not intend to just let the matter slide. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Corinne did not want to stop, but she was forced to stop as it would seem too suspicious to just leave. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, ma¡¯am?¡± Sophia folded her arms. She walked up to Corinne and looked at thetter from top to bottom. Everything about Corinne screamed ¡®suspicious¡¯, from the way she was dressed to the mask she wore! ¡°Are you an employee of Holden Group?¡± Corinne shook her head truthfully. ¡°I am not.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°Then how did you get in here? This is the president¡¯s office! Did you think you could juste and go as you please?¡± Chapter 1195 Chapter 1195 Corinne remainedposed and exined calmly to Sophia, ¡°I am one of the guests invited to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I went upstairs to have a look, and I wanted to look for the bathroom. That was how I entered this room by ident.¡± Sophia did not buy her exnation at all. She looked at Corinne suspiciously and asked, ¡°Do you think you can fool me by iming that you¡¯re one of the guests? Or that you came into the wrong room because you were looking for the bathroom? I didn¡¯t know that someone like you was one of the guests. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Moon,¡± said Corinne, ¡°the designer of this building. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can call the person in charge of Newmoon Group to confirm. The Newmoon Group was contracted to prepare this design. I was searching for the bathroom earlier and I entered the wrong door. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I still have several matters to deal with.¡± Corinne showed Sophia the tag she had just shown to the staff and immediately walked past her to leave. Sophia looked at the tag and saw ¡®Special Guest¨CMoon¡¯ written on it. However, her womanly intuition kept telling her something was not quite right with that thick-clothed, masked woman. After some more thought, Sophia decided to stop her again. Corinne was a little unhappy when Sophia stopped her, and her displeasure could be seen through the eye holes in the mask. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Sophia held up the tag Corinne showed her and said, ¡°This is from Holden Group, but there¡¯s no photograph on it. For all I know, you could¡¯ve just swiped it off the real Moon!¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°Ma¡¯am, didn¡¯t I just tell you you can call the Newmoon Group to confirm this?¡± Sophia remained steadfast. ¡°How can I be sure even if I call them? They can¡¯t describe what Moon looks like even if I call them. I don¡¯t even know what you look like when you dress like that. You need to at least take off your hat and mask and show me your face!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Sorry,¡± Corinne refused, ¡°but you have no right to be asking me that.¡± She moved to walk away once more, but Sophia raised her arms to block her way. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go unless you take off your hat and mask to show me your face!¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Why not?¡± Sophia said, ¡°Because you snuck into the president¡¯s office without permission! The way you dress and that bulging waistline gives me every reason to suspect that you stole something in here and hid it under your clothes!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. The bulge Sophia mentioned was her eight-month-old pregnancy, which she did not want to reveal. Corinne grew impatient. She regretted going into Jeremy¡¯s office instead of holding back her curiosity. It ended up with her having to deal with such an annoying woman! ¡°If you suspect me of stealing something, you¡¯re free to check the office to see if anything is missing. Don¡¯t just suspect me based on gut instinct.¡± Sophia opened her hands. ¡°How can I remember what¡¯s in here when it¡¯s not even my office? My suspicion is based on my gut feeling! I respect your privacy, so I won¡¯t search you myself. I¡¯ll just call the police and get them to confirm both your identity and whether you¡¯ve stolen anything!¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®This woman is such a pain in the neck! I can¡¯t let her call the police because they¡¯ll request me to show my government-issued ID. My identity will be revealed¡­¡¯ Corinne looked calmly at Sophia. ¡°Must you suspect me to such an extent? I¡¯m one of the guests today, and the media took photos of me during the ceremony! You can ask them toe up and confirm that I was one of the guests there!¡± Sophia then argued, ¡°The media were all gone when I came. There¡¯s no one to confirm your presence for you! However, I will let you go if you show me your face.¡± Chapter 1196 Chapter 1196 Corinne knew Sophia was deliberately making things difficult for her. Luckily, Jeremy was not going to be there that day, and everything would be fine as long as he did not show up. Corinne looked silently at Sophia. ¡°So, you¡¯ll let me go after I take my mask off? Why do you have to look at my face? It¡¯s very disrespectful of you to use me of stealing just because I¡¯m fat. Call the police then. If the police arrive and request that I take off my mask and hat, I assure you that I¡¯ll cooperate with the investigation.¡± After careful consideration, Corinne concluded that Sophia would not call the police. Even if Sophia was sure that Corinne had stolen something, there was a high chance Sophia would refrain from making a police report. After all, losing a small item had far fewer repercussions than if news got out that a police investigation hadmenced on the day of the building¡¯s officialunch. A big fuss would ensue, and Holden Group would suffer a huge drop in reputation. Corinne¡¯s guess was spot on¡ªSophia did not want to call the police at all. She just wanted to see Corinne¡¯s face due to her suspicious demeanor. As Sophia was thinking about how to deal with her, the nearby elevator door opened. A tall, handsome man walked out. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia¡¯s eyes lit up at once. ¡°Jeremy! You¡¯re here! I thought you said you were busy?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ He responded curtly, ¡°It¡¯s settled now. Why are you here, though?¡± Sophia smiled and said, ¡°I wanted to check your office to see if there¡¯s anything I can help tidy up. I didn¡¯t expect to see someone sneaking in and out of your office! She¡¯s being very suspicious. I asked her to take off her hat and mask, but she refused to do so.¡± Jeremy finally noticed that the woman was dressed in a loose coat, a peaked cap, and a ck mask. ¡®I don¡¯t know her. Did she enter my office?¡¯ Jeremy frowned a little and he had a wary expression. ¡°Who are you?¡± Corinne held her breath as soon as he spoke. ¡®Jeremy¡¯s here! I thought I wouldn¡¯t run into him here!¡¯ Even though Corinne was very guilty, she faced his question calmly and adjusted herposure before answering him. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mister Jeremy. I¡¯m Moon. I was here for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. I wanted to take this opportunity toe and see the finished product, but thisdy refuses to let me go because she suspects me of stealing something from your office¡± Fortunately, she had changed her voice and tone slightly since first speaking to Sophia earlier. Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked at her again. ¡°You¡¯re Moon?¡± They met before and chatted with each other back when he went to Newmoon Group¡¯s building. She wore a mask because of her skin allergies. Although he did not see her face then, he remembered she had a very slim figure that was vastly different from her slightly chubby appearance that day. Corinne nodded and lowered the brim of her hat to cover her eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Moon. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± Jeremy snapped back from his thoughts. ¡°You look very different from thest time we met.¡± Corinneughed self-mockingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take care of my health and gained some weight. This is a little embarrassing.¡± Jeremy seemed to be in deep thought as he looked at her body and paid special focus to her huge waistline. Seeing as they did know each other, Sophia¡¯s attitude changed slightly. ¡°Since you both know each other, how about you take off your hat and mask to show a bit more courtesy to us?¡± Chapter 1197 Chapter 1197 Corinne nced at Sophia. ¡°I¡¯m being as courteous as I can. It¡¯s just very inconvenient for me to take off my hat and mask.¡± Sophia frowned in confusion. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m ugly. I wouldn¡¯t want to scare you,¡± said Corinne bluntly. Sophia was taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, is it? We won¡¯t be scared! Why would we care about your appearance when your talent epasses who you are? Let¡¯s get to know each other a bit better!¡± Corinne did not want to argue with Sophia anymore. She was just about to bid them goodbye when Jeremy said, ¡°Take them off.¡± Corinne was stunned. ¡°Mister Jeremy, our cooperation has officially ended, and I don¡¯t think I am obliged to agree to your whimsical demands. I have other things to take care of, so if you¡¯ll excuse me!¡± She immediately turned to leave when Jeremy grabbed her wrist and ordered, ¡°Take. Them. Off.¡± Corinne took a deep breath, knowing she could not escape. She looked at Jeremy with displeasure and said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯d suspect me of stealing and insist on seeing my face after the end of our cooperation.¡± Jeremy stared at her with eagle-like eyes. ¡°Do you feel guilty? Why are you so scared to show me your true face? Who are you?¡± He remembered the first time he met Moon at the Newmoon Group. Corinne was also there, but she never seemed to have appeared together with Moon. As he connected the dots to Corinne¡¯s rtionship with Xante and Aaron, a sudden thought urred to him, and he came to a shocking theory. Corinne and Moon might be the same person.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ That might be why Newmoon Group was so hesitant to let Moon attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the beginning. They were probably afraid her true identity would be discovered! Moreover, Moon¡¯s stomach did not look like she simply gained weight. Jeremy seemed to have found some rity amid the confusion. However, he did not know what sort of feeling he had at that moment. Was it joy or anger? In any case, he stared closely at Corinne without letting her slip by him. Corinne was unable to pull back her wrist. His grip was so tight that her wrist was hurting. It was clear to her that he was acting that way because he was suspicious of her! ¡°Okay! If you are so adamant about seeing my face, I¡¯ll take off my hat and mask to show you. You¡¯ll have to let go of my hand first, though!¡± Jeremy thought it over for a few seconds and looked up so he could signal his staff to block the exits. That way, she could not run even if he let go of her. Corinne massaged her numb wrist and said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯d like to put it on record that you have infringed on my privacy to such an extent that you¡¯re even forcing me to take off my hat and mask. I will no longer cooperate with Holden Group from this point on!¡± Jeremy did not seem to care about her quibble and raised his eyes coldly. ¡°Take them off, then.¡± Corinne had no choice but to raise her hand to take off her hat. Her long hair was then revealed. Then, she ced her hand on the mask string beside her ear. Her movements were unconsciously slow, and she was still a little reluctant to take them off. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Jeremy had an intensely intimidating look in his eyes. Chapter 1198 Chapter 1198 Sophia noticed the change in Jeremy¡¯s emotions and became more curious about Moon. ¡°Why are you still hesitating, Miss Moon?¡± Corinne gritted her teeth and took off the ck mask on her face to reveal what she looked like. Her face was unusually wrinkled, and the only bright part of her was her eyes. She had a t nose, thick lips, and a squarish face. It was the very definition of unsightly. Sophia was taken aback by the scars and immediately understood why Moon covered herself up like that. She was, no doubt, hideous. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. The flicker in Jeremy¡¯s eyes disappeared, and he looked ashen. Corinne¡¯s expression remained. ¡°Happy now?¡± Sophia asked sympathetically. ¡°How did those scars happen?¡± Corinne¡¯s face seemed to have been injured before. The wrinkled skin seemed like burns. She put on her hat and mask before saying, ¡°It happened after a fire. That was why I didn¡¯t want to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the first ce. It wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t want to show any courtesy to Holden Group but because my appearance might scare other people.¡± The fake face was the ugliest that Jason chose, and it was effective in bluffing them. Sophia felt bad for Corinne and muttered, ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it was like that. I was a bit too harsh on you earlier.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne did not hold it against Sophia as there was no point in doing so. She just wanted to leave as soon as she could. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Can I go now?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Do you need us to arrange for a car to pick you up?¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No thanks. A friend will be picking me up.¡± She strode forward and immediately turned to leave after getting the chance to escape. ¡°Stop,¡± Jeremy demanded coldly. Corinne froze, and she had no choice but to stop again. ¡°Is there anything else you need from me?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was indifferent yet professional. He said in a dull tone, ¡°Join us for a meal. You¡¯re here, anyway. I still have some questions about the building, and it¡¯s difficult to converse about them over email.¡± His reasons made it difficult for Corinne to refuse in her capacity as a designer. She felt obliged to answer any postpletion questions from a client. As a result, she could only ept his invitation. Fortunately, she could be somewhat at ease as Jeremy did not notice anything strange about the fake face she was wearing. Sophia felt that her attitude had hurt Moon¡¯s self-esteem, so she wanted to make it up to Moon by comforting thetter over a meal. As a woman, she understood how important looks were to a woman, and she knew the extent of the emotional damage that resulted from disfigurement. They settled on a restaurant near the Holden Group¡¯s new building. Jeremy and Sophia sat together, while Corinne sat opposite them. While they were ordering, Jeremy handed her the menu in a very gentlemanly manner. Corinne took the menu from him and deliberately ordered some of her least favorite foods to avoid any suspicion. Once Corinne was done ordering, she handed back the menu to Jeremy. He took it from her and ordered what he wanted before handing the menu to Sophia. Chapter 1199 Chapter 1199 Sophia shook her head. ¡°You can just order for me. You know what I like to eat, anyway!¡± Jeremy did not ask her again. He handed the menu to the waiter and helped Sophia order the usual. Corinne smirked sarcastically when she saw Jeremy ordering food for his legal wife so habitually. She lowered his head and took a big gulp of theplimentary lemon water on the table. ¡°Would you like anything else? Don¡¯t be shy. Just order whatever you want!¡± Sophia smiled politely. The way she spoke was very natural. It was almost as if Jeremy was Sophia¡¯s husband! Then again, ¡®as if¡¯ was probably not the best word to use. Sophia was Jeremy¡¯s legal wife. Corinne tried her best to force a smile. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m already fat enough. I¡¯m supposed to be eating less to control my weight.¡± Sophia reassured her. ¡°Don¡¯t call yourself fat! Girls are cuter when they¡¯re a little meatier. You don¡¯t think she¡¯s fat, do you, Jeremy?¡± Jeremy nced at Moon silently. He did not want toment at all. Corinne knew he did not like lying. The way he looked at her was a clear enough sign that she was fat and ugly in his eyes. Corinne, however, could not care less what he thought; she had nothing to do with him. ¡°What was it you wanted to ask about the building? It¡¯s alreadyplete though, so I can¡¯t make any changes even if there are certain aspects which you are unhappy about.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jeremy said, ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied with it, and I don¡¯t see a need to make any changes. I¡¯m curious to know where your inspiration came from, though. Could you tell me something about it?¡± Corinne felt a twinge of sadness when he asked that. She lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°Love, I guess.¡± It might sound like a pompous statement, but it was the truth. When she made the design, all Corinne thought of was Jeremy. She wanted to ensure that his workce was safer than anywhere else; that he had the best view of the city; that the environment wasfortable and convenient; and that the design lived up to his identity and suited his tastes. She had fallen in love with Jeremy back then, and she designed the building for him out of love. Sophia blinked. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s so romantic! Do you have a lover?¡± Corinne pursed her lips slightly. ¡°I used to.¡± As soon as Sophia heard that, she knew that the story did not have a happy ending. She was very considerate and did not ask any further questions about it. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°So, you designed the building with love as an inspiration?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Does that make you unhappy?¡± Jeremy kept quiet for a while and shook his head slightly. ¡°Not at all. Could you share your philosophy in more detail if you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Corinne was very talkative when talking about her specialization. She exined to him the entirety of the building, from its exterior to its interior. Jeremy listened very carefully and took a sip of water from time to time. Meanwhile, he continued to look at her with a hint of danger in his eyes. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Corinne was a little tired after talking too much. When the food was served, she asked, ¡°May I eat? I¡¯m a little hungry right now, but I¡¯ll continue to exin it to you once I¡¯m full.¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Corinne picked up her cutlery and took some food for herself. She was really hungry, but she could not choose her favorite dishes and could only take the ones she ordered¡ªthose were some of her least favorite foods. The rest of the food Jeremy ordered coincidentally happened to be her favorite food, but she recalled Jeremy tended to dislike sweet things. She did not think much about them and thought he ordered them because Sophia liked them. Chapter 1200 Chapter 1200 Corinne did not know if she was overthinking things, but she had a tingling feeling that Jeremy was staring intently at how she held her fork. Sophia enthusiastically served some barbecued chicken wings for Corinne. ¡°Try these! These are my favorite, and they taste amazing!¡± Coincidentally, Corinne liked barbecued chicken wings too. However, she had no appetite for them that day because they were revolting. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Corinne thanked Sophia with a smile and continued to eat her least favorite foods. She just wanted to finish eating as soon as she could and end the meal that she should not have had in the first ce. However, she had zero will to eat at all, and her appetite wascking because she was pregnant. After eating some of the food, she felt ufortable and wanted to vomit. She tried her best to stay calm as she stood up and said, ¡°Sorry, but I need to use the restroom. Could you excuse me, please?¡± She left in such a hurry that she forgot to take her phone. She had just left the table when the phone vibrated. Sophia reached for it, but Jeremy stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with other people¡¯s belongings.¡± Sophia defended herself, ¡°I¡¯m not! I just wanted to bring it to her! What if it¡¯s an emergency?¡± Sophia reached out to get Corinne¡¯s phone and got up to send it to the bathroom. However, her pupils dted when she inadvertently nced at Corinne¡¯s phone. She handed the phone to Jeremy and said, ¡°Look, Jeremy!¡± Jeremy sipped some water and was not interested in looking at the contents of other people¡¯s cell phones. However, he was forced to look at it because Sophia was shoving it in his face. His pupils shrank immediately.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne vomited in the bathroom and came back after cleaning herself. She did not notice anything strange on the dining table when she returned. Sophia reminded her, ¡°Your phone was vibrating earlier. Someone seems to be looking for you.¡± Corinne finally realized she had forgotten to take her cell phone with her. She panicked for a moment but was secretly relieved when she saw that the phone was still in the same position as it was earlier. After thanking Sophia for the reminder, she picked up the phone and looked at the message. It was from Jason. [Babe, where are you? The driver said he hadn¡¯t picked you up yet.] Corinne did not criticize him for calling her ¡®babe¡¯. She replied, [I¡¯m having dinner with Mister Jeremy. You can send someone to pick me upter.] She then sent him the location of the restaurant. ¡­ Jason was worried when he saw Corinne¡¯s reply, and his smile sank slightly. He wanted to call her and ask if everything was alright, but he knew that it would be inconvenient for her to answer the phone as Jeremy was around. In the end, he held himself back and replied cautiously, [Are you all okay?] [Yes.] ¡®I¡¯m d she¡¯s okay,¡¯ Jason thought to himself. ¡®But I¡¯d much rather bring her away right now and try to keep her as far away as possible from Jeremy¡¯. Chapter 1201 Chapter 1201 Jason knew Jeremy was a very astute person who could easily notice that something was amiss. Thus, he got up, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the office swiftly. He could only rest at ease if he fetched Corinne in person! ¡­ After replying to Jason¡¯s message, Corinne put down her phone and continued to eat. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself to eat things that don¡¯t suit your taste.¡± Jeremy¡¯s words seemed to hint at something. Corinne froze as she took some food and raised her eyes to look at Jeremy. It was then she noticed him staring at her with that inscrutable gaze again. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine with them. I chose these, after all. Why wouldn¡¯t I like them?¡± Corinne said, forcing a smile on her scar-ridden face. Jeremy seemed to have snorted coldly in response to that, but she could not be sure of that. Sophia continued the previous topic and asked, ¡°Miss Moon, you mentioned that the source of inspiration for your design is love, but the story didn¡¯t seem to have ended well. May I ask why you and your lover broke up in the end?¡± Corinne was a little disgusted by this question. She frowned and retorted, ¡°It¡¯s a very personal issue. There¡¯s no need to talk about it, is there?¡± Sophia held her chin curiously and said, ¡°I¡¯m just curious about the sort of man that could inspire you to design such a magnificent and unique building. He must be very handsome, I believe.¡± Corinne did not deny it. ¡°He is. But having good looks isn¡¯t the be-all and end-all.¡± Sophia blinked. ¡°It seems to me that you still resent your former lover! What happened? Did he cheat on you or make you feel sad?¡± Corinne put down her cutlery and said, ¡°Why are you so intrusive? Is this a guilty pleasure of yours?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just curious about you, and I want to know why the man who once brought you so much inspiration ended up getting separated in the end.¡± Corinne snickered. ¡°Things happen! What¡¯s so strange about that? You seem like someone who is experienced in rtionships, so I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that clueless about these things. Like all things in the world, love doesn¡¯tst forever.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia had a solemn expression as she said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. There¡¯s no such thing as unchanging love. It¡¯s only true love when you¡¯re in love. Otherwise, you don¡¯t really feel anything. Either he doesn¡¯t love you anymore, or you don¡¯t love him anymore.¡± Corinne picked up the lemon water and drank it to round off the meal. She had enough, and she could no longer eat another bite. She was prepared to leave as soon as the ride that Jason arranged for her had arrived. Sophia¡¯s charming eyes blinked, and she stared at her curiously. ¡°Whose feelings faded first? You? Or him?¡± Corinne raised her eyes and looked sternly at Sophia. ¡°Is that important?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious!¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Tell me! You¡¯ve already broken up with him anyway, so it¡¯s fine to be talking about his ex!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± ¡°Why? Do you hate him so much that you can¡¯t even bear to talk about him?¡± Corinne answered insipidly, ¡°You could say that.¡± Sophia was adept at reading a person¡¯sfort level in any given situation, but she did not stop there and continued to ask, ¡°Is it because he cheated on you? It must be!¡± Corinne had a disgusted look as she asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone told you that curiosity will kill the cat?¡± Sophia shrugged, ¡°But satisfaction brought it back! I¡¯ve always been a very curious person. It stems from when I was still a child! I¡¯ll have sleepless nights if I don¡¯t get the answer to what I want to know! Please, just do me a favor and tell me!¡± Chapter 1202 Chapter 1202 Corinne sipped her lemon water. ¡°Should you take responsibility for yourself if your curiosity keeps you up at night? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird for you to insist I take responsibility for that when I just met you today?¡± Sophia shrugged her shoulders and opened her palms. ¡°Okay, okay. I won¡¯t ask more if you¡¯re that reluctant to talk about the past. Eat up, then!¡± Corinne¡¯s cell phone then vibrated. She nced at the screen and saw that Jason had sent another message. [I¡¯m here.] She ced the ss of lemon water down and grabbed her things. ¡°I¡¯m full. My friend is here, so I¡¯ll excuse myself and leave you two to enjoy the rest of the meal. Goodbye.¡± Jeremy remained expressionless. He pushed the phone in front of her and said, ¡°Could you leave your contact information with me?¡± Corinne looked at the QR code on his cell phone screen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have my email? You may contact me through email if you have anything to ask. I prefer that to other modes ofmunication.¡± Corinne then turned around to leave. Sophia looked at Moon¡¯s retreating figure and said, ¡°Do you think Moon might be¡­¡± Jeremy silently got up and followed her out. Corinne walked out of the restaurant. She got into a white Bugatti, and the car drove away slowly. Jeremy saw it all as he watched everything through the ss door of the restaurant. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Inside the car, Corinne grabbed the seat belt with her hands and let out a long sigh. Jason was driving at moderate speed, but the way Corinne grabbed the seat belt made him a little worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you nauseous?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason reached out and patted her shoulder tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here!¡± Corinne nced listlessly at Jason. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to send someone to pick me up? Why did youe here yourself?¡± Jason smiled wryly and said, ¡°You had me worried when you said that you were having a meal with Jeremy. I had to pick you up myself, or I won¡¯t be able to sit still!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Corinne said, ¡°I put on a very good performance, and he didn¡¯t suspect anything.¡± Her fake face was done so well that no one would be able to spot any ws, even at a close distance. Jason was not worried that Jeremy might notice something was off¡ªhe was mainly worried that Corinne would rekindle her old love for Jeremy. ¡°How does it feel to have a meal with your old me after half a year without seeing him?¡± Jason asked tentatively. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± Corinne replied as she leanedzily on the seat. Jason raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t look like you don¡¯t feel anything.¡± ¡°If feelings are what you¡¯re asking,¡± Corinne said, ¡°then I guess all I feel right now is disgust.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I was worried you wouldn¡¯t want me anymore after meeting him!¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°When have I wanted you anyway? Don¡¯t just make assumptions!¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t assume things. Well, it¡¯s not often that we get to go out. Is there anywhere in particr you¡¯d like to go? How about I drive you around?¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not in the mood to go anywhere. Just bring me home. I¡¯m tired, and I want to go back to sleep.¡± Chapter 1203 Chapter 1203 ¡°Okay, then,¡± said Jason. ¡°You can take off your mask in the car. You don¡¯t need to wear it anymore.¡± Corinne closed her eyes as she rested. She was toozy to move, so she said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll take it off after we¡¯re back.¡± Jason could see how tired she was, so he kept quiet and drove faster until they reached the expressway. Two hourster, they finally arrived at the vi. Corinne was sleeping throughout the journey, but she did not feelfortable at all. She had a bad dream where Jeremy would not let her leave and insisted on taking her baby away. In the end, Jason woke her up. When she opened her eyes and saw Jason¡¯s face very close to hers, she instinctively pushed him away and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jason smiled innocently. ¡°We¡¯re home. You didn¡¯t respond when I called you several times, so I decided toe closer and call you again.¡± Corinne sat up straight and looked out the car window. They had arrived. She had been living there for the past six months, but she did not consider that home. She simply regarded it as temporary lodging. ¡°Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to send me back. I¡¯ll head in now. You should go back before it¡¯s dark,¡± said Corinne politely in a somewhat distant manner. Jason frowned. ¡°You can be serious, right? Driving for over two hours is pretty tiring, you know. Aren¡¯t you going to let me rest a bit before I make the trip back?¡± Corinne did not want him to go in, but she knew that such long-distance driving was undoubtedly very tiring. In the end, she agreed and said, ¡°Fine. You maye in and have a rest. I¡¯m just worried that it¡¯ll be dangerous for you to drive such a long way back once it gets darkter.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Jason smiled. ¡°Not bad! There¡¯s some progress atst! I¡¯m d you¡¯re showing concern about my safety!¡± Corinne ignored him. She opened the car door and got off. As soon as she got back to the vi, she drank arge ss of warm water to calm herself. Although the scare from when she saw Jeremy had disappeared, the trauma of having him take the child away from her still lingered in her mind. Even though it was only a dream, her mind was not in a good ce. Jason looked at her in distress and said, ¡°Did that short meeting have such a big impact on you?¡± Corinne nced at Jason. ¡°It¡¯s not because of that at all. I had a nightmare while you were driving, so I wanted to drink some water to calm myself.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Jason looked at her intently. ¡°What sort of nightmare? Tell me. I¡¯ll help share the burden for you.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s just a nightmare. If I can¡¯t even handle a nightmare, how can I ever survive this ordeal?¡± Jason was amused. ¡°Makes sense. Anyway, you should take off the fake face! We¡¯re already back, and you don¡¯t need to worry that someone else might see you. It looks weird!¡± Corinne had forgotten that she was still wearing a fake face and immediately took it off. The material was soft enough to feel like real skin, and her face was covered in a thinyer of sweat. Jason handed her two tissues. ¡°You don¡¯t need to meet Jeremy anymore after today. Once you¡¯ve given birth to your baby, I¡¯ll find a way to change your identity and send you abroad without the Holdens¡¯ knowledge.¡± Corinne looked at him gratefully. ¡°Thank you. If you need my help in the future, I promise I¡¯ll do my best to help you.¡± Jason pursed his lips and said pointedly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me all the time. I¡¯m only doing it out of pure selfishness.¡± ¡®Selfishness?¡¯ Corinne was stunned for a moment. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chapter 1204 Chapter 1204 Jason reached out and flicked Corinne¡¯s forehead. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s my selfish desire for you, of course. If I can get you and your child out of the country, I still stand a chance of being with you! That chance is gone if the Holdens find you! Are you that dull, or are you just pretending to be dull?¡± Corinne touched her slightly sore forehead. ¡°Hehe! Then my advice to you is to just give up! I know you¡¯ve helped me a lot in the past six months, but I can give you anything except for my feelings.¡± Jason sighed in self-pity. ¡°Why are you so nervous, silly? I¡¯m not going to force you!¡± He was using ¡®silly¡¯ as if it was a form of endearment. Corinne felt a little awkward and red at him. ¡°Have you had enough rest? You should make your way back soon if that¡¯s the case. The street lights aren¡¯t bright here in the suburbs. It¡¯s unsafe for you to drive alone! You should head back as soon as you can.¡± Jason¡¯s charming face leaned close to her, and he snorted flirtingly. ¡°Hmph. Why aren¡¯t you offering to let me stay for the night if you know it¡¯s not safe here?¡± Corinne was not prepared to make that kind of offer. ¡°Because it¡¯s inappropriate. Don¡¯t you have to go to thepany and deal with work tomorrow morning? It¡¯s best if you head home.¡± He had postponed apany meeting until the next day when he came to fetch her at thest minute. Many matters required his attention when he went back. However, he was still rather reluctant to leave, so he took another step forward and bowed respectfully to her. ¡°I¡¯lle and see you again in a few days. I hope you¡¯ll ept me and make things official with me. I want to have the legitimate right to take care of you and your child. I hope you¡¯ll think it over.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He then gave her a sudden peck on her forehead. Corinne was stunned when he did that. By the time she came back to her senses, all she saw was Jason¡¯s rear figure walking out of the gate. She then heard him rev up his engine before driving off. The warmth from Jason¡¯s farewell kiss lingered on her forehead, and she remained in a daze even after he left. Jason did a lot for her during the past six months. She did not know how to feel toward his gesture.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ As she pondered over his request to ¡®make things official¡¯, a telephone ringtone interrupted her thoughts. It was an unfamiliar ringtone. When she snapped back to her senses and turned around, she saw Jason¡¯s phone on the sofa. At the same time, she heard the sound of a car engine outside, followed by a knock on the door. Jason forgot his phone! Corinne grabbed the phone and walked toward the door. When she saw that one of the servants was about to open the door, Corinne said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. He just forgot his cell phone. I¡¯ll open the door and hand it to him.¡± The servant nodded and left. Rather than answer the ringing phone, she decided to just return the phone to him so he could answer it. As soon as the door opened, however, she was surprised to see Jeremy¡¯s face. Corinne¡¯s pupils dted, and she froze right away. ¡®How did he find me? I¡¯m not wearing that fake face. It¡¯s over!¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s handsome face was expressionless, and he nced down at her with a dull look. Corinne expected Jeremy to grab her angrily and ask her why she ran away, but he did not do that at all. He kept quiet and looked coldly at her before ncing disdainfully at the furnishings in the hallway behind her. The atmosphere was so stifling that Corinne could not help herself from speaking first. ¡°What are you doing here, Mister Jeremy?¡± Jeremy nced at her again. His expression turned even colder, and he pursed his lips into a lukewarm smile. He then gracefully took two steps back and turned around to return to his car. He started the engine, reversed the car, and drove off. Corinne pinched herself unconsciously as she stood at the door in a daze and watched the car speed off. Chapter 1205 Chapter 1205 Corinne had serious doubts over whether everything that happened was just an illusion. The pain from her pinch told her she was neither dreaming nor hallucinating. Everything was real. Jeremy came, but he left without saying anything. It was unlike him not to get angry after finding her. Rather than bring her away, he knocked on the door and looked at her before leaving. She could not understand what was going on. Corinne came back to her senses as Jason¡¯s cell phone was ringing. In her daze, she answered the call. Jason¡¯s gentle voice spoke from the other end. ¡°I left my phone there by ident. Keep it safe for the moment, and I¡¯ll send someone over to get it from you tomorrow.¡± He had called his cell phone from his car. ¡°Okay,¡± Corinne replied emotionlessly and ended the call. Her mind was a mess. She had never had such chaotic thoughts before.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡®Why did Jeremy evene here? I had to be thankful that Jeremy didn¡¯t get angry or do anything to me. I should be grateful that he didn¡¯t drag me away and bring me back to the Holdens. But why do I feel so ufortable deep down?¡¯ The servants had no idea what had happened, but their attention was drawn to the mountain wind blowing in through the door. When they saw Corinne standing at the gate with her hair that had been disheveled by the wind, the servant hurried over and closed the door. ¡°It¡¯s windy out here, Miss Corinne! Why are you standing there? You¡¯ll catch a cold! Please get some rest. We¡¯ll call you once dinner is ready.¡± Corinne turned around and went back to the room. Even though she was exhausted, she was unable to drift off to sleep. Her mind was upied with the scene from earlier, especially the way that Jeremy looked at her when they were at the door. He seemed to have smiled at her, but that smile was emotionless and instead was filled with sarcastic undertones. ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ Corinne felt so frustrated when she picked up the phone and called Xante. That was the first time in over six months that she called Xante. She usually used codes tomunicate via text because she was worried the Holdens might discover her location. However, Corinne no longer needed to be so careful. Jeremy already found her location. The phone rang for quite a while before Xante finally picked up. ¡°Boss?¡± Xante¡¯s voice sounded a little hoarse; as though she was uneasy. Corinne asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s with your voice? Did something happen?¡± Xante¡¯s tone became a little more unnatural. ¡°N¡ªNothing! Is there anything you need from me? I, uh¡­¡± Corinne immediately had her guard up. ¡°Where are you, and why is your voice like that? Are you in trouble?¡± Her first instinct was to suspect Jeremy of sending someone over to make life difficult for Xante and Aaron. After all, it was weird that he had not done anything to her earlier. In that case, he must have some other n in motion elsewhere. Based on what she knew of him, it was impossible for him not to have any reaction! ¡°Boss¡­¡± Xante mumbled hesitantly. Chapter 1206 Chapter 1206 Corinne was worried sick. ¡°Are you going to tell me what you¡¯re doing or not?¡± Sunny snatched away the phone before Xante could say anything. ¡°She¡¯s not free to talk right now. You can talk to me to discuss anything with her or call her back two hourster.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Ugh. It¡¯s that brat, Sunny! Just what the heck are they doing?¡¯ ¡°Sunny, stop! Can¡¯t you wait until I¡¯ve finished talking on the phone?! Ah! Get lost!¡± whined Xante coquettishly in the background. Corinne started blushing and quickly hung up the phone. ¡®Sh*t!¡¯ Corinne could feel a headacheing, so she massaged her temples. Then, sheid in her bed and covered her head with the nket. ¡­ Meanwhile, Sunny had Xante pinned to the bed. Her gentle, beautiful face was red as a tomato. She was shy not about what they were doing, but because she was embarrassed that Corinne found out. ¡®That was so embarrassing!¡¯ she thought.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ She did not expect Corinne to call. After all, why would she when Corinne had not called her for more than six months? Thus, she picked up the phone thinking it was work, which she could easily handle without getting flustered. However, the moment Xante heard Corinne¡¯s voice, she started to panic. ¡®She must¡¯ve guessed what I¡¯m doing with Sunny. God, I could just crawl into a hole and die.¡¯ The more she relived the experience, the more p*ssed she got at Sunny. She looped his hand around his neck and dug her fingers hard onto his back, causing ten bloody red scratch marks to appear. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. However, the pain did not seem to deter Sunny from continuing to ravish her. In fact, it seemed to make him even more excited. Xante was starting to reach a climax. ¡°Ah¡­ No¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Stop.¡± Sunny leaned down to kiss her. ¡°Xante, I like you. I really, really like you.¡± All kinds of logical thinking flew out of Xante¡¯s mind at that moment. She pressed his head onto her chest and just let herself go. It always ended like that for her. Her little lover boy seemed to turn into a hungry wolf whenever they were in bed. No one could stop him once he started. An hourter. Sunny went to take a shower while Xante put on her lingerie, leaned back against the headboard, and made a call to Corinne. Corinne picked up instantly, but she did not say anything. ¡°So, um¡­ Sorry about just now, Boss. I was upied with something,¡± she said awkwardly. Corinne chuckled coldly. ¡°And you¡¯re free now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Xante with a dryugh. ¡°So what¡¯s your n with that kid? You do know that he just turned eighteen, right? He doesn¡¯t even know how the world works yet.¡± Chapter 1207 Chapter 1207 ¡°I know,¡± said Xante with a sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way either, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me¡­ Boss, I know he¡¯s your step-brother. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never hurt him. I won¡¯t contact him anymore once he gets sick of me.¡± Corinne pinched the bridge of her nose. This was even more headache-inducing than she thought. ¡°Are you stupid, Xante? You¡¯re the one I¡¯m worried about, not him! He¡¯s young andes from a rich family, so he¡¯ll neverck any woman in the future. I¡¯m not worried about him getting hurt! I¡¯m worried about you getting hurt!¡± Xante smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re worrying for nothing, then. Do I really strike you as someone who¡¯d take Mister Sunny seriously? I¡¯ll probably get tired of him before he does.¡± ¡°I really hope that¡¯s the case for your sake,¡± replied Corinne with a bitter smile. Everyone would think they had everything under control whenever they started a new rtionship, and that they would not be the ones getting hurt. However, it was always the one who fellter that got hurt the most while the one who fell first would fall out of love first. Corinne had lost hope in all matters of romantic love after the ordeal she went through with Jeremy. Thus, she did not think Xante would be able to untangle herself from Sunny without getting hurt. Xante was confident she would be able to move on from Sunny whenever she wanted, so she told herself to just enjoy the moment. What she was worried about was Corinne getting mad at her. ¡°By the way, Boss, why did you call me? Aren¡¯t you afraid the Holdens would be listening in? Did something urgent happen?¡± she asked. Corinne¡¯s eyes dimmed a little. ¡°No, nothing urgent happened. I just wanted to talk to you. As for the Holdens, well, there¡¯s no need to hide from them anymore.¡± Xante immediately knew something must have happened. ¡°Why not? Did you get busted at the ribbon- cutting ceremony?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No¡­ But after that, Jeremy found out where I¡¯m staying.¡± Xante bolted right up. ¡°What? He found out where you¡¯re staying?! Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinne sighed. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t. He left without doing anything to me.¡± Xante was very relieved to hear that. However, she could not help but feel suspicious. ¡°So he just left? Boss, what do you think he¡¯s trying to pull? I mean, he searched high and low for you, yet he left without doing anything?¡± ¡°I thought it was weird too. The only thing he did was knock on the door, stare at me, then at the furnishings behind me, and leave! Xante, what do you think is the meaning of that?¡± Xante could not fathom it either. ¡°Did he say anything?¡± ¡°No. Not a word. He just smiled faintly and left!¡± ¡°He smiled?¡± Xante frowned. The more she thought about it, the weirder the whole thing was to her. ¡°Boss, it might be the calm before the store. You can¡¯t stay there any longer. Aaron and I will go pick you upter!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°The calm before the storm?¡± ¡®That could be it. I am still pregnant with his kid, he won¡¯t dare to do anything to me. He¡¯s just biding his time, and when the baby is born, he¡¯ll swoop in and steal the baby from me.¡¯ Corinne recalled the dream she had¡ªthe one about Jeremy fighting over the baby with her¡ªwhen she fell asleep in Jason¡¯s car. ¡®Xante¡¯s right! I can¡¯t stay in Jason¡¯s mansion anymore!¡¯ ¡°Xante, it¡¯s gettingte. Why don¡¯t you and Aarone tomorrow morning instead? The fact he didn¡¯t do anything to me means he¡¯s still waiting for the right moment, so I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be safe for the night.¡± Xante nodded. ¡°Okay. Aaron and I will be there to pick you up first thing in the morning.¡± ¡°Alright. See you tomorrow,¡± said Corinne. After that, she hung up the phone. ¡°Who are you picking up tomorrow? I want to go, too,¡± said Sunny as he walked out of the bathroom, toweling dry his hair. He thenid down beside Xante and rubbed himself against her. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Xante put her phone aside and pushed him away. ¡°No, we¡¯re not doing it again! Plus, you just had your shower, so leave me alone!¡± she said with annoyance. Sunny frowned. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet. Who are you picking up tomorrow?¡± Chapter 1208 Chapter 1208 Xante poked Sunny with a straight face. ¡°A kid like you shouldn¡¯t involve himself in the affairs of adults. I¡¯m going to shower now, and I¡¯ll send you home after that. We wouldn¡¯t want your brother to give you beat your *ss for going homete now, do we?¡± Being called a kid irked Sunny, and he pressed down on Xante with his whole body. ¡°Who are you calling a kid? Did you forget the adult business we were doing just now? How can you say I¡¯m a kid when I just had s*x with you?¡± Xante felt a tingling sensation crawling up her body, but she pretended to re at him angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not going to y with you tomorrow if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± Sunny¡¯s tone immediately softened. ¡°Can you please tell me who you¡¯re going to pick up tomorrow? Is it a man or a woman? I know you need to interact with other men because of your job, but I really don¡¯t like it. If it¡¯s a man, I¡¯m going with you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a woman! I¡¯m picking up Corinne tomorrow!¡± said Xante finally. Sunny¡¯s face instantly lit up. ¡°You¡¯re going to pick up Corinne tomorrow? That means you¡¯ve finally found her?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going, too! I want to go pick her up! It¡¯s been so long since Ist saw her.¡± Xante lifted Sunny¡¯s chin. ¡°Don¡¯t you have school tomorrow? How are you going to go?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°I can ask for a leave of absence.¡± Xante smiled. ¡°I suggest you give that idea more thought. You should know it¡¯ll be harder for you to meet me once your brother finds out you¡¯ve cut school again.¡± After hearing that, Sunny really gave it some thought. ¡°It should be okay if I tell him I¡¯m going to pick Corinne up. After all, he has been looking for her everywhere, too.¡± ¡°No! We should keep this news from him for the time being,¡± said Xante darkly. ¡°Why? Lucas never once stopped looking for her. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be very happy to hear the news.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t tell anyone else without Corinne¡¯s permission. Otherwise, it would be like you¡¯re betraying me.¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t tell Lucas.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Good. Now get up from me. I want to go take a shower.¡± Sunny remained lying on top of her. ¡°Xante, are you tired?¡± An rm bell immediately went off inside Xante¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! I still have to wake up early tomorrow morning.¡± Sunny looked at her with his sad puppy eyes and snuggled closer to her. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t tease you anymore, but remember to pay me back double next time!¡± How wonderful it was to be young and energetic. Xante¡¯s lips twitched. She pushed him away and said, ¡°Let me go! I want to go take a shower!¡± Only then did Sunny get up from her body. ¡­ The next morning, Xante and Aaron arrived very early at Jason¡¯s mansion. Corinne did not sleep well the whole night, so she thought she might as well pack her bags and wait in the living room for them to arrive. The servants were shocked by their arrival. To protect Corinne, they quickly dialed Jason¡¯s number to report the situation to him. However, Jason actually came walking before their finger even hit thest digit. He looked at Xante and Aaron¡ªwho was helping Corinne carry her bags to the car¡ªin surprise before turning to look at Corinne, who looked like she was all ready to go. ¡°Corinne, are you leaving? Where to?¡± Chapter 1209 Chapter 1209 Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going back to the city to give birth. I left your phone in the drawer. I¡¯ve already switched it off, so you can see if you have any missed calls. Thank you for everything.¡± After that, she started making her way out with Xante and Aaron. Jason could not ept her leaving just like that. He looked so confused and lost. ¡°Did something happenst night? Why would you suddenly want to leave?¡± he asked after he blocked her path. ¡°Jeremy knows about this ce. He camest night, so you¡¯re going to be in a lot of trouble if I continue to stay there. It¡¯s best if I just go back home,¡± said Corinne with resignation. ¡®Jeremy camest night?¡¯ thought Jason with shock. He looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°Corinne, do you really think I¡¯d care about getting into trouble? I wouldn¡¯t have helped you in the first ce if I¡¯m worried about crossing Jeremy.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t care, but there¡¯s no point for me to hide out here since he already found out where I am. Plus, it¡¯ll be more convenient for me to go to the hospital from my own ce. As for what¡¯s going to happen next, well, I¡¯ll leave that for future Corinne to worry about.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jason was silent for a few seconds. He then nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I understand. Please let me know when you get home safely.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Jason gave her a send-off. After that, he narrowed his eyes and thought, ¡®Seems like Jeremy found out sooner than I expected.¡¯ ¡­ Two hourster, they finally got back to the city.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron turned his head back and asked, ¡°Boss, do you want to have lunch first or go back home?¡± ¡°Lunch can wait. Drive me to the office first. I want to read the financial reports from thest six months.¡± Corinne was preparing for the worst. There was a high possibility Jeremy woulde down hard on Newmoon Group in the near future, so she would need to understand the position thepany was in toe up with the best countermeasures. For the past six months, she did not really concern herself with thepany¡¯s affairs. After all, she was so busy hiding from Jeremy and taking care of her unborn baby, so there were a lot of things she did not understand anymore. Annie was sitting in the Newmoon Group¡¯s lobby, scrolling through her phone when she suddenly sensed a group of people walking past her. Her expression immediately changed when she saw who they were. Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped, ¡°Corinne!¡± Corinne stopped walking. Annie ran over to her and said happily, ¡°It is you, Corinne! Do you know how hard Uncle Jeremy has been looking for you?! Where have you been for the past six months? We were all worried sick about you!¡± Corinne did not answer her questions. She simply looked at Annie and then at the ce she was sitting just moments before. ¡°What are you doing down here when you should be working?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow. Annie was a little taken aback. She tried to quickly exin, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? I don¡¯t work for Newmoon Group anymore. I¡¯m waiting for someone! We¡¯re going to have lunch together.¡± Corinne had not heard. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for someone? Who?¡± She instinctively nced at Aaron when she asked the question. Aaron¡¯s expression remained impassive. He looked quietly at Annie, and when he noticed Corinne ncing at her, he shrugged innocently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, Boss. I¡¯m not the person she¡¯s waiting for.¡± Annie nced at Aaron impassively. ¡°Mister Aaron is right. I didn¡¯te for him. I¡¯m actually waiting for my boyfriend toe down. Corinne, it¡¯s been such a long time since Ist saw you, so why don¡¯t you join us for lunch? I¡¯ll ask Uncle Jeremy toe too. Boy, is he going to be surprised when he sees you!¡± ¡®Annie is in a rtionship?¡¯ Corinne realized just how many things she missed. She shook her head lightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You guys go ahead. I don¡¯t want to be a third wheel. By the way, you don¡¯t have to wait here. You cane up with me to wait for your boyfriend upstairs.¡± Chapter 1210 Chapter 1210 After thinking it over, Annie nodded and said, ¡°Okay, sure. Thanks, Corinne!¡± She still had the employee ID card with her, so she could go in and out of thepany as she pleased. This was possible because she did not formally tender her resignation since she just decided not to come to work for a day. The reason she did not go upstairs to wait for Marcus was because she did not want to risk running into Aaron. However, she did not care about all that anymore since Corinne was back. Thus, so followed Corinne into the elevator. She was so focused on Corinne that she did not realize Aaron was standing beside her too. It was only when she smelled his signature perfume did she noticed his presence. However, it would seem like she was still hung up on him if she tried to change her ce then. ¡®Oh well, this elevator ride isn¡¯t going to take long anyway,¡¯ she told herself. ¡°Corinne, where have you been for the past six months?¡± she asked curiously. Corinne ignored her question again. ¡°Annie, we can still be friends, but you should know I¡¯m not your aunt anymore.¡± Annie was stunned. ¡°Why not? Does that mean you¡¯re really breaking up with Uncle Jeremy?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°What I had with your Uncle Jeremy was just a working rtionship, and now that our agreement has ended, there¡¯s no need for us to continue as before. It¡¯s not right for you to see me as your aunt; doing so will only cause me unnecessary trouble.¡± Annie did not understand the sudden change in Corinne¡¯s attitude. ¡°But you¡¯re carrying Uncle Jeremy¡¯s ¡ª¡± Ding! The elevator door slid open. Corinne strode out of the elevator without waiting for Annie to finish her sentence. Xante quickly followed behind her. Annie frowned in consternation. ¡®What the heck is the matter with her? Why is she acting all weird after she came back?¡¯ This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°You should just let it go instead of worrying your pretty little head over it. You should also not meddle in your uncle¡¯s love life,¡± said Aaron from behind Annie. He sounded like he was very close to her. Annie¡¯s heart started beating faster. She snapped back to the present and walked out of the elevator without even sparing him a nce. Aaron shoved his hands into his pockets. He looked like he did not have a care in the world, not even after getting a cold shoulder from a girl. He shrugged nonchntly, chuckled, and walked out of the elevator too. However, the moment he walked out of the elevator, he saw Annie talking happily with Marcus. He could not take his eyes off her radiantughing face. Marcus noticed Aaron was staring at them, so he stood up anxiously and asked, ¡°Mister Aaron, do you have any orders for me?¡± Aaron strode over and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll let your manager know if I have any tasks for you.¡± Marcus fell silent. He should not have gone over his immediate supervisor¡¯s head. Annie rolled her eyes at Aaron. She did not like his tone when speaking to Marcus. Chapter 1211 Chapter 1211 ¡®Hmph! Does he think he can treat his employee like this just because he¡¯s the vice president of the company? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s the only vice president in the world. I should ask Marcus to quit and go work for Uncle Jeremy!¡¯ thought Annie. Aaron must have guessed what she was thinking of because his smile deepened. ¡°Annie, please step into my office for a moment.¡± Annie was a little taken aback. ¡®This is weird. Did I hear wrong? Why would he ask me to go into his office?¡¯ Annie never once turned behind to look at him as she did not want to see him. Without even needing to think twice, she rejected his invitation. ¡°Mister Aaron, I don¡¯t work for you anymore. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for me to go into your office.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten you haven¡¯t gone through the formal resignation procedures? So technically, you¡¯re still an employee here. Now would you step into my office?¡± he asked sternly. ¡°No! I won¡¯t. I told you I¡¯ve quit!¡± Aaron walked around her so that they would face each other. He leaned down a little and looked into her eyes. ¡°Be a good girl ande into my office. I want to talk to you about your resignation and have you sign some papers. That way, it¡¯ll be easier to look for a new job.¡± ¡®Good girl¡¯. That sounded too flirtatious. That nickname made it sound like they were dating! As her boyfriend, Marcus was displeased by Aaron¡¯s tone, even if he was his boss. Annie was quite angry as well, but she feared that if she turned Aaron down again, he would say something even worse. ¡°Marcus, wait for me while I hand in my resignation. We¡¯ll go through lunch after that,¡± said Annie. Marcus looked worriedly at Annie. He wanted to go with her too but knew there was nothing he could do even if he was there. Thus, he simply nodded. After that, Annie followed Aaron into his office. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Mister Aaron, can you please make this quick? My boyfriend is waiting for me outside,¡± said Annie.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron closed the door, took his suit jacket, and threw it on the sofa before loosening his tie as he walked to his desk. ¡°What? Now that you have a boyfriend, you can¡¯t even spare me some time?¡± Annie smirked disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m not like you. You can flirt with countless girls at any time, but I know how to keep my boundaries with the opposite *** out of respect for my boyfriend.¡± Aaron snorted at this. He rested his chin on his hand and said, ¡°So do you n to marry an ordinary office worker?¡± Annie frowned and said seriously, ¡°Of course I do! Marriage is an end-goal for every rtionship I have. I¡¯m not in the market for ying games. And what¡¯s wrong with marrying an ordinary office worker? You shouldn¡¯t look down on people like that!¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then does that mean you were thinking of marrying me when you were courting me?¡± Annie was a little taken aback by the question. She started blushing madly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but yes. I wanted to marry you then, but now? I see that you¡¯re not even interested in dating a girl who takes rtionships seriously like me! So don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ever bother you anymore.¡± Annie kept her eyes off him the whole time she was speaking. It was obvious she was deliberately avoiding looking at him, which meant still cared very much about him. Aaron narrowed his eyes. ¡°Then what if I say I want to have a serious rtionship with you now?¡± Annie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®What¡­ What did he just say?¡¯ Chapter 1212 Chapter 1212 Meanwhile, in Xante¡¯s office. Corinne sat at Xante¡¯s desk. She looked through financial reports for the past six months and thetest project status updates. Xante had ordered a cup of warm milk for her, and she took it to Corinne after getting it from her secretary. ¡°Here, drink this. The reports can wait.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes never left theputer screen while she sipped her milk. At that moment, Xante¡¯s phone rang, so she walked off a little distance to pick it up. Her expression was riddled with mixed feelings after she hung up. ¡°Umm¡­ Boss?¡± Corinne kept her eyes on theputer screen. ¡°Yes? Speak!¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Someone from Holden Group just called.¡± ¡°And what did that person say?¡± ¡°The person in charge said that Mister Jeremy is very happy with the building we¡¯ve designed and built, so they¡¯d like to work on a project with us again. They have a new project in Southbank and would like us to take over the construction, so he called to ask for a meeting.¡± Corinne looked up at Xante. ¡°What do you think?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Xante thought this was out of character for thepany. Most of the time constructionpanies would have to fight with each other to get projects from Holden Group; rarely would thepany bypass the tendering process to deliver an order like this to a constructionpany. Especially not when Jeremy had found out about Corinne¡¯s other identity. Thus, Xante naturally thought that this could be a trap. ¡°I think we should just decline.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°We should take the project. I mean, it is money.¡± Xante was a little taken aback. ¡°Boss, are you sure about this?¡± Corinne let go of theputer house, leaned backfortably against the chair, and took a slow sip of her warm milk. ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I¡¯m sure or not. Holden Group isn¡¯t really giving us a choice, right? Even if we turn down this project, they¡¯ll just throw us another project. And even if we turn down all the projects they throw at us, what¡¯s not to say they¡¯ll hire us through a third-partypany? If you think about it, they¡¯re showing us their hands by contacting us directly, so let¡¯s take them up on the offer. We¡¯ll see what to do from there.¡± Xante thought about what Corinne said. ¡®She¡¯s right. That Jeremy isn¡¯t an easy person to deal with.¡¯ ¡°I get it now. I¡¯ll set up a meeting time with the person in charge and see just exactly what they want.¡± Corinne continued to drink her milk while thinking of her next steps. If given a choice, she would not have taken this route to go against Jeremy, but since he made the first move, there was no use hiding from him anymore. ¡®Jeremy knows Xante, Aaron, and thispany are the people and things I care the most about, so he¡¯ll try to take them away from me first,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡®Oh well, let¡¯s see just what he¡¯s trying to pull.¡¯ Xante walked off to the side to make a call to the person in charge when someone knocked on the office door twice. Corinne thought it was one of the employees who hade to deliver some files. Without thinking, she told them toe in. Chapter 1213 Chapter 1213 It was not an employee who walked it. It was Sunny! Sunny¡¯s reaction at seeing Corinne was even grander than hers. ¡°My god, Corinne, you look like a blimp!¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®Guess he¡¯s still the same thoughtless boy six months ago.¡¯ Sunny walked up to her to take a closer look. ¡°But you still look cute.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t you have ss today?¡± Sunny shrugged and said haughtily, ¡°I did go to ss, but it¡¯s lunch break now. I heard Xante is going to pick you up today, so I came to see you.¡± Corinne ced her cup on the table. She then looked at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°Does your family know about you and Xante?¡± Sunny scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ Lucas knows about it, but not the others. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell my parents, but Xante wouldn¡¯t let me. She said she¡¯s not ready to meet the parents yet.¡± Corinne looked at his immature face and instantly worried about leaving Xante with him. ¡°What are you going to do if your family doesn¡¯t approve of you two being together?¡± Sunny crossed his legs and thought about it. ¡°I¡¯ll keep persuading them until they ept her.¡± ¡°And what if after all the persuading they still don¡¯t approve?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s simple! I¡¯ll just run away from home and move in with Xante. I don¡¯t mind taking up her surname. It¡¯s not like she doesn¡¯t have the money to take care of me.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Corinneughed out of the absurdity of it all. ¡°Is that all the backbone you have? You¡¯re already nning to marry into her family when you guys aren¡¯t even seriously dating yet? It¡¯s obvious you¡¯re trying to take advantage of her.¡± Sunny did not agree with her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with marrying into her family? As long as it¡¯s true love, who cares about all that? Besides, I only said I¡¯d marry into her family and didn¡¯t say I¡¯d rely on her forever. I, of course, have ns to make myself stronger so that I can protect and take care of her in the future.¡± Corinne pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Sunny, why don¡¯t you focus on getting into a good university first? At your current situation, I¡¯m sure your brother would rather break both of your legs instead of letting you marry into Xante¡¯s family.¡± Sunny crossed his arms. ¡°Heh! Don¡¯t think you can use my brother to scare me! I¡¯m afraid of him when ites to most things, but not this! I won¡¯t change my mind about Xante, even if you tattle on me to him. So what if he breaks both of my legs? Xante will take care of me until they heal!¡± Sunny might think he was being all macho by saying all those, but to Corinne, he only sounded very immature. Frankly, he sounded a little bit silly, too. ¡°How sure are you that I¡¯ll take care of you until your legs heal?¡± asked Xante, walking over. She had just finished her call and happened to hear the end of their conversation. Sunny immediately sat up properly and toned down his macho behavior when he saw Xante walking over. However, he did not drop his arrogant attitude. ¡°I know one hundred percent that you¡¯lle to save me because you can¡¯t bear to live without me.¡± Normally, Xante would just ignore Sunny whenever he said something childish like that. However, her boss was there, so she could not help but feel embarrassed. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, ¡°There¡¯s still the risk of your legs never healing even with all the best medical care. That means you¡¯ll be a cripple. Do you think I¡¯ll care about you then?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± answered Sunny without hesitation. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Xante scoffed. ¡°You think too highly of me. I¡¯ll never sacrifice myself for someone else.¡± Sunny frowned unhappily. ¡°Xante, I know you don¡¯t mean that and will take care of me if I really end up as a cripple.¡± Chapter 1214 Chapter 1214 Xante was not in the mood to talk about what-if scenarios with Sunny. ¡°Let¡¯s stop the conversation here. Wait outside for me. I need to discuss something with Corinne.¡± Sunny crossed his arms unhappily. He refused to go outside since he did not see himself as an outsider when it came to Corinne, so he thought he had to listen in on their conversations too. Corinne pretended Sunny did not exist. She turned toward Xante, asking, ¡°What did Holden Group say?¡± ¡°They¡¯lle tomorrow afternoon to go over the details with us.¡± Corinne nodded and stood up. ¡°Noted. Sunny can stay here. I¡¯ll go and give you guys some room. Bye.¡± Xante nced at Sunny and said helplessly, ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯ll kick him out now.¡± Corinne put up her hand to stop her. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not leaving because of him. I actually finished what I came here to do. Plus, I¡¯m a little tired now, so I want to go home to take a nap. You two stay and chat, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask the driver to send you back then,¡± said Xante. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I haven¡¯t been out in the city for a long time, so I don¡¯t mind walking around the area for a bit before taking a taxi home.¡± After that, she opened the door and walked out of the office. Xante could not help but feel worried. She went out to instruct her secretary to apany Corinne to walk around before getting her a taxi home. Since Corinne was in the final trimester of her pregnancy and it was harder to get around by herself, she decided to take up on Xante¡¯s offer to have her secretary apany her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. However, she did not expect to run into Jeremy downstairs. He was sitting in his car with his window rolled down mid-way, revealing the top half of his side profile.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Beside the car, Annie stood with her arm looped around Marcus. She was introducing Marcus to Jeremy. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, meet Marcus! He¡¯s the boyfriend I told you about,¡± she said. Jeremy nced tepidly at Marcus. Marcus was so nervous that he did not know where to put his hands. ¡°Hello, Sir. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of Annie.¡± Jeremy was not a woman, so he was not interested in Marcus¡¯ vows of love. He simply said, ¡°Sure. Get in the car now.¡± Marcus remained rooted to his spot out of nervousness. Annieughingly nudged him. ¡°Marcus, why are you still standing here? Uncle Jeremy asked us to get into the car.¡± Marcus snapped back to the present and scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°T¡­Thank you, Sir.¡± Annie happened to see Corinne, who was being helped down the stairs by Xante¡¯s secretary, from the corner of her eyes when she was pushing Marcus into the car. She was first stunned, but she then instinctively turned toward Jeremy to see his reaction. Jeremy obviously saw Corinne too since he was looking at them. However, his expression remained as impassive as ever. Annie thought Jeremy would be really happy to see Corinne, so she was a bit puzzled at his cold attitude. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, Corinne¡¯s back!¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw.¡± Annie frowned. ¡°Should I go over there to ask her to join us for lunch?¡± ¡°Up to you,¡± said Jeremy coldly. After that, he rolled up his window. This confused Annie. After thinking about it, she ran over to where Corinne was and said, ¡°Corinne, Uncle Jeremy asked you to join us for lunch.¡± Chapter 1215 Chapter 1215 Corinne was walking down thest step and saw Jeremy too, but she quickly looked away. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Help me thank him for the invitation, but I have something to doter, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t join you guys,¡± said Corinne politely. Annie was a little frustrated by the refusal. ¡°Corinne, what¡¯s the matter with you? Why won¡¯t you at least come have lunch with Uncle Jeremy?¡± Corinne did not answer her question. She simply smiled and said, ¡°Annie, remember I told you to treat me as a friend and not your aunt?¡± Annie refused. ¡°But you¡¯re still my aunt, right?¡± ¡°Annie, you should just do as she says,¡± said Jeremy coldly. He had his window rolled down again. Annie had no choice but to listen since Jeremy had spoken. She pouted sadly and said, ¡°Okay. Fine. But would you at least have lunch with us? If not, I can get Uncle Jeremy to drop you off at the ce you want to go.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She walked around Annie with the intention to leave. ¡°Get in the car, Miss Corinne. We should finish what we started. It¡¯s time we end things properly,¡± said Jeremy emotionlessly.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡®He¡¯s right. We should end things properly,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s ready to move on from the rtionship. Heh! I was a fool to think he¡¯d be hung up on me. Guess I went into hiding for six months for nothing.¡¯ Corinne turned to look at him. ¡°Fine by me.¡± She then told Xante¡¯s secretary to go back to work before she walked toward Jeremy¡¯s car. Being the thoughtful girl she was, Annie asked Marcus to get out of the backseat and go sit in the front passenger seat before walking over to help Corinne into the car. However, Corinne waved her hand and told Annie to get into the car first. Only three people could sit at the back, and since Jeremy was already inside, whoever got in first would be stuck in the middle. It was obvious why Corinne asked Annie to get in first, and Annie knew it too, so she had no choice but to do as she was told. No one saw the slight changes in Jeremy¡¯s expression. After Corinne got into the car, she kept her eyes trained on the moving scenery outside. She only agreed to get into the car because Annie and Marcus were with her too. She would not have gotten in if it was only Jeremy inside the car. The air in the car was thick with tension. No one talked, not even the usually talkative Annie. It was so awkward sitting in the middle that she did not know what to say, but then again, not talking seemed to make the air even more suffocating. Thus, Annie squeezed out a smile and asked, ¡°Corinne, where have you been all this time?¡± ¡°I went somewhere quiet to rest.¡± ¡°Did you go alone?¡± Chapter 1216 Chapter 1216 ¡°Yeah,¡± said Corinne simply. Annie nudged Jeremy with her elbow. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, did you hear that? She was alone for the past six months. Alone!¡± She had hoped Jeremy would not misunderstand Corinne so they could sit and have a civil conversation after so long of not seeing each other. Jeremy chuckled mockingly. ¡°That¡¯s what she said.¡± Annie did not understand what Jeremy meant. ¡®Why did he say that? Are they really breaking up soon?¡¯ Corinne was visibly irked by Jeremy¡¯sment. ¡®Does he think I¡¯m lying?¡¯ Annie was only trying to lighten the mood, but her attempt at making conversation just seemed to make the whole situation even worse. Thus, she decided to be silent. ¡­ Meanwhile, back in Xante¡¯s office. Xante had asked someone to bring in some snacks for Sunny to keep him upied she could not sit still after her secretary told her Corinne had gotten into Jeremy¡¯s car.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°What?! Where is Jeremy taking her?¡± she asked in a panicked tone. The secretary shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only heard them talking about ending things properly.¡± Xante was furious. ¡°How can you let her get into the car without knowing where he¡¯s taking her? And why didn¡¯t you follow her?¡± The secretary dropped her head. ¡°Annie and Marcus were in the car too, so there was no extra seat for me to sit. Miss Corinne didn¡¯t want me to follow her either.¡± Xante quickly took out her phone to call Corinne. Sunny, who was sitting on the sofa eating his snacks, walked over casually when he saw Xante panicking. ¡°Xante, why are you so worried? So what if Corinne got into Jeremy¡¯s car? It¡¯s not like she got into some bad guy¡¯s car.¡± Xante nced at him angrily. ¡°That Jeremy is as good as a bad guy to her!¡± Sunny disagreed. ¡°I won¡¯tment on how Jeremy treats other people, but he¡¯s really good to Corinne. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll never hurt her.¡± Xante chuckled coldly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± Sunny looked confused. ¡°How did he hurt her? From what I can tell, Corinne has always been the one hurting him. I mean, she did leave him twice without saying a word. No man could ever stand that.¡± Xante red at him. ¡°You should go back to ss instead of annoying me further!¡± Sunny softened his tone a little as he did not want to be kicked out. ¡°Xante, please don¡¯t get angry at me. I have nothing to do with this¡­¡± ¡°Then just be quiet so you won¡¯t cause me any more trouble!¡± Xante walked out of her office and called Corinne, but she did not pick up. Thus, she decided to go discuss with Aaron about their next steps. The moment she pushed open his office door, she saw Aaron with his head lying dejectedly on the table. If she did not know any better, she would have thought he was drunk. She walked up to him and knocked on his desk. ¡°Wake up! Boss is in big trouble!¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1217 Chapter 1217 Aaron bolted upright from his seat. ¡°What?! What happened?¡± Xante was about to tell him Corinne had gotten into Jeremy¡¯s car when she noticed how red and swollen Aaron¡¯s face was. ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Aaron touched his burning cheek. ¡°What else? I was pped by a girl,¡± he said self-deprecatingly. ¡°Serves you right,¡± said Xante with disgust. Aaron shrugged. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to tell me what happened?¡± ¡°The boss ran into Jeremy downstairs, and he asked her to get into his car. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re going now, and she¡¯s not picking up my phone.¡± ¡°Why would Jeremy be downstairs?¡± asked Aaron quizzically. ¡°He must¡¯vee to pick Annie up, and the boss just happened to be there. He told her to get in so they could end things properly.¡± Aaron¡¯s cheek tingled with more pain at the mention of Annie¡¯s name as she was the one who pped him. She gave it her all in that p, so much so that it caused the corner of Aaron¡¯s mouth to bleed. Of course, he wiped away the blood before Xante came in. He did not understand why Annie pped him. All he did was ask whether she would want to try dating him! ¡°Xante, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to worry. Annie is in the car with them too, right? Jeremy will never do anything to the boss while Annie is there. Plus, she¡¯s still pregnant with his kid.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Xante red at Aaron. ¡°I know he won¡¯t do anything to the boss at the time being, but do you think he¡¯ll speak nicely to her? What if the boss gets so stressed that it induces an earlybor? Hurry, call Annie and find out where they¡¯re going!¡± ¡°What? Why me? She just pped me, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to pick up my calls. I think it¡¯s better if you call her yourself,¡± said Aaron reluctantly. ¡°I haven¡¯t even spoken two sentences with her while she worked here, so she¡¯s never going to tell me the truth if I call her. Come on, I know you¡¯re good at coaxing whatever you want out of other women, so use that skill of yours on something good for once!¡± Aaron sighed pitifully. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call her, but you need to step out. I¡¯ll give you an updateter.¡± ¡°Hurry up. Don¡¯t waste time!¡± ordered Xante before she left the office to give him some space. Aaron picked up his phone and stared at the screen despondently. It was not that he could not put down his pride to call Annie, but she had blocked him in all the ways he could contact her. He could not contact her even if he wanted to. This was the first time a woman had the heart to block him wholly. He decided to leave Annie alone after getting pped, but for the sake of Corinne, he did not have a choice but to bother Annie again. After some careful deliberation, Aaron called the human resources department to ask for Marcus¡¯ contact details. ¡®I might as well call Annie¡¯s boyfriend since I can¡¯t contact her.¡¯ Aaron dialed Marcus¡¯ number, and the call took some time to go through. ¡°Hello. May I know who¡¯s calling?¡± asked Marcus politely. ¡°Marcus. It¡¯s me.¡± As a junior employee, Marcus did not have Aaron¡¯s personal number stored in his phone, but he instantly recognized his voice. ¡°Mister Aaron, why¡­ Why are you calling me? Is there something I can help you with?¡± he asked anxiously.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1218 Chapter 1218 Aaron chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This isn¡¯t about you or me.¡± Marcus was even more nervous after he said that. ¡°Then you are calling me because¡­?¡± ¡°You sound like you¡¯re outside. Are you not in the office?¡± drawled Aaron. ¡°It¡¯s lunch break, Mister Aaron, so I came out to have lunch.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°With your girlfriend?¡± asked Aaron with a smile. ¡°Y¡­Yes. I¡¯ll be sure to get back before lunch break is over.¡± Aaron¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be this nervous. I didn¡¯t call you to rush you back. But can I ask, which restaurant you guys are going to?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ As odd as Marcus thought for Aaron to ask him that question, he did not dare to lie to him, so he looked up at the restaurant signage and read out the name to Aaron. At that moment, Annie turned around and realized Marcus was not following her. She walked back to him and asked, ¡°Marcus, why are you standing here? Uncle Jeremy and Corinne have gone in.¡± Marcus covered his phone and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m on the phone with Mister Aaron now.¡± Annie¡¯s face darkened a little when she heard that. ¡°Why is that b*stard calling you? Is he causing you any trouble?¡± Marcus shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. Just stay quiet for a bit. I¡¯ll tell you everything after I¡¯ve finished talking to him.¡± Afraid that Aaron would hear what Annie said, Marcus walked a little distance away before taking his hand off his phone. ¡°Mister Aaron, I¡¯ll be back to the office soon. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Aaron had indeed heard everything Annie said. He chuckled softly and replied, ¡°Nope. That¡¯s all. Tell your girlfriend that I¡¯m going to fire you if she calls me a b*stard one more time.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. A chill ran up Marcus¡¯ spine. Not knowing what to do, he stood there frozen with his phone in his hand. ¡®Sh*t! He heard what Annie said. He¡¯s not really going to fire me, is he?!¡¯ Wondering what was taking Marcus so long, Annie walked over to him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What exactly does he want? Why is it taking so long?¡± Marcus snapped out of his shock and said dismayingly, ¡°Annie, Mister Aaron heard you called him a b*stard.¡± Annie was stunned, but she then rolled her eyes. ¡°So what if he heard? It¡¯s not like he could do anything to me.¡± Marcus smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re right. He can¡¯t do anything to you since you¡¯re not working for him anymore, but he said he¡¯s going to fire me¡­¡± Annie started to panic. ¡°Did he say that?¡± Marcus nodded. Annie reached out her hand. ¡°Give your phone to me.¡± Marcus did not know what she was going to do, but he gave the phone nheless. Annie immediately called Aaron back after she got the phone. Chapter 1219 Chapter 1219 Aaron picked up at the first ring. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you calling me back so soon? You missed me?¡± ¡°Aaron Rhode, what the heck is wrong with you?! Why did you threaten to fire my boyfriend?¡± said Annie angrily. Aaron was walking to the underground parking andughed when he heard what Annie said. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with me. Just think of this as a little payback for pping me and calling me a b*stard. You should know I¡¯m the type of person who holds a grudge against those who wronged me.¡± Annie frowned. ¡°I pped you because you were ying with my feelings! And even if it was because of that, you shoulde at me instead of my boyfriend! He¡¯s innocent in all of this.¡± Aaron chuckled. ¡°Well, how I n to exact my revenge is really up to me now, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, I won¡¯t bother you lovebirds now. See youter.¡± After that, he hung up the phone. Annie was furious. She regretted ever liking a hypocrite like Aaron! ¡®Wait a minute. Did he say see youter? He must be joking, right? Yeah, that must be it. I shouldn¡¯t overthink his words,¡¯ she thought. After that, she gave Marcus his phone back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mister Aaron isn¡¯t going to fire you.¡± Marcus was still very anxious. ¡°Annie, how could you talk to Mister Aaron like that?¡± he muttered in a tone that sounded like he was ming her. He thought Annie called Aaron to apologize to him, but she scolded him instead. How could he ever show his face in thepany anymore?Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Annie blinked in confusion. ¡°I was just trying to defend you.¡± Marcus sighed again. ¡°Even so you can¡¯t talk to my boss like that. You might not work there anymore, but I still do. What if Mister Aaron fires me because of you? I¡­¡± Looking at him, Annie gradually frowned. Marcus immediately realized what he was doing wrong. In a softer tone, he said, ¡°Sorry, it wasn¡¯t easy getting this job, so I started to panic a little¡­¡± Since he apologized, Annie thought she should not have acted so rashly either. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t consider your feelings. I acted out of my own emotions and caused you more trouble.¡± Marcus could not bear to lose her either. It would be a double blow to him if he were to lose both his job and his girlfriend at the same time. Thus, he quickly put down his pride tofort her. ¡°No, Annie. This isn¡¯t your fault. I¡¯m just worried I won¡¯t have the money to take care of you if I lose this job. After all, it¡¯s a man¡¯s job to provide. I don¡¯t think I can bear it if I have to break up with you ¡¯cause I¡¯m unemployed.¡± Annie shook her head vigorously. ¡°Marcus, you shouldn¡¯t think like that! I¡¯m not going to break up with you even if you¡¯re unemployed! And don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not going to be unemployed. I¡¯m going to ask Uncle Jeremy to get you a job at hispany if Mister Aaron really fires you.¡± Marcus¡¯ face lit up. ¡°Really? But¡­I don¡¯t even know whether your uncle epts me yet.¡± Annie patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My uncle likes whoever I like. He actually spoils me very much! Don¡¯t let his aloof attitude fool you. As a matter of fact, he never said no to any of my requests before.¡± Marcus visibly felt better after that. ¡°I envy you, Annie. You must be the luckiest girl to have an uncle like that.¡± Annieughed out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! It¡¯s nothing to be envious of. He¡¯ll be your uncle too when we marry. He¡¯ll treat you as well as he treats me!¡± Marcus wrapped her in a bear hug. ¡°Oh, Annie. I must¡¯ve saved the universe in my previous life to have a girlfriend like you. I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re willing to ept a low-level employee who has no money like me.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Annie did not put up a struggle or hug him back. She merely stood still, tensely. ¡°Okay, okay. That¡¯s enough. We should head in now. It would be rude to make Uncle Jeremy and Corinne wait for us.¡± Chapter 1220 Chapter 1220 Meanwhile, Corinne and Jeremy were led to their table by the restaurant¡¯s manager. The manager pulled her chair out for her, but since she was in the eighth month of her pregnancy, the gap between the chair and the table was still a little too narrow for her to fit in. She tried a few times to sit but to no avail. She reached out her hand and intended to pull back the chair further. However, before her hand even touched the chair, Jeremy pulled out the chair for her. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Stunned, she looked up at him. Even though she still did not like him, she still thanked him politely. Jeremy did not spare her a nce or say anything. He simply walked over to the seat across from her and sat.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The day before, the two of them sat down across from each other at the dining table and had a meal in the same way. At the time, she wore a mask and thought she got away with it, so she ate her meal without any worries. This time, it was different. She was sitting across from Jeremy, mask-free, so it would be difficult for her to pretend everything was alright between them. Not wanting to meet Jeremy¡¯s gaze more than she had to, Corinne looked out of the restaurant and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t Annie and Marcusing in yet?¡± She remembered Annie was next to her when she entered the restaurant, so where was she? Jeremy¡¯s gaze darkened. He sneered. ¡°What? Is it torturous to be alone with me?¡± Corinne was annoyed at his question. She red at him, but she then smiled. ¡°No. It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just very hungry and want to order as soon as possible, but it would be rude to order without them.¡± Jeremy looked at her piercingly. Even though his expression remained impassive, his gaze had turned icy cold, so much so that Corinne could not help but feel a chill run up her spine. ¡°When did you be so thoughtful, Miss Corinne? This isn¡¯t like you at all. After all, you¡¯ve always done what you wanted without caring about other people¡¯s feelings,¡± he said mockingly. ¡°Here, let me get the waiter for you.¡± He raised his hand to call over the waiter. ¡°Mister Jeremy, here¡¯s the menu you¡¯ve asked for,¡± said the waiter respectfully while presenting the menu. Jeremy took the menu and ordered a few of Corinne¡¯s favorite dishes. He then turned to her and remarked, ¡°Oh, I nearly forgot. Your taste must¡¯ve changed. Do you want to order anything else?¡± Corinne was speechless. She could not help but feel he was taking a jab at her. She decided to let it slide, however; it was not like she came to eat. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Jeremy handed the menu back to the waiter. ¡°Serve these dishes first. We¡¯ll add more when the others havee.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy.¡± The waiter left after that, leaving Corinne alone with Jeremy again. She was starting to feel suffocated as Jeremy stared at her from time to time. Jeremy took a sip of his water and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Miss Corinne, judging by how healthy you look, you must be living very well for the past six months.¡± Corinne gave him a superficial smile. ¡°Thanks for thepliment. It¡¯s always important for me to take care of myself well.¡± ¡°A verymendable habit. So what¡¯s your n from here on out?¡± asked Tyler impassively. Chapter 1221 Chapter 1221 ¡®What¡¯s my n from here on out?¡¯ Corinne was puzzled why Jeremy asked her that. She frowned and tried to gloss over her answer. ¡°My n is to take one step at a time. What¡¯s most important to me right now is to live in the present.¡± ¡°My, you sure are one free-spirited woman,¡± said Jeremy with a scoff. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to ask is, the baby you¡¯re carrying is not yours alone. How are we going to split the custody?¡± ¡®I knew it! He¡¯s trying to steal the baby from me!¡¯ Corinne¡¯s eyes became resolute as she asked, ¡°Mister Jeremy, just who are you to ask me for the baby¡¯s custody?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened. He narrowed his eyes and retorted, ¡°Well, who do you think I am?¡± Corinne gulped down some water before answering, ¡°To be honest, you¡¯re no one to me. And we both know the baby was an ident, but since they¡¯ll be born soon, I¡¯ll take care of them as best as I can.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°As for the two of us? We were brought together by chance, but our rtionship is finished now. We never got legally married, so this baby has nothing to do with you. There¡¯s no way you can win even if you take me to court.¡± Jeremy gazed at her stern expression. Suddenly, he smiled. ¡°Miss Corinne, are you questioning the capabilities of my team ofwyers or my power?¡± Corinne got goosebumps from the way he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning anything. I¡¯m just making my own position clear. The baby belongs to me and me alone. No one can take them away from me!¡± Jeremy grabbed her chin. ¡°You should know I might not go through the official procedures to get the baby.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± Corinne frowned and pped his hand away. ¡°You can ask your wife to give you a baby if you want one so much! Why do you insist on taking away mine?¡± ¡®My wife?¡¯ Jeremy was a little shocked. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Uncle Jeremy!¡± Annie suddenly appeared and asked him worriedly, ¡°Are the two of you¡­fighting?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. While Annie pulled Marcus toward the table, she saw Jeremy pinching Corinne¡¯s chin roughly and her pping away his hand. It was obvious Jeremy and Corinne were not getting along. Jeremy turned to look at Annie. ¡°No, we were just having a little chat,¡± he said coldly. ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­¡± Annie pushed Marcus on his seat before sitting next to Corinne. Then she whispered, ¡°Corinne, was Uncle Jeremy being mean to you?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, it was just like he said. We were just having a little chat.¡± Annie was at a loss for words. ¡®Are they serious? Anyone with eyes could see they were fighting.¡¯ She red at Jeremy. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, how can you fight with Corinne when she just came back? You should apologize to her, or do you not want to live anymore?¡± Jeremy red at her. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± Annie was speechless. Marcus did not know what was happening, but he could feel the tension in the air, so he tried to defuse it by making small talk. ¡°Mister Jeremy, have you ordered? I¡¯m sorry for not preparing any gifts for our first meeting, so if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to buy this lunch. Please order whatever you like.¡± Chapter 1222 Chapter 1222 Jeremy scoffed again. ¡°We¡¯ve already ordered for ourselves. You two can order something else if you want.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve ordered? That¡¯s great,¡± said Marcus with a sincere smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just order a few of Annie¡¯s favorite dishes, then.¡± Annie fell into deep thought, which made her look like she was in a trance while Marcus called over the waiter to order a few more dishes. ¡®Uncle Jeremy and Corinne stopped talking after Marcus and I came,¡¯ thought Annie. Jeremy¡¯s tense expression was as though someone owed him a lot of money. Meanwhile, Corinne was looking out of the restaurant¡¯s window absent-mindedly. ¡®No, this won¡¯t do! They¡¯re going to break up at this rate! A man should be the first to apologize for this kind of problem to be solved.¡¯ Annie did no doubt Jeremy¡¯s holier-than-thou attitude would push Corinne further away. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her mind. ¡®If I can¡¯t persuade Uncle Jeremy, someone else can!¡¯ She quickly texted Francine to tell her Corinne hade back. ¡­Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Meanwhile, at the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Francine did not have ss in the afternoon. She just took a shower after getting back from school when she saw Annie¡¯s text, stating Corinne had returned. Annie even sent her a photo, which she had taken secretly, of Corinne and Jeremy sitting across each other. They were both clearly displeased. Francine nearly jumped up in excitement. [Where are you guys now? Where did Jeremy find Corinne?] she texted Annie back. [We¡¯re at XXX restaurant. Corinne returned on her own ord and just happened to bump into Uncle Jeremy.] [Then is Jeremy going to bring her backter? I¡¯ve gotta tell Grandma this news!] [I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. They¡¯re talking about ending things. Corinne looks really depressed, and it¡¯s obvious she doesn¡¯t want to talk to Uncle Jeremy.] Francine frowned. [What? They¡¯re going to end things? How? She¡¯s carrying my brother¡¯s baby, and if I remember correctly, the baby¡¯s due next month, right? They should be waiting happily for their bundle of joy right now, so why are they fighting?] Annie sent her a sighing emoji. [Don¡¯t ask me¡ªI don¡¯t know the answers. It¡¯s not like I want to see them breaking up, too. That¡¯s why I¡¯m texting you now. I hope you can bring your grandmother to the restaurant. Only she can force Uncle Jeremy to apologize to Corinne first.] Francine immediately jumped to Jeremy¡¯s defense. [Why should he apologize first? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Corinne was the one who disappeared without so much as a goodbye! She should apologize to Jeremy first.] Annie was speechless. [Francine, you sound like you don¡¯t want them back together at all.] As much as she was angry about the whole thing, Francine wanted Corinne toe home. [Fine. Send me the location of the restaurant. I¡¯ll bring Grandma over as soon as possible.] Annie did exactly as she asked. Chapter 1223 Chapter 1223 Francine quickly changed her clothes and ran off to find Pam right after Annie sent her the restaurant¡¯s location. Meanwhile, Pam was sewing some clothes for her unborn grandson in her bedroom while praying Corinne would return. She never stopped worrying or missing her, so she tried to keep her upied by sewing baby¡¯s clothes. Suddenly, Francine barged in. ¡°Grandma!¡± Pam jumped up in fright, causing the needle to prick her hand. ¡°Francine, why did you scare me like that?¡± Pam red at her, put down the needle, and used a tissue to wipe away the blood trickling down her hand. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Seeing this, Francine quickly walked over to her. ¡°Grandma, are you okay?¡± Pam threw away the tissue and lectured her with a frown, ¡°I¡¯m okay, but sooner orter, you¡¯re going to be the death of me. What happened? Why didn¡¯t you knock before you came in?¡± Francine felt a little guilty for being the reason Pam hurt herself. She pouted and said, ¡°Sorry, Grandma. I was in too much of a rush.¡± ¡°Apology epted. Now, tell me what put you in so much of a rush?¡± ¡°Corinne¡¯s back!¡± Pam¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°What did you say? Corinne¡¯s back? Where is she right now? Quick! Bring me to her.¡± After that, she started walking out of her room. Francine quickly went up to stop her. ¡°Calm down, Grandma. I haven¡¯t finished speaking. Corinne¡¯s not back at our home yet. She¡¯s having lunch with Jeremy outside.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Pam was over the moon. ¡°That means Jeremy knows she¡¯s back, too! Oh, thank heavens. Though I do wish they had their lunch at home instead. I¡¯ll ask the kitchen to prepare some of Corinne¡¯s favorite food for dinner tonight!¡± Francine sighed again. ¡°Grandma, things aren¡¯t as simple as you think they are. Annie said there seems to be something going wrong between Jeremy and Corinne ¡¯cause they¡¯re talking about ending things.¡± Pam¡¯s smile gradually disappeared. ¡°What? They¡¯re going to end things?! Why would they want to end things when the baby is due soon? What the hell is that stupid grandson of mine thinking? He should¡¯ve brought her home the moment he found her instead of talking about ending things outside!¡± Francine held on to Pam¡¯s elbow. ¡°That¡¯s why Annie asked me to bring you to the restaurant. She said you¡¯re the only person who can make Jeremy apologize first. I mean, we wouldn¡¯t want Corinne to run away again, do we?¡± ¡°Yes! I will go! No, I must go! Let¡¯s go, Francine. Bring me to the restaurant now!¡± asserted Pam. Francine found it somewhat amusing to see her usually calm grandmother panicking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. Annie is keeping an eye on them as we speak, so why don¡¯t you put on your coat first? They¡¯re not going to leave the restaurant so soon.¡± Pam quickly ordered one of the maids to bring her her coat before putting it on and dragging Francine out of her bedroom. However, the moment they stepped out of the door, they bumped into Sophia, who came to visit Pam with two boxes of pastries in her hands. ¡°Grandma, where are you going in such a rush?¡± asked Sophia with a polite smile. Pam looked around shiftily. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m going out with Francine to do something. What are you doing here, Sophia?¡± Sophia raised the two pastry boxes in her hands. ¡°I managed to get some pastries that went viral some time ago for you to try.¡± Chapter 1224 Chapter 1224 Pam nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s very thoughtful of you. But why don¡¯t you leave the pastries here first? I¡¯ll have them when Ie back. Sorry for not keeping you, but I have to attend to a family matter. But please doe again another day! I¡¯ll cook lunch for you then.¡± Sophia smiled demurely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandma. There¡¯s no need to feel bad about it. By the way, are you going out? Shall I give you a ride?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We won¡¯t want to take up any more of your time, so we¡¯ll ask the family driver to give us a ride. After all, that¡¯s what we pay them to do.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯mpletely free this afternoon,¡± said Sophia warmly. Francine always hated Sophia. It annoyed her that Sophia came every two or three days to spend time with Pam and Greg. She was not really worried about Pam being swept away by her charm since she was a woman too and knew what Sophia was trying to do. However, Greg was a different story. He was smitten by Sophia¡¯s charm. It was obvious he liked Sophia more than Corinne as he would always praise her for her cheerful and down-to-earth personality. Francine could not help but feel angry when she recalled that. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sophia! Give up. I know what you¡¯re trying to do, but Jeremy will never like you!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia shrugged helplessly. ¡°Francine, you¡¯re getting the wrong idea. I was just trying to be kind by offering a ride to you and your grandmother. I really have no other ulterior motives,¡± she said innocently. Francine rolled her eyes. ¡°As if I¡¯m going to believe that! Let me tell you something: Corinne is already back, so it¡¯s game over for you. No amount of sucking up to my brother or my grandparents will ever work out in your favor!¡± Sophia was first stunned to hear this, but she then smiled. ¡°Really? Corinne¡¯s back? Where is she? Grandma, are you going to see her now? Can you please bring me with you? I¡¯ve been dying to meet her!¡± Pam frowned, upset that Francine could not keep her big mouth shut. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Sophia¡­ I know you mean well, but how about you meet her another day? She must be tired since she just came back. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have the energy to meet new people, so I¡¯ll introduce her to you another day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I promise I won¡¯t bother her,¡± insisted Sophia cheerfully. ¡°I think I might be the reason why Corinne suddenly left Jeremy, so I want to clear up the misunderstanding with her.¡± Pam thought Sophia¡¯s reasoning sounded logical, so her resolution started to waver. ¡®She¡¯s right. She¡¯s probably the reason why Corinne ran away from home. Corinne might just get back with Jeremy after hearing Sophia¡¯s exnation.¡¯ Francine scoffed. ¡°Grandma, we should just let here with us. She owes Corinne an exnation, and hopefully, she¡¯ll give up trying to steal Jeremy once she sees how much better Corinne is than her.¡± After thinking it over, Pam finally nodded. ¡°Very well, then. You cane with us, Sophia.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°Oh, thank you so much, Grandma!¡± After she passed the two boxes of pastries to the maid, she took out her car keys and helped Pam to the car. ¡®Corinne¡¯s back! I can finally see what kind of person she is!¡¯ Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, the waiter ced thest dish they ordered on the table. He did not remember who ordered what, so the waiter simply ced the dishes on any empty spot. Chapter 1225 Chapter 1225 Corinne was eating absent-mindedly with her eyes half-closed. She only took food from the two dishes closest to her ordered by Annie, even though she did not like the taste. At that point, it did not matter what she ate. Annie was equally as absent-minded as Corinne. She would, from time to time, check her phone, wondering why Francine and Pam had not reached the restaurant yet. Marcus ced a piece of chicken wing on Annie¡¯s te. ¡°What are you thinking about? You should eat more.¡± Annie snapped back to the present. She forcibly smiled and said, ¡°Oh, no¡­it¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡®Corinne was about to finish her food. She¡¯ll definitely find some excuse to leave early after that! Where the hell are they?¡¯ thought Annie. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Corinne was intent on finishing her food; she could not wait to get out of the restaurant. Time felt so slow that a minute felt like a year to her. To make Corinne stay, Annie kept piling food onto her te. ¡°Here, Corinne. Have some of this. Eating more vegetables will make the baby healthier.¡± The corner of Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Thanks.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Without thinking much, she picked up one of the carrots Annie put on her te and was about to bite in when Jeremy blocked her fork with his own. Stunned, Corinne looked up at him. ¡°What the heck are you doing?¡± Already in a bad mood from the torturous lunch, she was about to explode with rage at the thought of Jeremy wanting to pick a fight with her. Jeremy frowned and said coldly, ¡°Have you forgotten that you¡¯re allergic to carrots?¡± Corinne was speechless. She looked down at the piece of carrot in her fork and suddenly remembered she was, indeed, allergic to carrots. She did an allergic test which showed she was allergic to carrots, but she did not really pay much attention to it since her allergic reaction was quite minor whenever she ate it. However, she never expected Jeremy to still remember she was allergic to carrots. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me he memorized the entire allergic test report?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that moment, but she quickly reminded herself to not read too much into it. Besides, even if Jeremy did remember the few things she was allergic to, she was sure he did it out of concern for the baby and not for her. Thus, the more Jeremy cared about the baby, the more anxious she became. ¡®He¡¯s right. He won¡¯t need to go through the official procedures to steal the baby from me. I¡¯d never stand a chance against him!¡¯ Not wanting to be controlled, Corinne pulled her fork away and stubbornly put the carrots into her mouth. ¡®He should just mind his own business! This is my body we¡¯re talking about, and I know eating one or two pieces of carrot will do nothing to me!¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s face instantly darkened. He grabbed her chin roughly to stop her from chewing the carrots before forcing her jaws open so he could remove the carrots from her mouth. Corinne winced. ¡°Ack, ack! What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?!¡± Chapter 1226 Chapter 1226 Jeremy glowered. ¡°Miss Corinne, I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to live, but you shouldn¡¯t take the baby¡¯s life as a joke!¡± he said contemptuously. Corinne pped away his hand in disgust. ¡°Stop being a worrywart! No baby ever died from the mother eating some carrots!¡± Jeremy pulled back his hand, put down his fork, and stared at her as if looking into her soul. Corinne did not like how he looked at her, so she stood up and said, ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up. Please excuse me while I go to the restroom!¡± She then walked away without waiting for anyone¡¯s response. Annie watched Corinne leave before turning to ask Jeremy, ¡°Why did you do that, Uncle Jeremy? You made her angry again!¡± Instead of answering her, Jeremy simply stared at Corinne¡¯s back silently. ¡­ Corinne walked slowly since she was already eight months pregnant by then. However, before she got to the restroom, she ran into Pam and Francine. Both were walking as fast as they could to find her. ¡°Corinne! Look, Grandma! It is Corinne!¡± shouted Francine excitedly while holding onto Pam¡¯s elbow. Corinne stopped walking when she heard someone calling out her name. She then turned and was surprised to see Pam and Francine. She forcibly smiled and said, ¡°Grandma. How have you been?¡± Pam started to get teary. She walked up and held Corinne¡¯s hands before looking her from head to toe worriedly. ¡°Corinne, where have you been for the past six months? I miss you so much every day!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Oh, uh¡­ I went to a ce with beautiful scenery. I had a very good time there.¡± Pam sighed. ¡°No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it¡¯s important for you to stay at home for the baby¡¯s sake. Look at you. You¡¯re already eight months pregnant, but you don¡¯t have the pregnancy glow anymore. It pains me to think how much hardship you must¡¯ve suffered outside.¡± ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t suffer any hardship. Like I said, I had a very good time on my own,¡± exined Corinne helplessly. Pam paid no mind to what she said. It was as if she was in her own world. She held Corinne¡¯s hand tightly and nagged her to take care of herself more. Corinne did not want to have too much interaction with anyone from the Holden family, but she felt it would be rude to act coldly toward an old woman. Thus, she forced herself to go along with whatever Pam said. At the same time, she could not help but feel a pair of hostile eyes were on her. She turned to where she thought the gaze wasing from. Sophia smiled and walked up to her. She held out her hand for a handshake. ¡°Hello, Miss Corinne. I heard so much about you! It¡¯s so great to finally meet¡­ Ah, forgive me. This isn¡¯t our first time meeting, isn¡¯t it? I mean, we met yesterday, right?¡± Sophia was able to correctly guess that Corinne was Moon by her bodynguage.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne looked at her. At that point, there was no need to hide her other identity. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes. Fancy seeing you again.¡± However, she did not shake her hand. Thus, Sophia had no choice but to awkwardly put down her hand. To her credit, she kept her smile. Initially, Corinne still had kind feelings toward Pam. She was grateful to the old woman for taking care of her before, but that feeling disappeared when she saw Pam had brought Sophia with her. Not wanting to talk to Pam anymore, Corinne pulled her hands back and said, ¡°Excuse me, but I need to go to the restroom for a bit. Mister Jeremy¡¯s table is right ahead. Please find him there.¡± Chapter 1227 Chapter 1227 With that, Corinne walked around the three women to go to the restroom. Still worried, Pam patted Francine and said, ¡°Francine, go with Corinne so that you can help her if she runs into any inconvenience. Remember to make sure she doesn¡¯t fall.¡± Francine nodded and went after Corinne. The moment Corinne came out from the cubicle, she saw Francine with her arms crossed and looking at her as though she had done something very wrong. She ignored her and went to wash her hands. Annoyed at being ignored, Francine put her hands on her hips and shouted, ¡°Hey! Just where the heck were you for the past six months?¡± Corinne pumped some of the handwash liquid onto her palms and lightly rubbed them together to create some foam. ¡°What does that have anything to do with you?¡± she asked breezily. Francine frowned. ¡°Of course it does! You¡¯re my sister-inw! How can you run away from home without thinking about our feelings?¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not your sister-inw. In fact, your sister-in- law is the woman that came with you.¡± Francine did not catch her meaning at first, but realization then dawned on her. ¡°Are you talking about Sophia? She¡¯s not¡ª¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Francine!¡± interrupted Sophia, walking in with a smile. Francine red at her. She did not like Sophia one bit. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Grandma asked me toe get you,¡± replied Sophia with a wide grin. Francine blinked. ¡°Grandma is asking for me? Why? She asked me to apany Corinne to the restroom, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She needs her heart medicine in her bag, which you¡¯re carrying.¡± Francine looked down and realized she was, indeed, carrying Pam¡¯s bag. ¡®Grandma must¡¯ve been too excited to see Corinne that she needs her medicine to calm down.¡¯ At that thought, she quickly strode outside while saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to find her now.¡± Once Francine was out of the restroom, Sophia took out her lipstick from her bag and walked over to Corinne to reapply her lipstick. She smiled at Corinne through the reflection of the mirror. ¡°Miss Corinne, you are as beautiful as they say you are. Why, you don¡¯t even need makeup to look beautiful! However, I do wonder why you¡¯re willing toe out without a mask when you didn¡¯t seem to want to do that yesterday.¡± Corinne washed away the foam on her hand, turned off the tap, and pulled out some tissue to dry her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for disguises anymore. Mister Jeremy already knows where I am.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Sophia smacked her lips together and put the cap back on her lipstick after she finished reapplying her lipstick. ¡°You sound like you don¡¯t want him to find you. Why is that?¡± Corinne raised her eyebrow. ¡°Miss Sophia, I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t want him to find me too. You don¡¯t actually have anything to worry about. I¡¯m not interested in getting back with him, so your position is safe.¡± Sophia shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. I do want him to find you and am d that you two have finally reunited. It really is nice to meet you, Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes, wondering whether Sophia was telling the truth. Chapter 1228 Chapter 1228 Sophia casually put her lipstick back into her bag. When she looked up, she saw Corinne looking at her in confusion. This caused her tough. ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Corinne threw the tissue she used to wipe her hand into the trash can. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d believe you? After all, no wife would wish for her husband to be reunited with his mistress, no?¡± Sophia shrugged nonchntly, but she suddenly nodded. ¡°To be honest, I do mind a little. But I like to think in the long term. You¡¯ll forever be the one that got away for Jeremy if you never turned up. He¡¯d forever miss you and think of the what-ifs no matter how much I try to make him forget you. ¡°However, if you guys get back together, reality would do the work for me. You¡¯ll start getting sick of each other, then Jeremy will stop loving you ande back to me so we can live happily ever after. By the way, we have a saying in our country. ¡®The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.¡¯¡± ¡°Oh, I get what you¡¯re thinking now.¡± Corinne was actually quite impressed by Sophia¡¯s intelligence. She was evidently more maniptive and more transparent than Anya. Sophia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for me to think that way, right? I don¡¯t care how many women Jeremy¡¯s been with. All I can care about is which woman gets to grow old with him, and I have a feeling it¡¯s going to be me. So you see, Miss Corinne, you¡¯re nothing but one of the many women who¡¯s just passing through his life.¡± Corinne smiled, too. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re probably the only woman who¡¯s willing to grow old with him. Even if it¡¯s not you, it won¡¯t be me because I have no interest in that old fart whatsoever.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia blocked Corinne from leaving. ¡°But you¡¯re carrying his kid inside of your belly!¡± She then touched her belly without asking for permission. Corinne immediately stepped back with rm. ¡°This baby belongs to me alone. He has nothing to do with the baby at all!¡± Sophia smiled kindly. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Miss Corinne. I have no other intention. I like kids, so I can¡¯t wait for the baby to be born.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne was starting to think Sophia was demented. However, after thinking it over seriously, she thought Sophia might just be another victim of Jeremy¡¯s. She probably did not know Jeremy was ying with her, which was why she agreed to marry him. With that thought in mind, Corinne stated her position sternly. ¡°My baby wille safely into this world, and I alone will take care of him. I won¡¯t let anyone who doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me or him get close to him.¡± Sophia, however, retorted, ¡°No, that won¡¯t do! The baby belongs to Jeremy, so it¡¯s best to raise him with the Holdens. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m confident I can be a good stepmother to the baby. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to bring the baby up to be an exceptional human being.¡± Corinne had never met a woman as delusional as Sophia before. She did not want to waste her breath talking to her, so she stepped around her to get out of the restroom as fast as possible. However, she must have walked too fast as she identally bumped into someone. ¡°You¡¯re such a klutz!¡± Corinne¡¯s heart tightened when she heard the familiar voice. She looked up and saw Jeremy looking down at her with disgust. She instinctively took a step back and apologized, ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t see you just now.¡± Jeremy scoffed coldly and lifted her chin roughly. ¡°What were you thinking about that you didn¡¯t even bother to look where you¡¯re going?¡± Corinne did not like him touching her, so she smacked his hand away. ¡°Nothing! Please behave yourself, Mister Jeremy. Keep your hands to yourself while speaking to me!¡± Chapter 1229 Chapter 1229 Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Corinne Carew, do you have any idea how¡ª¡± ¡°Jeremy, you came to the restroom too?¡± interrupted Sophia cheerfully as she came out of the restroom. She then walked up to Corinne and held onto her elbow like they were best friends. ¡°Jeremy, I got the chance to meet Miss Corinne in the bathroom. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help her back to the table. You just go ahead to the restroom.¡± Jeremy nced at Sophia darkly and said nothing. Instead, he turned back to go into the restroom. As soon as he was out of sight, Corinne pulled her arm away from Sophia and dusted off her sleeves before walking off. Sophia followed after her. ¡°Corinne, it looks like Jeremy still cares about you.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve known him for twenty years, so I can tell at a nce whether he¡¯s interested in a particr woman. Can you please get back together with him?¡± Corinne looked at Sophia in disbelief. ¡°As Jeremy¡¯s wife, you want me to get back together with him?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia broke out inughter before answering, ¡°Yeah! I promise I won¡¯t get jealous if you two get back together.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes until she could not roll them anymore. ¡°You¡¯re one crazy woman, alright.¡± She then started to make her way out of the restaurant, but Sophia pulled her back. ¡°Corinne, where are you going? Grandma Pam is waiting for you to go back to the table.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne shook off her hand. ¡°I¡¯m already full, so I won¡¯t be going back to the table. Please help me say goodbye to her.¡± Corinne took another step, but Sophia immediately blocked her path. ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you go like this! Jeremy will think I chased you away by saying something mean if you leave now.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Well, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sophia shrugged. ¡°I was just making it clear to you my position on this matter. Plus, I already told you I hope you and Jeremy will get back together, so how can you say I¡¯m being mean? Come on, please stay. Don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°You disgust me, Sophia. In fact, you and Jeremy are a match made in heaven! He has a legally married wife, yet he pretended he was single so he could string me along. You, on the other hand, pretended to be generous enough to let your husband hurt others. I can¡¯t even tell which of the two of you are more evil!¡± Instead of getting angry, Sophia actuallyughed. ¡°Oh, Corinne, don¡¯t say that. You should look on the bright side! How many women wanted to be hurt by Jeremy but didn¡¯t get the chance to do that? You, on the other hand, got pregnant with his kid. If you ask me, I think he¡¯s very good to you already.¡± Corinne felt like she was about to throw up. ¡°Move aside!¡± she shouted impatiently. Sophia remained unmoving. ¡°No! I told you I can¡¯t let you leave like this!¡± Chapter 1230 Chapter 1230 Corinne¡¯s pregnancy hormones made her more impatient than ever. She was already in a bad mood from seeing Jeremy, and Sophia¡¯s nonsensical babbling pushed her to the edge. Corinne raised her hand, intending to push Sophia out of the way. Just as her fingers brushed her shoulder, Sophia flew out and hit her head on the cashier counter as though propelled by some invisible force. Blood started to trickle down her forehead, causing her to scream out in pain. Corinne frowned at Sophia¡¯s subpar acting. ¡®I can¡¯t believe just a few minutes ago, I thought this woman was smarter than Anya in her maniption method! Welp, she¡¯s not that much smarter after all.¡¯ Corinne did not feel guilty at all as she did not even touch Sophia before she fell on her own ord. ¡®It¡¯s just as well that she fell. I can leave the restaurant now.¡¯ However, she did not even take two steps before Jeremy shouted at her, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Corinne stopped and turned to look at him. ¡°What? Do I need your permission to leave too?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened. He strode toward where Sophia was on the floor and helped her up before ring at Corinne. ¡°How can you leave when you¡¯re the reason Sophia is so badly hurt?¡± ¡°Forget it, Jeremy. I¡¯m okay. Please don¡¯t ruin your reunion with Miss Corinne because of me¡­¡± said Sophia, pretending to be stoic. Jeremy scoffed. ¡°I know you mean well, Sophia. But I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the type to appreciate it.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia shook her head and squeezed out a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes had grown icy cold by then. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you should know that she wouldn¡¯t let me leave just now so I had no choice but to push her aside.¡± Jeremy took a step toward her and looked at her threateningly. ¡°You can push her aside, but not to the point she¡¯d fall and hurt her head!¡± He was still the same man she knew, but this time, her position with Sophia had been switched. Previously, whenever Corinne was used of something she did not do, Jeremy would unconditionally come to her defense. He would believe she was innocent even when she did not tell him. This time, he chose to believe his legally married wife¡ªSophia. ¡®Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised,¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡®I was more important than all the random girls that tried to pull me down in the past, so of course he¡¯d side with me. But now that it¡¯s his wife we¡¯re dealing with¡­ It only makes sense he¡¯d choose to believe her over me.¡¯ Even though Corinne understood the reasoning behind Jeremy¡¯s action, she could not help but feel chilled to the core. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡± she sneered N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Jeremy looked at her from head to toe before gesturing with his chin to Sophia. ¡°Apologize to her, and we¡¯ll let the whole thing slide.¡± ¡®What? He wants me to apologize to her for something I didn¡¯t do?¡¯ Corinne smirked. ¡°You might as well sue me because I¡¯m never going to apologize. She knows very well that I don¡¯t have the strength to push her that hard.¡± Sophia took a deep breath pitifully and said, ¡°She¡¯s right! It was my fault. I was caught off bnce, and that¡¯s why I fell. Jeremy, please, let¡¯s forget the whole thing. I¡¯m really okay!¡± Jeremy was not going to let Corinne off the hook so easily. He took another threatening step toward her. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask you onest time. Are you or are you not going to apologize?¡± Corinne felt her heart aching. She was not hurt by the fact that she was wrongfully used but by the fact that Jeremy did not believe her. Chapter 1231 Chapter 1231 Corinne never expected that after all this time, Jeremy could still hurt her. ¡°No! I¡¯m not going to apologize to her!¡± Apologizing was akin to admitting to wrongdoing. The waiters did not dare to intervene, so they went to get the manager. After all, it was a bad look for the restaurant if a fight broke out at the entrance. The manager¡¯s hurried arrival attracted the attention of other diners. They, too, came along with him to see what was going on. Pam asked Francine to help her over to the entrance when she heard someone say Jeremy and a woman were fighting with another woman. She broke through the crowd and saw Jeremy grabbing Corinne by the cor and forcing her to apologize to Sophia, whose head was bleeding.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ However, no matter how much he threatened her, Corinne stubbornly refused to apologize. Sophia, on the other hand, kept telling Jeremy she was fine and to let it go. The livid Pam rushed over and pushed Jeremy away. ¡°What are you doing? Have you forgotten that Corinne is pregnant?! Have you lost your mind? How can you treat her like this?¡± ¡°You see how Sophia is bleeding from her head? Yeah, well, Corinne did that. She needs to apologize to her,¡± said Jeremy evenly. With her arms protectively wrapped around Corinne, Pam turned to look at Sophia. ¡°Sophia, what¡¯s going on? Did Corinne really hurt you?¡± she asked when she saw the blood on Sophia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Y¡­ Yes¡­¡± replied Sophia hesitantly. ¡°But I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean to! She wanted to leave, but I tried to stop her from leaving because I knew you wanted to talk to her. She¡­must¡¯ve found me annoying, so she pushed me away gently¡­and I mean very gently. But it caught me off-guard, so I fell and hit my head. Jeremy started to panic when he saw the blooding out and wouldn¡¯t stop forcing out an apology from Corinne. I kept telling him I was fine, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me¡­¡± Pam frowned after Sophia¡¯s retelling of what transpired. She looked at the glowering Jeremy before turning back to look at Corinne, whose eyes were red and teary. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Corinne, is what Sophia said true?¡± Corinne looked at Pam with wide eyes. She was not in a good mood, so she simply said, ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Since you did push her, Jeremy¡¯s right to ask you to apologize to Sophia,¡± said Pam begrudgingly. ¡°Now, won¡¯t you be a good girl and say sorry?¡± This stunned Corinne, but it was not long until a chuckle escaped her. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. The Holdens are all the same.¡¯ She thought Pam would take her side, but she was obviously wrong about that. ¡®Of course she¡¯d take her real granddaughter-inw¡¯s side. I¡¯m nothing but a birthing machine to them. They want me to apologize, huh? Fine, I¡¯ll apologize!¡¯ Chapter 1232 Chapter 1232 ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll apologize to Miss Sophia,¡± said Corinne with a smile. Pam smiled, relieved by Corinne¡¯s answer. ¡°That¡¯s right, Corinne. You¡¯re every bit of the sensible girl I know you to be.¡± Corinne walked up to Sophia, who tried to hide the glee in her eyes. Sophia waved her hand and lied, ¡°Really, there¡¯s no need, Corinne. I know you didn¡¯t mean¡ªahh!¡± Corinne grabbed Sophia¡¯s hair, dragged her to the counter, and mmed her head down on it before she could finish her sentence. Everything happened so fast that Sophia did not even have a chance to react. The next thing she knew, she was screaming out in pain. No one expected that to happen too, so they were understandably shocked. Corinne had finished dealing with Sophia by the time Jeremy went to stop her. He red at Corinne when he saw the new injury on Sophia¡¯s forehead. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°What the hell did you do that for?¡± he hissed. Corinne pushed Sophia onto Jeremy¡¯s chest before pulling out a tissue from the countertop to wipe her hand. ¡°Mister Jeremy, there¡¯s nothing more I hate in this world than to be used of things I didn¡¯t do. I¡¯ll never apologize for baseless usations. Since you insist I apologize to Sophia, however, I might as well do the things you used me of before apologizing.¡± Jeremy frowned and steadied Sophia before pulling his hand away. He then looked at Corinne with darkened eyes. Corinne no longer cared what Jeremy thought of her. ¡°Now that I actually hurt Sophia, I don¡¯t mind apologizing to her anymore,¡± she added. She turned to Sophia and said solemnly, ¡°Miss Sophia, I¡¯m really sorry for hurting you. Do you need to go to the hospital? I¡¯llpensate for any medical fees you might¡¯ve incurred.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Sophia suppressed her anger and looked at Corinne in disbelief. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you treating me like this when we¡¯ve just met?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t have a right to question me when you¡¯ve asked for it yourself.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t ask for it¡­¡± said Sophia pitifully. Corinne crumpled up the tissue and threw it into the trash can. She then turned to Jeremy and asked, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve apologized, can I go?¡± Jeremy simply looked at her coldly. Noting his silence, Corinne turned to leave. Pam quickly snapped out of her shock. She then put herself in front of Corinne and grabbed her hand. ¡°Corinne, where are you going? Come home with me!¡± Corinne pulled her hand back and put some distance between herself and the old woman. ¡°Miss Pam, I¡¯m sorry you went to all this effort toe here, but I¡¯m not going home with you. I¡¯m going to go back to my own home. Please ask Jeremy and Francine to send you home.¡± Pam did not like Corinne addressing her as ¡®Miss Pam¡¯, but she decided not to correct her on that since there were more important matters. ¡°Corinne, the baby is going to be due soon, so it¡¯s not safe for you to be wandering outside. Be a good girl ande home with me.¡± Corinne took another step back to prevent Pam from grabbing her hand again. ¡°I¡¯m not wandering outside. I have friends and a house, and I know how to take care of myself. You can rest assured I¡¯ll be living a very good life,¡± said Corinne impassively. ¡°Miss Pam, I hope you stop seeing me as your family. Your real granddaughter-inw is over there. You should ask her to give birth if you want to have a great-grandson. As for the baby I¡¯m carrying right now, he doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the Holdens. You don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore.¡± Chapter 1233 Chapter 1233 Corinne walked around Pam to exit the restaurant. ¡°Corinne¡­¡± Pam tried to stop her again, obviously worried about her. ¡°Let her go,¡± said Jeremy emotionlessly. Stunned, Pam turned to look at Jeremy with a frown. Corinne paused for a second before walking out of the restaurant without turning back. Francine quickly chased after her. ¡°Corinne! Wait!¡± Corinne could not walk fast since she was eight months pregnant, so even though she did not stop, Francine managed to easily catch up to her. Francine stood in front of her with her arms spread. ¡°Corinne, how can you talk to Grandma like that?¡± she asked angrily. ¡°Do you have any idea how worried she was about you?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Was she worried about me or the baby?¡± Francine frowned. ¡°Both, of course!¡± Corinne chuckled softly. ¡°Oh, please! Do you think I was just born yesterday? Why don¡¯t you go back to Miss Pam?¡± She then walked around Francine, wanting to leave as fast as possible. ¡°No! Corinne, don¡¯t go!¡± Francine walked with her. She was not going to give up easily, but no matter what she said, Corinne remained unmoved. In the end, she grabbed her elbow and said, ¡°Please stay! You¡¯re my sister-inw!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Corinne stopped walking. Annoyed, she looked at Francine coldly. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Your real sister-in- law is in the restaurant with your brother.¡± Francine was taken aback.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Do you mean Sophia? I¡¯m never going to ept her as my sister-inw. Corinne, there must be some misunderstanding. Nothing is going on between Sophia and Jeremy!¡± Corinne pulled back her elbow. ¡°Nothing is going on, you say? How can you say that when the two of them are legally married to each other?¡± This was the first time Francine learned of the news. ¡°What?! When did that happen? How¡­ How come I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡± she sputtered. Corinne did not even bother to analyze whether Francine was putting up an act. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ask them?¡± Francine stood still, worried that Corinne would escape if she went back to the restaurant. ¡°Corinne, I don¡¯t even know they¡¯re married!¡± she shouted. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about Jeremy anymore, you should still care about Joey! That kid has been shutting himself up in his room ever since you left! He wouldn¡¯t talk to Jeremy, me, or anyone else! Do you have the heart to abandon him like that?¡± ¡®Oh, Joey. That poor kid¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. She really pitied and liked him. However, as much as she was worried about him, she could not let herself be dragged back to the Holdens¡¯ mansion because of him. After a minute of silence, Corinne calmly said, ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s experiencing some psychological problems, but I¡¯m not a psychologist, so I can¡¯t help him. You should get him to see a psychologist as soon as possible.¡± Chapter 1234 Chapter 1234 Noticing bringing up Joey did not even work on Corinne, Francine grabbed her elbow again. ¡°No! I¡¯m never going to let you go!¡± Corinne grew impatient. ¡°Let go, or I¡¯ll hit you!¡± She might not be able to do a lot of things because of her huge baby bump, but beating up Francine¡ª who had never been in a fight before¡ªwas still easy for her. ¡°Hit me, then! I¡¯m still never going to let you go even if you beat me to death!¡± said Francine fearlessly. Frankly, Corinne did not have the heart to hit her anymore. ¡°Has every one of you Holdens lost your minds? Just what the hell do you think I am?¡± At that moment, Annie and Marcus came running over. Annie sighed when she saw how stubborn Francine was. ¡°Corinne, Francine only means well,¡± she said worriedly. ¡°Maybe¡­you can consider going back to the restaurant to talk things out with Uncle Jeremy? I just feel like there¡¯s a misunderstanding in all of this.¡± Corinne looked at Annie. Suddenly, she pushed Francine toward her. ¡°Take her back to her brother. I don¡¯t have the time to involve myself with the Holdens anymore!¡± A hot pink Panamera was parked at the roadside, and Corinne got into the front passenger seat. The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Aaron¡¯s cheeky face. He looked at Annie and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take very good care of Corinne.¡± Annie¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw him. She nodded awkwardly at him. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll leave her to you, then.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Aaron nced at Marcus. After thinking about it, he said, ¡°You cane with us if you¡¯re still worried about her.¡± Annie was a little taken aback. ¡®Corinne must be keeping all her feelings to herself. I might be able to bring her around if I talk to her!¡¯ With that thought in mind, Annie turned to Marcus and said, ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m sorry, but do you mind going back to thepany on your own? I¡¯m going to send Corinne home with Mister Aaron.¡± As unwilling as Marcus was, he did not dare to go against his boss¡¯ wishes. After Annie got into the car, Francine ran to the car, too. ¡°Wait, I want to go with you guys!¡± However, Aaron had locked the doors, so Francine could not open them no matter how hard she pulled. ¡°What the hell? Unlock the doors this instant! Hey! Do you hear me?!¡± screamed Francine. Aaron ignored Francine. Instead, he turned toward Marcus and said, ¡°Marcus, do you mind pulling Miss Francine aside? She¡¯s in my way.¡± Marcus snapped out of his daze. ¡°Y¡ªYes, Mister Aaron! Uh¡­ Miss Francine, it¡¯s dangerous for you to be so close to the car. They¡¯re going to drive off soon.¡± ¡°Ugh! Let go of me! No, don¡¯t!¡± Aaron floored the gas pedal and drove off after Marcus pulled Francine away. In a fit of anger, Francine threw a kick at the direction the car drove off too, causing her shoe to fly up in the air.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡­ In the car, Corinne leaned back into the seat and closed her eyes to get some rest. Annie peeked her head out from the backseat. ¡°Corinne¡­ Uncle Jeremy¡­¡± ¡°If you bring up that name one more time, I¡¯m going to throw you out of the car,¡± said Corinne emotionlessly, her eyes still closed. Annie never saw this side of Corinne. She became so scared that she did not even dare to breathe. Seeing Annie¡¯s terrified expression from the rearview mirror, Aaron could not help but smile. Chapter 1235 Chapter 1235 Soon, they arrived at the apartment Corinne shared with Xante and Aaron. As soon as she entered the unit, Corinne curled herself up on the sofa. Having not seen her for half a year, her pet cat was so excited that it could not stop rubbing itself against her. Aaron went to the open-n kitchen to get her a warm cup of milk. ¡°Here you go, Boss,¡± he said as he ced it on top of the table. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Corinne, but she did not touch it. Instead, she remained seated with Mimi curled up in herp, lost in thought. This was the first time Annie had been at the apartment. She started looking around, and when she saw Corinne stroking a cat, she said worriedly, ¡°Corinne, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe to be around an animal when you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Corinne nced at Annie. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± Annie was speechless. Corinne had never spoken to her like that before. ¡®She must be angry at me because I¡¯m rted to Uncle Jeremy,¡¯ she thought. Aaron washed up some fruit and ced them on the table before smiling and saying to Annie, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The cat goes for regr deworming at the vet, so it¡¯s safe.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Oh. Okay¡­¡± said Annie with a nod. She came to persuade Corinne to go back home, but she found herself not daring to even bring up Jeremy¡¯s name after Corinne¡¯s harsh reminder. Aaron put on some soothing music on the television before covering Corinne with a nket. After that, he gestured to Annie with his eyebrow and whispered, ¡°Let¡¯s give her some quiet time. Come with me.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Annie nodded and followed Aaron to where he was gesturing. However, she did not expect him to bring her into his bedroom! She thought that room would be a study, a gym, or anything else. When she saw the bed in the room, realization immediately dawned on her. She felt a little lost, not knowing whether to stand or sit. Aaron passed her a bottle of Coke. ¡°You can sit wherever you like!¡± Annie stood awkwardly after she epted the bottle. The only ces to sit in the room were the bed and a bean bag chair. Annie thought it would not be appropriate to sit on either. Aaron cracked open his beer and leaned on the shelf. ¡°What? Are you afraid that I¡¯ll eat you up?¡± he asked with a smirk. Annie was not happy at the insinuation. She stood up a little straighter and said angrily, ¡°No! It¡¯s just that I have nowhere to sit. Mister Aaron, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s inappropriate for you to bring me into your room? I think we should go into another room.¡± Aaron shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it since I¡¯m not going to do anything to you.¡± Annie started blushing. ¡°I didn¡¯t imply you were going to do anything to me. I just think it¡¯s not appropriate for me to be in your bedroom.¡± Aaron threw his head back to gulp down his beer before walking over to her. He then leaned down and smiled at her. ¡°It won¡¯t be inappropriate if no one knows you¡¯re in here.¡± Annie took a step back. ¡°Who says no one would know? Have you forgotten Corinne is right outside?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s one of us. She¡¯s not going to tell.¡± ¡°No! That won¡¯t do either. I¡­ I have a boyfriend. He¡¯ll be mad if he finds out I was in another man¡¯s bedroom. I¡¯m going out now!¡± Annie hated how her heart would inevitably start skipping like crazy whenever she was with Aaron. Chapter 1236 Chapter 1236 Annie did not want Aaron to know what she was thinking, so she tried to quickly escape. However, she only managed to open the door a little before he pressed the door shut again from behind her, causing her to nearly jump with fright. Not daring to look back, she frowned and asked, ¡°Uhh, Mister Aaron, what are you doing?¡± Aaron¡¯s breath came down hot and smelled like beer from behind her. ¡°Nothing.¡± Annie¡¯s heart was beating so loudly that she was sure he could hear it. ¡°Well then, please let me out. I¡­ I need to go to the restroom.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a restroom to the left of you,¡± said Aaron with a smirk. Annie turned to the left and saw there was indeed the bathroom. However, it would be inappropriate for her to use his restroom. Plus, she was just using that as an excuse to get out of the room! ¡°Mister Aaron, I don¡¯t like using other guy¡¯s bathrooms. Please let me out.¡± Aaron, however, had other thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My bathroom is very clean. I have a cleanere every day to clean the whole house.¡± Annie was speechless. She had no choice but to go to his bathroom to get away from him. After she locked the bathroom door, she looked into the mirror and noted how red her face was. This only made her blush even more. ¡®It was a good thing my back was to him, or he¡¯dugh at me again if he sees me blushing like this,¡¯ thought Annie. She regretteding to the apartment. Even though she prepared herself to live happily ever after with Marcus, she could not lie to herself that she had not moved on from Aaron. The only thing she did was suppress her feelings for him by telling herself he was not a good man on ount of how many times he disrespected her in the past. Even so, she still could not stop her heart from speeding whenever she saw Aaron. She chalked it down to how handsome he was. In fact, he was the most perfect-looking man she ever met. ¡®What should I do now? I can¡¯t go out looking like this¡­¡¯ thought Annie. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She stayed in the bathroom for a good 10 minutes before going out. Even though she did not want to face him, it would be even more embarrassing if he suspected she was having constipation. The moment she walked out, she saw Aaron leaning against the bedroom door, smirking at her. ¡°So you¡¯re finally out.¡± Annie frowned. ¡°Mister Aaron, why are you doing this? Can you please stop bothering me?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°How am I bothering you?¡± ¡°How can you ask that when you¡¯re the one who wouldn¡¯t let me get out of this room?¡± retorted Annie. Aaron chuckled. ¡°I told you to let the boss have some quiet time, right? And you agreed toe here with me.¡± Annie continued to frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d bring me into your bedroom! I wouldn¡¯t havee if I¡¯d known.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Just stay in here for a while. You¡¯re going to wake Corinne up if you go out now. She just might throw you out if you make her angry.¡± Annie calmed down a little when she saw how serious Aaron was. ¡°Did she get her bad temper after getting pregnant?¡± Chapter 1237 Chapter 1237 ¡°Nope. She¡¯s always been like this. She¡¯s usually very even-tempered, but once she gets going? Whoo baby, you wouldn¡¯t want to be near her when that happens. I mean, that¡¯s why I¡¯m hiding in here with you too,¡± said Aaron. ¡°Oh¡­alright.¡± Annie could not help but worry about Corinne. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Aaron put his hands on Annie¡¯s shoulders, guided her to the bed, and pressed her down to sit. ¡°I have no hidden agenda for bringing you into my room. It¡¯s just that I only have one-third ownership of this apartment. The rest of the rooms are either Xante¡¯s or the boss¡¯ territory, so I can¡¯t bring you there without their permission. Otherwise, they¡¯d beat me up,¡± exined Aaron. At first, Annie was scared to sit on his bed, but she felt a little better after his exnation, so she remained seated. She had always known Aaron lived with Xante, but this was the first time she learned Corinne stayed in the same ce as well. Generally, a woman would need more space than a man since they needed to store their clothes, essories, makeup, and many other things. A man could usually fit all the things he needed into one bedroom. Being a woman herself, Annie found it understandable that Xante and Corinne would not want others to go into their rooms without permission. Aaron helped Annie open her Coke bottle before passing it back to her. ¡°Just chill. I¡¯m not going to do anything to you.¡± Annie gradually rxed. She was not really worried that Aaron would do anything to her; she just did not want to embarrass herself in front of him. Not knowing what to say, she drank her drink. Aaron sat some distance away from her and drank his beer. ¡°Why did you follow us here if you didn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Annie allowed the taste of her drink to roll in her mouth a little before answering, ¡°I want Corinne to keep being my aunt. I came to persuade her to stay with Uncle Jeremy.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°You really like her that much, huh?¡± Annie looked seriously at him. ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t you? I mean, she¡¯s the kindest person I¡¯ve ever met¡­¡± Aaron¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Of course, I like her too. But she¡¯s not going to be your aunt anymore.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± asked Annie in frustration. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she love Uncle Jeremy anymore? They seemed so happy together, though.¡± Aaron shrugged. ¡°As happy as they were together, they¡¯re just something that one partner cannot forgive the other for doing. I know her the best, so believe me when I say they¡¯re never going to get back together.¡± Annie did not understand where he wasing from. ¡°What are you talking about? What did Uncle Jeremy do that made Corinne refuse to get back with him?¡± Aaron did not feel like it was his ce to tell her things about Corinne, so he smiled and tried to change the topic. ¡°In any case, she¡¯s not going to your aunt anymore. If you want to see her, you can be my girlfriend. You¡¯ll be able to see her every day! Of course, you have to call her what I call her, and that is ¡®Boss¡¯.¡± Annie looked at him in shock, and she then blushed. ¡°Mister Aaron, I wish you¡¯d stop joking like this. Otherwise, I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do? p me again?¡± said Aaron with a scoff. ¡°Do you know you¡¯re the only person who dares to p me? Everyone knows the boss will twist off the head of anyone who dares to hit me!¡± Annie blushed even more. ¡°Why do you call her ¡®Boss¡¯, anyway? How did you two meet?¡± ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°Yeah, I do. Tell me.¡± ¡°Then you be my girlfriend first. We don¡¯t tell outsiders our stories. What do you say?¡± Chapter 1238 Chapter 1238 Mister Aaron, please stop joking like this!¡± Annie was annoyed at Aaron for not taking things seriously. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Aaron stopped smiling and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m being serious.¡± Annie could hear her heart thumping very loudly. She did not believe him. In fact, she felt like he was ying with her feelings. ¡°Even if you¡¯re serious, it¡¯s toote ¡¯cause I already have a boyfriend.¡± Aaron passed her his phone. ¡°That can be easily taken care of. You just need to call him and break up with him.¡± Annie was shocked. She shot up from the bed and growled, ¡°Is this how you see a rtionship? That you can break up with someone just like that? You might not respect Marcus, but I do! He¡¯s very good to me, so I¡¯m never going to break up with him.¡± ¡°Do you like him, though?¡± asked Aaron with a smirk. Annie¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°Of course I do! I mean, why would I agree to be with him if I don¡¯t?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°No. You don¡¯t like him.¡± It was like Aaron had seen right through her. She frowned and said, ¡°You don¡¯t speak for me! Who do I like, if not my own boyfriend?¡± Aaron stood up and leaned down on her. ¡°You¡­like¡­me.¡± Annie¡¯s eyes darted to the window anxiously. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Fine! It¡¯s true. You¡¯re the guy that I like! But what¡¯s the point? You don¡¯t like me at all, so you can¡¯t expect me to keep pining for you, right? What¡¯s so wrong with wanting to move on with another guy who treats me well?¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that.¡± Aaron put both of his hands on the closet, effectively trapping Annie between his arms so that she had no choice but to look at him. ¡°Why not? Who are you to tell me what to do? I don¡¯t work for you anymore.¡± Aaron leaned down closer to her. ¡°Because I¡¯ve realized that I actually quite like you. Why would you be with another man when we can be together?¡± Annie was stunned. She thought she had heard wrong. ¡®Did he just say he likes me? Is this¡­a confession? No, Annie! Wake up! He¡¯s a serial flirter, remember? He¡¯ll hump anything that moves!¡¯ With that thought in mind, Annie looked boldly into his eyes and said, ¡°Mister Aaron, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t agree to be your girlfriend. There¡¯s no guarantee you won¡¯t cheat on me.¡± Aaron smiled, half-closed his eyes, and whispered into her ear seductively, ¡°You should know you¡¯re the first girl I¡¯ve ever confessed my feelings to. Are you sure you¡¯re going to reject me?¡± ¡®Ha! Only a fool would believe him!¡¯ She recalled all the different women who came out of his office with their clothes and hair all messed up. She would never believe him! Annie shook her head to clear her mind. ¡°Mister Aaron, are you saying all this because you can¡¯t stand seeing me with someone else? So you want to see if you can get me back to prove you¡¯re still as charming as ever? If that¡¯s the case, I suggest you let me go. I¡¯m not the kind of girl who can fall head over heels just to be dumped in the end.¡± Aaron knew he himself had done a lot of hurtful things in the past. He buried his head into her shoulder and said coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m being very serious¡­¡± Annie¡¯s heart started to tremble. ¡®What¡­ What is he trying to pull here?¡¯ Even though she told herself not to give in to him, she still found herself unable to hold herself back. ¡®Sh*t¡­ I don¡¯t think I can hold on anymore.¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­ Mister Aaron, I¡­¡± ¡°Shh¡­ Don¡¯t say anything until you¡¯ve heard what I have to say,¡± said Aaron raspily. He kept her trapped between his arms. The reason he buried his head into her shoulder was that he did not dare to face her after doing so many hurtful things to her in the past. Chapter 1239 Chapter 1239 ¡°I used to think you were no one special to me. I thought you were just one of the many girls who liked me because of my looks or money. But I can¡¯t help but feel like something¡¯s missing in my life after you stoppeding to work. I kept imagining you sitting at your desk, bringing me coffee, or¡­ Well, you get the point. ¡°So imagine my surprise when I found myself jealous of Marcus after you two got together. How can you treat another man like how you used to treat me? I couldn¡¯t stand it! I couldn¡¯t stand seeing you being nice to another man. I can¡¯t!¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Annie was starting to get confused. ¡®What is he doing? Is he trying to y the pity card?¡¯ ¡°Umm¡­ Mister Aaron¡­¡± Aaron rubbed his face against her shoulder. ¡°So what do you say? Be my girlfriend? I promise I won¡¯t flirt with any other woman if you agree to be my girlfriend. I¡¯ll only have eyes for you. So, please, please, please give me a chance.¡± Annie¡¯s breathing grewbored. Her brain told her she would only end up getting hurt if she agreed to be his girlfriend, but her heart¡­ ¡°No, Mister Aaron. What I want is a stable rtionship and a simple life. While I admit that I still have feelings for you, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re not thatpatible. It was naive of me to think I could change you with my love, but now I know that I can¡¯t. ¡°You say you like me now, but you¡¯ve been living a carefree life since you were young. How long do you think you can stay off other women? A year? Half a year? Three months? In any case, I don¡¯t think I can take it if you abandon me again while you go around having affairs with other women. So¡­let¡¯s just forget it.¡± Annie felt Aaron¡¯s body tense up when she said thest sentence. ¡°Are you seriously not going to consider it any further?¡± he asked. Annie was not that resolute herself since Aaron was the man she was so madly in love with before. Knock! Knock! Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted their conversation. Aaron straightened himself and went over to open the door. Corinne stood outside looking coldly at him. ¡°Hey, Boss. What¡¯s up?¡± asked Aaron with his signature smile. Corinne nced inside the room. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do anything to Annie. Give her a ride backter.¡± ¡°You got it, Boss,¡± answered Aaron with a nod. Annie snapped out of her trance and walked over to them. ¡°Corinne, I don¡¯t want to go¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°And why not?¡± A chill ran up Annie¡¯s spine. ¡°B¡ªBecause I have a lot of things to talk to you about. I mean, we haven¡¯t seen each other for so long¡­ So can I stay here for the night?¡± Corinne did not even need to ask to know what Annie wanted to talk to her about. Not wanting to hear anything about Jeremy, Corinne said, ¡°We can talk tomorrow. I¡¯m not in the mood to do anything today, so you should go home.¡± Chapter 1240 Chapter 1240 After that, Corinne went back to her room. Annie looked down sadly. ¡®Seems like Corinne is going to break up with Uncle Jeremy, after all.¡¯ ¡°You can stay in my room tonight if you want,¡± said Aaron with a smirk. Annie looked up at him and could not help but chuckle wryly when she recalled their conversation from moments before. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯d prefer sleeping in the living room.¡± Even if Corinne did not want to talk to her, Annie insisted on staying as she wanted to keep an eye on her for Jeremy. ¡®What if Corinne disappeared again likest time?¡¯ she thought. Aaron smiled. It seemed like he had forgotten about the rejection. ¡°So you¡¯re sure you¡¯re staying tonight, huh? Good. You can cook dinner, then. I want to taste your cooking.¡± Annie turned red in the face and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°But I¡¯m the guest here! How can you ask the guest to cook for you?¡± Aaron shrugged and smirked, making Annie want to punch him in the face. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have a choice since I don¡¯t know how to cook. Plus, it¡¯ll be unhealthy to order takeout for Corinne. So what do you say? Are you willing to sacrifice a little for your aunt¡¯s sake?¡± Annie was speechless. ¡®D*mn this prick!¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile, at the emergency ward. The nurse had wrapped a bandage around Sophia¡¯s forehead and told her to make sure to keep the bandage dry. Sophia nodded to show she understood before getting up and walking out of the emergency ward. Outside, Jeremy was talking on the phone with a serious expression on his face. ¡®It must be a call about work,¡¯ thought Sophia. She waited quietly for him to hang up the phone before walking to him. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jeremy, the nurse said I¡¯m fine, so you can go back to work if you want. There must be a lot of things you need to take care of since thepany just moved to the new building.¡± Jeremy nced at her bandaged forehead. He then put away his phone and lifted his chin lightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll give you a ride back to your hotel.¡± Sophia had been staying at the hotel for the past six months. Jeremy did not give her a chance to say anything before shoving his hands into his pockets and walking off. Sophia stared at his back dazedly, but she quickly shook her head and followed after him. ¡°Jeremy, I think you should go check on Corinne. She¡¯s probably still mad at you right now,¡± said Sophia worriedly. Jeremy¡¯s face instantly darkened at the mention of Corinne¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry¡­ The two of you finally got to see each other after six months, yet I made you two fight,¡± said Sophia. ¡°Hey, how about this? You take me with you to see her, and I¡¯ll exin that there¡¯s nothing going on between us. What do you say?¡± Jeremy scoffed and kept walking. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll care about that?¡± Sophia was a little taken aback. ¡°Are you saying she doesn¡¯t care about you anymore? But she¡¯s carrying your baby, right? How can she not care about her baby¡¯s daddy?¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened even more at the mention of the baby. ¡®Not only does that little rascal not care about me, but she wishes so much that I won¡¯t have anything to do with the baby!¡¯ It was obvious from what Corinne told him in the restaurant that she had no intention of letting him be involved in the baby¡¯s life. Jeremy got into the driver¡¯s seat while Sophia took the front passenger seat. Chapter 1241 Chapter 1241 Sophia turned to look at Jeremy¡¯s sullen expression. She asked cautiously, ¡°What will you do if Corinne doesn¡¯t care about you anymore?¡± Jeremy¡¯s jaw tightened. He kept quiet and started the engine. When Sophia saw his attitude, she thought to herself, ¡®There¡¯s probably no chance that he¡¯d be with Corinne again. The only bond he has with her is the child in her womb!¡¯ Sophia sighed worriedly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t force it if things aren¡¯t meant to be, Jeremy. I can tell from the way you reacted today that Corinne¡¯s temper is a little, well¡­ How should I put this¡­ Well, I¡¯m not saying that Corinne is a bad person. It¡¯s just her temperament that doesn¡¯t suit you very well. It¡¯s going to be tiresome for the two of you together!¡± After Jeremy turned the steering wheel, he answered, ¡°She¡¯s young, so her temper is a little childish. I apologize to you for what happened today. If today¡¯s incident leaves a scar on your forehead, I¡¯ll take responsibility for it and get someone to find a stic surgeon for you. I¡¯ll alsopensate you double for whatever losses you suffered.¡± Sophia was startled. ¡°What are you talking about, Jeremy? We¡¯ve been friends for years! You don¡¯t have to do all that. I¡¯m not that bothered by this little injury on my forehead anyway!¡± Jeremy responded with a grunt. He focused on driving and did not say anything else. Sophia, on the other hand, did not intend to keep quiet. She asked cautiously, ¡°Why are you still apologizing to me on her behalf if you think she doesn¡¯t care about you anymore?¡± She had never seen him apologize for the 10 years she knew him. That was her first time seeing him apologize, and it was on another woman¡¯s behalf, no less. This, of course, shocked Sophia. Jeremy did not think much of it and sighed. ¡°As unruly as she is, she¡¯s still the girl that I forced to be my wife. If I don¡¯t take responsibility for cleaning up the troubles she caused, who will?¡± Sophia looked shocked, coupled with a bit of envy and jealousy. Jeremy still professed himself to be Corinne¡¯s husband even at such a juncture. She smiled reluctantly and sighed. ¡°You know, Corinne is lucky to have you tolerate her like this! She shouldn¡¯t have left you and run away when you¡¯ve treated her so well.¡± Jeremy sneered. ¡°She¡¯s heartless.¡± He sent Sophia back to the hotel and drove off. She invited him toe up and have a seat, but he refused and left. In the afternoon, Annie took out all the avable ingredients in the refrigerator and began to prepare dinner. She did not n to leave that day and was determined to cook some food for her pregnant aunt! Aaron followed her into the kitchen and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡®No¡¯ was Annie¡¯s first thought. She did not want Aaron to hinder her. She would be unable to control her nervousness with Aaron around. Then again, she also knew that it was impossible to get Aaron to leave. After all, he would never listen to her! All she could do was to ignore him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Just don¡¯t give me more trouble!¡± Aaron might not be an angelic character, but he still had some measure of sensibility. Knowing that it was rude to let a guest cook alone, he rolled up his sleeves and walked to the sink. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to cook, so I¡¯ll help wash the ingredients for you!¡± Annie nced at him in surprise. She nodded, backed away a little, and handed over the task of washing vegetables to him. Then, she went to prepare the other things on her own. She was never good at cooking in the first ce, and she only enrolled in a cooking ss to try and win Aaron¡¯s heart. Chapter 1242 Chapter 1242 Being a pampered youngdy, Annie never didborious tasks before. It was only for the sake of love that she set her mind to learn cooking. Having a clear goal allowed her to pick up the technique with rtive ease, and she managed to master a few dishes. In hindsight, she felt likeughing at herself for what she did. Every time she learned something, she did it for men instead of herself. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this feel like the kind of routine that married couples go through daily?¡± Aaron asked out of the blue. Annie was busy handling the bacon when she heard Aaron¡¯s words. She blushed as soon as she snapped back to her senses, but she felt unhappy more than anything. ¡°If you want to help, you can do it quietly. If you can¡¯t keep your mouth shut, you are more than free to leave!¡± Aaron snickered. ¡°I¡¯m just saying what came to mind! Are you angry just because of that?¡± Annie snorted and ignored him. While the two of them were preparing the dishes, they heard the door of the house being opened from the outside. They both nced toward the door at the same time and saw Xante walking in with a tired face. A buoyant Sunny followed behind her. As soon as Annie and Sunny saw each other, they frowned and asked each other simultaneously. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± Xante was a little surprised to see Annie in the kitchen, but she did not ask anything and walked straight to Aaron. ¡°Where¡¯s the boss?¡± Aaron washed his hands. ¡°She fell asleep in her room.¡± Xante nodded in relief. She took off her coat and threw it on the sofa. Then, she walked to Corinne¡¯s room and went in after knocking on the door. Sunny knew better than to follow her in. He went into the kitchen and narrowed his eyes at Annie. ¡°Why are you in the kitchen, Annie? Are you and Aaron¡­¡± Annie red at him angrily. ¡°Zip it! I don¡¯t want to hear your nonsense! I should be the one asking you why you came with Xante. How far have the two of you gone?¡± Sunny puffed his chest and raised his head. He did not even bother to hide it at all. ¡°We¡¯re in a rtionship now!¡± Annie rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t wrap my head around why she¡¯d ever fall for a childish guy like you!¡± Sunny frowned in displeasure. ¡°What are you trying to say? Who are you calling childish?!¡± ¡°You, of course! You¡¯re a childish brat!¡± ¡°Just because your uncle is Jeremy doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t take it out on you!¡± Annie scoffed. ¡°Pfft. I don¡¯t need Jeremy to deal with you! I can just call your elder brother and tell him you¡¯re here! He¡¯ll send someone to drag you home right away!¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes widened and he began to feel scared. ¡°No, don¡¯t! I¡­ I don¡¯t want to go home yet! Since you¡¯re preparing all this delicious food, I¡¯ll leave after I eat some!¡± Annie smirked. ¡°Food? As if. You¡¯re here for Xante, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sunny blushed. He had this boyish shyness as he raised his chin arrogantly. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious? Can¡¯t I stay with my girlfriend for a while longer?¡± Annie pursed her lips. ¡°Of course you can! That¡¯s normal! Go ahead and look for your girlfriend. Don¡¯t get my way!¡± Sunny did not n on leaving, however. He scrutinized her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you why I¡¯m here, but you still haven¡¯t told me why you¡¯re here! Are you getting it on with Aaron?¡± Chapter 1243 Chapter 1243 Annie picked up a piece of sliced cucumber and threw it at him. ¡°What do you mean, getting it on? Would it kill you to be less rude?¡± Sunny dodged the flying cucumber. ¡°Okay, okay! I shouldn¡¯t have used that phrase. I¡¯ll rephrase my question, alright? Are you in a rtionship with Aaron?¡± Annie¡¯s face soured even more. ¡°Like hell I am!¡± Sunny frowned in confusion. ¡°So, you came here to help out voluntarily?¡± Annie snorted. ¡°Corinne is here! Can¡¯t Ie and take care of her?¡± Sunny finally realized what Annie meant. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re here for Corinne! What happened to her and Jeremy, though? Why did shee here instead of going back to the Holdens?¡± Annie started to worry a little when he mentioned Jeremy and Corinne. ¡°Nothing happened. They met, the atmosphere between them was really bad, and they parted ways on bad terms because of some animosity. Corinne then decided toe here.¡± Sunny showed a bit of concern for Corinne. ¡°Parted ways on bad terms? Didn¡¯t Jeremy chase after her? He¡¯s been looking everywhere for Corinne! Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve tried to follow her here!¡± Annie shrugged helplessly. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on either. But since Uncle Jeremy didn¡¯t chase after her, I¡¯ve decided toe over and take care of her on his behalf.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Sunny thought for a while and moved closer to try and ask some more questions. Before he could ask the question, someone grabbed him by the cor from behind and pulled him away. Aaron smiled, but his tone was rife with displeasure. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go that close if you want to talk to her. Don¡¯t you know that men and women should always maintain a distance from each other?¡± Sunny nearlyughed when he realized that Aaron was the one who pulled him away. ¡°Who are you to tell me that men and women should always maintain a certain distance from each other? You love having intimate contact with women more than anyone!¡± After that remark, Annie rolled her eyes at Aaron and looked away. Aaron ushered Sunny out and said, ¡°Go watch some television in the living room if you¡¯re not helping. Don¡¯t make a fuss here!¡± Sunny tidied up his cor. ¡°Tch! And I thought you¡¯re not in a rtionship with her. You¡¯re jealous!¡± He then turned to Annie and said, ¡°I should warn you, Aaron is allergic to being exclusive to one partner. You need to be careful!¡± Aaron red at Sunny with a smile. ¡°I can get Xante to dump you with just one sentence, you know. Would you like to see me try?¡± Sunny immediately zipped his mouth. He turned around arrogantly and went to the living room to watch television. Annie lowered her head and prepared to start cooking. Aaron walked up to her and said in a low voice, ¡°I was a jerk in the past. Could you give me a chance to change my ways?¡± Annie did not look up at him. ¡°You¡¯re saying this to the wrong person. You should be telling that to someone willing to give you a chance, not someone who already has a boyfriend!¡± Aaron kept quiet. He reached out to take some of the sauce-stained bowls on the table and brought them to the sink to wash them. Annie heaved a sigh of relief as well. She thanked the heavens that she was a woman of principle. Otherwise, she would have been unable to control herself from surrendering herself to Aaron. The way he acted that day was so genuine. If she did not have a boyfriend, she might just fall in love with him. ¡®Stop thinking about it! I¡¯ve already decided that I¡¯ll get to know Marcus better! Stop thinking about Aaron! I can¡¯t have an emotional affair! Snap out of it!¡¯ Annie reminded herself. Sunny was sitting in the living room while enjoying some snacks and watching television. However, he snuck a peek into the kitchen from time to time. ¡®If only Jeremy knows that his beloved niece is together with that jerk¡­ Chapter 1244 Chapter 1244 After Annie finished cooking, Aaron helped to bring the food to the table. It was time to eat, and Sunny called Xante out as he was already hungry. Annie came out of the kitchen after washing her hands. She saw that Xante and Sunny were sitting side by side, while Aaron sat opposite them with an empty seat next to him. Aaron looked at her with a smile as if waiting for her to sit down. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. The other empty seat was the main seat at the head of the table. She did not want to sit next to Aaron but could not take the main seat either since she was a guest. Instead of sitting down, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± Xante replied, ¡°She said she wasn¡¯t hungry, so she¡¯ll eat after us.¡± Annie frowned. ¡°But the food will be cold! I¡¯ll try and persuade her toe and eat!¡± She immediately turned and walked towards Corinne¡¯s room. After knocking on the door, she walked into the room and saw Corinne leaning on the bedhead. Corinne was busy reading a very thick book. ¡°Corinne! It¡¯s time to eat! You can read that after you¡¯re done eating! Let¡¯s eat first!¡± Corinne looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling hungry yet. You guys can go ahead without me.¡± Annie had a stern look. ¡°No! You¡¯re pregnant! You need to eat on time. Even if you don¡¯t care about yourself, you should at least take better care of your developing baby!¡± Corinne was unmoved. ¡°I know my body better than anyone. Nothing will happen to the fetus if I miss a meal. I just want to be alone now, so please leave me alone.¡± For some reason, Annie became a little afraid of Corinne and did not dare to persuade her again. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll bring some food for you so you can eat themter.¡± Corinne had no appetite whatsoever, but she decided to let Annie do it. After all, nothing she said could persuade Annie against it. When Annie turned around begrudgingly, she felt a gust of cold wind and realized that Corinne¡¯s window was still open. It was getting dark, and the dropping temperatures would make her catch a cold. Pregnant women should avoid taking medicine on a whim, and it would be bad news if Corinne ended up catching a cold. As soon as she thought of that, she went over to help close the window before leaving the room. While she was closing the window, she inadvertently looked downstairs and saw a familiar figure standing by a familiar car! ¡°Uncle Jeremy! He¡¯s downstairs!¡± Annie said excitedly after recognizing the man. Corinne continued to read her book. She only cocked her eyebrows slightly when she heard those words and did not even bother to look up. When Corinne did not respond, Annie ran over and grabbed her hand, ¡°Aun¡ªI mean, Corinne! Look! He is downstairs!¡± Corinne withdrew her hand insipidly and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°If he¡¯s here, then that means he¡¯s coming to pick you up. It¡¯s gettingte. You should go home!¡± Annie frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not why he¡¯s here! He would¡¯ve called me if he was here to pick me up! Why would he just stand there doing nothing? He¡¯s not an idiot!¡± Corinne could not care less, but Annie dragged her off the bed by force and urged her to nce down from the window. She saw Jeremy smoking while leaning against the front of the car. He raised his head slightly and seemed to be looking upstairs. She was high up, and her distance from him was sufficiently far that he could not see her facial features. However, his eyes seemed to be gazing intently at her. Corinne felt a sense of peace before this, but his gaze made her feel agitated again. Chapter 1245 Chapter 1245 Annie excitedly said, ¡°Uncle Jeremy must¡¯vee all the way here to see you, but he¡¯s too embarrassed toe up here. Older men and their fragile masculinity, am I right? Let me call him up!¡± After staring at Jeremy for a few seconds, Corinne reached out to close the curtains. ¡°He¡¯s not wee here.¡± Out of sight, out of mind. Corinne¡¯s indifference made the excitement on Annie¡¯s face disappear. She pouted helplessly and secretly opened the curtains to take a peek. Jeremy and the car were both gone. ¡®Why did he have to leave so quickly? Can¡¯t you stand there a while longer just to show your sincerity?¡¯ Corinne did not feel like lying down again after being pulled out of bed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to eat? Let¡¯s go and eat, then.¡± Annie nodded and forced a smile. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s eat.¡± Corinne came out of the room and went to the dining room where she took her seat at the main seat of the table. Annie no longer felt that awkward when she sat next to Aaron. After everyone sat, they chatted for a moment and started to dig into the food. Annie managed to produce some delicious food with her excellent cooking skills. She became a little embarrassed when everyone praised her for it. While Sunny was eating, his intrusive thoughts got the better of him and he asked, ¡°Hey, Corinne, will you acknowledge Xante as your godmother once your baby is born?¡± Xante ced some food on his te and hinted to him to shut up. Sunny was oblivious to the fact that he had asked an inappropriate question, and he insisted on getting an answer from Corinne. Corinne nced at him and said, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± With a hearty smile, Sunny said, ¡°If Xante bes your baby¡¯s godmother, then technically, I¡¯m the baby¡¯s godfather too! That means I¡¯ll have a godchild! I never thought I¡¯d ever get a godchild at eighteen years old! Hahaha!¡± Everyone was speechless. Annie rolled her eyes and was unable to wrap her head around how a mature, independent woman like Xante would fall in love with a bumbling idiot like Sunny. The atmosphere turned awkward after Sunny¡¯s remark, but fortunately for everyone, the doorbell rang. Annie stood up and said, ¡°It must be Uncle Jeremy! He probably can¡¯t hold himself from wanting to meet Corinne! I¡¯ll open the door!¡± She immediately ran over excitedly to open the door. Everyone at the table looked at Corinne to see her reaction. Corinne merely staggered slightly while she was taking some more food, and there did not seem to be any special reaction. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. As soon as Annie opened the door, her smile gradually disappeared. Her eyes were filled with disappointment. The person who came was not Jeremy but Lucas instead. He seemed surprised that the person who opened the door was Annie. He even looked up at the unit number above the door and thought he hade to the wrong ce. Annie asked, ¡°Why are you here? Are you here to pick up Sunny?¡± Lucas frowned slightly. ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Yeah, he is eating inside!¡± Annie nodded. She then yelled, ¡°Sunny! Your brother is here to pick you up!¡± Lucas massaged his temples and said, ¡°I¡¯m not here to pick him up.¡± Annie was puzzled. ¡°You¡¯re not? Then why are you here?¡± Chapter 1246 Chapter 1246 Lucas said, ¡°I¡¯m here to look for Corinne. Is she in?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. This startled Annie a little. ¡°Corinne? Do you know her? Why are you looking for her?¡± Before Lucas could answer, Corinne appeared from behind Annie. She looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°You were looking for me?¡± Annie instinctively backed away when Corinne came to the door. Corinne had been missing for half a year, and Lucas¡¯s pupils contracted as soon as heid eyes on her. His initial tenseness immediately dissipated due to relief, and his eyes reddened. ¡°Where have you been for the past six months?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been asking me that question today. I don¡¯t need to report my whereabouts to anyone, and it doesn¡¯t matter where I go as long as Ie back in one piece.¡± The high and mighty Lucas was peeved by Corinne¡¯s disrespectful tone, but he did not get angry at her. He nodded in relief and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. I¡¯m d to see that you¡¯re safe.¡± Corinne had nothing else to say to him, so she turned and went back in. Lucas followed her in, and she spotted the people sitting at the dining table. He greeted Xante and Aaron with a nod, and that was when he noticed that the seat next to Xante was empty. Since there was a used set of tes and cutlery at the empty seat, Lucas narrowed his eyes and instantly knew who had been sitting there. It was none other than his insolent younger half-brother. When Sunny heard that Lucas had arrived, he was so frightened that he hid under the table. However, Lucas did not show up to bring Sunny home, nor did he have any time to talk to him. He went straight to the room that Corinne entered and knocked on the door before walking in. After Annie closed the door, she returned to the dining table with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why does Lucas want to speak to Corinne? What¡¯s the deal between them?¡± Xante and Aaron exchanged nces but did not answer. They had no right to exin Corinne¡¯s situation to them. Aaron pulled Annie to sit down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s continue eating, shall we?¡± Annie sat down in a daze and realized that someone was missing from the dining table. ¡°Where¡¯s Sunny?¡± Aaron smiled and hinted at her to look under the table. Annie¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, and she immediately looked under the table. Sunny was hiding under it like a coward! Annie burst outughing. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re such a coward! This is your elder brother we¡¯re talking about, not some assassin!¡± As humiliated as Sunny was at that moment, he did not dare to get out from under the table. He red at Annie angrily and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even be hiding under here if an assassin came! Please keep your voice down! Don¡¯t let Lucas know I¡¯m here!¡± Meanwhile, inside the room¡­ Chapter 1247 Chapter 1247 Corinne satzily on the bedhead and continued flipping through the book she read halfway. She did not seem to mind that Lucas followed her in, and she simply ignored his presence. Lucas scanned the room and finally rested his gaze on his sister, whose belly had grown significantly. He pleaded earnestly, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe home with me, Corinne?¡± Corinne calmly turned a page of the book. ¡°Home? I¡¯m already home. What other home should I go back to?¡± Lucas walked to her side and sat down gracefully. ¡°You know what I meant. Don¡¯t kick up a fuss.¡± Corinne nced at him. ¡°Could you tell me how you found out that I¡¯m here? Was it your brother Sunny? Or your good friend Jason?¡± Lucas came clean and said, ¡°It was Jeremy.¡± That answer caught Corinne by surprise. ¡°Aren¡¯t you his rival? I didn¡¯t think the two of you would be in contact with each other.¡± Lucas sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not important, Corinne. I won¡¯t ask you where you¡¯ve been for the past six months, but you¡¯re pretty far ahead in your pregnancy now. I can¡¯t be at ease if you¡¯re living alone elsewhere. Come home. I¡¯ll find someone to take care of you. Is that okay?¡± Corinne looked at Lucas as if he was a stranger. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but this is my home now. I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Lucas stretched out his hand in distress and touched his younger sister¡¯s head. ¡°I know you still resent him, and I¡¯m aware that you don¡¯t n on forgiving him. But you still need to take good care of yourself now that you¡¯re a little further into your pregnancy. Come back with me to the Riveras. I¡¯ll make sure to do everything you say!¡± Corinne snorted. ¡°Who says I¡¯m not taking good care of myself? Haven¡¯t I done that during the past six months? You don¡¯t need to worry about me. You¡¯re free to leave now that you¡¯ve seen me safe and sound.¡± Lucas frowned worriedly. ¡°Corinne!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrows. ¡°Are you upset because I¡¯m not as obedient as Anya is?¡± Lucas was startled. ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t thinking about that. I¡¯ll neverpare you to her.¡± Corinne smiled indifferently. ¡°I get that you¡¯re worried about me, and I understand that you have good intentions when you persuade me to go back with you. But have you ever thought about how you¡¯re going to exin my status to everyone in the Riveras after you bring me back? ¡°Even if you publicly stated to them that I¡¯m your long-lost sister, did you stop to consider what they¡¯d think of me? Now that I¡¯m pregnant, are your grandparents going to be prejudiced against me because I got pregnant out of wedlock with someone from their rival family? ¡°They¡¯re already prejudiced against our mother, and the misunderstanding runs too deep! If I go back like this, they¡¯ll just use this as a reason to say that my mother hasn¡¯t raised her daughter well. I don¡¯t want the Riveras to badmouth my mother because of something I did.¡± Lucas looked at his sister with aplicated expression. ¡°To be honest, Grandpa and Grandma aren¡¯t as bad as you think they are. You¡¯ve met them before, and you¡ª¡± Corinne sardonically interrupted, ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯ve always thought well of them, though. If I hadn¡¯t, then they¡¯d be more likely to be skeptical that I don¡¯t have the Rivera bloodline! Didn¡¯t they kick my mother out of the house because they suspected her of cheating and giving birth to someone else¡¯s child?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Lucas was silent. Corinne did not want to waste her breath with him anymore and told him to leave. ¡°You can go. I¡¯ll take care of myself! You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Lucas had a distressed expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go back to the Riveras, then you can go to my ce! I live alone! Your pregnancy is almost at full term now, and I¡¯ll arrange for someone to take good care of you. That way, I can know your condition at any time.¡± Chapter 1248 Chapter 1248 Corinne mmed the book shut irritatedly. She could not continue reading anymore. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯m an adult capable of taking care of myself? I am very responsible when ites to my health, so there is no need for you to worry about me.¡± Lucas could understand why his sister was so averse to him, but he still found it difficult to set his mind at ease. For a woman, giving birth was like going through hell and back. It would be toote for him to regret it if something went wrong. Unfortunately, he knew Corinne would not heed his advice in her present state. Lucas thought for a moment and offered apromise. ¡°Fine. You can stay here if you want, but I¡¯ll send someone here to take care of you tomorrow. I¡¯ll also visit you every day.¡± Corinne was thoroughly annoyed. ¡°No thanks!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already decided! If you¡¯re noting with me, this is how we¡¯ll do it. It¡¯s the only way I can be at ease.¡± Lucas did not let Corinne have her way and got up. ¡°Get some rest. I¡¯lle and check on you again tomorrow. Think about what I told you. Sooner orter, you¡¯ll have to go home.¡± Lucas nced at her onest time before turning around and leaving the room. Corinne¡¯s mind was in aplete mess as she stared at Lucas¡¯s figure. She leaned back in exhaustion and stared at the ceiling after copsing onto the bed. After Lucas came out, his expression was no longer as gentle as when he spoke to Corinne. He pulled a long face and stared sullenly at the dining table. ¡°Are you going toe out on your own or should I go under there and help you?¡± he faced the dining table and asked. After a second, Sunny crawled out from under the dining table with his hands over his head. ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t get mad at me¡­¡± Lucas closed his eyes in disappointment. ¡°Time to go home.¡± Sunny nodded obediently and walked out despondently. ¡°Okay.¡± After finally getting Sunny out from under the table, Lucas nced earnestly at Xante and Aaron. ¡°Please take good care of Corinne for me.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Of course, Mister Lucas. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± After Lucas nodded in appreciation, he walked away calmly with his disappointing younger brother. Once the two brothers had left, Annie became even more puzzled, not to mention a little skeptical of the entire situation. She looked at Aaron in surprise and asked, ¡°Why did Lucas tell you to take good care of Corinne? What does he have to do with her?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Annie frowned. ¡°Then why would you agree so casually to his request?¡± Aaron shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I did it out of courtesy.¡± Something seemed off regardless of how Annie looked at it. She eventually decided to take out her cell phone and call Jeremy. The cell phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered. The ambient sound from the other end of the line sounded a little chaotic. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Where are you?¡± Annie asked. Rather than answering her, Jeremy asked coldly, ¡°Why did you call me?¡± Annie pursed her lips. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m here with Corinne, and Lucas just came to visit her earlier. His attitude toward her was a little suspicious. He seems to be very fond of her, and I think he¡¯s up to no good! You need to hurry up and coax Corinne, or she might be¡ªhello? Hey! Uncle Jeremy!¡± She heard a dial tone before she could even finish her sentence. ¡®Did he just hang up on me?¡¯ Annie thought. ¡®I don¡¯t care if he ignores me, but is he going to ignore Corinne too? What a jerk!¡¯ Annie¡¯s angry little face made Aaron chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you given the cold shoulder again?¡± Chapter 1249 Chapter 1249 Annie snapped back to her senses. She nced at Aaron and said angrily, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! I love getting the cold shoulder! Are you d I said that? Didn¡¯t I get the cold shoulder from youst time too? Do you have to be sarcastic about it? Does seeing me like that make you happy?¡± Aaron froze for a moment after her tirade andughed again. ¡°No, no! I¡¯m giving you all the warmth from my shoulder! I¡¯m on your side now! Don¡¯t be angry!¡± Annie¡¯s face felt flush. ¡®What does he mean when he says he¡¯s giving me all the warmth from his shoulder? What the hell is this man talking about?¡¯ Xante put down her cutlery and got up. ¡°I¡¯m full. You two go ahead.¡± She went back to her room, leaving Annie alone with Aaron, who was smiling cheekily. ¡°I¡¯m, uh¡­ I¡¯m going to check on Corinne!¡± As soon as Annie tried to get up and leave, Aaron pulled her back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother her right now. She just wants to be alone today.¡± Annie had no choice but to sit back down. She had lost her appetite by then. ¡°Rx!¡± Aaron said with a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t gobble you up! You should eat more since you didn¡¯t manage to eat much earlier. I¡¯ll wash the dishes once you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll wash the dishes?¡± Annie did not expect him to offer to do that. Aaron nodded. ¡°Yes? I can¡¯t expect you to wash the dishes when you¡¯ve cooked for us.¡± ¡°Do you even know how to wash the dishes?¡± Annie raised her eyebrow curiously. Aaron seized the moment to approach her and flirtily replied, ¡°I don¡¯t, unfortunately. Could you teach me?¡± His tone, coupled with the distance between them, made Annie blush. ¡°I¡­¡± Aaron chuckled. ¡°Okay, okay! I won¡¯t tease you anymore! I¡¯m not that dumb! Now eat up, or the food will be cold!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Annie was still feeling a little awkward, but she did as he told and picked up the cutlery to start eating. When Aaron saw that she was only eating potatoes, he ced some meat onto her te and patiently waited for her to finish eating. Annie looked down at her food and did her best to avoid looking at Aaron. After all, she knew she would lose herself again if she looked at him. He had been so gentle to her when she worked as his secretary, and that was why she fell deep into his trap. At that time, Aaron¡¯s tenderness toward her had a teasing quality, almost as if it was some sort of game. However, that feeling was far different from what she felt while she ate. She could not tell exactly what was different, but it was difficult for her to finish her meal in his presence. Later that night, Jeremy returned to the Holdens reeking of alcohol. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Pam, who had not slept a single wink, came out of the room as soon as she heard someone return. She was a little disappointed when she discovered that only her grandson had returned. ¡°Why are you alone, Jeremy? Didn¡¯t you go and meet Corinne?¡± Jeremy tugged sullenly on his tie and sneered. ¡°Why should I?¡± Pam caught a whiff of the alcohol from his body and frowned even more. ¡°How much did you drink? Could someone please get some soup to help with his hangover?¡± One of the maids did as they were told and left immediately. Pam felt heartbroken as she looked at Jeremy sitting on the sofa. Chapter 1250 Chapter 1250 The maid brought some soup and fed some to the dazed Jeremy. Jeremy took two sips and waved his hands, indicating he did not want any more. The maid obediently ced the soup down and excused herself right away. Pam sat next to Jeremy and looked at him dejectedly. ¡°Drink the soup and sober up with a bath. Getting wasted is hardly the kind of thing a grown man should be doing!¡± Jeremy could feel a headacheing. He leaned his head on the back of the sofa and ced one arm over his forehead to cover his eyes. He ignored what his grandmother had said to him. When Pam saw a flickering light in his trouser pocket, she reached out to take his cell phone. It had been put on silent. The caller ID disyed an unsaved phone number, and Pam¡¯s eyes lit up as she answered the call. ¡°Are you home yet, Jeremy?¡± On the other end of the line was Sophia, who asked concernedly. The glow in Pam¡¯s eyes dimmed considerably, and she replied, ¡°He¡¯s home, Sophia. Don¡¯t worry. Get some rest.¡± Sophia was a little surprised when she heard an old woman¡¯s voice. Nevertheless, she smiled sensibly and said, ¡°Okay, Grandma Pam! You should go to bed soon, too!¡± After ending the call, Pam ced her hand on her forehead and said, ¡°What¡¯s going on in your mind right now, Jeremy? Are you going to ept Sophia, or are you nning to bring Corinne home?¡± Jeremy spoke emotionlessly. ¡°Were you expecting Corinne to call and show concern about me just now?¡± Pam was silent. He was right; she did think that the call was from Corinne. Jeremy sneered. ¡°She won¡¯te here even if I die.¡± ¡°Corinne isn¡¯t heartless!¡± Pam refuted. ¡°I can see that you still care a lot about her, and I think you should find a chance to exin things clearly to her. She must¡¯ve misunderstood your rtionship with Sophia.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡®Misunderstand? If she thought it was a misunderstanding, she should¡¯ve been angry at me and questioned me about it so I could exin to her! Disappearing silently for half a year was hardly a reasonable response! She even wore a mask when she met me because she was so afraid that I¡¯d recognize her and bother her! In the end, I¡¯m nothing more than a dispensablemodity to her!¡¯ Jeremy smiled sullenly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I still have to let you worry about my problems. I¡¯ll take care of everything. You should get some sleep.¡± Jeremy got up, took his cell phone, and went upstairs sluggishly. Francine walked over with pursed lips and handed Pam some soup to soothe herself. ¡°This misunderstanding between Jeremy and Corinne is too strong!¡± Pam sighed helplessly and sipped some soup. ¡°How was everything? Did you contact Annie to ask if Corinne is all right?¡± ¡°I already did,¡± said Francine. ¡°Annie told me that she¡¯s staying over at Corinne¡¯s ce. Corinne is doing just fine there.¡± Chapter 1251 Chapter 1251 Pam nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that Corinne is alright. Her pregnancy is almost at full term, and I¡¯m worried she might give birth prematurely if she gets too emotional. After all, the entire process from pregnancy to childbirth is very risky. Oh, and by the way, don¡¯t tell your Grandpa about today. I don¡¯t want that old fool to have any sort of prejudice against Corinne!¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Francine. Meanwhile, at the hotel. Sophia danced alone in the room while listening to some jazz. Her attendant, Kevin, came in to deliver wine to her. When he saw how much she enjoyed her dancing, he asked curiously, ¡°Why do you look so happy, miss?¡± Sophia slowed her movements down and chuckled. ¡°Do I look happy?¡± Kevin nodded and uncorked the red wine. He then said, ¡°You do! You seem to be in a particrly good mood today. Did something special happen?¡± Sophia stopped dancing. ¡°That Corinne woman finally showed up today!¡± Kevin stopped pouring the wine. ¡°But isn¡¯t she your rival in love? Why would you be so happy to see her?¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Jeremy will always regard her as the apple of his eye if she doesn¡¯t show up, and I won¡¯t get a chance to rece her! By showing up, she¡¯ll expose all her ws so that Jeremy will grow tired of her. I can sense Jeremy has started to resent her today.¡± Kevin did not really understand any of that, but he nheless poured the ss of red wine and gave it to Sophia. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re about to win Mister Jeremy¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy,¡± said Sophia after taking a sip. ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go before I can win Jeremy¡¯s heart. Jeremy treats me as a friend right now, but the position Corinne upies in his heart will finally be free once he develops a seething hatred for Corinne. I¡¯m in no rush, though, so he can take his timeing to terms with it.¡± Kevin felt a little distressed when he thought about everything she went through. ¡°You¡¯ve been secretly in love with him for so many years, and Corinne never would¡¯ve happened if you confessed to him earlier! After all, he chose you when he was looking to use a fake marriage to deal with his family¡¯s elders!¡± Sophia seemed unbothered. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. Certain things mustn¡¯t be rushed. Didn¡¯t Anya confess her love at the beginning and use emotional ckmail to try and win Jeremy¡¯s heart? In the end, Jeremy never even took her for anything! N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°I¡¯ve never regarded Anya as a rival because I know she¡¯ll never seed. If I confess my love to Jeremy, he¡¯ll keep a distance from me instead! The losses won¡¯t be worth the gains! A mature man like Jeremy would have self-respect and strong self-control. He won¡¯t allow himself to have an affair with a woman! The most effective way to do as I do and take things slowly. ¡°My n is the most effective¡ªI¡¯ll be there for him in silence, let him get used to my presence, and slowly make it difficult for him to separate from me.¡± Kevin looked at Sophia with admiration after her brief lecture. Sophia swirled the ss of red wine in her hand. ¡°Corinne is pretty and has a very interesting personality, but her low social status is one w she can never get rid of. A low social status means she¡¯ll have low knowledge as well. The Holdens¡¯ status would be lowered significantly if she was with her. Greg doesn¡¯t like having a granddaughter-inw with low social status. I trust Jeremy would be wise enough to choose me in the end!¡± Sophia drank her red wine with confidence and looked out the window with a pleased smile. The next day. Xante and Aaron left for thepany early in the morning. Annie had to sleep on the sofa alone as she did not knock on Corinne¡¯s door. When she woke up in the morning, she discovered she was on Aaron¡¯s bed. After her initial shock, she stood up abruptly and noticed she was alone on the bed. She still had her clothes on too, which allowed her to sigh in relief. Chapter 1252 Chapter 1252 Annie looked left and right to try and find Aaron, but he was nowhere to be seen. All she saw was her phone charging on the bedside table. She took it and saw that the topmost unread message was from Aaron. [I slept in the living roomst night. I carried you into the room and didn¡¯t do anything else. Don¡¯t make any assumptions!] Annie¡¯s heart began beating faster. Her cheeks turned red, and she wondered to herself, ¡®What is he trying to do? Gosh, I¡¯m getting all flustered by his message!¡¯ When she scrolled down, she saw more than 99 unread messages that her boyfriend Marcus had sent to her. Annie was a little embarrassed. Her feelings were all over the ce the day before that she forgot to reply to Marcus¡¯s messages! When she clicked on Marcus¡¯s chat, she noticed he had sent a flurry of messages asking her location, what she was doing, and if she was asleep. The most recent message had been sent in the morning. [Why are you ignoring me, Annie? Please reply if you see my messages!] Annie replied apologetically. [Sorry, I was so busy thinking about my aunt and uncle that I forgot to check my message!] Marcus replied within seconds. [It¡¯s fine! I was just worried about you. I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright, though! Where are you now?] Annie answered truthfully, [I¡¯m still with my aunt! I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry!] [Shall I pick you up at noon? Let¡¯s have lunch together, just the two of us!] For some reason, Annie hesitated before replying, [Umm¡­ Okay! You don¡¯t have to pick me up, though. I¡¯ll go to you!] [I¡¯ll wait for you, then!] After ending the conversation with Marcus, Annie got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. When she walked out of Aaron¡¯s bedroom, she saw Corinne sitting alone at the dining room bar. She had herptop open and was eating breakfast. She walked over and said, ¡°Au¡ªI mean, Corinne! What are you doing?¡± Corinne pointed to theputer and raised a finger to cover her lips, indicating for Annie to keep quiet. Annie closed her mouth right away and carefully leaned over to look at theputer screen. She saw her unkempt appearance in the mirror and hurriedly stepped aside. Corinne turned out to be on a video call with someone else. There were a lot of people on the other end of the video, and it appeared as though they were having a video conference. She did not know what was happening, but she did not dare to disturb Corinne anymore. She gently took her coat and bag before heading out. She nned to go home and change into a fresh set of clothes before meeting Marcus. After that, she would bring lunch to Corinne. Corinne noticed that Annie had left, but rather than turn around to look, she continued with the video conference until it ended. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Xante happened to call her just after she closed herptop. She drank a sip of milk, then reached for her phone to answer the call. ¡°Boss,¡± Xante began, ¡°Holden Group has bought over thend at the south of the city. They¡¯re nning to develop it into arge shopping mall, and they want us to handle the project. What¡¯s your opinion on this?¡± Corinne took another sip of warm milk and narrowed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a good project. We can go ahead once the conditions are agreed upon. Needless to say, we need to beware of any loopholes in the contract.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Xante said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring a team ofwyers to discuss this with them.¡± Corinne massaged the top of her nose bridge after the call ended. She was already exhausted even though she had just woken up. She could not help but feel that Jeremy had something to do with Holden Group¡¯s eagerness to cooperate with Newmoon Group. Anything that was out of the ordinary warranted much greater scrutiny. Should they refuse to cooperate, Holden Group would have another project for them. Rather than refuse outright, it would be better to take things as they came and handle everything one step at a time. All of a sudden, the doorbell rang. Chapter 1253 Chapter 1253 Annie must havee back because she forgot something. Corinne ced her ss of milk down and got up to open the door. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. As soon as the door opened, Jason¡¯s charming face appeared in front of her. Corinne remained calm despite her surprise. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jason held up a thermos. ¡°To see you, of course! Have you had breakfast? I asked someone to prepare some soup for you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Corinne and invited him in. It was the first time Jason came to Corinne¡¯s ce, and he began admiring the decor as soon as he entered the door. ¡°Where¡¯s the kitchen? I¡¯ll get a bowl and pour some for you!¡± ¡°Have a seat. I¡¯ll get it myself.¡± Corinne walked toward the kitchen rather than pointing him to where it was. Instead of sitting, Jason followed her into the kitchen with the thermos. The cupboard was situated under the sink, so it was a little difficult for Corinne to bend down and get the bowls. Jason walked over and helped her. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Corinne stepped aside and allowed him to help her. Jason took out a bowl from the cupboard and opened the thermos to pour out some soup for her. He ced it on the bar and said, ¡°Drink some while it¡¯s hot!¡± Corinne nodded. She was not too fond of normal breakfast during her pregnancy, preferring instead to drink soups. During the time she stayed in Jason¡¯s vi, he instructed the servants there to cook soup for her every night. The breakfast that Xante prepared for her¡ªwarm milk and sandwiches¡ªwas not to her taste at all. Jason brought the soup to her at just the right time. Jason looked warmly at Corinne as she drank her soup. He frowned and remarked, ¡°You didn¡¯t have eyebags thest time I saw you. Were you unable to sleep wellst night?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. I had a bit of insomnia.¡± Jason then said earnestly, ¡°You can¡¯t stay upte when you¡¯re nearing your due date. How do you expect me to feel at ease when you¡¯re like this?¡± Corinne knew that had to take care of herself better, but her mind was in such a mess that she could only toss and turn in bed. Needless to say, she was a little ufortable when Jason showed too much concern for her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so worried about me, Jason. You should be well aware by now that nothing you do is going to sway me. It¡¯s not going to make me fall in love with you over time.¡± Jason sighed when he heard that, but he then smiled at her. ¡°Do I look like such a calctive person to you? The concern that I show for youes from the bottom of my heart. I¡¯ve never considered anything else.¡± Corinne lowered her head and continued to drink her soup. After a moment of silence, she said, ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for all the help you have given me, and I¡¯ll treat you as a good friend. Let me know if you face any difficulties in the future and I¡¯ll promise you I¡¯ll do my best to help you. Other than that, I can¡¯t repay your kindness with feelings. I hope you¡¯ll understand.¡± Jason approached her and said, ¡°Do you have to be that firm on this?¡± Corinne looked up at his charming eyes. ¡°It¡¯s better for me to be harsh than to let you string yourself along with false hope.¡± ¡°You still have a long life ahead of you.¡± Jason moved closer again. ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t n on falling in love again in the future?¡± Corinne felt that he trespassed herfort zone and decided to retreat slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have the heart for that anymore.¡± Chapter 1254 Chapter 1254 Corinne¡¯s pregnancy made it rather difficult for her to stabilize her center of gravity when she moved backward. Jason had to stretch out his arm to make sure she did not fall. At the same time, they got physically closer. Their eyes were within inches of each other. Corinne felt that it was inappropriate and immediately wanted to get up and walk away. However, Jason held her tightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Corinne. You can¡¯t lump all men into the same category just because you¡¯ve met one jerk. I¡¯m different from Jeremy. I¡¯ll never¡­¡± As Jason spoke, he leaned so close to Corinne that she could feel his breath on her lips. ¡­ Annie got home and got dressed before asking the driver to drive her to Newmoon Group. When she arrived, she looked at the time and realized it was still too early for lunch. As she was about to go in and wait for Marcus, she stopped while she was going up the stairs. She knew she might run into Aaron in thepany lobby if she waited for Marcus inside, so she finally decided to wait in the cafe just opposite thepany. After ordering a cafette, Annie sent a message to Marcus telling him that she was waiting for him in the opposite cafe. She then told him not to worry about her. Her mind was nk, and she was staring out the window in a daze. However, a message soon disrupted her mood. The notification on her phone made her think that Marcus had replied to her message. s, all she saw was a message from Aaron. [Have you woken up yet? I¡¯ll be heading back to send lunch to Corinne in a bit. Let me know what you¡¯re craving, and I¡¯ll get some for you!] His gentle message made her feel as though he was physically asking her that with a smile. It was Aaron¡¯s gentle temperament that attracted her from the beginning and made her weak in the knees. Annie suddenly snapped back to her senses and shook her head vigorously. She reminded herself not to think about other men because she was waiting for her boyfriend. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She replied, [Thanks, but you don¡¯t have to buy lunch for me!] After a while, Aaron replied, [And leave you to go hungry? We wouldn¡¯t want you to have any hunger pangs, would we?] Annie frowned unhappily. [Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯m waiting for my boyfriend. I¡¯m getting lunch with him. I won¡¯t go hungry.] A minuteter, Aaron sent her a nd, smiling emoji. Annie did not understand what that expression meant and did not think much about it. All of a sudden, her boyfriend Marcus sent her a message to apologize to her. [I¡¯m sorry you had to come all the way just for me to tell you this, but thepany notified us that we¡¯ll be having an emergency meeting, and lunch will be provided during the meeting too! How about you go home first? I¡¯lle to you after I get off work.] Marcus¡¯s message reminded Annie of the smiling emoji Aaron sent her. ¡®Emergency meeting? It can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡¯ She replied to Marcus, [Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll set a time after work.] Annie then opened her chat with Aaron and sent, [You did that, didn¡¯t you?] Aaron sent another smiling emoji. [Did what?] [Hold an emergency meeting and provide lunch to those who were asked to attend the meeting.] [Yes! I just felt like treating my dear employees to lunch! What do you think? I¡¯m a good leader, aren¡¯t I?] Annie sent an angry emoji and said, [You¡¯ve crossed the line! Are you d that I came all the way here for nothing?] [It¡¯s not for nothing.] [Who are you to tell me that my trip wasn¡¯t for nothing? I¡¯m already here! I hate you!] Annie typed furiously on the virtual keyboard when she heard someone pull out a chair and sit opposite her. Chapter 1255 Chapter 1255 Annie was stunned for a moment. She looked up and saw Aaron smiling at her as he took his seat just opposite her! ¡®Is this what he meant when he said I didn¡¯te here for nothing?¡¯ Aaron called one of the wait staff and ordered a cup of coffee for himself. He then looked at Annie with a smirk and asked, ¡°Are you speechless because you¡¯re that happy to see me?¡± Annie snapped back to her senses and ced her phone down. She stared at him sullenly and said, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m here?¡± Aaron grinned. ¡°I guess you can call this¡­having a telepathic connection.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do, Aaron?¡± Annie became even angrier. Aaron answered curtly, ¡°Trying to win your heart.¡± Annie¡¯s expression froze before her cheeks turned red. She cleared her throat awkwardly and said, ¡°Stop making these jokes!¡± Aaron looked at her intently. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯ve been confessing my love to you since yesterday. You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t take me seriously.¡± ¡°Did you just use the word ¡®seriously¡¯?¡± Annie shot back with a frown. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve using that word in front of me! I don¡¯t think you even know how to spell the word ¡®serious¡¯!¡± Aaron lowered his gaze and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I never knew how to spell that word, but you were the one who taught me how.¡± Annie was speechless. Aaron did not feel awkward when she stopped talking. Rather, he asked her softly, ¡°What do you want for lunch? We¡¯ll get some for Corinne after we¡¯re done eating.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°I don¡¯t remember agreeing to have lunch with you!¡± Annie looked out the window. Aaron smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here! Think of this as trying out some food before we decide what to get Corinne.¡± Annie did not know what else to say. Aaron was too much of a smooth talker! She did not have any reason to refuse after what he said! She gave it some thought and remembered her n to bring some food back for Corinne. In that case, she could just have a meal with Aaron in the meantime. She nevertheless emphasized, ¡°Sure. We can have lunch, but I have a boyfriend! I hope you don¡¯t say anything that will make me flustered.¡± Aaron was unbothered by herment and smiled even more. ¡°Sure! But everything I say seems to make you flustered. You don¡¯t even dare to look me in the eyes!¡± Annie was appalled that he had noticed all of that! She did not dare to look into Aaron¡¯s eyes as she was afraid that her shyness might be revealed. Aaron¡¯s eyes were so handsome and gentle, and it was those eyes that made her fall for him. She knew she would never be able to keep calm if she made eye contact with him. ¡®I can¡¯t fall in love with other men when I have Marcus! No! No! No! I can¡¯t! I will not let myself turn into the very thing I despise¡ªwomen who were unable tomit to one man!¡¯ Her faltering expression led Aaron to sigh and stop teasing her. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Annie snapped out of her senses and shook her head. ¡°We can eat whatever Corinne likes to eat.¡± Aaron cocked an eyebrow. ¡°I know what she liked before she got pregnant, but her tastes have changed now. Besides, I¡¯m not sure if there are certain foods that pregnant women should avoid. You¡¯re a girl, so I suppose you¡¯d know better than a man like me.¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Annie retorted. ¡°I¡¯ve never been pregnant before!¡± Aaron chuckled softly. Annie felt that something was amiss, so she frowned and asked, ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Chapter 1256 Chapter 1256 Aaron shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll call the shots if you don¡¯t know what to eat. After that, we can think about what to bring back for the boss.¡± Annie was fine with that. She nodded listlessly and said, ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡± Aaron nced at her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you so disappointed you can¡¯t have lunch with your boyfriend?¡± Annie rolled her eyes. ¡°Would you cancel thepany meeting so he can apany me to lunch if I say yes?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± said Aaron with a grin. ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of asking?¡± replied Annie with a re. ¡°I just want to give myself the chance to have some alone time with you.¡± Annie was speechless. She finally decided to stop being a foolish romantic, yet he was undoing all of her efforts. ¡°Ahem! I¡¯ll call Corinne to ask her what she¡¯d like to eat.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Annie did not know what to say, so she took out her phone to call Corinne. No one picked up. ¡°This is weird. Why didn¡¯t Corinne pick up the phone?¡± ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t hear the phone ringing,¡± replied Aaron. Sighing, Annie put away her phone. Even if they were going to have lunch, it was still very early. s, she would need to be alone with Aaron for a few minutes, and the thought of that gave Annie a headache. ¡­ Meanwhile, Corinne identally knocked over the bowl when she pushed Jason away, causing the content to spill over the two of them. Jason looked down at his clothes. ¡°Uh-oh. What a waste!¡± Corinne¡¯s clothes were dirtied as well. She rolled her eyes angrily at him and said, ¡°This is all your fault! You should¡¯ve behaved yourself.¡± Jason shrugged and smiled. ¡°Then what do we do now? I have a meeting to go toter. I don¡¯t think I can make it in time if I go home to change now.¡± Corinne looked at him with annoyance, wondering how he could still be so nonchnt. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll see if Aaron has any clothes you can borrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Aaron with a nod. Both Aaron and Jason shared a simr physique, so they could probably wear the same clothes. Corinne found a more casual-style suit in Aaron¡¯s closet and gave it to Jason. Jason said that some of the food had gotten into his clothes too, so he would like to take a shower in Aaron¡¯s bathroom. Since it was not her bathroom, Corinne did not turn him down. After that, she went back to her room to shower before changing into clean clothes. While she was digging through her closet for some clothes, she heard the doorbell ring. ¡®Who¡¯s that?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Sh*t! I haven¡¯t been living here for the past six months, so all my clothes don¡¯t fit my pregnant body!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org owns this text. The doorbell kept ringing, so Corinne had no choice but to throw on a bathrobe and rush over to open the door. Chapter 1257 Chapter 1257 When Corinne came out of her room, she saw Jason already walking toward the door to open it. However, no one came in, and no one spoke after he opened the door. Instead, Jason stood still and looked at the person standing outside in shock. Corinne walked over. She, too, was shocked when she saw who was outside. ¡®What¡¯s Jeremy doing here?¡¯ she thought. Jeremy looked coldly at both of them. ¡°Seems like I¡¯vee at a bad time.¡± Corinne did not like the way he was staring at her, but she suddenly remembered her wet hair and her wearing her bathrobe. She instinctively pulled her bathrobe tighter to make herself look more presentable. What made the whole situation worse was Jason had just taken a shower too. In a rush to open the door, he only managed to put on his pants while his shirt was left unbuttoned, revealing his naked chest and abs. The two of them looked like they had just had s*x. Realizing this, Corinne started to panic. She wanted to exin herself but then thought there was nothing to exin at all. She and Jeremy, after all, have broken up. Jason started to button his shirt. To break the awkward silence, he smiled and said, ¡°Jeremy, what a coincidence! Are you here to visit Corinne too?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression was so frigid that it was hard to tell what he was feeling. He smiled impassively and said, ¡°I guess you never changed. You still go for the women we don¡¯t want anymore.¡± Corinne was furious at what he said, but she told herself not to show it. ¡®Heh! So I¡¯m just a y-her- and-dump-her woman to him, huh?¡¯ Instead of getting angry, Jason simply smiled and said gently to her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Corinne. Why don¡¯t you go put on your clothes while I talk to Jeremy for a bit?¡± Since she did not want to talk to Jeremy either, she simply nodded and went back to her room. To her surprise, Jeremy grabbed hold of her bedroom door and red at her just when she was about to close it. Corinne jumped up in fright, but she then frowned. ¡°What are you doing? Please take your hand off my bedroom door!¡± Jeremy pushed himself in. After that, he shut and locked the door to stop Jason froming in. Very quickly, they heard the sound of panicked knocking and Jason shouting from the other side of the door. ¡°Hey! What are you doing, Jeremy? You better not hurt Corinne!¡± Jeremy stood in front of the door to prevent Corinne from escaping. Corinne could feel every nerve in her body tensing up. She started to back away slowly. ¡°Just what do you want, Jeremy? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to barge into other people¡¯s rooms without permission?¡± Jeremy smiled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because I was too polite to you in the past that you think you can just treat me however you want.¡± Corinne felt a sense of danger she never felt before. She continued to step back slowly. Jeremy grabbed her wrist. ¡°So you¡¯ve been shacking up with another man for the past six months, huh?¡± ¡®Is he talking about Jason?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s eyes wavered. She gritted her teeth and kept her mouth stubbornly shut. ¡®What right does he have to question me like that?! I don¡¯t owe him any exnation! He yed with my feelings first!¡¯ Corinne pushed him away, but no matter how hard she pushed, he remained unmoving. In the end, she gave up and said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, why don¡¯t you just tell me why you came here?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Suddenly, he let her wrist go. ¡°I came to see my baby.¡± Corinne instinctively touched her belly. ¡°This baby has nothing to do with you. Go ask your wife to give you a baby if you want one so much!¡± Chapter 1258 Chapter 1258 ¡°You know very well who the baby¡¯s father is!¡± said Jeremy. Corinne pulled her bathrobe tighter before smiling mockingly at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a little bit too confident of yourself? How sure are you that I didn¡¯t sleep with another man while we were together?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened as he narrowed them. ¡°You¡¯re willing to go so far as to ruin your reputation just to get rid of me, huh?¡± Corinne remained silent. Jeremy¡¯s expression gradually became more contemptuous. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯te to harass you. I just came to warn you that you better not sleep with another man while you¡¯re still pregnant with my baby!¡± Corinne frowned. She did not like the way he was ordering her around. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what I can or cannot do! We¡¯ve broken up, remember?¡± Jeremy red at her. ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want, but let¡¯s see how long thatsts!¡± ¡°What do you mean? What are you going to do?¡± asked Corinne with rm. Jeremy scoffed coldly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put on some clothes? You should be ashamed to let other people see you dressed like this.¡± ¡°How¡­ How dare you!¡± Jeremy said nothing. Instead, he simply turned around and walked out of the room. Jason, who had been knocking nonstop, was taken aback when the door suddenly opened. He was about to rush inside to check on Corinne when Jeremy blocked him by putting his arms up. ¡°She¡¯s changing, so don¡¯t go in.¡± Jason paused. After calming down, he looked inside and sighed with relief when he saw Corinne unharmed. He then closed the door for her. ¡°Jeremy, I know that you and Corinne used to be together, but you should respect her choice of leaving the rtionship now that she doesn¡¯t want to be with you anymore,¡± said Jason. Jeremy looked at Jason coldly. ¡°And who are you to speak to me like that?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Jason was slightly taken aback by the question, but he quickly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m speaking to you as someone who¡¯d like to be in a rtionship with her. Hope that¡¯s fine with you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not fine with it,¡± said Jeremy expressionlessly yet authoritatively. ¡°You can¡¯t have her even if I don¡¯t want her anymore. Just stay away from her, and I won¡¯t make you pay for helping her escape.¡± Jason¡¯s stunned expression was reced by a sardonic smile. ¡°Jeremy, are you sure you want to have bad blood between us?¡± Jeremy was half a head taller than Jason, so he looked down at him imposingly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who asked for it, not me. You should¡¯ve known something like this would happen the moment you helped Corinne escape.¡± Jeremy shoved his hands into his pockets, turned, and walked away. ¡°What are you still standing there for?¡± he turned back to ask him threateningly after a few steps. ¡°Do you n to stay here for the night?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s still morning right now. What are you talking about?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes unhappily. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Jason¡¯s lower jaw tightened, but then he quickly shed Jeremy his signature smile before knocking on Corinne¡¯s door. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m leaving now, but I¡¯lle backter to check on you.¡± He then followed Jeremy out of the ce without getting any reply from Corinne. Both Jeremy and Jason had left by the time Corinne finished changing and came out of her room. She opened the entrance door, which was opposite the elevator, and saw the elevator door closing slowly with Jeremy and Jason inside it. Jason smiled at her, while Jeremy stared at her with bloodshot eyes. Corinne did not understand why Jeremy was staring at her like that, but for some reason, she could not help but feel pity for him when she saw how exhausted he looked. ¡®Are you crazy, Corinne? How can you feel pity for a man who yed with your feelings?¡¯ she berated herself. Chapter 1259 Chapter 1259 Corinne only snapped out of her trance when the elevator floor indicator panel was at ¡®1¡¯. She exhaled deeply out of relief and was about to close the door when someone suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°Miss Corinne, Mister Jeremy had asked me to deliver this soup to you,¡± said Tommy. He was holding a thermos in his hand. He must have been waiting outside the door the whole time. ¡®Jeremy brought me soup too?¡¯ She could feel her heart melting for him, but she quickly shook herself out of it. ¡®No! He didn¡¯t bring the soup for me but for the baby inside of my belly!¡¯ Corinne pushed away Tommy coldly. ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t want it.¡± Tommy quickly shot out his hand to stop her from closing the door. ¡°Miss Corinne, Mister Jeremy woke up early this morning to make this soup for you. Won¡¯t you at least try it?¡± Annoyed at not being able to close the door, Corinne said angrily, ¡°So what if he cooked it? Now out there says I must eat whatever he cooks!¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy was worried you might get a nosebleed from drinking the soup Miss Pam cooks for you, so he studied all the recipes to make this soup for you. That¡¯s how thoughtful he is. Can you please at least open it up to see? I¡¯ve been working for him for so many years, and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen him cook anything for anybody.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback. She started to waver, but she was notpletely moved. However, it looked like Tommy was not going to let her close the door unless she epted the soup. After thinking about it, Corinne took the thermos from Tommy¡¯s hand. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take the soup.¡± Tommy smiled. ¡°Thank you, Miss Corinne. I knew you¡¯d take it.¡± Corinne looked at him with disgust. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy asked me to stay here to protect me.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Protect me? More like making sure I don¡¯t hang out with other men.¡¯ ¡°My house is very safe. I don¡¯t need any protection. Please leave.¡± Tommy shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. Mister Jeremy is going to punish me if I leave.¡± Corinne was at the end of her patience. ¡°Just what the hell is he trying to do?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Miss Corinne, Mister Jeremy is just worried about you. He asked me to stay here to take care of you since you wouldn¡¯t go home with him.¡± Corinne scoffed coldly. ¡®He¡¯s worried about me? More like he¡¯s worried about the baby.¡¯ Since she could not chase Tommy away or close the door, she decided to let things be. She carried the thermos into the apartment. Seeing this, Tommy took it as her permitting him to go into the apartment as well. He walked in and closed the door. However, he did not take a step further after that. He simply stood respectfully at the door. Corinne decided to ignore him. She ced the thermos on top of the table before going back to her room. ¡®This is getting more chaotic by the minute! What the hell is Jeremy thinking? Does he intend to keep me under house arrest in my own apartment until the baby is born? Who the hell does he think he is?¡¯ ¡­ Meanwhile, Aaron brought Annie to a really romantic restaurant. Even though it was broad daylight, the restaurant managed to create the atmosphere of a candlelit dinner. Chapter 1260 Chapter 1260 Being alone with Aaron was torturous enough for Annie, let alone being alone with him in such a suggestive setting! ¡°What are you doing? I thought we were just going to have a casual lunch,¡± said Annie with confusion. Aaron, who sat across from her, looked even more charming under the candlelight. He rested his chin on his hand and said, ¡°Yeah, we are. But who¡¯s to say a casual lunch can¡¯t be romantic too?¡± Annie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°I might¡¯ve thought you were a very romantic guy if you treated me like this in the past. All I can think of now is how embarrassing and awkward this is.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Why? Is it because you have a boyfriend?¡± Annie frowned and said seriously, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s exactly because I have a boyfriend. It¡¯s not right for me to have a candlelit dinner with another man behind his back!¡± Instead of feeling ashamed, Aaron gloatingly replied, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t feel embarrassed if you don¡¯t have any feelings for me. That must mean you still like me, right?¡± Annie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Mister Aaron, to be honest, I think you¡¯re a dirtbag. My liking for you is going down the charts with every passing second. I suggest you behave yourself.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Going down the charts? In other words, your liking for me was so high that, even though it¡¯s going down the charts now, it still hasn¡¯t reached zero, right?¡± Annie was speechless. She did not know whether to be impressed or annoyed by his wittiness. In the end, she decided she had lost all of her appetite. Ignoring Aaron, she took out her phone to call Jeremy. ¡°Hey, Uncle Jeremy? Where are you right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m driving,¡± said Jeremy coldly. ¡°Are you on your way to the office or somewhere else?¡± ¡°Why are you asking?¡± ¡°I was hoping you coulde get me, and we can go visit Corinne together. We can even bring her some takeout! You can have a good talk with her and clear up whatever misunderstandings there are between you two. Corinne might be pregnant, but she¡¯s still quite the catch. There¡¯s a chance another man will steal her away if you don¡¯t hang tight to her¡ª¡± Suddenly, all Annie could hear was a disconnected dial tone. Jeremy had hung up on her! ¡®What¡¯s the matter with him? Why didn¡¯t he let me finish speaking?¡¯ thought Annie with a frown. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Aaron smiled at her. ¡°What? Did you fail to get your Uncle Jeremy to rescue you?¡± Annie snapped out of her thoughts and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You obviously know the answer. Why ask?¡± The reason she wanted to ask Jeremy for help was because he was the only person Aaron did not dare to do anything to. At that moment, she was 80 percent sure that Aaron was not going to let her go so easily unless she finished having lunch with him. Aaron¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Since there¡¯s no way out of this, why don¡¯t you just enjoy this lunch? I promise I¡¯ll send you home afterward.¡± Annie scoffed. She wanted to finish the lunch as fast as possible, but the only dish the restaurant had served them so far was only the appetizer, which she already finished. She wanted to keep her hand busy to hide her embarrassment. Thus, there was nothing else for her to eat. Annie had just put away her phone when it started vibrating again. She quickly answered the call when she saw it was Marcus calling. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Annie, where are you right now?¡± Annie looked guiltily at Aaron. ¡°I¡¯m having lunch at a restaurant. Is everything okay? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in a meeting?¡± Marcus chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I applied for half-day off. I¡¯ve been feeling restless ever since I told you I had to go to a meeting. I mean, I feel bad that you came all the way to have lunch with me but it was all in vain. I couldn¡¯t focus after that, so I just told my supervisor I needed to go home because something happened. Which restaurant are you at right now? I¡¯ll go over there to meet you.¡± ¡°Well, uhh¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Chapter 1261 Chapter 1261 What should I do? What should I say? Marcus will think something¡¯s going on between me and Mister Aaron if hees here and sees we¡¯re having a candlelit dinner! How am I going to exin to him then?¡¯ thought Annie in a panic. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Annie? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± asked Marcus quizzically after a while. After thinking about it, Annie decided to not let Marcuse. ¡°Umm¡­ The restaurant is very far from your office, and I¡¯m just about to finish. Why don¡¯t we have lunch next time instead?¡± Marcus sounded dejected. ¡°But I¡¯ve already asked for a half-day leave, so it doesn¡¯t matter if the restaurant is far. I can take a cab there, and if you¡¯ve already finished eating, I can send you home.¡± Annie did not know what to say. ¡®He¡¯s so patient and kind to me. I can¡¯t let hime! He¡¯ll be super hurt if he does.¡¯ The private dining room they were in was very quiet. Aaron smiled at Annie when he heard what Marcus said. ¡°You should just have him join us for lunch since he took the effort to take time off work.¡± Annie was speechless. ¡®Of course he¡¯d say that! He¡¯s not the one that has to exin what¡¯s going on to Marcus.¡¯ Unexpectedly, Marcus heard Aaron¡¯s voice too. ¡°Annie, are¡­ Are you with someone else? Is that why you don¡¯t want me to go?¡± Annie started to panic. ¡°Ah, no! No¡­ That¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°But I heard a man¡¯s voice just now!¡± Annie felt really guilty. ¡°That¡­ In any case, it isn¡¯t what you think it is!¡± She could not bring herself to tell Marcus that she was having lunch with Aaron. Marcusughed bitterly. ¡°You know what, it¡¯s okay. You sound like you¡¯re really busy, so I won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± He was about to hang up the phone when Annie, who could tell he was angry, panickingly said, ¡°No! I¡¯m not busy. Pleasee. I¡¯ll text you the addresster. I want you toe and pick me up.¡± ¡°Really? Do you mean that?¡± asked Marcus. Annie sighed helplessly. ¡°Yeah. Juste over. I¡¯ll exin everything to you once you¡¯re here.¡± Marcus smiled happily. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you soon!¡± Annie immediately got a headache after she hung up the phone. ¡®How am I going to exin this to Marcus?¡¯ ¡°Mister Aaron, can we change into another room where it isn¡¯t so¡­romantic? I don¡¯t want Marcus to get the wrong idea about us,¡± said Annie in a bid to negotiate with Aaron. Aaron smiled easily at her and simply said, ¡°No.¡± Annie red at him. ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t you think this is inappropriate? It makes me look like I¡¯m cheating on him.¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Annie stood up angrily. ¡°Then you can have this lunch by yourself. I¡¯m going to move to another private dining room to wait for Marcus.¡± She walked to the door, but the waiter, who had been standing by the door the whole time, stopped her from leaving. ¡°Miss, the dishes haven¡¯t been served yet, so you can¡¯t go out.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore!¡± shouted Annie angrily. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Then please wait until Mister Aaron has finished eating,¡± said the waiter respectfully. Annie turned back to re at Aaron. Aaron simply smiled and continued to sip his juice. He did not seem like he had any intention to order the waiter to let her out. Chapter 1262 Chapter 1262 Thus, Annie had no choice but to return to her seat. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line this time!¡± Aaron smiled and said softly, ¡°Just stay and enjoy the lunch with me.¡± After that, the waiter brought in one fancy dish after another. Annie ate without really tasting the food. All she could think about was how to exin what was going on to Marcus. The restaurant was not that far from Newmoon Group. In fact, it would only take Marcus 15 minutes by car to get there. Marcus smiled when he saw Annie in the room, but his smile froze when he realized Aaron was inside the room as well. He looked at Aaron, then back at Annie. ¡°Annie, why are you having a romantic lunch with Mister Aaron?¡± Annie smiled awkwardly. ¡°Umm¡­ It might look like a romantic lunch, but I can assure you it¡¯s just a casual lunch. Here, have a seat, Marcus. Order whatever you want. It¡¯s Mister Aaron¡¯s treat today,¡± she exined as she patted the seat next to her. Marcus chose to believe Annie, but he still felt pressured to be in this kind of setting with Aaron. After all, this was the first time he had ever been so close to his boss. Thus, he bowed slightly and said, ¡°Thank you, Mister Aaron, for the lunch.¡± After that, he pulled out his chair and sat down. Aaron smiled warmly while he gracefully cut his steak. ¡°Marcus, I heard you asked for a half-day leave because something happened to your family?¡± he asked casually. Marcus¡¯ expression became sheepish. ¡°Umm, well¡­ I¡­¡± Was there anything more embarrassing than being caught red-handed in a lie by the boss? Annie could tell Marcus was embarrassed, so she retorted, ¡°His girlfriend could be considered to be his family, too! Plus, it¡¯s perfectly normal for a guy to take some time off work for his girlfriend!¡± Aaron nced at the both of them. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s perfectly normal,¡± he said with a chuckle. To vent her anger, Annie called over the waiter so that she could order the most expensive dishes in the restaurant for Marcus. Only then would she be able to lessen the resentment she had for Aaron. Thinking it was not appropriate to do that, Marcus tried to stop her, but Annie stubbornly insisted on doing things her way. After the steak was served, Marcus cut a piece of it and blew on it before feeding it to Annie. ¡°Here you go, Annie. Try some of my steak.¡± As embarrassed as Annie was to be fed by her boyfriend, she was equally more afraid that Marcus¡¯ feelings would be hurt if she turned him down. After some hesitation, she opened her mouth and chomped down on the steak. ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s delicious! Thanks, Marcus. But you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I got plenty of food myself.¡± There was no reaction from Aaron. However, the sound of him cutting the steak sounded just a little louder after that.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Somehow or rather, the three of them managed to finish their lunch under the awkward atmosphere. Before they left the restaurant, Aaron ordered some takeout for Corinne. ¡°Mister Aaron, is it okay if you go visit Corinne alone? I think I should hang out with Marcus since he did take time off work for me. I¡¯ll drop by Corinne¡¯s ceter in the night,¡± said Annie after they walked out of the restaurant. How could she not, when she saw Marcus looking at her with his puppy eyes? Aaron narrowed his eyes. Ignoring Annie, he looked at Marcus quietly. ¡°Marcus, I¡¯ll just treat this as your lunch break and not dock your pay off the leave if you go back to work now.¡± Marcus was first happy at the offer, but he decided to turn down the offer after looking at Annie. ¡°Thanks, Mister Aaron. I appreciate the kind offer, but I¡¯m sure the meeting is already over, so there¡¯s no point for me to go back now. I might as well take full use of the leave to spend time with my girlfriend.¡± Chapter 1263 Chapter 1263 Aaron smiled threateningly, causing a chill to go up Marcus¡¯ spine. For a moment, he thought he was going to fire him. ¡°Okay, then. Goodbye, Mister Aaron! We¡¯re going now,¡± said Annie, breaking the silence as she pulled Marcus to the shopping mall near the restaurant. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Aaron remained standing where he was, lost in thought for a few minutes before getting into his car. Annie dragged Marcus to the shopping mall and pushed open the ss door entrance before looking furtively back in the direction where they came from. She sighed with relief when she saw Aaron¡¯s car finally driving off. Marcus looked at her anxiously. ¡°Annie, what is going on with you and Mister Aaron? Why does he seem like he really hates me?¡± Annie snapped back to the present and looked at him sheepishly. ¡°Sorry, Marcus. I didn¡¯t mean to cause you any trouble¡­¡± Marcus quickly shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m just worried that he¡¯s trying to steal you from me. I mean, I¡¯ll surely lose in a fight against him.¡± Annie smiled embarrassedly. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things! Everyone in the office knows he¡¯s a yer who likes to flirt with every woman he sees. You don¡¯t need to take him seriously even if he¡¯s interested in me. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a phase.¡± Marcus visibly rxed after that. ¡°I thought you¡¯d fall for a funny, charming, and sessful man like Mister Aaron too.¡± ¡°I¡­ Well, forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about him anymore. It¡¯s leaving a bad taste in my mouth,¡± said Annie sheepishly. ¡°We should enjoy ourselves in the shopping mall since you took the time to get off work for me. You must still be hungry ¡¯cause you didn¡¯t eat much just now. Come, I¡¯ll buy you lunch again.¡± ¡­ Aaron bumped into Tommy, who had been standing guard by the main entrance, as soon as he got home. Momentarily stunned, he then red at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Tommy nodded at him politely. ¡°Hello, Mister Aaron. Mister Jeremy ordered me to stay here to protect Miss Corinne.¡± Aaron frowned and scoffed. ¡°How unnecessary of him! Tell Mister Jeremy that Xante and I will protect Corinne. There¡¯s no need for that jerk to worry about her.¡± Having worked with Jeremy for many years, Tommy had trained himself to not show any emotions even when provoked. He smiled politely and said, ¡°No matter how much of a jerk my employer might be, he¡¯ll never be as much of a jerk as you, Mister Aaron. It¡¯s like the pot calling the kettle ck.¡± Aaron was speechless. ¡®I know I¡¯m a jerk, but is that how everyone sees me too?¡¯ He could not offer up a retort because Tommy was right. However, that did not mean he had to let him stay. ¡°You can go back now that I¡¯m back to take care of Corinne.¡± Tommy remained standing where he was. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re back, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can leave my post. Besides, me doing my job and youing back have nothing to do with each other.¡± Aaron was already in a bad mood to begin with, but Tommy¡¯s words just made it even worse. ¡°Why you!¡± ¡°Aaron!¡± called Corinne as she walked out of the bedroom. She yawned and said, ¡°What food did you bring back for me? I¡¯m starving!¡± Aaron turned to look at her. ¡°Boss, I brought you some beef Wellington and mushroom soup. Is that okay?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Okay, then. Wait at the dining table while I go heat up the food for you,¡± said Aaron with a smile. Chapter 1264 Chapter 1264 Aaron went into the kitchen to heat up the food. Corinne nced at Tommy. As annoyed as she was with him, there was nothing she could do about his presence. Thus, she sat at the dining table to wait for her lunch. Tommy frowned worriedly. He then took out his phone to text Jeremy. [Mister Jeremy, Miss Corinne is having takeout for lunch. It doesn¡¯t look like anyone living in the apartment knows how to cook.] Meanwhile, back at Holden Group. Jeremy was in a meeting, listening to his subordinates giving a slideshow presentation when his phone shed twice. He picked up his phone to read the message, which caused his eyes to darken. He quickly replied to Tommy¡¯s text message. [Did she drink the soup?] Tommy looked up at the thermos that Corinne ignored ever since she left it on the table. [No.] After that, he did not receive any more reply from Jeremy. Nheless, he could feel his employer¡¯s anger through the screen. He looked at Corinne, who was eating the beef Wellington, and took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Miss Corinne, should I heat up the soup for you since you¡¯re already eating lunch? I¡¯m pretty sure the soup Mister Jeremy made is healthier than the mushroom soup from the restaurant.¡± Corinne ignored him. Tommy picked up the thermos and was about to go into the kitchen when Aaron stopped him. ¡°What soup is that? I can¡¯t let her drink something of unknown origin.¡± ¡°Mister Aaron, this soup is cooked by Mister Jeremy using only the freshest ingredients. It¡¯s not something of unknown origin like you said.¡± ¡°More the reason I can¡¯t let her drink it! Who knows, Mister Jeremy might¡¯ve poisoned the soup!¡± Tommy frowned and ignored him. Instead, he turned toward Corinne and said, ¡°Miss Corinne, you should know Mister Jeremy will never poison you, right?¡± Corinne continued cutting her beef Wellington. ¡°You can just ignore him, Aaron.¡± Aaron shrugged and let Tommy through before going back to his room to change into more comfortable. However, not a minute after he went into his room, he came out again with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°Boss, did someone go through my closet?¡± ¡°Yeah. Me,¡± said Corinne before taking another bite of the beef Wellington. ¡°You rarely go into my room. Why would you go through my closet today?¡± asked Aaron with confusion. ¡°Jason came this morning. I identally dirtied his clothes, so I gave him your clothes.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Aaron pretended to be angry. ¡°Boss, do you know how expensive all my clothes are? How can you give it away without asking me?¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Oh please, how expensive can it be? I¡¯ll just buy you a new one.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m d that I could be of help. What I really mean to say is, I should buy your boyfriend some new clothes instead of letting him wear my second-hand clothes.¡± Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? He¡¯s not my boyfriend! In fact, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend!¡± Aaron snickered lewdly. ¡°Then how did his clothes get dirty?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®I should really clean his brain with some soap so he¡¯ll stop thinking dirty things.¡¯ ¡°Do you seriously think we can do anything when I¡¯m eight months pregnant?¡± asked Corinne with a smirk. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. Such a pity.¡± Corinne was once again speechless. Tommy brought out a bowl of soup and ced it gently in front of Corinne. ¡°Miss Corinne, I¡¯ve already heated up the soup for you. Why don¡¯t you give it a taste?¡± Chapter 1265 Chapter 1265 Corinne nced at the soup and continued to eat her beef Wellington. Tommy looked helplessly at her before retreating to his spot at the main entrance. Aaron sniffed the soup. ¡°This soup doesn¡¯t smell that nice. Guess Mister Jeremy isn¡¯t a good cook at all.¡± Tommy was speechless. Corinne put down her fork and knife after she was full. She had finished all of the beef Wellington and half of the mushroom soup. The soup Jeremy cooked for her remained untouched. Just when Tommy was about to give up hope, Corinne suddenly picked up the bowl of soup. His eyes immediately lit up. ¡®Miss Corinne might act like she doesn¡¯t care about Mister Jeremy, but I knew she still has a soft spot for him. She must¡¯ve been waiting for the soup to cool before drinking it. If only Mister Jeremy was here! He¡¯d be so happy to see Miss Corinne drinking the soup he cooked,¡¯ thought Tommy. With that thought in mind, he secretly took out his phone to take some photos of Corinne drinking the soup. However, after he aimed his camera at her, Corinne suddenly stood up after blowing on the soup and walked over to a corner of the living room to tip the soup into Mimi¡¯s food bowl. Seeing this, Mimi walked over gracefully to drink the soup. Corinne stroked Mimi lovingly on the head and said, ¡°Drink up. It¡¯s all yours.¡± Tommy was speechless. He identally sent the photos to Jeremy, and it was toote to delete them. He stared at the screen in a panic and saw that Jeremy had received the photos. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡®Sh*t! Mister Jeremy is going to be furious if he sees the photos!¡± Tommy was right. Jeremy¡¯s aloof expression became icy cold when he saw the photos of Corinne feeding the soup to the cat. The subordinate giving the presentation thought he had misspoken and started to break out in cold sweat. Not only that, but the temperature in the room suddenly dropped. No one dared to breathe out loud. The meeting had just ended when Sophia arrived at the Holden Group building. Jeremy walked out of the meeting room with a darkened expression, causing all the employees to back away when they saw him. For some reason, they thought Jeremy looked even scarier than usual that day. Sophia had just sat down on the sofa outside Jeremy¡¯s office when she saw him walking toward her. She quickly got up again and walked up to him with a container in her hand. ¡°Jeremy, you must be tired from the meeting. I brought you some cut fruits. You can eat them to replenish your energy.¡± Jeremy was used to seeing Sophia appearing in his office, so he did not stop to greet her. He simply pushed open his door and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe all the way to give me this.¡± Sophia followed him into his office. ¡°I didn¡¯te all the way. You should know I don¡¯t really have many friends here. In fact, you¡¯re the only person I can talk to when I¡¯m bored.¡± Jeremy sat down on his office chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Go back to Molomia if you¡¯re bored.¡± Sophia pretended to be angry. ¡°Hmph! Do you really wish for me to go back to Molomia that badly? Some friend you are!¡± Jeremy nced at her indifferently. ¡°All your family and friends are in Molomia. What¡¯s the point of you staying here?¡± Chapter 1266 Chapter 1266 Sophia put the container of cut fruits on the table and sat on the chair across from Jeremy. She then opened the container and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, it is boring here, but you¡¯re here! I want to meet new friends and challenge myself in different areas to make the most out of my life. I mean, isn¡¯t that the point of living? Experiencing new stuff and stepping out of one¡¯sfort zone?¡± As she spoke, she picked up a piece of chilled watermelon with a fork and passed it to Jeremy. Jeremy¡¯s head was throbbing from the long meeting and the photos Tommy sent. He took the fork from Sophia¡¯s hand and put the chilled watermelon inside his mouth to allow the coldness to wash away his annoyance. Sophia picked up a piece of watermelon and took a small bite. She then blinked and said curiously, ¡°Jeremy, Miss Corinne must¡¯ve treated you very well in the past for you to like her this much, huh?¡± Jeremy frowned at the mention of Corinne¡¯s name. After a long while, he asked her back, ¡°How well does she have to treat me to be called treating me well?¡± Sophia rested her chin on her hand while she continued to eat the watermelon. ¡°Mm¡­ Take me for example. I¡¯d bring you some cut fruits without you asking. Or call you to ask you when you¡¯reing home. Or cook your favorite food for dinner. Or¡­create little surprises for you. Or show you how much I love you frequently.¡± Jeremy¡¯s face darkened, but then he suddenly smiled mockingly. ¡®Howughable. That little rascal never did any of those things. Heck, I don¡¯t think she even knows what my favorite foods are.¡¯ Sophia pretended to be shocked when she saw Jeremy being silent. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s never done any of those things for you. Sorry, Jeremy. I didn¡¯t know it was a one-sided rtionship on your part.¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy kept his eyes down. ¡®One-sided rtionship, huh? How apt of a phrase to describe my rtionship with that little rascal. From the beginning until the end, she¡¯s never been serious about me. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have left me without saying a word.¡¯ Jeremyughed at himself. After all, he had never lost once in the 30 years he had been alive, yet Corinne managed to y him. Sophia cleared her throat embarrassedly. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m sorry for bringing up something that makes you unhappy. Umm¡­ How about we change the topic? It¡¯ll be my twenty-fifth birthday in a few days!¡± Jeremy snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her. ¡°Oh. What would you like as a present? You just need to tell Tommy, and he¡¯ll arrange it.¡± Sophia sighed secretly. ¡®He¡¯s still the same old Jeremy. He never takes my birthday present seriously. But this time, I¡¯m not going to ask him for a present.¡¯ ¡°You can give me whatever you want, Jeremy. But there¡¯s something I want you to help me with.¡± Jeremy looked up at her. ¡°What?¡± Sophia smiled innocently. ¡°Well¡­ This will be the first time I¡¯ll be having my birthday here, so I want to have a birthday party. But¡­I don¡¯t have a lot of friends or family here, so can you ask some of your friends toe to the party? It¡¯s my wish that I¡¯ll have lots of people to celebrate with me!¡± ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not too hard,¡¯ thought Jeremy, so he nodded and said, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll ask Zeke to invite all the people he knows.¡± Sophia was really happy. She smiled and said, ¡°Oh, thank you so much, Jeremy! Back in Molomia, my friends and I would party till the morning! But I don¡¯t have any friends here, and I¡¯m not really that familiar with Zeke and your friends, so I feel somewhat embarrassed to ask them. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re willing to help me out!¡± Jeremy picked up his coffee and sipped it absent-mindedly. Chapter 1267 Chapter 1267 Sophia noticed Jeremy¡¯s attention was not really on her. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°By the way, if possible, can you please invite Miss Corinne too? We didn¡¯t really start off on the right foot during our first meeting, but I¡¯d still like to be friends with her. Can you please ask her for me?¡± At the mention of Corinne¡¯s name, Jeremy turned to look at her. ¡°Why do you want to be friends with her that much?¡± Sophia grinned and said, ¡°We¡¯re friends, Jeremy, so I should be friends with your wife too, no? That way, we can hang out together.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Probably only you¡¯d think that.¡± Sophia blinked innocently. ¡°Huh? What do you mean? Don¡¯t you think Miss Corinne would think the same?¡± Jeremy nced at Sophia¡¯s bandaged forehead. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have bashed your head onto the counter if she thought the same as you.¡± Sophia touched the bandage on her forehead. ¡°Oh, you mean this! I would¡¯ve forgotten about it if you hadn¡¯t brought it up. Jeremy, I don¡¯t care about what happened yesterday. I think I get where she¡¯s coming from. I mean, yes, we two are friends, but what woman wouldn¡¯t get jealous if she saw her husband hanging out with another woman? So it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m willing to turn the page and be friends with Miss Corinne.¡± ¡®She thinks Corinne did it out of jealousy? Heh!¡¯ Jeremy did not think Corinne would ever hurt another woman for him. He thought she did it because she was simply angry. ¡®No one in this world can make her jealous!¡¯ Sophia thought she should leave because she knew staying any longer would just annoy Jeremy. It was important for her to know when to pull back. Thus, she stood up and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be off them so that you can get back to your work. Don¡¯t forget to eat the fruits. You need to take care of yourself well. And don¡¯t forget my birthday party either!¡± Jeremy nodded but he did not get up to see her off. His gaze fell on the cut fruits after Sophia left. ¡®Corinne would never miss me nor would she ever bring cut fruits to my office. D*mn that self-centered little rascal!¡¯ ¡­ Corinne kept sneezing. She then rubbed her nose and said to herself, ¡°Who¡¯s smack-talking me now?¡± Aaron knocked on her door before he came in. ¡°Boss, I heard you sneezing just now. Are you getting a cold?¡± He then touched her forehead and sighed with relief after confirming she was not having a fever. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You should head back to work now. It¡¯s not fair to leave Xante with all the work while you do nothing. She¡¯s still a woman no matter how capable she is,¡± lectured Corinne with a wave of her hand. Aaron shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m too sad to go to work today.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sad? Why? Or should I ask who made you sad?¡± asked Corinne with a raised eyebrow. Aaron sat down beside her and rested his head on her shoulder like a kid. ¡°It¡¯s Annie. She¡¯s ignoring me, and¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Well, she¡¯s right to ignore you! I mean, why should she waste her time on a yer like you?¡±This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Aaron scoffed. ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t care what other people say about me, but how can you misunderstand me, too? I¡¯m a very loyal and loving person underneath my yer persona.¡± Corinne got goosebumps all over her body. Chapter 1268 Chapter 1268 ¡°Fine. You can stay in your room instead of annoying me here if you don¡¯t want to go back to work,¡± said Corinne. Aaron revealed a vulnerable side of him that he would only show to Corinne. ¡°Boss, I actually need your help with something.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne looked sideways at him. ¡®I knew this wasing.¡¯ ¡°What?¡± she asked gruffly. ¡°Can you tell Annie I¡¯m so sad that she¡¯s ignoring me and choosing her boyfriend over me?¡± said Aaron cheekily. Corinne was already annoyed by what happened, so she did not hesitate to push him away. ¡°No! Not happening! Did you care about what she was feeling when you asked her to buy you some condoms that one time?¡± Aaron also knew he was guilty of that, but he still tried to defend himself. ¡°That¡¯s ¡¯cause I didn¡¯t like her then! Plus¡­it was you who asked me to make her give up on me.¡± Corinne red at him. ¡°So this is all my fault? I only ask you to stay away from her. I didn¡¯t ask you to do something so hurtful!¡± Aaron waved his hand. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not your fault. In fact, it¡¯s all my fault, and I really regret it! If it helps, I didn¡¯t use the condoms she bought. Can you please help me? This is about my lifetime happiness¡­ Do you have the heart to watch me die alone?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t want to help you men anymore. You only want Annie because she¡¯s with someone else now. Let me ask you something: Would you still stay with her once the novelty wears off?¡± ¡°Of course I will!¡± answered Aaron unwaveringly. ¡°I¡¯m so sick of ying around with other girls that I don¡¯t even want to look at them anymore. Please, Boss! Please help me get Annie back. Pretty please?¡± Corinne had never seen Aaron acting so stubborn about a woman before, so she thought he must be serious this time. ¡°Well¡­ Let me think about it,¡± she said finally. Aaron broke out in a happy grin. He knew that was as good as her agreeing to help him, so he hugged her and rubbed his face onto her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Boss!¡± Corinne simply rolled her eyes. ¡°Ahem!¡± Someone suddenly cleared his throat, interrupting Corinne and Aaron¡¯s conversation. Aaron immediately straightened up himself and looked toward the door. Tommy stood still with a serious expression and looked at them judgmentally. ¡°What are you clearing your throat for?¡± sneered Aaron with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Mister Aaron, please behave yourself and keep an appropriate distance from Miss Corinne,¡± replied Tommy. Aaron had already let go of Corinne by then, but he hugged her again after Tommy said that. ¡°What does my hugging Corinne have anything to do with Mister Jeremy? He cane beat me up if he doesn¡¯t like it!¡± Tommy gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He would have beaten up Aaron if Corinne were not there. ¡°Mister Aaron, even if this has nothing to do with Mister Jeremy, you should know it¡¯s dangerous to hug Miss Corinne so tightly when she¡¯s eight months pregnant. For the sake of her health, please let her go.¡± Aaron found what he said reasonable so he let Corinne go. He then stood up and said, ¡°Boss, don¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve promised me. I¡¯ll leave you to get some rest then.¡± Corinne ced her palm on her forehead. ¡®When did I ever promise to help me? I only said I¡¯d think about it¡­ Ugh. I should really teach this punk a lesson sometime.¡¯ Aaron chased Tommy from the doorway too as he walked out of the room. ¡°Shoo! You need to keep an appropriate distance from Corinne too, so stop looking into her room.¡± Tommy was speechless. Not being able to offer up a retort, he quickly went back to his post at the main entrance. ¡­ When Annie came, Tommy was the one who opened the door for her. ¡°Tommy! What are you doing here?¡± she asked with surprise. ¡°Oh, I know! Uncle Jeremy must be missing Corinne so much that he came to visit her, right? Where is he right now? I bought some choctes for Corinne so he can share them with her.¡± Tommy shook his head. ¡°Mister Jeremy isn¡¯t here, Miss Annie.¡± Chapter 1269 Chapter 1269 ¡°What? Uncle Jeremy isn¡¯t here? Why are you here, then?¡± asked Annie in confusion. ¡°He asked me to stay here to protect Miss Corinne.¡± Annie¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s hopeless! Doesn¡¯t he know that what Corinne needs now is for him to spend time with her instead of asking you to stay to protect her? Ugh. You know what? Forget it! I¡¯m going to see Corinne now.¡± After that, she went into Corinne¡¯s room with a box of choctes in her hand. Tommy sighed helplessly. He then texted Jeremy, [Mister Jeremy, are you going to visit Miss Corinne later?] A few minutester, he received a reply from him. [Did she say she wants to see me?] [No. She didn¡¯t say anything.] This time, Jeremy replied faster. [Okay. All you need to do is keep an eye on her.] Tommy sighed again. [Understood, Sir.] Somehow, he was panicking even more than Jeremy. He had just put away his phone when he saw Annie walking out of Corinne¡¯s room. She handed him some choctes. ¡°Here, these are for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± repeated Tommy with surprise. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, Miss Annie. Please keep them for yourself.¡± ¡°Corinne asked me to give them to you. She said you¡¯ve been standing guard here the whole day without eating or resting. She even told me to get you a chair and something to drink and eat.¡± After that, Annie brought over a chair from the dining table before running back to the kitchen to get him some bread and water. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Tommy was actually quite touched by the gesture. ¡®Miss Corinne might not wee me here, but she still cares about me after all. She¡¯s a good woman.¡¯ ¡°Corinne also said that it must be hard working for a greedy capitalist like Uncle Jeremy,¡± said Annie. Tommy was speechless. ¡®Yes, Mister Jeremy might seem cold and aloof, but he¡¯s actually quite good to me. He never stopped me from having a break or going out for lunch. I was the one who didn¡¯t want to go since I don¡¯t get easily hungry.¡¯ Annie looked at him sympathetically. ¡°Dig in, dig in. I can¡¯t imagine how hard it is to work for Uncle Jeremy. I mean, I can, since I used to work with him before. Once was enough for me, though¡ªhe¡¯s colder and meaner than usual when he¡¯s working. To think you¡¯ll need to face him every day. Sigh¡­ I would¡¯ve quit long ago if I were you.¡± Tommy was once again speechless. Suddenly, Annie remembered something. ¡°By the way. Uncle Jeremy¡ª¡± However, before Annie could finish her sentence, she felt someoneing up from behind her and whispering into her ear, ¡°What are you guys eating? Is there any for me?¡± She immediately jumped up from her seat as though she had seen a ghost before blurting, ¡°Your¡­ Your share is with Corinne. You can go get it yourself!¡± Aaron crossed his arms and smiled. ¡°Someone here doesn¡¯t like me going into the boss¡¯ room. Would you be so kind as to grab it for me?¡± Both Tommy and Annie were speechless. In the end, Annie went to Corinne¡¯s room to get Aaron his chocte. Chapter 1270 Chapter 1270 Aaron took the chocte from Annie¡¯s hand. Instead of eating it, he simply stared at it. ¡°Did you buy this? Or was it Marcus?¡± ¡°Actually¡­Marcus bought it for me,¡± said Annie truthfully. Aaron raised an eyebrow. ¡°So he won you over with this cheap chocte? He might as well not buy it. Only choctes from master choctiers are good enough to eat!¡± Annie did not like his attitude. ¡°Mister Aaron, you can give me back the chocte if you don¡¯t want to eat it. But you should know not everyone is rich or can spend thousands on a box of choctes like you.¡± Aaron smiled at Annie. ¡°Well, that certainly doesn¡¯t apply to you. Your Uncle Jeremy can even hire a master choctier to go to your house to create custom choctes right in front of your eyes, no?¡± Annie¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°I can do that, but¡­Marcus can¡¯t! His family isn¡¯t that rich, so he can¡¯t be wasting money on frivolous stuff like choctes!¡± Aaron chuckled softly. ¡°How is it wasteful when he¡¯s buying it for his girlfriend?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll buy it for me if I say I want it, but I don¡¯t want him to be spending money on me!¡± exined Annie. Aaron smiled and shook his head. He then put the chocte on the coffee table, stood up, and looked down on her condescendingly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s best not to marry someone poorer than you? Sure, you can try to be frugal once or twice, but as time goes on, you¡¯lle to resent him for not being able to give you the good life.¡± Annie did not dare to meet his gaze. She turned away and said, ¡°How am I marrying someone poorer than I am? Weren¡¯t you the one who told me that Marcus came from a very good family? Both of his parents are intellectuals, and you even said he¡¯s a very talented young man.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Aaron scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m only saying that from the perspectives of other female employees in thepany. How the heck could I guess that you¡¯d fall in love with him so quickly?¡± Annie did not like how he was implying that she dumped him and moved on to another guy very fast. It was not like they were even together in the first ce. ¡°I just want someone dependable and would love me for the rest of my life. In other words, money¡¯s not really my concern.¡± Aaron could not believe how naive she was. He leaned in closer and said, ¡°Annie, even if you don¡¯t choose me, you cannot be won over by a guy who gives you cheap chocte. You deserve better than this!¡± Annie¡¯s ears turned red. She instinctively backed away beforeughing wryly. ¡°Thank you for thinking so highly of me.¡± Aaron sighed. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. You shouldn¡¯t trust men so easily. Not having the money to spend on you and not willing to spend money on you are two different matters.¡± Annie was a little taken aback by that. Frowning, she said, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear those words coming out of your mouth, Mister Aaron.¡± Aaron simply stroked her head and said, ¡°Stay with him if you want. I promise I won¡¯t try to ruin your rtionship anymore. But just remember this: I¡¯ll always wee you back.¡± Annie was speechless. ¡®What does he mean by that?¡¯ ¡­ For the next three days, Tommy would keep watch at Corinne¡¯s apartment from morning until the other bodyguards hired by the Holdens came to change shifts with him at night. Corinne, Xante, and Aaron started to get used to this arrangement. After all, it was not like they could chase them away, and it was not so bad to have free bodyguards looking after the apartment. One morning, Tommy was standing guard at the entrance as usual while both Xante and Aaron had gone to work, leaving Corinne alone with him. The doorbell suddenly rang at around 10 o¡¯clock. Chapter 1271 Chapter 1271 Tommy thought it was Annie who came since she would often drop by from time to time. Thus, he was surprised when he opened the door and saw Sophia instead. Sophia, however, was not surprised at seeing Tommy there. She knew Jeremy had arranged for him to be there. ¡°Tommy. I¡¯vee to visit Corinne. Is she in?¡± Tommy looked at her in surprise and with slight wariness. He was afraid that something bad would happen again if they let the two women meet. After all, they did not start on the right foot during their first meeting. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in. But may I know what¡¯s the purpose of your visit?¡± ¡°I came to see how she¡¯s doing and¡­to invite her to my birthday party,¡± said Sophia honestly. Aaron looked like he was in a dilemma. ¡°Well¡­ Uh¡­¡± Knowing what Tommy was worrying about, Sophia shed a smile at him and assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already told Jeremy I¡¯m going to invite Corinne, and he¡¯s okay with it.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. In that case, can you wait in the living room while I let Miss Corinne know you¡¯re here? She might be resting though, so don¡¯t have your hopes up.¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t wake her up if she¡¯s resting. I can wait here for as long as it takes. It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do, anyway.¡± Tommy was grateful for Sophia¡¯s understanding. He quickly went to knock on Corinne¡¯s door. She was not sleeping but scrolling through her phone to shop for baby¡¯s clothing. The baby was about to be due soon, and she had many things she needed to prepare. She got up to open the door when she heard the knock on the door. ¡°Miss Corinne, Miss Sophia hase to visit you,¡± said Tommy respectfully. Corinne yawned. ¡°Tell her I¡¯m not home.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uh¡­ She already knows you¡¯re home and is waiting in the living room for you,¡± replied Tommy embarrassedly. Corinne really did not care. She was about to close the door when Sophia walked over with a smile and greeted her, ¡°Hey, Corinne.¡± A look of annoyance shed through Corinne¡¯s face. ¡®So rude of her to step out of the living room when she¡¯s only a guest.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Sophia. What¡¯s up?¡± asked Corinne with a superficial smile. Sophia stopped in front of her and, within earshot of Tommy, said apologetically, ¡°I want to apologize for the misunderstanding yesterday and also invite you to my birthday party tomorrow night.¡± She took out a beautiful invitation from her bag and handed it to Corinne. ¡°You can bring your friends, too! The more the merrier!¡± Corinne epted the invitation and gave it a cursory nce before saying, ¡°Miss Sophia, do you seriously think I can attend a birthday party with the condition I¡¯m in?¡± Sophia looked at Corinne¡¯s protruding belly. ¡°Of course you can!¡± she said confidently. ¡°You can drink juice instead of alcohol. I heard pregnant mothers can get even more sensitive if they stay at home all the time, so you shoulde out more, Corinne. It¡¯ll be good for both your body and mind if you hang out and talk with some friends.¡± Corinne smiled politely and gave her back the invitation. ¡°Thank you for thinking of me, but I¡¯m toozy and have no interest in joining pointless social events.¡± Sophia quickly grabbed her hand and said ¡®sincerely¡¯, ¡°You muste, Corinne! I don¡¯t have any friends here, so I really, really hope we can be friends. Can you please take some pity on me and just come?¡± Corinne pulled back her hand and shook it as though trying to get some dust off. Chapter 1272 Chapter 1272 ¡°Miss Sophia, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re being sincere. I can¡¯t help but feel like you¡¯re forcing me to go. It¡¯s as if I¡¯ll look like a total b*tch if I don¡¯t go.¡± Sophia was so shocked by Corinne¡¯s words that she did not know what to say. Thus, she passed the invitation to Tommy before turning back to say to her, ¡°Corinne, I was sincere when I said I wanted to invite you, but I must¡¯ve been too much in a rush to get you to agree. I¡¯m sorry if I said anything to upset you. I¡¯ll leave the invitation with Tommy so you cane if you change your mind. Jeremy¡¯s friends will be at the party too. I¡¯ll be off, then. Goodbye.¡± After that, she turned around and kindly reminded Tommy, ¡°Tommy, do your best to take care of Corinne for Jeremy, okay?¡± ¡°Will do, Miss Sophia,¡± said Tommy with a nod. Sophia smiled and walked toward the entrance. Tommy did not see her off as he was worried that Corinne would be upset by him doing that. Not knowing what to do, he simply stood with the invitation in his hand. ¡°Miss Corinne, forgive me for saying this, but I think you¡¯ve misunderstood Mister Jeremy and Miss Sophia¡¯s rtionship. They¡¯re just friends. Miss Sophia has grown up abroad where the people there are more open-minded, so that¡¯s why her behavior might sometimes be frowned upon here. But she¡¯s really not that bad of a person. They met each other when they studied abroad.¡± Corinne smiled mockingly. ¡°Just friends? Would a man get legally married to someone who¡¯s just a friend?¡± Tommy was dumbstruck. ¡°So you knew about that! There¡¯s an exnation for that though¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anything to me. Whatever it is, I have no interest in knowing the reason now,¡± interrupted Corinne. After that, she went back into her room and shut the door loudly, leaving Tommy to sigh helplessly. ¡­ Corinne continued to shop online for baby¡¯s clothing. However, she could not get rid of her annoyance even when she saw the cute baby clothing. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡®No matter what the reason or whether there¡¯s really nothing going on between them, it doesn¡¯t change the fact he lied to me,¡¯ thought Corinne, and she did not want to spend the rest of her life with a liar. When Xante and Aaron came back from work, they saw the invitation Sophia left. Annie and Sunny also dropped in for a visit, so the four of them started discussing why Sophia would invite Corinne to her birthday party. ¡°I know who Sophia is. She was Uncle Jeremy¡¯s university schoolmate. I heard she did Uncle Jeremy a big favor, which was why he considered her as a friend. I can guarantee nothing is going on between them!¡± said Annie. Sunny scoffed. ¡°How can you guarantee that? It¡¯s not like you were there when they studied abroad. Do you know Jeremy treats Sophia better than he treats Corinne? My guess is she¡¯s his first love!¡± Annie red at Sunny. ¡°Stop saying nonsense like that! Uncle Jeremy¡¯s first love is Corinne! He¡¯s not a yer, alright?!¡± Sunny¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Oh, please. He¡¯s so handsome that women have been throwing themselves at him since his university days. Do you seriously think he¡¯d be able to resist them all the time? He¡¯s a man, so he¡¯s bound to slip up sometime!¡± Annie put her hands on her hips. ¡°Hmph! So what if the women threw themselves at him? You speak as if you¡¯ve experienced it before. Did you slip up too? Is that why you insisted Uncle Jeremy wouldn¡¯t be able to resist either?¡± ¡°Nonsense! You better not spread rumors about me!¡± Sunny quickly turned to look at Xante. He was worried she would misunderstand him, but she was actually scrolling through her phone. It seemed like she was not listening to their conversation at all. Annie rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t spread rumors about you, but you can spread rumors about Uncle Jeremy? You better watch what you say, or I¡¯m going to tell Lucas that you¡¯ve been harassing girls at your school!¡± Sunny¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Why you!¡± Chapter 1273 Chapter 1273 Aaron smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you two. From the way I see it, this invitation is more like a deration of war against the boss.¡± Both Annie and Sunny looked at him with confusion. ¡°Deration of war?¡± ¡°Yeah! I mean, Jeremy¡¯s the one throwing the party for Miss Sophia, right? So she¡¯s showing off to the boss. It¡¯s her way of indirectly letting the boss know how good Jeremy is to her that he¡¯s willing to throw a party for her.¡± Annie and Sunny exchanged nces with each other. Suddenly, everything started to make sense to them. At that moment, Tommy¡ªunable to stand there and do nothing anymore¡ªwalked over to them to defend Jeremy. ¡°Please don¡¯t get the wrong idea. Mister Jeremy is just helping out Miss Sophia by inviting some of his friends to the party. As for the party itself, everything is paid for by Miss Sophia herself. Mister Jeremy isn¡¯t the one throwing her the party.¡± Aaron, Annie, and Sunny looked up at him. Xante, too, shifted her attention from her phone to Tommy. Annie was the first to speak. ¡°Hmph! Why would Uncle Jeremy invite his friends to the party if they¡¯re really just friends? Doesn¡¯t he know that his status is different from others? I mean, it¡¯d be so easy for other people to misunderstand the whole situation if he did that. No wonder Corinne got mad at him.¡± Tommy was speechless. ¡°Annie¡¯s right! Women love to get jealous for nothing! But the fact that Jeremy doesn¡¯t know how to keep his boundaries with another woman and to help her out by inviting his friends to her party¡­ Well, I can¡¯t say I me Corinne for ignoring him. He should learn from me. I haven¡¯t spoken to any otherText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. girls in my school since I got together with Xante. A man should always draw a line without being asked.¡± Xante¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°You do know I don¡¯t care whether you speak with other girls, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d still do it even if you don¡¯t care,¡± said Sunny arrogantly. ¡°That¡¯s the perk of being my girlfriend!¡± Xante could not stand it anymore so she stood up and said, ¡°Please excuse me while I go check up on the boss.¡± After that, she quickly left the living room. Sunny lifted his chin proudly. ¡°There she goes again. She must be too shy to admit it.¡± Annie rolled her eyes at him. Aaron smiled and took a sip of his coffee before raising an eyebrow and saying to Tommy, ¡°So would Jeremy be going to Miss Sophia¡¯s birthday party too?¡± Tommy nodded. ¡°He would at least drop in for a bit.¡± Aaronughed mockingly. ¡°You know what I hate about him? It¡¯s that he pretends to be this loyal and loving guy on the surface while he keeps having an affair behind the boss¡¯ back.¡± Tommy frowned. ¡°No! I can attest to the fact that Mister Jeremy isn¡¯t that kind of person. He rarely interacts with other women, and the only reason he¡¯s nice to Miss Sophia is because she did a huge favor for him in the past!¡± ¡°And what¡¯s this huge favor I keep hearing about?¡± asked Aaron with a curious smile. ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± replied Aaron seriously. Aaron chuckled softly. ¡°That just makes everything sound even fishier. Go tell Jeremy to spend the rest of his life with Miss Sophia and leave the boss alone! And you, stoping to our home. It¡¯s getting really annoying!¡± Tommy was speechless. Chapter 1274 Chapter 1274 Annie could not bring herself to defend Jeremy anymore. ¡°Tommy, you should stop defending Uncle Jeremy. The more you try to exin, the more it sounds like you¡¯re trying to help him cover up something. Plus, what could he possibly be so busy with that he didn¡¯t evene to visit Corinne once in the past few days? Even I have to side with Corinne on this! Hmph!¡± Tommy was speechless. ¡®Poor Mister Jeremy¡­ He does have his reason¡­¡¯ Annie did not want to talk to him or the other two guys in the room anymore, so she went to Corinne¡¯s room. Xante was still inside talking to her. ¡°Corinne, have you decided whether you¡¯re going to the party?¡± asked Annie as she sat in front of them. Corinne looked upzily and asked, ¡°What party?¡± Annie frowned. ¡°Sophia¡¯s birthday party, of course!¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot all about it. Why should I go to some stranger¡¯s birthday party?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°But she gave you the invitation, so how can you not go?¡± asked Annie frustratedly. ¡°There¡¯s now saying I must go to a party just because I¡¯ve been invited,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. Annie turned to Xante. ¡°Xante, would you go if you were in Corinne¡¯s situation?¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°I would go if I¡¯m avable.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Annie curiously. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like I have anything better to do and¡­ Who knows? I might meet a hot guy and have a fling with him.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Okay¡­¡± Xante¡¯s reasoning, though somewhat offbeat, was still a reasoning after all. ¡°What¡¯s this talk about having a fling?¡± asked Sunny with a frown as he walked into the room. Xante immediately got a headache when she saw Sunny. She instinctively massaged her temples as she said, ¡°You can¡¯te into a girl¡¯s room without permission!¡± ¡°Xante, were you talking about having a fling? Why would you want to have a fling when you already have me?¡± he asked stubbornly. Xante looked at him. ¡°I was just talking nonsense.¡± Sunny widened his eyes in anger, making him look imposing yet childish at the same time. ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk nonsense like that again! Having a fling is no joking matter!¡± The pain in Xante¡¯s head became even more pronounced. ¡°Go wait in my room first. I¡¯ll exin everything to youter.¡± Sunny was pleasantly surprised that Xante would ask him to wait in her room. His mood instantly lightened as he lifted his chin proudly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, you hear?¡± Xante sighed as she watched Sunny strode out of the hurry. After that, she turned back to Corinne and said seriously, ¡°By the way, Boss, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve forgotten to tell you.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The owner of Hearnd Hotel is an art collector, and he has collected many world-renowned paintings over the years. Among them is a self-portrait of Nellie Nymphaea which has never been made public before. That¡¯s about to change because it¡¯ll be disyed in an uing exhibition.¡± Corinne¡¯s expression immediately became focused. ¡°How trustworthy is this piece of information?¡± ¡°A hundred percent trustworthy! All the paintings are from his private collection. Not many outsiders had seen it. But,tely, the hotel he owns has run into some operational problems and isn¡¯t making money as it used to. To attract more high-end customers, he recently released the news that he¡¯ll disy his private collection in the banquet room for any guest that holds a party there to make it more interesting.¡± It had been a long time since Corinne saw any of her mother¡¯s paintings on the market. What made it even more attractive this time was the painting disyed would be a self-portrait of her mother. ¡®What would Mom¡¯s self-portrait look like? How old was she when she drew her self-portrait?¡¯ wondered Corinne. She really wanted to know the answers and see the painting with her own eyes. ¡®But why does the name of the hotel sound so familiar? If I remember correctly, I saw the name somewhere today¡­¡¯ After thinking it over, Corinne suddenly narrowed her eyes. ¡°Did you just say Hearnd Hotel? Isn¡¯t that the ce where Sophia is throwing her birthday party?¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Chapter 1275 Chapter 1275 ¡°So I¡¯ll be able to see Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s painting at Sophia¡¯s birthday party tomorrow?¡± asked Corinne. Xante nodded. ¡°If everything goes to n, then yes.¡± Corinne¡¯s interest was instantly piqued. ¡°Where¡¯s the invitation?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Annie snapped out of her trance and quickly went to get the invitation for her. ¡°Here¡¯s the invitation, Corinne.¡± Corinne took the invitation and clutched it tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m going to the birthday party.¡± Xante had expected that, so she was not surprised at all. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll get someone to make a custom tailor dress for you.¡± Corinne nodded. Xante immediately went out to arrange Corinne¡¯s dress. There was no time to lose since the birthday party would be happening the following night. Annie watched dazedly as Xante left the room. After that, she moved closer to Corinne and asked curiously, ¡°Corinne, why did you suddenly change your mind?¡± Corinne frowned at her. ¡°Mind your own business, Annie.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t be like that¡­ Who¡¯s Nellie Nymphaea? Is she an artist you really like?¡± ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? Are you nning to ry what you find out to your uncle?¡± Annie chuckled and said sheepishly, ¡°Nope! I¡¯m just curious why you suddenly changed your mind. After all, you didn¡¯t have an ounce of interest in the part just a few moments ago.¡± Corinne smiled and said sarcastically, ¡°Aren¡¯t we humans just fickle animals? Well now, time for you to head back home. You don¡¯t need toe so often, too.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­¡± Annie walked out of the room sadly. She did not manage to get the answer she wanted in the end. After thinking about it, she decided to text Jeremy. [Uncle Jeremy! Corinne seems like she really likes this painter called Nellie Nymphaea. You know what to do, right?] However, she received no reply from Jeremy. The night of Sophia¡¯s birthday party swiftly came. Corinne changed into her custom-tailored dress and put on some light makeup. She actually found the dress ufortable since she was eight months pregnant and had gotten a little fatter than before. However, it would be even more ufortable for her if she attracted unwanted attention by wearing something unsuitable for the party. Her dress was pink and made of real silk, showing off her tanned skin. She looked endearing in that dress. She did not really do anything to her hair as she decided a simple updo hairstyle would do. Two cars were waiting for her when she got down from her apartment. One was arranged by Xante and the other by Jeremy with Tommy acting as the driver. Not wasting time deciding, Corinne walked toward the car Xante hired for her, but Tommy stopped her mid-way. ¡°Miss Corinne, please get into my car. Mister Jeremy insisted for me to drive you there,¡± he said. Corinne frowned. ¡°Why should I get into your car? We¡¯re going in the same direction, so why can¡¯t I go in the other car?¡± ¡°Mister Jeremy is worried that it won¡¯t be as safe for you to go in other people¡¯s car as you¡¯d be in mine since you¡¯re pregnant and all. After all, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± Chapter 1276 Chapter 1276 ¡®Heh! I was right. All he cares about is the baby in my belly. He¡¯s worried something bad will happen to the kid. What a worrywart!¡¯ thought Corinne. As the baby¡¯s mother, Corinne would never let anything bad happen or let Jeremy have anything to do with him or her. Corinne walked around Tommy, but he quickly ran up and stopped her again. ¡°Miss Corinne¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± roared Corinne impatiently. It was only then Tommy backed away in fright, allowing her to get into the car Xante arranged for her. However, Tommy was not about to give up that easily. He ran up to the driver¡¯s side of the car and said something to the driver. The next second, Corinne saw the driver get out of the car to let him in. Corinne was speechless. At that point, she was toozy to deal with Tommy, so she let him have his way. ¡®Who cares who the driver is? As long as I get to the party safely.¡¯ ¡­ Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of Hearnd Hotel. The valet respectfully opened the car door and helped Corinne out of the car. Tommy got out of the car too and handed the keys to the valet before quickly following Corinne into the hotel. Corinne had to walk slowly because of her baby bum, so Tommy walked slowly alongside her as though afraid she would suddenly slip and fall. The party was already in full swing by the time Corinne arrived. However, she paid no attention to the guests and instead focused her eyes on the paintings on the wall to look for Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s painting. ¡°Corinne!¡± someone called out her name Knowing it was Sophia, Corinne did not bother to turn to her. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the walls. Sophia walked up to her with a smile. ¡°Hey, Corinne! So d you could make it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t have the heart to turn me down.¡± Corinne simply smiled at her and said nothing. ¡®I didn¡¯te here for you. I came here for my mother¡¯s painting! I must say, though, Sophia¡¯s good at pretending she¡¯s happy to see me here.¡¯ Sophia looked at Tommy, who was behind Corinne, before looking to the left and to the right. ¡°Corinne, didn¡¯t Jeremye with you?¡± ¡®What an interesting andughable question. Why would she, his legally married wife, ask me, an outsider, where her husband is?¡¯ thought Corinne mockingly. Corinne smiled and said, ¡°How would I know whether he hase or not? You should call him yourself if you want to know where he is.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Sophia¡¯s brilliant smile never faltered. ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯ll do that in a minute!¡± ¡°Miss Sophia, there¡¯s no need to call Mister Jeremy. He¡¯s busy right now, so he¡¯lleter,¡± exined Tommy. ¡°Oh, I see,¡± said Sophia with a nod. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shall we go meet some of our mutual friends, Corinne?¡± Chapter 1277 Chapter 1277 ¡®Mutual friends? Since when do we have mutual friends?¡¯ wondered Corinne. ¡°You know what, it¡¯s fine, Miss Sophia. You should hang out with your other guests. I can just walk around by myself.¡± However, Sophia did not want to let her go. ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. You shouldn¡¯t stay on your feet for too long since you¡¯re pregnant. Come, let¡¯s sit over there and I¡¯ll get the waiter to get you something to eat and drink.¡± As much as Corinne did not like Sophia, she thought it would be rude to keep turning her down on her birthday. She had no choice but to follow her to where she pointed. Sophia brought her over to the VIP area where three men were already sitting on the sofa. Zeke, with a ss in his hand, was regaling Gerald and Jason with a funny story but stopped when he saw Sophia and Corinneing over. He narrowed his eyes and said sarcastically, ¡°Well, well! If it isn¡¯t the woman who dumped Jeremy and ran away with his baby.¡± Corinne nced at him and said nothing. Gerald was surprised to see her there, too. He gave her a customary nod as a greeting. As for Jason, he smiled mischievously the moment he saw Corinne. ¡°Corinne, I trust that you know each other already. Why don¡¯t you take a seat here? I¡¯ll get the waiter to bring you something to eat,¡± said Sophia. Not feeling awkward at the slightest, Corinne sat on an empty sofa. ¡°Guys, please take care of Corinne for me while I go greet the other guests,¡± said Sophia with a smile to Zeke and the others. Zeke smirked and raised his ss. ¡°Sure thing! This¡¯ll be a perfect opportunity to catch up with each other. After all, it¡¯s been a while since west saw you, right, Corinne?¡± Corinne continued to ignore him. ¡°Alright, thanks! I feel so much better knowing you guys will take care of her. I¡¯ll be going over there, then,¡± said Sophia. She gave Corinne a parting nce before she left with a smile. Zeke immediately scooted over to where Corinne was sitting with the ss of wine still in his hand. He narrowed his eyes at her and asked, ¡°Looks like the baby¡¯s gonna be due soon. Exactly when will you be giving birth?¡± Jason nned to sit beside Corinne too but was not as fast as Zeke, so he had no choice but to subtly sit back down. ¡°Zeke, stop teasing her!¡± Zeke looked at him. ¡°I¡¯m just asking her when¡¯s the due date. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking her anything rude. Tsk! Why are you so protective of her?¡± Jason simply smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s everyone¡¯s responsibility to take care of pregnant mothers.¡± Zeke chuckled softly. ¡°Oh, please. I think it¡¯ll be more urate to say that you have a crush on her. You better not let Jeremy find out, or you¡¯re definitely going to get it!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Jason continued smiling, but his eyes subtly darkened. Zeke did not realize he had said something rude, so he turned around and smirked at Corinne. ¡°I¡¯ve really got to hand it to you, Corinne. I can¡¯t believe you have the guts to dump Jeremy twice!¡± Corinne epted a ss of juice from a waiter. She then stirred the juice with the straw. Raising an eyebrow, she warned, ¡°Please watch what you¡¯re saying, Mister Zeke. I didn¡¯t dump Jeremy.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t dump him? Then why did you run away in secret?¡± asked Zeke with great interest. ¡°I didn¡¯t run away in secret either. I left the mansion in broad daylight.¡± ¡°Fine, say you left the mansion in broad daylight, but why? Why did you do that? Why would you throw away your chance of being the wife of a rich and powerful man?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°What¡¯s so good about being the wife of a rich and powerful man?¡± Zeke smiled, too. ¡°What¡¯s good about that? I think it¡¯ll be more urate to say what¡¯s not good about being the wife of a rich and powerful man! Do you know how many women want to marry Jeremy?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°You sound like you want to be his wife too! I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯ll make your wishe true if you just tell him. After all, you guys have been friends for so long.¡± Zeke¡¯s smile froze. After that, he covered his chest and said, ¡°You must be joking! I¡¯m straight, okay?! No way am I going to marry him even if he wants to!¡± Chapter 1278 Chapter 1278 Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind them. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Jeremy walking steadily toward them. Zeke smiled and quickly said, ¡°Jeremy, you¡¯re finally here! We were just joking around with Corinne.¡± Gerald nced at Zeke. ¡°He said he doesn¡¯t want to marry you, but he doesn¡¯t mind screwing you after a drink or two.¡± Jeremy frowned and looked at Zeke in disgust. Zeke chuckled awkwardly before ring at Gerald while getting up from the sofa to let Jeremy take his ce. ¡°Gerald, why did you do me dirty like that? I didn¡¯t say thest sentence at all!¡±ined Zeke. ¡°You didn¡¯t say that, but we all know you were thinking about it,¡± said Gerald expressionlessly. ¡°You¡¯re a real *sshole, you know that, Gerald?¡± asked Zeke as he sat back down beside him. Even though Zeke vacated his previous seat so that Jeremy could sit down next to Corinne, Jeremy chose to sit on an armchair that was a little bit further away instead. It was nothing aggressive, but somehow it caused the temperature in the room to suddenly drop. Zeke and Gerald exchanged nces with each other. At that moment, Jason stood up with a smile and went to sit beside Corinne. He took away the ss of cold juice in her hand and said softly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink anything cold. I¡¯ll get the waiter to get you a cup of warm milkter.¡± Corinne nodded and thanked him. Shepletely ignored Jeremy from the moment he arrived. She did not want to look at him as she feared that doing so would spoil her mood. The reason she came to the party was to find her mother¡¯s self-portrait, not to have a chat with the guys there. ¡®Oh my god, they¡¯re so annoying. Why do I have to be here?¡¯ thought Corinne. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Zeke walked over to Jeremy to pass him a ss of wine. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You two haven¡¯t made up yet?¡± Jeremy did not look at anyone. He epted the ss of wine from Zeke and took a sip after clinking it against Zeke¡¯s ss. No one talked after that. Corinne could feel a relentless gaze on her, and it made her feel very ufortable. Not able to stand it anymore, she asked Jason, ¡°Do you know where I can find the restroom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over there. Shall I apany you?¡± replied Jason with a smile while pointing in a particr direction. ¡°No, thanks.¡± Corinne got up and slowly walked toward the restroom. She had no need to go. As a matter of fact, she was just using that as an excuse to get away from the group. At the same time, she could look around for her mother¡¯s self-portrait. Jason looked worriedly at Corinne. He got up to follow her a few secondster, but he had not even taken a step before Jeremy stopped him. ¡°Jason.¡± Jason paused and turned back to smile at him. ¡°Yes, Jeremy? How can I help you?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes, and after a long while, he finally said, ¡°Nothing.¡± Peeved, Jason said nothing. He turned back around to look at Corinne, but she was already gone. He looked around for her, but all he could see were the other guests milling about. Thus, he had no choice but to sit back down. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained impassive. No one knew what he was thinking about. Suddenly, he gulped down his wine and stood up. Chapter 1279 Chapter 1279 ¡°Jeremy, where are you going? We haven¡¯t even had a good chat yet,¡± said Zeke. ¡°I¡¯m going out to make a call,¡± replied Jeremy indifferently. ¡°Tsk! Gerald, don¡¯t you think Jeremy should make up with Corinne by now? I mean, she can¡¯t have it easy with that pregnant belly of hers!¡± said Zeke. Gerald nced at him and said, ¡°Mind your own business, Zeke.¡± Zeke scoffed and turned to Jason, who was drinking his wine. ¡°By the way, Jason. You look like you really care about Corinne. Are you close with her? Howe I didn¡¯t know that?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I tell you guys? We go way back. I knew her even before I knew she was together with Jeremy.¡± Zeke was a little taken aback. He could not help but think Jason was hinting something, so he and Gerald exchanged nces with each other as they came to a tacit understanding. Jason downed his wine and ced the empty ss on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going out to make a call too.¡± Zeke was speechless. He shook his head as he watched Gerald leave. ¡°I don¡¯t think either Jeremy or Jason are going out to make a call. What do you think, Gerald?¡± Gerald swirled his whisky. ¡°Yeah, probably not.¡± Zeke smiled. ¡°They probably went to look for Corinne.¡± Gerald chose to stay silent. Corinne did not go to the restroom. Instead, she walked along the walls to take a closer look at each of the paintings disyed. The paintings were indeed famous, but there was no self-portrait of Corinne¡¯s mother. ¡®Maybe the owner of the hotel doesn¡¯t think Mom¡¯s painting is famous enough to be disyed here?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Ugh, what a waste of my time!¡¯ Her mood was definitely spoiled then, but hearing Sophia calling her the next second put her in an even worse mood. ¡°Corinne, what are you doing here alone? Why didn¡¯t you stay with Zee and the rest of the guys?¡± asked Sophia with a smile as she walked over to her. ¡®Did she really just call Zeke ¡®Zee¡¯? Even Gerald and the others won¡¯t call him that! Don¡¯t tell me she really thinks she¡¯s one of the guys and gave Zeke a nickname because of that¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. ¡°Oh, um. I¡¯m looking for the restroom,¡± said Corinne. Sophia¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°The restroom isn¡¯t this way. Corinne, are you looking for something? I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve been looking here and there ever since you came in. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you¡¯re looking for so I can help you look?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was bored, so I thought I¡¯d check out the paintings.¡± Sophia gazed deeply at her as though she wanted to see right through her soul. Suddenly, she smiled and said, ¡°I see. The owner of the hotel specially brought out his private collection to add a little fun to my birthday party. All of the paintings are the real thing! You should take a good look at them while you can. After all, I don¡¯t think you ever had the chance toe into such close contact with these famous paintings in the past, right?¡± Corinne smiled. She chose not to exin herself and instead said, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is a rare opportunity. I should thank you for giving me this opportunity, Miss Sophia. You¡¯ve really opened up a whole new world for me.¡± Sophia smiled back at her. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t say that, Corinne. I know you didn¡¯t exactly grow up in the best environment, but you should know that it isn¡¯t your fault. I promise I¡¯ll take you to more fancy ces in the future once we¡¯ve be friends.¡± ¡°Then let me thank you in advance. Can I go back to viewing the paintings now?¡± asked Corinne with a smile. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Of course,¡± replied Sophia with a nod. ¡°Why are you still blocking my way? Move aside now so I can view these rare and famous paintings,¡± said Corinne rudely. Sophia¡¯s face froze for a second before she smiled again. ¡°Oops. Sorry, my bad. I didn¡¯t know I was blocking your way. I¡¯m willing to get out of your way. Can you do the same for me?¡± Chapter 1280 Chapter 1280 Corinne found what Sophia saidughable. ¡°You want me to get out of your way too? Since when was I ever in your way?¡± Sophia leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in the physical sense but in the romantic sense.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes turned cold. She found what Sophia said so absurd that she almostughed. ¡°What does your love life have to do with me?¡± Sophia was about to answer when she spotted someone appear behind Corinne. ¡°Jason, what are you doing here?¡± she asked with a smile. Jason nced at Corinne before smiling at Sophia. ¡°I went out to make a call just now. What are you two girls talking about?¡± Sophia looked at Jason and then at Corinne as realization hit her. Her grin became even wider as she said, ¡°Corinne has taken an interest in the paintings disyed in this room, so I came to walk with her since I don¡¯t think she should be left alone in her condition. But I have to entertain the other guests soon, so can you please stay with her, Jason?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Of course. Leave her to me.¡± A wicked glint shed across Sophia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave you two to it, then. Catch youter.¡± After that, she started mingling with the crowd. Jason turned back to look at Corinne after he made sure Sophia was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the restroom? Why are you here alone instead?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I take a look around after I¡¯ve been to the restroom? Must I go back and be talked about by you guys as if I¡¯m in some sort of freakshow?¡± Jason smiled and shrugged. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair. I didn¡¯t join in their conversation when they were talking about you.¡± Corinne did not find Jason as annoying as usual. After all, she felt rather indebted to him. ¡°Let me guess, you can¡¯t stand them either?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you can say that,¡± replied Jason with a smile. Corinne nodded. ¡°It was easy to tell.¡± Jason smiled and looked down at her shoes. ¡®Oh, good. She¡¯s wearing ts instead of high heels. She¡¯ll suffer the whole night if she does.¡¯ ¡°You wanted to check out the paintings, right? Come on. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Jason, gesturing with his chin for her to walk in front of him. Corinne frowned and said a little unhappily, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe with me. There are too many people here, and it¡¯ll start a gossip if they see you walking with me. I¡¯ll be fine by myself, so you should join your friends instead.¡± ¡°Let them gossip about us! I don¡¯t care. Your presence will help me keep the other women at bay,¡± said Jason. ¡°But I care! I don¡¯t want to be the talk of the town for tonight.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Oh, stop being such a worrywart. Everybody¡¯s having too much fun to notice us. Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s best if I stay with you. After all, it won¡¯t be aughing matter should you slip and fall in your condition.¡± Corinne turned to look around. Jason was right. Everybody was having too much fun to even look at them. Sophia had spared no expense for the party as she even hired the hottest rock band at that time to liven up the atmosphere. Knowing Jason, Corinne knew he would not leave no matter what she said. Thus, she decided to let him apany her while she walked around the venue. Jason was very thoughtful. He would steer her away gently when he saw someone was about to bump into her. However, what they did not know was somewhere on top of the stairs, Jeremy was watching them with icy eyes. Sophia passed Jeremy a ss of cocktail. ¡°Jeremy, is Corinne close with Jason? They look like they¡¯re getting on well with each other.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± Chapter 1281 Chapter 1281 Sophia held on to the banister and looked down at where Corinne was. ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling of mine. I mean, Corinne is standoffish to everyone except for Jason, and they always seem to have something inmon to talk about.¡± Jeremy¡¯s grip tightened around the stem of his wine ss, which looked like it would break if he exerted just a little more strength. Sophia was about to say something else when she saw Jeremy striding down the stairs. She chased after him, asking, ¡°Jeremy! Where are you going?¡± ¡°Enjoy your party. I just remembered I have something else to do,¡± said Jeremy. He walked down the stairs with both of his hands shoved into his pockets. Even though he looked casual, he was obviously brooding. Anyone would think twice about following him. Thus, Sophia stopped chasing after him. Instead, she watched him leave while a smile gradually appeared on her face. ¡­ Corinne was annoyed. She had gone one round around the room but still failed to find her mother¡¯s self-portrait. She was not only annoyed at failing to find her self-portrait but also by the noise and lights given off by the rock band. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you see any paintings you like? Is that why you look so upset?¡± whispered Jason when he noticed the frown on her face. Corinne sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy in here, and I¡¯m feeling a little bit thirsty. Can you please get me a ss of juice? Thanks.¡± It was even noisier in the drinks area. Just looking at the ce made Corinne dizzy. Jason smiled. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go get you some water.¡± Even though there was juice being offered in the drinks area, there was no guarantee that it had not been spiked with alcohol. Since Corinne was pregnant, it would be safer for her to drink water. Corinne nodded and waited where she was for Jason toe back. However, it was not long before she started to feel like she could not catch her breath due to how noisy the ce was. She med her pregnancy hormones for the increase in sensitivity, but then her vision started to blur. She squeezed her eyes shut to wake herself up a little, but that just made her even dizzier, causing her to lose her bnce and fall backward. ¡®Am I falling? I hope the baby will be fine¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. She tried to steady herself but found she had no strength to do that at all. Just when she was bracing for the impact, she felt someone holding her up from behind. After that, she was scooped up from the floor and carried away. When she woke up, she found herself in a ce filled with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. The ceiling was so low that she could touch it if she reached out her hand. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ she wondered. She waited until she was a little bit more awake before looking around her surroundings. It was then she discovered she was lying in the backseat of a car. However, she was not alone. In fact, her head was on top of someone¡¯sp. Corinne jumped up in fright when she saw the man¡¯s face under the dim light. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Who are you?!¡± she asked after bolting up from her seat. Jeremy looked at her. ¡®She looks like she has seen a ghost,¡¯ he thought helplessly, though he did not show any emotions on his face. Chapter 1282 Chapter 1282 Jeremy leaned into the seat, so Corinne did not see him when she woke up. She just thought he was part of the seat. It was not until he moved his body that the light from outside of the car fell on his face. Corinne was not happy to see him at all. She frowned out of embarrassment and asked, ¡°It¡¯s you! How¡­ How did I end up in your car?!¡± Jeremy nced sideways at her. ¡°You should first ask yourself why you fainted on me of all people.¡± Corinne remembered someone scooping her up from behind to prevent her from falling before she cked out. ¡®So it was Jeremy who saved me¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. She decided to be nicer to him since he did her a big favor. ¡°Sorry, I must¡¯ve fainted because of low blood sugar. Thank you for saving me. Well, I guess I¡¯ll be off, then,¡± she said. After that, she opened the car door. Jeremy did not stop her. Instead, he just said breezily, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to see Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s self-portrait, then.¡± Corinne¡¯s hand instantly froze, and she snapped her head back to look at him. ¡°You have the painting?¡± ¡®No wonder I couldn¡¯t find the painting even after searching every corner of the venue!¡¯ thought Corinne. Jeremy rested his chin on his hand and simply replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Corinne closed the car door and sat back down. ¡°Where is the painting now? Can I please see it?¡± Jeremy looked at her mockingly. ¡°Why should I let you see my private collection?¡± ¡®Oh, so he bought the painting!¡¯ thought Corinne. She started to panic. However, she forced herself to calm down and suppress all of her anger for the sake of her mother¡¯s painting. ¡°I¡¯m just asking to see it. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to give it to me.¡± Jeremy scoffed. ¡°How do I know you won¡¯t steal it? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re very close.¡± Corinne puffed up her cheeks. ¡®He¡¯s being an *sshole!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re not close, but we worked together once. Can you please find it in your heart to let me see the painting? I don¡¯t mind even if I could see it from afar,¡± said Corinne. Jeremy lifted her chin as though he was checking something interesting. His eyes roved all over her face and after a long while, he finally said two words, ¡°Beg me.¡± Corinne was already not in the best of mood. Nheless, she had no choice but to suppress her anger again since Jeremy was holding the painting hostage. She took a deep breath and begged, ¡°Okay, Mister Jeremy. I beg you to ple¡ªmph!¡± She did not even get to finish her sentence before he leaned down and kissed her. He even bit her lips possessively. Corinne¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She quickly pushed him away and wiped her mouth. ¡°Have you lost your mind?!¡± Jeremy panted. He red at her angrily and shouted, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve lost my mind!¡± Corinne kept wiping her mouth vigorously in a bid to calm her wildly beating heart. ¡°Why don¡¯t you find someone else to torture? I don¡¯t have the time to y with you anymore!¡± She was so angry that she did not even want to see the painting anymore. All she wanted to do was to get out of the car as fast as possible. However, this time, Jeremy stopped her by pulling her back and closing the car door. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What the hell are you doing? I¡¯m going to scream for help if you don¡¯t let me out this instant!¡± shouted Corinne as she tried to break free from Jeremy. However, she was no match for his strength at all. He plonked her down on hisp and hugged her gently due to her being pregnant, but it was enough to keep her trapped. Not being able to move, Corinne red at him and asked, ¡°Jeremy Holden, just what the hell do you want?¡± Chapter 1283 Chapter 1283 Jeremy¡¯s expression remained impassive, but Corinne could tell he had no intention to let her go. ¡°You¡¯d rather beg me than talk to me nicely?¡± asked Jeremy. Corinne frowned. ¡°How am I not talking to you nicely? Plus, you were the one who asked me to beg you!¡± Jeremy chuckled coldly. ¡°When did you be so obedient? Why didn¡¯t you listen to me when I asked you to stay at home?¡± Corinne was speechless. She did not know what he was trying to say, and apart from ring at him, she did not know how else to express her anger. After all, it was not like she could break free and escape from him. The bitterness in Jeremy¡¯s eyes gradually disappeared when he saw her angry yet puffy face. He pinched her cheek yfully and said dotingly, ¡°How can you still be so cute when you¡¯re so puffy?¡± Corinne was once again speechless. ¡®Why did his tone suddenly change?¡¯ ¡°Ahem! Don¡¯t even think I¡¯ll forgive you just because you called me cute!¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then how can I make you forgive me?¡± Corinne was stunned. She looked at his inky-blue eyes and fell into a trance. When she said she was not going to forgive him, she meant she was not going forgive him for holding her captive in the car. However, it was obvious Jeremy was asking her forgiveness for something else. ¡®Forgive him? How can I ever forgive him for lying about being single and ying with my feelings?¡¯ thought Corinne. Jeremy rested his chin on top of Corinne¡¯s head when he saw she was not going to say anything. ¡°Tell me. What can I do to make you forgive me?¡± he asked again. Corinne¡¯s heart trembled. She instantly snapped out of her trance and pulled her head away. She did not want him so close to her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Jeremy did not move closer anymore. He simply looked at her quietly, his gaze both imposing and vulnerable. Somehow, Corinne could not help but pity him. However, that feeling did notst for long. ¡®What the hell am I pitying him for? He¡¯s pure bad luck!¡¯ she thought. ¡°Mister Jeremy, please stop confusing me with your words and actions, and let me get out of the car!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°I would if you tell me why you ran away in the first ce.¡± ¡®Why did I run away? The nerve of him for asking!¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne looked coldly at him. ¡°Because I¡¯m a woman of principles, and you just happened to cross a line that you shouldn¡¯t have crossed! Why should I not run away?¡± Jeremy looked at her deeply. ¡°Is it because you found out I got married to Sophia abroad?¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Why do you still need to ask me when you already knew?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think it is. Why didn¡¯t you ask me to exin before running away?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Corinne found his question so absurd that she nearlyughed out loud. ¡°Did you forget? I did ask you back then, but you avoided telling me the truth!¡± ¡°You did ask me? When?¡± ¡°I asked you if you¡¯re hiding anything from me, and you said nothing!¡± Jeremy looked down and sighed heavily. ¡°I got married to Sophia to please my grandfather. Before I met you, I asked Sophia to y along so that he¡¯d agree to go for the surgery. But her flight got dyed on the day of our staged wedding, and then I met you. So you see, there¡¯s really nothing going on between me and Sophia.¡± Corinne found his exnationughable. ¡°In any case, you lied to me! So I¡¯m never going to believe anything you say anymore. Now let me go!¡± Chapter 1284 Chapter 1284 Jeremy did not let Corinne go. Instead, he muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. I forgot I was legally married to Sophia. It wasn¡¯t until I thought of marrying you that I remembered it. I nned to tell you everything after I revoked my marriage license with Sophia because I assumed you¡¯d get angry at me if I told you before then¡­and I didn¡¯t want you to get upset while you¡¯re pregnant. I know this is all my fault¡­¡± Corinne fell silent after that. After a long while, she finally said, ¡°Mister Jeremy, I don¡¯t think you ever see me as someone who can understand you. Now, it doesn¡¯t matter whether there¡¯s anything going on between you and Sophia. All the trust has gone from our rtionship.¡± After that, she tried to free herself from Jeremy¡¯s grip so she could escape from the suffocating car. ¡­ Jason went back to where he left Corinne with a bottle of mineral water in his hand. When she was nowhere to be seen, he started to look around for her in panic. Instead of finding Corinne, he ran into Sophia, who looked like she was enjoying the party. He pulled her aside and asked, ¡°Have you seen Corinne?¡± Sophia was a little taken aback. ¡°Corinne? I thought she was with you.¡± ¡°I went to get some water for her, but she was gone by the time I got back.¡± Sophia did not really care where Corinne was, but she started to worry after she suddenly remembered Jeremy was gone too. Jason must have realized what she was thinking about because he asked, ¡°How about Jeremy? Where is he right now?¡± ¡°He said he had to leave because he remembered he had to do something. But I¡¯m still going to call him to ask him whether he has seen Corinne.¡± Jason nodded. He, too, suspected Jeremy had taken Corinne away, but he was not in the position to call him. Sophia and Jason went to a quieter ce to call Jeremy, but he did not pick up at all. Thinking it off, Sophia tried calling him again. This time, he picked up after a long time. ¡°Yes?¡± said Jeremy impatiently. Sophia did not know what was up with him, so she justughed and asked, ¡°Jeremy, we can¡¯t find Corinne. Jason has been looking for her all over the ce. Did you see her when you were leaving?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Jeremy coldly and hung up without warning. Sophia turned to Jason and shrugged helplessly. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t see Corinne.¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. He did not believe Jeremy at all. Knowing him, Jeremy would never be this calm if he knew Corinne was missing. ¡®If my guess is right, Corinne must be with Jeremy right now,¡¯ he thought. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Sophia, there are surveince cameras all over the hotel. Ask the hostess of the party; you have the right to check the footage,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! Let¡¯s go check the surveince footage now to see if Corinne has left the hotel!¡± Chapter 1285 Chapter 1285 ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go now!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia and Jason went to the security room and asked the security guard on duty to let them see the footage. Soon, they came to the part where they saw Jeremy carrying Corinne out of the hotel. Sophia subtly clenched her fists. ¡°Oh my god. How could Jeremy lie to us? Doesn¡¯t he know how worried we are about Corinne?¡± She managed to maintain a smile on her face, but everyone there could tell how sad she was. Jason was no better than her. He did not wish for Corinne to have any contact with Jeremy as he wanted her for himself. Also, he was worried Jeremy would hurt her in a fit of anger. ¡°Happy birthday, Sophia. Forgive me, but I have to leave now,¡± said Jason before he quickly walked out of the room. Sophia immediately chased after him. ¡°Jason! You¡¯re going to look for Jeremy and Corinne, right? Wait for me. I want to go too!¡± Jason was a little taken aback. ¡°But you should go back to your birthday party.¡± Sophia smiled nonchntly and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a party. Plus, a friend¡¯s safety is more important. You might not know this, but there seems to be a misunderstanding between Jeremy and Corinne. I¡¯m worried that Jeremy¡¯s temper might get the better of him. What would happen to Corinne then? I should go with you in case I need to calm him.¡± Jason was well aware that Sophia wanted to go out of her own interest, but he did not have the luxury to care so much anymore. He just wanted to find Corinne as fast as possible. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go, then.¡± Thus, Sophia followed Jason into his car, and the two of them drove out of the hotel. Along the way, they kept checking every car to see whether it was Jeremy¡¯s car, but they came up empty-handed every time. Sophia was starting to lose hope about finding Jeremy and Corinne. However, she did gain something at that moment. She looked curiously at Jason, who was still checking out every car. ¡°Jason, tell me the truth. Do you have a crush on Corinne?¡± Jason was so focused on looking for Jeremy¡¯s car that he was caught off-guard by Sophia¡¯s question. He nced at her. After a brief moment of silence, he smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, a huge one.¡± Sophia beamed at him. ¡°I like how straightforward you are. So I was right all along! Your eyes be so much gentler when you look at her.¡± Jason smiled. He kept his eyes on the road to look for Jeremy¡¯s car. After thinking it over, Sophia asked another question, ¡°What do you n to do now?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, what are you going to do about Corinne? Are you going to keep your feelings to yourself while you continue to protect her from the side, or are you going to make her yours?¡± Jason smiled again. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m leaning toward thetter. But whether I seed or not depends on how lucky I am.¡± Sophia was a little surprised. ¡°You really n to make her yours? You don¡¯t mind that she¡¯s pregnant with Jeremy¡¯s kid? Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯ll lose him as a friend if you get together with Corinne?¡± Jason narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I don¡¯t mind, but I can¡¯t do anything about it since Corinne met Jeremy first. As for the baby¡­ Well, I trust that the Holdens would want their grandchild back.¡± Sophia knew what he meant. ¡°So you¡¯re going to wait until the baby is born and taken away by the Holdens before getting together with Corinne?¡± Jason raised an eyebrow. ¡°The Holdens would take the baby to live with them. I want to be with Corinne now, but she doesn¡¯t want to. I need to work extra hard to make her fall in love with me.¡± Chapter 1286 Chapter 1286 Sophia gazed admiringly at Jason before praising him, ¡°I respect you, Jason. Not many men can be so forgiving about their partners¡¯ past.¡± Jason simply smiled. Not wanting to talk about himself anymore, he asked her, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what about me?¡± ¡°What kind of attitude are you bringing into your and Jeremy¡¯s rtionship? I mean, you don¡¯t seem like you mind that he¡¯s having a baby with Corinne.¡± Sophia did not mind telling him the truth since he was honest with her. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really mind. Worstes to worst, I¡¯ll just raise the baby with Jeremy. Besides, I think I¡¯m morepatible with Jeremy since our personalitiesplement each other¡¯s. We can just be ourselves when we¡¯re together. Jeremy might still have feelings for Corinne, but they¡¯re notpatible with each other. They¡¯re not going to be happy orst long together. That¡¯s why I think Jeremy will eventually choose her over me.¡± Jason nced sideways at her and sincerely smiled. ¡°I wish you nothing but sess, then.¡± Sophia smiled back at him. ¡°And I, you.¡± After driving for a while more, Jason finally spotted a ck car parked at the side of the road ahead. He instantly recognized it to be Jeremy¡¯s car. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He parked at the side of the road too. He then got out of the car with Sophia, ran over to the car, and banged on the window. The window slowly rolled down to reveal Jeremy¡¯s cold face. Jason immediately stuck his head through the window to look for Corinne. ¡°Jeremy, where¡¯s Corinne?¡± he asked. Jeremy nced at him coldly from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Why are you looking for her?¡± ¡°Cut it out, Jeremy! We saw the surveince footage, so we knew you took her away! Where is she now?¡± Jeremy calmly took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuck one into his mouth before lighting it up. He took a puff and blew out some smoke before answering, ¡°She¡¯s left.¡± ¡°She left? Where?¡± asked Jason with a worried frown. Jeremy held the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°She refused to let me send her home and asked to be let out of the car. As to where she went after that, I don¡¯t know.¡± Jason was furious. ¡°How can you let a pregnantdy go home by herself thiste at night?¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you getting angry at me?¡± Jason knew he was at fault, so he took a deep breath and apologized, ¡°Sorry for shouting at you. I was just too worried. But you shouldn¡¯t have let her go home by herself in any case.¡± ¡°She insisted on going home by herself. She even threatened to jump out of the car if I didn¡¯t do what she said. So what do you say? Should I have let her go back by herself or jump out from a moving car?¡± asked Jeremy impassively. After a few seconds of silence, Jason asked, ¡°Did you manage to get a cab after that?¡± Jeremy puffed out a cloud of smoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Jason knew he was not going to get a straight answer out of Jeremy anymore, so he looked around the road to see if Corinne was still there. When he failed to locate her, he ran back to his car and drove off to look for Corinne. ¡®I should check her home next if I can¡¯t find her along the road,¡¯ he reminded himself. He was in such a rush that he forgot about Sophia. Jeremy narrowed his eyes as he watched Jason¡¯s car sped off. No one could tell what he was thinking from his cold face. Sophia walked over to Jeremy¡¯s side of the car and said, ¡°Jason, I think Jason has forgotten all about me so I hitch a ride with you?¡± Chapter 1287 Chapter 1287 Jeremy did not look at Sophia. With the cigarette still between his fingers, he emotionlessly replied, ¡°Sure. Get in.¡± Sophia looked smug for a second before walking around to get in from the other side of the car. After she sat beside him, Jeremy puffed out another cloud of smoke before gesturing with his chin to the driver as a signal for him to drive off. The car started moving steadily. Sophia looked out the window for a while before turning back to look at Jeremy. She then blinked innocently and asked, ¡°Jeremy, why the long face? Did you fight with Corinne?¡± Instead of answering her, Jeremy asked her coldly, ¡°Where do you want to go? Back to your hotel, or the party?¡± Sophia pretended to give some thought to the question before answering, ¡°I¡¯d like to go back to my hotel. The party is about to end soon, so there¡¯s no point going back there. I¡¯ll call Zeketer to tell them I¡¯ve gone back to the hotel and ask them to help me entertain the guests.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Jeremy. He gave the driver a look from the rearview mirror. The driver made a turn in front and drove toward the hotel where Sophia was staying. Sophia did not give up on getting an answer out of Jeremy. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my questions! Is Corinne still unwilling to forgive you?¡± Jeremy stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about her.¡± ¡°Oh dear. It looks like it won¡¯t be that easy to clear up the misunderstanding, huh? But don¡¯t you find it odd? I mean, you¡¯re so good to her, so by right, she should trust you more. All that, and she doesn¡¯t!¡± Jeremy chuckled coldly and said nothing. ¡®I¡¯d like to know why too,¡¯ he thought mockingly. Sophia continued to talk to him, but she gradually fell silent as Jeremy barely responded. She was also worried that Jeremy would find her annoying should she misspoke. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. 20 minutester, the car stopped in front of Sophia¡¯s hotel. The driver turned and said, ¡°Miss Sophia, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Sophia nodded and got out of the car, but before she closed the door, she bent down and said, ¡°Jeremy, you really look like you need some cheering up. Why don¡¯t youe up to my room for some drinks?¡± ¡­ After he got to Corinne¡¯s apartment, Jason rang long and hard at the doorbell, but no one came to answer it. He tried calling her, but her phone seemed to have been switched off. He was so worried about her that he felt his heart was about to explode. Suddenly, the door opened. Sunny, who looked like he had just woken up, appeared in front of him. ¡°Jason? What are you doing here?¡± asked Sunny in surprise. In a fit of panic, Jason simply pushed him aside and went into the apartment to look for Corinne. ¡°Sunny, is Corinne back yet?¡± he asked when he discovered Corinne was not in her room either. Sunny scratched his head. ¡°Corinne? She¡¯s not back yet. Isn¡¯t she supposed to be at Sophia¡¯s birthday party?¡± ¡®Sh*t!¡¯ thought Jason. ¡°Jason, what happened? Didn¡¯t Corinne go to Sophia¡¯s birthday party?¡± asked Sunny in confusion. ¡°She did but she left early. She should be home by now,¡± said Jason. Chapter 1288 Chapter 1288 Sunny frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Did Corinne go missing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to tell. I¡¯m going to look for her nearby. Call me if she¡¯s back.¡± After that, Jason rushed out to the elevator again. Sunny watched as Jason left, feeling confused. Xante, who just finished showering and was dressed in a bathrobe, came out of her room. ¡°Who was at the door?¡± ¡°It was Jason. He came to look for Corinne. He said Corinne left the birthday party early, and it sounds like she went missing.¡± Xante frowned and went back to her room to call Corinne. In the end, she got the same response as Jason¡ªher phone was switched off. ¡®This can¡¯t be good!¡¯ Xante ran over to her closet to change into something more presentable. ¡°Xante, are you going out to look for Corinne too?¡± asked Sunny when he saw her panicking. ¡°Yeah. Can you go home first?¡± she asked while changing. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sunny frowned. ¡°No, I want to go with you!¡± As much as she did not want to bring Sunny with her, Xante had no choice but to let him follow her since she did not have the bandwidth to deal with him. After she finished changing, she grabbed her car keys with one hand and called Aaron with her other. Sunny quickly threw on her jacket and followed her out of the apartment. The three of them drove along the streets for a long time but still failed to find Corinne. Her phone was switched off, so they could not call her either. Xante, Aaron, and Jason were so worried about Corinne that they went to the police station to report Corinne as missing. However, they knew they could not do that since it had not been 48 hours yet. Xante stopped her car at an intersection. ¡°We¡¯re close to your house. Go home, Sunny.¡± Sunny looked at his watch. It was already quitete at night. Lucas would definitely send someone to haul him home if he did not go back then. Thus, he decided to listen to Xante. ¡°Fine. But remember to call me when you¡¯ve found Corinne.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Xante with a nod. Sunny got out of the car and waved to Xante before turning into the street where his mansion was. The moment he entered the mansion, Felix came up to him fearfully and said, ¡°Mister Sunny, you¡¯re homete! Mister Lucas is going to be angry again if he finds out about this!¡± ¡°Where is he now? Maybe he won¡¯t be that angry since I did finish my homework before going out,¡± said Sunny sheepishly. Felix pointed to the half-emptied coffee on the table and said, ¡°Mister Lucas was sitting there, waiting for you toe home just moments ago. He didn¡¯t look too happy, so I assumed you were going to get it tonight.¡± Sunny gulped nervously after taking a nce at the living room. ¡°Where¡­ Where is he now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s upstairs talking to a guest. It¡¯s a good thing he went out to pick up a guest just now, or I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to survive the night¡­¡± Sunny sighed in relief when he heard that. ¡°So who¡¯s the guest?¡± ¡®All of Lucas¡¯ friends have gone to Sophia¡¯s birthday party. He must¡¯ve received an invitation too, but it¡¯s not surprising he didn¡¯t go since he never liked those kinds of events. But since all of his friends are at the birthday party, who else can the guest be that he¡¯d bring them up to his room?¡¯ Felix shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know we have a guest because the maid said he brought a woman back home.¡± ¡®A woman?¡¯ wondered Sunny. Chapter 1289 Chapter 1289 Sunny¡¯s curiosity was piqued, so he said, ¡°I¡¯m going up to take a look!¡± Felix stopped him. ¡°Mister Sunny, I think you should go back to your room. That way, Mister Lucas might forget all about your transgression today.¡± Sunny flung his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just going to listen from outside the door to see if it¡¯s anyone I recognize. I¡¯ll make sure Lucas doesn¡¯t find out about it.¡± Felix wanted to stop him again, but Sunny ran off before he could grab him. Meanwhile, in Lucas¡¯ room¡­ N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lucas was peeling a mandarin orange for Corinne. ¡°Here, Corinne. Have some mandarin oranges,¡± he said gently. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Lucas ced the mandarin orange back on the table with a resigned sigh before picking up a ss of milk again. ¡°The milk isn¡¯t that hot now. Do you want to drink it?¡± Corinne took the ss of milk from his hand, but instead of drinking it, she ced it back on the coffee table. ¡°Mister Lucas, you don¡¯t have to tiptoe around me.¡± Lucas sighed again. ¡°I¡¯m not tiptoeing around you. I¡¯m just trying to show you my concern.¡± Corinne looked at him quietly. ¡°Thank you for your concern and¡­for picking me up just now.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, Corinne. I¡¯m d you were willing to ask me for help.¡± Corinne fell silent. She would not have asked him for help if she had a choice. When Jeremy would not let her out of the car, she knew it would be useless to ask Aaron, Xante, or Jason for help since Jeremy feared none of them. The only person who could make Jeremy budge was Lucas, despite the animosity between them. Not to mention, she was well aware that Lucas woulde to her rescue if she asked for his help. Thus, she secretly sent her location and a message to Lucas, asking him to pick her up, while Jeremy was not looking. Lucas arrived swiftly. Surprisingly, Jeremy did not be angry when he saw Lucas. After the two men talked, Jeremy released Corinne and let her get out of his car so she could get into Lucas¡¯ car. Corinne assumed Lucas was going to drop her home or at least somewhere where she could call a cab, but he brought her to the Riveras¡¯ mansion instead. ¡°Mister Lucas, why did you bring me here? It¡¯s gettingte. My friends will start worrying about me if I¡¯m not home soon,¡± said Corinne with a frown. Lucas looked at her gently. ¡°This is your home. You can stay here tonight. I¡¯ve asked the servants to keep your room clean so you can move in straight away.¡± ¡°Sorry, but there seems to be some misunderstanding. I don¡¯t have any ns to move back home. I asked you for help with the assumption you¡¯ll give me a ride home.¡± Lucas mped his hand down on Corinne to stop her from getting up. ¡°Be a good girl and listen to me, Corinne. The baby¡¯s due date is near. Heck, you might even go intobor now. The only way for me to not worry about you is if you stay at the mansion with me.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m staying with my friends! They¡¯ll send me to the hospital at the first sign of the babying. I know you¡¯re worried about me, Mister Lucas, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for an outsider like me to stay at your home,¡± said Corinne. Lucas felt a pang in his heart when she said that. ¡°Corinne, how can you call yourself an outsider? Grandpa, Grandma, and even our dad¡­ They never stopped missing you or hoping you¡¯de home over the years!¡± Chapter 1290 Chapter 1290 Corinne smiled in a way that seemed polite and a little contemptuous altogether. ¡°Is that so?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lucas nodded. ¡°Yeah! What happened with our mother had nothing to do with you! Yes, they did for a brief moment suspect that you were a product of an affair because of the rumors going around, but after they calmed down, they realized how wrong they were.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°Oh, how nice of them to think that!¡± Lucas sighed helplessly when he saw how stubborn Corinne was. His gaze went down to her protruding belly, and the worries of her leaving gripped him again. After thinking it over, he said, ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t talk about the past anymore. But you don¡¯t want to see Jeremy, right? Well, I can guarantee he won¡¯t bother you if you just stay here.¡± Corinne was a little taken aback and, to be honest, very tempted by Lucas¡¯ suggestion. She only came back to the city because Jeremy found out her hiding ce in the countryside and also because the baby was about to be due. Even though Jason said he would hire the best doctor to deliver the baby, she was still worried there might beplications during the delivery and that lives would be lost due tock of hospital equipment. She did not want to die nor did she want to put the baby at any risk, but then again, she was also worried that Jeremy would steal the baby while she was still unconscious after giving birth. Thus, the more she thought about Lucas¡¯ suggestion, the more tempted she was to take it. ¡°But what are you going to tell your family if I decide to stay here? You know I don¡¯t want them to find out who I am, right?¡± she asked after a while. Lucas was pleasantly surprised to see Corinne actually giving his suggestion some thought. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I won¡¯t tell them who you are. Dad has brought our grandparents abroad to visit some rtives, and they won¡¯t be back for three months. The only people here are me and Sunny. That means you can stay here without worrying what other people would think.¡± After thinking it over, Corinne finally nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take your word. I hope you can make good on your guarantee to keep Jeremy as far away from me and the baby as possible.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not fit to be your brother if I can¡¯t even do something as easy as that,¡± assured Lucas with a grin. Corinne yawned. ¡°My phone is out of battery. I need to call my friends to let them know, or they¡¯ll think I¡¯ve been kidnapped again.¡± Lucas passed her his phone. ¡°Here, use mine to call them. I¡¯ll ask the servant to bring you a phone chargerter.¡± Corinne epted his phone and briefly exined to Xante what happened. As much as Xante thought it was a bad idea for her to move in with Lucas, she knew nothing she said would be able to change Corinne¡¯s mind after she decided. Xante was just d that Corinne was fine. After all, both she and Aaron had a fright of their lives when they found out she went missing from the party. Corinne hung up the phone and gave Lucas back his phone. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said. Lucas smiled and stroked her hair. ¡°You don¡¯t ever need to thank me, Corinne. Since you¡¯ve decided to stay, I¡¯ll ask the servant to bring you your stuffter. Is there anything they should pay particr attention to?¡± Corinne thought about it and said, ¡°Not really. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like you to help me with.¡± Lucas would give her the world if he could to make up for the lost time. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The only reason I attended Sophia¡¯s birthday party was because I heard a self-portrait of Nellie Nymphaea would be disyed at the venue.¡± Chapter 1291 Chapter 1291 Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s name took Lucas by surprise. He sighed and asked, ¡°And? Did you see it?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t. Jeremy bought that painting early on and deliberately refused to show it to me.¡± ¡°So, what is it you want to do?¡± Lucas raised his eyebrows. Corinne answered bluntly, ¡°I want you to help me buy that painting back from Jeremy at all costs! I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Money isn¡¯t a problem. Getting it from him is. He bought the painting on purpose because he knew you wanted it. He¡¯s not going to give it up that easily.¡± Corinne cocked her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Are you saying it can¡¯t be done?¡± Lucas reached out and patted Corinne¡¯s head gently. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but I¡¯ll get it for you even if it means risking my life. I won¡¯t be able to get it that soon, though, so you¡¯ll have to wait. Is that alright with you?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine as long as I can get her self-portrait.¡± Lucas had a heartbroken expression as he looked at his sister. ¡°Are you that eager to see your mother?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Corinne nced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to?¡± Lucas sighed. ¡°I do. Missing those who aren¡¯t around anymore shows empathy, but we can¡¯t let our feelings take over our lives. It¡¯s exhausting. I hope you can move on¡­¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne gently pushed Lucas¡¯ hand on her head. ¡°I can¡¯t move on! I won¡¯t betray my mother even if the whole world does. You might be able to forget the pain, but I can¡¯t!¡± Lucas felt distressed, but he understood the obsession in Corinne¡¯s heart too. He withdrew his hand and got up, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on these unhappy things. It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll bring you to your room to get some rest now. You might feel a little unustomed just aftering back, so feel free to call me if there¡¯s anything you want to ask. Take it easy, okay?¡± Corinne got up too and followed behind him in silence. When Lucas opened the door, he and Corinne were both stunned to see Sunny standing outside with a shocked expression. Lucas¡¯ mind went nk for a moment before he frowned. ¡°When did youe back? What are you doing standing here?¡± Sunny snapped back to his senses. He looked at Lucas, then at Corinne, and eximed in shock, ¡°Lucas! Corinne is¡ª¡± ¡°Zip it!¡± Lucas warned, interrupting Sunny¡¯s words. Lucas knew Corinne did not want other people to know her true identity, but Sunny had somehow overheard their conversation. Having gone to great lengths to persuade Corinne to stay, he was worried Corinne would change her mind after Sunny found out. Sunny continued to press further despite being interrupted. He did not dare to talk to Lucas anymore, so he looked at Corinne in surprise. ¡°Now I get it¡­ I always felt a special connection with you! You¡¯re Luna, my half-sister whom Lucas has been searching for many years¡­¡± Corinne frowned, obviously a little frustrated by how everything turned out. Lucas dragged Sunny to one side to keep from babbling on about it. He turned to the maid who was standing beside him and said, ¡°Bring Miss Corinne to rest in the other room. Make sure her bed is made and the toiletries are all prepared.¡± The maids nodded. ¡°Yes, sir! Pleasee with us, Miss Corinne.¡± Chapter 1292 Chapter 1292 Corinne nodded. She ignored the two brothers and left at once. When Corinne walked toward Luna¡¯s room¡ªthe room that Lucas had forbidden anyone else to enter¡ª Sunny became even more emotional. ¡°Is she¡­ Is she really Luna?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes as he watched Corinne enter the room. He then looked at his knuckleheaded younger brother and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this. Especially not Grandpa and Grandma. Don¡¯t tell Dad either.¡± Lucas¡¯ stern expression made Sunny aware of how serious the matter was. He nodded solemnly and said, ¡°I won¡¯t! I promise!¡± ¡°Go back to your room and get some sleep,¡± Lucas said as he finally allowed Sunny to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t disturb her if you can help it.¡± Sunny answered resentfully, ¡°Fine¡­¡± As soon as he went back to his room, Sunny immediately called Xante. ¡°Xante! Corinne¡¯s been found! She¡¯s at my house!¡± ¡°I know that,¡± Xante replied nonchntly. ¡°You do? Oh¡­ Corinne must¡¯ve called you earlier, then?¡± ¡°She did.¡± ¡°I found out something that¡¯s even more shocking!¡± Sunny said. ¡°What?¡± It was difficult for Sunny to contain his surprise, he deliberately lowered his voice and said softly, ¡°She¡¯s my half-sister who was lost for so many years!¡± Xante kept quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°You found out?¡± Sunny was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean? Did you know about it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Xante remained silent. ¡°Man, do I have a lot to tell you, Xante. I used to bully Corinne in the past, but now that I think about it, I regret bullying her like that¡­¡± Faced with Sunny¡¯s endless rambling, Xante ced the phone on her bedroom table and left him to chatter away. She then changed into her home clothes and came out of her bedroom. Aaron had brought a ss of water for Jason. ¡°Have some water, Jason. You can take a short break here before heading back home to get some rest. Worrying about Corinne must be very tiring for you.¡± Jason took the ss that Aaron handed over and drank a sip of water. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me where Corinne is?¡± Aaron smiled helplessly. ¡°Because she called us and specifically instructed us not to let anyone know.¡± ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s safe?¡± Jason frowned. Aaron nodded. ¡°Yes. A hundred percent sure. You don¡¯t need to worry so much. I trust you¡¯ll find out soon.¡± Jason sought further confirmation. ¡°Is she at Jeremy¡¯s ce?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Aaron shook his head. ¡°I can assure you she¡¯s not.¡± Jason remained silent for a moment before putting down the ss of water. ¡°I¡¯ll be excusing myself, then.¡± Aaron then said politely, ¡°Take care now. Drive safe. Aaron closed the door after sending Jason off. He then turned around and shrugged his shoulders at Xante. ¡°He¡¯s smitten with her.¡± Xante fetched herself a ss of water. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s interested in him?¡± Aaron shook his head. ¡°No. She still can¡¯t move on from Jeremy. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s at the Riveras right now. Lucas won¡¯t let Jeremy bother her.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Xante drank her water. Corinne took a bath in the room that she was said to have lived in when she was younger. The maids prepared well-fitting pajamas for her, reced the bedsheets and pillowcases, and even brought her a charger. While she wiped her hair, she charged her phone and switched it on to look at her unread messages. Chapter 1293 Chapter 1293 There were numerous missed call notifications. The majority was from Jason, followed by Aaron and Xante. Corinne wondered if she should text to inform him she was safe. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. There were also countless messages from Jason on her social media apps. All of them enquired about her whereabouts and her safety. She felt a little bad for him and replied, [I¡¯m fine. My phone ran out of juice.] Jason replied almost instantly, [Where are you now?] [I¡¯d rather not say¡­] ¡®You¡¯de running straight to me if I told you, and I know that Lucas will let you in to see me because you two have a good rtionship.¡¯ Jason sent her another message. [Why not?] [You¡¯ll knowter. I¡¯m sleepy, so I¡¯m going to bed now.] Corinne exited the chat after replying to Jason. She was about to lock the screen and put down the phone when she saw a friend request disyed at the bottom of the screen. She clicked on the notification and saw that the request had been made by Jeremy. She had just created a new ount and deactivated her former one to avoid him. ¡®Why is he adding me as a friend again?¡¯ After Corinne declined his request, she switched off the disy and put down her phone to dry her hair. When she was done, she decided to lie on the bed and continue scrolling through her phone. That was when she saw yet another friend request by Jeremy. This time, he included a message that read, [Don¡¯t you want the painting?] Corinne was speechless and angry. Her hand was practically shaking as she held the phone. Jeremy knew how to pull her strings. As angry as she was, she could not escape being manipted like that. For the sake of the painting, she epted his friend¡¯s request without replying to him. However, he sent her a message and acted as if nothing happened. [Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?] Corinne gritted her teeth and replied, [What are you trying to do?] After about a minute, Jeremy sent her a one-worded reply. [Nothing.] Corinne was driven up the wall. Unable to scold him because she still wanted the painting, she asked patiently, [And the painting?] [At home.] [How much will you sell it to me?] [It¡¯s not for sale.] Corinne was going mad. [Then why did you send me a friend request?] [Because.] Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®Why is he replying with such short messages? Don¡¯t bother me if you have nothing to say!¡¯ Corinne ignored him and went to watch a short video. She was busy scrolling when she received a video call, which she identally swiped to answer as she was not paying attention. The funny clip she was watching earlier was reced by Jeremy¡¯s expressionless face. Her first instinct was to hang up, but Jeremy saw through her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up.¡± ¡®Why should I listen to you? I¡¯ll do whatever I want!¡¯ Jeremy then said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯ll burn the painting if you hang up.¡± Corinne paused right away. Her fingers trembled with anger, and she was furious at his maniption. She took a deep breath, quelled her frustration, and asked angrily, ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re giving me a video call?¡± Chapter 1294 Chapter 1294 Jeremy narrowed his eyes slightly and said, ¡°To see you.¡± His answer was as short as his messages. Corinne was not happy. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to tell me, please do so right now. If not, then I¡¯m going to bed!¡± ¡°Go to bed, then.¡± Corinne was d to hear that. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± Jeremy replied in an emotionless yet threatening manner, ¡°You can sleep, but you can¡¯t hang up.¡± ¡®What?!¡¯ Corinne expressed her dissatisfaction. ¡°How am I supposed to sleep if I don¡¯t hang up? Do you want me to do a live stream of my sleep?¡± Jeremy rested his forehead on one hand. He did not seem to think that there was any problem with his request. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you sleep before anyway.¡± Although Jeremy¡¯s face was expressionless the entire time, Corinne felt that his responses deserved a beating. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have this sort of fetish. I¡¯m not obliged to cooperate with you, so please look for someone else.¡± ¡°There is no one else.¡± ¡°No, you say? Why don¡¯t you call your legal wife, Sophia? Based on your rtionship with her, she¡¯ll probably be happy to give you a live striptease!¡± Jeremy frowned when he heard her mention Sophia¡¯s name. ¡°I take it you don¡¯t want the painting then?¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®This son-of-a¡ª! Doesn¡¯t he have any other trick up his sleeve?¡¯ Jeremy then said, ¡°Face the camera toward the bed and sleep as usual.¡± Corinne had to stare at the phone screen for a full minute before she managed to adjust her mood and stop herself from yelling. She ced the camera on the bedside cupboard and faced the camera toward the bed. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She got on the bed angrily, tucked herself in the nket, and pulled it over her head in frustration. However, Jeremy ordered her, ¡°Don¡¯t cover your head with the nket. You¡¯re going to suffocate.¡± Corinne was going insane! She had no choice but to endure everything to prevent him from burning her mother¡¯s painting. Though she did as she was told and took down the nket from her head, she deliberately turned her back to the camera so he would not see her face. At longst, Jeremy kept his mouth up and did not object to what she did. The room was quiet, yet Corinne could not say anything from the other end of the phone. She began to wonder if he had hung up. She secretly turned her head to take a look, but she saw the same jet-ck pupils from before. Jeremy was still staring at her. Corinne felt awkward and immediately turned around. She bit her lower lip as emotions overwhelmed her. Meanwhile, inside a car that was driving across the New Capital City Bridge, Jeremy leanedzily against the back of his chair and stared intently at the phone. He was watching Corinne sleep with her back facing the camera. Tommy, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, turned and held up a shing cell phone. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s Miss Sophia. She probably called me because she couldn¡¯t get through to you.¡± Jeremy seemed wary of waking Corinne up on the other end of the line, so he lowered his voice and said, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m resting.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Tommy epted the call and leaned as closely as possible to the car window before answering it. ¡°Hello? Miss Sophia?¡± Chapter 1295 Chapter 1295 Sophia sounded a little anxious. ¡°Why can¡¯t I get through to Jeremy¡¯s phone? Is he home yet?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Tommy replied, ¡°he¡¯s resting.¡± Sophia doubted that answer, so she asked, ¡°Is he? Why can¡¯t I get through to his cell phone?¡± Tommy answered ording to Jeremy¡¯s request. ¡°Perhaps his cell phone ran out of battery and was switched off. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Sophia. He¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯ll try his phone again tomorrow morning.¡± After hanging up, Tommy turned around and said, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Good,¡± came Jeremy¡¯s absent-minded reply. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Tommy thought for a while before asking, ¡°It appears that Corinne is at the Riveras. Shall I arrange for someone to pick her up?¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and looked at the soundly sleeping girl. ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s safe there.¡± He could tell from the video that she was not at her previous ce. She was still not keen on going home with him, but he could feel somewhat reassured as her brother Lucas would be taking care of her. Jeremy returned to the Holdens and saw Pam sitting in the living room with a worried expression. He took off his coat and walked over. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep yet, Grandma?¡± Pam snapped back to her senses. She looked at her grandson and caught a whiff of alcohol on him. ¡°Were you drinking again, Jeremy?¡± ¡°I had two drinks,¡± Jeremy answered truthfully and ced his coat on the sofa. He sat down on the single-seater sofa and asked, ¡°Why are you up sote? Is something on your mind?¡± Pam frowned and looked at him. ¡°I heard you went to Sophia¡¯s birthday party today.¡± Jeremy nodded slightly. ¡°I was there to keep up appearances.¡± ¡°When do you n on bringing Corinne back?¡± Jeremy knew Pam was restless as she was worried about Corinne. Heforted her calmly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the right time yet. She¡¯s safe now, so don¡¯t worry too much about her.¡± Pam frowned. ¡°How do you expect me not to worry? The thought of Corinne being all alone outside with her growing fetus makes it difficult for me to sleep!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not alone now. Someone else is taking good care of her.¡± ¡°And who might that ¡®someone¡¯ be? This is your responsibility as her husband! How could you let someone else take care of her?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank a little. As much as he wanted to take care of her, she avoided him like the gue whenever he tried to get close to her. He could not provoke her much either. If he were to bring her back by force, she might kick up a huge fuss! Jeremy looked at Pam earnestly. ¡°I promise she¡¯ll be fine, and I assure you that I¡¯ll bring her back. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Go to bed and get some rest.¡± Pam sighed. ¡°I know that Sophia¡¯s family has helped the Holdens a lot, but you should know better than to let her be around you like that. Return their favor, and solve all these issues as soon as you can. Draw a clear line between yourself and Sophia! That way, Corinne will be willing toe home, and she won¡¯t misunderstand you again!¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± When Pam saw that her grandson was listening to her, she did not lecture him any further and got up. She then asked the maid to help her back to her room. After the olddy returned to the room, Jeremy leaned his head back on the sofa and massaged his eyebrows. All of a sudden, a movement in one corner caught his eye. Jeremy¡¯s gaze sharpened, and he asked, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Show yourself!¡± Chapter 1296 Chapter 1296 A small figure appeared from a dark corner. ¡°Daddy¡­¡± Joey looked uneasy. He stopped walking because he did not dare to get any closer. He used to be closer to his adoptive father, but ever since Corinne left, Jeremy always had a frightening aura that made him afraid to get any closer. When Jeremy saw that it was Joey, his stern expression became slightly rxed, and he raised his hand to call the child over. ¡°Come here.¡± Joey walked up cautiously to Jeremy with a somewhat fearful expression. Although it was safer there than at the Riveras¡¯ because he was no longer subject to any abuse, he did not feel any sense of belonging and was frequently very timid. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Jeremy stretched out his hand and pulled the child closer. His expression was not as gentle as one would expect, and he asked in a deep voice, ¡°Do you miss your mother?¡± Joey shook his head vigorously. The word ¡®mother¡¯ elicited a terrified expression. The ¡®mother¡¯ he remembered was Anya, and he did not want to see that devil of a ¡®mother¡¯ ever again. Jeremy could see that Joey was afraid, so he exined gently, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your first mother. I¡¯m talking about your wife. My wife is your mother.¡± He had gone through the legal procedure to terminate Anya¡¯s custody of Joey and was sessful after getting evidence that Anya had abused him. Thus, Jeremy became Joey¡¯s sole adoptive parent. Joey blinked in a daze. ¡°Your wife?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Yes, my wife.¡± Joey was still a little hesitant and shook his head. ¡°Who¡­is that?¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°You do. She treats you very well, and you like her a lot too.¡± Joey opened his eyes wide to try and recall who Jeremy was referring to. When he had a sudden realization, he smiled pleasantly and said, ¡°Oh! Auntie Sissy! I want to see her again! She¡¯s Daddy¡¯s wife. She¡¯s my Mommy¡­¡± Jeremy touched the child¡¯s head and took out the cell phone from his trouser pocket. He handed it to Joey and showed the cell phone screen to the boy. ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡± The video call was still ongoing, and he was reluctant to hang up. After Corinne fell asleep, she unknowingly turned over to face the camera and slept soundly. Joey stared nkly at the phone. As soon as he saw that the person on the screen was someone he missed dearly, his eyes turned red, and his little mouth pouted as if he was about to cry. Jeremy ced a finger in front of his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, or she¡¯ll wake up.¡± In truth, Corinne could not hear a thing because Jeremy had switched off the microphone. Jeremy only said that because he could notfort Joey once Joey started to cry. Joey nodded vigorously. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t disturb Mommy Sissy when she¡¯s sleeping!¡± ¡®Mommy sissy?¡¯ Joey had a knack for stringing together a randombination of names. First, it was ¡®auntie sissy¡¯, and then it was ¡®mommy sissy¡¯. It was probably because Corinne looked very young in Joey¡¯s eyes, almost like a sister rather than a mother. Corinne was a very petite young woman, and she would have looked like a high school student were she not pregnant. Jeremy¡¯s stern gaze softened when he thought of Corinne. ¡°Okay, Joey. Go back to your room and go to bed. Mommy wille back soon.¡± Joey seemed to have found something to look forward to at longst. He nodded his head happily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be a good boy and wait for Mommy toe back!¡± He nodded and immediately ran back to the room. He had snuck out by himself while his nanny was asleep. As soon as Joey entered the room, Jeremy reverted to staring at the screen. He looked at Corinne¡¯s sleeping face and gently stroked the phone. He then got up and went upstairs to his room. Chapter 1297 Chapter 1297 It had been a long time since Corinne had such a good sleep. She did not know if it was because she slept in the room she used to live in when she was a child. A dreamless night was especially good in relieving fatigue. When she woke up, she rubbed her eyes and got out of bed to freshen up. She then rummaged through the closet to look for some clothes to change into. Lucas had prepared a lot of maternity clothes for her. They were all brand new, and even the tags were still on. Once she finally settled on somethingfortable, she took off her pajamas and put on her maternity clothes. Out of habit, the first thing she did after that was reach out for her phone. As soon as she walked to the bedside table and picked up the phone to check the time, she saw Jeremy¡¯s handsome face on the screen. ¡°Gahh!¡± Corinne screamed in fright and stared at the phone. She could not ept that the video call was still on and asked with a stammer, ¡°Why¡­ Why d¡ªd¡ªdidn¡¯t you hang up yet?¡± The phone was rather warm because it was still on a video call throughout the entire night. It had been connected to the charging cable, which would exin why the phone had not run out of battery. Jeremy answered expressionlessly, ¡°Why should I?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. She instinctively raised her head to check whether the camera was able to capture her changing clothes on video¡ªand it did! ¡®D*mn it!¡¯ She had a bad feeling that he might have seen her naked, but she hoped for the best and asked, ¡°Did you see everything?¡± There was still a chance he might be busy with something else and was not paying attention to his phone. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged, and he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne¡¯s hopes were shattered! She blushed and asked, ¡°Ah! You¡­ You pervert!¡± Finally, there was a slight hint of emotion on his expressionless face, and a trace of yfulness appeared on his lips. ¡°I heard that a rounder belly means that the baby is a girl.¡± Corinne¡¯s scalp tingled, and her expression froze. ¡®Ugh! He watched me so closely and even managed to spot that my belly is round! He even had the nerve to predict that my baby is a daughter?¡¯ There was a saying among the older generation that rounder bellies were signs of a girl, while more pointed bellies meant that the baby was a boy. She was surprised that Jeremy heard such a saying before. That was not the point. The point was that Jeremy had looked at her naked body. Corinne said unhappily, ¡°Whether or not the child is a daughter has nothing to do with you! You¡¯re a disgusting peeping tom!¡± Jeremy seemed to be in a rather good mood despite being scolded. He pursed his lips and smiled, saying, ¡°Go get your breakfast. I have an early morning meeting to attend to.¡± Corinne hung up without answering him and felt incredibly shy after what happened. She had just changed her clothes in full view of him, and she did not even wear any innerwear under her pajamas! Jeremy saw her naked, and she was very frustrated because of that. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. At that time, someone happened to knock on her door. Corinne snapped back to her senses and shook her head to make herself forget the embarrassment she had to face. She then went to the door and opened it. Standing at the door was Sunny. He noticed her rosy cheeks and asked curiously, ¡°Why is your face so red? Did you have an enjoyable dream?¡± Corinne was already annoyed, so she knocked his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll smack you if you keep talking nonsense, you little brat!¡± Sunny covered his hurting head and said begrudgingly, ¡°I¡¯m not a brat!¡± Chapter 1298 Chapter 1298 Corinne could not be bothered to entertain Sunny¡¯s protests. She pushed him aside and walked right past him to head downstairs for breakfast. Sunny huffed when Corinne ignored him and turned to follow her. ¡°Hey! Corinne! When did you know you¡¯re my sister?¡± As Corinne held the handrail and walked slowly down the stairs, she replied curtly, ¡°I¡¯m not your sister.¡± Sunny stretched out his hand proudly and supported her. ¡°You are! I heard everything yesterday! You¡¯re Luna!¡± Corinne did not refuse Sunny assistance, but she narrowed her eyes at him and retorted, ¡°That does not mean I¡¯m your sister.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°You are! We have the same father, so you are my sister!¡± Once they reached thest step of the stairs, Corinne waved away Sunny¡¯s hand and walked toward the restaurant. Although she did not hate Sunny, she did not want to treat him as a younger brother as he was the spawn of her mother¡¯s enemy. Sunny huffed and chased after her to protest, but his attention was drawn to a tall figure who came out of the kitchen while holding some food. That person was neither the cook nor the nanny. Sunny was stunned by what he saw. ¡°Lucas? You cooked all these yourself?¡± Lucas ignored him and said gently to Corinne, ¡°Come and have some breakfast!¡± Corinne took her seat without any hesitation. Sunny reacted as if he was marveling at one of the seven wonders of the world. He immediately took out his cell phone and snapped several photos of Lucas wearing an apron. The clicking sound made Lucas frown. He looked sternly at Sunny and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sunny put the phone away and straightened his posture. ¡°Nothing! I just never saw you being so down to earth before, so I took a photo to remember this moment.¡± Lucas rolled his eyes at Sunny and brought the breakfast he prepared for Corinne. ¡°Eat your fill.¡± It was a big breakfastplete with fried eggs, bacon, fish steak, broli, fruits, and nuts. After picking up the cutlery, she looked at the time and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to work today, Mister Lucas?¡± Lucas felt a little disappointed when he heard how she addressed him, but he nheless said softly, ¡°I don¡¯t have anything urgent these days, so it¡¯s fine to go to thepany a littleter.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Corinne replied nonchntly. Sunny then leaned over and whispered in her ear, ¡°He¡¯s doing it because of you. He goes to the company whether or not he has something important to handle. He even cooked breakfast for you! I¡¯ve never received this treatment before, and neither did Anya when he was still doting on her!¡± Corinne acted as if she did not hear that and focused on eating her food. Sunny felt a pat on his shoulder, followed by Lucas¡¯ stern remark, ¡°Keep quiet and eat your breakfast!¡± Sunny sat down obediently and looked at his te. There were two fried eggs along with overcooked bacon and overly dry fish steak. Lucas was bound to have some trouble controlling the heat in the pan as he did not cook that frequently. Sunny ended up getting the not-so-well-cooked ones! N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Although he was speechless when he saw that, the food was still edible. It was far from presentable, but it was not so dry that it became difficult to swallow. Lucas sat down and had breakfast with them. His te contained only one egg and some broli. Chapter 1299 Chapter 1299 ¡°A nutritionist will prepare lunch for youter, Corinne. Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat for dinner? I¡¯ll get the ingredients after work.¡± Since Corinne chose to stay with them, she might as well treat herself to whatever she wanted. She thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯d like to eat some grilled meat.¡± Lucas frowned, apparently unhappy at her request. ¡°You should go easy on greasy food.¡± Rather than protest, Corinne said, ¡°Oh. Then I¡¯ll order some food delivery.¡± Lucas had no choice but to change his tone. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll shop for some vegetables and meats after I get off work. We¡¯ll have some grilled food when Ie back.¡± Corinne grunted softly and lowered her head to eat some bacon. She took a bite and said in a sullen tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to get that painting as soon as possible.¡± She wanted to get her hands on the painting as soon as she could so Jeremy would no longer be able to ckmail her into doing annoying things. Lucas nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t forget about it.¡± A sudden idea then urred to Sunny. He took advantage of Lucas¡¯ good mood and asked boldly, ¡°Our school has been turned into an exam venue today, and we don¡¯t have any sses to attend. Is it alright if I don¡¯t go to tuition? I want to keep Corinnepany today!¡± Lucas shot his younger half-brother a displeased look. Corinne then said, ¡°Let him have some time off. It¡¯s boring to be alone at home, and I¡¯d appreciate having somepany.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lucas smiled at Corinne, and his expression turned gentle in an instant. He then nced at his insolent younger brother and said, ¡°Be good, and don¡¯t make Corinne angry.¡± Sunny was thrilled when Lucas gave in. He nodded earnestly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lucas! I promise I won¡¯t make her angry!¡± After Lucas finished eating, he picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth. ¡°I have to go now. Be good, and call me if you need anything.¡± Corinne answered with a soft grunt. After Lucas left, Sunny immediately stood up and bbed some peanut butter on a piece of toast. He handed it to Corinne and said, ¡°Here!¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow and looked at the evenly spread peanut butter toast. She then looked at Sunny and asked, ¡°Why are you being so nice?¡± Sunny answered proudly, ¡°Can¡¯t I be nice to you?¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°You want something from me, don¡¯t you?¡± Sunny grinned after she saw through him. ¡°No, of course not! I just realized how effective your words are with Lucas! I just need to get on your good side, and Lucas won¡¯t ever beat me up again in the future!¡± ¡°Oh, quit the act. You¡¯re not going anywhere today,¡± Corinne warned with a grin. ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± Sunny frowned unhappily. Corinne took the piece of peanut butter toast and munched on it. ¡°Why should you? Didn¡¯t you just tell Lucas you want to keep mepany at home?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°Yes, and I will! I¡¯ll spend the morning with you, and in the afternoon, I¡¯ll go meet¡ª¡± Corinne cut him off without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯re meeting no one. If you do, I¡¯ll call Lucas and tell him right away.¡± Sunny was upset. ¡°How can you do that, Corinne? I don¡¯t always get a free day to spend time with my girlfriend!¡± Corinne remained unmoved and looked at him as if he was just a child. ¡°Girlfriend? Who permitted you to be in a rtionship at such a young age?¡± Sunny had an annoyed expression. ¡°I¡¯m not a child! I¡¯m an adult! I¡¯m free to be in a rtionship with anyone!¡± Corinne grinned. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Chapter 1300 Chapter 1300 ¡°I know, I know, you¡¯re my half-sister!¡± Sunny said. ¡°But you can¡¯t control me like that!¡± Corinne continued to eat her toast. ¡°I won¡¯t. But I¡¯ll have you know that Xante is my rtive on my mother¡¯s side. She¡¯ll listen to everything I say. If I tell her that I disagree with her being in a rtionship with you, then it¡¯s as good as over for the two of you!¡± Sunny¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Wait! Corinne! Don¡¯t do that¡­¡± He knew that Xante referred to Corinne as her ¡®boss¡¯ and would take Corinne¡¯s words definitively. As if that was not bad enough, Lucas did whatever she asked of him too! Sunny was worried that Lucas might veto his rtionship with Xante, but he would not have to worry about that if Corinne spoke up for him to Lucas. Corinnezily stretched out her hand. ¡°A paper napkin, please.¡± Sunny did as he was told and handed a paper napkin to her. Corinne ate the final bite of toast and wiped her hands with the paper napkin. She then got up and walked to the door. Sunny followed her from behind. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the garden,¡± Corinne answered. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a walk.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Sunny scratched his head and asked, ¡°Ahem! About me and Xante¡­¡± ¡°That would depend on whether you can prove your worth,¡± Corinne replied. Sunny immediately had a stern expression. ¡°I will! The sun is very bright outside, so wait here while I go get an umbre!¡± Sunny ran off right away to search for an umbre, but Corinne went to the garden alone without waiting for him. She walked to the sea of flowers where she once met her biological father, Maxwell, but the blooming season seemed to have passed because the flowers had all withered. She was a little disappointed that she was not able to see her mother¡¯s favorite flower. She sighed softly and continued to walk until she saw a swing chair not too far away. She decided to go over and take a seat there. Sitting on that swing chair was rather rxing. All of a sudden, her phone rang with a new message notification. She took it out and saw that it was a text from Jeremy. [I¡¯m done with the meeting. What did you have for breakfast?] Her sunny, rxing morning was ruined by a message from Jeremy. She did not want to reply to his message at all! She was about to put the phone back into her pocket when another message came. [I¡¯ll burn the painting if you don¡¯t reply.] Corinne gritted her teeth and replied, [Fried eggs, bacon, fish steak, broli, fruits, nuts, peanut butter toast, and a ss of milk.] [Sounds good.] Jeremy replied a few secondster. Corinne rolled her eyes and snorted. ¡®Are you concerned about me? Or my baby?¡¯ Jeremy then sent another message before she could reply. [And what are you doing now?] Corinne replied sullenly, [Sitting on a swing chair.] Jeremy replied within seconds: [Show me.] Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. [There¡¯s nothing to see! Focus on your work, Mister Jeremy! Don¡¯t text me for no good reason!] To her surprise, Jeremy called her¡ªand it was a video call no less. Corinne did not want to ept it, but the thought of her mother¡¯s painting left her no choice but to do so. She took a deep breath and told herself that she had to endure all that until she got her hands on the painting. After epting the video call, she saw Jeremy sittingzily on his big office chair. For a second, it almost looked as though he held dominion over the entire world. Corinne asked annoyedly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever seen a swing chair before?¡± ¡°I have,¡± he replied expressionlessly. Corinne became even angrier. ¡°Why must you insist on seeing it, then?¡± Jeremy said without batting an eye. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a little chubby pig on a swing chair before.¡± Chapter 1301 Chapter 1301 Corinne¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Who are you calling a pig?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Jeremy smirked. ¡°Who¡¯s sitting on a swing chair?¡± No woman would be happy after being called a chubby pig, and the same went for Corinne. She might have gained some weight because of her pregnancy, but her arms and legs were still slender. It was only her face and belly that became rounder. ¡°You should keep your mouth shut if you can¡¯t hold a conversation like a normal person. Otherwise, you¡¯ll run the risk of being cursed at.¡± Jeremy grinned when he saw how angry she was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a little chubby pig? It¡¯s adorable.¡± Corinne gritted her teeth and shot back unhappily, ¡°Wow, thanks for yourpliment! Well, you¡¯ve seen me on the swing, right? Is there anything else you want from me? If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be hanging up now.¡± Jeremy stroked his chinnguidly. ¡°You should maintain this weight after giving birth.¡± Corinne¡¯s anger had hit the roof. ¡°What did I do to piss you off? Do you have to jinx it like that?¡± Jeremy sat up straight and got closer to the camera. ¡°I like you this way. The chubbiness feels good to the touch.¡± ¡°Whether or not my chubbiness feels good to the touch is none of your d*mn business! You¡¯re such a jerk!¡± Corinne frowned in anger. Jeremy chuckled in a low voice. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Make sure not to stay in the sun for too long. Head back into the house when it gets hot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the boss of me!¡± Corinne shot back. ¡°I can stay in the sun for as long as I want!¡± Jeremy frowned and pretended to be serious. ¡°And be a roast pig?¡± Corinne gritted her teeth unhappily. ¡°I swear, if you call me a pig again, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Jeremy did not let himself get too carried away. His gaze softened, and he said in a persuading tone, ¡°Okay, okay. You¡¯re not a pig, and you¡¯re not fat. Your figure right now is perfect. You were too thin in the past, like you coulde crashing down if the wind was a little too strong. I like it when you have a little meat. It makes you look adorable.¡± ¡®Why is he talking to me like that? I¡¯m not a child! I¡¯ve already made myself very clear in the car yesterday! Why can¡¯t he take the hint? Does he have to keep making all these cheeky statements?¡¯ Corinne scrunched her nose in annoyance. She felt that she was blushing, so she did not look at the camera as she did not want Jeremy to notice anything. Jeremy remained silent for quite some time, too. ¡®I suppose I can end the call now if he has nothing else to say?¡¯ Corinne looked at the screen and saw that Jeremy was no longer there. The cell phone was still ced on the desk, and it was facing his empty office chair. ¡®Where is he? Why didn¡¯t he say anything if he wanted to leave? He could¡¯ve just ended the call then! What a weirdo.¡¯ Corinne was prepared to end the call when she remembered his threat from the previous night. He had warned her that he would burn the painting if she hung up. She soon hesitated as she did not want to take a chance with her mother¡¯s painting. After thinking about it, she decided to put the phone to one side instead of hanging up. At that moment, Sunny ran over and panted heavily as he opened the umbre. ¡°You were here all along! I searched everywhere for you!¡± Corinne looked at his sweaty face and realized his simple straightforwardness was his charm. It was not surprising that Xante would fall in love with him. Naive and simple-minded boys like him were far and few in between. Most of them were rotten, scheming men like Jeremy. Sunny held up the umbre to shield Corinne from the sun. As soon as he stopped panting, he asked again, ¡°Can¡¯t I go out for a while at noon? I want to have lunch with Xante¡­¡± Corinne rocked gently on the swing. ¡°What do you like about Xante?¡± Sunny was taken aback by the question. It was something he had not yet considered. Chapter 1302 Chapter 1302 Corinne looked at the blue sky beyond the umbre in silence. ¡°You like Xante because she¡¯s beautiful, independent, and she¡¯s different from the annoying group of girls at school?¡± Sunny felt that Corinne described Xante perfectly and nodded right away. ¡°Yeah, you could say that!¡± Corinne grinned. ¡°You might like her maturity now, but will you continue to like that in the future? What if you go to college and meet better, more independent girls? Will you fall for them too?¡± Sunny frowned and objected. ¡°Why do you say that? Are you telling me Xante is the kind of girl you can compare with any random girl on the street?¡± Corinne looked at Sunny. ¡°Of course not. I think she¡¯s one of a kind. You¡¯re the one who might mistake this newfound feeling for love.¡± Sunny raised his chin proudly. ¡°No, that¡¯s not how I feel! I¡¯m not the kind of guy who will get attracted to just anyone. I¡¯m either in it for the long run, or I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t do things halfway. I take my rtionship with Xante very seriously. I¡¯m going to marry her!¡± Corinne did not intend to look down on Sunny or scoff at him. She merely felt that he was a little too naive. All young people believed they would be with their partner forever, but they would break upter. It was especially true of men¡ªalways very fickle. The best-case scenario for two people in a rtionship would be to either enjoy their time together while itsted or have the same mindset of going the distance. The worst-case scenario would be if only one of them wasmitted to going the distance. Xante might be a mature, level-headed, and independent woman, but there was no telling whether or not she might fall head over heels for him and end up getting heartbroken. Corinne used to be confident in herself too, believing she would neither fall in love that easily nor let men deceive her. In the end, she suffered heartbreak all the same. When Sunny saw Corinne space out, he asked in irritation, ¡°Hey, Corinne! Will you let me meet her or not? Newmoon Group isn¡¯t very far away. I¡¯ll just be out for an hour at noon, and I promise I¡¯lle back on time!¡± Corinne recovered from her sentimental thoughts and smiled when she looked at the simpleton in front of her. ¡°Go ahead, then.¡± For the moment, at least, Sunny was still too naive to lie to Xante. Whether or not their rtionship would develop into something more would remain to be seen. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Sunny grinned when he received her permission. ¡°I knew you¡¯d let me! Xante told me you¡¯re a softie at heart even though you look intimidating. I guess it¡¯s true, then!¡± Corinne snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Lucas if you¡¯re even a secondte!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry!¡± promised Sunny. ¡°Oh, but you have to hold the umbre by yourself, though. Since I can finally get to meet Xante, I need to choose some good clothes and do my hair too!¡± He handed the umbre over to Corinne and turned to leave. Corinne was speechless. When Sunny said he was going to choose an outfit and style his hair, she felt that he was acting like one of those young girls going on their first date. It was a good thing, though, as it meant his love for Xante was pure and unadulterated. Corinne then remembered her cell phone and picked it up to look at the screen. She was surprised to discover that she was still on the video call. There was also someone on the other end of the call, but it was not Jeremy. The person was none other than Sophia, who sat on Jeremy¡¯s office chair in a dignified manner and was applying her lipstick in front of a small mirror. Chapter 1303 Chapter 1303 The lipstick on Sophia¡¯s lips was a little smudged. When Sophia sensed that someone was looking at her, she ced the mirror to one side and looked into the camera to greet Corinne. ¡°Hi, Corinne!¡± said Sophia with a smile. ¡°I saw you chatting with Sunny earlier, so I thought I wouldn¡¯t bother you! How are you feeling? You left early yesterday, so I was wondering if you managed to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Corinne frowned and said, ¡°Thanks for your concern. I slept very well.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good! I was worried you would have insomnia if a certain incident left you in a bad mood yesterday.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°And what incident could ruin my mood and make me have insomnia?¡± Sophia shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Maybe you¡¯d get angry after seeing Jeremy celebrate my birthday. To be honest, I understand how you feel. If I were you in your shoes, I¡¯d be fuming if I saw my ex-boyfriend celebrating another girl¡¯s birthday!¡± ¡°You worry too much.¡± Corinne chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll still sleep soundly even if you tell me that you¡¯ve slept with him!¡± Sophia smiled and rested her hand on her chin. ¡°Oh? What if I told you that we did sleep togetherst night?¡± Corinne cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Last night?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yup! I didn¡¯t want to tell you that at first. But since you don¡¯t seem to mind, then I might as well be honest with you! I slept with Jeremyst night!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and looked at her. ¡°Did you remember correctly? Are you sure it wasst night?¡± Jeremy could not have slept with Sophia while he was still on that video call with her all night. Perhaps they did it ¡®live¡¯ after she had fallen asleep. Sophia smiled bashfully. ¡°Well, this is how it went down! You left earlyst night, didn¡¯t you? Jason came to me and asked me if I saw you, so I went with him to check the hotel surveince. We saw from the recording that Jeremy had carried you away¡­¡± Her tone was somewhat insinuative. Corinne exined, ¡°That¡¯s because I fainted after my blood sugar level was too low. He wouldn¡¯t have carried me if I was still conscious.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin yourself, Corinne!¡± Sophia beamed with a smile. ¡°I know everything, and I¡¯m not angry at all! Jeremy told me everything so I don¡¯t have any misunderstandings!¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®No one cares if you¡¯re angry or not. I¡¯m just stating the facts.¡¯ Sophia held her face like a lovesick woman and continued, ¡°Jason and I went out to find you two. By the time we located Jeremy¡¯s car, you were already gone. Jason continued to look for you, but I got into Jeremy¡¯s car. He sent me back to the hotel after that.¡± Corinne remained expressionless. ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia then winked charmingly. ¡°Is that all you can say? Aren¡¯t you curious about what happened next?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Corinne answered. ¡®I¡¯m still going to tell you anyway!¡¯ Sophia thought to herself and smirked. She continued, ¡°Jeremy then told me that he was in a bad mood, so he wanted to rest in my room and share a drink with him. Then¡­ Well, you know what happens when a lonely man and a single woman share some drinks. It all happened so naturally¡­¡± Sophia covered her face in ecstasy as though reminiscing about it, even though she felt all shy. Corinne was speechless. ¡°Come to think of it, I have you to thank too!¡± ¡°For what?¡± Chapter 1304 Chapter 1304 Sophia rubbed her fingers all over the lipstick on the corner of her lips. ¡°For giving me this opportunity, of course! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to take advantage of the situation if you hadn¡¯t made Jeremy feel bad yesterday! Once he got a taste of my body, his attitude toward me changedpletely. As soon as I came in, he got up, hugged me, and kissed me so deeply that my lipstick was all smudged!¡± ¡®Oh, so he left the camera just to kiss Sophia?¡¯ Corinne felt nauseated. Jeremy continued to lead Corinne on just to keep her grounded and ensure the baby was all right. Perhaps he might still have feelings for her, but she was not the only person he had feelings for. That Sophia could enter and exit his office on a whim was a clear sign of that. Corinne smiled. ¡°Congrattions on finally getting your man, then! Although, I must say that your sultry appearance is ill-suited to your shy act. Try to be more straightforward next time!¡± Sophia¡¯s expression froze for a moment, but she smiled and said, ¡°Corinne, you¡ª¡± The call ended right away. Sophia stared at the cked-out phone screen and snorted. Corinne might act as if she did not care, but Sophia knew she felt otherwise. Jeremy never actually epted her invitation to have a drink with her at the hotel. He asked his driver to leave as soon as Sophia had been dropped off. However, the truth was not important as long as Corinne¡¯s misunderstanding was perpetuated. Her refusal to forgive Jeremy was essential as that was the catalyst for increasing the distance between them. Sooner orter, they would continue to drift apart. At that moment, Jeremy pushed the office door open and came back. He had left to meet an unexpected guest earlier. As soon as he saw Sophia sitting on his desk, his expression sank, and he asked coldly, ¡°Why are you here? Who let you in?¡± Sophia stood up nervously and pretended to smile naturally. ¡°Jeremy! You¡¯re finally back! I just came in less than a minute ago! I noticed that your secretary wasn¡¯t around, so I tried knocking on your door. No one answered me, so I opened the door and came in to see if everything was alright. I was a little tired from wearing high heels, so I identally sprained my foot when I went up the stairs. It was a little hard for me to walk, so I thought I could rest my feet and sit here. We¡¯ve been friends for so many years now. You don¡¯t mind me sitting in your chair, do you?¡± Jeremy walked over. He nced at the chair that she had sat on and looked at the phone that was ced on the desk. He asked in a deep voice, ¡°Did you touch my phone?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t! The screen wasn¡¯t lit when I sat here. I thought it was a bit strange that you¡¯d ce your phone on the pen holder like that, but I didn¡¯t dare to touch it. I know you don¡¯t like other people touching your belongings.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Sophia walked across the table with a smile and held up a bag of exquisite gifts she brought. ¡°I brought you some ck truffle choctes. They¡¯re birthday presents from my friends abroad. I have two boxes here, and I¡¯d like you to have one. They¡¯re delicious!¡± Jeremy did not even look at what Sophia was holding. He strode over and took his hand out from his trouser pocket to grab his phone. He nced at the call duration and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want youing here and giving me these things anymore.¡± Sophiamented, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be nice, Jeremy. Can¡¯t I share some good food with you? I¡¯m worried you¡¯re working too hard too. Don¡¯t you consider me your friend anymore?¡± Jeremy clicked on Corinne¡¯s profile and saw that she made a post just a minute ago. [I used to be afraid of snakes when I was a child. Now that I¡¯m an adult, I¡¯m more afraid of snakes in suits.] Jeremy narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, ¡®Who is she talking about?¡¯ Chapter 1305 Chapter 1305 Jeremymented on Corinne¡¯s post, [Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here.] Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. When he ignored Sophia and focused entirely on typing something on the phone, she became a little impatient and said to him, ¡°Jeremy? Are you listening to me?¡± Jeremy nced at her and asked, ¡°Have you gathered all the documents?¡± A guilty twinge shed across Sophia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s a little difficult to re-issue everything across countries. It would take a while for them to send it over.¡± She had lied that she had lost her certificate and used that as an excuse to keep procrastinating as there was no way for her to revoke the marriage. She also ¡®lost¡¯ her passport, so it was very difficult for her to fly back to make a new application. Jeremy said, ¡°Get it done as soon as you can.¡± Sophia nodded, but she then said to him, ¡°I don¡¯t mind maintaining things as they are now, Jeremy! I can always help you and Corinne to avoid certain issues. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Jeremy answered coldly, ¡°I mind.¡± Sophia had an awkward expression and forced a smile. ¡°You¡¯re worried that Corinne might misunderstand us, right? I get it. I¡¯ll tell my dadter and see if he can get someone to fast-track the process!¡± Jeremy grunted absent-mindedly and stared quietly at his phone. He was waiting for Corinne to reply to hisment. When Sophia saw that Jeremy was in no mood to talk to her, she finally seemed to be able to read the room. ¡°In that case, you should continue with your work then, Jeremy! I won¡¯t bother you anymore. See you some other time!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± He looked at her and stopped her. Sophia halted her footsteps with surprise on her face. ¡°Yes, Jeremy?¡± He gestured to the gift box on the table with his chin. ¡°Take those away. I don¡¯t eat that sort of thing.¡± Sophia¡¯s expression froze, and she said hypocritically, ¡°Let Corinne try them, then. Girls love chocte!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to give her something I don¡¯t want. If she wants some chocte, I can always buy them for her,¡± Jeremy said pointedly. Sophia just picked up the box of choctes to avoid any further embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t consider that. I¡¯ll take it away then! See you some other time!¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°I hope your certificate has been reissued the next time I see you.¡± Sophia had an ugly look on her face. Jeremy was implying that he would only see her if he was able to revoke that meaningless marriage certificate. Although her mood had been ruined, she pretended to stay calm and said, ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t worry so much about it!¡± When Sophia left, Jeremy stood by the desk and continued to stare at the phone. He wanted Corinne to reply, but she never did. He tugged on his tie and felt a little annoyed. He reached out to dial a number in the office telephone on his desk and called for his secretary. ¡°Get some guys to rece my office chair with a new one. Throw this old one away.¡± His secretary was a little puzzled, but she kept quiet and refrained from asking her the reason. ¡°Understood, sir.¡± Minutester, a new office chair was brought in, and the old one was disposed of. Chapter 1306 Chapter 1306 It was only then Jeremy sat on the new chair. Failing to get a reply from Corinne, he rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly before taking out an anonymous letter from his suit pocket. The anonymous letter was delivered through the crack of the door by a stranger who kept their face hidden. The security guard immediately alerted Jeremy of the existence of the letter when he found it because it was addressed to him. What was even more unsettling was there were a few drops of blood on the letter. Jeremy ripped open the letter and read the printed words. [I already know what¡¯s most important to you. You work in the light while I work in the dark. Just how long do you think you can guard against me? This will be yourst chance to give me an answer that can satisfy me. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless because you¡¯ll surelye to regret it. It¡¯s our hope that you won¡¯t push us to the edge, dearest eldest brother!] He crumpled up the letter and threw it into the trash can after he finished reading it. He then put his hands behind his head and leaned against his desk to get some shut-eye. ¡®A person bes vulnerable when they have something to lose. That¡¯s why many people live in fear of losing the people or things they love the most,¡¯ thought Jeremy. After a while, he sat back up and called Tommy. ¡°Tommy, how¡¯s the investigation going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still going through the surveince footage. It¡¯s taking some time as more people came to the company than usual.¡± ¡°Look into anyone who¡¯s even remotely suspicious. We must find the culprit before Corinne gives birth.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, back at the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Corinne had already seen thement Jeremy left her, but she chose not to reply to him out of spite. ¡®Huh! The nerve of him leaving me ament like that!¡¯ thought Corinne. After sunbathing for a while, she went back inside the mansion and asked a servant for a ss of orange juice. She was sitting on the sofa drinking the orange juice when she heard the sound of footstepsing down from the stairs. A few secondster, Sunny appeared in front of her to show off his look. He had put a copious amount of wax in his hair andbed it back to look more mature. Toplete his look, he wore a suit and a pair of leather shoes. ¡°What do you think? Do I look mature enough now? No one will say Xante is a cradle-snatcher if I go out with her looking like this, right?¡± he asked with a wink, his thumb and index finger under his chin. With the straw still in her mouth, Corinne looked at him and calmly said, ¡°You look like a secret agent.¡± Not every man could pull off abed-back hairstyle. As a matter of fact, Sunny looked like a toddler wearing his father¡¯s clothes. ¡®He can pretend to be mature all he wants, but he¡¯ll never fool anyone,¡¯ mused Corinne. The only man Corinne knew who could pull off the look was Jeremy. He would always sport abed- back hairstyle at work as it made him look mature and authoritative. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. However, he would favor another look while he was at home. After showering, he would let his hair hang down naturally and when dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts, he looked to be, at most, in his mid-twenties. Even though he would have liked to dress more casually at work, he knew the board of directors¡ª which mostly consisted of old men¡ªand the customers would not respect him or would question his capability if he did not look the part of a CEO. Thus, he had no choice but to make himself look older than he really was. Chapter 1307 Chapter 1307 ¡®Wait, why am I thinking of that jerk again? Ugh, he¡¯s like a ghost that just won¡¯t leave me alone!¡¯ grumbled Corinne mentally. Sunny was not happy at being likened to a secret agent. ¡°Oh,e on. You don¡¯t really think I look like a secret agent, do you? I mean, have you ever seen a secret agent as handsome as me? Plus, Jeremy wears his hair like this too. Are you saying he looks like a secret agent as well?¡± Corinne became annoyed at the mention of Jeremy. ¡°You should learn from Lucas instead of someone else.¡± Sunny lifted his chin. ¡°Lucas doesn¡¯t need tob his hair back because he already looks mature! I¡¯ve seen Jeremy without his hairbed back, and he doesn¡¯t look a day over thirty. What¡¯s wrong with me imitating his style?¡± Even though Corinne agreed with his words, she still said, ¡°I suggest that you go as your usual self. There¡¯s no use pretending who you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t believe you. After all, you were so smitten by Jeremy¡¯s look back then,¡± said Sunny confidently. Corinne was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Xante¡¯s going to fall head over heels with me if she sees me like this,¡± proimed Sunny. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll think you¡¯ve lost your mind if she sees you like this,¡± countered Corinne. Sunny decided to ignore Corinne. He ran over to a mirror to admire his looks before waving goodbye at her. ¡°I should get going now. I promise I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡± Corinne ignored him and continued to sip her orange juice. Knowing Xante, she was sure she would not be happy with Sunny¡¯s look. She would not be surprised if Sunny came back looking sad. She leaned backzily against the sofa and grabbed her phone to see if there were any messages. There was indeed one sent by Jeremy from 10 minutes ago. [Are you going to ignore me again?] N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Corinne frowned and deleted his message. ¡®Out of sight, out of mind,¡¯ she thought. However, one secondter, she received a text message from Jason. [Corinne, where are you right now?] Corinne replied, [I¡¯ve already eaten.] Jason sent her a tearyugh emoji along with the message, [Here you go changing the topic again. I¡¯m asking where you are.] [I don¡¯t want to have lunch with you. Mister Jason, I suggest you put your time to some good use instead of texting me. You really shouldn¡¯t harass a pregnantdy like me, you know.] Jason sent her another tearyugh emoji. [How did you know I was going out for lunch?] [Lucky guess. That¡¯s why I told you I¡¯ve eaten.] [Corinne, are you really not going to tell me where you are?] [Don¡¯t worry. All you need to know is that I¡¯m in a safe ce andck for nothing. Thank you for your concern, though.] [Fine. I guess I have no choice but to enjoy these delicious foods alone.] Jason then spammed her with pictures of tantalizing food to whet her appetite. Corinne simply replied with an annoyed emoji and stopped messaging him after that. She was very well aware Jason had a crush on her, but he was starting to get on her nerves. She decided that it was best to keep her distance from him. However, she would still help him should he run into any trouble since he did help her when she was at her lowest, even though doing so would put him at Jeremy¡¯s wrath. She put down her phone and nodded off on the sofa. The servant ced a nket over her when they saw she was sleeping. In her dream, a group of people with guns in their hands were chasing after her in a maze while she had nothing to protect herself. The only thing she could do was to run and hide. Suddenly, she heard a gunshot. She thought she had been shot, but when she turned back, she saw Jeremy falling backward to the ground while blood gushed out from a hole in his chest. She was only alive because Jeremy had saved her from the bullet. Chapter 1308 Chapter 1308 Corinne panicked and tried to stop Jeremy¡¯s bleeding by pressing one hand onto his gaping hole while she called the emergency hotline with the other hand. However, her hand was shaking so much that she kept pressing on the wrong number. Jeremy¡¯s face became paler as he lost more blood, but that did not stop him from feebly smiling and saying weakly, ¡°Little rascal, can you forgive me now?¡± Corinne nodded rapidly as tears streamed down her face. ¡°Please don¡¯t die¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes gradually lost focus before he closed them for thest time. ¡°No!¡± screamed Corinne, waking up in shock. ¡°Miss Corinne, are you okay?¡± Corinne opened her eyes and saw the maid looking worriedly at her ¡°Miss Corinne, you¡¯re sweating a lot. Are you unwell? Shall I call for the doctor?¡± Corinne shook her head and shakily replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The maid passed her some tissue to wipe away her sweat before pouring a ss of water for her. Corinne was still slightly breathing hard while the pain in her chest never subsided. The dream was so real that she could not shake off the feeling, even though she kept telling herself it was just a dream. She just wanted him to stay away from her, not die! ¡®Ugh, this is so suffocating. But why would I dream about something like this?¡¯ wondered Corinne. She took the ss of warm water from the maid¡¯s hand and drank it before letting out a long sigh of relief. At that moment, Sunny came back looking sad. ¡®Huh? Have I slept that long?¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne took another sip of water before asking Sunny, ¡°How did it go? Did you manage to make Xante fall head over heels with you?¡± Sunny ignored her and strode up the stairs forlornly. Not only did Xante not fall head over heels with him, but shepletely ignored him! She would not even go to lunch with him! ¡®Do I really look ridiculous dressed like this? Sh*t! Women are so hard to please!¡¯ thought Sunny. Corinne raised an eyebrow as she watched Sunny go up the stairs like a sad puppy. She was not surprised at the oue at all. She knew Xante hated pretentious people the most, so it was not surprising she would ignore Sunny. Corinne checked her phone again. There were no more messages from Jeremy. ¡®Huh¡­ This is rare,¡¯ she thought. However, she could not help but feel anxious at the same time. ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t overthink things.¡¯ After all, no one in the world would dare to cross Jeremy. Doing so was as good as courting death. Corinne rewatched some of her favorite series to stop herself from overthinking after she had her lunch, which had been specially prepared by the nutritionist Lucas hired for her. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. When evening came, Lucas walked in with Edmund, who was carrying two bags full of groceries in his hands. Lucas walked over to her and stroked her hair. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯m back. I¡¯ve bought all the ingredients for the barbeque you¡¯ve been craving for. It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± said Corinne absent-mindedly. Lucas sat gracefully beside her after one of the servants helped him out of his jacket. ¡°I¡¯ve also brought you something you¡¯ve been wishing for!¡± Chapter 1309 Chapter 1309 Corinne finally shifted her gaze from the television to Lucas. ¡°Something I¡¯ve been wishing for?¡± ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Lucas snapped his fingers, and the servants immediately brought in and lifted off the white dust-proof fabric covering the painting. Corinne¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. It was the self-portrait of Nellie Nymphaea! The woman in the painting was looking down despairingly, yet her bodynguage showed an unyielding thirst for life as though there was still something holding her back. There were fine lines around her eyes and the two sides of her nose, so Corinne guessed her mother should be in her mid-thirties when she painted this self-portrait. ¡®If this is Mom¡¯s self-portrait, that means she managed to escape from being killed after she left me with the Carews,¡¯ thought Corinne. She could not help but hope that her mother was still alive even until then. Lucas¡¯ expression subtly changed when he saw the painting. There were so many things he regretted when it came to his mother. Being 10 years older than Corinne, he remembered much more about Emily than his little sister. After a while, Corinne snapped out of her trance. She then turned to Lucas and asked curiously, ¡°How did you manage to get the painting in one day?¡± She thought Jeremy would not give her the painting no matter what. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lucas thought it was surprising too. ¡°Things went better than I expected! I went to find Jeremy this afternoon, and after I told him the purpose of my visit, he straight away ordered his men to bring the painting to me.¡± Corinne found that incredulous. ¡°Really? He didn¡¯t ask for anything in return?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°Nope. He didn¡¯t even ask for payment.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°How can you not pay him? Didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯d pay you back no matter how much it costs? I don¡¯t want to owe him anything!¡± Lucas looked deeply into her eyes as he exined, ¡°I did give him the money, but he said he didn¡¯t want it. He even told me to give the money to you since you¡¯re the one who holds the purse strings in the rtionship.¡± Corinne frowned and pursed her lips. ¡®Why does he still say that when we¡¯re not together anymore?¡¯ Wanting to draw a clear line between them, Corinne muttered, ¡°Who wants his money? Forget it. I¡¯ll just ask him how much he wants for the painting and wire him the moneyter!¡± ¡°Do you need money from me?¡± asked Lucas gently. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No. I have my own money.¡± Lucas sighed helplessly. He really looked forward to the day when Corinne would ept his care and money since that would mean she epted him as her brother. ¡°Alright, then. I¡¯ll go get the barbecue going and call you when the food¡¯s ready.¡± Corinne nodded. After he left, she picked up her phone again. She hesitated for a while before shooting off a message to Jeremy. [Mister Jeremy, how much did you buy the painting for?] A minuteter, he replied, [Not much.] [Tell me now. I don¡¯t want to owe you!] [You don¡¯t owe me.] Corinne thought it was going nowhere, so she wired him a sum that she calcted by doubling the amount of money Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s previous paintings went for. ¡­ Meanwhile, a ck car was driving along the country road. Jeremy frowned, and his expression darkened when he received the money transfer notification for a huge sum. He did not even bother to click on the notification before putting his phone away. At that moment, Tommy¡ªwho was sitting in the front passenger seat¡ªturned back to report to him, ¡°Mister Jeremy, we¡¯re nearly there. We managed to track down the suspicious guy who dropped off the letter for you to the location up ahead.¡± Chapter 1310 Chapter 1310 Jeremy narrowed his eyes when he saw the abandoned factory in front of him. A few minutester, the car stopped in front of the factory, and he got down. ¡­ Meanwhile, back at the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Lucas was supervising the kitchen staff. He wanted to make sure all the ingredients were prepared safely and correctly for Corinne¡¯s consumption. After a while, he brought out some meatballs and called toward the living room, ¡°Corinne, dinner¡¯s ready!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Coming!¡± said Corinne. She then turned off the television with the remote and walked toward the dining room. Recently, she was quick to hunger, but she just chalked it down to the baby needing more nourishment. After he called Corinne over, Lucas ordered one of the servants to ask Sunny down for dinner. Sunny was still in his room sulking at that time. However, as much as he was not in the mood to eat, he dared not defy his brother¡¯s order. As soon as he came into the dining room and smelled the barbecue grilling, he found his appetite came back. In fact, he was even hungrier than before since the whole thing with Xante caused him to skip lunch. Sunny sat and poured some sauce onto his te. ¡°Lucas, didn¡¯t you use to stop us from eating barbecue food because of how unhealthy it is?¡± he asked curiously. Lucas¡¯ face instantly darkened. He gave Sunny a side-eye while saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine if we eat it once in a while.¡± Sunny did not dare to say anything else after that. He was so afraid Lucas was going to lecture him again that he decided to do the smart thing by moving to sit next to Corinne. The Riveras¡¯ dining table was sorge that they had to stand up to get the food from the tabletop grill. Thus, Lucas thought it would be easier if he sat next to Corinne too so that the servants could help them grill the food from the other side. Lucas ced some steak onto Corinne¡¯s te. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ve booked a room for you at the hospital. You just need to tell me when your water breaks, and we¡¯ll go straight to the hospital.¡± ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± said Corinne serenely. After that, she busied herself with eating. Lucas could not help but feel Corinne was trying to distance herself from him, so he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m just doing what any brother would do.¡± Corinne pretended she did not hear what he said. Lucas sighed softly and left it at that. ¡®I wonder when she¡¯ll stop treating me like a stranger¡­¡¯ he thought. Halfway through their dinner, Edmund suddenly walked into the dining room and whispered something into Lucas¡¯ ear. Lucas¡¯ eyes immediately widened. ¡°When did that happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure as I just received the news,¡± answered Edmund gravely. Lucas quickly put down his fork and knife before ncing at Corinne with aplicated look on his face. Noticing something was off, Sunny asked, ¡°Edmund, did something happen?¡± Edmund did not know how to answer him, so he chose to stay silent. Lucas nced coldly at Sunny. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you. Eat your dinner!¡± Sunny pouted and did as he was told. Lucas picked up his napkin to wipe his hand. After that, he stood and said, ¡°Corinne, take your time with your dinner. I need to step out for a moment to do something, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Corinne with a nod. Knowing where her boundaries were, she did not ask Lucas what happened or where he was going. Instead, she picked up another piece of steak from the grill and put it on her te. Sunny still felt the whole thing was off as he watched Lucas leave. ¡°I wonder what happened to cause Lucas to dash off like that.¡± ¡°Mind your own business, kiddo!¡± warned Corinne with a nce. Chapter 1311 Chapter 1311 ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times that I¡¯m not a kid anymore!¡± warned Sunny. Corinne did not take what he said to heart. She simply said, ¡°I¡¯m going to finish all the steak if you don¡¯t want to eat them.¡± ¡°I do want to eat them!¡± said Sunny arrogantly with a lift of his chin before grabbing some steak off the grill. He did not have many opportunities to eat barbecue since he did not have the money to. Lucas feared that Sunny would pick up bad habits if he gave him lots of pocket money, and he would not allow him to eat fast food either. Thus, Sunny would either eat at the school cafeteria or at home. It was only when Sunny got together with Xante that he got to eat outside. Frankly, he did feel ashamed that Xante had to pay for all of their dates. Thus, he vowed to make it up to her once he got a job. Corinne went up to her room to take a shower after she finished her dinner. Even though they had the air-conditioner on in the dining room, the heat from the tabletop grill still caused her to sweat a little. After she came out of the bathroom, she scrolled through her phone with one hand while drying her hair with a towel with the other. It had been two hours since she wired the money to Jeremy, but he still did not ept it. Corinne did not want to owe Jeremy, so she texted him to remind him to ept the money. She wanted to block him after he received the money since there would be no point for them to keep in contact after that. However, not only did Jeremy not ept the money, but he did not reply to her either. ¡®Ah, well. I¡¯ll just remind him again tomorrow if he doesn¡¯t want to ept it today,¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. The painting had already been delivered to Corinne¡¯s room. It was resting against the wall, waiting to be put up. Fragmented memories from when she was little began to rush into her mind as she stared at the painting. ¡®I wonder where Mom is and how she¡¯s doing¡­ Why didn¡¯t shee find me if she¡¯s alive?¡¯ thought Corinne. She was only a few years old when she was separated from Emily, and fast forward to then, she was about to be a mother herself. Corinne touched her belly, and her expression softened. ¡®Soon I¡¯ll be able to meet you, little one.¡¯ Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, her phone rang. She snapped out of her trance and picked up her phone¡ªit was Annie calling. Corinne was about to answer the call when Annie canceled the call. ¡®This is weird¡­ Did something happen to her?¡¯ wondered Corinne. She called her back but was rejected. ¡®Something fishy is definitely going on!¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. She called her back again but got the same response. Getting more worried by the second, Corinne texted her, [Hey, are you okay? Did something happen?] After a minute or so, Annie replied, [Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Sorry, I pressed the wrong number. I¡¯m outside at the moment, so I can¡¯t talk.] Corinne was relieved to know Annie was alright, so she did not ask her any more questions. She put down her phone to blow dry her hair and went to sleep. She fell asleep quite fast, but she had a not-quite-scary but very tiring dream. She would either be running or looking for something in her dream, causing her to wake up groggy the next day. When she went down for breakfast, she could not help but feel like Lucas wanted to tell her something but was stopping himself. ¡°Mister Lucas, why do you keep looking at me like that? Do you have something to tell me?¡± she asked with a frown. Chapter 1312 Chapter 1312 Lucas stared at Corinne for a while before suddenly offering a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t look too good today. Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°Yeah, I had a few weird dreams.¡± Lucas stood up and stroked Corinne¡¯s hair. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think too much before you go to sleep. You won¡¯t get weird dreams that way.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± said Corinne lightly. After that, Lucas turned to Sunny and said sternly, ¡°Sunny, I¡¯ve informed your school you¡¯ll be taking the day off today, so you can stay home with Corinne.¡± Sunny did a double-take when he heard Lucas. ¡®What? Is Lucas being serious? This is the first time he¡¯s ever done that for me!¡¯ he thought happily. Seeing how happy Sunny was, Lucas reminded him solemnly, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have to do your homework. You have to finish them before Ie home from work today, okay?¡± ¡°Got it,¡± said Sunny with a nod. ¡®Why do I still have to do my homework when I don¡¯t have to go to school? Oh well, it¡¯s better than having to go to school. I can even sneak out when he¡¯s not home.¡¯ After Lucas left for work, Sunny looked at Corinne admiringly and said, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re amazing! I can¡¯t believe Lucas gave me a day off school just because he was worried you¡¯d be bored staying at home alone. ¡°I heard Lucas used to spoil Luna a lot, and I always wondered to what extent. Does he spoil her more than he spoils Anya? I see he spoils you even more than Anya! Don¡¯t get me wrong, he was really good to Anya, but only if she didn¡¯t do anything to test his principles. But the way Lucas treats you is like he has no principles anymore!¡± Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°Hurry and finish your breakfast. You still have a lot of homework to do.¡± She did not really care who Lucas spoiled more. ¡°Umm, Corinne, can I go outter?¡± he asked earnestly, which was a contrast to his usual haughty attitude. ¡°I promise toe back within an hour!¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°You can if you finish your homework.¡± Sunny immediately stood up. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll go do them now!¡± After that, he ran up to his room to do his homework. Corinne noticed the mostly untouched food on his te and thought how good it was to be young and full of hope when it came to love. She could not do that at her age anymore. The most important thing for her to do was to eat well, sleep well, and basically take care of herself well so that she would be at her best to deliver the baby. Around 10:30 a.m., Sunny came running down the stairs to show hispleted homework to Corinne. ¡°Look! I¡¯ve finished!¡± Corinne was sitting on the sofa and scrolling through her phone. She had reminded Jeremy to ept the transaction when she saw he still had not this morning. However, there was still no response from him. ¡®Grr! Why won¡¯t that annoying jerk just ept it?¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne snapped back to the present when she heard Sunny talking to her. She took his homework and turned a few pages to check his work. A few minutester, she raised her hand and said, ¡°Pen, please.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°What do you need a pen for? This isn¡¯t your homework.¡± Corinne pointed to one of the questions in the book. ¡°I¡¯m going to circle all the questions that you did wrong. You¡¯re not allowed to go out unless you correct all the wrong questions.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°D*mn it!¡± Sunny scratched his head out of frustration. Left with no choice, he ran up to his room to get a pen for Corinne. Corinne circled 20 wrong questions in Sunny¡¯s book. She asked him to redo the questions right in front of her, and he had no choice but to do as he was told so he would be allowed to go out. Chapter 1313 Chapter 1313 It took Sunny another hour to redo the questions. After Corinne went through all his corrections, he was finally allowed to go out for an hour. Learning from yesterday¡¯s mistake, he changed into something he usually wore and went out to meet Xante. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Corinne went back to scrolling through her phone after she supervised Sunny¡¯s homework. Jeremy still had not epted her money or replied to her. ¡®What is wrong with him? One minute he¡¯s hot, and the next he¡¯s cold? How can he y dead after saying all those things to mest night?!¡¯ She did not really care whether he replied to her or not, but she really wished he would at least ept the money. Suddenly, she noticed the message Jason sent her, so she clicked on it. [Corinne, how are you doing?] Corinne thought it was weird of him to ask her that. [I¡¯m doing quite well. Why do you ask?] [Really? You don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong, you know. I can go find you if you need a shoulder to cry on.] [What do you mean? Why would I want to cry?] This time, it took Jason five minutes to reply. [Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just worried your mood swings will be worse since your due date is so close now.] Corinne could not quite put her finger on it, but something was off about the whole conversation. [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m taking care of myself really well. Thanks for your concern, though.] [Okay. Rest well, then.] The conversation left Corinne restless when she felt a kick in her stomach. She looked down and saw the baby moving! ¡®The baby must¡¯ve picked up on my anxiety. That¡¯s why the kid is moving around¡­¡¯ Corinne rubbed her belly and cooed softly, ¡°There, there, little one. Mommy¡¯s here.¡± She kept reassuring her baby until he gradually calmed down and stopped kicking. ¡­ Sunny managed to arrive at Newmoon Group just when it was lunch break. Since he was there so often, Xante¡¯s secretary did not even bat an eyelid when she saw him walking through the office. She simply nodded and let him in. The moment Sunny swaggered into Xante¡¯s office, he saw her staring out at the floor-to-ceiling ss window lost in thought. Thus, he tiptoed over and shouted, ¡°Boo!¡± Not only did Sunny fail to scare Xante, but it just added to her impression of how childish he was. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses elegantly and asked, ¡°What are you doing here again? Shouldn¡¯t you be at home spending time with Corinne?¡± ¡°I did that in the morning, so I thought I¡¯d spend time with you now. Do you know how sad I was when you ignored me yesterday? I had to go hungry until dinner, too! But I¡¯m willing to forgive you as long as you have lunch with me today.¡± Xante nced at him. ¡°We can have lunch another day. It¡¯s more important for you to stay at home with Corinne for the next few days since it¡¯s dangerous for her to be left alone.¡± Sunny did not understand what she was talking about. ¡°What do you mean? Wasn¡¯t she frequently alone at home when she was living with you guys too?¡± Chapter 1314 Chapter 1314 Xante was even more serious than usual. ¡°Things are different now. Corinne will go intobor very soon, so we need to be extra careful. You, especially, need to help me take care of her since she¡¯s staying at your ce,¡± said Xante sternly. Sunny understood where she wasing from. He was also happy that Xante was willing to rely on him, so he said, ¡°You got it, Xante! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of Corinne as soon as we¡¯ve finished having lunch together.¡± ¡°Good. And oh, keep her away from outside news if possible,¡± said Xante meaningfully. This, however, baffled Sunny. ¡°How can I pull that off? It¡¯s not like I can take away her phone and the television.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take away her phone or TV; just make sure no one tells her anything they shouldn¡¯t. You too. Don¡¯t tell her anything if you hear any shocking news. Understood?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny could not but feel something was different about Xante. ¡°Xante, just what the heck is going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just keep in mind what I told you,¡± replied Xante. She was not deliberately trying to hide anything from him. She was just worried that he would do something rash if she told him what happened. Thus, it was best if Sunny was kept in the dark. However, she could not stop other people from telling him about it. She hoped Sunny she told him, which would remind him to stay calm no matter what. Xante got up from her chair. ¡°You wanted to have lunch together, right? Well, let¡¯s go.¡± Sunny followed her happily out of the office. ¡°Where are we going to have lunch?¡± ¡°Thepany¡¯s cafeteria. I¡¯ll get my driver to drive you home after that.¡± Sunny became disappointed. ¡°I was hoping we could go somewhere nicer since I dide all the way to hang out with you.¡± ¡°You can go home if you don¡¯t like the food in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like the food, but¡­there are just too many people there. I was hoping I could have some alone time with you.¡± Xante ignored him and continued to walk toward the cafeteria. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the cafe downstairs of Newmoon Group. ¡°What happened, Annie? Why are you crying?¡± asked Marcus anxiously when he saw how red and swollen Annie¡¯s eyes were. Annie warmed her cold hands with the hot coffee the waiter brought over while tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Someone¡­murdered¡­Uncle Jeremy,¡± she said between sobs. ¡°What? Someone murdered Mister Jeremy?! Who? What happened?¡± asked Marcus in shock. Annie wiped her tears away with her arm and blew her nose so she could speak more coherently. ¡°There was an explosion in an abandoned factory yesterday. The police¡­found Uncle Jeremy¡¯s car and a dead body who they suspected was Uncle Jeremy.¡± Marcus¡¯ jaw dropped in shock. He had seen the news yesterday, and the explosion even became one of the trending topics. Nheless, there was still no confirmation as to who the dead body belonged to. Chapter 1315 Chapter 1315 Marcus assumed Holden Group must have exerted pressure on the mediapanies to stop them from covering Jeremy¡¯s death. ¡°Someone must¡¯ve set him up! Why else would he go to an abandoned factory?¡± sobbed Annie. ¡°Did he go alone?¡± asked Marcus. ¡°His right-hand man and the driver went with him,¡± answered Annie in a hoarse voice. ¡°Then are those two still alive?¡± Annie shook her head. ¡°No one knows where they are right now.¡± Marcus frowned. As much as he felt sorry for Annie, he did not know how to help her since he was not familiar with how things work in the lives of the elites. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. However, Annie did not go to him for help. What she really wanted was for him tofort her. ¡°My family is a mess right now, and my parents forbid me from telling anyone about this. But I¡¯m so¡­so sad. Uncle Jeremy doted on me ever since I was little. He might be a little fierce sometimes, but he never says no to me when I ask him for something!¡± Marcus patted her hand gently before sighing helplessly. ¡°Annie, I know you¡¯re sad, but I really don¡¯t know how tofort you. All I can give is my condolences.¡± Annie wiped her tears away again. ¡°I¡¯m actually better off than Corinne since I can cry and talk to you about it, but she¡­ She doesn¡¯t even know Uncle Jeremy is dead. As soon as I got the news yesterday, I wanted to call and tell her, but Mister Aaron stopped me. He said the shock might send her into prematurebor, so it¡¯s best to keep the news from her.¡± Marcus was stunned, not at the fact that Corinne still had no idea about Jeremy¡¯s death but because Annie was with Aaron yesterday. However, he knew it was not the right time to pursue the matter. ¡°But they¡¯ve broken up, right? If I remember correctly, Miss Corinne was unwilling to forgive Mister Jeremy, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯d be that sad. Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Annie,¡±forted Marcus. Annie shook her head stubbornly. ¡°No! They might look like they hate each other, but everyone could tell they still love and care about each other very much. I¡¯m sure they would¡¯ve gotten back with each other once the misunderstanding was cleared up!¡± Marcus was about to say something when he saw someone walking toward them. He quickly stood up and said awkwardly, ¡°Hi, Mister Aaron¡­. Are you here to get some coffee too?¡± Annie blew her nose, turned around, and saw that it was indeed Aaron who hade. Aaron raised his arm and pointed at the watch on his wrist. ¡°Marcus, lunch break is almost over. You¡¯re going to bete if you don¡¯t head back to work now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mister Aaron. I must¡¯ve forgotten the time since I was trying tofort my girlfriend. There¡¯s been a death in her family,¡± exined Marcus. Aaron looked at Annie, and then back at Marcus. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what your reason for beingte is, thepany will still dock your pay for beingte,¡± he said with a superficial smile. Marcus could feel the unbearable pressureing from Aaron. ¡°Alright, Mister Aaron. I¡¯ll go back right away.¡± Turning to Annie, Marcus said apologetically, ¡°Sorry, Annie, but I have to go back to work now. I¡¯ll call you after I get off from work. Be a dear and stop crying, okay? Mister Jeremy¡¯s not going toe back even if you keep crying. And remember to eat something.¡± He then rushed off to get back to work. Aaron sat on the seat Marcus vacated. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have told an outsider everything,¡± he chided softly. Annie could not stop her tears. ¡°He¡¯s not an outsider! He¡¯s my boyfriend,¡± she said sulkily. Chapter 1316 Chapter 1316 At that moment, Aaron was not his usual cheeky self. Instead, he said seriously, ¡°Yes, Marcus might not be an outsider to you, but he¡¯s an outsider to the Holdens. How could you tell Marcus what happened when the Holdens are trying their best to bury the news? Do you know just how severe the consequences would be if Marcus identally leaked the news?¡± Annie was stunned. It finally dawned on her what she had done wrong. She quickly picked up her phone, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll text Marcus now to tell him not to tell anybody about Uncle Jeremy.¡± Aaron sighed helplessly as he watched her type on her phone. ¡°The police are doing a DNA test on the dead body they found yesterday. It¡¯s going to take some time since they want to cover all of their bases. We¡¯ll just have to sit tight and wait. There might be a chance that the dead body doesn¡¯t belong to Mister Jeremy.¡± Annie hoped that was the case, too. However, she knew the chances were slim since the police found Jeremy¡¯s ID card on the burnt body yesterday. ¡°No matter whether the dead body is Mister Jeremy¡¯s, the one thing we cannot do is to tell Corinne about this, understood?¡± said Aaron. Annie nodded. ¡°Yes, understood. It was a good thing you stopped me from calling her yesterday. If not, I can¡¯t imagine what would happen to her¡­¡± Aaron pulled out some tissues and passed them to her. ¡°There, there. You can cry if you want.¡± Annie took the tissues and wiped away her tears. ¡°No matter what, we need to find the culprit who did this to Uncle Jeremy! We must avenge him!¡± ¡°D*mn right you are,¡± said Aaron. However, he still did not wholly believe Jeremy was dead. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Sophia had rushed over when she received the news in the morning. Like Aaron, she did not believe Jeremy was actually dead. The servants led her into the living room where Annie was sitting and crying sadly on the sofa. ¡°Francine, where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± she asked after she ran over to her. Francine looked up at her dazedly. ¡°I assume you¡¯re here because you¡¯ve heard the news. Why are you asking me that?¡± Sophia¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°No! I don¡¯t believe it¡­ That couldn¡¯t have happened to Jeremy! It¡¯s impossible¡­¡± she said while shaking her head hysterically. ¡°You think I want to believe it either?¡± cried Francine. Thinking that Francine might have gotten inurate news because she was just a kid, Sophia started looking around the room. ¡°Where are your grandparents? Have they looked into the matter? The dead body may not necessarily belong to Jeremy!¡± ¡°Grandma passed out from shock as soon as she heard the news yesterday, and Grandpa had a heart attack. He¡¯s now in his room with the family doctors monitoring him round the clock. I suggest you don¡¯t do anything to cause them any further grief,¡± said Francine weakly. Sophia staggered back. ¡°Why¡­ Why is this happening? I just saw him yesterday! Why did he go to that abandoned factory in the first ce?!¡± Francine did not have the strength to talk to Sophia anymore. It was not like anything she said then would be able to magically bring Jeremy back to life. Suddenly, Sophia remembered her father had a friend who worked as a police officer, so she quickly called her father. Her expression changed subtly after she heard what her father ryed to her what his police friend told him. She wiped her tears and then sat beside Annie.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Chapter 1317 Chapter 1317 ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne? Didn¡¯t shee back at all when she heard the news?¡± asked Sophia tearfully. Francine¡¯s eyes glinted threateningly at the mention of Corinne. ¡°You better not tell her about this! Grandma says the baby Corinne is carrying is the only living bloodline of Jeremy¡¯s. We can¡¯t let anything happen to her or the baby!¡± Sophia wiped away her tears and nodded. ¡°Your grandmother is right. Hey, Francine¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll visit your grandparents; I don¡¯t think I can stop crying if I do. Can you please tell them I¡¯ll get my dad to look into the matter, too? No matter what, we must avenge Jeremy!¡± After that, she wiped away her tears again and left the mansion to do some scheming. As soon as she got into her car, she crossed her legs and made a call. ¡°Find out where Corinne is right now. I expect an answer within ten minutes!¡± barked Sophia to the person on the other end of the call. ¡­ Corinne was eating her lunch absent-mindedly when Sunny got home. She was hungry, but everything tasted nd to her. ¡°Oh, hey. You¡¯re just eating lunch now?¡± asked Sunny as he walked over and nced at what Corinne was eating, which was a bnced meal prepared by the nutritionist Lucas hired. Corinne snapped back to the present. She looked sideways at Sunny. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Sunny nodded and sat across from her. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. You should eat your food while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Corinne absent-mindedly took a bite of the steak but then noticed Sunny was frowning as though he had something on his mind. ¡°What are you thinking about? Did you get the cold shoulder from Xante again?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow. Sunny rubbed his chin in a vexed manner. ¡°Something is off about Xante today. I can¡¯t help but think she¡¯s hiding something from me. Now that I think about it, Lucas has been acting weird for the past two days, too. I mean, why would he suddenly give me a day off from school?¡± Corinne did not notice nor did she care whether anyone was acting weird. She gave up trying to finish her lunch and picked up her phone to watch short videos instead. As she was scrolling, she came across a piece of news about an explosion in an abandoned factory. Of course, she was not interested in it, so she scrolled away. At that moment, Benson walked in and reported, ¡°Miss Corinne, Mister Sunny, there¡¯s a guest outside.¡± ¡°A guest? Who?¡± asked Sunny. Benson shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never met her before, but she said she¡¯se to visit Miss Corinne. She gave the name Sophia.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡®Why would Sophia visit me?¡¯ Sunny suddenly remembered Xante¡¯s warning this afternoon, telling him to keep outside news from reaching Corinne to save her from unnecessary provocation. ¡®I can¡¯t let Sophia meet Corinne! She¡¯s the reason Corinne and Jeremy have a misunderstanding!¡¯ thought Sunny. ¡®I don¡¯t care why she came to visit her, but her very presence would stress Corinne!¡¯ Sunny quickly thought of an idea, which was a rare thing.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sophia who? We don¡¯t know any Sophia! Don¡¯t let her in. Ask her to go back wherever she came from!¡± ordered Sunny. Chapter 1318 Chapter 1318 Benson looked at Sunny, and then at Corinne to check her reaction. He was worried that Sophia was Corinne¡¯s friend and that he would offend her if he did not let her in. Even though Lucas did not exin who Corinne was, all the servants could guess who she really was. Thus, they could not afford to cross her. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. However, Corinne did not look like she was interested in Sophia¡¯s arrival at all. Instead, she continued to eat her lunch nonchntly. ¡®Seems like the guest isn¡¯t wee here at all. That means it¡¯s safe to ask her to leave,¡¯ thought Benson. ¡°Yes, Mister Sunny. I¡¯ll do that right away,¡± he said before turning to leave. A few minutester, he came back and reported, ¡°Miss Corinne, Mister Sunny. I¡¯ve already ryed your message to Miss Sophia, but she insisted she won¡¯t leave until she gets to meet Miss Corinne. She even said she has something very important to tell her.¡± Corinne looked up and was about to say something when Sunny stood up impatiently. ¡°Something very important, huh? Well, she can tell me! I¡¯ll deal with her myself.¡± After that, he swaggered out of the dining room. Seeing this, Corinne said nothing and continued to eat her lunch. She was actually relieved that Sunny volunteered to send Sophia away since she did not want to see Sophia. ¡­ Sunny came to the mansion gate and saw Sophia standing outside with a gift bag in her hand. ¡®Does she think she can bribe her way in with gifts?¡¯ thought Sunny. He crossed his arms and said rudely, ¡°Hey, what are you doing here?¡± Sophia was disappointed to see that it was him who hade, but she forced herself to smile. ¡°Oh, Mister Sunny, you¡¯re home as well! I heard Corinne was staying at your house, so I came to visit her.¡± ¡°She is staying at our house, and shecks nothing. You don¡¯t need to get her anything!¡± ¡°Does she not want to see me?¡± asked Sophia tearfully. ¡°I know she doesn¡¯t like me, but I wouldn¡¯t havee here if I didn¡¯t have anything important to tell her. Mister Sunny, I know you¡¯re a fair and righteous man, so can you please let me go in to see her?¡± Sunny was instantly flustered by how pitiful she looked. He frowned and said, ¡°Hey, why do you look like you¡¯re about to cry? We got surveince cameras all over this ce, so don¡¯t think you can go around telling other people I¡¯ve made you cry!¡± Tears began to pool in Sophia¡¯s eyes as she said hoarsely, ¡°Mister Sunny, please let me go in to see Corinne. I beg of you! Even a few minutes would do. I¡¯ll leave as soon as I¡¯ve told her the news.¡± Sophia did not look like she was faking the tears, so Sunny started to waver in his resolution. ¡°What is it that you want to tell her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something between us girls, so I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡®I guess I can let the poor girl meet Corinne for a while. I¡¯ll just have to supervise their conversation so she won¡¯t dare to do anything.¡¯ Sophia smiled smugly without Sunny noticing when she saw he was about to open the gate for her. She then thanked him profusely and waited for the gate to open. Suddenly, a car honked, causing Sunny to stop. Chapter 1319 Chapter 1319 Sunny was stunned when he saw it was Lucas¡¯ car. The car stopped in front of the gate, and the driver got out to open the door for Lucas. Sophia was shocked to see Lucasing out of the car too. However, she quickly smiled and said in a voice that obviously showed she had been crying, ¡°Oh, hey, Mister Lucas. You¡¯re back.¡± Lucas walked over to her and looked at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°Who are you?¡± Sophia was shocked once again. ¡®He doesn¡¯t remember me?¡¯ While it was true Lucas rarely attended any social events, he and Sophia had met in the few business networking events he did attend. They had even exchanged pleasantries with each other. Sophia was not happy at being forgotten, but she did not show it. She chuckled wryly and said, ¡°Allow me to introduce myself again, Mister Lucas. I¡¯m Sophia, a friend of Jeremy. We¡¯ve met before.¡± Lucas¡¯ eyes became even more wary when he heard she was Jeremy¡¯s friend. ¡°So, why have you come to my house?¡± ¡°I was just exining the purpose of my visit to Mister Sunny here. I heard Corinne was staying here, so I came to visit her. Look, I even brought her some supplements to help with her pregnancy.¡± As she spoke, she brought out one of the bottles of vitamins from the gift bag. Lucas did not even bother to look at the bottle of vitamins since there was plenty at the house for Corinne. ¡°She needs all the peace and quiet she can get now, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you in to see her,¡± said Lucas coldly before walking past her. Sophia was not going to give up that easily. She frowned and shouted, ¡°Mister Lucas, I know why you won¡¯t let me in to see Corinne!¡± Lucas stopped walking. ¡°Since you knew, why did youe?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think this isn¡¯t fair toward Corinne? She has the right to know!¡± ¡°I agree. She does have the right to know, but not now.¡± Sophia clenched her fists. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried she¡¯s going to hate you for not telling her You¡¯re taking away her chance to say her goodbyes to Jeremy, you know!¡± Lucas turned around and stared at her threateningly as though he could tell what her hidden agenda was. ¡°Even if she hates me, that¡¯s my problem to deal with.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°You have no right to stop her from finding out about what happened to Jeremy! She and the baby should give Jeremy a proper send-off!¡± ¡°Guards, send the guest away! Make sure she never shows her face around here anymore,¡± said Lucas impatiently. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. The servants quickly went out and carried Sophia away. Sunny watched as Sophia became gradually smaller as she was dragged away before turning to look puzzledly at Lucas, who came home earlier than usual. ¡°Lucas, what was she talking about? Did something happen to Jeremy? What¡¯s all this talk about saying her goodbyes and giving him a proper send-off?¡± he asked anxiously. Lucas red at Sunny. ¡°Were you nning to open the gate for that woman just now?¡± Sunny scratched his head. ¡°Well, yeah¡­ She was crying, and I thought it would be fine if I kept an eye on her when she came in. It helps that she¡¯s really Jeremy¡¯s friend.¡± Lucas knocked his head. ¡°So what if she was crying? Does that have anything to do with you?¡± Chapter 1320 Chapter 1320 Even though Xante did not want to be the one to tell Sunny, she did not n to lie to him either. Thus, when Sunny asked her, she told him the truth. Sunny stared at Xante¡¯s reply in shock while his hands started to tremble. Noticing this, Corinne asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sunny? Are you okay?¡± Sunny snapped out of his shock. He quickly rubbed his reddened eyes and said, ¡°No¡­ Nothing.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°What happened? Did Xante dump you?¡± Knowing he was not good at acting, Sunny turned away his face and said, ¡°Nothing happened! I just remembered I have a testing up soon, so I need to go study now.¡± After saying that, he ran up to his room, which just made Corinne even more puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He has mood swings like this from time to time,¡± said Lucas in a bid to distract her. Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡®Is that so?¡¯ ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve arranged for someone to get you some of the stuff you might need for the baby. They¡¯ll be here soon. You can see whether you like them or tell me if you still need anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bought everything I need. I suggest you return the items since they haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just think of them as my gifts to the baby. Besides, you can never have too much baby stuff.¡± Corinne knew Lucas would never return those items, so she decided to let it be. ¡®I¡¯ll just wire him some moneyter,¡¯ she told herself. ¡­ Meanwhile, the servants let Sophia go at the junction leading up to the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Sophia watched the burly servants leave and correctly assumed she would be dragged away if she tried to go back to the Riveras¡¯ mansion again. However, she was not going to give up this chance so easily. After all, this was the best shot she would have at getting rid of the baby. Previously, she did not do anything to harm the baby as she did not get a chance, and she would never do something she was not 100 percent sure of getting a result. Thus, she considered raising Corinne¡¯s baby with Jeremy. It was no big deal to her since Jeremy had Joey, so one more kid was not going to make a big difference. She would just raise the baby and Joey together while she tried to get pregnant with Jeremy. At least, that was what she told herself. As much as she tried to convince herself, she would still prefer if Corinne¡¯s baby and Joey did not exist. ¡®The baby¡¯s going to be born if I don¡¯t do anything now. Grandma Pam seems like she really cares about the baby, and I bet even more so if the baby turns out to be a boy!¡¯ thought Sophia. While the Holdens do their best to give Joey everything a child could wish for, he would never get the right to inherit the family¡¯s fortune and business. However, the same could not be said for Corinne¡¯s baby. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Not only was Jeremy the father, but he would also be the eldest great-grandson. That would put him above any kid Sophia and Jeremy might have together in the future. Sophia stood where she was for a long time, trying toe up with a n. Once she got an idea, she went to the small advertising agency near the street. ¡°Hello, Miss. How can I help you today?¡± asked the person manning the counter. ¡°I¡¯d like to print some flyers. When¡¯s the fastest I can get them?¡± Chapter 1321 Chapter 1321 Even though Xante did not want to be the one to tell Sunny, she did not n to lie to him either. Thus, when Sunny asked her, she told him the truth. Sunny stared at Xante¡¯s reply in shock while his hands started to tremble. Noticing this, Corinne asked him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sunny? Are you okay?¡± Sunny snapped out of his shock. He quickly rubbed his reddened eyes and said, ¡°No¡­ Nothing.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°What happened? Did Xante dump you?¡± Knowing he was not good at acting, Sunny turned away his face and said, ¡°Nothing happened! I just remembered I have a testing up soon, so I need to go study now.¡± After saying that, he ran up to his room, which just made Corinne even more puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He has mood swings like this from time to time,¡± said Lucas in a bid to distract her. Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡®Is that so?¡¯ ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve arranged for someone to get you some of the stuff you might need for the baby. They¡¯ll be here soon. You can see whether you like them or tell me if you still need anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve bought everything I need. I suggest you return the items since they haven¡¯t arrived yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just think of them as my gifts to the baby. Besides, you can never have too much baby stuff.¡± Corinne knew Lucas would never return those items, so she decided to let it be. ¡®I¡¯ll just wire him some moneyter,¡¯ she told herself. ¡­ Meanwhile, the servants let Sophia go at the junction leading up to the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Sophia watched the burly servants leave and correctly assumed she would be Riveras¡¯ mansion again. However, she was not going to give up this chance so easily. After all, this was the best shot she would have at getting rid of the baby. Previously, she did not do anything to harm the baby as she did not get a chance, and she would never do something she was not 100 percent sure of getting a result. Thus, she considered raising Corinne¡¯s baby with Jeremy. It was no big deal to her since Jeremy had Joey, so one more kid was not going to make a big difference. She would just raise the baby and Joey together while she tried to get pregnant with Jeremy. At least, that was what she told herself. As much as she tried to convince herself, she would still prefer if Corinne¡¯s baby and Joey did not exist. ¡®The baby¡¯s going to be born if I don¡¯t do anything now. Grandma Pam seems like she really cares about the baby, and I bet even more so if the baby turns out to be a boy!¡¯ thought Sophia. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. While the Holdens do their best to give Joey everything a child could wish for, he would never get the right to inherit the family¡¯s fortune and business. However, the same could not be said for Corinne¡¯s baby. Not only was Jeremy the father, but he would also be the eldest great-grandson. That would put him above any kid Sophia and Jeremy might have together in the future. Sophia stood where she was for a long time, trying toe up with a n. Once she got an idea, she went to the small advertising agency near the street. ¡°Hello, Miss. How can I help you today?¡± asked the person manning the counter. ¡°I¡¯d like to print some flyers. When¡¯s the fastest I can get them?¡± Chapter 1322 Chapter 1322 ¡°What would you like to print on the fliers? It¡¯ll take around thirty minutes for the fliers to be ready after the design is confirmed,¡± replied the store worker. ¡°I don¡¯t need them to be fancy. I just want to get them as fast as possible,¡± said Sophia. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll give you the simplest design and have them out for you in fifteen minutes.¡± ¡­ That evening, after dinner, Corinne decided to take a stroll in the Riveras¡¯ garden. The night air was refreshing, and the bright moon hung in the sky. As she walked, she heard two servantsining up ahead. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°D*mn it! Some idiot shop is distributing their fliers around here,¡± said one of them. ¡°Yeah! They must have blown in after getting thrown away¡­ God, they¡¯re everywhere!¡± grumbled the other. Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching, so they turned around to see who it was. They quickly bowed respectfully when they saw it was Corinne. ¡°Hello, Miss Corinne. Would you be so kind as to take a stroll somewhere else? We¡¯re going to sweep these fliers away, and we¡¯re worried that the dust might bother you.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Okay, sure. Thanks for letting me know.¡± She did not really pay attention to the fliers as she walked to the other side. The servants began to gossip among themselves again when they saw her walking away. ¡°Oh my god! Why would the fliers be talking about Mister Jeremy¡¯s sudden death?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read? It says that the Holdens are asking for any clues that may lead to them solving the case of Mister Jeremy¡¯s bizarre death.¡± ¡°I wonder who¡¯d be daring enough to kill Mister Jeremy.¡± ¡°Who cares? Have you forgotten our employers don¡¯t get along with the Holdens at all? This has nothing to do with us.¡± They continued to talk while sweeping, but they suddenly saw a pair of shoes in front of them. When they looked up, they were surprised to see Corinne hade back. ¡°Who did you say was killed just now?¡± she asked sternly. The servants were frightened by how stern Corinne looked. They did not know Corinne used to be in a rtionship with Jeremy since they only worked in the garden instead of in the mansion. ¡°Umm¡­ It was Mister Jeremy,¡± answered one of the servants quickly. ¡°He was killed in an explosion last night. Apparently, the explosion was so big that his body was blown to pieces. The Holdens are asking for eyewitnesses or clues to what happened. We got all the information from these fliers here.¡± Corinne looked down at the small pile of dusty fliers on the ground. She wanted to pick one up, but she could not bend down due to her protruding belly. Seeing this, one of the servants quickly picked up a flier and handed it to her. Corinne grabbed the flier and saw the front was an advertisement for a barbecue restaurant while the back was about Jeremy¡¯s death. The Holdens were imploring for anyone with clues as to what happened to Jeremy toe forward. Those who did would be generously rewarded for their help. ¡®Jeremy was killed in an explosion? No¡­ That¡¯s not possible! How can this be? This is Jeremy we¡¯re talking about!¡¯ thought Corinne in a panic. She stared nkly at the flier. Suddenly, she felt tightness in her chest, causing her to hyperventte. Chapter 1323 Chapter 1323 ¡®Wait a minute¡­ What does it matter if it was Jeremy? He doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me anymore!¡¯ thought Corinne, calming down a little. After that, she threw away the flier and walked back to the mansion. The servants could not help but worry when they saw her walking away so fast, so they started chasing after her. ¡°Miss Corinne, please slow down!¡± ¡°Miss Corinne, be careful. Don¡¯t trip!¡± ¡­ Corinne ran into the house panting and saw Lucas sitting on the sofa, checking on Sunny¡¯s homework. Striding over, she asked, ¡°Is it true that Jeremy is dead?¡± Lucas¡¯ expression hardened as he looked up at her. ¡°Who told you that?¡± he asked with a frown. Seeing Lucas¡¯ reaction and recalling how he had been acting weird for the past two days along with Sophia¡¯s sudden visit during lunchtime, Corinne knew what the flier said was true. Her eyes turned red with anger. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Lucas stood up despondently and walked toward her. ¡°Corinne, I didn¡¯t mean to wouldn¡¯t be able to take it and the baby¡­¡± Not wanting to listen to him any further, Corinne pushed him away and go out for a while!¡± After that, she turned around to leave, but Lucas grabbed her wrist to stop her. ¡°Corinne, please calm down. There¡¯s nothing you can do now. Plus, you said you don¡¯t want to have anything to do with Jeremy anymore!¡± Corinne¡¯s mind was in chaos, and she felt like she had been stabbed in the heart. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I want him to die!¡± Lucas frowned and looked at her with a pained expression. ¡°Corinne, please calm down¡­¡± At that moment, Corinne was too emotional to listen to any reason. She tried me go! I need to go out! Give me a car!¡± ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re eight months pregnant right now! You should think about the baby even if you don¡¯t want to think about yourself! Just think about it. Now that Jeremy¡¯s dead, the baby is the only surviving bloodline he has! Can you bear to see anything happen to the baby?¡± Corinne gradually calmed down after that. Lucas pulled her into an embrace and gently patted her back. ¡°There, there. Everything¡¯s going to be alright. Be a good girl and just stay at home, okay?¡± Corinne¡¯s bloodshot eyes became teary as they went in and out of focus. ¡°Tell me who did it,¡± she asked in a trembling voice. At that point, Lucas thought there was no need to hide anything from her anymore. ¡°From what I know, Jeremy¡¯s father was quite the yer, so my guess is one of his illegitimate sons killed Jeremy with the n to take over his ce.¡± Jeremy¡¯s father had a lot of illegitimate kids with different women over the years, and Jeremy had to learn to protect himself from the threats brought by his half-brothers. Each of them vehemently wished for his death so that they could get their hands on the Holdens¡¯ vast family fortune. Corinne had never heard Jeremy talk about his father or half-siblings before. In fact, this was the first time she learned about it. Back then, she did find it weird that she had never seen Jeremy¡¯s parents or why he never talked about them before, but she felt it was not her ce to ask. Suddenly, Lucas felt Corinne went ck in his embrace. He looked down and saw her eyes were closed. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Corinne? Corinne! Wake up, Corinne!¡± ¡®Sh*t, this isn¡¯t good!¡¯ thought Lucas when he failed to wake Corinne up. ¡°Quick, call the ambnce! No, wait! Don¡¯t call the ambnce. Drive the car around! We need to send Corinne to the nearest hospital!¡± Sunny was first stunned, but he quickly snapped out of it and ran out to shout for the driver. Chapter 1324 Chapter 1324 At the hospital. The doctor had just finished doing tests on Corinne and was walking out to report her condition to Lucas and Sunny. ¡°Miss Corinne passed out because of the shock she received. It¡¯s good you brought her in just in time. Both she and the baby are okay.¡± Lucas and Sunny visibly rxed and heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that. ¡°But, there¡¯s still a risk of her going into prematurebor since she¡¯s so close to the due date. It¡¯s best to keep her in the hospital until the baby is born,¡± added the doctor. Lucas agreed with the doctor. He was worried Corinne would get into another shock if he took her home. Thus, he gestured with his chin to Edmund and said, ¡°Fill in the forms for Corinne¡¯s hospital stay.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas.¡± Sunny frowned as he watched Edmund leave. He then turned to Lucas, ¡°Lucas, how did Jeremy¡­¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened. ¡°Why are you still bringing that up? Hasn¡¯t Corinne had enough shock for one day?¡± Realizing his mistake, Sunny hung his head low in shame and said nothing else. ¡°Remember to not bring up Jeremy¡¯s death in front of Corier when we go in to see her,¡± warned Lucas again. ¡°Yes, Lucas,¡± said Sunny with a nod. ¡­ Corinne was already awake when they entered her hospital room. She was staring nkly at the ceiling as though her soul had left her body. Lucas¡¯ heart ached when he saw her in such a state. He walked over to her bed, and asked softly, ¡°Corinne, how are you feeling now? Do you feel pain anywhere?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Corinne shook her head without looking at him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Perfectly fine,¡± she said hollowly. The more she tried to seem like she was fine, the more Lucas worried about her. He reached out to stroke her head. ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ve asked Edmund to arrange for you to stay in the hospital. You can stay here until the baby is born. I¡¯ll stay with you too, so don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Corinne snapped out of her trance a little. She looked at Lucas. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I¡¯m sure you have plenty of work to do, so I¡¯ll be fine staying here alone. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve calmed down and won¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll put the baby¡¯s life at risk.¡± Lucas was relieved to hear her say that. ¡°I¡¯m d you can think that way. Some things can never be salvaged no matter what. The most important thing is to continue living and keep those you love safe¡ª for example, your soon-to-be-born baby.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll keep my baby safe! As for that man¡­ Well, he has nothing to do with us anymore, right? So what if he¡¯s dead? It¡¯s better that way since that means he won¡¯t be able to harass me or the baby anymore. Plus, I don¡¯t ever have to worry about him stealing the baby away from me now.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°That¡¯s one way of thinking about it. But I hope you won¡¯t spend too much time thinking about him, Corinne. You need all the rest you can get.¡± Sunny wiped away his tears with his arm. ¡°Hmph! I know you guys broke up, but how can you say something so evil like that, Corinne? How can you think Jeremy¡¯s death is a good thing when he used to be so good to you?¡± he asked angrily. Hearing this, Lucas red coldly at him and shouted, ¡°You, get lost!¡± Sunny was so mad and sad that he did not care about what Lucas thought at that moment. He harrumphed again and left the hospital room without turning back. ¡°Ignore him, Corinne. He doesn¡¯t know any better,¡± Lucasforted Corinne gently after Sunny had left the room. Corinne nodded. ¡°Lucas, can you please get me those cream puffs from Eighth Street? I have a sudden craving for them.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll get someone to buy them for youter,¡± said Lucas. A secondter, he looked at Corinne in disbelief. ¡°What did you call me just now?¡± Chapter 1325 Chapter 1325 Corinne looked at Lucas serenely and called him again. ¡°Lucas.¡± Lucas was pleasantly surprised. He was so excited that his hands started trembling. ¡°Corinne, can you please call me again? I didn¡¯t hear it the first time.¡± Corinne frowned, but she did as she was told. ¡°Lucas, I want to eat cream puffs.¡± Lucas was so touched that his eyes became red. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get someone to buy it for you right away!¡± Corinne nodded docilely. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m somewhat thirsty too, so can you please get me some water?¡± Lucas quickly stood up. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll go get you a ss of water right now!¡± He looked around the empty room and saw there was no drinking water since Corinne had just moved in. Out of habit, he turned and wanted to have Edmund get some drinking water, but he realized Edmund was still not back yet. ¡°Wait right here, Corinne. I¡¯ll go get Sunny to get you some water,¡± said Lucas. Corinne nodded docilely again. Lucas brought out the thermos from the hospital room and was about to order Sunny to get him some warm drinking water when he realized Sunny was not outside. ¡®Where did that brat go? He¡¯s never there when you need him,¡¯ thought Lucas. He looked back at Corinne, who was still lying on her hospital bed. Even though he was worried about her, he thought that it would be alright to leave her alone since she sounded like she was over Jeremy¡¯s death. Thus, he closed the hospital room door and walked to the hospital pantry to get her some warm water. However, the moment he reached the hospital pantry doorway, he ran into Sophia. Sophia was looking into all the hospital rooms along the corridor, but she immediately trotted over to Lucas when she saw him. ¡°Mister Lucas, can you please tell me where Corinne¡¯s room is?¡± she asked. Lucas could not help but put his guard up when talking to her. ¡°How do you know she¡¯s in the hospital?¡± Sophia smiled bitterly as she exined, ¡°Well, you know how I was dragged off from your ce this afternoon? After I went home, the more I thought about it, the more I felt I should tell Corinne about what happened to Jeremy. I went back to your ceter at night. Before I could even ring the doorbell, I saw your car speeding off. ¡°So I asked your butler, and he said Corinne has been rushed off to the hospital¡­but he didn¡¯t say which. I then guessed you¡¯d bring her to the nearest hospital, so here I am. How is she doing right now? Is she okay?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Drop the act, Miss Sophia.¡± Sophia looked at him innocently. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m not acting at all.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lucas smiled coldly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know how Corinne ended up in the hospital. Didn¡¯t you go to my house in the afternoon with the sole purpose of provoking her? I¡¯ve questioned the servants, and they told me that Corinne found out about Jeremy¡¯s death from some fliers. ¡°Just how stupid do you think I am, Miss Sophia? Nobody has ever dared to distribute fliers around my house unless they have some hidden agenda. Plus, the Holdens would never do this sort of sh*t. Who else could be behind the fliers but you?¡± Chapter 1326 Chapter 1326 Sophia pretended to be shocked. ¡°Mister Lucas, do you have any proof I was behind the fliers? You shouldn¡¯t use me if you don¡¯t have any proof. I swear I¡¯m only here to make sure Corinne is okay as Jeremy¡¯s friend. I mean, I thought it¡¯s the least I could do since Jeremy is not with us anymore¡­¡± She started to get teary as she spoke. Lucas never fell for a trick like this. He was in a rush to get back to Corinne, so he wanted to cut his conversation short. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re not wee here. Corinne doesn¡¯t want to see you at all.¡± Realizing she would need to take a harder approach with Lucas, Sophia said steelily, ¡°Mister Lucas, can I ask what your rtionship is with Corinne? What right do you have to speak on her behalf? What right do you have to stop me from seeing her?¡± ¡°Of course I have the right. As for what my rtionship with Corinne is, that¡¯s none of your business,¡± replied Lucas coldly. After that, he stepped into the pantry room. He thought that Sophia would not back down so easily, so he was pleasantly surprised when she did not follow him in. After he filled up the thermos with some warm water, he went back to the corridor and saw Sophia nowhere in sight. Not thinking too much about it, he quickly walked back to Corinne¡¯s hospital room. However, Corinne was nowhere to be found in her hospital room. Her hospital bed was empty with the nket thrown off. Lucas¡¯ pupils immediately shrank. He threw the thermos to the ground and quickly called the hospital to ask them to seal off all exit points to prevent Corinne from leaving. ¡­Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ It was already toote; Corinne was already out of the hospital by then. She was in so much of a rush that she did not even change out of her hospital gown. She only stopped running when she came to a junction that was quite far from the hospital. Panting, she took out her phone and was about to call Aaron when a red sports car stopped in front of her. rm bells immediately started ringing in her head. She was afraid that it was Lucas¡¯ men who came to haul her back to the hospital, so she instinctively backed away from the car. However, the car¡¯s window slowly rolled down to reveal Sophia¡¯s sultry face. ¡°Get in, Corinne. I¡¯ll bring you to see Jeremy,¡± she said with a straight face. Corinne sighed with relief when she saw it was Sophia and not Lucas¡¯ men. However, she did not trust her either. Sophia knew this too, so she said, ¡°You were going to call either Xante or Aaron to pick you up, right? You should know they won¡¯t bring you to see Jeremy. They¡¯ll just send you back to the hospital. Think about it. They knew what happened to Jeremy long before you did, yet they decided to hide it from you, just like Lucas did. Why would they bring you to see Jeremy?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Then why would you bring me to see him?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m just like you; I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s dead. I¡¯m going to the crime scene to look for clues. Of course, I¡¯m not familiar with the ces here. Heck, I can¡¯t even read some of the words in this country. It¡¯ll make my work easier if I bring you with me.¡± Corinne stared at her thoughtfully when she heard Sunny shouting, ¡°Corinne! Come back. You shouldn¡¯t have run off like that! Come back!¡± ¡®Sh*t! He¡¯s going to haul me back to the hospital if I don¡¯t get in the car right now!¡¯ thought Corinne. She nced back at Sunny and, without a moment¡¯s hesitation, got into Sophia¡¯s car. However, because of her protruding belly, she found it awkward to fit herself into the sports car, so Sunny nearly caught up to her. It was only due to Sophia¡¯s quick reaction that she was able to get away from him. She floored the gas pedal, and they left him in the dust.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1327 Chapter 1327 After catching her breath in the car, Corinne sat still and said nothing. Sophia turned to look at her. ¡°Corinne, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Aren¡¯t you going to ask me where we¡¯re going?¡± Corinne kept her eyes on the road ahead. ¡°You told me we¡¯re going to the crime scene to look for clues, right?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, then?¡± asked Sophia curiously. ¡°You can stop the car and get out now if you¡¯re scared,¡± said Corinne impassively. ¡°Give the car and address to me, and I¡¯ll go there by myself!¡± Sophia was a little taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. I¡¯m hoping that Jeremy is still alive and that the dead body doesn¡¯t belong to him. And for this, I¡¯m not scared of anything!¡± ¡°Then stop talking and step on it.¡± Sophia was speechless. She nced at Corinne¡¯s huge belly and thought, ¡®She seems like she isn¡¯t worried about the baby at all. So this is the length she¡¯s willing to go to for Jeremy¡­ Heh. Despite saying otherwise, she still cares about him after all.¡¯ Sophia had guessed that Corinne would escape while Lucas was out getting water for Corinne from the pantry room. That was why Sophia tried to stall him by talking to him. That way, Corinne would have more time to escape.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Knowing that Corinne was all over the ce after she found out about Jeremy¡¯s death, Sophia decided there was no point in talking to her. Thus, the two women drove on in silence to the abandoned factory where the explosion happened. ¡­ It was not difficult to imagine just how powerful the explosion must have been when Corinne and Sophia saw the aftermath. Corinne got out of the car and, with the moonlight, tried to look for some signs of life through the debris. She tried toe up with all the possibilities of how Jeremy could still be alive, but seeing the destruction before her, she knew there was no hope of that happening. ¡®If Jeremy was near this area when the explosion happened, he couldn¡¯t have survived the explosion,¡¯ lamented Corinne. ¡°Are you sure Jeremy was here when the explosion happened? Even if his car and ID card were found here, it doesn¡¯t mean he came here,¡± said Corinne. There were so many details she still did know what of. ¡°Corinne, you don¡¯t know how much I wished Jeremy wasn¡¯t here when the explosion happened either. But the police had footage of Jeremy in his car when he came out to take a break at a rest stop.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Has the police found out who did this? I mean, why would Jeremy suddenlye to this god-forsaken ce in the first ce?¡± Even if it was as Lucas said, that Jeremy¡¯s half-brothers wanted him dead, he¡ªwith his intelligence¡ª would never fall into such a simple trap. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Sophia shook her head. ¡°No one knows why he came here. The only things the police found were Jeremy¡¯s ID card and a burnt phone on the dead body that was blown to pieces. They¡¯re still looking for the cause of the explosion. We can onlye home at night since the ce will be filled with police officers in the morning.¡± Corinne fell silent. ¡®So that¡¯s why he hasn¡¯t been replying to my messages for the past two days¡­¡¯ Her heart ached so much that she started to find it hard to breathe. ¡®No, Corinne. Now¡¯s not the time to wallow in sorrow. I have to find out who did this as soon as possible and to make them pay! I must avenge Jeremy for the sake of our baby!¡¯ She took a deep breath and carefully walked through the explosion site with the help of her phone shlight to look for clues. Chapter 1328 Chapter 1328 Sophia also turned on her phone¡¯s shlight and followed after Corinne. ¡°Corinne, what should we do now?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne looked around. ¡°We should look for anything suspicious that the culprit might¡¯ve left behind.¡± Sophia nodded, but she then felt hopeless after looking around the dark surroundings. ¡°But this ce is huge! How are we going to finish searching in one night? Besides, the police hadbed through the area this morning. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find anything¡­¡± Corinne was starting to get annoyed at Sophia. ¡®Didn¡¯t she think of all that before she brought me here? God, she should spend her time looking for clues instead ofining!¡¯ She ignored Sophia and bent down to rake through the debris to pick up something shiny. However, to her disappointment, it was only a piece of broken metal. She threw it away and continued to look around. That bending down movement took a lot out of her since she was pregnant. Feeling she was about to lose her bnce, she quickly straightened up. It was then she heard the sound of two men talking up ahead. ¡°Boss, the police have sealed off this area. It doesn¡¯t matter what you dropped here; everything¡¯s gone after the explosion. We should just forget about it.¡± ¡°Quit your yapping and give me the shlight!¡± As the sound of footsteps got nearer, Corinne quickly pulled Sophia to hide behind a column, which had escaped being blown apart by the explosion. Sophia was shocked at being suddenly dragged away, but she quickly calmed down when she heard the two men talking. ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t think the shlight is helping that much. We should just give up.¡± ¡°You can get lost if all you do isin!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll shut up.¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ It was too dark to see what the two men looked like from where Corinne was hiding. Nheless, she could not help but feel like she recognized their voices from somewhere. Just when she was trying to recall, Sophia suddenly nudged her and asked in a whisper, ¡°Corinne, do you think those two men were the ones that killed Jeremy?¡± Corinne gave her a sharp look to warn her to keep her mouth shut. It was too quiet in that area for them to speak without getting caught. Sophia quickly nodded and covered her mouth. ¡®Those two men seem to havee here to look for something too,¡¯ thought Corinne as she observed them from her hiding spot. ¡®I should tail them to see if they can lead me to a clue.¡¯ However, her n was dashed when the two men discovered them. The fatter of the two men suddenly said with rm, ¡°Look, Boss! There¡¯s a red sports car parked there!¡± The other man straightened himself up and pointed his shlight at where the fat man was pointing. There was indeed a red sports car parked ahead. ¡°Sh*t! Someone else is here, too! Find them now!¡± ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± Thus, their mission changed from looking for something to looking for someone. Corinne instinctively grabbed Sophia¡¯s wrist when she saw the shlight roving around to search for them. She was prepared to run at a moment¡¯s notice. Sophia had forgotten to turn off her phone¡¯s shlight, causing the light to fall on her red sports car identally. The reflection caught the attention of the fatso. Corinne assumed that Sophia would be more cautious since she was not that young herself. Thus, she was annoyed when she found out she was so reckless. ¡°Come out,e out, wherever you are!¡± ¡°Yeah, show yourself!¡± Chapter 1329 Chapter 1329 The two men discovered Corinne and Sophia¡¯s hiding spot! Corinne was about to run off with Sophia in tow when thetter pulled her back to stop her from running. Corinne frowned and turned back to look at her. ¡°What are you waiting for? We have to run!¡± she said hurriedly. Sophia shook her head. ¡°Corinne, I don¡¯t think we should run. You¡¯ll never outrun them in your condition.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡°Then what do you suggest? Stay here and let them do whatever they want with us?¡± Sophia did not answer her. Instead, she pulled her out of their hiding ce without warning, and they came face to face with the two men. ¡°Sorry, we didn¡¯t mean to bother you two. We were just passing through here. Please continue what you¡¯re doing, and we¡¯ll get out of here now,¡± said Sophia innocently. The fat man blocked them from leaving. He looked them up and down. ¡°Just passing through, you say? Why would you two be passing through in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Umm¡­¡± stammered Sophia as she tried toe up with an excuse. Seeing this, Corinne quickly said, ¡°We needed to take a pee, but there wasn¡¯t a restroom in sight¡­so we thought we could stop here. We didn¡¯t expect anyone would be here.¡± She kept her head down while she spoke. The fat manughed when he heard that as though it was the funniest joke on earth while ¡®the boss¡¯ walked slowly toward Corinne. ¡°You there. Raise your head!¡± he barked coldly. Corinne remained unmoving.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Seeing this, ¡®the boss¡¯ impatiently took out his gun and jammed the muzzle underneath her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Their eyes locked. ¡®The boss¡¯ was a tall and skinny man with a head of dyed silver hair and wore an earring stud on his left ear. He looked at her sinisterly. He used his other free hand to shine the shlight on Corinne¡¯s face so he could take a closer look at her. Suddenly, he smiled in recognition. ¡°So it¡¯s you. Jeremy¡¯s wife.¡± Corinne did not understand why he would address her like that. ¡°Excuse me, sir, but you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯m not Jeremy¡¯s wife.¡± ¡®The boss¡¯ pressed the gun¡¯s muzzle harder onto her skin. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I know you¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s wife!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± said Corinne impassively. Suddenly, she pointed at Sophia, ¡°But she is. She¡¯s legally married to Jeremy, so you should talk to her if you have a grudge against him.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia was shocked, but she then shouted angrily, ¡°Corinne, how can you sell me out at a time like this?!¡± Corinne immediately recognized who the silver-haired man was the moment Sophia pulled her out of their hiding spot. Not long after she met Jeremy, she was kidnapped once, and the culprit was the silver-haired man with an earring stud on his left ear. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s the one behind all of this again!¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 1330 Chapter 1330 The silver-haired man nced at Sophia uninterestedly before turning his attention back to Corinne. He moved the muzzle of the gun down Corinne¡¯s throat and her chest before finally stopping at her belly. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who his legal wife is. The only thing that matters is who he loves. Not to mention, I¡¯m very interested in the baby inside your belly. So I want you, not her. Now be a dear, ande with us!¡± He pointed with his chin to a particr spot, indicating Corinne to walk over there herself. Corinne had no choice but to do as she was told since there was a gun pressed against her belly. ¡°Wait! Where are you taking her?¡± asked Sophia. ¡°Mind your own business, littledy,¡± said the silver-haired man. Sophia frowned. ¡°But¡­¡± The fat man looked worriedly at Sophia. ¡°Boss, are we going to let her go just like that? Won¡¯t she report us to the policeter?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯ll get into unnecessary trouble if we kidnap her. Plus, I trust that Adam¡¯s daughter would know not to report us for the sake of her father¡¯s reputation.¡± The fat man looked at Sophia in shock as he backed away fearfully. ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s Adam¡¯s daughter?¡± The silver-haired man kicked him. ¡°What are you still standing there for, you useless coward? Take the preggody away now!¡± In the end, Sophia was left at the explosion site while the two men carried Corinne into a minivan. Sophia¡¯s worried expression morphed into a smug smile as she watched the minivan speed off. After that, she got back into her red sports car and drove off. ¡­ Meanwhile, the Holdens¡¯ mansion was teeming with the Riveras¡¯ cars. Lucas got down from a ck car and rang the doorbell. He would not have been there if it was not to look for Corinne. Sunny hade along too. The gate opened after Lucas exchanged a few words with Bowen, the Holdens¡¯ butler, and the servants came out to bring them into the mansion. Only Francine was there to greet them at the foyer. The entire atmosphere in the mansion was gloomy, which was understandable given there was a death in the family. Francine, who looked haggard and weary, asked hoarsely, ¡°What are you two doing in my house this late at night? Are you here tough at us?¡± Lucas decided it was not worth arguing with her, so he asked her instead, ¡°Miss Francine, is Corinne here?¡± At the mention of Corinne, Francine looked at them in shock. ¡°Corinne? She hasn¡¯t been here since she ran away. Why do you ask? What happened to her?¡± Lucas looked up at the stairs as though he did not believe her. However, Francine did not look like she was lying. ¡°Did she contact you then?¡± Chapter 1331 Chapter 1331 ¡°No! What the hell is going on? Did something happen to her? Answer me!¡± demanded Francine. Lucas did not answer her. After thinking it over, he asked again, ¡°Miss Francine, would you be able to contact Sophia now?¡± Francine knew things were serious if Lucas and Sunny were willing to put aside the bad blood between the two families to go to her house. Thus, after thinking it over, she said, ¡°Sophia has called me before to look for Jeremy, but I didn¡¯t save her number. I need to search through my call history to see if I still have a record of her number.¡± ¡°Yes, please do, Miss Francine. That would be a great help to us,¡± said Lucas. Francine quickly took out her phone and scrolled through her call history. ¡°I found it! This is her number. But why are you looking for her?¡± she asked. Lucas decided to give her the short story of it. ¡°Miss Francine, Corinne ran away from the hospital this afternoon. I suspect Sophia took her away. Can you please call her to ask her where Corinne is?¡± ¡®What? Corinne ran away from the hospital?¡¯ Francine started to panic when she heard this. Without further prompting from Lucas, she quickly called Sophia. The call went through after a few rings. ¡°Hello? Francine!¡± cried Sophia tearfully as though she was trying to hold back a sob. ¡°Sophia, where are you right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the hotel. What¡¯s the matter? Is there a new lead on your brother¡¯s case?¡± ¡®Is he still alive?¡¯ was the unspoken question in the air. Francine wished her brother was still alive too, but¡­Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°No. I¡¯m not calling because of that. In fact, I want to ask you whether you¡¯ve seen Corinne today because she¡¯s missing!¡± Sophia pretended to be shocked. ¡°What? She¡¯s missing? No, I haven¡¯t seen her today. What happened? Why would she suddenly go missing?¡± ¡°Mister Lucas came to my house saying he suspects you took her away, so he asked me to call you. Do you really not know where she is? You do know she¡¯s carrying my brother¡¯s baby, right? So nothing can happen to her! You have to tell me if you did see her!¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen her, Francine,¡± said Sophia innocently. ¡°I really haven¡¯t! Yes, I did go to the Riveras¡¯ with the hope of seeing her this afternoon, but they wouldn¡¯t let me in. Mister Lucas even ordered the servants to drag me away. ¡°And when I heard Corinne had been sent to the hospital, I went there with the hope of seeing her so I could make sure nothing happened to the baby, but Mister Lucas stopped me again. So no, I didn¡¯t see her. As a matter of fact, how can he suspect that I was the one who took Corinne away? ¡°I don¡¯t even know which hospital room she was staying in! If he doesn¡¯t believe me, he can go through the surveince footage to see whether I¡¯m telling the truth or not! But more importantly, we should look for Corinne first!¡± Francine did not want to waste her time talking to Sophia anymore, so she just hung up the phone. Then, she asked Lucas, ¡°Why was Corinne staying with you in the first ce? And how did she end up in the hospital? Did her water break?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°No. She passed out from shock after she heard what happened to Jeremy, so we took her to the hospital. She and the baby were fine after the doctor tended to them. But then she snuck out of the hospital while I went out to get her some water.¡± ¡®Sh*t! This isn¡¯t good. Grandma and Grandpa are going to have another breakdown if they find out that Corinne is missing!¡¯ thought Francine. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Then should we call the cops now? We must find her before something bad happens to her!¡± said Annie. ¡°Miss Francine, can you please give me Sophia¡¯s phone number? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask her,¡± asked Lucas calmly. Chapter 1332 Chapter 1332 Lucas thanked Francine and turned to leave after he saved Sophia¡¯s phone number in his phone. Francine followed after him worriedly. ¡°Wait! I want to go with you to look for Corinne, too!¡± Lucas did not stop walking. Instead, it was Sunny who stopped Francine. He raised his arm and said, ¡°Francine, it¡¯s best if you stay here with your grandparents. They need you more than ever now. You can rest assured that Lucas will find Corinne.¡± Francine frowned. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Now that Jeremy isn¡¯t here, you need to step up to take care of your grandparents. Only then can he rest in peace,¡± said Sunny. Francine¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll stay here. But call me the moment you found Corinne, okay?¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡± ¡­ Lucas called Sophia as soon as he got into the car. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello, who¡¯s this?¡± asked Sophia breezily, which was a stark contrast to when she was on the phone with Francine. Lucas got straight into the matter. ¡°Where¡¯s Corinne?¡± he asked coldly. Sophia was stunned for a moment before saying, ¡°Mister Lucas, I presume? As I¡¯ve told Francine, I haven¡¯t seen Corinne, nor do I know where she is. In fact, how can you question me when you wouldn¡¯t even let me see her? Seriously, how the heck would I know where she is?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Lucas was not as easily fooled as Francine was. ¡°Is your car te number XX896?¡± ¡°No. My car te number is SS975,¡± said Sophia calmly. ¡°Mister Lucas, I¡¯m going to get angry if you don¡¯t stop using me without having any concrete evidence. I would¡¯ve sued you for defamation if I wasn¡¯t so sad about what happened to Jeremy.¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he did not know what to say to Sophia. XX896 was the car te number Sunny memorized when he saw Corinne get into the red sports car, and Lucas had asked his men to look into who the car te number belonged to. However, there was no red sports car with the car te number XX896. The traffic camera did not have any record of the red sports car going anywhere either. Not only was the car te number fake, but the driver knew where to drive to avoid being captured by the traffic camera. The whole thing was no doubt premeditated. Sophia hung up the phone. Lucas did not call her back since he knew there was no point in asking her any further questions. At that moment, another ck car stopped in front of the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Xante and Aaron quickly got down and walked up to Lucas and Sunny. ¡°How did it go? Is the boss with the Holdens?¡± asked Xante. Sunny shook his head ruefully. ¡°No. We asked Francine just now, but she said Corinne has never been there today.¡± Xante frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to let the boss know about Mister Jeremy¡¯s death until the baby is safely delivered? Why can¡¯t you Riveras do something as simple as that? Why did you insist on having her move in with you when you can¡¯t even take care of her?¡± Sunny dropped his head in shame while Lucas sat silently in his car, lost in thought. Aaron walked over and patted Xante¡¯s shoulder to calm her. ¡°The most important thing now is to find the boss. If the boss didn¡¯te here, where do you think she would go? In other words, what could be so important to her that she¡¯d risk her baby¡¯s life and escape out of the hospital?¡± ¡°Needless to say, it must have something to do with Jeremy,¡± said Sunny with a frown. Chapter 1333 Chapter 1333 Realization suddenly dawned on Xante. She looked at Aaron and said, ¡°Are you saying that the boss might¡¯ve gone to the explosion site to look for Jeremy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a guess. It¡¯s highly likely, given that we¡¯ve searched everywhere but the explosion site for her,¡± said Aaron conservatively. Everyone exchanged nces with each other, and they all ran back to their cars to drive to the explosion site. Meanwhile, in a small bungalow located on the outskirts of the city. Corinne was locked up in a small, dirty room with her limbs tied up. The smell of barbecued meat and cheap beer floated into the air. Since she was pregnant, Corinne found the smell so unbearable that she felt like throwing up. From time to time, she would also hear cursing and crude jokesing from outside the room. Thus, it was safe to say that her two kidnappers were enjoying their time having supper with their friends. They had not even checked in on her once after they threw her into the room. Corinne could not scream for help since her mouth was taped over, but it was not like she would do that either. After all, doing that might put her in even more trouble when she had no idea what was going on. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She looked around and found an object lying on the ground. She wriggled around and tried to use the object¡¯s sharp corners to cut the rope tying up her ankles, but she did not get far when someone from outside the room suddenly kicked the door open with a bang.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ ¡°Boss, why did you bring this preggody back? She¡¯s not going to be fun at all!¡± said the fat man. ¡°Is that all you can think about? Having fun with women?¡± The silver-haired man lifted his chin in disgust. ¡°Move aside! I need to have a private word with her.¡± The fatso scratched his head and closed the door after him. The silver-haired man walked toward Corinne and looked down at her contemptuously as though she was an ant he could easily crush with his shoe. ¡°Do you remember me?¡± he asked mockingly. Corinne looked up at him. She could not answer him since her mouth was taped over. Not getting an answer from her, the silver-haired man kicked her lightly. ¡°Do you know I had to go on a run for a year and nearly lost my life to Jeremy¡¯s men after you escaped? I must say, he really cares about you.¡± Corinne stared at him dumbly. She had no idea Jeremy had sent men to hunt down the silver-haired man after she escaped from him. The silver-haired man squatted slowly and looked at her with a sinister, mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°Which works out great in my favor since I¡¯d like nothing better to do than to slowly destroy everything he loves piece by piece. I want him to feel pain so unbearable that he¡¯ll wish he¡¯s dead!¡± Corinne red at him and tried to speak out loud. However, she could only make some muffled sounds as her mouth was taped over. Seeing this, the silver-haired man ruthlessly ripped the tape off her mouth. Some of Corinne¡¯s vellus hair came off with the tape, causing her some pain. ¡°What did you say? Speak now!¡± ordered the silver-haired man coldly. Corinne looked at him imperatively. ¡°Jeremy¡¯s already dead. He was killed in an explosion. What¡¯s the point of doing this?¡± The reason she looked at him imperatively was because she was hoping he would tell her that Jeremy was not dead at all. Chapter 1334 Chapter 1334 However, the silver-haired man merelyughed mockingly. ¡°I know he¡¯s dead, but he died too quickly for my liking. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to torture the love of his life so he won¡¯t be able to rest in peace!¡± Corinne shrank back with rm. She could tell the silver-haired man was a psychopath who had no moral qualms about hurting others for fun. A look of condescension shed across the silver-haired man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Scared now, are we? I don¡¯t remember you being this much of a coward previously.¡± Corinne gritted her teeth and said nothing. ¡®Of course I wasn¡¯t scaredst time! I wasn¡¯t pregnant then. I could fight them off and still have energy to run after.¡¯ The silver-haired man chuckled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to torture you right away. You should thank the baby in your belly for that. The baby¡¯s still has some use to me, so I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯ve safely delivered that b*stard before having my way with you!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°What use do you have for my baby? Just what are you nning to do?¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The silver-haired man poked her belly. ¡°Now that Jeremy¡¯s dead, I¡¯m pretty sure the Holdens would do anything to get their hands on the baby. I¡¯m going to use the baby to ckmail them into giving me their fortune!¡± Corinne immediately understood what he was getting at. She scoffed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest n I¡¯ve ever heard! This baby has nothing to do with the Holdens. Even if it does, the Holdens will never agree to give you their fortunes just to save a baby!¡± The silver-haired man smiled coldly at her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? The very night Jeremy¡¯s grandparents received news of his death, they immediately made a will stating that all of their fortunes would go to that little b*stard in your belly in the event of their deaths.¡± Corinne was shocked. ¡°What? Where did you get that information from? That¡¯s impossible!¡± The silver-haired man grinned sinisterly. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so impossible about that. I mean, the baby is the only surviving bloodline of Jeremy. Plus, the Holdens have always been known to uphold their age-old traditions of passing all of their fortunes to the eldest grandson.¡± It was the first time Corinne had ever heard of that. Thus, she was understandably shocked that Pam and Greg would make such a drastic decision in such a short time. However, that still did not answer her question of where the silver-haired man got the information from. After thinking it over, Corinne said calmly to him, ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, all of thises down to money. Well, let me save you the trouble: Just name a number, and I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± The silver-haired man was a little taken aback, but he then smiled as though he was amused. ¡°You¡¯ll give it to me? I don¡¯t think a littledy like you can afford the number I want.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the Holdens, but I can d*mn well speak for myself. To be honest, I have in my possession a few properties which can be sold for tens of millions of dors. I can guarantee you that you¡¯ll never want anything else for the rest of your life. I¡¯m willing to give them all to you if you let me go,¡± said Corinne. The silver-haired man gazed intently into Corinne¡¯s eyes to see if she was lying, and he believed her when he saw the resolution in her eyes.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 1335 Chapter 1335 ¡°Tens of millions of dors might be nothingpared to how much the Holdens are worth, but it¡¯s enough for you to never have to work ever again. Plus, you wouldn¡¯t have to deal with other members of the Holden family fighting over thepany shares with the baby,¡± said Corinne. After thinking it over, the silver-haired man smiled and lifted her chin. ¡°You¡¯re right. Your offer does sound very tempting. But, only a fool would choose one over the other. I want both your properties and the Holdens¡¯ fortune!¡± It never crossed Corinne¡¯s mind that the silver-haired man would be that greedy. She frowned and asked him, ¡°Sir, may I know your name?¡± The silver-haired man nced condescendingly at her. ¡°My name is not to be known for the likes of you!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, you¡¯re also a Holden, right?¡± said Corinne calmly. She knew she guessed right when she saw the silver-haired man¡¯s face darkened, so she continued to say, ¡°Huh, so I am right. You must be one of the illegitimate sons Jeremy¡¯s father had with another woman when he was young. You hated your father for abandoning you and your mother, but not as much as you hate Jeremy for living the life that should¡¯ve been yours, right?¡± The silver-haired man became enraged at having his sore spot exposed like that. He red vehemently at Corinne and said threateningly, ¡°You better shut your mouth, or I¡¯ll kill you now!¡± Realizing how much the silver-haired man and Jeremy looked alike, Corinne knew she was right. Of course, his anger was also another sign that showed she was right. Corinne had no intention to keep her mouth shut. After pursing her lips, she continued, ¡°I get why you hate your father, but why do you hate Jeremy so much? What did he do wrong? I mean, what kid would wish for a father who goes around fooling around and having babies with other women? Also, it wasn¡¯t like he could stop his father from doing that since he was just a kid himself.¡± The silver-haired man¡¯s eyes had turned red with anger by then. ¡°I hate him for being the only son of our father that gets to live a good life! He gets to be the sessor of the family the moment he¡¯s born. But why? Just because he¡¯s the first-born? ¡°Why do I have to live an impoverished life while he gets to live avish life? Are we both not Holdens? There were nights when I hated him so much that I¡¯d imagine the most gruesome death for him! And the only way for me to stop hating him and to avenge myte mother is to take everything away from him!¡±Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The silver-haired man¡¯s resentment seemed to double in force at the mention of histe mother, causing Corinne to shrink back a little. At the same time, she empathized with him a little. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°But have you ever thought about whether you¡¯re capable enough to run thepany once you get your hands on it? Can you guarantee that thepany would be able to maintain its spot in the top- hundredpanies in the world?¡± asked Corinne. In a fit of rage, the silver-haired man grabbed her throat and said, ¡°D*mn you, woman. How dare you look down on me!¡± Even though she was in pain, Corinne forced herself to smile mockingly at him. ¡°I¡¯m asking for your own good. What¡¯s the use of getting control of thepany if you¡¯re just going to run it to the ground in a few years?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business! I¡¯d rather see thepany go bankrupt than for them to have it!¡± shouted the silver-haired man maniacally. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s the point of going to all this trouble to get what you want and not enjoy it? Sir, it doesn¡¯t seem like any of your friends outside of the room look like the type who knows how to run a company. Not only do you not know, but you don¡¯t know anyone else who does either. Here¡¯s my proposal: Let me live, and I¡¯ll teach you how to make thepany even more prosperous!¡± ¡°You¡¯re willing to teach me?¡± asked the silver-haired man skeptically. ¡°To be honest, the only reason I seduced Jeremy was because I saw him as a meal ticket to a better life. Now that he¡¯s dead, it¡¯d be harder for me to gain control of the Holdens, even with the baby as my bargaining chip. There might be a chance that they¡¯re going to keep the baby and get rid of me.¡± Chapter 1336 Chapter 1336 ¡°But if I have you, a Holden, on my side, it adds an extrayer of guarantee that I won¡¯t be cast away like trash by Jeremy¡¯s grandparents. We can work together toward a win-win solution and help each other get the life we want. What do you say?¡± suggested Corinne. The silver-haired man gazed at Corinne for a while before pushing her away in disgust. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll be willing to ept a woman Jeremy has used?¡± Instead of being humiliated or angry, Corinne simplyughed. ¡°The same can be said about Holden Group. He dipped his finger all over it, yet you don¡¯t seem to mind at all. You should know I have my own merits for being able to snag someone like Jeremy!¡± The silver-haired man seemed to be getting convinced. It was just as Corinne deduced¡ªhe did not know anything about running apany and had no friends to help him. It would be promising if someone like Corinne could guide him. ¡®Hm, I like her straightforward attitude. It won¡¯t be toote to get rid of her after I finish using her.¡¯ With that thought in mind, the silver-haired smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you live for the moment. But make no mistake, I¡¯ll kill you if I even get the hint of feeling you¡¯re ying me.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°Great. Now that we¡¯ve decided to work together, can you please untie me?¡± A look of caution shed across the silver-haired man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why should I do that and why are you in such a rush? I¡¯ll untie you after you¡¯ve delivered the baby.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°I just need you to untie my hands and get me some pen and paper. I¡¯ll draw you a picture so I can exin how the internal power structure of Holden Group works. That way, we cane up with a n on how to take down thepany in the future.¡± The silver-haired man looked at her skeptically. Corinne smiled at him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you think I¡¯m going to try to run away? Come on, I¡¯m heavily pregnant, and my legs will still be tied up. I can¡¯t run even if you untie my hands. You¡¯re seriously overestimating me and seriously underestimating you and your friends.¡± Her words seemed to have an effect on the silver-haired man. He looked at Corinne¡¯s pregnant belly with a frown and believed she could not run in such a condition. ¡°Give me your hands,¡± he barked coldly. Corinne quickly raised her hands. As the man untied her hands, his gaze fell on her slender wrists. ¡®Huh, that¡¯s so weird. Her body is huge like a whale¡¯s, even her face is all round and puffy, yet her wrists are still so skinny¡­¡¯ thought the silver-haired man. He threw the rope aside and shouted, ¡°Now draw!¡± Corinne spread out her hands innocently. ¡°How am I supposed to draw when I don¡¯t have any pen or paper?¡± The silver-haired man red at her and gave her a warning look before turning to find some pen and paper for her. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Suddenly¡­ Bang! The group of young men sitting outside eating and drinking was having so much fun that they did not hear themotioning from inside the room. ¡­ Meanwhile, a group of cars arrived at the explosion site, and everyone got down from their cars. Sunny surveyed the area with a frown. ¡°This ce has been blown to nothing. Will Corinne really be here?¡± Lucas got out of his car too and narrowed his eyes as he looked around the ce. He then waved his hand for his men to search every corner for any clues that might point them to Corinne¡¯s whereabouts while hebed the area as well. Suddenly, he bent down to take a closer look at something on the ground. He shone his shlight over it and saw other tire tracks apart from the ones that came from their cars. He then looked up toward the direction the cars drove off in. Seeing this, Aaron walked over to him to take a look too. ¡°Hey guys,e check this out! These tire tracks look fresh and they¡¯ve gone off in that direction! If I remember correctly, there should be a town there.¡± Chapter 1337 Chapter 1337 Xante and Sunny walked over to look as well. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Lucas dusted off his hands and stood up. He then summoned his men back and ordered them to follow the tire tracks. After that, he and the rest of the group got in their own cars and drove off toward the direction of the town. The tire tracks were made visible since the ground around the explosion site was made up of mud, but it would be impossible to see them after they got on the asphalt road. Thus, they had no choice but to stop the car and contact the traffic bureau to help them locate any vehicle that might have looked suspicious through the use of traffic surveince footage. Since not many cars would drive to the explosion site in the middle of the night, they managed to quickly locate a suspicious-looking minivan driving out from the explosion site and toward a small bungalow situated in a narrow alley. With that information on hand, they swiftly drove to the bungalow. Once they arrived, they could hear the sound of a group of men talking and the smell of barbecueing from the other side of the small metal gate. Lucas, Aaron, Xante, and Sunny got out of their cars and entered the narrow alley. They did not drive there as they did not want to rm the kidnappers. There were plenty of hiding spots in the narrow alley since all the houses had their lights turned off. In fact, the ce that was giving off lights was the one that the kidnappers were in. Sunny frowned and worriedly whispered, ¡°Lucas, was Corinne kidnapped by these men after they saw her at the explosion site? I don¡¯t like the sound of those men. Do you think she¡¯s going to be okay?¡± Lucas¡¯ face darkened, and his hands were already balled into fists. ¡°Shut up and be quiet!¡± Sunny dropped his head down in shame. He knew she should be quiet, but he could not help but worry about Corinne. The thought of those stinky men hurting Corinne made him want to rush inside and beat them up that very instant. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡°You guys wait here. I¡¯m going to find an excuse to go in.¡± Aaron grabbed her arm to stop her. ¡°They¡¯re so many of them. If the boss is in there, you¡¯re only going to arouse suspicions by visiting a house sote in the night,¡± said Aaron calmly. Xante frowned. ¡°What do you suggest we do, then?¡± ¡°We should observe a little more,¡± said Aaron. ¡°But what if they have the thought of having their way with Corinne after they finish eating?¡± asked Sunny impatiently. Aaron was worried about the same thing, but he could not afford to act rashly when it came to Corinne¡¯s safety. ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down. Think about it: The boss is pregnant, so I don¡¯t think they kidnapped her to have their way with her. My guess is they have some ulterior motives for bringing her here.¡± Sunny thought what he said made sense. He had almost forgotten Corinne was a pregnant woman. Suddenly, Lucas shushed them, and the three of them immediately shut up. Soon, the men¡¯s crude conversation floated into their ears. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s taking the boss so long toe out.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s having his way with her as we speak.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Maybe!¡± ¡°Well, I gotta hand it to him. I couldn¡¯t do it to a pregnantdy at all.¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­ That¡¯s why he¡¯s our boss!¡± ¡°Shut up, you pigs! Don¡¯t let the boss hear you, or he¡¯ll beat you all up!¡± Chapter 1338 Chapter 1338 All of them¡ªLucas, Xante, Aaron, and Sunny¡ªclenched their fists when they heard that. They could not stand by and do nothing anymore, so they all rushed into the yard. However, a figure suddenly appeared before them after they had only taken a few steps. They were first rmed by the neer but then became shocked when they saw who it was. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± said the neer. After that, he strode over to the small metal gate and kicked it open, surprising the seven or eight men eating and drinking. ¡°Are¡­ Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead? Are¡­ Are you a ghost?¡± stammered one of them in shock. ¡°Where¡¯s my wife?¡± asked Jeremy with a death re. ¡°We don¡¯t know who your wife is! Men, capture him! The boss will be happy to see him, I¡¯m sure,¡± said one of them. Jeremy kicked over their grill, and some of the charcoal sshed onto the kidnappers¡¯ body and face, causing them to scream out in pain. After they calmed down, they rushed over to attack Jeremy. That was when Lucas, Aaron, Xante, and Sunny rushed out to fight them too. After they had defeated them, Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses before bending down to pick up one of the kidnappers by the cor. ¡°Tell us! Where¡¯s the pregnantdy you guys kidnapped?¡± The kidnapper coughed up a mouthful of blood, revealing a toothless gap in his mouth, before answering, ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s inside!¡± Xante flung him inside and gave him a kick to the head, causing him to pass out, before walking toward the shabby little bungalow. Jeremy quickly walked toward the bungalow after he had taken care of the two kidnappers in front of him. Xante opened the door cautiously, fearing she might be ambushed. She then saw Corinne riding on top of the silver-haired man and pulling on his cor. ¡°Tell me where Jeremy is now!¡± she screamed into his face. The silver-haired man¡¯s face was beaten to a pulp, and his limbs looked like they had been broken by Corinne, so he could not fight back at all. The moment he turned, Corinne used the random object lying around to knock him out. She then beat him senselessly when he woke up. ¡°Hahaha! He¡¯s dead! He was killed in an explosion, remember?¡± insisted the silver-haired man. ¡°You¡¯re lying! He can¡¯t be dead! Tell me where he is now, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± screamed Corinne. The silver-haired man¡¯s eyes were so swollen by that point that he could not even open them. He coughed up some blood andughed maniacally. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to bring him back from the dead even if you kill me. Don¡¯t you know the police have hauled his dead *ss body away? Hahahaha! Is it really worth it for you to go crazy for a dead person?¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes were already bloodshot with anger. ¡°D*mn you, you b*stard! I curse your whole family! You¡¯re not even worthy enough to say Jeremy¡¯s name! Give him back to me! Give him back to me!¡± She punched his head again, causing his ears to ring. It took him a while to recover, but when he did, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°He¡¯s dead, you crazy woman! No matter how much you beat me up, he¡¯s dead, and he¡¯ll nevere back!¡± Corinne was shaking by then. She had been trying to suppress her grief the moment she heard the news, but she could not hold it back anymore¡ªshe broke down right there and then. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She could not ept that Jeremy was gone from the world. Even though she had many times tried to cut ties with him, she never once wished him dead. Chapter 1339 Chapter 1339 Corinne lost her mind. Strangling the silver-haired man, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to make you pay for killing him!¡± The silver-haired man started to turn red in the face from theck of oxygen. ¡°Boss¡­¡± Hearing Xante¡¯s voice, Corinne¡¯s grip loosened around the silver-haired man¡¯s throat. She then turned around and saw not only Xante, but Aaron, Lucas, and Sunny too. They had alle for her. That was not the highlight at all. Jeremy, who was supposed to be dead¡­was there with them, too! Jeremy stood in the middle of the line and looked at Corinne in shock. However, he then narrowed his eyes and smirked at her. Xante was the first to approach Corinne. ¡°Boss, this guy isn¡¯t worth dirtying your hands for. Here, let me help you up. You should rest for a bit and let the police handle the rest.¡± Corinne looked at Xante, and then at her hands on the silver-haired man¡¯s throat. Suddenly, she regained her senses and quickly pulled back her hand. She tried to get up but found it a little difficult in her current condition, so she reached out her hand to ask for Xante¡¯s help. However, Jeremy grabbed her hand before it was even close to touching Xante. Aaron quickly pulled Xante to the side to give Corinne and Jeremy some space. Corinne instinctively pulled back her hand when she saw it was Jeremy who helped her. Jeremy must have expected that as he kept a tight grip on her hand and got avenge me just now?¡± he asked softly. ¡°N¡­ No! I just didn¡¯t like the look of that guy,¡± said Corinne awkwardly. ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Jeremy with a smile. He used his other hand to smooth down the green veins that popped up on her temples as though trying to calm her. Corinne kept staring at him as she let the warmth of his hand wash over her. Suddenly, she could not hold back her tears anymore and broke down crying. She felt like she had been through a roller-coaster ride of emotions for the past few hours. Just when she had epted the death of Jeremy, he suddenly appeared in front of her. ¡°D*mn you, Jeremy Holden! You were supposed to be killed in the explosion!¡± said the silver-haired man vehemently. It was only then Jeremy remembered that Corinne was sitting on top of another man. He frowned and scooped her up before stomping on the silver-haired man. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever die at the hands of someone like you!¡± said Jeremy. The silver-haired man shouted out in both pain and anger. It felt like his organs were about to explode from the force. At that moment, the police officers Jeremy brought with him rushed in. They apprehended the silver- haired man, whose head was bleeding. He was put in handcuffs and dragged out of the shabby little bungalow. Corinne leaned weakly against Jeremy¡¯s chest. She no longer had the strength or mood to put up a struggle. That was how exhausted she was. She did not even know where she got the strength to fight the silver-haired man.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jeremy looked down on her pale face and rested his chin on her forehead. ¡°There, there. I¡¯m here¡ª safe and sound. So don¡¯t worry.¡± Chapter 1340 Chapter 1340 Corinne rested quietly in Jeremy¡¯s arms. She fell asleep as soon as he carried her into the car that she did not even have the chance to ask him what was going on. ¡­ At the police station. Jeremy was waiting outside the interrogation room for the result. At that moment, Pam and Greg had arrived at the police station too. Francine ran and immediately threw herself at Jeremy when she saw him well and alive. ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay! We thought you were¡­¡± She did not finish her sentence as she started crying happy tears. Jeremy patted her head softly. ¡°Hush now. There¡¯s no need to cry. I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I?¡± Francine looked up at Jeremy and sniffled a few times. ¡°Jeremy, how is this possible? Why in an explosion? Do you know how sad we were when we heard that?¡± It was a long story, and Jeremy also thought the police station was not the right ce to exin what happened to them. ¡°You punk! You¡¯re not going to be happy until you¡¯ve frightened me to death, are you? Why didn¡¯t you tell us you were okay? Are you trying to see just how much shock me and your grandfather can take?¡± scolded Pam as she walked over with the help of a maid. Despite her tone, she was crying as well. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You b*stard! How can you keep something like this from me?¡± shouted Greg as he was wheeled in on his wheelchair by a servant. Though he was not crying, his reddened eyes revealed just how worried he was. Jeremy gently pushed Francine away. He walked to his grandparents, bowed solemnly, and said, ¡°Sorry, Grandpa and Grandma, for making you two worried.¡± Pam pulled him up by the elbow. Only when she felt the warmth of his skin did it sink in that Jeremy was safe and sound in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay. Don¡¯t you ever do something like that again. We¡¯re old and can¡¯t take this kind of shock anymore.¡± Greg, with a hardened expression, scoffed and said, ¡°Hmph! If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯m just going to disown him.¡± Pam gave him a side-eye. ¡°Says the person who wouldn¡¯t stop crying at home when he received news of his grandson¡¯s death.¡± Greg frowned. ¡°Who said I wouldn¡¯t stop crying?¡± Pam red at him. ¡°Me!¡± Jeremy smiled. He was relieved to see his grandparents bickering as usual. After that, he said to Francine, ¡°Please bring Grandpa and Grandma to wait over there. I still need to take care of something.¡± Francine nodded and brought Pam and Greg to the waiting area. Jeremy had just turned when a woman came out of nowhere and hugged him from behind. ¡°Jeremy! Oh, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re alive! You scared me to death!¡± said Sophia. She had rushed over to the police station immediately after she got the news. Jeremy looked at Sophia coldly and took her hands off his body. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m fine. Thanks for your concern.¡± Sophia did not try to hug him again. Instead, she walked around to face him. She looked from head to toe to see if he was hurt anywhere. She sighed with relief when she saw there was no sign of injury on his body. Chapter 1341 Chapter 1341 ¡°They all said you were dead, Jeremy, but I didn¡¯t believe any of it! I knew you wouldn¡¯t leave us so easily! I¡¯m so d I held on to my beliefs! It¡¯s such a relief to see you alive!¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Sorry you had to worry about me.¡± Sophia suddenly had a mncholic expression. ¡°What about Corinne¡­¡± Jeremy opened his mouth. ¡°She¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Corinne was nowhere to be found!¡± Francine ran over and said to Jeremy after hearing Sophia mention Corinne¡¯s name. She was back after she helped Pam take a seat at the police station. Sophia had a worried expression. ¡°Corinne is pregnant and missing. This isn¡¯t a good sign. If something happens to her, then¡ª¡± ¡°Were you looking forward to something to happen to me, Miss Sophia?¡± Corinne interrupted Sophia¡¯s words insipidly. Both Sophia and Francine were startled to hear Corinne¡¯s voice. They looked toward the door of the interrogation room and saw Corinne walking out calmly. When Jeremy saw her, he came to her and reached out to support her. Francine was overjoyed. ¡°Sister-in-Law!¡± Sophia had a contrived expression. ¡°Corinne? So you¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re here too! That¡¯s good!¡± Corinne did not refuse Jeremy¡¯s help and ced her hand on Jeremy¡¯s forearm. She looked at Sophia and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Are you genuinely happy to see me?¡± Sophia nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! Of course! We have nothing to worry about anymore if you and Jeremy are both safe and sound!¡± Corinne curled her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too happy to me. Since I¡¯m still in one piece, your n to lead me to the ruins after the explosion so those gangsters could bring me away ended up in vain.¡± ¡°What?¡± Francine frowned and looked at Sophia. ¡°You led my sister-inw into heading to the ce where the explosion happened? You pretended not to know anything when I called you to ask where she went!¡± Sophia¡¯s cheery expression stiffened slightly. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t know anything, Francine! I have no idea why Corinne said that. I didn¡¯t even meet her before everything happened!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Sophia then red at Corinne resentfully. ¡°I¡¯m really d you came back in one piece, but you can¡¯t just use this as an opportunity to make false usations! When did I lead you to the ruins? I wouldn¡¯t even dare to step foot there!¡± Corinne was not surprised at her tant lies and snorted softly. ¡°What reason do I have to make false usations?¡± Sophia frowned and had a frustrated expression. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve always hated me because Jeremy and I are legally married, but I¡¯ve already exined to you that we got the marriage certificate as a personal favor between friends. There¡¯s nothing else to it. This is just one big misunderstanding! You can¡¯t just falsely use me of something I didn¡¯t do just because you¡¯re jealous of that!¡± ¡°Falsely use you?¡± Corinne had to contain herughter. ¡°Then let me ask you this: Did you print those leaflets and hire someone to throw them in the Riveras¡¯ yard so I would see the news of Jeremy¡¯s death? Didn¡¯t you want to stir my emotions to the point where it might affect my baby? ¡°Did you also spread rumors that Jeremy¡¯s grandparents made a will and wanted to pass on all the Holdens¡¯ assets to the baby in my fetus? Wasn¡¯t that an act of turning me into a target for those gangsters? ¡°You helped me escape from the hospital and led me to the ruins with the n of either having those gangsters take me away, harm me, or get rid of my baby to avoid any other trouble in the future! You didn¡¯t expect me to survive all that ande out unscathed, which I¡¯m sure you have difficulty epting.¡± Chapter 1342 Chapter 1342 Sophia turned pale when such specific questions were directed to her. She shook her head innocently and denied it. ¡°That¡¯s not true! How could you make all those false usations?¡± Corinne sneered. ¡°Please. I have no reason to waste my breath on you if you didn¡¯t do any of that. You im that I¡¯m jealous of the marriage certificate you have with him, but what you don¡¯t know is that I don¡¯t give two hoots about it. If you can make him yours with that certificate, then by all means, do it!¡± Corinne nced up and looked at Jeremy. Jeremy was guilty as charged, so he did not dare to anger her or express his opinions. He was at fault for hiding from her the circumstances surrounding the marriage certificate, and he deserved all the scolding. Sophia did not admit to anything that Corinne said, but she did not have strong reasons to refute him either. She deliberately changed the topic and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you appreciate and cherish Jeremy at all? Don¡¯t you feel heartbroken if I take him away from you? How can you be worthy of his sincerity toward you if this is how you feel toward him?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank. He narrowed his eyes slightly and did not know what to feel as he looked at Corinne. Sophia was adept at deflecting conflicts. Just a few simple questions were able to generate some friction between Corinne and Jeremy, even though they had both eased up on each other more than before. Corinne did not seem affected by it at all. If she could be brave to speak her mind in front of Jeremy, she need not worry about what he would think of her. She smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s well aware of whether or not I¡¯m worthy of him, so that¡¯s none of your concern. However, you and I both know why you and Jeremy obtained the marriage certificate in the first ce. I¡¯m not jealous about it at all. I¡¯m just angry that he kept it from me and didn¡¯t tell me about it. ¡°If he could be convinced to be with you simply based on that document, then it only goes to show that he¡¯s a fickle-minded man who isn¡¯t worth my appreciation. In that case, you can have him! However, I know very well you can¡¯t do that because he would¡¯ve forgotten about me long ago if you were sessful.¡± Jeremy¡¯s frown eased up a little after hearing her firm confidence in him. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Sophia was a little frustrated after hearing that. Corinne was much more difficult to deal with than expected. She was unlike any other woman, and it was no wonder that Jeremy could not forget her! Jeremy then coaxed, ¡°You must be thirsty after giving your statement and talking so much. I¡¯ll get some water for you.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes at Jeremy. The physical aspect of losing someone was too painful, and she finally understood how much she cared about him. It was beyond rational judgment. She still cared about him and loved him very much even after he lied to her. That was exactly the kind of thing that would happen to a lovesick person. However, it was much better than having a breakdown and regretting everything only after he was gone. Deep down, Corinne knew Jeremy never cheated on her nor had any affection for Sophia. She might havee to terms with all that already, but she still showed him¡ªthe ¡®big fat liar¡¯ that he was¡ªa displeased expression. Corinne stared at him in disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t be so full of yourself. I haven¡¯t forgiven you yet!¡± Jeremy pursed his lips helplessly and coaxed her carefully, ¡°I know that. But you still need to drink water, don¡¯t you? You can¡¯t deprive yourself of water because of me, right?¡± Chapter 1343 Chapter 1343 Corinne snorted and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want water. I want bubble tea!¡± Jeremy nodded dutifully and looked at Francine. ¡°Go buy her some bubble tea. Quarter sugar and quarter ice. Be back as soon as you can!¡± Francine¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, but she soon realized that Jeremy and Corinne were about to reconcile. She immediately grinned and said, ¡°On it! I won¡¯t be long! One bubble teaing right up!¡± She turned and ran off. Corinne paid special attention to her diet during her pregnancy and cut down on a lot of sweets. The stimtion she experienced made her want some bubble tea just so she could calm herself. Jeremy never looked at Sophia. He focused entirely on Corinne, and his gaze seemed to be cherishing her as if she were a delicate little gem. Sophia could not care less what Corinne thought of her, but she was very particr about Jeremy¡¯s opinion of her. She thus righteously said, ¡°Corinne misunderstood me, and she¡¯s also biased against me. But you know who I am, and you know that I¡¯m nothing like her usations!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy nced up slightly and turned to Sophia. Rather than responding to her, he asked coldly, ¡°Have you gotten a recement certificate yet?¡± Sophia was startled and wanted to avoid the question. ¡°Not yet. The procedure¡ª¡± Jeremy was in no mood to listen to her exnation. He interrupted her and said, ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you were willing to help me with that favor, but you and I signed the agreement knowing that this was simply to deal with my family and nothing else. ¡°If you keep dying the procedure to get a recement and proceed with revoking our marriage, I would have to go through legal procedures from the country and sue the court to revoke the certificate. I wouldn¡¯t want to go to court with a friend, so the ball is in your court.¡± Sophia stared nkly at Jeremy. She never expected him to say something so ruthless to her. In the end, she could no longer pretend anymore and turned on him in anger. ¡°So you¡¯re just going to get rid of me after using me? I am the only daughter of the dignified Adam Group. I won¡¯t let you bully me like this, and my father won¡¯t let you do this either! You need to take responsibility for me, or you¡¯ll have to face my father. You know how powerful he is. I don¡¯t want to stir up any conflict between you two. It¡¯ll break my heart to watch the two men I care about the most fall out because of me! I won¡¯t be as intolerant of other women as Corinne is. I¡¯ll do anything for you!¡± Jeremy took Corinne into his arms and patted her head gently. He did not want her to listen to Sophia¡¯s ridiculous statements. His sharp eyes stared defiantly at Sophia as he asked, ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Sophia shook her head eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m not! I just want to be with you! I won¡¯t even mind that you have Corinne, and I don¡¯t mind if she gives birth to your child! We can live together! I just want to be your wife¡ªyour true wife! I don¡¯t care how many Corinnes you want to have in the future!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression sank. He found it difficult to grasp the notion that his old friend was putting forth and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll only ever see you as a friend.¡± Chapter 1344 Chapter 1344 Sophia seemed to have lost all control. ¡°A friend? I¡¯m a woman! I¡¯m beautiful, and I have a good figure. How can you treat me only as a friend? Men and women can¡¯t be just ¡®friends¡¯!¡± Jeremy became visibly impatient and covered Corinne¡¯s ears with his hands. He then said to Sophia, ¡°You¡¯re not in the right frame of mind now. Please stop yelling. You¡¯ll make her ufortable.¡± ¡°All I¡¯m asking is for you to treat me like a woman! Is that so difficult?¡± Sophia became even more manic. Jeremy finally lost his patience. ¡°Enough! Can someonee in and escort Miss Sophia away, please? She had a little too much to drink. Please bring her back to rest at the hotel!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The servant who came with Jeremy¡¯s grandparents came up and said to them, ¡°Right this way, please!¡± Sophia, naturally, refused to leave. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any drinks! And I¡¯m not drunk! I won¡¯t leave!¡± The two servants nced at Jeremy to seek further instruction. When they saw his unwavering expression, the two of them dragged Sophia out. Sophia warned while struggling, ¡°You can¡¯t do this to me, Jeremy! You¡¯ll regret it! Mark my words!¡± Jeremy remained unmoved. The surrounding environment became much quieter after Sophia had been dragged out. Corinne nced at Jeremy. She narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°Is she really Adam¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Jeremy replied, ¡°but there¡¯s nothing to be concerned about.¡± Corinne finally understood why Sophia was that spoiled. She turned out to be Adam¡¯s daughter! Adam was the boss of an international gang known as Adam Group, named after the founder. Adam was rumored to have been born in poverty and built Adam Group from the ground up. It had subsidiaries all over the world. Although it looked like a proper business venture on the surface, they had a lot of morally gray industries behind the shadows. Their influence was huge and spanned all over the globe. ¡®Why did Jeremy choose someone with asplicated a background as Sophia to help deal with his grandparents?¡¯ Corinne was about to ask her question, but she was interrupted when Francine called out to her. Francine panted and said, ¡°Sister-inw! I¡­ I brought your drink!¡± Francine was sweating profusely after running back with the cup of bubble tea. Corinne was about to reach out to take the drink, but Jeremy took it before she could. He held the cup to check its temperature. After making sure that the cup was not cold, he inserted the straw and brought it to her mouth. Corinne did not like to be fed, so she reached out to take the cup and took a big sip from the straw. ¡°Take it easy,¡± Jeremy looked at her quietly. ¡°No one will take it from you.¡± Corinne ignored him. She felt a little tired after standing for a long while, so she walked to the police station lobby lounge to sit and enjoy her drink. As she held her cup and walked over, she saw Jeremy¡¯s grandparents standing there and bowed politely to them. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Grandpa Greg and Grandma Pam.¡± Pam looked at her well-behaved granddaughter-inw and felt equal parts affection and distress. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Corinne nodded. Chapter 1345 Chapter 1345 Corinne had gained a lot of weight, and Greg noticed she was due soon. ¡°Where have you been all these days?¡± Corinne smiled without answering. She merely continued to drink her drink. Jeremy followed her and knelt on the ground so he was level with her. He coaxed in a warm voice, ¡°The drink is cold. Even if you like it, you should drink too quickly or you¡¯ll have diarrhea.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Then so be it.¡± Jeremy knew she was trying to annoy him on purpose. He answered her calmly, ¡°Take it easy and drink slowly. You shouldn¡¯t go more than half a cup. I¡¯m going in to check on the interrogation.¡± Corinne answered absent-mindedly. Jeremy patted her head and headed to the police station corridor. After Jeremy left, Francine helped Pam sit beside Corinne. Corinne smiled politely in a somewhat indifferent manner. Pam sighed. ¡°I heard what you said to Sophia.¡± ¡°Did it subvert your understanding of me?¡± Corinne looked up at Pam. ¡°Do you think I might¡¯ve been too harsh on Jeremy?¡± Pam shook her head. ¡°I know that you¡¯re a good and honest person. I understand why you left without saying goodbye. I knew that they had gotten the certificate, but I didn¡¯t tell you because I¡¯m worried you might get angry and dump that brat. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hide it from you and tricked you into marrying. I know very well that my husband forced Jeremy into doing that by using the operation as leverage. Jeremy had no choice.¡± Corinne listened while sipping on her drink. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Pam continued, ¡°You might not know this, but Jeremy has been stuck in a daze in the half a year that you were gone. He never smiled, and he sent his people to look for you every day. I understand how important you are to him, and I can also see his importance to you. You both love each other very much, so I hope you won¡¯t get into too big of a fight because of this misunderstanding. Come home with uster, Corinne.¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No. Not yet.¡± Pam felt a little hurt. ¡°Why not? Are you still hesitant to give Jeremy a chance to turn over a new leaf?¡± Corinne exined, ¡°He¡¯s still technically married to the other woman by way of the marriage certificate. I won¡¯t live with a man married to someone else. I¡¯ll return once that marriage certificate is revoked.¡± Pam instantly knew that reconciliation was in motion. ¡°I understand how you feel, but do you have a ce to stay if you don¡¯te home? Your delivery date ising anytime now, and I¡¯m worried about your safety.¡± Corinne said, ¡°You can rest assured that I¡¯m in perfectly good health and have a safe ce to live. The baby will be alright.¡± Pam did not want to persuade her any further, but she felt that Corinne had misunderstood something and said, ¡°I¡¯m not just worried about your child. I¡¯m more worried about you! Childbirth carries many risks, and I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re not being cared for by someone who has been through all this. It is your first pregnancy.¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern,¡± Corinne replied, ¡°but I¡¯m fine. I promise. I won¡¯t set foot into the Holdens until he solves his problems. This is my principle. I hope you can respect and understand that.¡± Chapter 1346 Chapter 1346 Outside the police station. Lucas and Sunny sat in a car while Xante and Aaron were in another. They were all waiting for Corinne toe out. Inside the Riveras¡¯ car, Sunny looked at the time on his sports watch and became a little anxious. ¡°It¡¯s been an hour. Shouldn¡¯t they be done recording the statements by now? Why hasn¡¯t Corinnee out yet? I¡¯ll go in and check on them!¡± He reached out to open the car door. Lucas stopped him. ¡°Sit back down! Keep calm, and don¡¯t go around causing any trouble. Jeremy is inside, and he won¡¯t let anything happen to Corinne.¡± Sunny did not dare to disobey Lucas and immediately closed the car door. He sat back angrily and asked confusedly, ¡°When did you start trusting Jeremy so much? Didn¡¯t you use to hate himst time?¡± Lucas shot him an angry nce. Sunny immediately shut his mouth and stopped talking. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In the other car, Xante and Aaron sat in the driver¡¯s seat and the front passenger seat respectively. Aaron asked somewhat yfully, ¡°Do you think our boss will reconcile with that guy again?¡± Xante adjusted her gold-rimmed spectacles and said, ¡°It¡¯s her choice, and we must respect it.¡± Aaron rested his foreheadzily and sighed. ¡°I get it now. She¡¯s never been able to get over him. She cares so much about him that she can¡¯t ept the things he hid from her. If something happened to him, she would¡¯ve strangled the murderer herself and avenged him.¡± Xante narrowed her eyes slightly and agreed tacitly with his observation. Though they had been with Corinne for so many years, they had never seen her lose control over someone else before and be so ruthless to the leader of those criminals. ¡°You should worry about your problems for now.¡± Xante gestured in a direction outside the car window. Aaron looked over and saw a taxi driving up to the police station entrance. Annie got out of the car first, followed by Marcus. The two of them then walked together to the door of the police station. Aaron immediately got out of the car. He walked over slowly and stopped in front of them. Annie and Marcus were surprised to see Aaron there. Marcus snapped back to his senses and greeted his boss respectfully. ¡°Mister Aaron.¡± Annie frowned anxiously. ¡°You¡¯re here too? Have you seen Uncle Jeremy? I heard that he¡¯s fine, so I rushed over right away.¡± Aaron nodded and said to Annie in a warm voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s fine. His grandparents are here too. But don¡¯t go in just yet though. Wait for them toe out.¡± Annie grabbed Aaron¡¯s arm excitedly. ¡°Are you sure you saw my uncle? Is he okay? Was he injured or disfigured by the bomb?¡± Aaronforted her. ¡°I saw him. He¡¯s in one piece, and he¡¯s still giving his statement to the police. The same goes for Corinne. You¡¯ll see them once they¡¯re done.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s good.¡± Annie¡¯s tense body rxed. ¡°I¡¯m d that they¡¯re both fine.¡± Chapter 1347 Chapter 1347 Aaron nodded. He raised his hand to pat Annie¡¯s shoulder andfort her. After all, the past few days have been nerve-wracking for her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Annie.¡± Marcus, Annie¡¯s boyfriend, felt ufortable when he saw his immediate boss acting inappropriately toward his girlfriend. Even so, it was difficult for him to express his dissatisfaction directly to his boss. He approached them andforted Annie too. ¡°That¡¯s good to know, Annie. It¡¯s great that your uncle and aunt. You have nothing to worry about now.¡± Annie looked at Marcus and snapped back to reality. She realized she had been too close to Aaron, so she took a step back and kept her distance from him. Aaron immediately understood what she was thinking and pursed his lips to smile at her. Marcus raised his hand and hugged Annie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Mister Aaron is right. You shouldn¡¯t go in right now, so how about we wait outside? I saw a shop not far from here. Let¡¯s go get something to drink while we wait.¡± Annie was not in the mood to drink anything. She shook her head and said, ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t feel like drinking anything right now.¡± Marcus nodded helplessly. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait here with you.¡± Aaron narrowed his eyes slightly. He red sullenly at Marcus¡¯s hand on Annie¡¯s shoulder and asked softly, ¡°Have you prepared the slides for tomorrow¡¯s morning meeting?¡± Marcus was stunned. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯ll spend the entire night working on it when I get home.¡± Aaron asked seriously, ¡°You¡¯re nning on staying upte, then? Can you guarantee you won¡¯t make any mistakes? Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to exin everything clearly to the higher-ups in the meeting tomorrow? I don¡¯t think you need me to exin how important tomorrow¡¯s meeting is. I think it¡¯s best for you to put your work ahead of everything else.¡± Marcus felt a little awkward. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Annie realized that Marcus still had important work toplete, so she said considerately, ¡°You should head home if you have work to do. You don¡¯t have to wait here with me! I don¡¯t want you neglecting your responsibilities.¡± Marcus was still somewhat worried. ¡°But¡­¡± Annie said firmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ve made sure that my uncle is fine. He¡¯ll send me home once he¡¯s out.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Marcus looked at Annie and was still unwilling to leave. Aaron then said slyly, ¡°Annie understands that you have work responsibilities. I¡¯ll take care of her here, so you can go ahead and head home.¡± Marcus felt an inexplicable chill down his spine when he looked at Aaron. Though Aaron was smiling at him, he felt threatened all the same. Annie might not choose to be with him anymore if he left! Marcus then decided to take a gamble on his job. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but I also have a responsibility to my girlfriend. As for the slides for the meeting, I give you my word that it will be done before the meeting starts tomorrow morning. If anything goes wrong because of me, I will bear all the consequences. You can fire me if ites to that.¡± Aaron was a little surprised by that response. He smiled and said, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, the situation here has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re an outsider, and it would be inappropriate for you to be around here.¡± Marcus felt a little awkward when he had beenbeled as an ¡®outsider¡¯. Aaron was right, though¡ªhe ought not to get himself involved in the situation, and he had no right to do so either. Annie also felt that it was a little rude for Aaron to say that to Marcus, but she was not in the mood to argue with Aaron. She said regretfully to Marcus, ¡°Listen to me, Marcus. You should head back and focus on your work! I don¡¯t know how long I will have to wait for my uncle and aunt, and it¡¯ll affect your work if there¡¯s any dy here. I don¡¯t want you to stay upte and get exhausted!¡± Chapter 1348 Chapter 1348 Marcus felt helpless after hearing what Annie said. He hesitated for a while before nodding and saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go back home andplete my tasks, then. Give me a call when you¡¯re home.¡± Annie nodded. ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll call you as soon as I get home!¡± Marcus hugged Annie tightly as if he did not want to leave her alone. He looked intently at Aaron before turning and hailing a taxi to leave. Annie was a little stiff after Marcus hugged her. She had been dating Marcus for a long time, but they never did anything particrly intimate. She always subconsciously avoided Marcus¡¯s attempts to get close to her. She treated her rtionship with Marcus seriously, and she felt that Marcus was a genuinely good person. She just found it difficult and awkward to get closer to Marcus for reasons even she was unable to exin. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Amid her surprise, she heard Aaron¡¯s gentle voice telling her, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car. It¡¯s getting cold.¡± Annie snapped back to her senses. She looked into Aaron¡¯s eyes and subconsciously avoided them. However, she nodded and epted his offer to get into the back seat of the car. Aaron joined her in the back seat too, which made Annie feel a little awkward as she thought they were the only two people in the car. That feeling soon passed when she saw Xante sitting in the front passenger seat. Xante did not want to be the third wheel. She was considerate enough to raise the partition separating the front seats and the back seats. Annie was speechless, and she immediately regretted getting into the car. Aaron could sense Annie¡¯s awkwardness, so he chuckled and asked, ¡°Why are you so nervous? I won¡¯t eat you.¡± Annie pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous! I¡¯m just worried about Uncle Jeremy.¡± Aaron shifted slightly and deliberately sat closer to her. ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t because of me?¡± ¡°W¡ªW¡ªWhat are you doing?¡± Annie was startled by Aaron¡¯s actions and looked nervously at him. Aaron smiled at her. ¡°And you said you weren¡¯t nervous because of me.¡± Annie looked away in embarrassment. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t do this! You¡¯re using my boyfriend¡¯s absence as an excuse to cross the line! I¡¯ll get off if you keep doing this!¡± Aaron stopped teasing her and moved a little further away. He sighed sadly and asked, ¡°How many times have you two hugged?¡± ¡°What?¡± Annie¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. Aaron asked, ¡°How many times have you and Marcus hugged like that?¡± Annie frowned. She was confused by his question, so she asked, ¡°Why should I answer that kind of question?¡± Aaron looked at her and smiled bitterly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer. I just couldn¡¯t help myself from asking because I¡¯m jealous.¡± Annie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ Aaron smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°This is the first time a woman has ever made me feel jealous. I now understand how ufortable this feeling is.¡± Annie¡¯s heartbeat quickened uncontrobly as she looked at Aaron. She could not tell from his handsome face whether he was telling the truth, but she felt increasingly drawn to him despite knowing it was wrong to feel that way. She should not develop those feelings for another man after Marcus left! Aaron asked, ¡°Am I never going to get another chance?¡± Annie was aghast. She forced herself to turn around and look at the police station door. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to talk about this! Please stop talking! I just want to wait for Uncle Jeremy toe out with Corinne!¡± Chapter 1349 Chapter 1349 Aaron lowered his gaze and kept quiet. The partition Xante raised to separate the front seat from the back seat had very poor sound instion. She could hear what they were both talking about behind her. ¡®I never would¡¯ve thought that Aaron would one day be in such a sorry state! He deserves it though.¡¯ She fished out a box ofdies¡¯ cigarettes from her handbag and took one cigarette out. She was about to light it up when the car door suddenly opened. Sunny sat in angrily and snatched it away. Xante frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it when you smoke!¡± Sunny said with a sullen face. Xante ignored him and took out a new cigarette from the cigarette box. Sunny snatched that away too. ¡°Girls shouldn¡¯t smoke!¡± Xante became a little impatient. ¡°You can¡¯t control me.¡± Sunny said seriously, ¡°Who else is going to control you if I don¡¯t? I¡¯m your boyfriend!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself,¡± Xante smirked. ¡°I simply didn¡¯t reject you. I never agreed to you being my boyfriend.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I am your boyfriend! We¡¯ve slept together!¡± Xante adjusted her gold-rimmed spectacles. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to count the number of men I¡¯ve slept with. You¡¯re not the only one. Are you saying they¡¯re all my boyfriends?¡± She took out another cigarette from her cigarette box and put it in her mouth. Since two of her cigarettes had been swiped away, she had the foresight to avoid Sunny. After lighting the cigarette, she took a puff and exhaled the smoke into Sunny¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t have a fling with me if you¡¯re going to catch feelings. It¡¯s not fun anymore if you take this seriously.¡± Sunny frowned and emphasized. ¡°It¡¯s not a fling!¡± Xante smirked and took another puff of her cigarette. ¡°It is to me!¡± Sunny gritted his teeth in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re being ridiculous! You said before that you like me!¡± ¡°I do!¡± Xante replied frivolously. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like a young, hot stud? You¡¯re not the only young boy I like. I like plenty of other young boys!¡± Sunny was incensed. ¡°You¡­¡± Xante ced the cigarette between her lips and looked at Lucas¡¯s vehicle nearby. ¡°Didn¡¯t your brother stop you froming to me?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t stop me even if he wanted to!¡± Sunny retorted. ¡°I listen to him when ites to other matters, but I won¡¯t listen to him when ites to yours! You don¡¯t have to worry that my family will disagree with our rtionship. Corinne is my half-sister, and she¡¯ll help us! Her words carry a lot of weight with Lucas, and he won¡¯t object as long as she approves of us!¡± Xante took a puff of his cigarette and said disapprovingly, ¡°I won¡¯t marry you even if your family gives the green light! Don¡¯t overthink.¡± Sunny was angry, but above all, he was hurt. ¡°Why? Why won¡¯t you marry me?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Xante looked at him past the wisps of smoke. ¡°Because I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet.¡± Sunny gritted his teeth and had a sullen expression. He had never been treated so flippantly before. Rather than get angry, however, he took a deep breath and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you to have your fill of fun! I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m still young, and I have plenty of time to wait!¡± Xante paused for a moment and stared thoughtfully at Sunny. ¡°What do you like about me?¡± Sunny snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Then why are you so determined when you can¡¯t even give me a reason why you like me? You need to sober up!¡± Xante remarked. Sunny growled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to sober up. My mind is very clear!¡± Chapter 1350 Chapter 1350 Xante lowered the window to get some fresh air. ¡°If you want to be in a rtionship, I can have fun with you for a while. If it¡¯s marriage you want, you ought to be with someone else!¡± ¡°I want to be with you!¡± Sunny said stubbornly. Women usually pushed for marriage because they feared that their boyfriend might change his mind or refuse to take responsibility for her, yet Sunny could not understand why Xante seemed to be acting more like a man. Xante said, ¡°Marriage was never part of my ns. You chose the wrong person if you wanted to get married.¡± ¡°Are you an example of someone who doesn¡¯t believe in marriage?¡± Sunny frowned andpromised. ¡°Fine, then. We¡¯ll be in a rtionship with each other for the rest of our lives. Don¡¯t even think of being with anyone else!¡± Xante looked at Sunny¡¯s serious expression and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be naive!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡ª¡± Before Sunny could say anything, Xante put out her cigarette and got out of the car. Jeremy was already helping Corinne out of the police station. Sunny was frustrated that he could not finish his sentence, but he got out of the car anyway. Annie was the first to reach Jeremy and Corinne. ¡°Uncle Jeremy! Aunt Corinne! I¡¯m so d to see that you¡¯re both okay!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Aaron walked over and asked Corinne worriedly, ¡°How are you feeling, boss? Are you done giving your statement?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all done.¡± ¡°Thank goodness it¡¯s all done.¡± Aaron smiled in relief. ¡°Will you be going home with us or Mister Jeremy?¡± Corinne was about to answer when Lucas got out of the car and walked over. ¡°She wants to go home with me,¡± he said with conviction. When he arrived in front of Corinne, his expression became considerably gentler. ¡°Are you tired, Corinne? Let¡¯s go home and rest.¡± Corinne nodded at Lucas and walked toward him. Jeremy reached out and hugged her gently. He did not permit her to leave his side even by an inch. He raised his eyes and said to Lucas, ¡°I¡¯ll see her off.¡± Lucas ignored Jeremy and looked at Corinne to see if that was what she wanted. Corinne shook off Jeremy¡¯s hand from her shoulders and refused. ¡°You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself. You would¡¯ve been tired from trying to catch all the gangsters in the past two days, so you should go home and have some rest.¡± Jeremy sighed. His gentle tone had a hint of coaxing as he said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Let me see you off, okay?¡± Corinne answered him firmly, ¡°Come meet me again when you solve that problem of yours. I won¡¯t go with you until and unless everything is clear-cut.¡± She then walked toward Lucas and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lucas then helped her into the car. There was nothing Jeremy could do about it. He knew that he had no right to pester her until he solved the issue with Sophia. He turned to Lucas and said earnestly, ¡°Thank you for taking care of her for me.¡± Lucas replied unceremoniously, ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility as a brother to take good care of her. I am more than happy to do my duty. Our family will no longer be able to tolerate you if you ever make her sad or put her in any form of danger.¡± Lucas then turned around and got into his car before driving away. Chapter 1351 Chapter 1351 Francine was helping Pam out when she saw what happened. ¡°Jeremy, why is Corinne staying with the Rivera family? Aren¡¯t you worried Lucas will try to steal her from you?¡± she asked, bewildered by the turn of events. Pam thought Francine was right to worry. ¡®How could Jeremy let Corinne be taken away by Sunny and Lucas?¡¯ she thought. Jeremy did not exin much. He simply said, ¡°Lucas will never do that.¡± That still did not put Francine at ease. ¡°How can you be so sure? He¡¯s a man too! You shouldn¡¯t trust another man so easily, Jeremy.¡± Annie rarely agreed with Francine, but this time, she did. She nodded and said, ¡°Francine¡¯s right. What are you waiting for? Things between you and Corinne are finally getting a little bit better! Why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to bring her back home?¡± Seeing that she had Annie¡¯s support, Francine felt she was even more right to worry. ¡°Yeah! Go get her back now, Jeremy!¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°That¡¯s enough! You go back with the grandparents first.¡± Francine could tell Jeremy was in a bad mood after Corinne left, so she dared not say anything else. She nodded meekly and said, ¡°Fine¡­¡± She then turned to help Pam and Greg into the car. After making sure they were gone, Jeremy turned back to look sternly at Annie. ¡°You go back too. By the way, did you tell your parents you¡¯reing out at thiste hour?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± answered Annie, lowering her head in shame. She did not have the time to tell her parents before she rushed over there. ¡°Aaron, please send Annie back home. I still have some things to take care of here,¡± said Jeremy. Aaron smiled. ¡°Sure. It¡¯d be my pleasure.¡± Annie was speechless. Aaron smiled at Annie. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± Annie helplessly followed Aaron to his car. However, she felt a little more relieved when she saw Jeremy and Corinne were reconciling. Jeremy went back into the police station after everyone left. He entered the interrogation room. The two police officers in charge of interrogating the silver-haired man were at their wits¡¯ end since they failed to get any useful information from him. The silver-haired man was only brought into the police station after he had been treated in the hospital for the injuries Corinne inflicted. All of his limbs were wrapped in casts as he sat on the chair, making him a sorry sight. He had a smirk on his face since he knew the two police officers would not do anything to him. Anything they asked, he would simply reply with a silly answer. The two police officers stepped out of the interrogation room and closed the door after Jeremy came in. He sat down and asked steadily, ¡°Who was the mastermind behind all this?¡± The silver-haired man hated how Jeremy thought everyone was beneath him, so he lifted his chin proudly and retorted, ¡°There¡¯s no one else. I¡¯m the mastermind!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll be sentenced heavily if you don¡¯t tell me the truth?¡± ¡°Jeremy Holden, you should worry about yourself instead of worrying about me. Everyone in this world now knows Corinne is your weakness. Even if I can¡¯t get rid of you, somebody else will! Don¡¯t ever think you can live a peaceful life from now on, you b*stard.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained impassive. ¡°What if I tell you I know your weakness too?¡± The silver-haired man scoffed. ¡°My weakness? I don¡¯t have any close friends or rtives in this world. No one cares if I live or die, nor do I care if anyone lives or dies. What weakness could I have? I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯ll never fall in love with any woman!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± mused Jeremy. He slowly brought out a ne with a locket, the kind that could be opened, from his suit pocket. He saw what was inside, too. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. In the locket was the photo of a woman carrying a boy, and they were all smiles. Chapter 1352 Chapter 1352 The silver-haired man reddened with anger when he saw the ne. He seemed to have forgotten he was in casts as he shot up from his seat and yelled, ¡°Give me back the ne!¡± He risked going back to the explosion site to look for the ne. It was the only thing his mother left him, and the photo inside was also the only photo with both of them in it. The police officers outside heard themotion, and they rushed in to control him. ¡°Behave yourself!¡± The silver-haired man red at Jeremy and gritted his teeth. ¡°Give me back the ne!¡± Jeremy nonchntly swung the ne in front of him. ¡°So, are you going to tell me who¡¯s the mastermind now?¡± ¡°I told you! No one told me to do anything. It was me who wanted you dead!¡± snarled the silver-haired man. Jeremy believed the silver-haired man, whose name was Rudy Holden, wanted him dead. Rudy was just one of the many illegitimate sons Jeremy¡¯s father had over the years. Thus, that made him his half- brother. Rudy dropped out of school when he was very young and became a thug to pass his time. During the past two years, he somehow got his hands on illegal weapons and recruited a group of men to work under him. One could say he was considerably powerful in his territory. Thus, it was difficult for Jeremy to believe Rudy did not have someone supporting him from the shadows. Of course, he was not in a hurry. Jeremy put the ne back into his pocket and stood up. ¡°Oh well, it seems like you don¡¯t want this ne that much after all.¡± He turned to leave the interrogation room after that. Rudy became even more infuriated when he saw Jeremy was about to leave. ¡°Stop! Jeremy, you b*stard! Give me back the ne! Give me back the ne!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you back the ne after you tell me who the mastermind is,¡± said Jeremy without stopping. ¡°Jeremy! Don¡¯t go! Give me back the¡­¡± ¡­ Tommy was already waiting for Jeremy at the entrance when Jeremy walked out of the police station. ¡°Mister Jeremy, you haven¡¯t slept a wink these two days. You should go home and rest.¡± Jeremy did look exhausted. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked up at the bright full moon. ¡°Tommy, is the barbecue shack she likes still open at this hour?¡± Tommy naturally knew who Jeremy was referring to, so he answered, ¡°It should still be open. They do their business till the early morning.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy walked toward his car. ¡°Bring me there.¡± Tommy quickly followed after him. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, it was very lively in the Riveras¡¯ mansion. There had not been so many people ever since Maxwell brought Cedric and Beatrice abroad to visit some rtives. Phoebe and Anya, on the other hand, were sent away to reflect on their wrongdoings. Aaron, Xante, and Annie were at the Riveras¡¯ mansion too. Everyone sat in the living room, eating fruits and asking Corinne what happened during her kidnapping. Corinne gave them a brief retelling before drinking the warm milk Sunny brought her with a faraway look in her eyes. It was nearly 3 a.m., and they would have been asleep at this hour. Of course, that was not the case as everyone was pumping with adrenaline to rescue Corinne. Corinne¡¯s phone suddenly vibrated. Her eyes dimmed a little when she saw the message from Jeremy, asking her, [Are you sleeping?] A few seconds of hesitationter, she replied, [No. What¡¯s up?] An instant reply from Jeremy, [I bought you some supper and am outside the mansion. Can youe out to take it?] As tempted as Corinne was, she still decided to reject him. [No, thanks. I¡¯ve already eaten. You can bring the supper back for your grandparents.] Chapter 1353 Chapter 1353 A few secondster, Jeremy replied, [My grandparents don¡¯t eat supper. You don¡¯t have toe out if you don¡¯t want to see me. At least have the servants take it in.] Corinne frowned. She knew Jeremy would not leave until the supper was delivered. ¡®Hmph! Why should I care if he stands outside the whole night? Serves him right for always ordering me around and forcing me to do things I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ ¡­ Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Outside the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Jeremy got out of his car. He then shoved his hands into his pants pockets and looked at the mansion for somebody toe out to take the supper. Tommy had gotten out of the car as well and stood next to Jeremy with the takeout in his hands. No one came out of the mansion, but they saw a car driving toward them from the other end of the road. The car¡¯s headlights were so bright that Jeremy and Tommy had to look away. The car stopped outside the mansion, and Jason turned off the headlights before getting out of the car. Jason walked toward Jeremy and asked, ¡°Jeremy, I heard from Lucas that you¡¯re back. How was everything? Are you okay?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. Though, what are you doing here at thiste hour?¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± Jason frowned. ¡°Are you waiting for Corinne?¡± Jeremy did not answer him. Jason took Jeremy¡¯s silence as an affirmative. He then nced at the mansion and advised, ¡°Jeremy, Corinne obviously doesn¡¯t want to see you. I think it¡¯s best to let her be.¡± He then saw the takeout Tommy was carrying, and realization dawned on him. ¡°Is that for Corinne? How about I bring it in for you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Just go in if you want,¡± said Jeremy. Jason shrugged. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell Corinne to at least send somebody to get the takeout once I see her.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes and said nothing. Jason was just about to go into the mansionpound when he heard a noiseing from that direction. ¡°Miss Corinne, it¡¯s cold outside! Mister Lucas asked you to put on this coat.¡± Jason stopped walking and turned to look at Corinne with a coat hanging on her shoulders, walking out of the door. Jason frowned with disappointment. Corinne walked out slowly on ount of her pregnant belly. She stopped in front of Jeremy and extended her hand. ¡°Where¡¯s my supper? Give it to me!¡± Jeremy¡¯s perpetually cold face eased into a smile when he saw Corinnee out herself. He took the takeout from Tommy and passed it to her. ¡°This is from your favorite ce.¡± Corinne took the takeout out from him. ¡°Thanks.¡± Jeremy did not like her thanking him. He sighed out of resignation and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Why aren¡¯t you sleeping yet? Are Aaron and the rest of them here too?¡± He had seen Aaron¡¯s car parked inside the mansionpound. Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. Everyone¡¯s too jacked up to sleep, so we¡¯re talking in the living room.¡± An unprecedented look of loneliness shed across Jeremy¡¯s deep eyes. ¡®It should be me by her side instead of the others,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Nheless, Corinne did not want to take him back yet since they had not solved their issue with Sophia. ¡®Oh well, it¡¯s good that she has somebody to talk to.¡¯ Chapter 1354 Chapter 1354 Jeremy helped Corinne tighten the coat around her. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s still hot. Tommy bought a lot, so it should be enough for you all to share.¡± Corinne stared into Jeremy¡¯s gentle eyes. ¡°Alright, thanks for the trouble.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡®She¡¯s acting like we¡¯re strangers! Though, this is definitely better than her ignoring me.¡¯ Corinne was about to go in when she remembered something. ¡°By the way, Mister Jeremy, please ept the money I wired to you for the painting.¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Must you be so calctive toward me?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s important to keep our affairs separate until we solve our problems.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes darkened, and his tone was less gentle than before. ¡°Go inside, eat your supper, and go to sleep after that!¡± Corinne pouted and snapped back, ¡°You should go home too, Mister Jeremy. Have a safe journey back.¡± Jeremy, still salty with Corinne¡¯s behavior, turned and got into his car. Tommy bowed slightly toward Corinne before following suit. However, the car remained parked where it was. Corinne nned to see them off with her eyes before going back inside the mansion, so she frowned when she saw the car not moving. She then turned and walked back toward the mansion. The servant who followed her out took the takeout from her.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jeremy gestured to the driver with his chin to drive away once he was sure Corinne had safely gone back inside. After Jeremy¡¯s car drove off, Jason¡ªwho had been treated like he was invisible the whole time¡ª snapped out of his trance and chased after Corinne. ¡°Corinne! Wait!¡± Corinne did not stop walking. She nced back and asked impassively, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mister Jason. Did you juste?¡± This made Jason bitter. ¡®How could she not notice me when I was only a few meters away from her?¡¯ He smiled helplessly after he caught up to her. Matching her step for step, he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you surprised I¡¯m here at all?¡± ¡°Why should I be surprised? The circle of the rich isn¡¯t that big, so you guys would always inform each other when something big happened. It¡¯s not that surprising that you¡¯lle here.¡± Corinne¡¯s calmness and intelligence were why Jason liked her. ¡°So the Riveras¡¯ mansion was where you¡¯ve been staying for the past two days. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± asked Jason. ¡°Why should I tell you? So you cane here when you have nothing better to do? Besides, I didn¡¯t tell you, yet you¡¯re here anyway.¡± Jason frowned with frustration. ¡°Corinne, you might not want me to find you, but you should know I¡¯m really worried about you! Not to mention, I heard you were kidnapped and were only rescued not long ago! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Corinne waved her hand. ¡°Look at me. I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡± Jason studied her from head to toe. ¡°Good. I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. I got the fright of my life and rushed over as soon as I could when I got the news.¡± ¡°Sorry for worrying you again,¡± said Corinne, somewhat sheepishly. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯m fine, so you should head back home to rest if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Jason frowned. ¡°Why? Am I not wee here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of that. It¡¯s just that it¡¯ll be morning soon. Don¡¯t you have to work tomorrow?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°But you¡¯re more important than work.¡± Corinne suddenly got goosebumps. She decided to take what Jason said as a joke, so she said nothing. Chapter 1355 Chapter 1355 Jason continued to walk beside Corinne. After thinking for a while, he asked tentatively, ¡°Corinne, I saw you epting the supper Jeremy brought you. Does that mean you¡¯re willing to get back together with him?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback by his question. However, she did not answer him. Instead, she asked him, ¡°Mister Jason, do you want to have some barbecued meat too?¡± Jason was speechless. Even though she did not answer his question, he already guessed what it would be. ¡­ Back in the living room, everyone started to drool with hunger as soon as they smelled the barbecued food. Corinne passed the takeout to Annie. ¡°You guys dig in first. I need to go to the toilet.¡± Annie peeked into the takeout box after she took it from Corinne¡¯s. ¡°Is this from Uncle Jeremy?¡± Corinne did not answer her. Instead, she turned and walked toward the bathroom. ¡°Who else could it be from?¡± Sunny stood up and opened up the takeout box excitedly. He then grabbed a skewer and passed it to Xante, who epted it as though it was the most natural thing to do in the world. After that, Aaron grabbed two skewers too¡ªone for himself and one for Annie. ¡°Thanks,¡± said Annie with a little surprise as she took the skewer from him. Aaron smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me; I wasn¡¯t the one who bought it. You should thank your Uncle Jeremy instead. Thanks to him, we get to enjoy barbecued food at such an early hour in the morning.¡± Annie pulled back her lips. ¡°You go and thank him, then! It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have his number.¡± Aaron merely stared at her smilingly. At that moment, Annie¡¯s phone rang. She quickly put down her food and walked away to take the call when she saw it was Marcus who was calling her. ¡®Sh*t, I forgot to update Marcus that everything¡¯s okay. He must be sick with worry right now! I hope he won¡¯t be mad at me,¡¯ thought Annie. She answered the phone once she was at a quieter ce. ¡°Hey, Marcus.¡± ¡°Annie, where are you? Are you not home yet?¡± asked Marcus sadly. ¡°I¡¯m at the Riveras¡¯. Corinne is staying here for the moment, so I followed her back. Sorry for not calling you to tell you just now,¡± said Annie sheepishly. Marcus smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay. I was so worried about you just now¡­¡± This made Annie feel even guiltier. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Marcus. I was so happy to see Uncle Jeremy and Corinne together that it slipped my mind¡­ Please don¡¯t get angry at me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry, Annie. Really,¡± said Marcus. ¡°Phew! You don¡¯t know how relieved I am to hear that. How about I make it up to you by buying a fancy lunch tomorrow? By the way, have you finished your work?¡± ¡°Yup. All done.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯d feel even worse if your work got dyed because of me.¡± ¡°Annie, what time are you nning to go home? Do you need me to call you a car now?¡± Annie did not want to trouble him since she knew he still had to work the next day. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Marcus. Someone will give me a ride backter. You should go to sleep now since it¡¯s going to be morning soon.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Marcus fell silent for 30 seconds before asking awkwardly, ¡°Who¡¯s going to give you a ride back? Mister Aaron?¡± Chapter 1356 Chapter 1356 ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably Mister Aaron,¡± answered Annie honestly. ¡°In fact, we came together, so he and Xante would give me a ride backter.¡± Marcus finally could not hold back the question he had been wanting to ask. ¡°Annie, just what is your rtionship with Mister Aaron?¡± Annie was taken aback by his question. ¡°Marcus, why do you ask? Nothing is going on between us!¡± she said embarrassingly. ¡°In that case, why does it seem like he cares a lot about you? I even heard from my colleagues that you first came to work in thepany because of him! Is that true?¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ Yes. It¡¯s true.¡± Marcus felt unbelievably disappointed by Annie¡¯s reply, but at the same time, he was grateful for her honesty. ¡°Annie, thank you for being honest with me. Then do you still like him now?¡± Annie wanted to avoid answering this question but could not. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I still like him or not because we¡¯re never going to end up together. Marcus, you have nothing to worry about. I promised to take our rtionship seriously the moment I agreed to be your girlfriend.¡± Marcus could not help but feel despondent. ¡°Annie, how can I not worry when it feels like I¡¯m an outsider in your world? I feel lost and confused, do you know that?¡± ¡°Marcus, I¡ª¡± ¡°Annie, I¡¯m going to go pick you up now. I¡¯ll believe you¡¯re serious about me if you agree to let me do that, but if you don¡¯t¡­ Well, I promise I won¡¯t ever bother you again.¡± After thinking it through, she said with some difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Marcus, but this isn¡¯t a good time. Uncle Jeremy asked me to stay with Corinne for the moment.¡± Marcus let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Okay, I understand. I won¡¯t ever bother you again. Goodbye, Annie.¡± He then ended the call without waiting for Annie¡¯s exnation. Annie fell into a daze when she heard the beepsing from her phone. ¡®Did I just get dumped?¡¯ she wondered. Oddly enough, she did not feel sadness or anger. She merely stood in a trance, her phone still pressed against her ear. Corinne, who just came out from the bathroom, happened to see her in that position. ¡°Annie? Are you okay?¡± Annie instantly snapped out of her daze. She quickly put away her phone and nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Come, let¡¯s go before the rest of them finish the supper Uncle Jeremy specially bought for you!¡± Corinne was not hungry at all, but it had been a long time since she had food from her favorite barbecue ce, so she did not mind eating it. The two of them walked back to the living room and grabbed a skewer each. Both Jason and Lucas were not interested in the supper at all, so they sat at the rattan chair near the floor-to-ceiling window chatting. ¡°Lucas, how could you?¡± asked Jason with annoyance. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Even though Lucas sat somewhere a little far from Corinne, he still made sure to keep an eye on her every move out of worry. ¡°How could I, what?¡± Jason sipped his coffee. ¡°How could you not tell me Corinne was staying with you? Do you know I¡¯ve been looking for her everywhere for the past few days? Also, how could you not tell me she¡¯s been kidnapped? Is this how you treat your closest friend?¡± Lucas nced at him and said ruthlessly, ¡°Why should I report Corinne¡¯s every move to you when you¡¯re not rted to her in any way?¡± ¡°Because I am her friend! Besides, you know very well I like her. As my friend, don¡¯t you think you should give me more chances to get close to her?¡± ¡°Oh, please. You¡¯re not worthy to be with her at all,¡± said Lucas with disgust. Jason raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy while Jeremy is? Lucas, don¡¯t tell me you think Jeremy¡ªyour nemesis¡ªis better than me!¡± Lucas frowned with worry. ¡°He¡¯s even more unworthy than you, but what can I do when Corinne likes him?¡± Chapter 1357 Chapter 1357 Jason was a little taken aback by Lucas¡¯ answer, and he smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°So as Corinne¡¯s brother, you¡¯re willing to see past the bad blood between the two families and let Corinne marry Jeremy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything that¡¯ll make Corinne sad since it¡¯s taken me this long to find her,¡± said Lucas seriously. ¡°That means I¡¯ll give her anything she wants. I¡¯ll still keep an eye on her even if she marries Jeremy, and I¡¯ll kill him if he dares to make her cry.¡± Jason looked at Lucas stunned before pretending to be frightened. ¡°I pity the poor fool who has you as his brother-inw.¡± ¡°Well, no one¡¯s stopping you from leaving if you¡¯re scared.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Oh,e on, Lucas! Why don¡¯t you consider having me as your brother-inw? I promise I¡¯ll treat Corinne better than Jeremy treats her.¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t like you,¡± said Lucas, going straight for the jugr. Jason¡¯s smile froze. A secondter, he shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s to say she won¡¯t like me in the future?¡± Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Corinne and I are the same. If she doesn¡¯t like someone at first, she¡¯ll never like themter.¡± Not liking the conversation anymore, Jason waved his hand and said, ¡°You¡¯re not fun at all. What¡¯s more, I¡¯ve never seen you take an interest in any girl before in all the years I¡¯ve known you! So no, Corinne¡¯s not as cold as you.¡± Lucas was speechless. Jason put down his coffee cup. ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste my time talking to you anymore when I could be talking to Corinne.¡± As unhappy as Lucas was, he did not stop Jason from leaving. He knew Corinne¡¯s heart was not that easy to be won over. Corinne was eating a barbecued skewer when Jason walked over and sat next to her. He smiled at her and said, ¡°You sure are enjoying your food, Corinne. May I try some of the ones you¡¯re eating?¡± Corinne nced at Jason. ¡°Just eat whatever you want.¡± Corinne referred to the plenty more food on the table, so she was speechless when Jason grabbed her half-eaten food from her hand and ate it. She did not expect him to do that, so she was not quick enough to object. ¡®Oh well, no point asking for the food back now that he¡¯s eaten it,¡¯ thought Corinne as she picked up her ss of water. Jason took a bit of the food and said with a smile, ¡°Mm, this is delicious! You know, Corinne, I can buy food like this for you whenever you want.¡± Corinne sipped her water and said, ¡°No, thanks. I can buy it myself.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I meant I could buy it for you if you don¡¯t have time to spare.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can ask for delivery.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you at least give me a chance?¡± asked Jason helplessly. Corinne nced at him. ¡°What chance are you talking about?¡± ¡°The chance to be your boyfriend in the future,¡± replied Jason boldly. Corinneughed. ¡°Give it up! That¡¯s never going to happen.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jason sighed with mock frustration. ¡°Corinne, are you seriously going to forgive Jeremy? You do know we men never change, right? You shouldn¡¯t go back to him.¡± Both Aaron and Xante, who sat on the other side, knew what Jason was trying to do. However, they decided not to intervene since they knew Corinne was capable of handling this. Chapter 1358 Chapter 1358 ¡°Look, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯vee to visit me, but I don¡¯t want to talk about this with you,¡± said Corinne lacklusterly. Jason smiled. ¡°I just want to ask what¡¯s going to happen to me if you¡¯ve decided to get back with Jeremy?¡± Corinne looked at him sincerely. ¡°Jason, I see you as my friend only. We¡¯ll always be friends.¡± Jason¡¯s expression faltered, and it was not long until a sad smile appeared on his face. ¡°Always, huh? You really know how to turn a man down, Corinne.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lead you on when I have no feelings toward you. That¡¯s what a sc*mbag would do, and I¡¯m not a sc*mbag,¡± said Corinne. She yawnedzily and stood up. ¡°Please enjoy your meal, y¡¯all. I¡¯m going to shower and head to bed now.¡± Annie stood up as well. ¡°Corinne, let me help you up to your room!¡± Corinne did not turn down her help, and the two of them went up the stairs together. Jason looked so forlorn that his gaze became slightly unfocused. After a long while, he narrowed his eyes and picked up Corinne¡¯s ss, wanting to drink from it. However, Aaron grabbed the ss of water before Jason could do that. Aaron smiled politely at him and said, ¡°Mister Jason, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you drink this water since the boss has drank from it.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± ¡°But the boss does,¡± replied Aaron with the same polite smile on his face. Jason looked at him with hostility before raising an eyebrow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried I¡¯ll be your boss¡¯ husband one day and make you pay for the disrespect you¡¯ve shown me now?¡± Aaron never let go of the ss. ¡°That¡¯s something for future-me to worry about. What I¡¯m sure of right now is you¡¯re not her husband.¡± Jason knew it was pointless to argue, so he let go of the ss. ¡°Well folks, please continue eating. I have to attend to something urgent.¡± He stood up gracefully as though what happened did not affect him, and he walked out of the living room. On the way, he waved goodbye to Lucas, who sat at the rattan chair by the floor-to-ceiling window. ¡°Bye, Lucas. Catch up with you when we¡¯re both free.¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Sure. I won¡¯t see you off, then.¡± Jason smiled and waved once more before shoving his hands gracefully into his pants pockets. He then walked out of the mansion. Unlike Jeremy, Jason coulde and go to the mansion as he pleased. However, he did not get what he wanted. ¡®Well, at least I got to personally see that Corinne is okay.¡¯ As for who Corinne would ultimately choose in the end¡­ It was still too early to tell. Meanwhile, in Corinne¡¯s old room upstairs¡­ Corinne was washing up in the bathroom, leaving Annie to look around in the room. Corinne then came out of the bathroom dressed in her pajamas, ready to go to bed. When she saw Annie still in her room, she raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why are you still here? You should go home by now.¡± Annie did not answer her. Instead, she asked, ¡°Corinne, why are you staying with the Riveras? This room doesn¡¯t look like a guest room or an adult¡¯s room. It looks like a little girl¡¯s room. Why did they give you this room?¡± Corinne did not want to answer her. It would be best if fewer people knew about her true identity. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She threw off her nket and got into the bed. ¡°I want to sleep now. Go back downstairs and ask Aaron to give you a ride home.¡± Chapter 1359 Chapter 1359 Annie pouted. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to leave! It¡¯s nearly morning, anyway! Let me stay here with you until then, and I¡¯ll take a cab home after that.¡± Marcus got angry at her because of Aaron, so she wanted to collect her thoughts before having any contact with Aaron. She knew if she went downstairs then, Aaron would never let her go back home. It was best to stay with Corinne and leave after Aaron had left. ¡°By the way, I managed to get some details about Sophia. Do you want to hear them?¡± said Annie in a tone that aimed to evoke curiosity. Corinne was resting against the headboard and scrolling through her phone. Her expression became slightly intrigued when she heard that. She looked up and said to Annie, ¡°Speak.¡± Knowing she had gotten Corinne¡¯s full attention, Annie sat on the floor and put her elbow on the bed, her chin resting in her hand as she told Corinne what she knew. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed Uncle Jeremy kept a clear boundary between himself and Anya, even when he mistakenly thought she saved him years ago. However, the same could not be said for Sophia as he would sometimes allow her to cross his boundary. Do you know why that is?¡± Corinne instinctively frowned. Thinking back, she realized Jeremy did not treat Sophia as coldly as he treated Anya. He forced himself to endure whatever Anya wanted him to do as he felt like he owed her for saving his life. However, he was not so sensitive toward his personal space when it came to Sophia. ¡®What else could be the reason? It¡¯s because they¡¯re legally married!¡¯ thought Corinne. Her chest would inevitably tighten at the thought of that. Her anger toward Jeremy came rushing back, and she wished to never see him again. Seeing Corinne¡¯s expression darkening, Annie quickly said, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves! Let me exin. When Uncle Jeremy first met Sophia, he thought she was a guy. He treated her as he treated Zeke and Gerald for a long time. He was so used to seeing Sophia as a guy that his senses toward her invading his personal space became blunted.¡± Corinne looked at Annie with a frown. ¡®What kind of stupid reason is that? She must be desperate for me to get back together with Jeremy to think I¡¯d fall for this lie. How can anyone mistake Sophia for a guy when she has huge boobs and a big *ss?¡¯ ¡°Corinne, you have to believe me. Look, here are some old pictures of Sophia.¡± Annie quickly took out her phone and showed pictures to prove the validity of her words. Corinne looked at her phone skeptically for a few seconds before her expression turned into one of shock. She saw a very skinny Sophia dressed in a man¡¯s T-shirt and shorts. What made her look even more like a guy was her buzzcut and tanned skin. She had no makeup on and looked like she had not hit puberty yet since her chest was as t as a guy¡¯s. Anyone would be rightly forgiven for mistaking her as a guy. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°This was how she looked when Uncle Jeremy first met her. She even pulled off ying for the men¡¯s basketball team,¡± said Annie disapprovingly. ¡°I mean, knowing Uncle Jeremy, why would he be friends with a woman? I looked into their pasts and found out he had been treating her as a guy friend all this while.¡± Corinne scoffed after snapping out of her daze. ¡°So what? It still doesn¡¯t excuse him for hiding the fact that he¡¯s legally married to her from me.¡± Annie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into that matter and feel like I must help him exin things to you. Back then, Uncle Jeremy asked for Sophia¡¯s help to pull off a fake marriage with him so Grandpa Greg would agree to go for his much-needed operation. But Sophia¡¯s flight got dyed due to bad weather on the day she was supposed to get married to Uncle Jeremy, and that was when he met you. ¡°Strictly speaking, Uncle Jeremy never lied to you. At most, he decided to not tell you because he was worried you wouldn¡¯t want him anymore if you found out. He really cares about you, Corinne. He was going to tell you about Sophia after he revoked his marriage with her.¡± Chapter 1360 Chapter 1360 ¡°You¡¯re Jeremy¡¯s niece, alright¡ªdefending him so fervently,¡± said Corinne mockingly. ¡°To me, hiding something from me is as good as lying. Not to mention, I did ask him whether he was hiding anything from me, and he said he wasn¡¯t.¡± Annie sighed again. ¡°I¡¯m a woman too, but I understand how you feel. No one likes to be lied to by the people they love and trust. But Corinne, don¡¯t you get the sense that Uncle Jeremy is quite scared of you? He must not dare to tell you after imagining how angry you would be.¡± Corinne found thatughable. ¡°Heh! As if I¡¯d ever believe he¡¯s scared of me. You haven¡¯t seen the way he shouts at me when he¡¯s angry at me.¡± Annie spread her hands helplessly. ¡°Take today, for example. Uncle Jeremy doesn¡¯t really care what the Riveras think of him. But even so, he didn¡¯t dare to set foot inside because he was worried you¡¯d get angry at him again.¡± Corinne was speechless. Annie continued, ¡°Also, Uncle Jeremy got legally married to Sophia not because of some ¡®bromance¡¯ or because he likes her. No. It¡¯s because Sophia¡¯s father is Adam, as in the director of Adam Group! You must¡¯ve heard of thepany, Corinne. ¡°If I¡¯m to be polite, I¡¯d say Adam Group is a world-ss business consortium. But really, they¡¯re just a big bully with a global reach. As to why this concerns Uncle Jeremy¡­ Well, he¡¯s in a somewhat complicated situation due to the problems passed down from his parents¡¯ generation. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve heard, but Uncle Jeremy¡¯s father was an infamous yboy who had many illegitimate children with different women outside of his marriage. As time passed, his illegitimate children all grew up and started vying for Uncle Jeremy¡¯s fortune like hungry wolves. ¡°They kept looking for an opportunity to expose Uncle Jeremy¡¯s weakness so they could threaten him with it. All of them wanted him dead so they could inherit the Holdens¡¯ vast fortune. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Uncle Jeremy knew that his wife¡¯s life would be put in danger should he announce his marriage, and he didn¡¯t want to risk the life of someone innocent. But Sophia is different. She has her dad¡¯s protection. No one would dare to hurt her once they knew she¡¯s Adam¡¯s daughter. Thus, she could save Uncle Jeremy a lot of unnecessary trouble. ¡°Back then, Sophia was the best choice for Jeremy. Moreover, Sophia volunteered to help Uncle Jeremy herself, saying that she was willing to help him with no strings attached since they were friends. Uncle Jeremy had no reason to turn her down. ¡°Uncle Jeremy wasn¡¯t in a rush to revoke his marriage with Sophia because he was worried your life would be put in danger or that his half-brothers would use you to ckmail him, just like what happened today, without Sophia as a cover. But I guess some things just can¡¯t be avoided. I¡¯m just d both you and Uncle Jeremy are safe and sound now.¡± Corinne listened to what Annie said with aplicated expression. ¡®Does that mean the extra bodyguards Jeremy hired to keep watch over me before I escaped the mansion was to prevent me from getting kidnapped by his half-brothers?¡¯ she wondered. ¡®Ugh, that dolt should learn how to tell me things!¡¯ ¡°So Jeremy knew about his half-brothers since he was a boy?¡± asked Corinne thoughtfully. Annie nodded. ¡°Yup. He always knew about them.¡± Frankly, she somewhat pitied Jeremy. His father did not care about him at all as he would rather spend his time chasing after other women. He would profess ardent love for every woman he met and abandon them in the slightest trouble. What was even more despicable was he would go on to have kids with these women. Jeremy¡¯s mother had long given up on Jeremy¡¯s father out of sadness and despair. She left the family when Jeremy was still little, and no one had seen her since. No one even knew whether she was still alive or dead. Corinne¡¯s heart ached. The pain was not out of pity for Jeremy but due to how simr their childhood experiences were. Chapter 1361 Chapter 1361 Both Jeremy and Corinne¡¯s mothers went missing when they were young, and they had no idea whether their mothers were still alive or dead. ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s father now?¡± asked Corinne. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Annie sighed. ¡°After Uncle Jeremy¡¯s mother left, his father stopped going out and fooling around with other women. Not long after that, he ran off to be a monk at some temple high up in Cloud Mountain. ¡°Grandpa Greg sent people to convince him toe back several times, but he refused, and Grandpa Greg fell sick because of this. Later, he realized that his grandson was theplete opposite of his son in terms of temperament. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, who was pushing thirty by then, was a workaholic who had no interest in women, whereas his father only knew how to fool around with women at his age. Gradually, rumors that Uncle Jeremy is into men started to fly around. ¡°To dispel the rumors, Grandpa Greg rushed Uncle Jeremy into marriage, telling him it doesn¡¯t matter who he marries as long as she¡¯s a woman and that he won¡¯t have his operation unless he gets married. One thing led to another until he ended up where he is right now.¡± Corinne felt a pang in her heart. ¡°So both of Jeremy¡¯s parents abandoned him? How old was he when that happened?¡± Annie thought about it. ¡°I heard from my mom that Uncle Jeremy was about seven or eight years old then. He must¡¯ve known what was happening but was too powerless to do anything about it. ¡°Everyone thinks Uncle Jeremy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and that he only needs to snap his finger to get what he wants. They don¡¯t know that he grew up carrying the family¡¯s responsibilities and unimaginable pressure. ¡°He didn¡¯t have a normal childhood because his father abandoned the family. All the elders pinned their hope on Uncle Jeremy. He was raised to be the sessor from the moment he was born. His schedule was packed with all sorts of learning activities from morning until night. He doesn¡¯t even get to have his own free time. Only when he became an adult did he have a little bit more freedom.¡± Corinne unconsciously dug her fingers into her palm as she listened to Annie talking about Jeremy¡¯s past. Her mind and heart were a mess. She never asked Jeremy about his past, nor did she look into it herself. Like most people, she thought Jeremy¡¯s life was set for being born into a Logically speaking, he should have a carefree life with everything he could ever want. Jeremy neverined or talked about his past. However, he would often smoke a few cigarettes alone. Pity slowly filled Corinne¡¯s heart. ¡®I guess life is fair after all. Even those born in a wealthy family have their fair share of suffering.¡¯ ¡°Corinne, do you know Francine is Uncle Jeremy¡¯s half-sister? His grandparents decided to take her in since it¡¯s a rare urrence for a daughter to be born into the Holden family. Uncle Jeremy didn¡¯t mind, and he had always been good to her. ¡°I might call him my uncle, but his mother is actually my maternal grandmother¡¯s sister. Strictly speaking, he¡¯s a rtive twice removed. But he treats me better than my real uncle! He might seem scary most of the time, but he has a gentle side as well. He¡¯s not really that bad if you get to know him.¡± Corinne actually agreed with her. She nodded without thinking. ¡®Jeremy might give off the feeling of aloofness that makes him unapproachable, but he¡¯s not a bad person.¡¯ ¡°So, Corinne¡­ You¡¯re going to give Uncle Jeremy another chance and get back together with him, right?¡± asked Annie tentatively. Chapter 1362 Chapter 1362 Yes, Corinne¡¯s heart did go out for Jeremy because of his past. Of course, that did not mean she was going to let him off the hook for lying to her. After two seconds of silence, Corinne replied, ¡°That depends on whether Jeremy can settle his personal problems. I¡¯m not going to break my principles for anyone.¡± Annie was relieved to hear that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will settle his personal problems! He loves you so much that he¡¯ll do anything for you. I¡¯m actually very happy that he met you because he became more human after he met you.¡± ¡®Is that so?¡¯ thought Corinne. Feeling exhausted, sheid on her bed. The pity she had for Jeremy still bugged her, so she tapped open the messaging app on her phone and texted him, [Good night, Mister.] A few secondster, she received a reply from him. [Good night, little rascal.] Corinne put down her phone, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Seeing that Corinne was asleep, Annie said nothing more and moved to the sofa to y with her phone. ¡­ The next day, on the way to Holden Group, Tommy¡ªwho sat in the front passenger seat¡ªturned and reported the news he received to Jeremy. ¡°Miss Sophia has taken this morning¡¯s flight back to Molomia.¡± Jeremy narrowed his eyes. ¡°I thought she said she lost her passport?¡± ¡°Maybe she lied about losing it because she didn¡¯t want to revoke her marriage with you,¡± guessed Tommy. Jeremy frowned and said nothing as he fell into deep thought. Tommy¡¯s brow furrowed as he decided to voice his concern. ¡°Mister Jeremy, Miss Sophia didn¡¯t look happy when she left. If I have to guess, I¡¯d say she¡¯s mad at you. She mayin to her father about you, and we all know how much her father spoils her. We¡¯ll be in a whole lot of trouble for crossing Adam Group.¡± Jeremy¡¯s frown deepened. However, he calmly replied, ¡°She knew the marriage was fake and therefore unenforceable when she signed the contract.¡± ¡°But Miss Sophia has a secret crush on you for the longest time¡­¡± At the thought of that, Jeremy rubbed the bridge of his nose. Back then, he did not notice Sophia¡¯s feelings for him as he never saw her as a woman. If he had known, he would never have epted her help. ¡®Revoking the marriage is going to be more difficult than I thought,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Suddenly, his phone rang, pulling him out of his thoughts. The call was from Pam. Jeremy had just left home not that long ago, so he wondered if something urgent had happened at home to warrant a call from his grandmother. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. The moment he picked up his phone, he heard Pam¡¯s grumblinging from the other side. ¡°Jeremy! Why did you leave so fast? Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait a while? I¡¯ve cooked some chicken soup for you to take to Corinne. Why didn¡¯t you wait until it¡¯s ready?¡± Jeremy rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait. I have to attend to something urgent for work.¡± ¡°Is work more important than your wife¡¯s health?¡± snapped Pam angrily. ¡°The chicken soup has been cooked for a few hours, so it¡¯s super nutritious. Come back and bring it to Corinne. Hurry!¡± ¡°Grandma, you shouldn¡¯t be ving over the stove at your age. I¡¯ll get the nutritionist to cook for Corinne if she wants some chicken soup. Rest more, okay?¡± said Jeremy helplessly. ¡°Why you punk! How can youpare some nutritionist¡¯s cooking to my cooking? Come back home this instant or else!¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll send Tommy back to deliver the soup to her in a bit.¡± ¡°No! You have to personally deliver it to Corinne,¡± insisted Pam. ¡°After all, you¡¯re in the wrong for hiding the fact that you¡¯re married to Sophia in the first ce. You need to show you¡¯re sorry, or Corinne isn¡¯t ever going to be willing toe back!¡± Jeremy sighed. ¡°Okay, Grandma. I understand. You don¡¯t need to worry about this anymore, okay?¡± Chapter 1363 Chapter 1363 Jeremy then ended the call as he did not want to hear Pam¡¯s nagging. He then turned to Tommy and said, ¡°Go back home to collect the chicken soupter.¡± Tommy nodded. ¡°Yes, Mister Jeremy. Do you need me to deliver it to Miss Corinne?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll drink it instead.¡± Tommy was a little taken aback by his answer. ¡°But Miss Pam made it for Miss Corinne, right? Are you really going to drink it?¡± Jeremy massaged his temples. ¡°God knows what Grandma put into the soup. She might think whatever she puts into the soup is good for Corinne, but that can¡¯t be further from the truth.¡± Tommy nodded again. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± After that, Jeremy took out his phone and tapped into his conversation with Corinne. His gaze instinctively softened when he saw the good night message she sentst night. His fingers flew across the on-screen keyboard. [Are you awake?] After a while, he received a photo of a half-eaten breakfast. His eyes narrowed. [Why did you wake up so early when you slept sotest night?] [Why did you message me so early if you think I should still be sleeping? Are you deliberately trying to disturb my sleep?] Jeremy frowned. [You little smart*ss. Can I see youter?] [Where?] Jeremy had a ce in mind, but he was not sure whether she would allow him to meet him there. [Is it okay if I go to the Riveras¡¯ mansion to meet you?] Corinne replied instantly, [No. We better see less of each other until that problem is solved.] Jeremy sighed with resignation. He knew he was in the wrong, so he did not insist on having things his way. At that moment, he received a selfie photo of Corinne ring at him. [Here. You can see me like this.] Jeremy¡¯s tense expression gave way into a smile. He chuckled softly and replied, [You cheeky little rascal.] Even though it was not a very ttering photo of Corinne, Jeremy could not help but think she was the cutest person on earth! ¡­ Meanwhile, at the Riveras¡¯ mansion. After sending Jeremy her selfie, Corinne was about to put down her phone to eat her breakfast when she received a call from an unknown number. She decided to ignore the call, but the other person called her again after the call did not go through. Frowning, she answered the call, ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Sophia.¡± Corinne was a little stunned. ¡°And what can I do for you this early in the morning, Miss Sophia?¡± Instead of her usual fake pleasantries, Sophia chuckled coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯m calling you to tell you that I justnded in Molomia.¡± Corinne chuckled too. ¡°Is that so? Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re going back? I would¡¯ve seen you off at the airport if you had told me so.¡± ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t think I¡¯m giving up on Jeremy just because I¡¯m back in Molomia. I¡¯m formally dering war on you, Corinne. Just you wait. I¡¯m going to do everything I can to get Jeremy back!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Chapter 1364 Chapter 1364 ¡°Oh? Just what are you going to do exactly?¡± asked Corinne curiously. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± retorted Sophia provocatively. Corinne sipped her milk absent-mindedly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to. Just do whatever you want. You don¡¯t have to call me to tell me.¡± Not getting the reaction she wanted from Corinne, Sophia felt like she was punching the air. ¡°Corinne Carew! Don¡¯t you know my father is the infamous Ad¡ª¡± Corinne hung up before Sophia could even finish her sentence. Sophia¡¯s face darkened when she heard the disconnected dial tone. She then angrily threw her phone down onto the floor. No one ever treated her so rudely before. Her attendant picked up her phone, wiped it clean, and passed it back to her. ¡°Miss Sophia, please don¡¯t get so angry. Your father is going to punish us again for not taking good care of you when he sees you this unhappy.¡± Sophia gritted her teeth and took her phone back. She then tapped into the chat box she shared with Jeremy to check whether he replied to her. She had sent a long message to Jeremy, professing all of the feelings she held for him over the years. There was no response at all. ¡®That ruthless b*stard! How can he not reply to me after I spill my heart out to him?¡¯ thought Sophia angrily. ¡­ An hourter, Sophia arrived back home¡ªAdam Manor. A middle-aged man was fishing in the pond inside the manor¡¯spound. A servant ran up to him and reported, ¡°Mister Adam, Miss Sophia is back!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Hearing this, Adam quickly handed his fishing rod to his attendant and rushed over to wee his daughter back home. Sophia did not look happy at all. She quickly got out of her car while her attendant chased after her with her luggage in tow. Adam frowned with worry when he saw how unhappy Sophia looked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sweetheart? Why do you look so unhappy? Did someone hurt you? Who is it? Tell me, and I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡± Adam was dressed in casual wear. He was over 50 years old but looked to be 40 only since he made sure to take care of himself well. Sophia threw herself into her father¡¯s arms and started crying. ¡°Dad¡­ Jeremy doesn¡¯t want me anymore! He wants to cut ties with me because of some country bumpkin girl¡­¡± Adam had never seen his daughter cry like this before, so he was understandably sad and angry. ¡°Silly girl! Didn¡¯t I tell you that you must make the man yours as soon as you like him? If you had done that, the other girl wouldn¡¯t have a chance to steal him from you!¡± He had always known Sophia had a crush on Jeremy. However, he did not agree with her having a secret crush. Instead, he thought she should have confessed her feelings from the start. After all, the daughter of Adam wasted no time in getting what she liked. Sophia looked up at him and whined, ¡°Dad, how can you say that when I¡¯m this sad? Are you just going to stand by and do nothing while another girl bullies me?¡± ¡°Am I not right to lecture you? You¡¯re the daughter of Adam, yet you¡¯re so different from me when it comes to matters of the heart. Why, when I was young, I wouldn¡¯t waste time in letting my love interests know my feelings for them,¡± retorted Adam. He had the mentality that one should go forth boldly in pursuing one¡¯s love interest while one was still young. Thus, it was Sophia¡¯s fault for keeping her feelings a secret and holding hope that Jeremy would eventually fall for her. Chapter 1365 Chapter 1365 ¡°You should¡¯ve listened to me in the first ce when I told you to confess your feelings for Jeremy. The best-case scenario is he epts your feelings, and the worst is he doesn¡¯t. I don¡¯t get why you want to first be friends with him. You¡¯re just wasting your youth that way!¡± Even then, Sophia did not agree with her father¡¯s point of view. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t understand! Jeremy is different from other guys. If I confessed my feelings to him straightaway, he would¡¯ve ignored me long ago. I won¡¯t even have the chance to be friends with him!¡± ¡°Heh! Who cares if he ignores you? There are plenty more fish in the sea. Besides, you¡¯re a daughter of Adam! You¡¯ll never have to worry about not finding a boyfriend. I¡¯ll find you a few more guys who are even more handsome than that Jeremy!¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°How can youpare other guys with Jeremy? I don¡¯t care, Dad. I won¡¯t go for anyone else other than Jeremy!¡± said Sophia stubbornly. ¡°You must do something about Corinne. Get rid of her for all I care. I never want to see her around Jeremy ever again.¡± Sophia had never seen Anya as her love rival since she knew Jeremy would never fall for a fake, maniptive woman like her. However, she never expected Corinne toe into the picture. Initially, Sophia had no intention to kill Corinne since she worried that would make Jeremy hate her. Also, she feared that Corinne would ever take up space in Jeremy¡¯s heart. Jeremy would forever remember her since she died at the time when he loved her the most. However, Sophia did not have the luxury to care so much anymore. She felt that there would be no chance for her to get together with Jeremy anymore if she did not get rid of Corinne. Even though Adam did not like Jeremy because of how he treated his daughter, he could not bear to see his daughter so sad, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart. I¡¯m going to teach that b*tch a lesson for stealing your man from you. There, there. You must be tired after flying. Why don¡¯t you go take a bath and rest for a bit? You can leave everything else to me.¡± Sophia nodded pitifully before extricating herself from his arms and walking into the manor. Murder shed discernibly across Adam¡¯s face as he stared at Sophia¡¯s pitiful figure walking toward the manor. He then ordered his men to get every information they could on Corinne. ¡­ On her way to the manor, Sophia bumped into a beautiful woman who looked to be 40 years old and a little girl of around seven or eight years old. The beautiful woman had long hair and a kindly and graceful demeanor. Her gestures gave off a mature and intelligent vibe. Nheless, it was obvious from the way Sophia red at her that she did not like that woman. ¡°Homewrecker!¡± Sophia spat at her. ¡°Oh, Sophia. You¡¯re back,¡± said the woman, smiling at her as though she did not hear her insult. She turned to the little girl beside her and said, ¡°Lilin, your sister is back. Hurry and greet her.¡± The little girl was hugging a teddy bear close to her chest. She red at Sophia stubbornly and said, ¡°She¡¯s not my sister! She¡¯s a bad person for bullying you, Mommy!¡± ¡°Lilin, how can you say that about your sister? Apologize to her now!¡± The little girl turned her head away. ¡°No! I didn¡¯t say anything wrong! Why should I apologize to her?¡± The woman looked embarrassed and said apologetically, ¡°Sophia, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s too young to know what¡¯s good for her. I¡¯m going to reprimand her and make her apologize to youter.¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°Oh, please. You can drop the act. She wouldn¡¯t have said all those things if you hadn¡¯t taught her. You know what? I don¡¯t care if she doesn¡¯t want me as her sister, because I don¡¯t want her as my sister as well!¡± Chapter 1366 Chapter 1366 Sophia then walked past Lilin and her mother. Lilin¡¯s mother did not know what to do about Sophia¡¯s attitude toward her, but that did not mean she could not teach her own daughter. She bent down to her eye level and patiently said to her, ¡°Lilin, what¡¯s the matter with you today? Why were you so rude to Sophia? You should¡¯ve weed her back with open arms.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°But Mommy, she called you a homewrecker!¡± whined Lilin. ¡°Why do I have to treat her with respect when she doesn¡¯t treat you with respect?¡± Lilin¡¯s mother was speechless. She heard what Sophia called her too, but she pretended not to because she did not want to start a fight with Sophia, the daughter of Adam and his ex-wife. Understanding Lilin¡¯s feelings, she did not say anything more. Instead, she led Lilin to find Adam. The two of them came to the pond and saw Adam ordering his men to do something with a stern expression on his face. Lilin¡¯s mother knew her husband very well. She only needed to take one look at his expression to know that he had murder in his mind, which she did not like him to do, especially at his age. She only approached Adam after she saw his men had left. ¡°Brian, what did you say to your men just now?¡± she asked. Adam¡¯s original name was Brian Addison. Only a few people who were closest to him knew that, and the only person who dared to address him by his original name was his wife. Adam¡¯s previously murderous expression morphed into one of gentleness when he saw his wife and little daughter. ¡°Oh, nothing. I just asked them to look into someone.¡± Lilin¡¯s mother frowned. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, she asked again, ¡°Why would you suddenly want to look into someone?¡± Adam did not dare to lie to his wife as he worried she would mistakenly think he was fooling around with other women outside. Thus, he smiled sincerely and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Mel. I just want to know more about the girl who stole Jeremy from Sophia. That¡¯s all.¡± The woman¡¯s name was Melinda¡ªwhich meant beautiful and sweet¡ªVander. Melinda¡¯s brow remained knitted at her husband¡¯s exnation. ¡°So why are you looking into her? Are you going to get rid of her for Sophia?¡± She understood her husband well; she knew he was going to get rid of any obstacles in Sophia¡¯s way despite her disapproval. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a choice, do I? She¡¯s my daughter after all, and she doesn¡¯t want any other guy except for Jeremy. Who¡¯s going to help her if not for her own father?¡± said Adam. ¡°Brian, I know Sophia is your precious daughter, but you can¡¯t force matters of love. It doesn¡¯t mean Jeremy will ept Sophia even if you got rid of the poor girl who stole him away from her,¡± advised Melinda worriedly. ¡°Mel, you know I owe Sophia a lot. Her mother died when she was young, and I only cared about making money then, so I passed her off to be raised by her grandparents. I just want to make up for not spending enough time with her.¡± Even though Melinda could empathize with her husband¡¯s feelings, she still said, ¡°There are other ways of making up lost time with her without hurting others. Jeremy chose that girl to be his wife, and I even heard she¡¯s pregnant with his kid. It would be terrible to separate them now.¡± Adam dearly loved his wife, but his daughter¡¯s wish was important to him too. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. I know what I have to do when ites to Sophia, so don¡¯t you worry. By the way, have you decided on a school for Lilin?¡± Melinda knew her husband was trying to change the topic so she shook her head and sighed with resignation. ¡°When are you ever going to stop your shenanigans so that Lilin and I can stop worrying about you?¡± Chapter 1367 Chapter 1367 Adam pretended not to have heard what Melinda said. He bent down to hug Lilin. ¡°Come, Lilin. Let me teach you how to fish.¡± Lilin hugged her teddy bear tighter to her chest. She puffed up her cheeks and turned her head away. ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t want to y with Daddy!¡± Seeing this, Adam got down to her eye level and yfully muttered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to y with me, Lilin? Did I do anything to make you angry?¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re going to hurt innocent people again. I don¡¯t like it when Daddy hurts innocent people!¡± Lilin was also the apple of Adam¡¯s eye as she was bornte in his years. He spoiled both of his daughters very much and tried his best to make sure he did not show any favoritism toward one or the other. However, Sophia refused to ept Melinda as her stepmother and Lilin as her half-sister. She would often tell other people that she was an only child. Adam did not correct her because he felt like he owed her. Fortunately for him, Melinda decided to let Sophia¡¯s attitude slide. What she really cared about was how Adam treated her and Lilin. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Adam picked up Lilin and said to her in a sing-song voice, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood Daddy again, Lilin. I¡¯m not hurting innocent people. I¡¯m getting rid of a bad person who¡¯s hurting your sister.¡± Lilin never liked Sophia, so she did not particrly care that she was being bullied by someone. Thus, she simply pouted and rested her face against Adam¡¯s chest. At the mention of looking into someone, Melinda remembered something. ¡°By the way, Brian. Have you found the girl who donated her blood to mest time?¡± Adam patted Lilin dotingly on the back as he answered, ¡°Not yet. All the hospital records and surveince footage then had been wiped out, so we don¡¯t have a lead to go on with. It¡¯s strange, frankly. I mean, donating blood is a good thing, yet that girl is cautious enough to deliberately wipe out all traces of what happened.¡± Melinda was a little disappointed to hear that. ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t want us to make a fuss about it. Sigh! I heard from the nurse that the girl was pregnant when she donated the blood to me and that she was the one who found the other blood donor too. I¡¯m really worried that her health would be compromised after donating blood to me. I can¡¯t help but wonder whether she and her baby are doing okay right now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mel. No deed goes unrewarded. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll definitely be fine,¡±forted Adam. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my men to continue looking for her; I need to thank her too! Without her giving you her blood in the nick of time, I would¡¯ve lived with the guilt of indirectly causing your death. I was the one who made you so mad that you wanted to run away from home with Lilin.¡± Melinda rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Oh, cut the nonsense. It¡¯s gettingte. What do you want to have for dinner tonight? Let¡¯s have a good reunion dinner now that Sophia is back.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, back at the Riveras¡¯ mansion, Corinne put down her phone and continued eating her breakfast after she hung up on Sophia. Unfortunately, Lucas happened to overhear her conversation with Sophia. Knowing who Sophia¡¯s father was, he asked worriedly, ¡°Corinne, what did Sophia say to you just now?¡± ¡°Nothing of importance. She said that she¡¯s going to steal Jeremy away from me,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. Lucas frowned. ¡°Just ignore her the next time she calls you, or tell her to find me if she has anything to say to you.¡± Chapter 1368 Chapter 1368 Corinne simply made nomittal noises and continued to eat her breakfast. Annie, who stayed overnight, was also having her breakfast with Corinne, Lucas, and Sunny. Seeing Lucas caring so deeply about Corinne, Annie could not help but feel jealous on Jeremy¡¯s behalf. She shot a warning re at him. Lucas naturally felt the hostility aimed at him, but he did not care. He wiped his mouth with a napkin after finishing his breakfast. He then stood up, said goodbye to Corinne, and left for work. After he left, Annie could not help but ask, ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t you think Lucas seems to treat you better than he treats others?¡± ¡°Does he?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Annie nodded rapidly. ¡°Yeah. The way he looks at you is so much gentler than the way he looks at Sunny. I think he has a crush on you, so it¡¯s best not to stay here. You can stay with me if you don¡¯t want to go back to stay with Uncle Jeremy.¡± Corinne finished eating her breakfast by then. She stood up and patted Annie¡¯s head. ¡°Go home if you¡¯ve finished your breakfast. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Annie¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°How can I not worry when so many men are trying to steal you from Uncle Jeremy? It was first Jason, and now Lucas seems to have feelings for you too. Corinne, you¡¯re too attractive for your own good.¡± The corners of Corinne¡¯s lips tightened. She turned toward Sunny, who was eating his sandwich, and said, ¡°Ask the driver to drop Annie off after he sends you to school.¡± Sunny gave her an ¡®okay¡¯ sign. After that, Corinne walked slowly toward the garden to sunbathe. Failing to get any useful information from Corinne, Annie turned her attention toward Sunny. ¡°Tell me! Does Lucas have a crush on Corinne? Is that why he sweet-talked her intoing to stay here?¡± Sunny rolled his eyes at her. ¡°You must¡¯ve watched too many dramas.¡± Annie red at him. ¡°Then why is Lucas so good to Corinne? I¡¯ve never seen him being so nice to any woman before!¡± Sunny remembered Lucas¡¯ warning to not reveal Corinne¡¯s real identity to anyone. ¡°Must he have a crush on Corinne to be nice to her? Haven¡¯t you ever heard of a tonic rtionship? Take us for example. I have no feelings toward you, but I¡¯m nice to you.¡± A look of disgust shed across Annie¡¯s face. ¡°Well, I have no feelings toward you either! But I don¡¯t see you as my friend nor do I care about you!¡± Sunny was toozy to argue with her, so he simply said, ¡°All you need to know is that Lucas doesn¡¯t have a crush on Corinne. Now, are you done eating? Come with me if you have. I need to do what Corinne asked me to do.¡± Annie found this behavior weird too. ¡°What? Did I hear wrongly? I thought you didn¡¯t like Corinne. Didn¡¯t you say she was a maniptive b*tch who¡¯d stop at nothing to steal Uncle Jeremy away from Anya? Howe you¡¯re suddenly willing to do her bidding?¡± A look of guilt shed across Sunny¡¯s face. ¡°Ahem! I seemed to have misjudged her out of my own immaturity. But who hasn¡¯t done something stupid when they were young? I admit I misunderstood her in the past, but I¡¯vee to respect her after getting to know her. I must say, you sure talk a lot of nonsense. Are youing with me or not?¡± Annie looked at the time. She really should get going since she had something to do. ¡®Oh well, I can take my time interrogating him since we¡¯re taking the same car anyway.¡¯ Thus, she stood up and followed Sunny out to the Riveras¡¯ chauffeured car. After they got on, Sunny ordered the driver to send Annie home after dropping him off at school, to which the driver replied, ¡°Yes, Mister Sunny!¡± Chapter 1369 Chapter 1369 However, Annie had somewhere else in mind. ¡°No, please don¡¯t send me home. Drop me off at Newmoon Group instead.¡± Sunny instantly perked up when he heard ¡®Newmoon Group¡¯. ¡°Why are you going there so early in the morning?¡± he asked. Annie thought she should at least exin herself to Marcus face-to-face after their conversation yesterday. Otherwise, she would be haunted by theirst conversation which did not end well. ¡°I need to talk to someone there¡­¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The car started driving away slowly. ¡°Mister Sunny, should I drop you off at school first, or should I drop Miss Annie off at Newmoon Group first?¡± asked the driver. Newmoon Group was on the way to Sunny¡¯s school. ¡°I still have plenty of time before school starts, so you can drop her off at Newmoon Group first,¡± replied Sunny. ¡°As you wish, Mister Sunny.¡± The car started moving toward the direction of Newmoon Group. Sunny crossed his arms and said, ¡°If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, you must be going there to talk to Aaron.¡± Annie instinctively frowned at the mention of Aaron. ¡°No! This has nothing to do with you, so quit your spection.¡± Sunny lifted his chin arrogantly. ¡°Oh, please. You can drop the act. I could tell you like him the moment I saw you two together.¡± Annie red at him and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not putting up an act. I¡¯m really not going there to look for Aaron.¡± Sunny scoffed. ¡°Who else could it be then? It¡¯s not like I¡¯llugh at you if you admit it. I¡¯d be happy for you, because you¡¯ll be doing me a favor if you can convince Aaron to be your boyfriend.¡± ¡°Doing you a favor? How so?¡± asked Annie, not understanding what Sunny was getting at. Sunny¡¯s face turned pink, but even so, he maintained his arrogance. ¡°It¡¯s because of my girlfriend, of course. I mean, how can I not be worried when Xante and Aaron live together? Anyone could tell with one nce that Aaron is a yer. I hope you can make him your boyfriend so that he¡¯ll stay far away from Xante.¡± Annie frowned. She then said loudly, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking things! Miss Xante and Mister Aaron are just good friends. I¡¯d say they¡¯re more like family since they grew up together. You don¡¯t have to ever worry about them ending up together. No matter how much of a yer Aaron is, he still has his principles. He¡¯s really not as bad as you think he is.¡± Sunny narrowed his eyes. ¡°And you say you don¡¯t like him. Look at the way you¡¯re jumping to his defense when I called him a yer. If that¡¯s not you liking him, then I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± ¡°Why you¡­¡± ¡°Why me what?¡± said Sunny with a smirk. ¡°The reason you¡¯re mad is because I¡¯m right!¡± Annie wished she could punch him, but they were very close to Newmoon Group at that moment. She happened to see Xante standing at the entrance from her car window. ¡°Ahem! Seems to me like you¡¯re the delusional one, Sunny. You call yourself Miss Xante¡¯s boyfriend, but she never epted you, right? Are you sure it¡¯s not just a one-sided love affair on your part?¡± Sunny crossed his arms and said confidently, ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m not delusional. Xante likes me and I like her too, so that makes us boyfriend and girlfriend.¡± Annie smirked and pointed to his car window. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you look outside and see if you can still be that confident?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Sunny assumed Annie was just bluffing, but he turned around anyway. His handsome face immediately froze, his pupils shrank, and his jaws tightened when he saw Xante standing and chatting intimately with a man outside of Newmoon Group building. Chapter 1370 Chapter 1370 ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean you¡¯re being cheated on if you¡¯re really Miss Xante¡¯s boyfriend?¡± asked Annie in mock pity. Sunny did not care whether he was being cheated on or not. All he felt at that moment was raging jealousy. He ignored Annie and rushed out of the car. Seeing this, the driver shouted, ¡°Mister Sunny, why did you leave the car?! You¡¯re supposed to go to school!¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Skipping school was the least of Sunny¡¯s worries at that moment. After all, he was going to lose Xante if he did not chase off the other man right then. He quickly strode toward Xante and pushed the man away. ¡°Who is he? What were you guys doing just now?¡± Xante was somewhat shocked by his sudden arrival, but her expression morphed into one of annoyance. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Just what were you going to do with this guy if I hadn¡¯te?¡± demanded Sunny. Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. Her expression told them she felt both resigned and annoyed. The man whom Sunny pushed away decided to let him off the hook when he saw how young he was. Trying to understand the situation, he turned to Xante and asked her gently, ¡°Xante, who¡¯s this young man?¡± Xante smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s my friend¡¯s younger brother. Maybe he needs my help with something, so I don¡¯t think I can go out with you today. Let¡¯s hang out another day, though.¡± The man gave her an understanding smile. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting for your phone call, then.¡± Xante nodded and waved goodbye to him. The man looked deeply at Xante before scanning Sunny from head to toe. He seemed like he knew what Sunny was thinking about, but he decided he was not worth his time. Thus, he left graciously after that. Sunny gritted his teeth as he watched the man leave. He then turned and asked Xante angrily, ¡°You¡¯re going to hang out with him another day? Just what are you nning to do with him?¡± Xante gave him a side-eye. ¡°What? Can¡¯t I have a meal with a friend?¡± ¡°Friend? Would you kiss and hug someone you call a friend?¡± asked Sunny with a hardened expression. He looked like he was preparing to go to war. Xante nced at him with annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s just how I greet some of my friends.¡± Sunny crossed his arms and said stubbornly, ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re trying to be one of those pretentious women now? I forbid you from seeing that man ever again! It¡¯s so obvious that he has the hots for you.¡± Xante did not like Sunny trying to control her. To her, it only served to highlight his immaturity and unreasonableness. ¡°So what if he has the hots for me? I might just ept him if he treats me well.¡± Sunny immediately exploded with anger when he heard that. ¡°Are you saying you want to cheat on me?! Xante, how can you think about getting on with another man when you already have me? Why don¡¯t you just kill me instead?¡± Xante was starting to lose her patience. She still had a meeting to go to, so she did not want to waste her time arguing with someone as immature as Sunny about something so trivial. Thus, she turned toward the car he came in and said, ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going toe down? Or are you just going to let Mister Sunny behave inappropriately in public? Should I call his brother toe pick him up instead?¡± The driver quickly got out of the car with embarrassment. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mister Sunny. You¡¯re going to be late for school if we don¡¯t go now!¡± Sunny refused to leave, so the driver had no choice but to forcefully drag him into the car. Xante massaged her temples as she watched the car driving further and further away. Annie walked toward her and said with a sigh, ¡°Miss Xante, it looks like Sunny really likes you.¡± Xante snapped back to the present and nced at her. After that, she said nothing and instead went back into thepany. Annie followed her in, and the two of them took the elevator together. Chapter 1371 Chapter 1371 Curiosity got the better of Annie. Seeing that they were alone in the elevator, she could not help but ask, ¡°Miss Xante, do you like Sunny?¡± Xante¡¯s expression remained neutral. ¡°What do you think?¡± Annie gave it some thought. ¡°Umm¡­ I think you at least don¡¯t dislike him. Knowing you, Miss Xante, you would¡¯ve ignored him if you didn¡¯t like him. Though, I feel like the man just now is more suitable for you because Sunny is just too immature.¡± Xante smiled lightly. She did not give anyment on what Annie said but instead asked, ¡°Are you here for Aaron?¡± Annie¡¯s face contorted unnaturally at the mention of Aaron. She then shook her head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m here for Marcus.¡± Ding! The elevator door opened. Xante walked out of the elevator and said, ¡°Alright. Go ahead, then.¡± Annie was slightly annoyed that she could not extract any information out of Xante. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Xante might seem unapproachable at times, but she was not cold-hearted. For example, she might have behaved impassively when Annie asked her questions, but she at least responded with a smile despite not answering outright. Annie admired a strong, independent woman like Xante. It was as if nothing could ever faze her. She, on the other hand, could not even let go of a man who did not like her for a guy who was crazy about her. She walked in the opposite direction where Xante was taking to arrive at Marcus¡¯ desk. Seeing him busy typing on his keyboard, she took a deep breath before approaching him. ¡°Hey, Marcus.¡± Marcus turned when he heard her voice. His shock was overtaken by a sour expression. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t exin myself on the phone yesterday because of how hectic everything was, so I¡¯vee to exin it to you face-to-face.¡± Marcus turned back and continued to work on hisputer while saying rudely, ¡°I¡¯m busy right now! I have a presentation to give at a meetingter, so you should go back.¡± ¡°Oh. It¡¯s okay. I can wait at the cafeteria until you¡¯re free. I¡¯ll let you get on with your work, then.¡± Annie knew Marcus was angry at her because he never treated her so coldly before. After yesterday, so she should do something to show her sincerity in apologizing. As soon as she turned to head to the cafeteria, she knocked into a man dressed in an expensive tailored suit. A familiar and premium cologne scent wafted into her nostrils. ¡®I know this smell! I must¡¯ve bumped into Aaron!¡¯ She looked up and saw Aaron¡¯s handsome face smiling down at her. ¡°Well, someone came bright and early to see me.¡± Annie frowned. ¡®He obviously knows I¡¯m not here to see me, yet he still says something like this.¡¯ ¡°No, Mister Aaron, I¡¯m not here¡ª¡± Aaron interrupted her by patting her head and saying, ¡°Why are you up so early? Are you not tired? You did sleep around dawn after all.¡± Marcus got up to take a document to photocopy when he overheard their conversation. Before he left, he gave a curt nod toward Aaron as a greeting. He knew he could not afford to cross his boss, but he could at least avoid him. After all, out of sight, out of mind. Annie knew Marcus must have misunderstood them when she saw him leave. ¡°Why did you have to say something ambiguous? You know that I¡¯m not here to see you!¡± said Annie angrily. Chapter 1372 Chapter 1372 Aaron raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re not here for me? Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have assumed.¡± After that, he walked past her to go into his office. Annie¡¯s lips twitched out of anger and resignation. ¡®He did that on purpose, I swear! How have I never noticed how much of a scheming b*stard he could be?¡¯ At that point, she had no choice but to wait for Marcus to finish his work so she could clear up the misunderstanding, exining what happenedst night if she could. Annie sighed and went to the cafeteria to begin the long wait. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Marcus¡¯ meeting went on for two hours, and it was already lunchtime by the time it finished. Staff began to flood into the cafeteria, and some of Annie¡¯s ex-colleagues waved hello and dropped by for a chat when they saw her. Annie quickly finished her conversation with her ex-colleagues and went up to Marcus when she saw him walking in. Marcus ignored her and proceeded to queue up to get his food. Annie tugged his sleeves gently. ¡°Marcus, let¡¯s go have lunch outside. My treat.¡± Marcus nced at her coldly. ¡°No, thanks. I still have work to doter, so I don¡¯t have time to go out with you.¡± Annie let go of his sleeves sheepishly. ¡°Oh. I see. Okay, then. I¡¯ll eat here with you so that I won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡± Marcus ignored her again. He scooped some food into his te and sat at an empty table. Annie followed him timidly like a kid who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She then sat across from him and sincerely apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marcus, for not taking your feelings into consideration yesterday.¡± Marcus took a bite of his food and scoffed. ¡°You should ask Mister Aaron to have lunch with you instead of being here with me.¡± Annie blinked back her tears. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! Nothing is going on between me and Mister Aaron. He was there with me yesterday because he¡¯s a close friend of Corinne! I admit I used to have a crush on him, but I¡¯ve totally given up on him. I swear I¡¯m taking our rtionship seriously. I¡¯ve been loyal to you from the moment I¡¯ve agreed to be your girlfriend!¡± Marcus¡¯ eyes finally softened a little. After a brief moment of silence, he said, ¡°Annie, if you¡¯re serious about me, how about we get married?¡± ¡®What?!¡¯ Annie thought she had heard wrong. ¡°What¡­ What did you just say?¡± Marcus looked at her gently, like how he used to, and said seriously, ¡°I said, how about we get married? Only then will I feel secure in our rtionship. I won¡¯t have to worry about another man stealing you away then.¡± ¡®Marriage? Is he really proposing to me right now? Here? In a cafeteria¡­? Isn¡¯t he being a little too hasty?¡¯ thought Annie. Chapter 1373 Chapter 1373 Marcus frowned when Annie failed to respond. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry me? Is it because you think a lowly employee like me isn¡¯t worthy of marrying you? Is this what you mean when you say you¡¯re serious about me?¡± Annie quickly shook her head. ¡°No, no, no. It¡¯s just that¡­ This is too sudden for me. I was too shocked by your proposal.¡± Marcus suddenly put down his utensils and grabbed Annie¡¯s hands. ¡°Annie, I really, really like you. That¡¯s why I get jealous whenever I see you being close to another man. Trust me, I¡¯ll work hard in the future to give you a good life. Annie, I love you. Will you marry me?¡± Annie remained shocked. She could not put a finger on her emotions at that moment. Her heart did not race nor did she feel butterflies in her stomach. She did not even feel overwhelmed with joy in the slightest! It was veryplicated, to say the least. At that moment, Marcus¡¯ colleagues¡ªwho sat at the table next to them¡ªoverheard his proposal and shouted, ¡°Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!¡± The other staff looked at them with interest before breaking out in the same chorus, ¡°Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!¡± Marcusughed, happy that his colleagues were giving their support. He then got down on one knee and looked deeply into Annie¡¯s eyes. ¡°Annie, will you give me the honor of marrying you with the blessings of our colleagues?¡± Annie turned bright red. ¡°I¡­¡± A graceful man¡¯s voice suddenly cut through the noise at that moment. ¡°What¡¯s all thismotion?¡± Everyone instantly quietened down and went back to eating after they recognized the voice to be Aaron¡¯s. A staff member known for being a busybody stood up and exined, ¡°Mister Aaron, Marcus is proposing to his girlfriend, so we¡¯re just trying to show our support.¡± ¡°Oh. A proposal, huh?¡± Aaron walked toward Marcus¡¯ and Annie¡¯s table with a smile. However, the look he gave them let them know what he was exactly thinking about. Marcus, still down on one knee, stuttered, ¡°Uhh¡­ Hi, Mister Aaron. I¡¯m still on my lunch break, so I hope you don¡¯t mind me proposing to my girlfriend.¡± Aaron smiled and said teasingly, ¡°And what would you do if I said I do mind?¡± Marcus frowned with caution. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d mind.¡± Aaron looked down at him condescendingly. ¡°I mind because you¡¯re bringing shame to every man on earth!¡± Marcus was stunned. ¡°Uhh¡­ That doesn¡¯t make any sense at all! What¡¯s so shameful about proposing to my girlfriend?¡± Aaron scoffed. ¡°A proposal is one of a lifetime, so you should treat it seriously. And yet you chose to propose in apany¡¯s cafeteria. Not to mention, you only took your food and none for your girlfriend. That¡¯s not the worst of it. How can you not prepare a ring at all? If this isn¡¯t shameful, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Marcus turned bright red with embarrassment. ¡°The proposal was a spur-of-a-moment thing, so I didn¡¯t prepare a ring in advance. But I¡¯ll definitely buy a ring for herter.¡± Aaron raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so? How many carats are you nning to buy?¡± Marcus did not expect Aaron to ask him that. After some awkward hemming and hawing, he finally said, ¡°Mister Aaron, I¡¯m not as rich as you, so I can¡¯t afford a big diamond ring. Of course, I¡¯ll buy the most expensive ring I could afford.¡± Aaron smiled mockingly. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s the thought that counts after all, right? To show my support, I¡¯ll give everyone in thepany the rest of the day off so that you can go buy the ring. Come back to propose again after you get the ring. We¡¯ll all be waiting for you here.¡± Marcus¡¯ expression froze. ¡°Mister Aaron, this is between me and my girlfriend. I know you¡¯re my boss, but it¡¯s still inappropriate for you to meddle in our affairs,¡± he said unhappily. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Aaron pulled out a chair and sat next to Annie. ¡°I¡¯m friends with your girlfriend¡¯s uncle and aunt. Technically speaking, I¡¯m your girlfriend¡¯s elder too, not an outsider. Don¡¯t think you can get away with proposing to Annie without a diamond ring. You won¡¯t be able to get past me, let alone her uncle and aunt, that way.¡± Chapter 1374 Chapter 1374 Marcus was speechless, but his colleagues suddenly broke out in apuse and shouts. On one hand, they were trying to suck up to Aaron. On the other hand, they sincerely agreed with him. How could Marcus propose without a diamond ring? They were so happy for Marcus that they forgot about the ring! More importantly, Aaron did say he was going to give everybody the rest of the day off. In other words, they could go home after Marcus finished his proposal. Unable to go back on his words, Marcus stood up and chuckled awkwardly to hide his embarrassment. ¡°Mister Aaron is right. What¡¯s a proposal without a diamond ring? Wait for me here, Annie. I¡¯ll be back with a diamond ring.¡± After that, he half-jogged out of the cafeteria. ¡°Wait, Marcus. Don¡¯t go!¡± shouted Annie, but he was already out of sight. Everyone sat back down to finish their lunch and waited for Marcus to return with the diamond ring. Annie nced at Aaron and rebuked him, ¡°Why did you have to do that to him? He has just started working not long ago, so where is he going toe up with so much money to buy a diamond ring?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Well, it¡¯s very brave of him to propose when he doesn¡¯t have any money. I mean, how is he going to pay for all the living expenses after you two are married? What¡¯s the matter? Were you going to say yes to him if I hadn¡¯te?¡± Annie was a little taken aback. She avoided meeting his eyes as she replied, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Aaron looked at her helplessly. ¡°Silly girl. You¡¯re in for a life of misery if you go soft for a man. Your heart goes out to him because he just started working and doesn¡¯t have the money to buy you a diamond ring, yet he doesn¡¯t care that you¡¯vee all the way here to find me or that you haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± Hearing this, Annie looked at him in surprise. She then pouted and said, ¡°What about you, then? You¡¯re a man too!¡± Aaron shrugged and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m the same. Pity the girl who falls for me because there¡¯ll only be heartbreak waiting for her.¡± Annie frowned before suddenly breaking out inughter. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to know you at least have some sort of self-awareness.¡± Aaron never denied he was a yer, so he did not mind being insulted. ¡°What are you still doing here, then? Are you really going to wait for Marcus toe back to propose to you?¡± he asked with a smile. Annie was feeling a conflict of emotions at that moment. She blinked and said softly, ¡°Aaron.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Aaron moved a little closer to her to hear her better. ¡°Yes? I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°Please stay out of my business in the future. You¡¯re only going to cause me a lot of trouble.¡± ¡­ Only Aaron, who was passing the time on his phone, was left by the time Marcus came back to the cafeteria. Failing to locate Annie after looking around, Marcus approached Aaron and asked, ¡°Mister Aaron, where¡¯s Annie?¡± Aaron nced at him. ¡°Oh, she left.¡± Marcus frowned and took out an exquisite velvet box from his pocket. ¡°Why did she leave when I¡¯ve already bought the diamond ring for her?¡± Aaron put down his phone and took the velvet box from him. He then opened it to reveal a ring with a huge diamond on it. Notably, the diamond was not real. It was, instead, a man-made moissanite. Aaron closed the box and put it on the table before getting up with a smile and patting Marcus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°You should keep the ring for yourself. Annie will never go for a ring like this.¡± Marcus¡¯ face darkened to hide his guilt. He knew very well that he had bought a fake diamond ring. After all, he could not possiblye up with the money to buy a real diamond ring. Chapter 1375 Chapter 1375 Marcus thought no one could tell therge, shiny moissanite ring was a fake diamond. However, judging by Aaron¡¯s reaction, he must have realized it was fake with one look. ¡­ Meanwhile, at Rivera Group. Lucas was going through documents. He had asked Edmund to dig up everything he could about Adam Group. Sophia was Adam¡¯s daughter. Knowing that she was bound to get rid of Corinne because of Jeremy, he knew he could not let his guard down. Edmund remained in Lucas¡¯ office after passing him the documents. ¡°Mister Lucas, we found out someone is looking into Miss Corinne secretly today. Adam must¡¯ve asked his men to do that.¡± Lucas flipped through the pages. He was not surprised at all. ¡°Does Jeremy know about it?¡± ¡°My guess is that he does. Mister Jeremy has arranged for a few undercover agents to be stationed around the mansion to protect Miss Corinne from Adam¡¯s men.¡± Lucas scoffed. ¡°Hmph! Corinne¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t have been in danger if it weren¡¯t for him.¡± Edmund said nothing. He thought it was not his ce toment on that. Besides, he could tell Jeremy did not want any harm toe to Corinne either. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t just rely on the Holdens. We need to increase the security around the mansion as well. Try to keep Corinne at home these few days, and make sure no outsiders enter the mansion either,¡± ordered Lucas. Edmund nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mister Lucas, I¡¯ve made the necessary arrangements. It¡¯s just that¡­ The doctor said Miss Corinne should wait out herbor in the hospital due to the shock she received last time. Even though she¡¯s fine now, she¡¯ll still need to stay in the hospital a few days after she gets home. There are so many people going in and out of the hospital every day, so I¡¯m worried that¡­¡± Lucas had considered the implications of that. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be staying with her in the hospital when the timees. I¡¯ll leave you in charge of thepany, then. That would be all. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± After Edmund left, Lucas picked up his phone to call Jeremy. The call quickly went through, but none of them spoke first. After a long while of tense silence, Lucas finally asked gruffly, ¡°What are you going to do about Adam?¡± Jeremy had expected that question from him and sounded unsurprised. ¡°You can visit him within these two days,¡± replied Jeremy calmly. Lucas scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re going to visit him and do what? I don¡¯t need to tell you what kind of person Adam is, do I? Aren¡¯t you worried he¡¯s going to keep you locked up in his ce and force you to be Sophia¡¯s husband?¡± Jeremy frowned at Lucas¡¯ sarcastic tone, but he decided then was not the time to pick a fight with his brother-inw. ¡°There¡¯s really no need to worry about me either. I¡¯ve met Adam before. At most, I¡¯ll be gone for three days, so please look after Corinne for me. I¡¯ll reward you handsomely when I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Who cares about you or your stupid reward? As a matter of fact, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed Corinne to marry a man-sl*t like you if given a choice!¡± retorted Lucas. Jeremy was speechless. ¡®Is he implying Corinne¡¯s life is in danger because I can¡¯t keep my family jewels in my pants?¡¯ Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. For a moment, he did not know what to say to Lucas. Technically speaking, it was indeed his fault that Corinne¡¯s life was in danger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting Corinne in harm¡¯s way. She wouldn¡¯t have to suffer if it weren¡¯t for me. But please believe me when I say I¡¯ll solve everything so Corinne will never be in danger because of me again. Lucas, please make sure to look after her while I¡¯m gone. Call me at the first sign of trouble.¡± Chapter 1376 Chapter 1376 Don¡¯t worry. Corinne is my sister, so I¡¯ll definitely look after her even without you telling me to. I¡¯m not going to let anything happen to her,¡± said Lucas coldly. ¡°Thanks. Appreciate it,¡± said Jeremy. ¡°When do you n to fly there?¡± ¡°Tonight.¡± ¡°Ahem! How about dinner together before you go?¡± Jeremy was baffled by the invitation. ¡°I thought she didn¡¯t want me anywhere near the mansion?¡± ¡°Of course she doesn¡¯t. She¡¯s too good for a lying sc*mbag like you. But there¡¯s no guarantee you won¡¯t be locked up by Adam once you leave, so tonight might be yourst moment together with Corinne. I just don¡¯t want her to have any regrets when ites to you. So, swing by for dinner tonight before you fly off.¡± Lucas wished Corinne could marry a man with a simple background if given a choice. She could live her life peacefully, at least. Jeremy obviously was not the best choice he had in mind for her. While it was true Jeremy had both power and wealth, he came from a veryplicated background. In other words, Corinne could never live a day in peace the moment she decided to be with him. However, after seeing how Corinne risked her and the baby¡¯s lives to look for Jeremy and to avenge himst night, it hit Lucas just how much she cared about Jeremy. It could be said that Corinne would not be able to let go of Jeremy that easily. Consequently, Lucas knew Corinne would go to Jeremy¡¯s rescue should anything happen to him in Molomia. In a way, Corinne¡¯s safety was tied very closely to Jeremy¡¯s. Thus, being good to Jeremy meant that Lucas was also being good to Corinne. Corinne could go intobor at any moment, so Lucas could not afford to let her go through any shock anymore. It was best for Jeremy to meet with Corinne so he could tell her where he was going. That way, she would not worry or overthink too much. Even though Lucas could have said what he said in a nicer way, Jeremy decided to look past his rudeness and focus on the good. ¡°Your worries are unfounded, but thanks anyway.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll text you the time and locationter.¡± Lucas still remembered how he promised Corinne he would never let Jeremy anywhere near the mansion, so he decided to have dinner outside. After he hung up the phone, he called Corinne. ¡°Hey, Corinne.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas?¡± drawled Corinnezily. Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose out of resignation when he heard her reverting to calling him ¡®Mister Lucas¡¯ again. ¡®I knew it. She called me Lucasst time because she was trying to throw me off guard. She hasn¡¯t forgiven me after all.¡¯ ¡°Corinne, let¡¯s have dinner together tonight.¡± ¡°But we have our meals together every day,¡± deadpanned Corinne. Lucas chuckled drily. ¡°Tonight¡¯s different. We¡¯ll be eating out.¡± ¡°Where?¡± asked Corinne skeptically. ¡°Just get ready before dinner time. I¡¯ll pick you and Sunny up after work.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± After he hung up the phone, Lucas saw a text message from Jeremy, telling him the time and location along with a simple text. [I¡¯ll arrange everything tonight. You just need to bring her there.] At 7 p.m., dressed in a pale yellow maternity dress with a scalloped edge, Corinne tied her hair up in a bun and went out with Lucas. Chapter 1377 Chapter 1377 Corinne immediately frowned when she saw Jeremy already seated inside the private dining room of a restaurant. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± she asked Lucas unhappily, ming him for not telling her that Jeremy would be joining them for dinner. Lucas could tell Corinne was angry, but he expected this. ¡°He¡¯s going abroad soon, and he wants to treat us to dinner tonight. Just treat this as his farewell dinner,¡± he exined gently. ¡®He¡¯s going abroad again?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. ¡°Is this necessary? I mean, Mister Jeremy takes the ne like normal people taking the bus, so do we really need to have a farewell dinner with him? Or does he not n toe back this time?¡± she asked mockingly to hide the panic rising in her chest. Jeremy got up and pulled out a chair for her. ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you want me toe back at all.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°And you make it sound as if I have a say in that.¡± Jeremy was not in a hurry to exin himself. Instead, he gestured at the chair with his chin and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat?¡± Corinne walked over and unceremoniously sat down. At that moment, Sunny asked, ¡°Jeremy, which country are you going to this time? When will you be back?¡± ¡°Molomia, and I¡¯ll be back in three days if everything goes to n.¡± Corinne took a sip of her lemon-infused water thoughtfully and said nothing. Jeremy waved his hand again for both Lucas and Sunny to take their seats before sitting next to Corinne. The four of them skimmed through the menu. Corinne remained silent throughout the whole process as Jeremy and Lucas ordered her favorite dishes. Even when the dishes were served, she still kept her head down, lost in thought. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy ced a piece of chicken onto her te. ¡°What are you thinking about? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Corinne suddenly raised her head to re at him. Finally, she could not hold back her question. ¡°Why are you going to Molomia?¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback, but he answered honestly, ¡°To settle matters that unsettle you. I promise I¡¯ll solve them as fast as possible and give you an update.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Must you go at this time?¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to take care of the problems now?¡± Corinne fell silent. She wanted the problem with Sophia to be solved as soon as possible, but for some reason, she did not want him to go to Molomia that night. She could not help but feel something bad would happen to Jeremy if he went there. Jeremy ced some more food on her te. ¡°Here, eat your dinner first. You can ask all the questions you want after you¡¯re done eating,¡± he said with gentle patience as though coaxing a child. Corinne picked up her utensils absent-mindedly and started shoving food into her mouth without really tasting them. At that moment, Lucas stood up and said, ¡°Please carry on. I need to step out to take a call.¡± After that, he went outside. Before he did, however, he shot Sunny¡ªwho was eating happily¡ªa look. Fortunately, Sunny understood what Lucas meant. He, too, quickly got up and excused himself to go to the restroom. Thus, only Corinne and Jeremy were left in the private dining room. After a long moment of silence, Jeremy silentlydled some soup for Corinne. In the end, it was Corinne who broke the silence. ¡°Jeremy¡­ Can you not go to Molomia?¡± Chapter 1378 Chapter 1378 A look of surprise shed across Jeremy¡¯s eyes. ¡°What? You don¡¯t hate me now? Little rascal, how am I ever going to be worthy of you if I don¡¯t take care of the problem first?¡± Corinne frowned and said sternly, ¡°Of course you need to take care of the problem. But must you go now? Why don¡¯t you wait until the baby¡¯s born and then go?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Jeremy could tell Corinne was worried about him, so he narrowed his eyes and teasingly asked her, ¡°Why should I do that?¡± Corinne looked down and bashfully replied, ¡°I might not be able to go rescue you if the babyes when you¡¯re in trouble¡­¡± Jeremy looked at her quietly, and his cold gaze gradually softened. He never had anyone to rely on but himself; a fact he knew since he was young. What made it even more difficult was other people around him relied on him to solve their problems too. In other words, he never knew what it was like to be protected by someone. Both of his parents abandoned him after their marriage broke down. They went on their own merry without ever giving him a thought. It was as if they forgot he existed. Moreover, the adults around him repeatedly told him he could not cry or show weakness as the fate of the entire family rested on his shoulders. Therefore, he needed to learn how to be strong to carry on the family¡¯s legacy. When he was young, no one from his family woulde help him up even when he fell and broke his bones. Instead, they would question how he could be expected to take over the family¡¯s business if he could not even endure something as trivial as broken bones. After that, they would ask him to stand up by himself despite the pain. That night in the private dining room was the first time Jeremy ever felt what it was like to be unconditionally protected by someone. It might soundughable that a grown man like him needed to be protected by a petite woman like Corinne, but it warmed his heart nheless. ¡®I¡¯m so lucky to have met her at the coffeehouse that day, even though it was an ident,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Jeremy gently pursed his lips and reached out to touch Corinne¡¯s face, but he suddenly stopped himself when his fingers were centimeters away from her face. ¡°I still don¡¯t have the right to touch you now, but can I hug you after I¡¯m back from settling everything?¡± Corinne frowned and pursed her lips. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can do anything if he hugs me now. Besides, he never asked for permission before, so why is he acting all polite right now?¡¯ ¡°Hey,e on. I can¡¯t put off solving the problem anymore. God knows what Sophia¡¯s father is going to do to you if I don¡¯t go to Molomia now. I promise I¡¯ll be back in three days. I¡¯ve asked your doctor, and he said it¡¯ll be another week before the babyes. You can rest assured that I¡¯ll be by your side in the delivery room then to wee our baby together.¡± Corinne still did not want him to go. She pouted and said, ¡°Are you sure you can solve the problem in three days? I mean, you couldn¡¯t back then, so what makes you think you can now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve talked to Sophia¡¯s father on the phone, and he agreed to meet me,¡± exined Jeremy patiently. ¡°Little rascal, I¡¯d never go back on my promise to you. Can you please believe me just this once?¡± Corinne believed Jeremy when he said he would be back in three days. However, she could not help but worry that Sophia and her father had set up a trap for Jeremy to walk into. After all, Molomia was their territory. Even though the Holdens had some reach there, it still could not bepared to the Addisons¡¯ power of influence, seeing as they had established themselves for the longest time in Molomia. Chapter 1379 Chapter 1379 Besides, the apple did not fall far from the tree. It would not be difficult to imagine what kind of person Adam was with a daughter like Sophia. Then there were, of course, the rumors of Adam being ruthless enough to not even blink when he killed people and how he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Thus, it was not that Corinne did not trust Jeremy but because she was worried about him. Unfortunately, she could tell he had made up his mind, and nothing she said could ever change it. ¡°I trust you,¡± she finally said calmly and determinedly. ¡°But, I don¡¯t trust either Sophia or her father.¡± Jeremy naturally understood where her worries wereing from, but he made sure to cover for all sorts of eventualities. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± he said. Knowing it would be futile to stop him, Corinne decided not to waste her time trying to convince him otherwise. Thus, she scoffed and started eating again. Seeing this, Jeremy kept putting food on her te like an attentive husband. Suddenly, Corinne remembered something, so she asked, ¡°By the way, why did you fake your death back then?¡± Jeremy continued to pile food on her te as he answered, ¡°Because I wanted to find out who¡¯s the mastermind behind all the silver-haired man¡¯s scheme. I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d risk your life to look for me.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Are you ming me for ruining your n?¡± Jeremy smiled. ¡°No. But please don¡¯t ever risk your life for me again, okay?¡± Instead of answering him, Corinne said, ¡°In other words, the silver-haired man who kidnapped me wasn¡¯t the mastermind? There¡¯s someone else?¡± Jeremy nodded. ¡°Sorry for dragging you into my family¡¯s mess. If it weren¡¯t for that, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up getting kidnapped and being used to ckmail me.¡± Corinne did not really care about all that. ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no going back now. But Mister, what you should¡¯ve done was to tell me everything so I wouldn¡¯t have mistakenly thought that you¡¯re having an affair.¡± Jeremy sighed and gave her a resigned look. ¡°I know you. You¡¯re not the type who¡¯d be scared of those people nor would you listen to me if I told you to stay at home. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you tried to investigate the matter for my sake, and that¡¯ll only attract more attention toward you.¡± Corinne was speechless. ¡®He¡¯s right. Instead of being afraid, I¡¯ll help him investigate the matter to see if there¡¯s any way to solve his problems¡­¡¯ ¡°Little rascal, promise me something. Promise me that you¡¯ll stay home for the next three days and wait for me toe back,¡± said Jeremy coaxingly. ¡°Okay, I promise you,¡± replied Corinne softly. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jeremy had told her that there was a mastermind behind the silver-haired man¡¯s scheme. Since he was firm in his decision to go to Molomia, Corinne thought she should at least lessen his burden by not giving him any reason to worry about her safety. Frankly, her heart ached a little for the strong man before her. It had been like that ever since she got to know about his past from Anniest night. ¡®Poor man has the most selfish parents in the world. His father only knows how to fool around with other women while his mother abandoned him after getting disappointed too many times by her husband,¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 1380 Chapter 1380 In fact, Jeremy was even worse off than Corinne since both of his parents abandoned him when he was little. Emily, at least, brought Corinne with her when she left the family. It was only out of desperation that she gave her up to the Carews in the end. Thus, Corinne had the unshakeable faith that Emily loved her, even though her memories of her were hazy to say the least. It was that faith that made her believe she was worthy of love despite Emily not being by her side through her formative years of growing up. However, the same could not be said for Jeremy. It was difficult for him to not think that his parents did not care about him since they both chose not to bring him with them. For the longest time, he carried the hurt of abandonment with him. Not only that, but he had to live in a pressure-cooker environment. Though it did not cause him to have a twisted personality, it did make him cold and unapproachable. However, despite his tough exterior, Corinne knew him to be kind and gentle, which was very rare indeed. Thinking of all that, Corinne could not help but soften a little. ¡°Hey, Mister.¡± Jeremy was peeling some shrimps for her. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Text me the address.¡± Not understanding what she was talking about, Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°What address?¡± She pouted coquettishly. ¡°Sophia¡¯s address, of course! That way, I at least know where to find you if you don¡¯te back after three days.¡± Jeremy was first stunned, but he then smiled. ¡°Are you that worried that I¡¯m not going toe back?¡±Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Corinne frowned. ¡°Cut the crap and give me the address now!¡± Jeremy held the peeled shrimp in front of her mouth. ¡°Silly girl. If I say I¡¯m going to be in the delivery room with you, then I¡¯m going to be in the delivery room with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I still want the address.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll text you the addresster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Corinne ate the peeled shrimp he held up to her, and she held up her pinky finger. ¡°Mister, let¡¯s get back together after youe back from Molomia on the condition you won¡¯t ever lie or keep things from me again.¡± Jeremy was a little taken aback by her gesture, but he quickly hooked his own pinky finger around hers. ¡°Okay, I promise you I won¡¯t ever lie or keep things from you again. You get to decide everything from now on, and we¡¯ll live happily ever after.¡± Corinne felt sad all of a sudden. The warmth from Jeremy¡¯s hand spread to hers, and she really wished he did not have to go. She tried to chalk down her overly emotional response to her pregnancy hormones, but then again¡­ Both Lucas and Sunny came back into the private dining room not long after that. The four of them engaged in some chit-chat while they finished their dinner. Then, they all went to the airport to see Jeremy off. Before he boarded the ne, Jeremy stroked Corinne¡¯s face lovingly. ¡°I¡¯ll call you after I¡¯vended. Now, go back with your brother and rest up.¡± Corinne nodded and watched as both Jeremy and Edmund entered the airport¡¯s VIP passageway. She remained standing there, lost in thought, even after Jeremy was long out of sight. Lucas stroked Corinne¡¯s head. ¡°Come now. Let¡¯s head back home.¡± Corinne frowned. For some reason, she could shake off the tightness in her chest. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think something bad is going to happen to him.¡± Lucas understood how she felt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Adam might be a tough nut to crack, but Jeremy¡¯s no pushover either. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Chapter 1381 Chapter 1381 Corinne suddenly grabbed Lucas¡¯ sleeves. ¡°Lucas, get someone to deliver my passport to me now. I¡¯m going to take the next flight out to Molomia,¡± she said anxiously. Lucas was taken aback by this request, and he frowned. ¡°Nonsense, Corinne. You¡¯re in no condition to go anywhere right now! Be a good girl and stay home to wait for the baby toe. The baby¡¯s safety should be your priority. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get my men in Molomia to keep watch over Jeremy. You have my word that I won¡¯t stand by and do nothing if Jeremy needs help.¡± Even if he did not like Jeremy, Lucas would still help him out because he was Corinne¡¯s husband. Maybe that was what people meant when they said, ¡®Love me, love my dog¡¯. The tightness in Corinne¡¯s chest intensified as she watched a ne take off from the airport window. She could not help but recall all the misunderstandings that sprang between her and Jeremy when he went abroad, which ultimately ended with them going their own ways. ¡®Hopefully, things will be different now since we¡¯ve said everything we needed to say. There¡¯s no more misunderstanding between us, so no matter what, I¡¯m not going catastrophize without asking him first,¡¯ thought Corinne. However, she was still worried about something bad happening to him. They had not even been separated for long, yet she was already having separation anxiety. Lucas could not bear to see her like that. He pulled her into his arms and proceeded to pat her gently on the back to soothe her. ¡°He¡¯s a capable man, so you should trust that he¡¯ll be able to solve any problem thates his way. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten to where he is now if he¡¯s the type of man who needs his pregnant wife to clean up his mess. Corinne, you shouldn¡¯t spoil a man too much, or he¡¯ll just bezy and ipetent.¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. His words did nothing to ease Corinne¡¯s worries. ¡°But he¡ª¡± ¡°By the way, Jeremy asked us to help him out with something before he left,¡± interrupted Lucas. Corinne looked up at him. ¡°What is it?¡± Lucas gestured with his chin in a particr direction. Corinne turned around and saw Edmund leading Joey to them. He had gone to the Holdens¡¯ mansion to fetch the boy. Joey looked scared, but his eyes immediately lit up when he saw Corinne. He ran over to her and wrapped his little arms around her leg as though she was his long-lost mother. ¡°Auntie Sissy!¡± Corinne was pleasantly surprised. She looked down at the top of his head. ¡°Joey¡­¡± ¡®This kid has grown taller. And he can talk and walk better than before too!¡¯ she mused. Joey hugged her tightly. ¡°Auntie Sissy, you¡¯re back. I thought you didn¡¯t want me anymore,¡± he said with teary eyes. Corinne¡¯s heart ached to see him like that. She patted his head softly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back.¡± Being a kid, Joey held no grudge toward their separation from before. All he felt at that moment was the joy of reuniting with Corinne. ¡°Auntie Sissy, Daddy said I must take care of you while he¡¯s on a business trip. He also said that we¡¯ll wee my baby sister when he¡¯s back.¡± ¡®Baby sister?¡¯ Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®How can he be sure it¡¯s a baby girl?¡¯ She turned toward Lucas. ¡°Is this what you meant when you said Jeremy asked us for help?¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°Yeah. The kid misses you very much, so Jeremy asked us to look after him for three days.¡± Actually, Joey was there to serve as a distraction for Corinne so she would not worry about Jeremy too much. Corinne turned her attention back to Joey. She held his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Joey nodded docilely. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll go wherever Auntie Sissy is!¡± Lucas sighed with relief when he saw Corinne¡¯s worry for Jeremy had evaporated as she walked out of the airport with Joey. He proceeded to follow her out but, at the same time, realized one person was missing from their group. ¡°Where¡¯s Sunny?¡± he asked Edmund with a frown. Chapter 1382 Chapter 1382 ¡°I saw Mister Sunny getting into a cab just as I arrived here with Joey. I couldn¡¯t stop him since I was busy with Joey then,¡± answered Edmund. At the thought of where Sunny might be going, Lucas irritatedly pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Go ask two of our men to bring him back. It won¡¯t be good if he bothers her again,¡± said Lucas. Edmund nodded. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. I¡¯ll do that right away.¡± Sunny arrived at Xante¡¯s ce in a cab. He went up to her unit and rang the doorbell for a long time, but the door remained closed. He called her and no one picked up either. He became even more livid when the image of Xante kissing and hugging the unknown man in front of the Newmoon Group building shed across his mind. Left with no choice, he decided to call Aaron. ¡°Hello, Mister Sunny. To what do I owe this pleasure?¡± asked Aaron when he picked up the phone. Judging by the thumping loud music, he must be in a nightclub. ¡°Why is it so noisy over at your side? And why isn¡¯t Xante back at home at thiste hour yet?¡± said Sunny angrily. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t call if you didn¡¯t want something,¡± said Aaron with a coy smile. ¡°So this is about Xante, huh?¡± Sunny had used up all of his patience in trying to reach Xante, so he had none to spare for Aaron. ¡°Cut the crap! And tell me where Xante is!¡± ¡°She¡¯s with me right now. We¡¯re at Twilight. Do you want toe?¡± asked Aaron with a smile. Sunny instinctively frowned when he heard Xante was at Twilight. ¡°Why did you bring her there? Ask her toe home this instant! Tell her I¡¯m waiting outside of her ce.¡± ¡°Mister Sunny, you¡¯re mistaken. I wasn¡¯t the one who brought her here. In fact, we¡¯ve beening to this ce long before we met you. Plus, she¡¯s my boss, so I can¡¯t tell her what to do. You shoulde to Twilight if you want to see her,¡± said Aaron helplessly. Aaron then ended the call without giving Sunny a chance to say anything else. This made Sunny even more annoyed. Looking at the time, he thought, ¡®Lucas is going to scold me again if I don¡¯t go home now! But I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t see Xante¡­¡¯ ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. After thinking about it, he decided to take the cab to Twilight. He had been there before but not by himself. Normally, he tagged along with Zeke and the rest of the group. That way, he at least had someone toe to his defense if Lucas found him there. Once he arrived, he stood near the entrance for a while. He was afraid he would be stopped by the bouncer since he was there alone. ¡®Wait a minute. Why should I be scared? I¡¯m a grown-up too!¡¯ he finally told himself. He then swaggered toward the entrance, but unfortunately, he was stopped by the bouncer, who asked him about his age and his identification card. Sunny was not happy about that at all. He stood almost two meters tall, which made him look more mature than his peers. Why did the bouncer stop him?! This just served to highlight the age gap between him and Xante, spoiling his mood even further. To top it all off, he did not have his ID with him, so he could not possibly prove he was an adult! Thus, he was left with no choice but to call Aaron for help. Chapter 1383 Chapter 1383 Aaron came out in no time. Two minutes after the call, in fact. However, his attitude did not make Sunny happy. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of your youth, Mister Sunny,¡± he teased. ¡°I can¡¯t even remember when was thest time someone mistook me for a minor.¡± Sunny scoffed and said, ¡°What¡¯s so good about being young? I can¡¯t wait until I¡¯m thirty years old! Where is Xante? Bring me to her.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Aaron shrugged and gestured with his chin toward the passageway that led to multiple private rooms. ¡°Mister Sunny, don¡¯t me me for not warning you, but you should control your temper once you see her. Don¡¯t do anything rash, okay?¡± Sunny frowned with confusion. ¡°Why would I do anything rash? What¡¯s Xante doing inside?¡± he asked with rm. Aaron smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll know soon enough. I¡¯m just reminding you that a truly mature man knows how to keep his temper in check.¡± Sunny waved his hand with annoyance. ¡°Fine. I get it. So exactly which of the private rooms is she in?¡± Aaron pointed at a door not far from where they were. Sunny swaggered toward the door and opened it without hesitation. It was a veryrge VIP private room. A sweet floral smell immediately greeted Sunny when he opened the door as every surface was filled with rose petals. Not only that, but there were many balloons, ribbons, and other fresh flowers arranged in the shape of a heart all over the ce. Sunny¡¯s expression instantly darkened. No one in the room noticed his arrival. The couple inside was too engrossed in their conversation under the romantic candle-lit atmosphere. Sunny could not locate Xante until he walked further in and saw her sitting at the bar were clinking sses, and their faces were too close to each other for Sunny¡¯sfort. Exploding with rage, Sunny was about to rush over when a hand mped down heavily on his shoulder. ¡°Mister Sunny, have you forgotten what I told you outside the room just now? A truly mature man knows how to keep his temper in check. Plus, Xante doesn¡¯t like guys who put her in embarrassing situations.¡± Sunny took a deep breath to suppress his anger before ring at Xante and the unknown man. The private room was dimly lit, and it was so noisy that Xante did not notice Sunny. However, the man beside her did. Instead of informing Xante of Sunny¡¯s arrival, however, he deliberately moved closer to her. Sunny instantly recognized him to be the man from that morning. The very same man who hugged and kissed Xante in front of the Newmoon Group building. The fact that they were seeing each other and seated so close to each other sent Sunny into a spiral of rage. However, he recalled what Aaron said to him. ¡®Aaron¡¯s right. I shouldn¡¯t do anything rash. I¡¯ll lose Xante to that old fart if I can¡¯t even control my temper.¡¯ He took another deep breath and drank some water to cool himself. After that, he asked Aaron, ¡°Who¡¯s that disgusting old fart? Why does Xante seem so interested in him?¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°He¡¯s her first love. He just came back from abroad and was hoping to rekindle their rtionship.¡± ¡°What?!¡± exploded Sunny. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless man! What makes him think he can swagger in and rekindle his rtionship with Xante when they broke up ages ago?¡¯ ¡°See all these rose petals, balloons, and fresh flowers? He got them for Xante,¡± pointed out Aaron ¡®nicely¡¯. Sunny gritted his teeth. ¡°Ugh! How cringe! Xante¡¯s not the type of woman who will ever fall for something like this.¡± ¡°Is that so? Howe I think she¡¯s exactly the type of woman who¡¯d fall for something like this?¡± retorted Aaron with a smile. Chapter 1384 Chapter 1384 Sunny clenched his fists angrily. Aaron patted his shoulder, guided him to the other end of the bar table, and gave him a bottle of mineral water. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Chill, dude. You¡¯ll only embarrass Xante if you rush over there now to interrupt them. You¡¯ll gain nothing but her wrath, and not to mention the silent treatment, by doing that,¡± said Aaron. Even though Sunny knew Aaron was right, he struggled to quell his burning rage. ¡°Listen to me. You might be able to save a damsel in distresster. That¡¯ll show Xante what a hero you are,¡± advised Aaron. ¡®Save a damsel in distress? What the hell is he talking about?¡¯ thought Sunny, not understanding what Aaron meant. However, he decided to wait and see. Thus, he threw his head back to drink his water¡ª in a bid to cool himself down¡ªwhile ring at Xante. ¡­ The man sitting beside Xante was not that handsome. However, dressed in a suit and coupled with his gentlemanly demeanor and an air of sess, he could make a few girls¡¯ hearts race. ¡°Xante, it¡¯s sure been a while since west saw each other. I must say, you¡¯ve changed quite a lot,¡± said the man, swirling his wine ss and fixing his gaze on Xante. Xante smiled lightly. ¡°Oh? How have I changed?¡± The man looked her up and down. ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯ve been even more attractive and mature. Not to mention, you have a certain air of mystery around you now.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses out of habit. ¡°I can say the same about you. You¡¯ve be more mature and, dare I say, more romantic as well.¡± The man chuckled bitterly when he recalled his past behaviors. ¡°I was young, stupid, and broke back then. Sorry for being a shitty boyfriend.¡± Xante looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Instead of sadness, there was actually mockery in her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me; you would¡¯ve done the same thing if given the chance to start over. We¡¯re all adults hardened by years of disappointment here, so you don¡¯t have to put up an act of repentance. Doing so just makes you look like a cringy dirtbag.¡± The man¡¯s face darkened a little, but he quickly smiled. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t talk about the past anymore. In fact, let¡¯s talk about the present. Xante, you¡¯re single and I¡¯m single, so what do you say to us giving it another go?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± replied Xante lightly. The man did not expect that he would be rejected outright, so he was understandably hurt. ¡°Why not? Xante, my feelings for you never changed, nor could I forget about you. Why won¡¯t you give me another chance? I promise I¡¯ll treat you better thanst time.¡± Xante took a sip of her wine before saying, ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you anymore.¡± Humiliation washed over the man¡¯s face at being turned down so ruthlessly. ¡°Is it because of that boy?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡®Boy?¡¯ Xante turned around quizzically and was shocked to see Sunny standing there. ¡®When did he get here? And why is he ring at us like that?¡¯ ¡°I see that your taste in men has changed too. But I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d fall for a kid like him,¡± lectured the man. Xante turned back to look at her ex-boyfriend with a cold smile. ¡°You have no right to judge my taste nor do I have to exin myself to you. All you need to know now is that I¡¯ll never fall for a man like you anymore.¡± The man¡¯s face darkened. No woman had ever spoken like that to him ever since he got to where he was then, so he was understandably caught off-guard. Chapter 1385 Chapter 1385 However, Xante was the president of Newmoon Group, making her a person he could not afford to cross. The man picked up the bottle of wine and poured another ss for Xante before doing the same for himself. ¡°Xante, I was only joking with you. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re mad? Well, I apologize. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Here, let¡¯s have a toast. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to be together now because I¡¯m going to work hard to show you I¡¯m serious about you.¡± He then put down the wine bottle, picked up his own ss, and finished it in one go. After that, he looked coyly at Xante, saying, ¡°Your turn.¡± The music was so loud that Xante did not quite hear what her ex-boyfriend said, but she thought she should at least take a sip of her wine out of politeness. However, someone grabbed her wrist just when she picked up her wine ss. ¡°Don¡¯t drink it!¡± shouted Sunny, stopping her from drinking the wine. Xante was first shocked, but her expression soured when she saw Sunny¡¯s panic-stricken face looking back at her. ¡°Let go of my wrist,¡± she said threateningly. Sunny frowned and forced himself to say gently, ¡°Xante, don¡¯t drink it. You should head back home now. You still need to work tomorrow.¡± Xante obviously did not agree with Sunny¡¯s sentiment. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend tomorrow, so I don¡¯t need to get up early for work. Excuse me, but I¡¯m talking to my friend here. Why don¡¯t you go home before your brotheres looking for you.¡± Sunny took a deep breath to keep himself from exploding. ¡°You can talk to him when the sun¡¯s out. Nothing good can evere out of talking in a nightclub. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Sunny tried to pull Xante away from her chair. He sessfully got her to stand up but failed to drag her away as someone else was pulling her other arm too. Xante was stuck between Sunny and her ex-boyfriend. None of the two men were willing to let her go. Thus, they were at a stalemate. Sunny looked back, and the anger he had been suppressing immediately came to head when he saw the man touching Xante. ¡°You better let her go now! Don¡¯t touch my girlfriend!¡± The manughed mockingly. ¡°Your girlfriend? Excuse me, but Xante never told me so delusional and at such a young age.¡± ¡°Are you or are you not going to let her go?¡± asked Sunny through gritted teeth. ¡°You should be the one letting go,¡± said the man, not backing down. Xante knew Sunny very well, so before he blew his top, she said to her ex-boyfriend, ¡°Shawn Leroy! Let go of me now.¡± Even though Shawn did not want to, he chose to do as she said. After that, Xante led Sunny out of the private room. It was much quieter in the stairwell. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here! Go back home before your family worries about you,¡± chastised Xante angrily. A stubborn frown appeared on Sunny¡¯s forehead, but his eyes looked like a puppy¡¯s that had been kicked. They were anxious, hurt, and fearful. Chapter 1386 Chapter 1386 Sunny decided to lower his pride as he pleaded, ¡°Xante, can you please be more serious toward me? You don¡¯t have to tell anyone I¡¯m your boyfriend, but don¡¯t ept advances from other men either! I can be more mature if you like that type of man! Just give me some time to learn. I promise you I¡¯ll learn!¡± Xante was a little taken aback, but she then looked at him calmly. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯ll hold any expectation toward a kid who hasn¡¯t even graduated from high school or who can¡¯t even get into a university? Wait for you to be more mature? Heh, I might as well ept you¡¯re never going to grow up or make me stop worrying about you.¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes widened as they trembled. His ego was everything to him, yet he could only back away in shame after being talked down by the woman he loved the most. Xante suddenly felt guilty when she saw how hurt Sunny looked. However, she made her decision. Sunny was too serious for his own good. It would be harder to break up with him if they continued with their rtionship. At that point in her life, Xante did not want to be tied up with anyone, nor did she want to do anything else other than work. She had no interest in shacking up with anyone. ¡°Sunny, you should go home if you want me to see you as mature. Only a kid will make their family worry about them all the time,¡± said Xante. Sunny¡¯s grip tightened around Xante¡¯s arm, and still, he said nothing. At that moment, Shawn came out and asked with concern, ¡°Xante, do you need my help?¡± Xante had no intention of getting back with Shawn, but an idea crossed her mind. To force Sunny to give her up, she grabbed Shawn¡¯s arm with her free hand and said, ¡°Shawn, can you please kick him out? He¡¯s getting on my nerves.¡± Surprised, Shawn stared nkly at Xante¡¯s hand on his arm before snapping out of his daze. Her gesture seemed to have given him the confidence he needed to put his arm around her shoulders. ring at Sunny, he said, ¡°You hear that, kid? She doesn¡¯t care about you at all, so let her go now. Otherwise, I¡¯ll call the cops and sue you for molesting my girlfriend.¡± Sunny red at Xante and finally spat out, ¡°I hate you!¡± On the verge of having a meltdown, he then let her go and ran out of the nightclub Xante frowned with worry when she saw him running off so fast. She then ordered her men to chase after him and make sure he got home safely. This was not out of her having feelings for Sunny but because he was Corinne¡¯s half-brother. ¡®The boss is going to worry again if anything happens to that kid,¡¯ thought Xante. Twilight was a business parked under Newmoon Group, so all the employees there worked for her. After he sessfully drove away Xante¡¯s ¡®molester¡¯, Shawn thought he had done well, so he did not take his hand off her shoulder. Instead, he gave her a little squeeze and said, ¡°You¡¯ve made the right choice, Xante. Between me and him, I¡¯m more suitable to be your boyfriend.¡± Shawn was still the gentleman Xante remembered him to be. However, she did not like his new cocky way of talking. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. She shook off his arms and said coldly, ¡°Thanks for your help, but I think it¡¯s best if we don¡¯t contact each other anymore.¡± Shawn was a little bbergasted. ¡°Xante, there must be some lingering feelings you have for me!¡± ¡°Nope. Not even a bit,¡± answered Xante firmly. Shawn was not going to give up that easily. He decided to take another approach. ¡°Okay, can we at least be friends then? I really don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary for us to cut ties.¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s not going to back down unless I make it clear.¡¯ ¡°Shawn, the only reason I stay in contact with you over the years is because you still have some use for me. I¡¯m sorry if I gave you any false hope that we can get back together. With that said, I do insist we don¡¯t contact each other unless necessary.¡± Shawn decided to give it one more go. ¡°Xante, those are some hurtful words. Even so, I still have some use for you, right? We can continue working together if the project allows, so we can¡¯t not contact each other. Even if you don¡¯t care about me, you should care about the loss yourpany is going to face.¡± Chapter 1387 Chapter 1387 Xante smiled. ¡°You¡¯re overestimating yourself. Newmoon Group can more than afford to lose the business you bring us. I appreciate all the romantic gestures you¡¯ve done for me tonight, but you should know I¡¯m not the young girl I once was. Frankly, these things embarrassed me.¡± Shawn felt a pang of hurt in his chest. Frowning, he said, ¡°Xante, I¡­¡± Xante did not want to hear what he had to say anymore, so she shouted toward the private room, ¡°Aaron!¡± ¡°Coming!¡± Aaron immediately ran out of the private room. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Xante threw a set of car keys toward him. ¡°You haven¡¯t drunk any alcohol, so you can drive me home. Bring the car around, and let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Aaron caught the car keys and said under his breath, ¡°What does she think I am? Her driver?¡± Xante ignored Aaron and walked toward the entrance. She waited for him to bring the car around. Very quickly, Aaron arrived with the car, and Xante got into it. As soon as she got into the car, Aaron joked, ¡°Xante, your ex-boyfriend might not be the important person he thinks he is, but his phone does hold the power to a lot of megapanies¡¯ resources. Are you sure it¡¯s okay to turn him down like that?¡± Xante gave him a side-eye. ¡°Should I introduce you to him, then? You can exchange all the resources you like with him once you two are together.¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m straight, okay?!¡± Xante ignored him. She knew Shawn could still prove useful to her. That was why she kept in contact with him in the first ce. However, she knew he would think he still had a chance with her if she continued to keep in contact with him after what happened. If they continued to be friends, Shawn would use the resources he had as a bargaining chip, and that would make Xante¡¯s life even more difficult. Thus, cutting him off was the best course of action. After all, there would always be other ways to acquire more resources. ¡®I must¡¯ve been blind to fall for him when I was young,¡¯ she thought. The only feeling she had toward a maniptive man like Shawn was repulsion. Suddenly, Xante looked out of the window and realized the car was not taking the familiar route home, so she asked Aaron, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°To the Riveras¡¯ mansion to see how the boss is doing. I heard Jeremy is flying to Molomia tonight to take care of the Sophia problem. I¡¯m quite worried the boss will be in a bad mood, so let¡¯s pop in for a visit.¡± Xante¡¯s face immediately darkened at the mention of the Riveras¡¯ mansion. Seeing this, Aaron raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you afraid of bumping into Sunny there?¡± Xante frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯m tired and I want to go home.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go home, then.¡± ¡°Oh, forget it! I¡¯m worried about the boss too, so let¡¯s head over to the Riveras¡¯ mansion.¡± Chapter 1388 Chapter 1388 Both Xante and Aaron heard a loud banging from upstairs the moment they entered the Riveras¡¯ living room, causing them to look up the stairs in confusion. Corinne, who sat on the sofa ying jigsaw puzzle with Joey, also heard the loud noise. She quickly stroked Joey¡¯s head to soothe him. After ncing at the stairs, she calmly exined to Xante and Aaron, ¡°Ignore the noise. Sunny just came back. It looks like someone pissed him off again.¡± Aaron¡¯s smile deepened when he heard that. He then turned to Xante and mused, ¡°I do wonder who dares to anger Mister Sunny.¡± Xante threw him a cold nce and said nothing. Instead, she turned to Corinne and said, ¡°Boss, I heard Mister Jeremy went to Molomia again. Is that true?¡± Hearing this, Corinne instinctively nced at her phone, which sat on a coffee table. Jeremy promised to call her as soon as hended, but there was still no news from him. Aaron noticed Corinne ncing at the phone, so he smiled and said, ¡°You must be waiting for Mister Jeremy to call you. Be patient, Boss. It¡¯ll take at least twenty hours for his ne to reach Molomia, so he won¡¯t be calling so soon.¡± Corinne snapped out of her daze. She had been so eager to hear his voice that she forgot that the flight would take 20 hours. It seemed like she had a case of a baby brain. She massaged her temple tiredly and let out a deep breath. Aaron sidled up to her. ¡°Boss, you shouldn¡¯t worry so much. I¡¯m sure nothing will happen to a powerful man like Mister Jeremy.¡± Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°Have you gotten any information and photos of Adam?¡± Aaron shook his head ruefully. ¡°Unfortunately, no. I scoured the Inte for everything I could find on him, but there was only information about his age and some rumors that sprung up around him. He¡¯s known for being very cautious, so there was no photo either. Plus, thework Adam Group built up is soplicated that no one dared to post anything about him.¡± Corinne¡¯s frown deepened when she heard that. She had heard some rumors about Adam too, mostly about his ruthless personality and how he could kill people without blinking. How could she not be worried about Jeremy visiting him? At that moment, she felt someone tugging her hand. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Joey had put down her half-finished jigsaw puzzle. Rubbing his eyes, he muttered, ¡°Auntie Sissy, I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± Corinne snapped out of her thoughts. She ruffled his hair and said, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go to sleep, then.¡± Joey nodded docilely. Aaron and Xante exchanged nces with each other. They were both thinking the same thing¡ª Corinne would be a great mother. Corinne held Joey¡¯s hand and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m fine, so you two can go back home too. Aaron, continue to look for information on Adam. Call me as soon as you get anything.¡± Aaron nodded. ¡°Got it, Boss.¡± After that, Corinne and Joey walked hand-in-hand up the stairs. Seeing that Corinne was doing okay, Aaron and Xante were just about to leave when Lucas suddenly appeared in front of them. Chapter 1389 Chapter 1389 ¡°Mister Lucas, you¡¯re still awake?¡± asked Aaron with a smile. Lucas looked up the stairs to make sure Corinne was out of earshot before turning his attention to Aaron. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Corinne anything about Adam,¡± he warned sternly. Aaron was a little taken aback. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to look into Adam to know what kind of person he is. How do you think Corinne would react if you told her about all the horrible things he did before? She might not say it, but we all know she¡¯s very worried about Jeremy. So, for her and the baby¡¯s sake, just keep your mouth shut about Adam. The less she knows, the better.¡± Aaron smiled. ¡°Oh wow, I didn¡¯t know you cared about the boss so much. After all, it wasn¡¯t that long when you repeatedly hurt her because of Miss Anya. I find it hard to believe you¡¯re the same person as you were back then.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lucas instantly felt guilty when Aaron brought up his past. He could, of course, tell he was mocking him. However, he did not get angry as he felt like he deserved it. He would not even get angry at Aaron if he cussed him out for being a b*stard. Corinne still had not forgiven him or epted him as her brother. ¡°Rest assured, I know very well what I did before. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying very hard to make it up to her. It¡¯ste, so the two of you should head back home. Just remember what I said¡ªkeep it to yourselves when you find out anything about Adam.¡± Aaron nodded. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be a better brother to her this time, Mister Lucas.¡± He then waved goodbye and left with Xante. Xante and Aaron had just stepped out of the door when Lucas heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. Lucas did not need to look up to know it was Sunny who came down. ¡°There¡¯s no point ining down now that they¡¯ve left,¡± he said. Sunny rushed over to the floor-to-ceiling window. His face tensed up, and his hands balled into fists when he saw Xante leaving as though he had made up his mind. Lucas could not help but worry about his helpless little brother. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You should use this time to study if you have this much time so you can get a good job. At least you¡¯ll have something to offer the girl you like.¡± Sunny was obviously hurt. After watching Xante get into her car, he turned and said firmly, ¡°Lucas, I want to study abroad.¡± Lucas was midway up the stairs when he heard Sunny. Surprised, he stopped in his tracks and turned. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Sunny looked up at him and said resolutely, ¡°I said I want to study abroad. Didn¡¯t you already choose a school for me? Well, I¡¯m willing to go now!¡± Lucas was at his wits¡¯ end when Sunny kept failing his college admission tests. He did not expect Sunny to get into a good university solely with his efforts since Sunny was always a poor student. Sunny had failed so many subjects in school that he could neverpete with the other students at home. Thus, Lucas found Sunny an elite boarding school abroad. He had hoped Sunny would be able to reform himself there. However, Sunny was resistant to the idea of going to a boarding school to the extent of threatening to end his life. Left with no choice, Lucas decided to put the n on pause for the time being. Thus, Lucas was understandably surprised that Sunny would volunteer to go himself. ¡°Are you sure you want to go?¡± Lucas asked again, just to be sure. ¡°Because I¡¯m not going to bring you back if you find it hard there. You¡¯re a grown-up now, so you must take responsibility for your decisions.¡± Sunny stared at him resolutely. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve thought it through, and I really want to go. I promise I¡¯m not going to regret my decision.¡± Chapter 1390 Chapter 1390 Lucas was genuinely impressed by Sunny¡¯s resolution, which was very rare indeed. ¡°Okay. You get yourself ready, then. I¡¯ll arrange for your departure after Corinne gives birth to the baby.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, Lucas!¡± said Sunny with a nod. He then went upstairs with a newfound kind of determination. ¡®That kid is finally growing up,¡¯ mused Lucas as he watched Sunny leave. ¡­ Corinne was in her room patting Joey to sleep. She would nce at her phone from time to time, even though she knew it would be impossible for Jeremy tond so soon. Somehow, she dozed off. When she woke up the next day, there was still no news from Jeremy. Thus, she spent the whole day distracted. It was not until evening that she received a call from Jeremy. ¡°I¡¯ve justnded. Have you eaten?¡± he asked. Corinne breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Jeremy¡¯s voice. ¡°Yeah. All three meals. How about you?¡± Jeremy sounded like he was walking. ¡°Yeah. I had airne food. It was disgusting, even though I was in first ss.¡± Corinne had waited for the whole day for him to call, yet she found herself with nothing to say to him. ¡°I have to go now. Make sure you eat well these few days. I¡¯ll bring you a gift when I¡¯m back,¡± said Jeremy. Jeremy only called to tell her he hadnded safely. As much as he wanted to talk to her more, he knew he had more pressing matters toplete, and time was of the essence. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Corinne just as Jeremy was about to hang up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you still have something to say to me?¡± asked Jeremy coyly. Corinne cleared her throat. ¡°Ahem! Do what you have to do, but don¡¯t hang up the phone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hang up the phone? Are you that worried about me?¡± he teased. ¡°Hmph! I just want to make sure you¡¯re not lying to me. But you¡¯re wee to hang up the phone if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t want me to hear. I just won¡¯t call you back.¡± Jeremy smiled. ¡°As if I¡¯d ever dare to hang up on you. Fine, I won¡¯t hang up the phone. I just hope you won¡¯t find me annoying.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± said Corinne haughtily. ¡°Ahem! So are you going to Sophia¡¯s house now?¡± Jeremy walked out of the airport, and Tommy opened the car door for him. ¡°Yeah. Her house is a little far from the airport. I¡¯m estimating that it¡¯ll at least take three hours for me to get there,¡± said Jeremy softly as he got into the car. ¡°Oh. You can take a nap in the car, then,¡± said Corinne. Jeremy turned on hisptop and clicked on the email he had just received while saying, ¡°Nah. I¡¯ve already slept on the ne.¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®That means we have to talk for three hours? Well, that¡¯s going to be awkward¡­¡¯ ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Not knowing what they could talk about, Corinne decided to y Jeremy a song on her music yer. ¡°Mister, name a song.¡± ¡°Why? Are you going to sing for me?¡± asked Jeremy happily. Corinne chuckled drily. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to y you a song. I never sing for free, and my fee is very expensive.¡± Jeremy raised an eyebrow. ¡°How much for you to sing a song? I¡¯ll see if I can afford it.¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sing for you even if you have the money. The only way you can make me sing for you is when youe home and give me the money personally.¡± Jeremyughed and said jokingly, ¡°You little gold-digger.¡± Chapter 1391 Chapter 1391 Corinne did not seem perturbed. ¡°Hurry up. Which song would you like to listen to? I¡¯ll y it for you so it won¡¯t feel awkward when we don¡¯t have anything to talk about during the call.¡± Jeremy remainedposed and unaffected. Even her shallow breathing wasforting to her. He replied, ¡°Let¡¯s listen to ¡®Bridge over Troubled Water¡¯.¡± Corinne used her music yer to search for the song and found several by different artists. She asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the singer?¡± Jeremy replied, ¡°Simon and Garfunkel.¡± Music soon filled the air as Corinne yed the track. After listening briefly to the song, she suddenly remarked, ¡°I never felt such a significant generation gap between us before this, but I feel it now that I¡¯m listening to this song! We listen to songs from different eras, haha¡­¡± Jeremy stopped typing on his keyboard. He seemed to take some offense to Corinne¡¯s remark. ¡°Are you bothered by my age?¡± Corinne sighed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it even if I am. You being older than I am is a fact. We can¡¯t turn back the clock.¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression soured, and the atmosphere in the car became heavy. He did not usually care much about his age, but he did so when it came to Corinne. His silence elicited a chuckle from her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you upset?¡± ¡°No,¡± Jeremy replied curtly. Corinne then said, ¡°Your song choice is a little dated, but it¡¯s pretty nice, especially the lyrics. It¡¯s quite fitting for the moment.¡± Jeremy did not respond to her remark. Instead, he asked, ¡°What songs do you like to listen to? Choose one that youngsters like you enjoy.¡± ¡°You probably won¡¯t enjoy the songs I listen to,¡± Corinne replied. ¡°You don¡¯t know that. Put one on,¡± Jeremy insisted. Corinne proceeded to y a song that was chock full of rapping, leaving Jeremy at a loss. As expected, Jeremy could not quite appreciate that sort of music. The two of them continued to share their music preferences and made small talk as three hours passed. The car eventually arrived at Adam Manor where Sophia¡¯s father resided. Jeremy informed Corinne, ¡°I¡¯ve arrived.¡± He then ced the phone¡ªof which the call was still connected¡ªinto his pocket before exiting the car and walking into the house. Adam had arranged for several people to wait for Jeremy¡¯s arrival. One of them greeted him, ¡°Mister Jeremy, we¡¯ve been told to receive you on your arrival here.¡± Jeremy nodded and replied, ¡°Take me to see Mister Adam.¡± ¡°Of course. Please follow me,¡± the man said politely, bowing slightly as he gestured for Jeremy toe with him. Jeremy, along with Tommy, followed the man into Adam¡¯s vast estate. He finally arrived at a spacious gym where Adam was lifting weights. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Adam had maintained an impressive physique despite his old age, and that could be considered a testament to his discipline. The young man who led Jeremy there said, ¡°Sir, Mister Jeremy is here.¡± Adam ced the barbell down and smiled at Jeremy. ¡°My son-inw has arrived!¡± Chapter 1392 Chapter 1392 Jeremy approached Adam calmly, projecting strength while being very polite. He said, ¡°I¡¯m just a friend of your daughter, so you shouldn¡¯t call me that. Please, just call me by my name.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Adam replied with an emotionless smile, ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? You have a marriage certificate with my daughter. Who else are you if you¡¯re not my son-inw?¡± Jeremy exined, ¡°Sophia and I obtained the marriage certificate to convince my grandfather to undergo surgery. This was the agreement your daughter and I made. The agreement clearly stated that the marriage certificate was solely for that purpose. It has no other significance. Once that situation is resolved, both parties can agree on a date to annul the certificate.¡± Having said that, Jeremy nodded to Tommy, signaling for him to present the agreement to Adam. Adam nced at the agreement with a menacing expression but did not reach out to take it. Jeremy continued, ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied with this agreement, feel free to raise your terms. I¡¯ll do my best topensate Sophia reasonably.¡± Tommy extended the agreement to Adam again, saying, ¡°Please have a look, Mister Adam.¡± Adam tore up the agreement without even reading it. He sneered, ¡°Do you think my daughter wants yourpensation?¡± Jeremy remained unruffled by Adam¡¯s reaction. He maintained hisposure and asked, ¡°Then what do you propose? I¡¯m all ears.¡± Adam¡¯s expression turned even more sullen as he sneered wickedly. ¡°Do you think you can provide any sort ofpensation for my daughter? She has everything she wants. Sophia is my everything, yet she was deceived by a sc*mbag into getting a marriage certificate for no good reason. Now that you¡¯ve gotten what you want, you have no qualms about abandoning her. Do you think you can just use her and dump her whenever you like? I want you to take responsibility for my daughter!¡± Jeremy¡¯s expression remained calm as he corrected, ¡°I¡¯ve never misled Sophia. She was fully aware of the reasons and intentions behind obtaining the certificate, and she willingly offered her help. I genuinely appreciate her assistance, and I¡¯m willing topensate her as much as I can, but I must apologize because I cannot take responsibility for her. I have a family now and with a child on the way too. My obligations lie solely toward my wife and children.¡± Adam stared at him and retorted sarcastically, ¡°You want to take responsibility for that bratty Corinne at the expense of my daughter? To think that a young woman like Sophia would have to face divorce because of you! Sophia might be able to find someone she loves in the future and get married to him, but that will be considered her second marriage! You¡¯ve caused her immense physical and emotional distress, not to mention a tremendous amount of damage to her reputation. Do you think I¡¯ll let you do as you please and be with Corinne?¡± There was anger in Adam¡¯s eyes when he mentioned Corinne¡¯s name. Jeremy¡¯s expression sank, but he responded calmly, ¡°Mister Adam, I¡¯d like to inform you that I did my research before asking Sophia for help in obtaining the certificate. There is significant flexibility in terms of having the marriage annulled. What I¡¯m seeking right now is an annulment, not a divorce. An annulment erases all traces from Sophia¡¯s records, indicating that there was never a substantive rtionship between us to begin with. I am nevertheless still willing topensate her and express my gratitude for her assistance.¡± Adam sneered. ¡°Easy for you to say!¡± Chapter 1393 Chapter 1393 ¡°You¡¯re a grown man. This might not affect your reputation at all, but Sophia¡¯s marriage history might somedaye to light even if you annul the marriage. There would be disdain and criticism from her future spouse and inws! Do you have any idea how much this would affect a young woman¡¯s life? You seem to be taking this very lightly!¡± Adam¡¯s irritation grew as he spoke. He signaled to the men beside him, and they promptly handed him a professional baseball bat. Adam gently tapped the baseball bat in his hand and said, ¡°It is my duty as a father to prevent anyone from mistreating my daughter like this! You mentionedpensating Sophia, right? Very well! I¡¯ll present you with two options now. The first is to forget about Corinne, have a grand wedding with my daughter, and be responsible for her for as long as she lives. As for the other option, I¡¯ll allow you to annul your marriage with Sophia if you¡¯re able to survive a hundred strikes of this baseball bat. The ball is in your court!¡± Jeremy nced at the baseball bat in Adam¡¯s hand. He frowned, but his emotions remained indiscernible. After observing Jeremy¡¯s silence, Adam sneered and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t make up your mind? You¡¯re a coward, Jeremy. You¡¯re unwilling to take responsibility for my daughter, and you don¡¯t dare endure a hundred hits for Corinne. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got going for you? Where did all that big talk about wanting to take responsibility for your wife and children go? If you don¡¯t have the balls to endure that, you can always choose the option of giving my daughter a proper wedding. I¡¯ll pretend as if nothing happened and ept you as my son- inw! ¡°Oh, and that¡¯s not all! I¡¯ve had people investigate Corinne¡¯s whereabouts. You might have hidden her at the Riveras for now, but she can¡¯t hide there forever. My people will get to her eventually. At the end of the day, she¡¯ll have to go to the hospital when her pregnancyes to term. I¡¯ll bomb the entire hospital if it means I¡¯ll be able to stop you both from escaping.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Jeremy was visibly troubled by the threat to Corinne¡¯s safety. He could protect her for a while, but he could not guarantee being constantly by her side. Having someone keep watch on her around the clock would make her unhappy as she cherished her freedom very much. If she felt as though she was being controlled, she would almost certainly find a way to escape. Jeremy knew that Adam Group was infamous for its hical business practices, and Adam himself was a shady character too. They would resort to any means necessary to achieve their aims. Adam was a madman who had no hesitation in carrying out a hospital bombing, all while ensuring he would have a scapegoat that would allow him to evade justice. Jeremy was hesitant not because he feared the 100 strikes. He was primarily concerned that getting injured would prevent him from returning within three days to keep Corinnepany in the delivery room. However, that was but a minor concern to the issue of her safety. Jeremy removed his suit jacket with aposed expression and said, ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll take a hundred strikes from your baseball bat. I expect you to honor your word after this. Allow Sophia and I to proceed with the annulment and never trouble my wife and children in the future.¡± Adam was taken aback. He had not expected Jeremy to choose the beating over taking responsibility for Sophia. Chapter 1394 Chapter 1394 Adam sneered disdainfully, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In all my life of making deals, I never go back on my word.¡± Jeremy reached surreptitiously into his pocket and ended the active call. He then smiled at Adam and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it, then. The quicker we end this, the better.¡± Jeremy had shown tremendous resolve to avoid bing Adam¡¯s son-inw, so Adam rubbed his hands vigorously without any intention of going easy on Jeremy. ¡°Good. You had a better option, but you just had to choose the toughest one. You¡¯ve made your bed, so sleep in it!¡± Jeremy handed his coat to Tommy and instructed, ¡°Go outside and wait for me.¡± Tommy expressed concern and warned earnestly, ¡°Sir, he¡¯s renowned for his formidable strength. Taking a hundred blows from him could be fatal!¡± Jeremy, however, remained unfazed. He had no intention of changing his mind and replied pointedly, ¡°If she calls againter, tell her I¡¯m fine and that I¡¯ve gone to bed.¡± Tommy frowned. ¡°But, Sir¡­¡± Jeremy ignored his pleas and approached Adam calmly. ¡°Please proceed.¡± Adam flexed his wrist mercilessly as he swung the bat at full force. Jeremy groaned but remained standing. The first blow struck Jeremy¡¯s back, and his forehead began to sweat due to the intense pain. Tommy could not bring himself to leave. He never witnessed such a situation before, and he wanted to intervene. ¡°Sir!¡± Jeremy issued a stern order. ¡°Stay away. Don¡¯t interfere.¡± Although Tommy hesitated, he ultimately defied Jeremy¡¯s order for the first time. He rushed over in a desperate attempt to protect Jeremy, but Adam¡¯s associates blocked him and stopped him from going any further. Tommy had no choice but to grit his teeth and watch helplessly. Adam delivered the second blow, eliciting another agonized groan from Jeremy. The strike hit the back of his knee, nearly causing him to kneel. Before his knees could touch the ground, the man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he stood straight up again. He then continued to endure the punishment. Adam did not stop there. After several blows, Sophia barged into the room all of a sudden and threw herself in anguish and shock at the battered, bruised Jeremy. She cried out, ¡°Jeremy! Jeremy¡­ Dad! What are you doing?!¡± Jeremyy on the ground. His leg bones were broken, his body was covered in bruises, and blood stained his mouth. He gazed firmly at Adam and did not even turn to look at Sophia. His voice trembled weakly due to the pain as he said, ¡°¡­ Ten more to go. Please continue.¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Adam had almost vented out all his anger after swinging 90 blows. However, when he witnessed Jeremy¡¯s unyielding demeanor, his pupils constricted, and he had nothing but admiration for his determination to face death rather than surrender. In that case, he would be happy to grant that request! As soon as Sophia saw her father raise the bat again, she threw her arms around Jeremy and shielded him. She begged her father, ¡°Stop it, Dad! Stop hitting him!¡± Adam furrowed his brow and scolded his daughter. ¡°Stand up, Sophia! I¡¯m going to teach this wretch a lesson for letting you down. I¡¯ll find someone better for you in the future!¡± Tears welled up in Sophia¡¯s eyes. She shook her head vehemently and refused to budge. ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me that you¡¯d talk with him? Why are you beating him up? You¡¯re going to kill him! I¡¯ll join him in the afterlife if he dies!¡± Chapter 1395 Chapter 1395 Adam could not help but express his frustration when he saw her daughter¡¯s desperation. ¡°Do you truly believe he has any affection for you? He¡¯d rather endure a hundred blows from me than take responsibility for you! Why would you still want to cling to him? He¡¯ll only look for other women!¡± Sophia ignored this. She knew her father¡¯s temper well, and Jeremy was bound to die if Adam continued to strike him. ¡°I don¡¯t care! If you want to hit him, you¡¯re going to have to go through me!¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing like me, Sophia¡­¡± Adam gazed at his daughter as she protected Jeremy in such a steadfast fashion. Sophia¡¯s interruption left him displeased, but he eventuallypromised and spared Jeremy¡¯s life. In the meantime, Jeremy poured in all his energy to get to his feet. His voice was firm and cold as he said to Adam, ¡°Are you tired already? You have ten more strikes to go. Do it andplete the job.¡± Just as Adam was about to throw the bat away, Jeremy¡¯s defiant request¡ªshowing a distinctck of fear toward death¡ªrekindled his anger. ¡®Does he think I won¡¯t beat him to death?¡¯ he thought to himself. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He tightened his grip on the baseball bat and raised it while dering fiercely, ¡°Move aside, Sophia! I¡¯ll be tarnishing the reputation that I¡¯ve built up over the years if I don¡¯t keep my word!¡± Sophia looked at her father¡¯s resolve and realized she could no longer dissuade him. She turned her attention to Jeremy and pleaded urgently, ¡°Please don¡¯t provoke my father at this time, Jeremy. He¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jeremy remained unmoved and told Sophia off. ¡°Move. Don¡¯t be a busybody.¡± Sophia was distraught and on the verge of tears. ¡°Jeremy! Please don¡¯t do this, Jeremy! Please! My dad has a terrible temper. Stop provoking him! Do you want him to kill you? I¡¯m begging you¡­ Don¡¯t¡­¡± Jeremy ignored her and continued to taunt Adam. ¡°Do it!¡± Adam lost control of his anger. He signaled his men toe over and move Sophia out of the way. Several people then came forward and forcibly pulled Sophia away despite her resistance. With Sophia no longer in the way, Adam struck Jeremy forcefully with the bat. Jeremy coughed up blood as hey on the ground. Sophia copsed and shouted, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dad! Are you sure you want to kill him? I¡¯ll sever all ties with you if you do!¡± Despite Adam¡¯s fondness for his daughter, she was no deterrent to his temper when it red up. He paid no heed to Sophia¡¯s cries and continued to assault Jeremy relentlessly. It was not until Sophia¡¯s scream reached Adam¡¯s current wife that the violence ceased. She entered the gym with her young daughter and was horrified by the gruesome scene before her. Melinda shouted, ¡°Stop it, Brian! What are you doing?¡± As soon as his wife and youngest daughter arrived, Adam stopped hitting even though there were only a few strikes left to go. He said to his wife, ¡°Please stay out of this, Mel! I¡¯m going to prove to him that I have no hesitation in crossing the Holdens for bullying my daughter!¡± Melinda approached with a stern expression and wrested the baseball bat from his grip. ¡°Brian! This has gone far enough! Have you forgotten our agreement? Are you willing to jeopardize our stable life?¡± Adam remembered his promise and kept quiet. He no longer attempted to take the bat from him. Melinda wasted no time and ordered, ¡°Quick! Someone, call a doctor for Mister Jeremy!¡± Adam sighed in disappointment. ¡°Fine! He got lucky today.¡± Chapter 1396 Chapter 1396 Following Melinda¡¯s instructions, several men stepped forward to carry Jeremy away for treatment. Sophia finally managed to break free from the men¡¯s grasp and followed Jeremy. A concerned Melinda also joined the group because the situation could turn dire if someone died. The Holdens were not to be trifled with, especially considering Adam¡¯s vtile temper. Adam snorted when he saw how concerned his wife and eldest daughter were toward Jeremy. He then noticed that his youngest daughter, Lilin, was still clutching her beloved bear doll. Lilin appeared to be more considerate when she chose to stay by her father¡¯s side. Adam knelt and opened his arms, saying, ¡°Come here, Lilin! I¡¯ll bring you to get some ice cream!¡± Lilin took a step back and gazed at her stern father unhappily. She pouted and uttered, ¡°You¡¯re a meanie!¡± Adam was taken aback and could not help but feel a bit hurt. ¡°How could you say that about me? You made me feel sad! I was seeking revenge for your sister because he bullied your sister first. I won¡¯t allow anyone to bully you and your sister! You might not understand this because you¡¯re still young, but you will when you grow up! Let¡¯s go get your favorite vani ice cream while Mom isn¡¯t here. You¡¯re not going to continue thinking that I¡¯m a bad person after that, right?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Lilin seemed to show some resistance to her father¡¯s kindness. Her cheeks puffed out, and she retorted, ¡°Other people have kind and gentle fathers. Mine is fierce and mean. My ssmates are scared of me and won¡¯t y with me!¡± Adam¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Which one of your ssmates is afraid to y with you? Tell me, and I¡¯ll have a good ¡®talk¡¯ with those naughty kids¡¯ parents tomorrow! That¡¯ll teach them to instill some manners in their children!¡± Lilin clung to her little bear doll and turned away stubbornly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you toe to my kindergarten, or I¡¯ll never make any friends again! You¡¯re a big meanie!¡± She ran off to look for her mother after that, leaving Adam bewildered. ¡®Am I that fierce?¡¯ Adam thought. ¡®I¡¯m being fierce toward outsiders, not family! What an ungrateful little rascal!¡¯ ¡­ After preparing some milk for Joey, Corinne frowned when she noticed that the call on her cell phone had been disconnected. Joey was able to consume solid food for all three meals, but he still wanted milk before bedtime. She left the phone on the table while preparing the milk, and she returned to see that the call had ended. ¡°Did you touch the phone?¡± Corinne inquired. Joey was engrossed with his toy car, but Corinne¡¯s question prompted him to look up and shake his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Corinne tested the milk powder¡¯s temperature using the back of her hand before handing it to Joey. While Joey sipped his milk, Corinne picked up her phone and attempted to call Jeremy. The phone rang for an extended period without a response, and Corinne¡¯s heart began to race. Her frown grew even deeper because they had agreed not to hang up. She was beginning to grow anxious, and she had even considered seeking Lucas¡¯s assistance in reaching Molomia when the call finally got through. Corinne¡¯s heart eased slightly. ¡°What happened, Mister? Why did you hang up?¡± Chapter 1397 Chapter 1397 ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am,¡± came the voice on the other end of the phone. Only Tommy would call her that. Corinne frowned and asked cautiously, ¡°Why are you answering the phone? Aren¡¯t you with Jeremy?¡± On the other end of the line, Tommy stood in the guest room of Adam Manor and watched anxiously as several professional doctors treated Jeremy¡¯s injuries. They tended to his flesh and skin wounds while applying bandages to his legs. Jeremy¡¯s face was pale, and there were glistening beads of sweat on his forehead due to the pain. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He had been with Jeremy for many years and had never seen him beaten up like that before. Jeremy might be able to endure that suffering, but Tommy could not bear to deal with it. However, confronting Adam directly would render Jeremy¡¯s earlier ordeal meaningless, and all the pain Jeremy went through would end up in vain. Jeremy endured all that with the singr motive of ensuring that the marriage certificate to Sophia would be annulled without anyplications. It would ensure that they no longer owed each other anything. He wanted to be with Corinne in an upfront manner and without any baggage. Tommy remembered Jeremy¡¯s instructions when handing over the jacket, so he took a deep breath and pretended to answer calmly, ¡°He fell asleep because he was a little tired.¡± ¡®He fell asleep?¡¯ Corinne thought to herself. She felt that something was amiss because it was supposed to be daytime in Molomia. Jeremy had just arrived after a flight thatsted more than 20 hours, though, so he might have been exhausted from the jeg. ¡°Have you reached Sophia¡¯s house?¡± she inquired. Tommy felt guilty but managed to lie wlessly. ¡°We haven¡¯t arrived yet. Mister Jeremy is resting in the car. Would you like to speak with him? I can wake him up if you want.¡± After some consideration, Corinne decided against it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to longer, but tell him to call me back when he wakes up.¡± Tommy replied. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s perfectly fine.¡± ¡°All right, then,¡± Corinne replied, feeling somewhat reassured. She hung up the phone and turned around to see Joey falling asleep with the bottle in hand. She ced her phone down and took a deep breath. At the same time, she reminded herself not to be overly anxious and to trust in Jeremy. He promised her that he would return, and she knew he would keep his promise. Meanwhile, Tommy breathed a sigh of relief after ending the call. He had been extremely nervous because he feared that Corinne might sense that something was amiss. Her due date was anytime soon, and she could not afford to go through any additional stress. Finding out about Jeremy¡¯s injuries would certainly make her anxious. Thankfully, he had not let anything slip. Nheless, Corinne would likely call again soon to check on Jeremy, and Tommy did not know how to handle that situation. He then put away Jeremy¡¯s phone and saw that the doctors had finished treating Jeremy¡¯s injuries. They exined the situation to him and described Jeremy¡¯s injuries as being rather severe. By their examination, Adam had been very ruthless. Fortunately, none of the injuries affected his vital organs, and Jeremy would be back on his feet after several months of rehabilitation. Tommy nodded after understanding everything and signaled for the doctors to leave the room. Once the doctors had left, Sophia and Melinda entered the room after waiting outside for some time. Since they were women, they tactfully remained outside because Jeremy¡¯s clothes would have to be taken off for the treatment. The doctors¡¯ exit demonstrated that Jeremy¡¯s treatment wasplete, so they decided toe in. Chapter 1398 Chapter 1398 Sophia threw herself onto the bed. Her eyes were red with concern as she looked at post-treatment Jeremy. She asked, ¡°How do you feel, Jeremy? Do you feel any pain?¡± Jeremy neither looked at her nor said a word. Melinda had a worried frown as she observed the man on the bed. She then turned to Tommy instead of approaching Jeremy. With a sincere look on her face, she expressed her sincerest apologies and said, ¡°You¡¯re Mister Jeremy¡¯s right-hand man, yes? Please ept my apologies for how things have turned out. My husband has a bad temper, and Mister Jeremy was on the receiving end of his anger when his temper red up. Rest assured that our family will take full responsibility for the injuries inflicted upon Mister Jeremy today. We¡¯ll find the best doctors and provide the best medicine to ensure that Mister Jeremy will have a full recovery.¡± Though Melinda was amiable to him, Tommy still had some measure of animosity toward Adam¡¯s family after what happened. He stated straightforwardly, ¡°Mister Jeremy has ess to ample medical resources. He has endured the beating, so I genuinely hope your husband will fulfill his end of the promise.¡± Melinda¡¯s mind went nk for a moment. She had not been present during the incident and was therefore unaware of what transpired, but she nodded earnestly in a demonstration of her goodwill and cooperation. She reassured him, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. My husband will honor his word.¡± Tommy replied politely, ¡°I sure hope so.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia remained by the bedside. Still overwhelmed with sorrow, she eximed between streams of tears, ¡°Why are you so stubborn, Jeremy? You didn¡¯t have to provoke my dad like that! None of this would¡¯ve happened if you didn¡¯t provoke my dad¡­¡± Jeremy did not respond. He looked ahead and breathed steadily. Tommy approached her and instructed her to leave in a less-than-cordial tone. ¡°Mister Jeremy needs rest at the moment. I suggest you leave so he can continue to recover in peace, Miss Sophia.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave. I want to stay with Jeremy,¡± Sophia insisted, refusing to budge. Tommy frowned and advised, ¡°Please don¡¯t get agitated, Miss Sophia. Your presence may disrupt Mister Jeremy¡¯s rest.¡± Melinda approached Sophia and gently urged her while offering some advice, ¡°You won¡¯t speed up Mister Jeremy¡¯s recovery if you stay here. Let him rest for now. You can always visit himter.¡± Though Sophia was still visibly concerned, she realized that her stepmother¡¯s suggestion made perfect sense. Jeremy was in severe pain after suffering those injuries, and the most important thing he needed was proper rest. After some hesitation, she stood up and said, ¡°Get well soon, Jeremy. I¡¯ll see you some other time.¡± She then turned away, even though she was still very worried. At that moment, Jeremy opened his eyes calmly and spoke with an insipidly cold tone. ¡°Get all the documents ready. I want the issue regarding the marriage certificate settled between us.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia turned around and looked at him with a frown. ¡°Why are you still thinking about that when you¡¯re so seriously injured? Can¡¯t it wait?¡± she asked. Jeremy replied calmly, ¡°No. If you don¡¯t cooperate when tomorrow morninges, then I hope you won¡¯t hold it against me for renouncing our past friendship.¡± His determination left Sophia in a brief silence. She had no choice but to agree. ¡°All right, I promise. I¡¯ll go through the marriage annulment process with you. But you need to focus on recovering for now.¡± Jeremy kept quiet and closed his eyes. His calm and pale face was thoroughly emotionless. Melinda could not help but feel sympathy for her stepdaughter¡¯s predicament after they left the room. She looked at Sophia, who appeared deeply hurt, and understood the pain of loving someone secretly for many years. Unrequited love was the worst. Chapter 1399 Chapter 1399 Melindaforted Sophia gently, ¡°Please don¡¯t dwell on it, Sophia. You don¡¯t have to force yourself when ites to matters of the heart. Jeremy is already taken, so don¡¯t hang onto him so tightly. You need to believe in yourself that you¡¯ll find someone who captured your heart just as he has captured yours. You¡¯re a good person, and other people will be able to see that side of you.¡± Melinda¡¯s words caused Sophia¡¯s sorrowful expression to suddenly turn cold. She lifted her head and red at Melinda, retorting, ¡°Are you trying to teach me how to live my life? Who do you think you are?¡± Melinda¡¯s face froze. She looked rather exasperated and awkward as she responded, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just worried for you. I hope to see you move on and find your happiness. I¡¯ve treated you as my daughter ever since I married your father!¡± Sophia sneered sarcastically. ¡°Enough! Spare me your hypocrisy! Who are you trying to fool by pretending that you¡¯re a good person? I bet you enjoy seeing me heartbroken over a man! You must think I¡¯m stupid if you expect me to believe your act! Mark my words, Melinda. My dad might fall for your act, but I never will! Don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch. There¡¯s still a long way to go! The man that I set my heart on will be mine!¡± Sophia turned around and marched angrily toward her room. Melinda sighed helplessly as she watched Sophia leave in a huff. Being a stepmother was very difficult, as it was evident when her stepchildren misconstrued her genuine concern. At that moment, her younger daughter Lilin tugged at the hem of her clothes. Melinda snapped out of her thoughts and looked down. Lilin gazed up at her mother in concern. ¡°Did Big Sister upset you again?¡± Melinda smiled gently and reached out to caress her daughter¡¯s hair. She reassured the girl, ¡°No, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Everything will get better with time.¡± Lilin frowned. ¡°But she never treats you properly even after all these years! I don¡¯t like her!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Melinda hoisted her daughter into her arms and advised, ¡°Don¡¯t think that way, Lilin. Even if Sophia is rude to me, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s your sister. When your dad and I are no longer in this world, she¡¯ll be your only family. The two of you must support each other and be there for each other. Okay?¡± Lilin nodded reluctantly and did not want to upset her mother any further. She muttered, ¡°Okay, Mom. I understand.¡± Melinda lifted her mature-thinking daughter and headed off to find her husband, Adam. She wanted to talk with him as she was appalled he would act so violently earlier. His fiery temper had not diminished one bit despite his age. Inside the guest room, Tommy tidied up Jeremy¡¯s belongings and turned to get Jeremy up to speed. ¡°Miss Corinne called earlier. I told her that you were resting in the car because you were too tired, and she wants you to call her back after you wake up.¡± Jeremy nced up with a weary gaze. He replied, ¡°Sure. Hand me the phone, and I¡¯ll call her back.¡± Tommy nodded. He took out Jeremy¡¯s cell phone and dialed Corinne¡¯s number. The call was answered in no time. Corinne, with her worry-tinged voice, asked, ¡°Are you awake?¡± Chapter 1400 Chapter 1400 Jeremy endured the pain coursing through his body and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. However, he maintained a rxed tone as he said to Corinne, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake.¡± The relief on Corinne¡¯s end was evident. Though she had noticed the hoarseness in his voice, she attributed it to the typical morning hoarseness and did not immediately think that something was wrong. She asked, ¡°Where are you now? Have you arrived at Sophia¡¯s house yet?¡± Jeremy replied truthfully, ¡°Yes.¡± Tommy knew it would be inconvenient for Jeremy to hold the phone because of his injury, so he ced it near Jeremy¡¯s pillow and left the room to stand guard outside. Corinne then continued to ask, ¡°How did it go? Have you met Adam? Did he give you a hard time?¡± Her concern left Jeremy feeling a sense of warmth in his heart. A faint smile graced his lips, but his voice still held a hint of seriousness. ¡°He did.¡± Corinne raised her voice when she heard that. ¡°What happened? How did he cause trouble for you?¡± Jeremy replied in a somewhat dejected tone, ¡°He hit me.¡± Corinne nearly blurted out an expletive. ¡°I¡¯ll have Aaron buy me a ne ticket right now!¡± Her anxious reaction elicited a chuckle from Jeremy. Hisughter gradually became more audible, and he said teasingly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d grow so worried about me that you¡¯d fly over to stand up for me after hearing that I got beat up.¡± Corinne was annoyed after realizing she was being teased. The mood lightened, and she retorted indignantly, ¡°Are you pulling my leg?¡± Jeremy¡¯s statement was intended to reassure Corinne by eliminating her worries and suspicions. If he simply told her everything was fine, she might be skeptical as to whether he was telling the truth. By making her believe he was still in the mood to joke with her, she would believe that everything was fine ¡ªthus easing her concerns. Jeremy chuckled and said, ¡°I just wanted to hear how much you care for me. You used to treat me as dispensable and leave whenever you wanted, right?¡± Corinne, still somewhat irritated, responded, ¡°Is this the time for jokes? Don¡¯t you have anything better to do?¡± Jeremy adopted a more serious tone. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll stop joking. Everything has been resolved. Sophia and I will go through with the annulment process tomorrow, and I¡¯ll return to you immediately.¡± Corinne was surprised that everything was resolved so smoothly. She asked, ¡°How did you reach an agreement so easily? Didn¡¯t Sophia¡¯s father demand any unreasonable conditions from you?¡± Jeremy did not want her to worry too much, but he also did not want to deceive her a second time. He decided to gloss over the details and reply nonchntly, ¡°I did have to make some necessary concessions, but everything went without a hitch. I¡¯ll be back soon. Is there anything you¡¯d like as a gift? I can ask Tommy to get it for you.¡± Corinne frowned cautiously, sensing that it was odd for things to have progressed so smoothly. ¡°I don¡¯t want a gift! I want a video call so I can see your face!¡± Jeremy was taken aback and felt a pang of guilt, yet he was also in full admiration of Corinne¡¯s perceptiveness. As the girl that he genuinely fell in love with, he was unable to hide anything from her. Nevertheless, he could not let her see his injuries lest she purchase a ne ticket and rush over. Jeremy felt a warmth in his heart as he genuinely believed that Corinne cared for him. However, he made sure not to cause her any undue worry and declined her request. ¡°Not now. I haven¡¯t groomed today, and I look bad.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne found that rather amusing. ¡°You? Look bad? As if. Let¡¯s start the video chat now. I want to see your face.¡± Jeremy was hesitant because he was aware that there were some visible injuries on his face. He asked, ¡°I just took off my clothes and am about to get ready for a shower. Are you sure you want a video chat with me right now?¡± Corinne¡¯s cheeks reddened and she stammered, ¡°I¡­ I w¡ªw¡ªwon¡¯t look at your body! Just your face.¡± Chapter 1401 Chapter 1401 ¡°Do you know how much I suffered when you left me without a trace? I want you to miss me as much as I missed youst time. There¡¯s nothing you can do but wait until I¡¯m back to see and touch me,¡± said Jeremy. Corinne frowned. ¡°Stop this nonsense. I¡¯m really going to get angry if you don¡¯t ept my video call invitation now.¡± Jeremy chuckled. ¡°Come now. Be a good girl and let me shower in peace. I¡¯m really tired today, and I¡¯d have to put on some clothes if you want to video call. Even if you only see my face¡­ Well, I¡¯d be too shy, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be too.¡± Corinne was speechless. However, she did not insist anymore since he said he was tired. Pouting, she said, ¡°Fine. Go take your shower, then. It¡¯s not like I must see you. Hmph!¡± After that, she hung up the phone so that he could shower in peace. She stared at her phone in a daze and could not help but worry about him. However, thinking back to how his tone sounded normal over the phone, she told herself that Jeremy was fine. ¡®I¡¯ll call him again before I go to sleep,¡¯ she thought. Half an hourter, she called him again, and Jeremy sounded sleepy when he picked up. Hearing this, she kept the call brief by telling him ¡®good night¡¯ and ¡®sweet dreams¡¯ before hanging up the phone. She soon fell asleep too and dreamt that someone was beating Jeremy. She was so angry that she picked up a stick to hit the assant. ¡­ The next day, Melinda arranged a wheelchair and a servant to assist and drive Jeremy to the city hall. As unwilling as Sophia was to get into the car, she was even more afraid of what her father would do to Jeremy if she did not. She would not be surprised if her father killed Jeremy in a blind fit of anger. Thus, she had no choice but to give in for the time being and followed Jeremy to the city hall. Jeremy was very quiet and would grimace from time to time out of pain. Sophia¡¯s heart ached to see him in such a state. ¡°Jeremy, do you really not have other feelings for me in all the years we¡¯ve been friends?¡± she asked in ast-ditch attempt to turn things around. ¡°No,¡± answered Jeremy resolutely. Sophia smiled bitterly. ¡°But I see you more than a friend. Did you know that when I first saw you, it was love at first sight for me?¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Jeremy, I wanted to be with you from the moment Iid my eyes on you. You were difficult to get close to, so I chose to be friends with you first. I thought that one day, you¡¯ll finally be moved by my sincerity, and¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying all this now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an order when ites to rtionships! I saw you first, so what right does Corinne have to im you?¡± ¡°Well, if you put it that way, I met her way before I met you. As a matter of fact, she saved my life many years ago.¡± ¡°What can a country bumpkin do for you? She¡¯s not worthy to be your wife!¡± Chapter 1402 Chapter 1402 Jeremy red at Sophia to let her know she misspoke. Sophia never received such icy treatment from Jeremy before. Even though he looked pale and harmless sitting in a wheelchair, she could not help but feel chilled to her bones by Jeremy¡¯s threatening aura. ¡°From the way I see it, Corinne growing up in the countryside is one of her strengths and not something to be ashamed of. I alone know how capable she is, and I feel like I¡¯ve used up all of my luck for three lives for her to agree to marry me. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t need my wife toe from the same status or background as me. It doesn¡¯t matter where she came from or what her background is¡­ All of that isn¡¯t important to me, because the most important thing to me is that I love her.¡± ¡®I love her¡­¡¯ Those three little words caused Sophia¡¯s face to darken. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Jeremy, why don¡¯t you underst¡ª¡± ¡°I understand everything now. I understand why you volunteered to help me out back then,¡± interrupted Jeremy impatiently. ¡°You say you¡¯re helping me out as a friend, but you never nned to revoke our marriage from the start. Don¡¯t make me hate youpletely when I¡¯ve lost the gratitude I felt for you already.¡± Sophia¡¯s heart ached when she heard the word ¡®hate¡¯ from the lips of the man she had been secretly loving for the past 10 years. After all, it took her a lot of courage to finally tell him how she felt, and all she got in return was his annoyance and hate. After a long while, she suddenly smiled bitterly as though she had given up. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Jeremy. Think nothing of it, then.¡± Jeremy turned his head away and fell silent. He did not even want to waste any second pretending to be anything but mad at Sophia. Sophia chuckled bitterly before saying, ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m a little hungry. Can we at least have breakfast before going to the city hall?¡± ¡°No. It won¡¯t take long to revoke the marriage license. You can have breakfast after that.¡± Sophia frowned with obvious hurt. ¡°Jeremy¡­ Do you hate me so much that you won¡¯t even have breakfast with me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no need.¡± ¡°Jeremy, you say you love Corinne. You should know how much it hurts to not have your feelings returned, right?!¡± screamed Sophia a little hysterically. ¡°I love you as much as you love Corinne. And we¡¯re never going to see each other again after revoking our marriage. Even if you don¡¯t have feelings for me, can we at least have ast meal together seeing as we used to be friends before? Please, Jeremy, I beg of you!¡± Jeremy frowned. After giving it some thought, he finally said, ¡°If you insist on having onest meal together, we can eat after we¡¯ve revoked our marriage.¡± Sophiaughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°I never knew you hated me this much, Jeremy. Heh¡­ Fine. Let¡¯s have the meal together after we¡¯ve revoked our marriage. At least we have a clear end to our rtionship.¡± The only response she got from Jeremy after that was calm silence. Chapter 1403 Chapter 1403 Once they arrived at the city hall, Sophia hesitated for a long while before finally taking out her ID card needed for application for marriage revocation. Thewyer Jeremy brought with him liaised with the counter-staff, and the whole process went smoothly. Finally, the counter-staff took back and shredded their marriage certificate, and that was the end of their sham marriage. Tommy wheeled Jeremy out of the city hall. The two of them were about to get into the car sent by the Holdens to go to the airport when Sophia rushed out and said, ¡°Jeremy, why are you leaving? Didn¡¯t you promise me to have onest meal together?¡± Jeremy¡¯s heart was not in eating with Sophia. He wanted nothing more than to return home, with his head held high, and tell Corinne that he had solved the problem. He wanted nothing more than to wait with her for the baby to be born. However, as much as he was annoyed with having to eat with Sophia, he could not bear to go back on his promise after seeing how desperate she looked. Barring any surprises, Jeremy knew he was not going to see Sophia anymore, and it would be good if they could end their decade-long friendship by having a farewell meal together. Moreover, doing this could appease Adam and ensure he would not do anything dangerous back in New Capital City. Thus, Jeremy turned and asked, ¡°Tommy, what time is our flight?¡± Tommy checked his watch. ¡°It¡¯s currently 8 a.m. right now, which gives us about three hours before the ne leaves. There¡¯s still some time for you to have breakfast, Mister Jeremy.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± said Jeremy. He turned back to Sophia and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat somewhere near here.¡± Even though Sophia got what she wanted, she still could not help but feel sad. She did not expect that Jeremy had already bought his flight back home. ¡®So he¡¯s going flying back home after breakfast? Does that mean he never nned to have thisst meal with me at all? Just how much in a hurry is he in to see Corinne?¡¯ Since Jeremy already said to eat somewhere nearby, Sophia had no choice but to simply choose a restaurant that was within walking distance from the city hall. After they were both seated, Sophia asked cheerfully, ¡°What do you want to eat, Jeremy?¡± ¡°Whatever is fine,¡± replied Jeremy emotionlessly. It was obvious his heart was not there with her at all. He looked like he was tortured. Shot down, Sophia decided to order the same thing for Jeremy as she did for herself. After that, she said anxiously, ¡°Jeremy, my father said he¡¯d take responsibility for the injury he caused you by getting the best doctors in Molomia to treat you. There¡¯s really no need for you to go back so fast. Moreover, I¡¯m worried your condition will worsen on the ne.¡± Frankly, every fiber of Jeremy¡¯s body was throbbed with pain. However, the only way people could tell was from his pale face as he did not look like he was in pain at all. ¡°I deserve this pain. We¡¯re even now. I don¡¯t need your father to take responsibility,¡± he said. ¡°But Jeremy¡­¡± Jeremy must have guessed what she wanted to say as he interrupted her, ¡°Sophia, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find a man who¡¯ll love you very much in the future, but that man isn¡¯t going to be me.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1404 Chapter 1404 With her hope dashed, Sophiaughed ruefully. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Jeremy. I don¡¯t hold out any expectation for us to be together now that our marriage has been revoked. But can you please help me out with onest thing before you leave?¡± Having been set up by her before, Jeremy¡¯s eyes rang with caution. ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia rested her chin on her hand and said in a troubled tone, ¡°There¡¯s this guy who has been chasing me all these years. Since I¡¯ve given up on you, I¡¯m¡­actually considering epting him.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? Go for it.¡± Sophia blinked innocently at him. ¡°Jeremy, if you really did think of me as your friend before, can you help me check him out? He¡¯ll being to pick me upter, so can you see if he¡¯s serious about me? I¡¯m asking you ¡¯cause you¡¯re a guy, and a guy knows a guy best.¡± Her request was not unreasonable, so Jeremy looked at his watch to see if there was still time. ¡®If Sophia has a boyfriend, Adam won¡¯t do anything to Corinne anymore,¡¯ thought Jeremy. Thus, he nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, back in the Riveras¡¯ living room. Corinne received a photo of a flight ticket from Jeremy. The take-off time was eleven o¡¯clock in the morning. Her heart started beating excitedly when she saw the photo. ¡®Does this mean he has taken care of the problem? If he¡¯s flying back today, he¡¯ll be back here by tomorrow morning!¡¯ She gripped her phone tightly and felt relief washed over her. However, it did notst long as she would only stop worrying about him after she saw him with her own eyes. Someone suddenly patted her head. ¡°You look happy. Care to share why?¡± asked Lucas as he walked Corinne snapped back to the present and asked sternly, ¡°Ahem! What makes you think I¡¯m happy?¡± Lucas reached out to pinch her nose. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you? The look of anticipation is written all over your face. You must be thinking of Jeremy again, aren¡¯t you?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne turned bright red. Instead of answering him, she asked, ¡°Mister at work? Or are you on strike?¡± Lucas liked how Corinne would talk to him without reservation as though they were friends then. It was so unlike the distant awkwardness that they started with. This gave Lucas motivation to try harder to get her to drop the word ¡®Mister¡¯ in front of his name when addressing him. ¡°Work¡¯s not that busy today, so I can pop inter. What do you want to have for dinner tonight? I¡¯ll bring it home for you,¡± said Lucas. Corinne shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in particr I¡¯m craving for, so I¡¯ll have whatever you bring back. By the way, can you please get some cheese sticks for Joey on your way back? I¡¯ll text you the shop¡¯s addresster. It must be from that shop since all the cheese there is handmade and has no preservatives.¡± Lucas frowned for a second. His heart really went out for Corinne. ¡®Despite her tough exterior, she¡¯s a softie at heart. Even though Joey isn¡¯t her child, she still treats him as her own,¡¯ thought Lucas. He was impressed by howpassionate she could be. Not many would be able to be so nice to the adopted child of someone, namely Anya, who had hurt them so much previously. Lucas¡¯ gaze softened. He then smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay. Remember to text me the addresster, and I¡¯ll bring it back for you tonight.¡± Chapter 1405 Chapter 1405 Corinne pulled up Joey, who was ying with his toys, from the carpeted floor. ¡°Let¡¯s put away your toys. We¡¯ll have a walk outside the garden,¡± she said. Joey nodded obediently. He put away his toys and ran back toward Corinne to hold her hand. ¡°Auntie Sissy! Walk! Walk!¡± Corinne got up and was about to take him outside when a servant came in and reported, ¡°Mister Lucas, the Holdens are here.¡± ¡°Who exactly?¡± asked Lucas with a raised eyebrow. ¡®It can¡¯t be Jeremy since he¡¯s abroad.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s Miss Francine and her grandmother. They said they¡¯re here to see Miss Corinne,¡± answered the servant. Corinne stopped walking when she heard that. She knew the Holdens were not wee there since there was bad blood between them and the Riveras. It was only because of Corinne that Lucas was willing to put aside his grudge for the time being. Lucas frowned and turned toward Corinne with a look that said he would defer to her on this matter. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After thinking about this, she said, ¡°Well, they¡¯re already here. We might as well let them in.¡± As much as Lucas was unwilling to do so, he still gestured with his chin for the servant to follow Corinne¡¯s order. Seeing this, the servant quickly went to bring Francine and Pam in. Even though Lucas let Corinne had her way, he had no intention of staying to meet the guests. Thus, he picked up his suit jacket and stroked her on the head, saying, ¡°Have fun at home. I¡¯m off to work now. Call me if you need anything.¡± Corinne nodded. She thought nothing of Lucas leaving without meeting the guests as she understood he did not like the Holdens. Not long after he left, Pam walked into the living room with Francine supporting her. ¡°Look, Grandma. Corinne¡¯s there!¡± said Francine, pointing to her. Corinne stood with Joey out of politeness. She did not walk over to Pam but instead said, ¡°Grandma Pam, please take a seat here.¡± Pam walked over slowly while gazing at Corinne warmly. It was as if she wanted to make sure she was okay. She had not even touched the sofa when she asked worriedly, ¡°Corinne, have you been well?¡± Corinne smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concern, Grandma Pam. There¡¯s plenty of time to talk, so why don¡¯t you take a seat first?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. Please sit too, Corinne. It must be tiring to stand for so long with that belly of yours,¡± said Pam as she sat. Her eyes never left Corinne¡¯s face. Corinne sat down after her. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly alright, Grandma Pam. By the way, what brings you here?¡± Pam sighed. ¡°Corinne, you know we¡¯re at odds with the Riveras, yes? I shouldn¡¯t havee, but I just miss you so much. I snuck out toe here when I heard all the adults in the house are now abroad to visit rtives. Grandpa Greg doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here either. He¡¯s going to be mad at me if he knew.¡± Corinne smiled. She was actually quite touched that Pam would be willing to let go of the grudge between the two families so she could visit her. ¡°Grandma Pam, rest assured that I¡¯m very well taken care of here. There¡¯s really no need to worry about me.¡± Chapter 1406 Chapter 1406 Pam could not help but worry about the fact that Corinne refused to address her simply as ¡®Grandma¡¯. She worried that Corinne was still unwilling to forgive Jeremy and that Jeremy¡ªthat idiot grandson of hers¡ªwould fail to win Corinne back. She worried that Corinne would misunderstand her purpose for going there, so she quickly exined, ¡°Corinne, I hope you won¡¯t think that I¡¯m only here to visit the baby and not you. I¡¯d stille even if you¡¯re not pregnant now, I promise.¡± She put up her hand as she was saying that. Corinne was a little taken aback by her gesture, and she quickly pulled down Pam¡¯s hand. ¡°I believe you, Grandma. Please don¡¯t do this. It hurts me to see you like this.¡± Pam felt better after hearing Corinne address her simply as ¡®Grandma¡¯. ¡°Thank you for believing me, Corinne. You have no idea how worried I was that you¡¯d think I¡¯m only here for the baby. While I admit that I can¡¯t wait to meet my great-grandson, I¡¯m also not the type of grandmother who only cares about the babies. In my heart, you¡¯re the most important person, Corinne.¡± Francine nodded to what Pam said. ¡°It¡¯s true, Corinne! Grandma was super worried about you. Grandpa even told me that she¡¯d call out your name in her sleep.¡± Corinne did not know whether tough or cry when she heard that. Pam instantly knew Corinne was kind to Joey by the way he was nestling into her arms. Otherwise, he would not want to be so close to her. Because of this, Pam felt like she must not lose Corinne no matter what. Even though Joey was Anya¡¯s adopted son, Corinne was able to see past that and treated him as her own. That alone made her a very rare and kind person. It would be hard-pressed for Pam to find a better granddaughter-inw than Corinne. She was ready at a moment¡¯s notice to give Jeremy an earful if he failed to win Corinne back! Even though Joey was not afraid of seeing the Holdens there, he was, however, worried that they had come to take him back. Not wanting to leave Corinne, he kept his little arms anxiously wrapped around her. Sensing his anxiety, Corinne patted him gently and cooed, ¡°There, there, little guy. No one¡¯s going to take you away.¡± Joey visibly rxed after hearing that. ¡°Grandma, have you eaten breakfast? Do you want to have some here?¡± asked Corinne politely. Pam waved her hand. ¡°No, thanks. Francine and I have eaten at home.¡± ¡°Okay, good,¡± replied Corinne with a nod. Pam looked around at the servants standing curiously before sidling up and whispering to Corinne, ¡°Are the Riveras giving you any trouble for being Jeremy¡¯s wife?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No. They¡¯re very good to me.¡± Pam frowned in confusion. ¡°Really? You do know the Riveras had never been good to us Holdens, right?¡± There was no doubt she saw Corinne as a Holden, too.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Chapter 1407 Chapter 1407 Francine found it odd, too. ¡°Grandma¡¯s right. I can¡¯t, for the life of me, figure out why you¡¯d stay with the Riveras, Corinne. Not to mention, the way Lucas sucked up to you. Does he have a crush on you or something? Is he trying to steal you away while you¡¯re having a fight with Jeremy?¡± rm bells rang in Pam¡¯s head when she heard Francine say that. She would never sit by and do nothing if Lucas was trying to steal Corinne away from Jeremy. ¡°Is that true, Corinne? Does Lucas really have a crush on you?¡± she asked. Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Grandma, it isn¡¯t what you think it is. Mister Lucas definitely doesn¡¯t have a crush on me.¡± At that moment, she still did not want to reveal her connection with the Riveras. Her stay at their house was only a stopgap measure and not because she wanted to ept them as her family. With the misunderstanding between her and Jeremy cleared up, she did not want to risk doing anything that would jeopardize their rtionship again. The bad blood between the Riveras and the Holdens had gone on for generations, and she feared that the Holdens would stop her from marrying Jeremy if they knew she was a Rivera as well. Pam held her hand gently and whispered, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re too naive. Why would a grown man suddenly be nice to a girl without a good reason? He either has a crush on you or he wants to use you. I think it¡¯s best if you go home with me now.¡± Corinne knew Pam was just worried about her, so she said helplessly, ¡°Grandma, it isn¡¯t what you think it is. Actually, Jeremy was the one who agreed to let me stay here.¡± Pam was a little taken aback. ¡°Jeremy agreed to let you stay here? Why that idiot grandson of mine! How can he let his wife stay in another man¡¯s house? I would¡¯ve beaten him half to death if he wasn¡¯t my grandson!¡± Corinne chuckled wryly. ¡°The only reason he did that was because he thought I¡¯d be safer here. He and Lucas hade to an understanding, so don¡¯t you worry too much. Your fears won¡¯te true.¡± Pam could tell Corinne had no intention of going home with her, so she sighed and said, ¡°I see that your mind¡¯s made up, so I¡¯m not going to force you to go home with me. But please promise me you¡¯ll take care of yourself no matter what. Also, I hope you¡¯ll give Jeremy one more chance. He really does care about you, and I can guarantee that nothing is going on between him and Sophia. If you think I¡¯m covering for him, then I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Corinne knew Pam was going to put a curse on herself, so she quickly covered the old woman¡¯s mouth with her hand. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve already forgiven Jeremy. I promise I¡¯ll go home with him once he¡¯s back from abroad. So don¡¯t worry.¡± Pam¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with happiness. ¡°Really? You¡¯re not lying to me, right, Corinne? Are you really going to get back together with him?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Oh, thank heavens! Now I don¡¯t have to worry so much,¡± cried Pam joyfully. ¡°By the way, does Jeremy know about this?¡± Corinne turned bright red. ¡°I¡­think so?¡± ¡®He should know! I¡¯ve been so worried about him for the past two days that I had to keep in contact with him no matter what. If I guessed correctly, he must be super smug about the whole thing,¡¯ thought Corinne. However, she did not have the luxury to worry about her pride anymore. All she wanted was for him to come back home safely. She was willing to get back together with him as long as he did that. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. She got to experience what it felt like to suffer pain worse than death when she heard he was supposedly killed in an explosion. It was only then she found out that her heart was not hers to control. There was nothing more important to her in this world than Jeremy¡¯s safety at that moment. Chapter 1408 Chapter 1408 Pam¡¯s grip tightened around Corinne¡¯s hand. ¡°Corinne, I know I haven¡¯t been the best grandmother- inw to you in the past. I should¡¯ve told you about Sophia, but I hope you can forgive me, too¡­¡± Corinne smiled at her serenely. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now, Grandma.¡± She had moved on from the matter. Corinne told herself she had no right to ask Jeremy for an exnation at the start of the rtionship since they had a working rtionship. Plus, they did not know each other when he got married to Sophia back then. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It was only over time that they started to have real feelings for each other. Pam patted the back of Corinne¡¯s hand lovingly. ¡°Thank you, Corinne, for forgiving me. I¡¯ve always known you¡¯re a kind girl. Do you know that Jeremy would frequently sit in his room in a daze after you left? Not to mention, he became even quieter than before. ¡°That grandson of mine grew up in a pressure-cooker environment on ount of how strict we were with his upbringing. We pinned all of the family¡¯s hope on him, causing him to grow up faster than kids the same age as him. That¡¯s why he rarely shows his emotions to anyone. ¡°You, however, seemed to have broken down his walls. Only with you does he show what he¡¯s really feeling¡ªwhether it be joy, anger, or sadness. You¡¯ve healed him, Corinne. He¡¯s going to think there¡¯s nothing to live for in this world if he loses you, so please move back in with him when he¡¯s back. We¡¯ll all be waiting for you, Corinne.¡± Corinne could not bear to make Pam worry anymore when she saw the desperation in her face, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, Grandma.¡± Pam finally smiled. ¡°Now that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll leave now. Your grandfather is still waiting for us to go back. Corinne, do call me if you need anything before Jeremy¡¯s back. Remember, our home will forever be your home. We¡¯ll support you no matter what.¡± Corinne smiled back at her before turning to her sister-inw and saying, ¡°Francine, make sure Grandma gets home safely. Do look after her and Grandpa while Jeremy¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will,¡± said Francine. She was no longer the spoiled little princess from before. After seeing Pam and Francine off, Corinne took Joey to the garden to have a walk. She looked up at the blue sky, and a smile instinctively appeared on her face at the thought of Jeremying home tomorrow. That night, she texted Jeremy some random things before going to sleep. However, she received no reply from him. Thinking he must be on the ne, she decided to let it be. Early the next morning, Lucas went off to work as usual after breakfast. However, before that, he brought Sunny to his school toplete the necessary procedures for him to study abroad. After the two brothers left, Corinne took Joey for a walk in the garden just like yesterday after they finished their breakfast. Not long after that, a servant came up to Corinne, who was ying on thewn with Joey, and reported, ¡°Miss Corinne, someone¡¯s here to see you.¡± Hearing this, Corinne¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Who?¡± Even though it was a little early for Jeremy¡¯s flight to arrive, she still thought it could be him. After all, his flight might have enjoyed good weather and thus arrived earlier than expected. However, her hope was dashed when the servant answered, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Annie. She brought you some gifts.¡± Chapter 1409 Chapter 1409 Corinne¡¯s eyes immediately dimmed. ¡°Oh. Bring her to the living room to wait for me. And please ask the kitchen to prepare lunch for one more person. She¡¯ll probably stay for lunch.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Corinne,¡± said the servant with a bow before going to do as he was asked. Corinne led Joey back to the living room to meet with Annie. As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Annie dragging arge box toward her. ¡°Hey, Corinne!¡± Corinne looked down at the box before turning back to Annie with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s this? Did you run away from home?¡± Annie waved dismissively. ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve specially prepared this for you, Corinne. Inside, you¡¯ll find all the things you¡¯ll need for your stay in the hospital. I mean, the baby¡¯s going toe out soon, right?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. She looked at the box, which was way bigger than a 24-inch luggage bag, again and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got everything I need. There won¡¯t be any ce in the hospital room to put such a huge box, so please return the things inside if you can.¡± She had bought all sorts of mother-and-baby supplies, and Lucas also bought some for her. Annie pouted. ¡°Actually¡­ Uncle Jeremy was the one who picked out everything inside. The only thing I did was put them all into this box.¡± Corinne was a little surprised. She raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°When did he get those stuff?¡± ¡°After he found you and when you wouldn¡¯t give him the time of the day,¡± said Annie wistfully. ¡°Uncle Jeremy asked me a few times to take him to the mother-and-baby store to buy all the most expensive things for you. He kept all the purchases at my ce and told me to deliver them to you only when you¡¯re about to give birth to the baby. He was worried you¡¯d throw it away if he gave it to you too soon.¡± Corinne was quite touched to hear that. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay. You can leave them here.¡± Annie smiled coyly. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re only willing to ept the things ¡¯cause Uncle Jeremy bought them? If that¡¯s not love, I don¡¯t know what it is!¡± Corinne blushed. Since she had made up her mind to get back with Jeremy, she thought there was no point in pretending otherwise anymore. ¡°Of course I do! I both love and hate him.¡± Annie blinked in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s a love-hate rtionship like?¡± All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Corinne shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s when you know he¡¯s not your ideal type, like you¡¯ll get really annoyed or angry at the things he says and does sometimes. Somehow, though, you¡¯re willing to ept everything about him because it¡¯s him.¡± After thinking about it, Annie raised her head and asked, ¡°Is Uncle Jeremy not your ideal type? Then what is your ideal type?¡± Corinne was starting to get tired from standing, so she led Joey to the sofa, and the two of them sat down before she replied, ¡°I like submissive guys who are like puppies, which is totally opposite from your Uncle Jeremy. We all know how overbearing he can get sometimes.¡± Annie sat down as well. ¡°You¡¯re right. Uncle Jeremy is no puppy. He¡¯s more like a big, bad wolf. He and your ideal type arepletely opposite ends of the spectrum.¡± ¡°Oh well,¡± said Corinne with a wave of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can do anything about it now since I¡¯m pregnant with his child. I¡¯ll just have to make do.¡± Annie giggled. She knew Corinne did not mean it when she said she had to ¡®make do¡¯. Suddenly, she saw Corinne¡¯s belly moving. Out of curiosity, she put her hand on top of it and felt the baby kicking! Chapter 1410 Chapter 1410 ¡°Wow! I oftene across online videos of babies kicking in their mother¡¯s belly, but I never expect it¡¯ll be this strong,¡± said Annie in surprise and awe. ¡°Corinne, you seem like you have a very naughty baby inside you. Does it not make you ufortable?¡± A motherly halo appeared above Corinne¡¯s head. She gently stroked her belly while saying, ¡°It¡¯s bearable. I won¡¯t be surprised if this kid turns out as exasperating as his dad.¡± Annie rested her cheek on her hand as she stared at Corinne, who was absolutely overflowing with happiness albeit without herself aware of it. ¡°Oh, Corinne, I¡¯m so jealous of you. You and Uncle Jeremy are going to live happily ever after together. I hope I¡¯ll find a man that loves me as much as Uncle Jeremy loves you in the future.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a boyfriend? I¡¯m sure the wedding bells will be ringing for you soon.¡± Annie¡¯s expression immediately dimmed. ¡°Actually¡­ We¡¯ve broken up.¡± Corinne was not surprised at all. ¡°Why did you two break up?¡± Annie sighed and said, ¡°He¡­proposed to me, and that scared me, so I didn¡¯t say yes.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°You mean getting married scares you?¡± Annie frowned. She looked a little lost when she answered, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I am looking forward to getting married and would often think about how I want my wedding to be. You heard of the time I nearly got married, right? Well, I found out my ex-fiance was a cheating dirtbag, so I put a stop to the wedding. Before that, I really looked forward to my wedding day. For some reason, I¡¯m very resistant to the idea of getting married to Marcus.¡± ¡°Well, the reason is simple. You don¡¯t love him,¡± said Corinne simply, hitting the nail on the head. Annie¡¯s expression froze. ¡®I don¡¯t love Marcus? Well, yes, that¡¯s true. He¡¯s a nice guy, for sure. I don¡¯t have to worry about being cheated on when I¡¯m with him,¡¯ she thought. She was tired of falling for one cheating dirtbag after another, even though she only had herself to me for that. Thus, she thought the way to solve her dilemma was to find a good, honest man to marry. However, Marcus¡¯ proposal brought to light her unwillingness to settle for a man she did not love. Seeing how lost and confused Annie looked, Corinne was about to give her some advice when Joey said, ¡°Auntie Sissy, no pee pee on pants. You need to go to the toilet to pee-pee.¡± ¡®Pee pee on pants?¡¯ Corinne turned toward Joey and saw he was staring at her pants with his big, bright eyes. She looked down and realized her bottom half waspletely drenched. There was even a pool of water on the floor. ¡®Sh*t!¡¯ Annie noticed the situation too. She started to panic. ¡°C¡­Corinne, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s happening to you?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Annie, my water broke. Don¡¯t panic. Calm down and call an ambnce for me.¡± ¡°O¡­Okay! I¡¯ll call 911 now!¡± Annie hurriedly took out her phone and dialed the emergency hotline. Once she was put through, she told the operator their situation and address. ¡°Corinne, the ambnce is on its way. It should reach in about 10 minutes. How are you feeling? Can you hang in there?¡± Joey did not understand what was happening. Scared, he clutched Corinne¡¯s hand and cried while calling, ¡°Auntie Sissy¡­ Auntie Sissy¡­ Auntie Sissy¡­¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. Corinne was in so much pain from the contraction that she struggled to catch her breath. However, that did not stop her from telling Annie what to do,forting Joey, and looking at the clock on the wall all at the same time. ¡®Sh*t! The baby¡¯sing sooner than expected. Here goes nothing!¡¯ Chapter 1411 Chapter 1411 ¡®Jeremy should bending soon, I hope.He promised me he¡¯ll be in the delivery room with me when the babyes¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. The servants immediately rushed over to help when they heard themotioning from the living room. One of them quickly called Lucas to tell him what was happening. Suddenly, Corinne passed out amid the cacophony of sounds. Thest thing she heard was the sound of the ambnce siren wailing in the distance. ¡­ Meanwhile, Lucas and Sunny were walking out of the school¡¯s office. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. They hadpleted all the necessary procedures for Sunny to study abroad. Sunny would not have to go back to that school anymore. After some time, he would fly abroad to his new school. Lucas got into the car first while Sunny remained standing by the door for a long while. His expression wasplicated as he timidly said, ¡°Lucas, this will be myst timeing to this school. I might not like studying, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like this school. After all, I¡¯ve spent a good chunk of my teenage years here, much longer than most of my peers, trying to get into a good university. Can I stay back to reminisce a bit and say goodbye to my friends?" Lucas narrowed his eyes. ¡°You can.But don¡¯t go anywhere else, and go home before the sun sets." Ads by Pubfuture Sunny nodded. ¡°Got it.Thanks, Lucas." After that, Edmund closed Lucas¡¯ car door and walked around the car to get into the front passenger seat. Sunny watched as the car drove away. Lucas had not even left the school for about a kilometer when his phone rang. When he saw the number to be the mansion¡¯sndline, he immediately thought something must have happened to Corinne, so he quickly answered his phone. His expression instantly hardened when he heard a servant telling him about Corinne¡¯s water breaking. ¡°Turn back the car and drive to City Hospital now!" Not knowing what was happening, Edmund reminded him, ¡°But, Mister Lucas, you have an important meeting¡ª" Lucas frowned and interrupted coldly, ¡°Cancel all of my meetings for today! Corinne is about to give birth. I must go to the hospital now!" Edmund immediately realized the gravity of the situation when he heard that, so he fell silent. Lucas suddenly remembered something. ¡°Edmund, find a way to get in contact with Jeremy.See if he¡¯s back in the city.Corinne needs him right now." ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!" Sunny had no idea what was happening at home. He was strolling around the school grounds. Looking at all the buildings, he could not help but feel ashamed at being stuck there for so long. ¡®No wonder Xante dumped me. I¡¯ve been stuck here for so many years while she¡¯s already an independent woman who¡¯s enjoying business sess. She could get any man she wants, so why would she go for someone who can¡¯t even get into a good university like me?¡¯ As much as he knew Xante did not want to see him, he could not stop himself from wanting to find her. He justified his decision by telling himself he would be leaving soon and would not be back for another three years, so he did not want to have any regrets about not seeing her onest time. After making his rounds around the school, he did not say goodbye to his friends. Instead, he got into a cab to find the person he wanted to see the most. Chapter 1412 Chapter 1412 Xante¡¯s secretary informed Sunny that Xante was not in her office when he arrived at Newmoon Group. She asked him toe another time. Sunny did not believe her. He thought it was just Xante¡¯s excuse to avoid seeing him. Since this would be hisst time seeing her before he flew off, Sunny decided to throw away all caution by barging into her office. Xante¡¯s secretary tried to stop him but failed. Sunny even pushed her out of the office! Left without a choice, she decided to call Xante to tell her the situation. Once Sunny sessfully entered Xante¡¯s office, he realized it was just as the secretary said¡ªXante was not inside. ¡®Where else could she be?¡¯ he wondered. He wasing up with a list of possibilities when he suddenly heard some noiseing out of the en- suite restroom. ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s where she¡¯s hiding,¡¯ thought Sunny with a frown. He then waited for Xante toe out of the restroom. However, to his surprise, the person who walked out was a man, and half-naked at that! ¡®I know him. He¡¯s Xante¡¯s ex-boyfriend!¡¯ Ads by Pubfuture Shawn was surprised to see Sunny standing there too.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you again. What are you doing here, kiddo?" ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! In fact, you should address me as Mister Sunny!" said Sunny through gritted teeth. Shawn just smiled. He was not going to waste his time arguing with a kid. ¡°What are you doing here? Who let you in?" shouted Sunny angrily. ¡®And why is he half- naked? Just what the hell is this b*stard doing here?¡¯ Shawn shrugged and said coyly, ¡°We¡¯re in Xante¡¯s office, aren¡¯t we? Who do you think let me in?" Sunny became even more enraged at his attitude. He pushed him away to get into the restroom but found no Xante there either. ¡°She¡¯s not in there, kiddo.She ran off in a hurry after getting a phone call while we were in the middle of a make-out session.I can help you to pass on a message to her if you¡¯d like," said Shawn. The words ¡®make-out session¡¯ were like an explosion to Sunny¡¯s ears. He wanted nothing more than to beat up Shawn then and there. ¡®Did Xante really make out with his guy? If she can easily move on to the next guy, what does this make me?¡¯ thought Sunny. ¡°Have you no shame?" snarled Sunny. ¡°You guys have broken up! Why do you keep harassing her? And put your clothes back on!" Shawn actually found Shawn¡¯s anger amusing. ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, kiddo, but my guess is you were still in kindergarten when Xante and I were dating, right?" ¡°Why you! So what if you¡¯ve dated her before me? You still got dumped in the end!" exploded Sunny. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.I wasn¡¯t dumped," Shawn replied with a smile, ¡°Due to some personal reasons, I have no choice but to leave her. We didn¡¯t break up because we didn¡¯t love each other anymore, so that¡¯s why it¡¯s easy for us to pick up where we left off.¡± Chapter 1413 Chapter 1413 Sunny clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. In the end, he could not hold back anymore; he punched Shawn hard. ¡­ Corinne was already wheeled to the delivery room by the time Aaron and Xante arrived at the hospital. Standing outside of the delivery room were Lucas, his bodyguards, and a pale Annie. ¡°Mister Lucas, what¡¯s the boss¡¯ condition right now?" asked Aaron seriously. Lucas¡¯ brow furrowed. He might look calm on the surface, but his heart was actually thumping with panic in his chest. ¡°Her water broke, and the doctor has given her an epidural.The only thing we can do now is wait and see." Xante fixed a worried gaze at the delivery room door. All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. ¡°Where¡¯s Mister Jeremy? Isn¡¯t he back yet?" Lucas frowned again at the mention of his useless brother-inw. He shook his head with disappointment and said, ¡°He didn¡¯t pick up his phone when we called him." Xante furrowed her brow, and a look of anger shed across her face. ¡®What¡¯s the point of Ads by Pubfuture marrying him if he can¡¯t even be there when the boss needs him the most?¡¯ Aaron¡¯s eyes filled with worry too when he heard that. However, half of his attention was also on Annie, who was sitting and trembling in the hospital corridor chair. At that point, they could only wait outside. Aaron walked over and sat quietly beside her. Annie became stunned when she sensed some movement next to her, so she turned her head and saw it was Aaron. She instinctively hung her head low again as she did not want to see her crying out of worry for Corinne and out of panic for not being able to contact Jeremy or Tommy. ¡®My face must be swollen and ugly by now,¡¯ she thought. Aaron put her arms around her shoulders and saidfortingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.Everything¡¯s going in the boss.Both she and the baby wille out safely." His tone was light, but it carried within it a curious ability to rx her. Without looking up, Annie sniffled and said, ¡°But what are we going to do about Uncle Jeremy? Corinne really needs him right now. It pains me to know how scared she must be alone in the delivery room. Did you know she passed out from pain before we even got to the hospital? I can¡¯t help but worry¡­" Aaron frowned; he was not happy about the whole Jeremy situation either. ¡®He should be here tofort and give moral support to the boss at such a critical time!¡¯ he thought. Anyone would be angry if the husband failed to turn up when the wife was delivering their baby. However, this was not Annie¡¯s fault. She did not want things to turn out like this either. In fact, she would have dragged Jeremy here by hook or by crook if given the choice. Aaron patted her shoulder. Sighing, he said, ¡°Maybe something happened to cause Mister Jeremy to bete in reaching here. He might be on his way as we speak. Don¡¯t worry. Corinne lived through situations worse than this. We all did and we¡¯re fine. Instead of crying, why don¡¯t you say a prayer for her?" Annie finally looked up at his gentle face, his smile as soft as his gaze. She gradually calmed down and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should stop crying. It¡¯s bad luck. I¡¯m going to say a prayer for Corinne and the baby. What¡¯s more, I need to conserve my energy so that I¡¯ll be able to beat up Uncle Jeremy when he comes. ¡°How dare that useless man bete for his baby¡¯s birth? Hmph! If I were Corinne, I¡¯d ignore him for the rest of my life for only arriving after the baby¡¯s born. Serves him right for dropping the ball again just when Corinne has finally forgiven him.¡± Chapter 1414 Chapter 1414 A tall man suddenly rushed out of the elevator. What a coincidence. ¡°Where is she?" Jeremy asked with great pain. Lucas immediately grabbed him by the cor. ¡°You b*stard! Why did youe sote?" Annie rushed over to him. ¡°Uncle Jeremy, Corinne is inside the delivery room.Go to her now!" Jeremy quickly pushed Lucas¡¯ hand away and rushed into the delivery room. A nurse tried to stop him. ¡°What are you doing? A patient is giving birth inside.No outsider is allowed!" ¡°I¡¯m the baby¡¯s father!" shouted Jeremy in a panic. Hearing this, the nurse let him in. ¡°Why are you here sote? Come in quickly, and change into a pair of scrubs before going any closer to the patient." Jeremy quickly did as he was told. He took off his suit jacket and changed into a pair of scrubs and shoes before following the nurse into the sterile delivery room. Outside the door, he heard Corinne¡¯s weak moans. ¡®She sounds like she¡¯s running out of strength!¡¯ Jeremy¡¯s heart nearly jumped out of his throat. He strode rapidly to her bed and grabbed her limp hand. ¡°Little rascal, I¡¯m back!" The sweat-stricken Corinne immediately turned to look at him in disbelief when she heard his voice. Suddenly, using whatever strength she had left, she bit down hard on his arm. Jeremy did not even flinch. He squatted down and whisperedfortingly into her ear, ¡°There, there.I¡¯ll be with you till the end." Finally, Corinne heard the sound of a baby crying through the haze of consciousness. The doctor held up the already-cleaned baby. ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a boy!" Jeremy looked at his baby boy with all the pride and gentleness of a new father, but then his gaze suddenly lost focus. ¡°Sir?" prompted the doctor curiously when he received no response from Jeremy. Jeremy snapped out of his trance, picked up the baby from the doctor¡¯s hand, and ran out of the delivery room. Unsurprisingly, this shocked all of the medical staff. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sir! Wait! You can¡¯t take the baby out yet!" The doctor was about to chase after him when one of the nurses shouted, ¡°Doctor, look! Another baby¡¯sing! I can already see its head!" The doctor turned back to check on the situation. ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s a twin." ¡°The baby¡¯s father must¡¯ve been too excited to show his baby to the family.We should attend to the patient first," said the assisting doctor. Everyone agreed with him, so they all turned their attention back to delivering another baby. Corinne, who was slipping in and out of consciousness, continued to give birth to another two babies through sheer primal instinct alone. ¡°The second baby is a boy too! A very healthy one, at that!" ¡°Doctor, there¡¯s a third babying!" ¡°Oh my. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve delivered a triplet." ¡°Thest one¡¯s a girl! Their parents are so lucky to have both sons and a daughter in one go!¡± Chapter 1415 Chapter 1415 Corinne woke up to the sight of everyone standing around her and looking at her as though she was some rare animal. Feeling terribly weak, as well as stinging pain in her lower body, she found herself unable to sit up. ¡°Well done, Corinne.You gave birth to a twin boy and girl!" said Annie, who was sitting by her bed with tears in her eyes. ¡®Twin boy and girl? That can¡¯t be right.I remember I gave birth to triplets¡­¡¯ thought Corinne. Corinne knew she was carrying triplets. It was not the case when she ran away from Jeremy. Due to the limitations then, she did not go for her usual regr check-ups, so it was only until she got back to her doctor in New Capital City that she found out she was carrying triplets. ¡°You did well, Corinne.Both of the babies are very healthy," said Lucas as he stroked her forehead lovingly. Corinne was still a little blurry from the pain, causing her to wonder if her memory of being told she was carrying a triplet by the doctor was all in her imagination. ¡°Where are my babies? I want to see them¡­" Xante walked over and exined, ¡°Boss, the babies needed to be in the incubator for the time being because they were born prematurely, not to mention it was a twin birth. They came out only weighing less than eight pounds each. But don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re both very healthy and are being looked after by nurses who are experienced in taking care of premature babies." Corinne was too weak to question anything else. She thought what Xante said must be true since she was her friend, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay.I¡¯m happy as long as they¡¯re healthy. But do ask the nurse to bring them to me when they¡¯re out of the incubator." ¡°Will do, Boss," said Xante without hesitation. After that, Corinne instinctively looked at each of the faces around her. She was obviously looking failed to locate him, she asked in a lost voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy?" Everyone fell silent for a minute. Aaron was the first to break the silence. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He isn¡¯t back yet.Since you gave birth earlier than expected, it¡¯ll take him some time to get back."Annie nced at him and added, ¡°A¡­Aaron¡¯s right.Uncle Jeremy isn¡¯t back yet.I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll rush over here to see you as soon as his ne touches down!" ¡®He isn¡¯t back yet?¡¯ thought Corinne with a frown. ¡®How is that possible? I clearly remember seeing him in the delivery room. I even bit his arm!¡¯ Everyone¡¯s face became guilt-ridden when they saw the lost look on Corinne¡¯s face. ?au g?i? Th? ngay ph??ng ph¨¢p n¨¤y m?i ng¨¤y - ?? t?n g?c! Wellgo Jeremy had secretly snuck out with the first baby and seemingly vanished into thin air while everyone¡¯s attention was on Corinne. When it was all over, nobody could get him on the phone again. They were afraid the news would send Corinne into unnecessary shock, so they hade to the consensus to hide the news from her. It was best to find out where and why Jeremy had taken the first baby before telling her the whole story. ¡®Could it be that I wanted to see him so much that it gave way to me hallucinating about him?¡¯ thought Corinne, trying to get to the bottom of it. ¡®Jeremy should¡¯vended by now, so why didn¡¯t hee to see me?¡¯ ¡°Corinne, you should rest up. I¡¯ve arranged for my bodyguards to keep watch of the babies, so don¡¯t worry," said Lucas in a bid to distract her. ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?" asked Corinne. She wanted to call Jeremy to tell him she had given birth to his babies and ask him why he was not there with her. In fact, she would even throw in a few angry words for good measure. Lucas frowned and stroked her pale cheeks. ¡°Now, now.It¡¯s not good to look at your phone when you¡¯re still so weak from giving birth. You need to give your eyes some time to rest, or they¡¯ll go bad.¡± Chapter 1416 Chapter 1416 Corinne still wanted to say something when Lucas shushed her with a finger on her lips. ¡°Listen to me.All you need to do now is rest.Otherwise, how will you have the energy to look after your babiester?" he asked. Corinne had noeback for that. Not giving her a chance toe up with anything, Lucas ordered, ¡°Xante, you stay here with her and make sure she takes a rest.Aaron, Miss Annie, please follow me out.It¡¯s best not to have too much crowding in her room." Everyone agreed with his arrangement, so they all left except for Xante. The hospital room finally became quiet. Xante bent down and straightened out Corinne¡¯s nket. ¡°Boss, you should take a nap while you can.You¡¯ll get to see the babies after you wake up." Corinne¡¯s eyelids started to drop.She felt like she had not slept for the longest time, and she was dog- tired. ¡°Wake me up if Jeremyes." Aplicated look shed across Xante¡¯s eyes. She squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°Sure thing, boss." Reassured, Corinne closed her eyes and gave in to sleep. ¡­ Outside the hospital room, Lucas said to Aaron and Annie seriously, ¡°I have to stay in the hospital with Corinn, but I¡¯ve asked my man to find Jeremy¡¯s whereabouts. Aaron, you should do the same. That way, we can find him faster. We must find out where that b*stard has taken the baby before Corinne realizes he and the baby are gone!" This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Aaron thought the same too, so he nodded solemnly and said, ¡°Alright.I¡¯ll look for him too with my men." Annie pouted. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can too.I¡¯ll go to the Holdens now to see if Uncle Jeremy has been back." ¡°Okay! Call me immediately if there¡¯s any news about him," said Lucas. ¡°Okay." ¡°Okay." After that, the three of them parted ways. Lucas stayed in the hospital but did not go back to Corinne¡¯s room; he did not want to disturb her rest. Instead, he went to the nursery to visit the twins. His heart instantly melted when he saw the two babies lying in their incubator. However, his loving feeling did notst long as he gritted his teeth, thinking, ¡®The first baby should be in the incubator with his siblings as well! Jeremy, that b*stard! What the hell is he thinking?¡¯ Nobody expected that Jeremy would take the first baby out of the hospital without a word. Once they were out of the hospital, Aaron brought his men to look for Jeremy at all major traffic points, while Annie took a cab to the Holdens¡¯ mansion. When she arrived, the servant led her into the yard where Francine was apanying Pam to water the flowers. Not wanting to worry Pam, Annie greeted her casually before pulling Francine aside. ¡°What are you doing here? Is there something I can help you with?" asked Francine curiously. ¡°Shh. Francine, has Uncle Jeremy been back here?" whispered Annie. Francine frowned. ¡°Jeremy? No, he hasn¡¯t. Why?" Annie¡¯s face fell with disappointment. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Chapter 1417 Chapter 1417 Xante¡¯s expression remained neutral when she saw Sunny. Pushing up her gold-rimmed sses, she said, ¡°She¡¯s sleeping right now.Come backter." Sunny was not stubborn enough to barge in. Instead, he asked gravely, ¡°Has the baby been delivered? Is she okay?" All content is ? N0velDrama.Org. At the thought of theplicated situation at hand, Xante sighed and answered, ¡°She¡¯s okay, I guess." ¡°Oh," said Sunny. He then went to sit in the hospital corridor to wait for Corinne to wake up. Xante was actually surprised by that. ¡®Rare to see him cooperate like this.Is this the Sunny I know?¡¯ she thought. She stared at him with narrowed eyes for a while before closing the door. Corinne was awake by the time Xante went back to check on her. Sunny¡¯s knocking on the door must have woken her up. She opened her eyes slowly, looked at Xante hopefully, and asked hoarsely, ¡°Who was it?" Xante frowned. ¡°It was Sunny.Not Mister Jeremy." Corinne¡¯s eyes dimmed. Even though she had fallen asleep before, it was not a deep one. ¡°Xante, what time is it now?" Xante checked the time. ¡°A little past six o¡¯clock at night." ¡°Oh." Xante was able to hear all the worry and disappointment in that one little word. Corinne had been waiting for Jeremy all this while, yet he ran off with one of the babies. ¡®Poor thing still doesn¡¯t know what happened,¡¯ thought Xante with a sigh. Someone knocked on the door again. Xante went to open it, and two nurses brought in the twins. She was about to close the door when she remembered Sunny was outside. Her hand paused on the doorknob as she turned to look at him. At that moment, Sunny had noticed the nurses with the babies, so he tiptoed to catch a clear glimpse of them before they went in. Seeing this, Xante said, ¡°The boss is awake.Why don¡¯t youe in and see the babies too?" Sunny was a little taken aback, but he then bashfully came in. The two nurses took turns to show Corinne her babies. Corinne was so weak that she could not even raise her hand, so she did not dare hold the babies for fear of dropping them. A rush of warmth flooded her heart when she saw the babies in the swaddle. They looked ?au g?i? Th? ngay ph??ng ph¨¢p n¨¤y m?i ng¨¤y - ?? t?n g?c! Wellgo so small like some kind of hairless animal. They had taken after their stoic dad in terms of their eyes and noses. Corinne¡¯s chest tightened again at the thought of Jeremy. She felt like she could not breathe. Since the babies could not leave the incubator for long, the nurses picked them up again. ¡°We¡¯ll bring the babies to you again tomorrow.They have to go back to the incubator now." Corinne looked longingly at the babies before allowing them to bring the babies back with a nod. Chapter 1418 Chapter 1418 Corinne had been waiting for Jeremy all this while, yet he ran off with one of the babies. ¡®Poor thing still doesn¡¯t know what happened,¡¯ thought Xante with a sigh. Someone knocked on the door again. Xante went to open it, and two nurses brought in the twins. She was about to close the door when she remembered Sunny was outside. Her hand paused on the doorknob as she turned to look at him. At that moment, Sunny had noticed the nurses with the babies, so he tiptoed to catch a clear glimpse of them before they went in. Seeing this, Xante said, ¡°The boss is awake.Why don¡¯t youe in and see the babies too?" This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sunny was a little taken aback, but he then bashfully came in. The two nurses took turns to show Corinne her babies. Corinne was so weak that she could not even raise her hand, so she did not dare hold the babies for fear of dropping them. A rush of warmth flooded her heart when she saw the babies in the swaddle. They looked so small like some kind of hairless animal. They had taken after their stoic dad in terms of their eyes and noses. Corinne¡¯s chest tightened again at the thought of Jeremy. She felt like she could not breathe. Since the babies could not leave the incubator for long, the nurses picked them up again. ¡°We¡¯ll bring the babies to you again tomorrow. They have to go back to the incubator now." Corinne looked longingly at the babies before allowing them to bring the babies back with a nod. Chapter 1419 Chapter 1419 Sunny peeked out his head to have a better look at his niece and nephew when the two nurses took them out of the room. He was instantly smitten with them. Corinne noticed Sunny after seeing the nurses off. ¡°Why are you here alone? Where¡¯s Mister Lucas?" ¡°I came rushing here from home as soon as I heard you¡¯re giving birth, so I didn¡¯t see him." ¡°Oh." Corinne had no more energy to spare in asking anything else. Sunny moved closer to Corinne and said with an awed face, ¡°Corinne, you¡¯re really impressive for giving birth to twins, do you know that?" Corinne chuckled drily. ¡°You¡¯re too kind." Not knowing the real situation, Sunny looked around the room before asking curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy? Isn¡¯t he here?" Corinne¡¯s face instantly darkened when she heard the name. ¡°Only the devil knows where he is now," she said with a scoff. Sunny frowned. ¡°What the hell? How can he not be here for his own babies¡¯ birth? He really has dropped the ball this time," he grumbled heatedly. Corinne¡¯s face darkened even more. Seeing this, Xante regretted letting him in. She cleared her throat and pulled him away. ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you.She needs more rest, so keep your mouth shut." At her touch, Sunny quickly jumped away from her as though he had been electrocuted. Xante was understandably stunned by his reaction since he always loved to touch her every chance he got. Sunny became annoyed under Xante¡¯s probing stare. ¡°Ahem! Corinne, I¡¯ll be leaving now.I hope you get better soon.And oh, let me know if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re craving for.I¡¯ll go buy it for you." ¡°Okay, thanks," said Corinne with a nod, ¡°but there¡¯s nothing I¡¯m craving for at the moment." Sunny nodded back at her and went out of the room. Xante kept staring at the door long after he was gone. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Sunny sat back down on the hospital corridor chair once he was out of the room. He then dropped his head and became lost in thought until a pair of familiar-looking high heels appeared before his eyes. Stunned, he looked up to see Xante looking down at him. ¡°What do you want?" he asked rudely. Xante frowned and pushed up the gold-rimmed sses that slid down her nose. ¡°What has gotten into you?" Sunny scoffed. ¡°Nothing! I¡¯m perfectly fine.I¡¯m just sitting here guarding Corinne and the twins.Don¡¯t tell me I can¡¯t even do that." Xante¡¯s frown deepened. ¡®He sure is acting weird today.Did something happen?¡¯ ¡°Do whatever you want," she said at least. Sunny red at her. ¡°Stay out of my sight. I don¡¯t want to see you." Xante was visibly stunned. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡¯ She scoffed lightly and sat down next to him. ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally got some sense knocked into you, huh." Sunny did not like how nonchnt Xante was. ¡°Heh! No matter how much sense I have, I¡¯ll never be able to jump from one partner to another like you did!" Even though what he said was demeaning, Xante did not get angry. Instead, she asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today? It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t know I wasn¡¯t looking for a rtionship when you first met me." Sunny gritted his teeth. He wanted to tear his hair out of anger whenever he thought about the half-naked Shawn parading around in Xante¡¯s office. However, it finally dawned on him just how one-sided his rtionship with Xante was. She never saw him as her boyfriend, so he did not even have the right to get jealous. Every time he lost his temper, she would onlyugh at how immature he acted. Chapter 1420 Chapter 1420 ¡°Don¡¯t worry.I won¡¯t ever bother you again," said Sunny with a hardened expression. His fists were clenched tightly as though it took all of his willpower to make up his mind. Xante¡¯s expression remained the same when she heard that, but after a while, she smiled. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that." Then, without saying anything else, she got up and went back inside Corinne¡¯s room. Sunny unclenched his fists and hung his head low like a deted balloon. Hepletely lost his usual arrogance. ¡°What are you doing here?" asked Lucas sternly as he walked over to him. Sunny looked up and answered listlessly, ¡°I heard Corinne¡¯s water broke when I got home, so I rushed over to see her." Afraid that Sunny would only add to the chaos, Lucas frowned and said, ¡°Go home if you¡¯ve seen her.Get your stuff ready.Edmund will be taking you abroad next week." Sunny nodded. He then looked at Corinne¡¯s hospital room door with aplicated expression before getting up and walking away listlessly. With Sunny gone, Lucas went into her room. Corinne had drifted off to sleep again. Xante took one look at Corinne, who was frowning in her sleep, to make sure she was sleeping before asking Lucas, ¡°Any news about Jeremy?" Lucas shook his head glumly. ¡°Not at the moment." Just where the hell did Mister Jeremy take the baby?¡¯ thought Xante with a frown. Lucas looked at Corinne with a pained expression. ¡°Did she ask about him?" Xante sighed and nodded. ¡°She did.But she must¡¯ve sensed something was off ¡¯cause she didn¡¯t try to get to the bottom of it." Lucas¡¯ face became another shade darker. He really felt sorry for Corinne. He was willing to let go of the grudge with the Holdens for her sake and allow her to marry Jeremy, but what happened made himpletely lose faith in Jeremy. ¡®I¡¯ll need to reconsider allowing Corinne to marry Jeremy after we¡¯ve found him,¡¯ he told himself. ¡®She¡¯ll never know a day of peace if she marries that unreliable b*stard.¡¯ ¡­ Three days passed, and Corinne recovered enough to be able to get out of bed and walk around the room. However, there was still no news from Jeremy. She called and texted him, but he did not pick up his phone nor did he reply to her messages. Lucas would always brush her off by saying Jeremy was safe, and that he was upied with something very important in Molomia, causing him to be dyed ining back, whenever she asked about him. She was not interested in knowing or understanding what could be so important in Molomia that he could not fly back to see her and the babies. The only thing she cared about was that he broke his promise again. He promised her he would be back in three days. He even showed her his return flight ticket. It was all a lie. The only time she woulde alive was when she was with the babies. As for the rest of the time, she would stare nkly outside the window, lost in thought. Moreover, she became even more quiet than before. That day, Lucas only stayed for a brief visit before going back to work. Chapter 1421 Chapter 1421 After lunch, Xante stepped out to take a call, leaving Corinne alone in the room when suddenly someone knocked on the door. Knock! Knock! Corinne knew Xante would not knock beforeing in, so her eyes suddenly became filled with hope again. ¡°Come in!¡± Jason came in with a smile and carried a whole load of expensive supplements in his hands. ¡°Hey, Corinne. It¡¯s been a while. Congrattions on giving birth to twins!¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne¡¯s eyes instantly dimmed a little when she saw it was Jason. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said with a perfunctory smile. Jason put down the bags of supplements on a table before walking over to her bed. ¡°Sorry for not visiting you sooner. I was quite busy with work and thought that your due date was still some time away. I came rushing over here right after finding out from Lucas that you¡¯ve given birth.¡± Apart from his flirtatious nature, Corinne had always been grateful for all the help Jason had given her before. Thus, she nodded and said, ¡°Thanks for taking the trouble to visit me. You don¡¯t have to do or buy me all these expensive supplements.¡± ¡°How can Ie without bearing gifts?¡± asked Jason with a smile. He then looked around the room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Jeremy? Shouldn¡¯t he be here with you?¡± Corinne fell silent. Jason instantly knew something must have happened. ¡°Ahem! How can he not be here for you during your delivery? Doesn¡¯t he know how to prioritize his wife and his work?¡± Corinne was not in the mood to talk about Jeremy, so she tried to change the topic, ¡°Mister Jason, feel free to take a bottle of mineral water there if you¡¯re thirsty. Sorry for not getting up to give you one because¡­ Well, you know.¡± Jason smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± There was an awkward silence as Corinne turned to look outside the window at the blue sky streaked with a ne¡¯s trail. ¡°Corinne, do you regret it?¡± asked Jason softly. Stunned, Corinne looked at him and asked curiously, ¡°Regret what?¡± Jason stared deeply into her eyes. ¡°Do you regret choosing a man who doesn¡¯t care about you? I mean, he didn¡¯t evene when you gave birth to his own kid!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°He¡¯s not as bad as you say he is. Of course, I am angry at him, so I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson when he¡¯s back.¡± Jasonughed mockingly. ¡°And what if he doesn¡¯te back?¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. His home is here. Even if it weren¡¯t for me, he¡¯ll still come back.¡± Jason narrowed his eyes meaningfully. ¡°Corinne, I won¡¯tment on whether you were right to choose Jeremy to be your husband. But, like I said, I¡¯ll always be here if you need me. I¡¯ll always wee you with open arms when you¡¯re ready to be with me.¡± Corinne was quite speechless. Her lips twitched as she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s shameless to say something like that to a woman who has just given birth?¡± Jason smiled. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m the type that doesn¡¯t pass up any opportunity to let you know how I feel.¡± Corinne was at aplete loss for words. She found Jason odd since most of the men she knew would prefer a girl with a nk te. However, it seemed like Jason had a penchant for girls who were already married with kids. ¡®Is this some sort of fetish for him?¡¯ she wondered. At that moment, Xante finished her call and went back inside the room. She was not surprised to see Jason there at all. She gave him a nod and then said to Corinne, ¡°Boss, the doctor said you¡¯re recovering well and can be discharged tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Corinne simply, though there was no hiding the disappointment that shed across her eyes. She was about to be discharged, yet Jeremy never once showed up. Chapter 1422 Chapter 1422 ¡°But the babies still need to stay in the incubator for the time being,¡± added Xante. Corinne immediately frowned when she heard she would have to leave the babies in the hospital. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll stay here too.¡± ¡°Boss, you won¡¯t be able to stay with the babies even if you continue to stay here; they need to be in the incubator. It¡¯s better for you to go home so you can nurse your body back to health. Aaron and I, along with Mister Lucas and the nurses will take turns to look after the baby. Rest assured that they¡¯ll be well taken care of,¡± advised Xante. Even if she could not spend every second with her babies, Corinne still could not bear to leave them all alone in the hospital. ¡°I¡¯ll go home when the babies go home.¡± ¡°But Boss, you¡¯ve just given birth, and the first month is important for getting your body back to tip-top condition. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be easier for you to fall sick in the future. Of course, it¡¯ll be morefortable for you to stay at home than at the hospital,¡± advised Xante again. ¡°This girl is right!¡± said Pam from the door before Corinne could say anything. Everyone in the room turned to look at her. Pam came walking in with the help of Francine. The old woman¡¯s expression was filled with worry and concern. ¡°Corinne, didn¡¯t you promise you¡¯d call me if anything happened? Why didn¡¯t giving birth so I could be there with you?¡± Corinne immediately thought of Jeremy when she saw Pam. Xante frowned and threw Francine a reproachful look when she saw Pam. Seeing this, Francine whispered helplessly, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I wasn¡¯t the one who told her. She found out about this herself.¡± Jason greeted Pam with a smile before stepping off into a corner to let the women talk among themselves. Francine helped Pam to the chair beside Corinne¡¯s bed. The old woman looked at her with a pained expression on her face and asked, ¡°Corinne, how do you feel right now? Does your body still hurt?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. The birth went smoothly, and I¡¯m recovering well.¡± Pam felt more at ease when she saw how rtively healthy Corinne looked. She then sighed deeply and said, ¡°Corinne, I feel like I have no right to face you since none of us Holdens were there when you were giving birth.¡± Corinne¡¯s face fell. The only Holden she really wanted with her when she was giving birth was Jeremy ¡ªnot Pam, Francine, or Greg. Not wanting to pretend anymore, she asked her, ¡°Grandma, where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Pam¡¯s face contorted unnaturally at the question, but she quickly said, ¡°He¡¯s still at Molomia. Something really serious happened to ourpany there, so he had no choice but to stay behind. But don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯m going to make him get on his knees and beg for your forgiveness the moment he¡¯s back in the city.¡± Corinne was no fool. She could tell Pam was lying. ¡°Grandma, how did you manage to get in contact with him? Did he tell you himself that something really serious happened at thepany over there?¡± she asked with a frown. Pam was instantly stumped by her questions. Chapter 1423 Chapter 1423 Francine quickly jumped to Pam¡¯s defense, which was rare for her to react so quickly. ¡°Corinne, Grandma didn¡¯t find out about the news from Jeremy. She heard it from Grandpa, and he heard it from thepany¡¯s board of directors. ¡°Both Jeremy¡¯s and Tommy¡¯s phones were stolen in Molomia, and they couldn¡¯t get new numbers at the moment. This, coupled with the fact that he¡¯s very busy with putting out fires in thepany, made it very hard for him to contact you.¡± Corinne stared at Francine quietly. ¡°Is that so?¡± Holding her gaze, Francine nodded and said, ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t need to worry about him while you¡¯re nursing your body back to health. He¡¯ll exin everything to you once he¡¯s back.¡± Pam nodded as well. ¡°She¡¯s right, Corinne. The most important thing for you to do now is to get your body back to health. The reason I came here today is to bring you home. I¡¯ve already arranged the best care for you there. What do you say?¡± ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m not that fragile. Besides, it¡¯s more convenient to stay in the hospital since there would be a team of medical staff to attend to me if anything happens.¡± Pam shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°How can the hospital be asfortable as at home? The air here is filled with the smell of disinfectant and illness. Corinne, be a good girl, ande home with me. Please?¡± Corinne was about to turn her down again when Lucas came in and said, ¡°Miss Pam, Corinne would be going back to our house and not yours, even if she is discharged from the hospital.¡± Pam turned around with a darkened face when she heard that. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Thank you for taking care of Corinne, but it¡¯s time for her to go home now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Our home will forever be her home. I must ask: What right do you have to ask her to go home with you?¡± said Lucas. Pam frowned. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s riching from you. Corinne is my great-granddaughter-inw, so I have every right to bring her home!¡± Lucas scoffed. ¡°She¡¯s your great-granddaughter-inw? Do you have any proof? Which of the Holden men did she marry? I didn¡¯t see any Holden man beside her when she was giving birth!¡± Pam was speechless. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Seeing this, Lucas decided to give the final blow. ¡°Leave now, and don¡¯te back to bother her! None of you can ever take her away unless that b*stard grandson of yourses back.¡± Pam frowned. ¡°And what gives you the right to speak to me like that? Who are you to Corinne? On what grounds do you have to stop us from taking her home?¡± ¡°Who I am to her is not important nor do I have to exin myself to you! You Holdens have no right to take her away based on how unreliable your grandson is! Don¡¯t even think about bringing Corinne home with you unless that b*stardes back and takes responsibility for all the hurt he caused her!¡± Pam knew Jeremy was guilty as charged, but that did not do anything to quell the anger inside of her. ¡°Hey! Corinne hasn¡¯t even said anything yet, so what are you shouting about?¡± Francine half-shouted rudely. ¡°Do you have a crush on her or something? Are you hoping to steal her away while Jeremy¡¯s gone? Tsk! What a hypocrite.¡± Lucas nced at her. He was not going to waste any of his breath arguing with a kid. Corinne was starting to get a headache from all the shouting, so she said, ¡°Pipe down, all of you. Francine, please bring Grandma home first.¡± Chapter 1424 Chapter 1424 ¡°But, Corinne¡­¡± said Francine, reining in her attitude a little. Corinne did not want to listen anymore to anyone telling her what to do, so she made clear her position. ¡°I¡¯m not going back with you or to the Riveras. I¡¯m going to stay in the hospital. You¡¯re all more than wee to visit me or the babies here.¡± Pam¡¯s face remained riddled with worry. She still wanted to bring her home. ¡°Corinne¡­¡± ¡°Grandma, I suggest you save your breath,¡± said Corinne politely, ¡°I¡¯m not going back home with you until Jeremy¡¯s back as well. Now then, I¡¯m tired and want to rest, so I won¡¯t keep you anymore. Xante, bring Grandma and Francine to the nursery to see the babies, and then send them off for me.¡± ¡°Yes, Boss. Miss Pam, Miss Francine, this way please,¡± said Xante. Pam frowned. She knew Corinne would never go back with her because of the resentment she held toward Jeremy, so she sighed and gave up on forcing her to go back with her. At the mention of the twins, she became eager to visit them since she never met them before. Before she followed Xante out, Pam reminded Corinne worriedly, ¡°Please do take care of yourself, Corinne. Keep your body warm and stay off cold dishes. Understood?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandma. I know how to take care of myself.¡± Pam sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll go see the twins now and visit you another day.¡± Francine pouted and bade Corinne goodbye grudgingly. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be going then. Do take care of your own body like Grandma said. It¡¯ll hurt Jeremy to see you all weak and tired.¡± Corinne smiled emotionlessly. ¡°Okay.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Francine helped Pam out of the room after that. Now that the room had be quieter, Lucas walked over to Corinne¡¯s bed and asked gently, ¡°Do you want toe home with me?¡± Corinne¡¯s expression remained the same. ¡°I¡¯ve already said I¡¯m not going anywhere. I want to stay in the hospital with my babies, so I¡¯ll leave when they leave.¡± Lucas frowned helplessly. He knew there was no changing Corinne¡¯s mind once it was made up. He lovingly stroked her cheek. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll stay here with you then and get a private nurse for you. As for your meals, I¡¯ll get the kitchen staff at home to cook and deliver to you since there are no facilities to cook her in the hospital.¡± Xante had hired a private nurse for Corinne, but she had stepped out of the room to give her some privacy while she talked to Pam and the others. Thus, as much as Corinne was unwilling to ept another private nurse, she did not turn down Lucas¡¯ offer. She knew he would not take no for an answer. Regarding this matter, she would just let them do whatever they want. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said simply. She was not in the mood to say anything else. At that moment, Jason¡ªwho had been quiet all that time¡ªsidled up to Lucas and asked, ¡°Lucas, are you looking to hire a private nurse for Corinne? I know someone who¡¯s really professional. Shall I introduce you to her?¡± Lucas turned toward him. It was only then he realized Jason was there in the room too. ¡°When did you get here?¡± he asked with a frown. Jasonughed. ¡°I came before you. In fact, Corinne and I had a long talk. I must say, Lucas, are you blind or something? How can you not see me at all?¡± Even though they were friends, Lucas was in no mood to joke around with him. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Corinne needs her rest. Come out with me now.¡± Chapter 1425 Chapter 1425 Jason turned toward Corinne, who looked a little lost and confused. ¡°I think she needs someone to talk to more than she needs to rest.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants to talk to you right now.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How can you be so sure? If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go out now and let me talk to her alone for a while. I¡¯m pretty sure I can make her smile.¡± ¡°Cut the crap ande out with me now!¡± said Lucas impatiently as he dragged Jason out. Jason did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Corinne! I¡¯lle back to see you tomorrow!¡± Corinne nced at him impassively before turning back to look outside the window dazedly. ¡­ Jason straightened out his clothes after being dragged out of the room by Lucas. ¡°Lucas, you idiot! How can you ruin my chance to talk to Corinne alone?¡± Lucas rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Oh, save it. She¡¯s in a bad mood as it is, so why add to it?¡± Jason scoffed. ¡°Oh, so you know she¡¯s sad as well? And we all know very well who made her sad. Lucas, I¡¯m sure you can tell Corinne will never be happy with Jeremy. What happened here just proves that.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡®He¡¯s right. Corinne will never be happy with that b*stard Jeremy, but¡­¡¯ ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll be happy with you either! I¡¯m warning you, stay away from her! Neither you nor Jeremy are fit to be her husband!¡± Jason spread out his hands innocently. ¡°How could you say that about me, Lucas? What have I done to make you think that?¡± ¡°Oh, please. Drop the act. You know very well how messy all of your past rtionships were. Do I really need to spell them out for you?¡± answered Lucas with disgust. Jason smiled cheekily. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a man after all. It¡¯s only normal that I have a colorful past with women. I mean, what man doesn¡¯t?¡± He instantly regretted saying thatst sentence after he remembered who he was talking to. Smiling apologetically, he said, ¡°Oops. I almost forgot I¡¯m talking to a virgin. I must say, I¡¯m impressed, Lucas. You¡¯re like a rare, mythical beast.¡± Lucas¡¯ expression instantly darkened. ¡°Get out of my face this instant! Don¡¯t make me beat you up in a hospital.¡± Jason patted his shoulder. ¡°Look at you, getting all worked up again. Can¡¯t you take a joke at all? Plus, I was praising you.¡± Lucas pped his hand away. ¡°Get lost!¡± Jason shrugged and turned serious. ¡°Lucas, jokes aside, I really think I can make Corinne happy. I, at least, will be there when she needs me, unlike Jeremy. So won¡¯t you at least consider me? We¡¯ve been friends for so long, so why not make our friendship even closer by epting me as your brother-in- law?¡± Lucas continued to look at him with disgust when he said, ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to be with my sister, so don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Tsk! Some friend you are.¡± Chapter 1426 Chapter 1426 In the baby incubator room, Francine put both of her hands on the ss partition wall to get a better look at Corinne¡¯s twins. ¡°Grandma, Grandma, look! They¡¯re so cute! The baby girl looks more like Jeremy while the baby boy looks more like Corinne,¡± she said excitedly. Pam¡¯s eyes naturally filled with happy tears when she saw her great-grandchildren. However, that did not stop her from frowning. Unlike the simple-headed Francine, she had more things to worry about. She turned to Xante after taking a look at her great-grandchildren and said, ¡°Child, I know you¡¯re an old friend of Corinne¡¯s, and I also know what happened. But just to confirm, are you sure my grandson, Jeremy, really took one of the babies away while Corinne was giving birth?¡± Xante nodded gravely. ¡°Yes. We all saw him do it.¡± Pam frowned. ¡°But we had looked into the matter already. While it was true Jeremy bought a return ticket back on the day Corinne was giving birth, he didn¡¯t get on the ne. There was no immigration record of himing back to the country, either. How can a person who didn¡¯te back appear in Corinne¡¯s delivery room?¡± Xante pushed up her gold-rimmed sses. Thinking that Pam was making up some excuse for Jeremy, Xante coldly said, ¡°Miss Pam, there¡¯s no reason for me to lie to you. Miss Annie was also there on the scene when it happened. And if you don¡¯t believe her, you can check the hospital¡¯s surveince footage to see if Mister Jeremy was the one who stole the first baby from the delivery room.¡± Pam sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I¡¯m not doubting what you said. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s really no record of Jeremy entering the country, which is very perplexing. I just want to confirm that you all haven¡¯t mistaken someone else for him. Otherwise, how can we exin the whole thing?¡± Xante¡¯s face softened a little after realizing Pam was not trying to be unreasonable. ¡°Did you get any news from Molomia? Have you managed to contact Mister Jeremy or his right-hand man?¡± Pam shook her head helplessly. Francine turned and said sadly, ¡°We¡¯re all panicking because we can¡¯t contact either Jeremy or Tommy. We have no idea what happened to him. Another weird thing is the ne Jeremy was supposed to be on was dyed for three hours during departure, but it crashed into the sea due to some technical problem not long after it took off. Luckily, both Jeremy and Tommy didn¡¯t board that ne.¡± Xante narrowed her eyes. Both she and Aaron also found out Jeremy did not board the ne, but they did not know the ne had crashed into the sea. They did not care about the ne¡¯s fate after finding out Jeremy was not on it. Thus, Xante was surprised at the news. ¡°Could it be that someone is trying to make us think Jeremy died in a ne crash, but you were able to find out he didn¡¯t board the ne before they could falsify the records?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 1427 Chapter 1427 It was reasonable for Xante to suspect that. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Sophia must¡¯ve had something to do with it!¡± insisted Francine. ¡°Losing Jeremy must¡¯ve twisted her personality. We should go to her house to save Jeremy now!¡± Both Xante and Aaron, of course, suspected Sophia. They had arranged for their men to keep an eye on Adam Group and Sophia¡¯s house, but nothing out of the ordinary happened for the past few days. Sophia would go shopping or meet up with her friends every day; no signs pointed to her hiding Jeremy. Pam was a cautious person. She threw Francine a stern nce to shut her up before saying, ¡°Adam spoils that daughter of his. If they do have Jeremy locked up, they must¡¯ve prepared for all eventualities. It¡¯ll be stupid of us to barge in without a n. Now, the important thing for us is to stay calm. ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with my husband to see what our next steps are going to be. Please take care of Corinne for us. Make sure she doesn¡¯t catch wind of this. I promise us Holdens will give her a satisfactory answer. ¡°I hope Corinne can forgive Jeremy if he can¡¯t make it back because of some difficulties. But rest assured that my husband and I will teach that useless grandson of ours a lesson if he really did something to hurt her.¡± Seeing that Pam was not the type of foolish grandmother who would defend her grandchildren even when they did something wrong, Xante nodded respectfully and said, ¡°We¡¯ll definitely take care of Corinne well. Please have a safe journey home, Miss Pam.¡± After she saw Pam and Francine off, Xante turned around. Her face instantly fell when she saw Corinne, dressed in her hospital gown, standing not far away and looking at her quietly. Not knowing how long Corinne had been standing there, Xante walked over to her sheepishly and worriedly. ¡°Boss, what are you doing out here? You need to keep your body warm. It¡¯s too windy here with all the open windows. Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°I find it ufortable to be lying down all the time. Plus, I want to see my babies,¡± said Corinne sadly. ¡®She didn¡¯t ask me anything. Does that mean she didn¡¯t overhear the conversation with Miss Pam just now?¡¯ Xante sighed with relief. She then took off her suit jacket and put it around Corinne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯ll keep you warm.¡± Corinne epted her kind gesture. She then walked to the baby incubator room to take a look at her babies through the ss partition wall. ¡°Xante, did something happen to Jeremy?¡± Xante¡¯s heart sank. ¡®So she overheard our conversation, huh?¡¯ Even though her voice was trembling, overall speaking, Corinne was so calm that it was unnerving. ¡°I searched for his flight details with my phone just now and saw the news of the ne crash. The rescue team is still looking for survivors. Is that why you¡¯ve all been acting weird around me? You guys didn¡¯t want me to find out what was happening, so you all stopped me from looking at my phone.¡± Xante did not know what to say. Corinne took a deep breath topose herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve never been so clear-headed in my life as of this moment. I¡¯m not going to do anything stupid because I have two babies who need me. But, you must send our men to look for him. Don¡¯t stop until you find him. If he¡¯s alive, I want to see him standing before me. If he¡¯s dead, I want to see his dead body.¡± Xante frowned. She did not know whether she should tell her the truth, so she said, ¡°Boss, Aaron and I have ordered our men to look for Mister Jeremy. We¡¯ll let you know as soon as we get news on him. So don¡¯t overthink things, okay? I¡¯m sure Mister Jeremy is still alive¡­¡± Chapter 1428 Chapter 1428 Xante could only say that at the moment as Corinne still lookedposed. She feared that Corinne would have a meltdown if she told her that Jeremy had taken one of the babies away. Corinne nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still alive. After all, he came back safe and sound when everyone said he was killed in the explosionst time. Plus, he promised he¡¯de back to me no matter what¡­ My, it¡¯s really kinda chilly here. Guess I¡¯ll go back to my room to wait for him, then¡­¡± Corinne turned and walked back to her room stiffly as she muttered to herself. It pained Xante to see Corinne acting so calm. ¡®Poor Boss¡­ She still had no idea Mister Jeremy had somehowe back secretly to steal the baby before he seemingly vanished into thin air¡­ Might as well. It might be better for her to believe Mister Jeremy died in a ne crash if we can¡¯t find him or the baby.¡¯ ¡­ Three yearster, all the yet thepany¡¯s president seat remained empty. The meeting was set to start at nine o¡¯clock in the morning, and there were still 30 seconds left until the hour hand struck 12. Suddenly, the double door suddenly opened. A formally dressed woman came striding in ¡°Sorry for keeping you all waiting. I see that everyone¡¯s here, so let¡¯s begin the meeting,¡± said the woman calmly. It had been three years since thest shareholder meeting was held in Holden Group. All the middle- aged shareholders in the room were not happy with a woman president. Doubting her leadership capability, they threw her one difficult question after another to throw her off her game. Corinne had expected that this would happen, so she was unfazed by it all. She leaned back on her chair and said steadily, ¡°I know you all aren¡¯t happy with me as the president, but there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. I came to this position through reasonable means, so if you all have the time to grumble, why not instead discuss what strategies should thepany take to ensure our future sess? After all, every one of you here depends on thepany¡¯s sess to secure your position, no?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. The elderly shareholder sitting on her right scoffed and said, ¡°Ahem! What does a little girl like you know about running apany? You Holdens should choose someone from us shareholders to take over the president position if Mister Jeremy is still missing. It¡¯s really hard for us to take orders from someone who doesn¡¯t have any shares in thepany yet felt like she deserved to be the president.¡± Corinne smiled at the elderly shareholder. ¡°Let me ask you something, then. You all agree that Jeremy is the president of thepany, right? So as his wife, isn¡¯t it justifiable for me to help him run the company while he¡¯s not here?¡± Another shareholder scoffed and questioned her, ¡°Wife? From what we know, you and Mister Jeremy never registered your marriage. At most, you two are boyfriend and girlfriend. Therefore, you have no right to take over thepany.¡± Corinne remained unperturbed. ¡°Even if I¡¯m not legally married to him, both of our kids are still his sessors. Being the mother of his sessors gives me the right to sit here.¡± Chapter 1429 Chapter 1429 ¡°I know you¡¯re all hoping to take over thepany while my husband isn¡¯t here, but I suggest you all save it. Thepany will remain the Holdens¡¯ as long as I¡¯m here!¡± Corinne¡¯s words made everyone speechless. As unwilling as they were to ept her authority, staying silent was their best choice. After all, reasons were not on their side. Corinne was right. Even if Jeremy was not around anymore, it would be the twins who would take over thepany instead of the shareholders. The meeting continued on for another hour and a half with Corinne providing her business insights as usual. As much as the cunning shareholders were not willing to ept a woman as their president, they had to admit that Corinne was capable, logical, and well-versed in the intricacies of running a company. After the meeting ended, Corinne went back to her office to continue her work. Francine, who worked as her secretary, immediately followed her into the office when she saw her coming back from the meeting. ¡°How was the meeting? Did those old foxes cause you any trouble?¡± asked Francine. Corinne sat down and opened a bottle of mineral water, taking a sip before raising her eyebrow at Francine. ¡°What do you think?¡± Francine pouted. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they did. After all, those old farts have been vying to take over the company for the longest time, and they would¡¯ve seeded if it weren¡¯t for Jeremy.¡± This was not Corinne¡¯s first time running apany. After all, she founded Newmoon Group single- handedly, but after that, she gave up the reins to Aaron and Xante. To her, it was easier running a newpany since there was less office politics. The only thing she needed to do was to bring in sales and keep market risks at a minimum. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. As a matter of fact, the longer apany had been around, the more office politics there would be. Thus, even Corinne had to admit that it had taken a lot out of her to deal with the shareholders. Having said that, she was quite pleased with the overall sess of the meeting since the shareholders approved all of her ns at the end of the meeting. Actually, after Jeremy vanished, Greg picked up his old mantle and went back to running thepany. He kept it up for three years until the doctor advised him to stop working due to his ill health. It was just as well since he felt like he was about to drop dead at any time. Thus, Greg called Corinne into his study and told her to run thepany until Jeremy came back or¡­ until the twins had grown old enough to seed Jeremy. Even though Greg did not like Corinne before, he came to know her character and capability after living together under the same roof. Hence, he was not worried about her running thepany into the ground. Initially, Corinne was reluctant to have anything to do with Holden Group, but Greg¡¯s health was failing at an rming rate, and the shareholders were all vying for a piece of thepany as though they could not wait to swallow it whole. Thus, she had no choice but to agree to Greg¡¯s request. At the same time, Francine¡ªwho just graduated from university¡ªwas employed to work as Corinne¡¯s secretary. She did not really have to do much except to keep an eye on all the sneaky shareholders to see if they were pulling any shady strings behind the Holdens¡¯ backs. ¡°Corinne. What are you thinking about?¡± asked Francine with a tilt of her head when she realized Corinne was staring nkly at no particr point in the room. Chapter 1430 Chapter 1430 Corinne snapped out of her trance and shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m going to pick up the twins at the kindergartenter. Do you want to go with me or head back home first?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± said Francine without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve already promised them I¡¯ll treat them to pizza today.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Corinne put down the mineral water bottle. With a wave of her hand, she said, ¡°You may leave now. I still have some work to do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Alright, then.¡± Francine went out of the office and closed the door behind her. Her expression became even sadder once she was out. ¡®Poor Corinne. Not only does she have to run thepany, but she also has to take care of three kids ¡ªone of which is adopted, yet she treats him as her own,¡¯ she thought. There had been no news from Jeremy in the past three years he was gone. It was as if he vanished from the face of the earth. More importantly, Corinne never thought of leaving the Holdens. For the past three years, she had been raising the twins and Joey as best as she could. Previously, Francine might have thought the only reason Corinne would do so was because she wanted to get a slice of the family fortune, but she knew better than that. Not only was Corinne Newmoon Group¡¯s biggest shareholder, but she was also the boss of the company, which meant both Aaron and Xante had to listen to her. Thus, she was wealthy in her own right. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Thus, the only reason Corinne would stay with the Holdens was because of the missing Jeremy. Francine found her loyalty admirable. There were even some gossipers who pitied Corinne for ending up as a widow at such a young age. What was even more admirable was Corinne nevercked suitors, yet she never once wavered in the face of their courtships. Suddenly, a voice interrupted her train of thought. ¡°What are you thinking about, Miss Francine?¡± asked Jason. Francine¡¯s face instantly darkened when she saw it was him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked icily. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Corinne. I heard today¡¯s her first time holding a shareholder meeting, so I came to see how she¡¯s doing.¡± Jason beamed a dashing smile at her, but it just made Francine even angrier. ¡°Oh, please! You can cut the crap, Jason. Everyone here can tell you have a huge crush on Corinne.¡± ¡°So what if I do? There¡¯s now saying I can¡¯t have a crush on her, right?¡± said Jason with a cheeky smile. ¡°Well, I say you can¡¯t!¡± replied Francine with a determined frown. ¡°Why not?¡± Francine red at him. ¡°Are you seriously asking me why not? She¡¯s my sister-inw, as in she¡¯s married to my brother. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to chase after a married woman like this?¡± Jason raised an eyebrow. ¡°And may I ask where her husband is now?¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Francine was obviously stumped by his question. No one knew where Jeremy was. In fact, no one even knew if he was alive or dead. ¡®Godd*mnit! If only I knew where Jeremy is right now!¡¯ thought Francine. Jason smiled and sidled up to her. ¡°Miss Francine, you Holdens shouldn¡¯t be so selfish.¡± Chapter 1431 Chapter 1431 Francine frowned unhappily. ¡°How is my family selfish?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s selfish to keep Corinne tied to your family? I mean, Jeremy has been missing for three years, yet Corinne still had to raise his kids and run thepany, giving her no time to start her life afresh. What¡¯s even sadder about the whole thing is the two of them never even got legally married.¡± Francine knew Jason was right, but she still retorted through gritted teeth, ¡°Jeremy is missing, not dead! He¡¯lle back one day.¡± Jason smiled coldly. ¡°He would¡¯vee back if he could. It¡¯s impossible for him to abandon Corinne and the babies, no?¡± Not able to win the argument, Francine decided to just stop him from going into Corinne¡¯s office. ¡°There¡¯s no use saying so much. In case you¡¯ve forgotten, you¡¯re in my territory, so you can¡¯t go in unless I say you can!¡± Jason took one step toward her. ¡°What if I hit on you instead?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? Did you say you were going to hit me? As if I¡¯d believe you¡¯ll be stupid enough to do that here,¡± said Francine fearlessly. Jason took a few more steps toward her until she could feel his breath on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hit you. What I said was, what if I hit on you instead of Corinne since you don¡¯t like me courting her? I don¡¯t mind changing my target since you¡¯re getting more and more beautiful by the day.¡± He lifted her chin as he said that. Francine already had someone she liked in mind, so she instantly exploded with rage at his touch. She pped his hand away and shouted, ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t touch me with your stinky hand!¡± She instinctively took a step back, allowing Jason to open Corinne¡¯s office door and slip in. It was already toote by the time Francine realized what he was doing, so she had no choice but to stay there fuming. Corinne was tapping away on her keyboard when she heard the door opening. She assumed it was Francine who hade in since there was no knock. ¡°What brings you here again?¡± she asked. ¡°Hey, Corinne. You busy?¡± asked Jason with a smile. Hearing his voice, Corinne stopped typing and looked up at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked with an annoyed expression on her face. Jason was already used to her unweing attitude. He pulled out and sat on the chair across from her. ¡°I¡¯vee to see how you¡¯re doing. The shareholders aren¡¯t that easy to deal with, huh? Did those old farts cause you any trouble?¡± Corinne turned her attention back to herputer. She then replied absent-mindedly, ¡°It was okay. They¡¯re not that hard to deal with.¡± Jason was impressed by her work ethic. ¡°Do you really mean what you said? Are you really happy to stay with the Holdens and work for them for free?¡± Corinne continued typing as she answered, ¡°What do you mean? How am I working for them for free when I get a sry from thepany?¡± Jason chuckled lightly. ¡°I think you¡¯re the onlypany president in the world that gets a sry and nothing else. You should ask for your bonus and other benefits as well for all the work you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the type to be so calctive toward family members,¡± said Corinne nonchntly. Jason frowned at the word ¡®family¡¯. ¡°Only you see them as family. I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t think the same way.¡± Corinne gave him a side-eye. ¡°Is that so? Tell me, then¡ªwhat do you think they¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°You really want me to say it out loud?¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°You might as well since we¡¯re already on the topic. So go ahead, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Jason smiled back at her. ¡°Okay, then. I think they¡¯re just using you.¡± Corinne raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Do borate.¡± Chapter 1432 Chapter 1432 Jason looked deeply into Corinne¡¯s eyes. ¡°You and Jeremy aren¡¯t legally married. The wedding you had was just something you did to appease his grandfather. You didn¡¯t even invite the important elders to witness the marriage. ¡°You¡¯re actually helping out with his family when you¡¯re even his legal wife. One day, they¡¯re going to kick you out of the house once they¡¯ve squeezed every drop of usefulness out of you. Then, you¡¯ll be left with nothing.¡± Corinne finished typing thest word on the document and clicked ¡®save¡¯. She yawnedzily and turned to Jason. ¡°So you think the only reason I¡¯m helping out the Holdens is because I want a piece of their family fortune?¡± Jason shook his head. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think that. But you¡¯re going to be sad after they use you and lose you.¡± Corinne obviously did not agree with him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re using me or I¡¯m not legally married to Jeremy. All I care about is to keep thepany running so that I can give it back to him in one piece once he¡¯s found.¡± Jason stared at her in silent shock. ¡®I¡¯ve forgotten that she¡¯s not the type of foolish woman who willingly sacrifices herself without wanting anything in return. She always knows what she¡¯s doing and her reason for doing it. That¡¯s why she¡¯s not afraid of being used by others.¡¯ Technically speaking, he would not call Corinne smart for doing that. Then again, her pureness was what attracted him in the first ce. At that thought, Jason smiled and decided to change the topic. ¡°As long as you know what you¡¯re doing. Anyway, I¡¯vee to show my support to you on your first day as president of Holden Group. Are you free after work? How about dinner together?¡± Corinne took a sip of her mineral water and said ruthlessly, ¡°Nope. I¡¯m not free.¡± Jason had expected she would turn down his invitation, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not going to be just the two of us. Lucas will be there too. So what do you say?¡± ¡°No, thanks. I¡¯m really not free. I need to pick up the kids since I¡¯ve already promised them I¡¯ll spend some time with them.¡± Jason frowned. ¡°Corinne, aren¡¯t you taking on just a little too much? Not only do you have to run the company, but you have to raise three kids all by yourself too?¡± ¡°They actually have a nanny to look after them. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve promised to take them to the theme park today,¡± exined Corinne. ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Disappointed, Jason decided to change his tactic. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw the kids. Can I join you all at the theme park?¡± Corinne threw him a disgusted nce. ¡°Mister Jason, you should really learn how to stop giving other people something to talk about.¡± Jason shrugged nonchntly. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going on a date. You¡¯re not going to watch three kids by yourself, are you? If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, you¡¯ll take Francine along with you, right? Corinne, you¡¯d let me go if you really see me as a friend. Plus, it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve been to the theme park. Now, thanks to the kids, I can relive my childhood memories.¡± Corinne was speechless. Jason winked at her and said, ¡°Think about it. I can be your driver, carry your bags, or even carry the kids when they¡¯re tired.¡± ¡°I already have a driver.¡± ¡°So that settles it. I¡¯ll pick you and Francine up after work and then we can all pick up the kids.¡± Not taking no for an answer, Jason got up, waved her goodbye, and walked out of the office.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 1433 Chapter 1433 Corinne had no time to deal with Jason, so she assumed he was joking and went back to work. Unexpectedly, Jason really did wait for her and Francine in front of Holden Group when they got off work. Corinne and Francine were about to get into their own chauffeured car when a car honked at them from behind. They both turned to look behind them and saw Jason peeking out his head from the rolled-down window, waving and beaming happily at them. Francine instinctively frowned when she saw him. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here again?¡± Corinne was frowning too. ¡°He must have a lot of free time on his hands.¡± ¡°Hmph! We should just ignore him. Come on, let¡¯s get into our car,¡± said Francine, pulling Corinne into the car. Then to the driver, she urged, ¡°Drive the car away now! We need to lose the car behind us.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Francine!¡± said the driver. However, before he could even step on the elerator, Jason suddenly drove his car toward their front, effectively blocking their path. It was so sudden that the two cars nearly crashed into each other. Livid, Francine was about to rush out of the car to give Jason an earful when he got down from his own car and proceeded to get into the front passenger seat of their car. Francine had never met such a shameless person in her life. Understandably, her tone was not the friendliest when she shouted, ¡°Are you crazy?! Blocking our car with your car is already ridiculous enough, and now you got into our car without us asking?¡± Jason turned around and smiled at Corinne. ¡°Corinne, didn¡¯t you promise to take me to the theme park too?¡± Corinne¡¯s lips twitched. ¡®I didn¡¯t promise him. He came uninvited!¡¯ Francine looked at Corinne anxiously. ¡°Corinne, did you really promise him?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Francine was incredibly relieved to hear that. She red at Jason and said, ¡°You hear that? She didn¡¯t promise to bring you to the theme park with us. Stop being delusional and get out of the car this instant!¡± Jason had no intention whatsoever to get out of the car. He put on his seatbelt determinedly and said nothing. Seeing this, Francine was about to say something again when Corinne said, after looking at the time, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s gettingte. We shouldn¡¯t make the kids wait.¡± Then to the driver, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go pick up the kids now.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Corinne.¡± The driver drove around Jason¡¯s car and toward the kindergarten. Francine was not happy at failing to chase Jason out of the car. She sidled up and said, ¡°Corinne, why are you letting Jason tag along?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°The kindergarten must be letting the kids out now, so we don¡¯t have time to waste on him,¡± said Corinne absent-mindedly. Francine pouted. Chapter 1434 Chapter 1434 Francine was worried that Jason would steal Corinne away while Jeremy was not there. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s letting Jason tag along because she doesn¡¯t want to waste her time on him, and not because she has feelings for him.¡¯ ¡­ The driver stopped in a spot not far from the entrance of Astoria Kindergarten. It was after-school hours, so all the parents were lining up to pick up their kids. Astoria Kindergarten was New Capital City¡¯s most high-end kindergarten. They had a strict rule of only allowing one parent to pick up their kids to ensure the kids¡¯ safety. This was also to prevent too much chaos that would distract the teachers¡¯ attention. Francine got down from the car and said, ¡°Corinne, I¡¯ll pick the kids up. You just wait in the car.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks,¡± said Corinne, letting her go. However, she did not wait in the car. Instead, she got down and observed the kindergarten¡¯s entrance from where she stood. An old man was selling balloons near the kindergarten entrance. Thinking that the kids would like the balloons, she walked over to the old man, and after asking the price, decided to buy three balloons¡ª one for each kid. However, she did not choose the balloons after paying. There were simply too many designs that she decided to let the kids choose the ones they liked after they came out. Jason had followed her down to buy the balloons. He smiled at her as usual. The attractive couple immediately caught the attention of all the parents lining up to pick up their kids. This obviously caused some difort to Corinne, but Jason was really enjoying the attention. ¡°Corinne, I bet they think we¡¯re a pair of parents who came to pick up their kids.¡± Corinne rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Well, then. Why aren¡¯t you standing further away from me?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Why should I do that? What they think is their problem. We¡¯re not doing anything wrong!¡± Corinne nced at him with annoyance before moving away from him. She then checked to see where Francine was in the line. At that moment, a ck SUV stopped in front of her, blocking her line of sight. Corinne frowned unhappily and was about to tell the driver off when a woman carrying a kid wearing a cartoon mask got out of the car. For some reason, the kid was crying loudly, and the woman was trying to coax him out of it. ¡°There, there, Benjamin. Mommy will buy you a balloon if you stop crying. Look at the pretty balloons! Which one do you like?¡± Corinne found the woman¡¯s voice very familiar, so she took a closer look at her. Her expression froze once she did that. The woman was so focused on coaxing her kid that she did not notice Corinne was standing not far away from her. However, she immediately turned to face her when she sensed somebody was staring at her intently. The two women looked at each other with different expressions on their faces. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. After a while, the woman greeted her. ¡°Corinne, it¡¯s been a while! What a coincidence it is to bump into you here when I just got back to the city. This must be fate or something.¡± Corinne looked at Sophia and then at her kid. Forgoing the usual pleasantries, she instead asked skeptically, ¡°This your kid?¡± Chapter 1435 Chapter 1435 A warm glow of happiness instantly filled Sophia¡¯s face when she looked down at her child. ¡°Yes, this is my kid. I¡¯ve gotten married, if you haven¡¯t heard. Our son¡¯s name is Benjamin! Benjamin, be a good boy and say hello to Aunt Corinne.¡± Benjamin ignored Sophia as all of his attention was on the balloons the old man was holding. Corinne frowned and looked probingly at Sophia. ¡°And may I know who you married?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t know him even if I told you his name. He¡¯s just an ordinary person. He grew up abroad and had never even been to this country before we got married. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever met him.¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that so?¡± she asked meaningfully. Sophiaughed. ¡°Corinne, don¡¯t tell me you think I¡¯ve married Jeremy?¡± Corinne¡¯s chest tightened at the mention of that name. She kept her eyes trained on Sophia, but Sophia¡¯s expression told her that she was not hiding anything at all. Sophia said self-deprecatingly, ¡°I wished I could¡¯ve married Jeremy as well, but he doesn¡¯t love me at all. He insisted on revoking our marriage so that he could be together with you, even though I begged him not to. I admit I was distraught then, but I eventually moved on after some time. I count myself very lucky to have met my current husband after that. He really loves me, and I can honestly say I¡¯m happily married.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne found no signs of Sophia lying from her expression. However, she could not shake the feeling something was not right. ¡°What¡¯s your husband¡¯s surname?¡± ¡°Finnix. Corinne, I know what you¡¯re suspecting, but you¡¯re really overthinking things. I heard there¡¯s still no lead on Jeremy after all these years, and I do feel bad for you. But you still got what you wanted, right? I mean, even without him, people still call you Missus Holden.¡± Sophia¡¯s words might sound like apliment, but they were actually filled with mockery and contempt. However, Corinne did not care. Even though she highly suspected Sophia had something to do with Jeremy¡¯s disappearance, she could not find any evidence to prove it. Three years ago, she flew to Molomia to look for Jeremy immediately after the twins were discharged from the hospital. However, Sophia insisted she did not know where he was. She told her she dropped Jeremy off at the airport after they revoked their marriage in the city hall, and that was thest she saw of him. Moreover, Sophia allowed Corinne to search every corner of Adam Manor, which Corinne did, but there was no sign of Jeremy at all. The only lead Corinne had was the airport surveince footage showing Tommy wheeling Jeremy into the airport. That was thest anyone saw of them. In the end, they did not board the ne. It was as if they vanished into thin air. ¡°By the way, Corinne, what are you doing here?¡± Sophia asked with a smile. Corinne snapped out of her shback. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick up my kids.¡± Sophia looked at Jason, who stood beside Corinne, from head to toe before saying coyly, ¡°Did the two of youe here together? Does that mean the two of you are here to pick up you two¡¯s kids or¡­¡± Jason smiled and was about to answer her when Corinne said, ¡°They¡¯re my kids. He¡¯s just passing by.¡± Sophia¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Oh, I actually thought you two were dating.¡± Chapter 1436 Chapter 1436 Corinne ignored Sophia¡¯s pointed jab and instead looked at Benjamin suspiciously. She could not get a good look at his face due to the cartoon mask he was wearing. ¡°How old is your kid?¡± Corinne asked. ¡°He¡¯s two years old this year.¡± ¡®Two years old¡­¡¯ Corinne¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the kid with the cartoon mask. Even though his face was covered by the mask, she could still see his deep blue eyes. Tilting his head, Benjamin stared back at her like a little puppy. A look of rm immediately shed across Sophia¡¯s face when she noticed the two of them staring at each other. She turned Benjamin¡¯s head to look at her and asked, ¡°Benjamin, have you decided what balloon you want to get? We need to hurry up since Daddy is still waiting for us at the hotel.¡± Benjamin looked at the balloons and finally chose one in the shape of a dinosaur. After paying quickly, Sophia smiled and said, ¡°I have to go now, Corinne. But let¡¯s have a meal together if we bump into each other again. It¡¯ll be my treat!¡± Corinne simply stared quietly at her and said nothing. Sophia got into the ck SUV with Benjamin in her arms, and the car quickly drove off. Corinne remained standing where she was, staring at the direction the car had left while thinking about the look in Benjamin¡¯s eyes. She could not help but feel she had seen that look somewhere before. Suddenly, a waving hand appeared in front of her. ¡°Hello, earth to Corinne? What are you still looking at? The car left long ago!¡± said Jason. Corinne snapped out of her trance and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You should leave too.¡± Jason frowned. ¡°Why are you asking me to leave again? I don¡¯t have a car, so how am I supposed to leave?¡± Corinne had no sympathy for him at all. ¡°You only have yourself to me for that since you insisted on getting in my car.¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Would you have let me tag along if I didn¡¯t do that? I mean, you¡¯ve already promised to let me go with you to the theme park, so why are you doing this?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne could not hide her annoyance anymore. ¡°I never promised you. You¡¯re the one who invited yourself without even taking my feelings into consideration!¡± Jason sighed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m delusional?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying that. But now that I think of it, you are delusional.¡± Jason was speechless. Not wanting to further their conversation, Corinne turned back to the entrance to wait for Francine to come out with the kids. Suddenly, Jason said sincerely, ¡°Corinne, you should learn from Sophia.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Just exactly what am I supposed to learn from her?¡± ¡°Well, she started a life afresh, didn¡¯t she? I mean, we all know how desperately in love she was with Jeremy back then, yet she learned how to open up her heart to someone else after she failed to get Jeremy. She got married and had a kid, and look at how happy she is right now. You should do the same. Your life is yours, so you should think ordingly instead of tying yourself to the Holdens.¡± Corinne had expected him to say that, so she was not surprised at all. ¡°Jason Talbot, go home if you have nothing else better to do. I don¡¯t need you to lecture me. Do you have any idea how annoying you are right now?¡± Jason shrugged. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anything to make you mad anymore. I¡¯ll just quietly apany you and the kids to the theme park.¡± Corinne ignored him and walked toward the kindergarten entrance. Through the gate, she saw Francine leading the twins out. Joey, with his backpack on his back, followed them from behind. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Corinne walked over and squatted to ruffle the twins¡¯ hair. ¡°Have you two been good today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The twins had just started kindergarten and were still trying to get used to it. Chapter 1437 Chapter 1437 As the twins¡¯ mother, Corinne was worried they would cry at being left at the kindergarten, which happened a few days ago. The twins were crying when she went to pick them up, but on this day, they came out smiling instead. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Since you two have been so good, you can each choose a balloon you like.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°I want the bunny!¡± The twins skipped and hopped over to the old man selling the balloons. The old man kindly bent down so that it would be easier for them to choose which balloon they wanted. Corinne felt relieved to see the twins getting used to their days at the kindergarten. At that moment, she noticed Joey did not go to pick his balloon. Instead, he stood alone with his head hung low. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Joey? You don¡¯t want a balloon?¡± Corinne asked him gently. Joey looked up at her with surprise. ¡°I get one, too?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t Mommy get you one?¡± Joey¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thanks, Mommy!¡± he said, beaming at her. Only then did he walk to the old man selling the balloons. However, he stood waiting until the twins finished choosing their balloons before choosing one himself. Seeing how cautious he was, Corinne could not help but frown with worry. Joey was in the older kindergarten ss then and would be going to elementary school next year. As he got older, he lost his innocence and became more sensitive. When he was still a toddler, he would express himself and talk to Corinne nonstop despite not being able to speak clearly then. He was happy when the twins were born, too. However, the twins¡¯ arrival also brought to light the difference in treatment between an adopted son and biological children. He then became more cautious in his behavior until he became almost too silent for a child his age. Having watched Joey grow up, Corinne knew all of the suffering he kept to himself, and it always made her heart ache to see him like that. After all, she saw him as her own son from the moment she took him in. She did not wish to see Joey living so timidly. She would prefer him to behave like kids his age, like acting stubbornly or throwing a tantrum or two. However, that was not the case for Joey. Just as she mulled over these matters, a fight broke out between the kids. Joey chose a balloon he liked after the twins were done choosing. However, Bryan¡ªone of the twins¡ª changed his mind and wanted Joey¡¯s tiger-shaped balloon after seeing it. Joey agreed to trade balloons with Bryan, but the younger kid insisted on having both. The older boy was reluctant to let him have both balloons, so Bryan started throwing a tantrum. Seeing this, Joey pouted and gave Bryan the tiger-shaped balloon. Satisfied, Bryan reached out to take the balloon. Before he could even touch it, however, his hand was pped away. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Bryan started crying again. ¡°You each get one! It¡¯s not right to force others to give you their balloon just because you regret the one you chose!¡± scolded Corinne with a frown. Chapter 1438 Chapter 1438 ¡°But, Mommy¡­ I like both balloons¡­¡± muttered Bryan with a pitiful pout. He was still at the age where he could not control his greed. Even though Corinne would spoil the kids from time to time, she was very strict when it came to teaching them how to be a decent human being. ¡°You can ask me to buy you another one if you like both balloons instead of forcing your brother to give you his. Your brother likes balloons too, and he¡¯ll have none if he gives you his. Let me ask you something: Would you be sad if the same thing happened to you?¡± ¡°I know, Mommy, I was wrong¡­¡± said Joey. He turned to Joey and said, ¡°Sorry, Joey. Let¡¯s share our balloons! You can y with mine, too.¡± Joey decided to forgive and forget. He smiled happily and said, ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s y together.¡± Children¡¯s emotions were ever-changing like the weather, and it was not long before theirughter could be heard in the air. The younger twin, Christine, followed after her two brothers with her pink bunny balloon. Even though she was the youngest, she was actually the most mature out of the three of them. Thus, she found Joey and Bryan immature to fight over the balloons. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Francine pped her hands to get their attention. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s all get into the car. We¡¯re going for pizza!¡± The kids quickly got into the car one after another. Seeing this, Corinne walked over too. ¡°It¡¯s hard to treat all kids equally, huh? You certainly have your hands full, Corinne,¡± said Jason as he walked along her. ¡°It¡¯s not really that hard,¡± replied Corinne nonchntly. ¡°As long as you have the intention and are observant enough to catch the kids¡¯ feelings, which I¡¯m a master of.¡± After that, she got into the car and closed the door with a loud thud. Jason shrugged and walked around to the front passenger seat, but Francine beat him to it before he even had the chance to pull open the door. Francine jumped in front of him, squeezed him away, and got into the car. She rolled down the window and stuck out her tongue at him. ¡°Sorry, Jason, but there¡¯s no room in the car for you anymore. I suggest you take a cab home. Bye!¡± After that, she gestured with her hand to signal the driver to start driving. The car drove away, leaving Jason standing where he was with a frown. A few secondster, he shrugged nonchntly and smiled as he watched Corinne¡¯s car leave. ¡­ Meanwhile, Sophia arrived back at her hotel. ¡°Zachary, we¡¯re back!¡± She walked into the presidential suite with Benjamin in her arms, but her husband was not in the living room. She put down Benjamin and went to the bedroom to look for him. ¡°Zachary, what are you doing?¡± A man in a wheelchair was quietly staring out of the floor-to-ceiling window. The presidential suite was situated on the highest floor, so he could see the entire city from where he was sitting. Chapter 1439 Chapter 1439 The man, whose handsome face was riddled with mncholy, snapped out of his trance and nced at Sophia silently when he heard her calling him. The bedroom window was opened, allowing the gentle breeze to blow in, which caused the white curtain to dance around the man. It was quite a beautiful sight to behold if one had a thing for this kind of aesthetics. As though ustomed to the man not speaking, Sophia did not pay too much mind to his silence. Instead, she walked over to the window to close it before turning to him to ask, ¡°Your lunch is untouched, so I¡¯m guessing you haven¡¯t eaten. What about your medicine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken them.¡± Sophia nced at the medicine bottle on the bedside table. ¡°Zachary, the reason we came back to this city is to help Dad sell off all his assets here. We¡¯ll have less of a headache once that¡¯s done since we won¡¯t have to worry about the business dealings here anymore.¡± Zachary showed no response at having heard her. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed outside the window as he asked, ¡°Have I been to this city before?¡± Sophia was stunned before a look of guilt shed across her eyes. She squeezed out a smile and said, ¡°N¡­No. You were born in Molomia and lived there all your life. This is your first timeing to this city.¡± Zachary narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°Then why does it feel like I¡¯ve been here before? All the streets look so familiar¡­¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia chuckled nervously and said, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not surprising since all big cities look the same now. You¡¯re just overthinking things. Anyway, what do you want for dinner? I¡¯ll get room service to deliver it ¡°Whatever is fine. But I want to take a bath first.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia gently pushed him toward the bathroom. Once inside, Jeremy stopped the wheelchair with his hand and then said glumly, ¡°Here¡¯s fine. You can go out now.¡± ¡°The bathtub here is different from the one at home. Why don¡¯t I get in with you? That way, I can help you scrub your back as well,¡± said Sophia kindly. Zachary put up his hand. ¡°No, thanks. You go watch Benjamin. I¡¯ll be fine by myself.¡± Since he was so adamant, Sophia decided not to insist. She simply smiled and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go y with Benjamin first. Don¡¯t lock the door, and call me if you need any help.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± responded Jeremy. He wheeled himself in further and locked the door from the inside. Sophia stared at the bathroom door for a long while with clenched fists before finally turning to look for Benjamin. ¡­ Zachary slowly took off his shirt before unbuttoning his pants. He then heaved himself up to let his pants fall from the floor, revealing his two skinny legs. After that, he heaved himself clumsily into the bathtub before turning on the tap to let the water flow. He had been wheelchair-bound for the past three years. However, he was not really crippled. It was just that the muscles on his legs had atrophied so much that they could not support his weight anymore. He was told that his legs became like that after a car ident. Yes, he was told because he had no memories of what happened in his life before thest three years. Everyone around him told him he had broken his legs and lost his memory in the car ident. They also told him his name was Zachary Finnix, aged 33 years old, and had been living in Molomia all of his life. Also, both of his parents were dead, and he was taken in by Adam to be his godson. Chapter 1440 Chapter 1440 Zachary and Sophia were also childhood sweethearts. They were engaged to each other from the get- go. When the car ident happened, he and Sophia were already married for a year, and Sophia subsequently gave birth to their son, Benjamin Finnix. At least, that was what they told Jeremy after he woke up from the car ident. He could not remember anything before that no matter how many medicines he took over the past three years, and the doctor also announced that there would be no chance of recovery for his legs. Lulled by the warm water, Jeremy slowly drifted in and out of consciousness when he heard a knock coming from outside the door. ¡°Zachary, are you sure you don¡¯t need my help? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll slip and fall,¡± said Sophia. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just keep watching Benjamin.¡± Sophia tried to open the door but realized it was locked. ¡®Why did he lock the door when I told him not to?¡¯ she thought with a frown. ¡°Okay, then. Just let me know when you¡¯ve finished taking the bath. I¡¯ll help you blow-dry your hair!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­ Sophia walked out of the bathroom dejectedly and saw Benjamin had taken the cartoon mask he was wearing off his face. He was the spitting image of Zachary. Sophia could not help but shudder when she thought about her encounter with Corinne. Fortunately, Benjamin was wearing a cartoon mask then, or Corinne would have recognized him in an instant. ¡°Hey you! I¡¯m hungry. Feed me!¡± said Benjamin rudely and with a frown on his face. Sophia snapped out of her thoughts and lectured him angrily, ¡°Benjamin, how many times has Mommy told you not to talk to me like that? You should call me ¡®Mommy¡¯ and not ¡®hey you¡¯.¡± There was none of the childlike innocence on Benjamin¡¯s face at all. He scrunched up his face unhappily and lifted his chin proudly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry! Feed me!¡± Sophia did not know what to do with him, so she sighed and said, ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll ask the hotel to deliver us some food now.¡± After that, she called for room service using thendline, asking them to deliver some food for Benjamin. Once that was done, she turned to look resentfully at Benjamin, who was ying with a ball on the sofa. Frankly, she did not really love Benjamin. After all, she did not give birth to him. The only reason she stole the kid from Corinne was because she was afraid Corinne would use him as a trump card one day. Thus, she wanted to nip that in the bud. Initially, Sophia was going to throw the kid away after stealing him since she could always make another one with Jeremy. However, after Jeremy was beaten a hundred times by Adam, she hired an immensely talented psychologist who was also a master hypnotherapist from abroad to perform hypnosis on Jeremy so he would stay with her. However, Jeremy was no ordinary man. His willpower far surpassed that of an average person. The hypnotherapist had to use considerable effort and every tool in his arsenal to sessfully make Jeremy forget who he was. At first, Sophia was worried that Jeremy was only faking his memory loss to find a chance to escape. Thus, she deliberately fed him some medicine that would make his muscles shrivel so that his legs would not recover so quickly. That way, it would give the hypnotherapist more time to bolster up the hypnosis effect. Unfortunately, even though the hypnosis was sessful, Jeremy not only lost the use of his legs but also the use of his family jewel. This meant he would not be able to have a kid with Sophia.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1441 Chapter 1441 Sophia loved Jeremy deeply, having fallen for him since the very first day she saw him. Therefore, problems with his virility did not bother her too much. As long as Sophia could keep him by her side, she would consider herself sessful and happy. However, she believed that having a child together with Jeremy would help rekindle their feelings and solidify their bond. To that end, before his body had fully healed, she retrieved the child she sent away and tricked him by saying that the child was the result of their union. Jeremy believed in Sophia¡¯s words. After all, he and the child bore a striking resemnce to each other. Unfortunately, that child had never shown any affection for Sophia from a young age. No amount of love and care from her end could get him to call her ¡®Mommy¡¯. Sophia asionally grew impatient and wished she could scold the child, but the fear of Jeremy finding out was the sole factor holding her back from doing so. She had gone so far, and she could not bear to see her effort be in vain if she did not take a different approach. Sophia nned to be kind to the child and entice Jeremy into believing they were once a loving couple. Then, when Jeremy¡¯s health had fully recovered someday and they had a child of their own, there would be no need for her to deal with that child anymore. Jeremy would naturally grow fonder of their newborn, and she could then send the other boy abroad on the pretext of giving him a better education. Sophia¡¯s main obstacle was Jeremy¡¯s failing virility, for he firmly believed they were husband and wife. She chalked up his reluctance to let her assist him during his bath to his pride, and his refusal to let his wife see his vulnerable side. In short, Corinne could no longer exist in his heart or his memories. Years of brainwashing by the psychiatrist had erased all traces of her from his memory. Elsewhere, at a restaurant, the three kids were exhausted after some ytime in the children¡¯s yground. They each held arge slice of pizza and wolfed it down hungrily. Francine propped up her chin and gazed fondly at her three little nephews, finding them to be increasingly adorable with every passing look. Corinne, who sat beside Francine, seemed to be lost in thought. Thetter waved her hand in front of the former and said, ¡°Is something on your mind? We agreed to take the children out to y, but you¡¯ve been spacing out the whole time! Are you thinking about Jason?¡± Corinne snapped back to reality and gazed thoughtfully at Francine. ¡°No, I ran into Sophia at the kindergarten entrance.¡± Francine was taken aback upon hearing that. ¡°You ran into her? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be in Molomia? When did she return to the country?¡± Corinne replied, ¡°She said she came back just recently.¡± Francine frowned indignantly. ¡°I get angry every time I hear that woman¡¯s name! My brother would never have disappeared if it weren¡¯t for her. It¡¯s all her fault!¡± Corinne narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°She was holding a child in her arms when I met her.¡± ¡°A child?¡± Francine was once again overwhelmed by surprise. ¡°With whom?¡± Corinne had a skeptical look as she exined, ¡°She mentioned that she got married and had a baby with her husband.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Francine seemed to share Corinne¡¯s suspicions. ¡°And who is her husband? What¡¯s his name? What does he look like? Have you seen him?¡± Corinne shook her head. ¡°No, she was alone with the child.¡± Chapter 1442 Chapter 1442 Francine asked, ¡°Do you suspect her husband might be¡­¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne had her suspicions, but she dismissed them as thoroughly illogical. It could not have been Jeremy. Even if Sophia detained Jeremy and eluded their pursuit, he would never be willing to be with ¡ªand father a child to¡ªsuch a despicable woman. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t even know why I have this suspicion,¡± said Corinne. ¡°She said that her husband¡¯s surname is Finnix. We¡¯re probably overthinking it.¡± Corinne was as yet unaware that she had given birth to triplets. Everyone was afraid that the revtion would upset her, so they all agreed not to mention it to her. Francine was one of those who were in the know, and her first instinct was to suspect that Sophia¡¯s child was, in fact, Corinne¡¯s. Francine gritted her teeth warily. ¡°I¡¯m going to find out who her husband is.¡± Corinne did not pay too much attention to Francine¡¯s reaction and sipped her juice with a straw. She contemted the situation, firmly believing Jeremy¡¯s character was strong enough that he would not willingly stay with Sophia, let alone be controlled by her and father her children. That being said, the reason for Sophia¡¯s return to the country needed further investigation. After finishing their meal with the kids, Francine stayed behind and said that she was going to a friend¡¯s house for a while. She said that she would take a taxi to her destination. Corinne reminded her not to be out toote and brought her three children back. Francine headed straight to Newmoon Group. When Xante returned to her office from a meeting, she found Francine waiting outside her office with a somber expression. ¡°Why are you here, Miss Francine? Is there something you¡¯d like to discuss?¡± Xante asked, adjusting her gold-rimmed spectacles. Francine stood up and nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes. Something happened.¡± ¡®Something happened?¡¯ Xante thought. The first thing that came to mind was that it was rted to Corinne. A frown appeared on her face as she ushered Francine into the office. ¡°Please have a seat. What did you mean by ¡®something happened¡¯?¡± Francine remained standing as she said, ¡°Corinne and I took the three kids out to have fun, and she mentioned to me that she saw Sophia at the kindergarten entrance.¡± The long-forgotten name Sophia startled Xante, who raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°How did she react upon seeing Sophia? What has Sophia done to my boss?¡± Francine shook her head. ¡°She hasn¡¯t done anything. At least, not yet. Corinne told me that Sophia was holding a child in her arms. Sophia also imed to be married, and her husband¡¯sst name is Finnix! We¡¯ve been keeping tabs on Sophia¡¯s movements for years, right? Did you find out about that marriage? Who is her husband? When did she have that child?¡± Xante frowned. ¡°She has a child? We¡¯ve had people monitoring her and the Adam Group for so long, but we haven¡¯t detected anything unusual yet. Adam is pretty skilled at counter-surveince as well and frequently brings our men around in circles. Furthermore, Sohpia employed her private jet when traveling, and their family even had their own airport. This makes it very challenging for us to gain ess to such a location.¡± Chapter 1443 Chapter 1443 Francine frowned deeply. ¡°See! I knew you guys weren¡¯t monitoring her carefully enough! And I could say the same for our family, too! We haven¡¯t noticed any unusual goings-on at Adam Group, and we haven¡¯t heard anything about Sophia getting married or having a child. I find it very suspicious that Sophia is deliberately concealing her marriage and her children! Any normal woman would want the whole world to know that she¡¯s married, but Sophia is being incredibly secretive. Everything is being kept well under wraps! There is something fishy here!¡± Xante had to tread carefully regarding that situation. ¡°If Sophia intends to hide it, then why bring the child back to the country at such a time? And why would she let Corinne see her? It¡¯s quite a contradiction, don¡¯t you think?¡± Francine replied, ¡°How should I know? I came to you to ask for help! You must find out what Sophia has been up to after returning to the country. We need information about her husband and children, preferably including photos and detailed profiles! I don¡¯t want to bring needless stress to my family for now. My grandparents are old, and they won¡¯t be able to handle all this information.¡± Xante nodded reassuringly. ¡°I assure you that I¡¯ll assign someone to investigate this. You¡¯ll be swiftly informed of any developments.¡± Francine eximed uneasily, ¡°If your investigation brings up bad news, then it¡¯s best to keep it from Corinne. I highly suspect that the child Sophia is holding is the first child that Corinne gave birth to. However, Corinne is as yet still unaware that she delivered triplets. If we can¡¯t locate the child, I hope she¡¯ll never learn the truth about them.¡± Xante adjusted her gold-rimmed spectacles and said, ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯re even more concerned about our boss¡¯s feelings than you are.¡± Francine felt somewhat relieved and said, ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Please start the investigation as soon as possible. Now that Sophia is in the country, we have a better chance of keeping her under control. We¡¯ve waited for a long time for this opportunity.¡± Xante nodded and agreed, ¡°I understand.¡± After expressing her gratitude to Xante, Francine made her way to the door. She was worried about Corinne, as the encounter with Sophia might have stirred up some ufortable memories. She wanted to be there tofort Corinne and help her avoid all those messy thoughts. At the same time, she hoped that Xante would be able to uncover some clues. Francine had always believed that Sophia had locked Jeremy up somehow, but she could not wrap her head around how someone like Jeremy would end up in such a situation. ¡®What happened back then? Why did my brother end up in a wheelchair? Why had they both disappeared after Tommy escorted him to the airport?¡¯ Those were some of the questions in Francine¡¯s mind. Neither Jeremy nor Sophia boarded the ne, yet the ne coincidentally had an ident. The connection between all those events was simply perplexing. During the past three years, the Holdens, the Riveras, as well as Xante and Aaron, kept tabs on the Adam Group and Sophia. s, nothing unusual had been discovered. Adam wielded immense power in Molomia, making it difficult for these parties to operate effectively. They often encountered resistance from Adam¡¯s associates and were at risk of being discovered. With Sophia returning to the country, they needed to find some leads. After all, Francine had a gut feeling that her brother was still alive. As Francine approached the door, someone opened it from the outside. It was Aaron, who looked rather surprised to see her. ¡°Miss Francine, what brings you here?¡± Francine replied with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯ve exined everything to Miss Xante, so you can ask her to tell you what I said. I hope your side can make a quick investigation and prevent her from escaping again!¡± she said, leaving in a hurry. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Aaron muttered to himself in bewilderment, ¡°Let who escape?¡± Chapter 1444 Chapter 1444 Xante adjusted her gold-rimmed spectacles calmly and said, ¡°Francine told me that our boss encountered Sophia when she went to pick up the children today.¡± Aaron¡¯s expression froze. ¡°When did that woman return to the country? None of our people noticed that.¡± Xante narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and replied, ¡°She obviously knows that we¡¯ve been keeping an eye on her over the years. She has a strong sense of vignce, and her family power in Molomia is such that they are fully capable of avoiding us. She has every means of returning to the country undetected. ording to Francine, she imed to be married and was holding a child in her arms. Francine came to us because she wants us to find out who her husband is.¡± Aaron sat across from Xante and mused, ¡°I didn¡¯t think she got married so secretively. Our men have been keeping an eye on her, but no one has ever seen any man with her. Could it be¡ª¡± Xante was well aware of what Aaron was insinuating and immediately cautioned, ¡°We can¡¯t jump to any conclusions just yet. Have someone to find out several things: the hotel she¡¯s currently staying in, her husband¡¯s background, and the reason for her return to the country.¡± Aaron raised his hand and made an ¡®OK¡¯ gesture. ¡°Consider it done.¡± Aaron left the room to make the necessary calls. After a few minutes, he returned and reported, ¡°I found out that Sophia¡¯s family of three is staying at Exeter Hotel in the city center. They¡¯re apanied by about a dozen of Adam¡¯s most professional bodyguards.¡± Xante raised an eyebrow in intrigue. ¡°And her husband¡¯s identity?¡± ¡°There¡¯s hardly any usable information at the moment.¡± Aaron shook his head. ¡°I only found the name Zachary Finnix.¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. That name brought disappointment to Xante. They made some progress in finding out the name of the husband, but it was not the person they had been for many years. Aaron added, ¡°I also received some reliable information that Adam is considering retirement and ns to hand over the entire family business to his daughter, Sophia. She¡¯s willing to take over her father¡¯s business, which is why she returned to the country to sell off some of thepany¡¯s assets. She wants to pull everything out of the country and never return.¡± Xante pondered over that information in silence. The domestic market held significant potential for growth, yet Sophia was willing to dispose of those assetspletely. At Exeter Hotel. It took Jeremy an hour to finish his shower. He had limited use of his legs and feet, so dressing up was a very time-consuming task. After he had put on his clothes, he returned to his wheelchair and spent some time drying his hair before leaving the bathroom. Sophia had already fed their son, Benjamin, and put him to sleep. Seeing the man emerge from the bathroom, she wore a disappointed frown as she said, ¡°I understand you¡¯re concerned about your physical disability, Zachary, but you and I are husband and wife. I¡¯m not put off by what happened. It¡¯s dangerous for you to take a bath alone, so please don¡¯t avoid me like this. Let me take care of you. Please just give it a try!¡± The man rolled the wheelchair to the bed and nced deeply at his peacefully sleeping son. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to be a burden to anyone.¡± Sophia could not hide her sorrow and inadvertently raised her voice. ¡°You¡¯re not a burden to me, Zachary!¡± The sleeping child frowned, seemingly disturbed by the conversation. Zachary, too, frowned and brought a finger to his lips. He gestured for Sophia to speak softly and extended his hand to pat his son¡¯s back. In doing so, he wanted to encourage his son to sleep peacefully. The boy¡¯s frown gradually rxed, and he sank into a deep slumber. Chapter 1445 Chapter 1445 Sophia was also wary of waking up Benjamin. After finally soothing him to sleep, she sighed and whispered, ¡°Now that Benjamin is asleep, it¡¯s about time we get something to eat. I had some wine and steak sent to the hotel.¡± Jeremy raised his hand and dismissed her offer. ¡°Go ahead without me. I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°How are you not hungry when you haven¡¯t even eaten lunch?¡± ¡°You can go ahead and start eating,¡± Jeremy reiterated. ¡°I¡¯ll eat when I¡¯m hungry.¡± Sophia felt a bit displeased. She sensed that he might be intentionally avoiding a meal with her. However, given the circumstances with the sleeping child, she had little choice but to leave and eat alone. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Sophia,¡± came Jeremy¡¯s deep voice. She turned back in slight shock and replied, ¡°Yes, Zachary?¡± Jeremy looked at her with a listless gaze. ¡°I¡¯d like to go out for some fresh air tomorrow. Staying in the hotel all day is getting boring.¡± Sophia was taken aback and seemed to respond with a hint of defensiveness. ¡°The air quality in this country is hardly on the same level as Molomia¡¯s air quality. I wouldn¡¯t want your health to be affected if I took you out.¡± Jeremy was unsurprised as though he anticipated that response. However, he insisted on going out for fresh air, saying, ¡°Do you take me for a fragile nt that can only survive in a greenhouse outside of its natural habitat? Have you considered that I might never regain the use of my legs if I¡¯m being coddled all the time?¡± Sophia saw the dissatisfaction in his eyes. After a moment¡¯s thought, she agreed and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll discuss some business with one of thepanies here, then I¡¯ll pick you and Benjamin up in the afternoon for a family walk.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± came a rather emotionless reply. His gratitude left Sophia feeling somewhat distant in their rtionship. The next day was a weekend, and the weather was perfect for a person to be outdoors. After breakfast, Francine suggested taking the three kids on a pic to enjoy the weather. Corinne, on the other hand, sat with herptop and was engrossed in some real-time business consultations. She did not have much interest in the idea. It was not until her three kids approached her with googly eyes that she shifted her attention from the computer screen to them. Deep down, she felt conflicted and unable to resist their earnest pleas. With some reluctance, she closed herptop and conceded, ¡°Okay, okay! We can go! All your Aunt Francine knows is to bring you out to y!¡± Francine pursed her lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about their well-being! They don¡¯t have any kindergarten homework to keep them busy on weekends, and they¡¯ll get bored at home. It¡¯d be much better to use the time for an outing. Once they start elementary school, they¡¯ll have so much homework that they won¡¯t have any chance to go out and y! Besides, you¡¯ve been busy with work too, and this should be a day off for you to go all out and rx. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Corinne shot her a disdainful look. ¡°This pic is your suggestion, but I don¡¯t see you preparing any food.¡± Chapter 1446 Chapter 1446 Francine stood speechless for a moment. Shepletely forgot that she was supposed to prepare food for the pic! Pam emerged slowly from the kitchen and said, ¡°Corinne! I just had some desserts made for the children. There are cookies and cakes. We also have plenty of bread at home. I¡¯ll have the nanny make some sandwiches for you. I¡¯ll have all the food packed up nicely, and I trust that should suffice for a pic.¡± Francine burst into a smile upon hearing that and rushed toward her grandmother enthusiastically. ¡°Your timing is impable, Grandma!¡± Pam was not particrly fond of her vivacious granddaughter and pushed her away. By contrast, she looked at Corinne lovingly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been working very hard recently, and it¡¯s about time you take a break this weekend.¡± Corinne smiled and replied, ¡°Okay. I will.¡± The three children were thrilled and called out in unison, ¡°Thank you, Great-Grandma!¡± Hearing her great-grandchildren address her as great-grandmother was a source of pride and joy for Pam. ¡°Wait right here, kids! I¡¯ll prepare some more delicious treats for you. Be sure to listen to your mother and aunt when you¡¯re outter. Don¡¯t run around unsupervised.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Joey said. ¡°We¡¯ll be good!¡± Bryan added. ¡°Yes, Great-Grandma! I¡¯ll be good, too!¡± Christine said. Pam beamed with delight. ¡°Such good kids you all are!¡± After Corinne changed into her clothes, she helped the three children prepare some extra clothes and directed them to fill their water bottles. She then prepared for their departure downstairs. Pam had already loaded all the food into the cooler box in the car. Once everything was set, Corinne and Francine bid Pam farewell. They, along with the kids, got into the car and set off on their outing. Children¡¯s songs were yed in the car, and the three kids sang along in high spirits. They were as bright as the weather outside. Corinne¡¯s mood was greatly uplifted when she saw her children in such good spirits. All of a sudden, Francine instructed the driver to pick up someone from the University of New Capital City. The driverplied and turned the car around. Corinne seemed to have guessed what was going on and cocked an eyebrow at Francine. ¡°Are you seeing someone?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Francine¡¯s face turned beet red. ¡°N¡ªNo! He¡¯s just a ssmate. He said he wanted to join us, so I said yes! Having more people means more help with the kids!¡± Corinne shrugged and decided not to press further. She knew that Francine was picking up Chester, one of Corinne¡¯s juniors. Francine always had a crush on him. Corinne¡¯s guess was spot on. When the car reached the university, Chester was waiting readily at the gate. The two girls and children were in the back seat, so Chester got into the front passenger seat. As he settled in, he turned to Francine with a smile and greeted Corinne politely, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Corinne.¡± Corinne nodded, ¡°That, it has. I see you¡¯ve chosen to stay at the university as a tutor?¡± Chester ran his fingers through his hair and replied, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m not cut out for workce politics. Being a tutor suits me much better.¡± Corinne smiled andmented, ¡°That¡¯s good. You make a great teacher, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be better at teaching others if you had been able to ¡®teach¡¯ Francine.¡± She could not resist teasing them by cing some emphasis on the word ¡®teach¡¯. Chapter 1447 Chapter 1447 Francine blushed and replied awkwardly, ¡°What do you mean by that? He was very diligent in tutoring me back then!¡± Corinne neither exined nor rephrased her remark. Chester did not seem to pay too much mind to that either. He grinned shyly and looked at the three little kids seated between the two girls. He sighed. ¡°Time sure flies. The children are all grown up now.¡± Corinne tilted her head and looked out at the passing streetscape through the car window. She murmured, ¡°Yes. Time flies¡­ Three years have passed in the blink of an eye¡­¡± The city¡¯s lush parks were the preferred destinations for spring outings and pics. Many families brought their children here to y on weekends when the weather was perfect. Corinne and Francine led the children ahead, while Chester followed behind and helped carry their belongings. After finding a suitable empty spot on the field, Francine pointed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s set up our spot here!¡± Chester nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them busied themselves by spreading out pic nkets on the grass and arranging the food and drinks they had brought along. Francine took several photos of the food, beckoned the three children over so she could take pictures of them with the food, and shared some cheerful moments with them. The children loved their aunt dearly, and Francine felt the same toward them too. Chester was not much into taking photos, so he stayed out of the camera frame. He retreated a few steps to the side and observed quietly with a gentle smile in his eyes. Corinne walked over to Chester and asked softly, ¡°You¡¯ve fallen for her, haven¡¯t you?¡± Chester was surprised by the sudden question. His cheeks turned red, and he nodded earnestly. ¡°Honestly, I used to be biased against her. I thought she was uneducated and had the temper of a spoiled young brat. When you asked me to tutor her, I had the chance to interact with her more. That was when I discovered that she¡¯s a very simple girl.¡± Corinne agreed with that observation. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s pretty naive, especially in this department,¡± she said, tapping her forehead lightly. Chester understood her gesture and burst intoughter. He did not deny that Francine was not the most intellectually sharp person, but that formed part of her charm. As they chatted and watched Francine take pictures of the children, Corinne suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. It was almost as if a thorn was pricking her back. The sensation was an all too familiar one. It was the same feeling she got whenever a certain someone red at her. Corinne¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively turned to look in the direction of the eerie sensation. She spotted a man gazing at her in a wheelchair beneath a parasol. However, the man was wearing a sun protection mask and dark sunsses, which concealed his true appearance. It was unusual for men to be so concerned about ultraviolet rays, much less take such extensive protective measures against the sun. ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± Her son¡¯s cry drew Corinne¡¯s attention. Guided by maternal instinct, she immediately looked toward him. Bryan was excitedly jumping as he pointed to the sky in some agitation. Corinne walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bryan replied eagerly, ¡°Mommy, I want to fly a kite too! I want that Robot Man kite!¡± Corinne looked in the direction that Bryan was pointing toward and gazed upward to see a Robot Man- themed kite soaring in the sky.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 1448 Chapter 1448 Corinne indulged her children¡¯s requests most of the time. She patted Bryan¡¯s head and said, ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t get so anxious for now, though. I¡¯ll ask Aunt Francine and Uncle Chester to check if we can get one of those kites for you from a nearby ce.¡± Bryan nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Okay!¡± Corinne turned to Francine and said, ¡°Could you and Chester look around and see if there¡¯s a vendor selling kites nearby?¡± That would be the perfect opportunity for Francine and Chester to have some alone time, which did not come easy with the three little kids upying most of their time. Francine was undoubtedly delighted. After agreeing with a nod, she nced shyly at Chester and said, ¡°I¡¯d have to trouble you to find a nearby kite vendor with me!¡± Chester smiled and extended his hand toward her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. Let¡¯s go.¡± Francine was a little stunned at the sight of her crush¡¯s hand reaching out to her. She could not believe that Chester would offer to hold her hand! ttered by his gesture, she reached out in a daze and held his hand. Chester took her hand gently and led the way, with Corinne breathing a sigh of relief at how their rtionship was progressing. Corinne then remembered the strange man in the wheelchair from earlier and nced back in that direction. However, the ce was empty, and the man was gone. Corinne could not help but experience an odd sensation and made a peculiar association in her mind. Then, her daughter Christine approached her and asked with an adorable and naive expression. ¡°Is Aunt Francine in love with Uncle Chester?¡± Corinne snapped back to reality. She was amazed that her three-year-old daughter would know what the phrase ¡®in love¡¯ meant. She pursed her lips and looked at her daughter¡¯s innocent expression. ¡°Do you know what ¡®in love¡¯ means?¡± Christine nodded earnestly. ¡°Yeah! It means they like each other and are very happy together!¡± Corinne furrowed. ¡°Who told you that?¡± ¡°No one,¡± Christine said, ¡°I figured it out on my own from reading fairy tales! They always end with the prince and princess living happily ever after. This means they¡¯re in love!¡± Corinne did not know how to react at first. Though Christine was the youngest, she appeared to be the most mature of her three children. She had learned many words even before kindergarten and was able to read picture books as well as fairy tales on her own. Girls were usually more perceptive than boys, and it took Christine only a few fairy tales to grasp the concept of falling in love. Corinne ruffled her daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! Aunt Francine is in love with Uncle Chester, and Uncle Chester will be part of our family in the future!¡± Christine blinked. ¡°If Aunt Francine is in love with Uncle Chester, then who are you in love with, Mommy?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Corinne¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡®Who am I in love with? The person I loved has disappeared, and I no longer have anyone to share my feelings with.¡¯ Corinne mustered a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not in love with anyone. Not everyone needs to be in love.¡± Christine tilted her little head, seemingly a little worried, ¡°But fairy tales say you have to meet someone you like and fall in love to be happy! Does that mean you¡¯re not happy, Mommy? I don¡¯t want you to be unhappy!¡± Christine¡¯s innocent question left Corinne stumped. Chapter 1449 Chapter 1449 ¡°I am in love with someone,¡± Corinne answered, ¡°and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t fall in love with other people.¡± Christine asked curiously, ¡°Then who are you in love with? Where is he? Why isn¡¯t he here with you?¡± Corinne was speechless. Every child had their own endless set of questions for adults. She would never answer that if someone else posed such a question to her, but she could not do the same to her daughter. ¡°The person I¡¯m in love with can¡¯te back for now,¡± Corinne said helplessly, ¡°but once he¡¯s back, I¡¯ll have someone to love!¡± Christine asked again, ¡°Is that person Daddy?¡± Corinne was taken aback and nodded earnestly. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Daddy.¡± Christine pouted. ¡°But I don¡¯t like Daddy!¡± The little girl¡¯s response startled Corinne. ¡°Why do you feel that way when you haven¡¯t even met him before?¡± Christine huffed. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like him! The prince will always show up and save the princess when she needs him the most! He¡¯ll also fight dragons to protect her! But Daddy has never shown up for you! He doesn¡¯t like you, so I don¡¯t like him either!¡± A child¡¯s logic can be amusing at times, but on that asion, Corinne was made to feel a little sad. ¡°Before you were born, he always showed up when I needed him the most,¡± Corinne said with the utmost sincerity. Christine was puzzled. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he disappear after we were born? Does that mean he hates us?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Corinne shook her head. ¡°Not at all! He is caught up with something and can¡¯te back yet, but trust me when I say that he¡¯lle back one day. You¡¯ll like him, too.¡± Christine pouted, showing some resentment. ¡°But you always hug your pillow when you¡¯re sad at night, and he¡¯s never around tofort you¡­¡± Corinne did not expect her three-year-old daughter to be so empathetic with her emotions. She felt touched and forced a smile as she said, ¡°There are times when everyone will feel sad. It¡¯s normal. Your father also had his share of difficult moments when I wasn¡¯t with him. Christine, I don¡¯t want you to worry about all these things at such a young age, and I wouldn¡¯t want you to think badly of your father too. He¡¯ll ovee all his obstacles someday, and we¡¯ll be reunited as a family again. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± Christine gazed into Corinne¡¯s determined eyes and threw herself into Corinne¡¯s arms. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll be happy even when Daddy isn¡¯t around!¡± ¡°I will,¡± Corinne smiled. Francine and Chester returned after Corinne finished her heart-to-heart conversation with Christine. Corinne stood up and asked, ¡°How did it go? Did you find any vendors selling kites?¡± Francine blushed slightly because she was still holding Chester¡¯s hands. She shook her head and said, ¡°Chester and I searched everywhere, but we didn¡¯t find any vendors selling kites. The person probably brought it from home.¡± Corinne sighed and turned to Bryan, saying, ¡°There aren¡¯t any vendors selling kites here, but I¡¯ll buy it for you online once we get home. Is that okay?¡± Bryan lowered his head in disappointment and muttered, ¡°Okay¡­¡± Since he could not get the kite at that moment, he decided to meet the kite¡¯s owner. Chapter 1450 Chapter 1450 Corinne sat on the nket with her three children and enjoyed the food Pam prepared for them. Meanwhile, Chester and Francine were talking to each other some distance away. They had taken a small step in their rtionship and were thus very shy as a result. Joey had some mayo smeared on his mouth from the sandwich, so Corinne took out a tissue and gently cleaned it for him. ¡°Eat slowly, and don¡¯t rush.¡± In response, Joey nodded obediently. Bryan, who sat next to Joey, could not take his eyes off the kite soaring in the sky. When he noticed the kite drifting in a different direction, he quickly gobbled down the remaining half piece of sandwich. He then stood up and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m full! I¡¯m going over there to talk to Aunt Francine!¡± Corinne turned her attention to her youngest son and reminded him, ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t run too fast and trip!¡± Bryan acknowledged her warning and rushed over to where Francine was to get a better view of the kite. Once Corinne saw Bryan approach Francine safely, she turned her attention to Christine and offered some water from a bottle. Joey and Christine stayed obediently by Corinne¡¯s side while quietly enjoying their meal. Corinne asionally nced in Francine¡¯s direction to keep an eye on her youngest son¡¯s whereabouts. Bryan initially stayed close to Francine while he was captivated by the kite. At some point, Corinne looked over again and saw that Bryan was gone. Corinne¡¯s eyes widened, and she swiftly rose to her feet to scan her surroundings. ¡°Francine, where¡¯s Bryan?¡± Francine was engrossed in her conversation with Chester, but Corinne¡¯s rmed question snapped her out of it. She looked around with a worried expression and said, ¡°He was just here! He was looking at the kites¡­¡± Corinne noticed the Robot Man kite descending lower in the sky had immediately surmised where Bryan was. She ordered hastily, ¡°Francine, Chester, please keep an eye on Joey and Christine. I¡¯ll look for Bryan!¡± An anxious Francine looked on as Corinne left in a hurry. ¡°How are you going to look for him?¡± Corinne replied firmly without looking back, ¡°I know where he went! Just keep an eye on Joey and Christine for me!¡± Francine fidgeted anxiously, but Chester patted her shoulder tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Corinne knows what she¡¯s doing. She¡¯ll find Bryan. Let¡¯s do what she entrusted us to do and stay with Joey and Christine. We can¡¯t afford to let another child go missing.¡± Francine agreed, and they ran toward Joey and Christine. Meanwhile, the kite hadnded on an empty meadow across a forest. A child wearing a robot mask had rushed over to retrieve it. He dusted off the kite and began to trot back to his father. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. However, another boy who was almost as tall as him blocked his path. The neer blinked and asked in a somewhat impolite tone, ¡°Hey, where did you get that Robot Man kite?¡± The child in the robot mask felt that the rude boy was familiar, but he could not recall where they had met before. He remembered that his father had warned him about talking to strangers, so he ignored the question and walked past the boy after picking up his kite. Bryan, unhappy at being ignored, chased after Benjamin and blocked his way again. ¡°Why are you ignoring me? I asked you a question!¡± After being cornered, Benjamin said, ¡°My daddy told me I shouldn¡¯t talk to strangers or answer their questions.¡± Bryan disagreed and ced his hands on his hips in frustration. ¡°But my mommy taught me that we should be polite and help our new friends!¡± Benjamin snorted behind his robot mask. ¡°You¡¯re not being polite though! You should greet a person first before asking a question!¡± Chapter 1451 Chapter 1451 Bryan immediately realized where he went wrong. Frowning, he pouted and asked, ¡°Fine, then. I¡¯ll ask you again in a nicer way. Bro, where did you get your cartoon kite?¡± Benjamin liked the way Bryan called him ¡®bro¡¯, so he softened a little. ¡°My mom bought it at a toy shop in Molomia.¡± Hearing this, Bryan was about to tell Corinne when he asked again, ¡°Did you buy the mask you¡¯re wearing at the same toy shop as well?¡± Benjamin nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± After thinking about it, Bryan knew he would have to wait for some time to get his toys even if Corinne agreed to get someone to buy them for him in Molomia, so he came up with an idea. ¡°Can you sell your kite and mask to me for now and buy new ones when you go back to Molomia?¡± he asked. Benjamin frowned, thinking that the kid in front of him was trying to take advantage of him. Thus, he decided to ignore him and walked around him. However, Bryan grabbed his clothes. ¡°Bro¡­ You don¡¯t have to sell it to me if you don¡¯t want to, but at least let me wear your mask for a while. Just for a while¡­I really like it¡­¡± For some reason, Benjamin found it hard to say no to Bryan whenever he called him ¡®bro¡¯. After thinking it over, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright. You can wear it for a while. But you have to give it back to me after that, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, bro!¡± said Bryan seriously. Benjamin put down his kite and took off his cartoon mask. He passed the mask to Bryan, who immediately took it and put it over his face happily. He was so excited that he did not even notice what Benjamin looked like. ¡°Bryan!¡± Bryan quickly froze and looked over to where Corinne was calling him. Through the eye holes of the mask, he saw her running over hurriedly and instantly felt bad. He was about to get a scolding again! ¡°How could you run off without telling me again? Ooh, you¡¯re going to get smacked!¡± Corinne picked Benjamin up and lightly smacked his bum without giving him a chance to exin himself. ¡°What did I always tell you? Don¡¯t run off by yourself! Do my words mean nothing to you? What if you run into a bad person? Do you know how worried I was about you just now?¡± Benjamin was understandably in shock after he was taught a lesson by a stranger. However, he was not angry. He simply stared at Corinne nkly while thinking, ¡®Thisdy is so beautiful. She smells so nice¡­ And she¡¯s so warm¡­¡¯ At the same time, Bryan watched with confusion as Corinne walked away from him with Benjamin still in her arms. ¡®That¡¯s weird¡­ Why is Mommy going away with that kid? Did she mistake him for me? But how could that be? Do we really look that alike?¡¯ Suddenly, a woman Bryan did not know appeared in front of him and said angrily, ¡°Benjamin! What¡¯s taking you so long? Come here, now. It¡¯s time we go home!¡± Bryan instinctively became rmed and tried to get away from her so he could chase after Corinne. However, Sophia quickly grabbed him when she saw he was about to make a run for it. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Daddy is still waiting for us over there!¡± Chapter 1452 Chapter 1452 Bryan instinctively struggled. ¡°Let me go! I want my Mommy!¡± Sophia picked him up. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? Why do you say that? Now, be a good boy and stop throwing a tantrum. I¡¯m never going to bring you out to y anymore if you don¡¯t stop throwing a tantrum this instant.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re not my Mommy! Mommy, don¡¯t go! I¡¯m here! Save me! Someone¡¯s trying to kidnap me!¡± cried Bryan. Sophiapletely lost her patience by then. She could tolerate Benjamin treating her coldly and would not listen to anything she said, but how dare he say she was trying to kidnap him? She would show him who¡¯s who! It was just as well that Jeremy was not on scene, so she could teach the spoiled kid a lesson. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± said Jeremy suddenly from behind them. Sophia could only swallow back the angry tirade she was going to unleash on Bryan. She turned back and said helplessly, ¡°Zachary, I told Benjamin we had to go home now, but he wouldn¡¯t listen to me! I had no choice but to stop him from running off.¡± Bryan was still crying for his mother. However, no one could see his face because he was still wearing the cartoon mask. Jeremy frowned. ¡°Stop crying, ande here.¡± His voice attracted Bryan¡¯s voice. Liking Jeremy¡¯s voice, he stopped crying, sniffled, and looked over to him. What he saw was a man wearing ck sunsses and a ck face mask. This made him not want to go near him. Thinking the sunsses and face mask must have frightened him, Jeremy took off both of them. ¡°Come here, or I¡¯m going to get angry!¡± Bryan was instantly stunned. He had never seen such a handsome man before. He thought Jeremy was 10 times more handsome than the cartoon hero he worshiped! Bryan walked over to Jeremy as if he was in a trance. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome! Are you a hero too?¡± Jeremy frowned. ¡°Is that cartoon hero all you know? Have you forgotten what Daddy told you? Big boys don¡¯t cry. Understood?¡± Jeremy¡¯s tone might be stern, but he picked up Bryan gently and let him sit on hisp. Bryan stared at Jeremy¡¯s face with awe while imagining him as a secret cartoon superhero. ¡®He¡¯s really so handsome! If only he¡¯s my father.¡¯ As much as Sophia was resentful about the whole thing, she knew she should let it slide since he was just a child. She instinctively looked around to see if there was anybody there when Jeremy took off his sunsses and face mask. ¡°Zachary, I think it¡¯s best if you put your sunsses and face mask back on. The doctor says you¡¯re allergic to UV rays, so you¡¯re going to get hives again if you don¡¯t put them back on,¡± she reminded him. ¡°Okay,¡± said Jeremy monotonously before doing as he was told. Suddenly, the sound of gasps and awe came from around them. ¡°Babes! Did you see what the man in the wheelchair looked like? Oh my god, he¡¯s super hot!¡± ¡°I did! He must be the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever seen. Though he¡¯s a little too pale for my liking.¡± ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯te out very often since he¡¯s in a wheelchair, so he doesn¡¯t really get much sun exposure.¡± ¡°What a pity. If only he¡¯s healthy, then he¡¯ll be perfect. I guess life¡¯s fair.¡± Chapter 1453 Chapter 1453 Sophia shot a death re at the gossiping girls. It was clear she was warning them to shut up. The girls quickly shut up and looked away. ¡­ Corinne continued to lecture ¡®Bryan¡¯ as she carried him back. She was still very angry at him for running off. ¡®This kid is getting more and more out of hand and stubborn. How dare he run off by himself,¡¯ she thought. As for ¡®Bryan¡¯, he just listened to her mutely. He did not apologize or admit to any wrongdoing. Once they were back at their pic spot, Corinne put ¡®Bryan¡¯ down and asked him sternly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything? Do you know what you did wrong? There better not be a next time.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ stared at her with big sad puppy eyes. Francine sighed with relief when she saw Corinne was back with ¡®Bryan¡¯. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough, Corinne. He only ran off because he liked the cartoon kite so much. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t run off anymore if we get him one.¡± Corinne could not ept her reasoning. ¡°Even so, he shouldn¡¯t just run off without telling me. I think he¡¯s asking for a good smacking.¡± Francine quickly shielded ¡®Bryan¡¯ with her body. ¡°Bryan, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to your Mommy now.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ pouted for a second before breaking out in a loud sob. ¡°There, there. You must¡¯ve been scared all alone,¡± cooed Francine. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re back with Mommy and Aunt Francine now.¡± Corinne hated it when kids cried to get out of wrongdoings. She sternly pulled Francine away before grabbing ¡®Bryan¡¯ to face her. ¡°Why are you crying? How can you cry when you¡¯re the one who is in the wrong? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? I¡¯m going to count to three and if you still refuse to say you¡¯re sorry, I¡¯m going to smack your bum.¡± Instead of apologizing, ¡®Bryan¡¯ wailed even louder after that. Corinne was at the end of her patience, and as much as the thought of smacking her own kid pained her, she still raised up her arm. However¡­ Joey came running over to protect his little brother. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t hit Bryan! He knows what he did is wrong. I promise I¡¯ll keep an eye over him next time so he won¡¯t go running off again.¡± Christine stood by the side. Her big, bright eyes were focused on ¡®Bryan¡¯, realizing something was off about him. Corinne was stunned by Joey¡¯s action, but she sighed and said, ¡°Look at what a good boy your big brother is. When are you going to learn to be like him and make me stop worrying about you?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ pouted and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I want my Daddy¡­¡± Corinne¡¯s pupils shrank, and her face darkened immediately after she heard that sentence. Both Francine and Chester were stunned too. ¡®What did Bryan say? Did he say he wants his Daddy? He has never seen his Daddy before, nor does he have any memory of him, so why would he suddenly want his Daddy? This is his first time¡­Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne¡¯s going to be sad again when she thinks of Jeremy¡­¡¯ thought Francine. Corinne snapped out of her shock, squatted, and pulled ¡®Bryan¡¯ into a tight embrace. ¡°Why do you suddenly miss your Daddy? Where do you think we can find him?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ pointed in a particr direction. ¡°Daddy¡¯s over there. I want to go there to look for him¡­¡± Stunned, Corinne snapped her head to look at where he was pointing. Both Francine and Chester turned in that direction too. Chapter 1454 Chapter 1454 However, there was no one there at all, apart from a ck SUV that had just driven away. Corinne¡¯s face gradually softened. She turned back and said gently to ¡®Bryan¡¯, ¡°No more next time, you hear? You shouldn¡¯t run off by yourself no matter what because you¡¯ll make Mommy worry.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ stared at Corinne dazedly. His resistance went down after Corinne changed her tone. This was markedly different from the attitude he held toward Sophia; he would rebel against her no matter what she said to him. Corinne hugged ¡®Bryan¡¯ tightly and gently patted his back. ¡°You like those cartoon toys, right? Don¡¯t cry. Mommy will buy you and Joey lots of cartoon toys, okay?¡± Benjamin knew his name was not Bryan, but he could not resist Corinne¡¯s gentleness. Thus, he nodded and rested his head on her shoulder. ¡°Okay.¡± Everyone smiled when the mother and son made peace. Only Christine frowned with a heavy heart at the scene. Back at the hotel, the real Bryan had fallen asleep on Jeremy¡¯sp. Sophia wheeled Jeremy into the bedroom. Just when she reached out to pick up Bryan, he started crying in his dreams. She immediately pulled her hand back and the little boy stopped crying. She tried a few more times to pick him up, but she failed. ¡°Why is this kid being so difficult?¡± Jeremy looked down at Bryan with eyes full of fatherly love. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take care of him myself. You should get some rest too.¡± Sophia became angry. She was the one who raised the kid, and yet he did not even want to let her touch him! ¡°Zachary, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something different about Benjamin?¡± she asked. She knew he did not like her, but he never hated her to the extent of refusing her touch. Thus, she found the whole thing very odd. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jeremy did not find anything different about the sleeping kid in hisp. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t find it comfortable to sleep in the car so he¡¯s a bit grumpy right now. Plus, you should know that he always wakes up grumpy first thing in the morning.¡± Sophia sighed unhappily, thinking that the kid would be the death of her someday. After all, his grumpiness was already reserved for her and not his dad! It was obvious he knew who he could bully. She was tired, so she decided to let it slide. ¡°Okay then, I¡¯m going to take a shower first. You should put Benjamin on the bed and get some rest too. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired from holding him all the way in the car.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Jeremy with a nod. After Sophia went into the bathroom, Jeremy maneuvered his wheelchair to the side of the bed and then put Bryan down on the bed. Bryan frowned at the movement before turning to his side without waking up. Jeremy was gently pulling the nket over Brayn when the little boy muttered, ¡°Mommy, Bryan wants to eat chocte¡­ Mommy, hug me to sleep¡­¡± ¡®Bryan? Who¡¯s Bryan? Why is my son calling himself a name I¡¯ve never heard before?¡¯ thought Jeremy with shock. Chapter 1455 Chapter 1455 Jeremy recalled what Sophia said, that ¡®Benjamin¡¯ looked different somehow. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look at him but found nothing odd about him. Suddenly, an image of the girl he saw on the field shed across his mind. He was sure he had seen her somewhere before. Moreover, he could not help but feel his chest tightening at the thought of her chatting andughing away with another man. ¡®Who is she? Where have I seen her before?¡¯ he kept wondering. Meanwhile¡­ It was already dinner time by the time Corinne and the rest of them returned to the Holdens¡¯ mansion. Pam immediately came to wee them back when she heard their voices. Corinne and Francine came in with the three kids, whereas Chester had already gone back to his school. Even though Pam was old and frail, she would still want to pick up his great-grandchildren for hugs and kisses whenever she saw them. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She picked up the lightest of the three of them, Christine, and asked, ¡°Did you have fun today, sweetheart?¡± Christine wrapped her arms around Pam¡¯s neck and nodded. ¡°Yeah! It was super fun. The food you made was super yummy, Great-grandma! We all love it so much.¡± Her high praises made Pam grin from ear to ear. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll make super yummy food for you every day!¡± Christine smiled and nodded. ¡°Yay! But Great-grandma, Bryan didn¡¯t have much fun today. He was scolded by Mommy for running off by himself.¡± Pam immediately frowned. ¡°What? Bryan ran off alone?¡± Christine nodded rapidly. ¡°Yeah! You should scold him so he won¡¯t make Mommy angry again. She was so angry at him that it nearly made her cry.¡± Pam put Christine down and was about to pull ¡®Bryan¡¯ to ask him what happened, but he immediately hid behind Corinne¡¯s back as though he had seen a scary person. Pam was visibly hurt by his reaction. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Bryan? Don¡¯t you want to talk to me anymore? I¡¯m just going to ask you what happened. I promise I won¡¯t scold you. Come.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ continued to hide behind Corinne, hugging her legs anxiously. ¡®I¡¯m not Bryan! The only reason I came here is because I like this nicedy!¡¯ he thought. Other than that, he was scared of the unfamiliar environment and strange people around him. Sophia rarely took him out. Most of his time was spent at home with Jeremy, so he did not get to see other people much. This made him very frightened of all strangers except for the gentle Corinne. Seeing how scared he looked, Corinne said to Pam, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Grandma. I¡¯ve already lectured him. He must still be experiencing some after-shock. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine and talk to youter in the night.¡± Pam looked worriedly at ¡®Bryan¡¯, then back at Corinne. ¡°Corinne, what exactly happened? Is it as Christine said? That Bryan ran off by himself?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Yeah. He saw a kid with a toy he really liked, so he ran off to find that kid without telling us. It was a good thing we found him quickly. He has promised he won¡¯t do it anymore after I scolded him.¡± Even though Pam was not on the scene, she could not help but shudder at what happened. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Corinne. Taking care of three kids isn¡¯t easy. Not to mention, they¡¯re at a very naughty age where you can¡¯t ever take your eyes off them. I¡¯m so d the family has you.¡± Corinne smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all worth it since they¡¯re my kids.¡± Chapter 1456 Chapter 1456 As much as Pam was relieved to hear that, her heart still went out to Corinne. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help the kids wash up and rest a bit? Dinner will be ready soon.¡± ¡°Okay, Grandma,¡± Corinne replied with a nod. Joey led Christine upstairs while Corinne followed behind them. A few stepster, she noticed ¡®Bryan¡¯ Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. was not with them. She turned back around and saw him standing and looking around with a lost expression as though he was a deer caught in a headlight. Corinne picked him up and med herself for scaring him by being overly harsh on him. ¡°Bryan, Mommy¡¯s going to help you wash up. We¡¯lle down to have dinner with Great-grandpa and Great-grandma afterward, okay?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ said nothing. He simply flopped his head down on Corinne¡¯s shoulder to get a sense of security. He really liked Corinne¡¯s scent; it soothed him. Francine made sure Corinne and the kids had gone up before sidling up to Pam, whispering, ¡°Grandma, Bryan suddenly cried for his Daddy today. I think Corinne might have been affected¡­ She might be missing Jeremy¡­¡± ¡®What? Bryan suddenly cried for his Daddy?¡¯ thought Pam with shock. She then sighed heavily. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been easy for Corinne for the past three years. She never once gave up hope that Jeremy would After Corinne bathed Christine, she blew-dry her hair and helped her change into a pair of pink pajamas. Then, she filled up the bathtub again and asked Joey to bring Bryan in for their bath. The boys liked to y in the water. She would usually give them some toys, and the boys would y in the water for a while before washing up. On the bed, Christine was ying with her doll while Corinne looked up some work-rted information on herptop. A piece ofnd that Holden Group had been wanting to buy would be up for auction the next day. Jeremy had his eye on that piece ofnd even before he disappeared. Unfortunately, it was not up for sale then. The reason he wanted that piece ofnd was to build andmarkmercial area in the city. He was sure the project would be a hit since the location was very promising. He was not able to fulfill his dream three years ago, so Corinne thought she would do it for him. Corinne logged into the hacker system she had not touched for a long time to search for internal information about that piece ofnd. She was taking down notes when she suddenly noticed an old friend she had not talked to for a long time had logged in as well. She clicked on his profile picture and sent him a message. [Hello, Ghostlord. It¡¯s been a while.] After some time, he replied to her, [Do we know each other?] Corinne was stunned. [Aren¡¯t you Ghostlord?] [Sorry. I was in a car ident three years ago and lost most of my memory because of that.] ¡®He lost his memory?¡¯ Corinne found this odd. [Then howe you remember your login password?] [Muscle memory. My fingers typed the password in on their own ord.] Corinne politely replied, [Oh. I see. I¡¯m sure only good things wille your way after the car ident. You¡¯re lucky to have survived. Moreover, you don¡¯t have to worry about the past anymore.] Ghostlord did not think forgetting about the past was a good thing. In fact, he wanted to know what happened to him in the past. [Were we friends in the past?] Corinne thought about it; it would be an overreach for her to call them friends. [Umm¡­it¡¯ll be more urate to say we¡¯re online friends. We¡¯re actually not that close.] [Then have we seen each other in real life before?] [Yes, and no. A few years back, we both attended a hacker conference, but we were wearing masks then.] [Where was the hacker conference held?] [Kanton City.] Chapter 1457 Chapter 1457 [Does that mean I¡¯ve been to Kanton City before?] Corinne was baffled by Ghostlord¡¯s question. [Should be. Since you remember all of the things we talked about alone when I met you there.] There was a brief silence from Ghostlord. A minuteter, the word [Typing¡­] appeared under his profile picture. Corinne waited patiently for him to reply, but she suddenly heard her son crying from the bathroom, so she quickly typed out, [Sorry, but my son is crying. Talk next time.] She snapped shut herptop after she sent her text. She then got down from her bed and ran to the bathroom. Thus, she did not see the message Ghostlord sent her. [Which city are you in right now? Is it okay if we meet up? I really want to know about my past.] Meanwhile, Jeremy kept rereading thest message Corinne sent him with a regretful frown when he heard Sophia¡¯s footstepsing from outside. He quickly exited from the hacker system and pulled up another news website. Sophia pushed open the door and said, ¡°Zachary, stop reading all that useless news ande out for dinner now.¡± Jeremy nodded and calmly closed the website. Sophia did not notice the skepticism that shed across his face. All the information he got about his past was from Sophia. He used to believe her until Jade Rabbit, Corinne¡¯s online moniker, told him that he had attended a hacker conference in Kanton City before. Sophia, however, told him he had lived in Molomia all of his life, and this was his first time in New Capital City. One of them must be lying. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡®Jade Rabbit isn¡¯t close to me and doesn¡¯t know my real identity, so there¡¯s no reason for her to lie to me. That means¡­Sophia is the one lying. What exactly is she hiding from me?¡¯ wondered Jeremy. Corinne rushed into the bathroom and immediately saw ¡®Bryan¡¯ crying with his arm over his eyes. Joey looked at him with a lost and confused expression. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Corinne. ¡°Bryan wouldn¡¯t take off his clothes, so I thought I¡¯d help him, but he wouldn¡¯t let me either¡­ I tried to pull him and invite him to y with the toys together in the bath. That¡¯s when he started crying¡­¡± exined Joey with a bewildered expression. After hearing that, Corinne squatted down to ¡®Bryan¡¯s¡¯ eye level to ask him, ¡°Hey little guy, you don¡¯t want to take a bath?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ sniffled and said stubbornly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take a bath with other people!¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°But Joey¡¯s your brother, not other people. You two have always taken a bath since you were little. Howe you suddenly don¡¯t want to take a bath with him anymore?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ looked at Joey and then back at Corinne. ¡°He¡¯s not my brother. I don¡¯t have a brother.¡± Hurt and shock riddled Joey¡¯s face. His head immediately dropped. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, Bryan?¡± asked Corinne, a little angry. Chapter 1458 Chapter 1458 ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense! I really don¡¯t have a brother,¡± said ¡®Bryan¡¯ with a pout. Corinne became really angry. ¡°Bryan, you¡¯ve been a really naughty boy today. Mommy¡¯s not going to like you if you keep on being like this!¡± she said sternly. ¡®Bryan¡¯ panicked when he saw the disappointment in Corinne¡¯s eyes. He grabbed her hand and pleaded, ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t hate me, Mommy¡­¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. He actually did not find it hard to call her ¡®Mommy¡¯. It was also the first time he called any woman that. Sophia would keep reminding him to call her ¡®Mommy¡¯ at home, but for some reason, he could not and would not. His submission did not make Corinne¡¯s anger disappear, however. ¡°Go apologize to Joey now! You¡¯ve really made him sad, do you know that?¡± lectured Corinne sternly. Bryan pouted and walked over to Joey. ¡°Sorry, Joey. Please don¡¯t be angry. I promise I won¡¯t say things like that anymore¡­¡± Joey raised his head and smiled forgivingly at ¡®Bryan¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, Bryan. You and Christine will forever be my favorite people in this world.¡± He then hugged him. ¡°Mommy said we¡¯re all one big family, so we have to take care of each other no matter what.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ was not used to being hugged by a stranger, but he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in his heart when he felt Joey¡¯s sincerity. Being an only child, Benjamin was not taught by his parents how to get along with his ¡®siblings¡¯, and he did not have much contact with kids his age. In fact, most of his time was spent ying alone by himself. ¡®So this is what it feels like to have a brother,¡¯ thought Benjamin. Corinne finally smiled after seeing the two boys made up with each other. ¡°Alright, you two get into the bathtub now. Great-grandma will be calling us down for dinner soon,¡± she said. Both Joey and ¡®Bryan¡¯ quickly took off their clothes and jumped into the bathtub. Corinne picked up a hair tie from the sink counter and tied up her hair in a ponytail. She then sat down beside the bathtub and squeezed out some kid shampoo onto her palm. ¡°Mommy¡¯s going to wash Joey¡¯s hair first and then yours, okay?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Corinne carefully washed Joey¡¯s hair so that no shampoo would get into Joey¡¯s eyes. ¡­ Half an hourter, Corinne changed into some dry clothes after she finished washing the two boys¡¯ hair. The two boys dashed out of the bathroom, giggling happily. Initially, ¡®Bryan¡¯ was scared of the unfamiliar environment, but hepletely rxed after ying with Joey in the bath. He liked the new ce. More urately, he liked the atmosphere created by the loving family. As a matter of fact, he did not want to go back to his real home anymore. He only had Sophia to y with back at his own home, and he found her very boring. However, he did miss Jeremy a little¡­ ¡®Oh well,¡¯ he thought with a shrug, ¡®I¡¯ll go back home after ying here for a few days.¡¯ Joey and ¡®Bryan¡¯ chased each other around the room, and one of them identally knocked over Christine¡¯s doll. ¡®Bryan¡¯ quickly picked up the doll from the floor and gave it back to Christine. Christine took the doll from his hand and said cautiously, ¡°I know you¡¯re not Bryan.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ was shocked. How could Christine, the youngest of them, know when even Corinne and Joey did not notice anything was amiss? He did not know what to say to her since he did not know how to lie yet. Chapter 1459 Chapter 1459 At that moment, someone knocked on the bedroom door. ¡°Kids, time for dinner! There¡¯s barbecue ribs, all of you guy¡¯s favorites today!¡± said Francine from outside the door. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Joey¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when he heard there were barbecue ribs. He grabbed ¡®Bryan¡¯s¡¯ hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat barbecue ribs now!¡± Benjamin snapped out of his shock. He looked at Joey, and then back at Christine. He still had no idea how to answer Christine. He did not want to admit he was not Bryan as he was afraid Corinne would send him home if he came clean. He still wanted to stay and y. Thus, he ignored Christine and ran downstairs with Joey. ¡°Hey, be careful! The barbecue ribs aren¡¯t going anywhere so there¡¯s no need to run!¡± said Francine exasperatedly when they dashed past her. However, the two boys were already out of sight by then. Francine shook her head and turned to look at Christine. ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s true girls mature faster than boys,¡¯ she thought with relief. ¡°Christine, where¡¯s your Mommy?¡± Christine, who was still hugging the doll, pointed to the bathroom. ¡°Mommy¡¯s in there.¡± Francine walked toward the bathroom and took a look inside. Corinne was picking up the kids¡¯ clothes from the floor for the servants to washter. ¡°Corinne, dinner¡¯s ready,¡± said Francine. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go,¡± replied Corinne as she came walking out with the kids¡¯ clothes in her arms. Francine nced at the clothes she was carrying and noticed something off about them. ¡°Hey, whose clothes is this?¡± she asked. Corinne looked down at the clothes she was carrying. Most of the kids¡¯ clothes were either bought by her or Francine. Sometimes, Pam would Thus, Corinne remembered most of the clothes the kids had. Moreover, she and Francine would usually buy the clothes from a few fixed brands since they liked the quality and hypoallergenic materials used. Unlike little girls¡¯ clothes, little boys¡¯ clothes were usually those few styles. The white polo tee she was holding was an example. Bryan had a few of them in a simr style, but she and Francine had never even heard of the brand tag they were looking at that moment. Francine took the white polo tee to have a closer look. ¡°Corinne, did you buy this for Bryan? Howe I¡¯ve never heard of this brand?¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it.¡± ¡°This is odd. If you didn¡¯t buy it, and I didn¡¯t buy it, howe Bryan has this polo tee? Give me a second, I¡¯m going to look up this brand online.¡± Francine took out her phone and searched for the brand name online. The result showed that it was an indie brand from Molomia, and thepany only sold its products there. ¡°Well, this is even odder. We haven¡¯t been to Molomia for quite a while. How did Bryan end up with this polo tee?¡± said Francine. Corinne found the whole thing troubling, too. She was so focused on scolding ¡®Bryan¡¯ at the park that she did not even notice her own son was wearing unfamiliar clothes. Chapter 1460 Chapter 1460 ¡°Corinne, could their kindergarten teacher mistakenly think this was Bryan¡¯s clothes and let him wear it back? And it¡¯s only just now we¡¯ve noticed the mistake?¡± asked Francine. After thinking about it, Corinne thought it was possible. ¡°Most probably. Let¡¯s have dinner first. We shouldn¡¯t make Grandpa and Grandma wait,¡± she said. ¡°Okay!¡± replied Francine with a nod. She then reached out her hand to Christine, saying, ¡°Come, Christine. Let¡¯s go down to have dinner.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Francine¡¯s voice snapped Christine out of her thoughts. The little girl jumped down from the bed and followed Francine and Corinne out of the room. ¡­ During dinner, Corinne quietly observed ¡®Bryan¡¯ and noticed something odd about him again. He did not know how to use his utensils properly. All of her three kids were smarter than their peers, and she did not need to teach them how to use utensils since they learned it themselves. However, at that moment, it was like the boy¡¯s fork and knife were fighting with each other. No matter how much he tried, he could not pick up his food. Corinne could not help but feel that it was very weird for him to behave like that. She finally opened her mouth when she saw him giving up and choosing to use his hand instead. ¡°Bryan, don¡¯t use your hand to eat!¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ seemed to not have heard her. He did not even look at her. Instead, he shoved the barbecue ribs into his mouth with his hand. He rarely had barbecue food at home, so this was his first time enjoying barbecue ribs. Corinne was not at all happy at being ignored. She knocked on his te and said, ¡°Hey, Mommy¡¯s talking to you.¡± It was only then ¡®Bryan¡¯ realized Corinne was speaking to him. He looked innocently at her and said, ¡°Mommy, this food is so delicious!¡± Corinne¡¯s unhappiness immediately disappeared when she saw how cute ¡®Bryan¡¯ looked with his puffy cheeks stuffed full of food. Nheless, she still said, ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t eat with your hands. Look at your brother and sister. They¡¯re both using their utensils properly.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ looked at Joey and then at Christine. They were indeed using their forks and knives properly. However, he did not know how to use those utensils yet. He tried, but he failed. ¡®This prettydy might realize I¡¯m not her son because of this¡­ No¡­ I really like it here. I don¡¯t want to leave just yet,¡¯ he thought. He loved the food there as well and wished he could eat there every day. ¡°Sorry, Mommy. I was so hungry just now that I forgot my manners,¡± he said. Francine felt sorry for him on ount of how pitiful he looked, so she jumped in to defend him, ¡°You should just let it go, Corinne. He didn¡¯t eat anything at the pic ¡¯cause all he wanted to do was to look at the kite. He must be very hungry. Why not just let him eat with his hands since they¡¯re already dirty? You can always teach him the right manners next time.¡± ¡®She¡¯s right. Bryan must be very hungry since he didn¡¯t eat much just now,¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 1461 Chapter 1461 Fine. You can eat with your hands this time. But promise me there¡¯ll be no more next time,¡± said Corinne with a sigh when she saw his hands were sticky with barbecue sauce. ¡®Bryan¡¯ quickly nodded and said, ¡°I promise, Mommy! Thank you, Mommy! Thank you, Aunt Francine!¡± Corinne thought there was something off about ¡®Bryan¡¯, but she could not point out what she found so odd about him. He still looked the same as ever, but his behavior was very puzzling. Then again, kids could be unpredictable, so it still made some sort of sense. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it. The white polo tee could be just a mistake on his kindergarten teacher¡¯s part¡­ Just like Francine said,¡¯ she thought. Corinne took a few bites of her food absent-mindedly when her phone suddenly vibrated. She picked up her phone and saw it was a message from Lucas. [Corinne, I¡¯m outside the mansion. Pleasee out if you¡¯re free. It¡¯s urgent.] Corinne stuck by her decision to not go back to being a Rivera, though she maintained somewhat of a familial rtionship with Lucas. However, he rarely came to look for her at the Holdens¡¯ mansion, so that meant his visit must be very important. Corinne put down her utensils and got up. ¡°Please excuse me. A friend has dropped by for a visit. I ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. need to go out for a while.¡± Greg nodded and simply said, ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± ¡°Why not ask your friend to join us for dinner since he¡¯s already here?¡± said Pam warmly. Corinne waved her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think he can stay for long. Please continue with the dinner, Grandma. No need to wait for me.¡± Pam simply nodded and said nothing else after that. Corinne walked out of the mansion gate and immediately saw a ck minivan parked not far away. She walked over and the driver quickly got down to open the car door for her. ¡°Miss Corinne, please get into the car,¡± he said. ¡°Mister Lucas, what brings you here?¡± asked Corinne as soon as she got into the car. Lucas turned to look at her and then at the mansion gate. He sighed with disappointment when he saw it was quiet. ¡°I thought you¡¯d at least bring out the kids to let me see them.¡± Corinne yawnedzily. ¡°They¡¯re having their dinner right now. They won¡¯t want to continue eating if I interrupt them. Plus, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve brought them gifts and snacks again. They¡¯re not going to want to eat their dinner if they knew.¡± Lucas smiled. He was always impressed by how smart she was. ¡°Yeah, I just came back from a business trip. I bought the kids some gifts. You¡¯ll need to ask the servants to carry them in ¡¯cause it¡¯s quite a lot.¡± Corinne frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t buy them so many gifts next time. They have everything they need.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether they need it or not. I¡¯m just doing my part as their uncle. I don¡¯t get to see them much, so the only thing I can do is shower them with gifts. That way, they won¡¯t forget about their Uncle Lucas.¡± Corinne facepalmed herself and said helplessly, ¡°Fine. Do whatever you want. It¡¯s not like I can stop you anyway. Why don¡¯t we get to the matter of why you¡¯vee here to find me? You¡¯ve nevere here even if you want to see the kids since you prefer to meet them elsewhere, so I¡¯m guessing you have something very important to tell me.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something very important,¡± said Lucas seriously, ¡°I just came back from Molomia and there, I happen to have the good fortune of buying a painting of Nellie Nymphaea.¡± Corinne was a little stunned to hear that name. ¡°Which one?¡± she quickly asked. ¡°It¡¯s one we¡¯ve never heard of. It¡¯s called ¡®Night¡¯.¡± Chapter 1462 Chapter 1462 Corinne had never heard about that painting before. ¡°How did you discover that painting?¡± she asked. ¡°I saw it at a friend¡¯s house. Moreover, the paint on the canvas isn¡¯tpletely dry yet.¡± Corinne¡¯s eyes became focused. ¡°And you think it was painted by Nellie Nymphaea?¡± Lucas nodded sombrely. ¡°Yes. Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s style and brush strokes can be imitated, but there¡¯s one habit that our mom has that no one else knows about.¡± Corinne did not have much memory about her mother so she looked curiously at Lucas. ¡°What habit?¡± ¡°Mom always adheres to a very standard way of holding her brush when painting, but when ites to signing her works, she¡¯ll put her hand down, causing her to pick up some paint from the canvas. And this will show up as a ¡®C¡¯ shape next to her signature. ¡°Every time, she would try to fix her mistake and remind herself not to do it again, but she never does remember. So the same thing would happen again and again. The painting I bought this time has a little ¡®C¡¯ paint mark next to the signature. She must¡¯ve thought it was okay to leave it there since it was a painting she did in a spur.¡± At that moment, Edmund¡ªwho was sitting in the front passenger seat on stand-by¡ªpassed Corinne a painting that was about the size of an A4 paper. ¡°Please have a look at this, Miss Corinne.¡± Corinne took the painting from him and saw the tell-tale ¡®C¡¯ mark next to Nellie Nymphaea¡¯s signature, just as Lucas said! Her hands started trembling. The ¡®C¡¯ mark had all the lines and folds of the side of a hand running through it. This meant she would be staring at her own mother¡¯s handprint if she was still alive. After so many years, she finally came face-to-face with proof that her mother was still alive! Corinne raised her head and stared fixedly at Lucas with reddened eyes. ¡°How did your friend get this painting? And howe the paint isn¡¯t dry yet? Does your friend know Nellie Nymphaea?¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°My friend said this painting was drawn by her art teacher when she came over to her house to teach her a lesson. Her art teacher had just left when I went to visit that friend of mine. That¡¯s when I saw the painting.¡± ¡°Then did you ask your friend to arrange a meeting with her art teacher for you?¡± asked Corinne hurriedly. Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened. ¡°Of course I did. Regretfully, I didn¡¯t get to meet her art teacher because she and another student went out on a field trip to do somendscape painting. She wasn¡¯t sure she would be back, but she promised she¡¯d inform me first thing when her art teacher is back.¡± Corinne grabbed Lucas¡¯ hand, which was the first time she had ever done so out of her own ord. ¡°You must bring me to go meet with your friend¡¯s art teacher too when she¡¯s back.¡± Lucas¡¯ heart ached when he saw how teary Corinne¡¯s eyes had be. He stroked her head gently and said, ¡°Of course I will. If not, I wouldn¡¯t havee rushing here to tell you the news as soon as I got down from the ne.¡± For the past three years, Corinne had been taking care of three kids by herself. In fact, without Jeremy by her side, it would not be an overstatement to call her a widow. There had been no news about Jeremy, so everyone was preparing for the worst. However, Lucas knew it would be useless to persuade Corinne to find another husband. As much as it pained him to see her so sad, he knew the only thing he could do was to protect her. It was also why he rushed over to tell Corinne the good news about their mother as soon as he found out about it. That way, it would at least give her something to look forward to. Corinne gradually calmed down as she went back to staring at the painting. ¡°By the way, Mister Lucas, I¡¯m preparing to bid on the piece ofnd on Serenity Bay on behalf of Holden Group during an auction tomorrow. I¡¯ve already looked into the owner of thend. He¡¯s called Brian Addison. He also owns thend beside Serenity Bay which he didn¡¯t put up for auction but Holden Group has intentions to buy it as well. Do you know who Brian Addison is? Do you have his contact?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 1463 Chapter 1463 Lucas¡¯ eyes darkened with caution when he heard the name ¡®Brian Addison¡¯. Corinne was observant enough to catch the changes in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t like Brian Addison?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°Brian Addison was the name Adam used when he was still living in this city.¡± ¡®What? They¡¯re the same person?¡¯ thought Corinne with shock. ¡°Does that mean that piece ofnd belongs to Adam?¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°What time is the auction tomorrow? I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s at ten in the morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle pick you up tomorrow then. Meeting¡¯s finished. Now ask the servants to carry the kids¡¯ gifts from the trunk inside.¡± ¡°Sure. By the way, thanks,¡± replied Corinne absent-mindedly. A few momentster, a group of servants came out of the mansion to bring the gifts for the kids inside. Corinne watched Lucas¡¯ car leave with a thoughtful expression. She then looked down at the painting in her hand. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡®There¡¯s finally a lead on Mom. Maybe there¡¯ll be a lead on Jeremy too¡­¡¯ ¡­ The kids were overjoyed to get new toys. ¡°Mommy, are all these toys from Uncle Lucas?¡± asked Joey with bright eyes as he held the toys that were meant for him. Even though Corinne did not admit Lucas was her brother, she did not mind her kids calling him ¡®Uncle Lucas¡¯. ¡°Yup. Uncle Lucas specially bought them for you all,¡± replied Corinne. She then handed one of the extrarge boxes to Bryan. ¡°Here, this is yours, Bryan.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ was quietly watching from the side, and his expression immediately turned to one of happy surprise when Corinne gave him the box of toys. ¡°Are¡­ Are they really for me?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Of course they are. This isn¡¯t the first time Uncle Lucas bought you toys. Why do you look so surprised?¡± Of course ¡®Bryan¡¯ was surprised. After all, he was actually Benjamin. Inside the box was a set of ultra, high-end toy excavators. Even though he had a lot of toys at home, he had never seen such toy excavators as well-made as these. He always liked excavators, but Sophia would not buy him toys like that. She said only those at the bottom of society would want to drive a vehicle like that. Thus, she would not allow him to touch it nor could he y with dirt. Instead, she would buy him car models of high-end brands. He found those very boring to y with. Benjamin happily hugged the toy excavators to his chest. He was practically in heaven! He could not believe how lucky he was to live there. Corinne passed Christine her share of the toys before calling Lucas on the phone so that the kids could thank him. After that, she went to search online for more information about Brian Addison while the kids yed with their new toys. ¡®So Brian Addison is Adam. Adam Group has been selling off its assets one after another in this countrytely. Maybe that¡¯s why Sophia¡¯s back¡­ She¡¯s here to help her dad handle the affair,¡¯ thought Corinne. Chapter 1464 Chapter 1464 The next morning, Lucas picked up Corinne at the mansion. The two of them went to Agatha Auction House together. Christine begged to go with Corinne. Not wanting to break her heart, Corinne decided to bring her along with ¡®Bryan¡¯ and Joey. The two adults and three kids walked into the venue, and a manager quickly came out to wee them. ¡°Wee, Mister Lucas. Your private booth is ready. Allow me to bring you there now,¡± said the manager respectfully. Lucas, who was carrying Christine in his arms, nodded and followed the manager. Corinne, who was holding the two boys in each hand, did the same. Their private booth was located on the second floor, which allowed them to have a clear view of the fully-packed floor below. Lucas nced at the crowd below before going into their private booth. ¡°This auction sure has attracted a lot of people. I¡¯m guessing there¡¯ll be some highly-sought items up for auctionter?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. The manager smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, Mister Lucas. Most of them are here for that piece of Lucas entered the private booth and sat on one of the chairs with Christine on hisp before saying to the manager, ¡°No coffee. Bring some beverages that the kids can drink.¡± The manager bowed. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas. I¡¯ll ask my staff to prepare some snacks and beverages for the kids right away.¡± After that, he exited the private booth to instruct his staff to deliver some snacks and beverages to Lucas¡¯ private booth. Lucas looked down at the little girl in hisp and asked her gently, ¡°What do you want to eatter, Christine? You can tell me. I¡¯ll bring you and your brothers to the restaurant after your Mommy and I have finished our work.¡± His tone was so gentle that it was as if he was afraid she would break if he was any louder. Christine blinked innocently at him and said, ¡°Ask Mommy! I¡¯ll eat whatever Mommy wants to eat!¡± Lucas tapped her nose. ¡°You sure are a mommy¡¯s girl, huh? She¡¯s very lucky to have you.¡± ¡°Of course. Mommy¡¯s the best!¡± said Christine seriously. Her words prompted Lucas to burst out with gleefulughter. Corinne picked up Joey and put him on the chair beside her before picking up ¡®Bryan¡¯¡ªwho was still acting a little weird¡ªand cing him on herp. She observed the scene before her with narrowed eyes. ¡°All these people must be eyeing the piece of Lucas turned to her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you get what you came for today.¡± Corinne was frankly confident she would get thend, so she did not show any particr reaction. However, the same could not be said for ¡®Bryan¡¯. His eyes had turned as big as saucers as though he had seen something shocking. Lucas noticed this, so he turned to look at what the little boy saw. Through the opened door of the private room directly opposite them was a man being wheeled into the room in his wheelchair. For some reason, he thought the man in the wheelchair looked familiar, but the door closed before he could get a closer look at him. After thinking about it, he decided not to tell Corinne. Instead, he asked ¡®Bryan¡¯, ¡°Hey, little guy. Did you see something that scared you?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ snapped out of his shock and said guiltily, ¡°I¡­ I need to pee-pee¡­¡± ¡®Oh. He just wants to pee¡­¡¯ thought Lucas. ¡°Shall we go to the restroom, then?¡± he asked patiently. ¡®Bryan¡¯ quickly shook his head. ¡°I can go by myself! I know where the restroom is.¡± After that, he jumped down from Corinne¡¯sp and ran off to find the restroom. However, he had not even taken a couple of steps before Corinne grabbed him. ¡°Have you forgotten what Mommy told you yesterday? That you shouldn¡¯t run off by yourself?¡± she said sternly. Chapter 1465 Chapter 1465 ¡®Bryan¡¯ turned and pouted. ¡°I need to poo too, and I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll miss your auction, Mommy. Maybe Joey cane with me? I know where the restroom is!¡± Joey naturally was willing to apany his little brother to the restroom. He happily jumped down from his chair and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll take Bryan to the restroom! I promise I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. We¡¯ll be back in no time.¡± As sensible as Joey was, Corinne was still reluctant to let two little boys go alone. Thus, she said to Edmund, who was standing by, ¡°Edmund, it¡¯s not convenient for me to go into the men¡¯s restroom, so please look after them for me.¡± ¡°Of course, Miss Corinne,¡± said Edmund with a respectful nod. Edmund took Joey and ¡®Bryan¡¯ to the restroom. Not long after that, the manager walked in with a few waitresses to serve them some imported snacks and milk-based beverages. ¡°Who else is there on the second floor?¡± asked Lucas nonchntly. The manager¡¯s smile froze at the question. ¡°Umm¡­ Sorry, Mister Lucas. I can¡¯t tell you since the auction house takes clients¡¯ privacy very seriously. Please do understand¡­¡± Lucas decided to let it go. He gestured with his hand to tell the manager and waitresses to leave after putting down the snacks and beverages. The waitresses were staring at him so intently as though wanting to see right through the very core of his soul. This annoyed him to no end. The manager noticed this, so he quickly brought the waitresses out and closed the door quietly. ¡­ ¡®Bryan¡¯ entered the restroom with Joey behind him while Edmund stood guard at the door. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ wondered Benjamin in dismay. He came out to look for his father. It really surprised him to see Jeremy going into the private booth opposite theirs. However, it was near impossible for him to go look for Jeremy with Joey and Edmund both keeping an eye on him. ¡®Daddy must be worried sick about me since I didn¡¯t go homest night,¡¯ he thought. ¡®How can I slip out of the restroom without being noticed?¡¯ Joey frowned when he saw ¡®Bryan¡¯ standing still in a daze. ¡°Are you okay? Didn¡¯t you say you need to pee?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ snapped out of his daze, and an idea immediately appeared inside his brain after he gazed at Joey. ¡°Joey, can you pleasee into the cubicle with me? I¡¯m a little scared to go in by myself¡­¡± Joey found this odd because ¡®Bryan¡¯ was never this timid, as far as he recalled. As a matter of fact, he thought his little brother had been acting weird ever since he was scolded by their mother for running off yesterday. However, as an older brother, he also thought he should do whatever he could to protect his little This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. brother, so he said, ¡°Sure! Don¡¯t be scared, Bryan. I¡¯ll go in with you.¡± After that, he held ¡®Bryan¡¯s¡¯ hand and they entered the cubicle together. However, they had not been in there long when one of them screamed out loud. ¡°Argh!¡± Edmund immediately rushed in when he heard the scream. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 1466 Chapter 1466 Edmund opened the cubicle door and saw Joey¡¯s hands dripping wet and his face all scrunched up. ¡°Sorry. I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do it! Mister, I identally made Joey trip, and both of his hands went into the toilet bowl,¡± said ¡®Bryan¡¯ guiltily. Edmund was speechless. ¡®I guess it¡¯s true you can never take your eyes off of kids since all kinds of things can happen¡­¡¯ Edmund did not know whether tough or cry when he saw Joey looking at his own hands with disgust. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Joey. We¡¯ll just need to give your hands a good wash. Let¡¯s go over to the sink now,¡± he Joey was kind of a clean freak as well. He was visibly made ufortable by the toilet bowl water on his hands, so he quickly nodded and followed Edmund over to the sink. By the time Edmund turned around after he finished helping Joey wash his hands, ¡®Bryan¡¯ was already gone. ¡®Sh*t, this isn¡¯t good!¡¯ he thought with a frown. Meanwhile, in the other private booth, Sophia was carrying the real Bryan in her arms. Bryan did not like being carried by her, so he kept trying to break free. ¡°Let me down!¡± he cried with a repulsed expression. Sophia hugged him tighter. ¡°Stop squirming, Benjamin. Both your Daddy and I are here on business, so be a good boy and settle down!¡± Even though Sophia¡¯s tone was gentle, Bryan still could not help but feel intense dislike for her. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want you to carry me. It¡¯s hot!¡± Sophia frowned unhappily. ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense again. How is it hot when the AC is on?¡± Bryan was frowning as well. ¡°It¡¯s just hot! I don¡¯t want to be carried. Let me go now!¡± Sophia was starting to get impatient. ¡°Benjamin, can you please stop¡­¡± ¡°Just let him sit by himself if he doesn¡¯t want to be carried,¡± said Jeremy calmly. Sophia¡¯s face froze. Not wanting to argue with Jeremy, she had no choice but to let Bryan go. The only reason she wanted to carry ¡®Benjamin¡¯ was to show Jeremy what a good mother she was and not really because she wanted to be close to the little boy. ¡®Benjamin¡¯ dashed over to Jeremy and opened up his chubby little arms. ¡°Daddy, carry me!¡± Without hesitation, Jeremy picked him up and put him on hisp with one arm still wrapped around him. Seeing this, Sophia¡¯s face darkened. However, she quickly squeezed out a fake smile and said sarcastically, ¡°Benjamin, didn¡¯t you say you were hot? Howe Mommy can¡¯t carry you but Daddy can?¡± ¡®Benjamin¡¯ red at her. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re not my Mommy!¡± ¡°Why you little brat¡­¡± Sophia immediately stopped smiling. ¡°Zachary, aren¡¯t you going to say anything? ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. He wouldn¡¯t call me Mommy before, and now he says I¡¯m not his Mommy? Is this what I get for giving birth to him and raising him? Oh, how it breaks my heart to hear that!¡± Jeremy nced at the hurt Sophia without so much as a changed expression. ¡°He would naturally call you Mommy if you respected him as a person.¡± Sophia looked even more hurt than before. ¡°Are you saying I don¡¯t respect him at all? It¡¯s not like I can let him do whatever he wants, right? No! As his mother, I need to discipline him. He might act all good in front of you, but you have no idea how naughty he is when he¡¯s with me. How can I not discipline him then?¡± Jeremy frowned with annoyance. ¡°That¡¯s enough! We¡¯re here on business today, so let¡¯s talk about this when we¡¯re back. Plus, you¡¯ll only scare Benjamin if you act all emotional now!¡± As much as Sophia was upset by Jeremy¡¯s cold attitude toward her, she knew the auction house was not a ce to have a public family argument. That could prevent the piece ofnd they were selling from fetching a high price. Chapter 1467 Chapter 1467 Thus, Sophia had no choice but to suppress her anger. ¡®I¡¯ll show them what¡¯s what when we¡¯re home!¡¯ she thought. However, it was still hard for her to process her emotions so quickly, so she got up and said, ¡°Please look after Benjamin while I go to the restroom.¡± After that, she strode out of the private booth angrily. She had never been treated so badly by any other people in the world. The only two people who had ever made her that angry were Jeremy and Benjamin. It was very frustrating, to say the least. After Sophia went out, Jeremy looked down at the little boy in hisp. ¡°Why did you say something like that?¡± he asked curiously. ¡®Benjamin¡¯ did not feel like he had done anything wrong. He really did not like Sophia from the bottom of his heart. ¡°I just don¡¯t like her touching me!¡± he answered honestly. Jeremy frowned. ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s still your mother. You can¡¯t talk like that to your mother. You Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. must respect her.¡± ¡®Benjamin¡¯ understood that, but Sophia was not his mother. For some reason, he would instantly feel a wave of repulsion wash over him whenever he saw her, so it was very difficult for him to respect her at all. However, he simply nodded along to what Jeremy said since he did not want him to find out he was not actually Benjamin. ¡°Yes, Daddy¡­¡± Jeremy looked at him and sighed. His stern expression never disappeared. ¡®This kid has been acting weird ever since he came homest night¡­¡¯ he thought. ¡­ Sophia angrily strode toward the restroom after she came out of the private booth. She had nowhere to vent her anger. ¡®How can that kid still refuse to call me Mommy after all the time and effort I¡¯ve spent on that kid? Not to mention, he¡¯s been getting more and more disrespectful!¡¯ She dared notin to her father because she knew he would be livid and teach Jeremy a lesson if she told her father what happened. Instead, she would always tell her father that she was happy living with Jeremy and Benjamin. After all, she did not want history to repeat itself. What if Adam beat Jeremy a hundred times with a stick again? Jeremy had already be wheelchair-bound, so Sophia did not think he would be able toe out alive if he received another beating from Adam. Thus, she had no choice but to endure her suffering alone. Also, she had faith that Jeremy would warm up to her if she kept showing him how much she loved him. As for Benjamin, well¡­ She could throw him away after Jeremy fell in love with her. It would only create more trouble for her if she kept that ungrateful kid by her side. She was so engrossed with her thoughts that she did not see where she was going. Suddenly, she stumbled into someone, which caused her to fall to the floor. ¡°Argh!¡± she screamed out in pain. She twisted her ankle! ¡°Are you blind or something? Why didn¡¯t you look where you were going?!¡± she shouted at the person who knocked her over. The other person had fallen to the ground too and immediately started crying out loud. Sophia became even angrier when she heard the cries. How could the other person cry first when she was the victim? Chapter 1468 Chapter 1468 ¡°Why are you crying?!¡± shouted Sophia. She looked up and was shocked to see the other person was Benjamin. ¡°Owie¡­ It hurts!¡± cried Benjamin, holding his scraped knee. ¡®When did hee out?¡¯ thought Sophia with bewilderment. ¡®No, that can¡¯t be right. Even if he followed me out, he would¡¯ve bumped into me from the other side.¡¯ In other words, the kid who bumped into her was the real Benjamin. Of course, she had no way of knowing that. Benjamin had run out of the restroom to escape notice from Joey and Edmund. He was in so much of a rush that he did not look where he was going, and thus he knocked into Sophia. The little kid immediately stopped crying at the question. ¡°I¡­ I came out from the restroom and¡­ ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. And¡­¡± he tried to exin guiltily. ¡®He came out from the restroom? But how could that be when I was the first one out of the room? I didn¡¯t see him walking past me at all¡­¡¯ thought Sophia, puzzled. She looked to the front, then to her back. ¡®I guess he could¡¯ve made one big round to get to the restroom, but¡­ Could he really run that fast?¡¯ Benjamin started crying from the pain again. ¡°Sob¡­sob¡­sob¡­ I want my Daddy¡­¡± It was eerily quiet on the second floor, so Benjamin¡¯s cries sounded particrly loud. The patrons from the other private booth poked their heads out to see what was going on. Embarrassed, Sophia had no choice but to pick Benjamin up and said, ¡°Shh, be quiet. The auction is about to start soon. You¡¯re going to bother other people if you don¡¯t stop crying.¡± She was worried that a crying kid would affect the auction. Even though Benjamin did not reject her carrying him, he did not particrly show that he liked it either. He simply let her carry him back to their private booth. ¡­ Jeremy was sipping his coffee quietly and thinking about something when they went in. He turned around when he heard the door opening. Frowning, he asked them, ¡°I thought you just went out. Why are you back here so fast?¡± Sophia sighed and was just about to exin what happened to him when Benjamin broke free from her and ran crying to Jeremy. ¡°Daddy¡­ Waaa¡­¡± Jeremy looked down at his son, who was crying pitifully, with a frown. ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t you say you were going out to say sorry to Sophia? Why are you crying now?¡± Benjamin did not know what his father was talking about. He had only just seen him, so when did he tell him he was going to say sorry to Sophia? Plus, what was he saying sorry for? Moreover, why did not Jeremy seem at all worried that he did not go home for the whole night? Sophia was a little taken aback by their conversation. ¡°Zachary, are you saying that Benjamin went out just now so he could apologize to me?¡± Jeremy looked up at her and nodded slightly. ¡°I spoke to him after you went out, and he said he¡¯ll apologize to you after knowing what he did wrong.¡± ¡®That makes sense!¡¯ Initially, Sophia thought it was weird to bump into Benjamin, who came from the other direction, but after hearing what Jeremy said, she was sure Benjamin must have identally taken the wrong way and made one big round to bump into her. Chapter 1469 Chapter 1469 ¡®Benjamin must be running very quickly so he could catch up to me,¡¯ thought Sophia. She was pleasantly surprised by Benjamin¡¯s gesture. ¡®I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s willing to apologize to me! Well, I guess there¡¯s a first for everything.¡¯ She decided to y thepassionate mother in front of Jeremy. ¡°Benjamin, I wasn¡¯t angry at you. But please don¡¯t speak like that to Mommy again. It breaks Mommy¡¯s ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. heart whenever you say things like that.¡± Benjamin had no idea what she was talking about. In fact, his dislike for Sophia increased after experiencing Corinne¡¯s warmth. He turned his head away to avoid looking at her and snuggled himself closer to Jeremy. Sophia¡¯s expression froze once more at being snubbed like that. However, she told herself that the kid was just feeling rotten from scraping his knees, so she decided not to pursue the matter. ¡­ The auction had not really started. Corinne and Lucas were having might face during the auction. Edmund suddenly rushed in with Joey. The usually calm Edmund was ashen in the face when Corinne, but I lost Mister Bryan due to my carelessness. We have no idea where he is right now!¡± ¡®What?! Bryan ran off by himself again?¡¯ Corinne quickly stood up and rushed out of the private booth to look for him. At that moment, the auctioneer walked up to the stage to officially announce the start of the auction. Lucas got up to follow her out, but Corinne had notpletely lost her sense yet. She looked seriously at him and said, ¡°Stay here to look after Joey and Christine, Mister Lucas. Also, make sure you get that piece ofnd at Serenity Bay for me! Remember, no price is too high! I can look for Bryan by myself.¡± Lucas frowned. As much as he was worried about Thus, he stopped walking and said, ¡°Okay. Just be careful.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± replied Corinne before she strode out of the private booth. Lucas gestured with his chin for Edmund to follow her, which the other man did. He then took out his phone to call the auction house¡¯s manager, instructing him to ask all the security guards to keep an eye out for Bryan. ¡­ Bryan was lying when he told Jeremy that he wanted to go out to apologize to Sophia. He actually wanted to go out because he heard Joey¡¯s voice outside. When Jeremy was lecturing him, he heard Joey calling out his name from right outside their door. He wanted to see whether it was really Joey. Thus, he lied to Jeremy, telling him that he wanted to go out to apologize to Sophia. Since Sophia had just gone out and could not have walked far, Jeremy agreed to let him go alone. However, Bryan did not see Joey after he came out of the private booth. He decided to walk one round to see if he could bump into his big brother. ¡®Did I hear wrongly?¡¯ he wondered. For a moment, he thought himself lucky that his mother and Joey would be at the same auction as he was. Disappointed, he started making his way back to the private booth. However, when he passed by the restroom, he suddenly had the urge to pee. Thus, he thought he would relieve himself before going back to Jeremy. Chapter 1470 Chapter 1470 After staying with Jeremy for a while, Benjamin felt like going back to Corinne again. He wanted to stay with her for a few days before going back to Jeremy for good. Thus, using his old trick, he looked up at his father and said, ¡°Daddy, I need to go pee.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Jeremy as he got ready to wheel himself out. Benjamin shook his head. ¡°No need. I¡¯m a big boy now, so I can go alone.¡± Jeremy patted his head. ¡°I know you¡¯re a big boy now, but I¡¯m not going with you because I¡¯m worried about you but because I need to pee too.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­¡± said Benjamin. He did not n for this to happen. Sophia quickly got up too when she saw the two of them were going out. ¡°Zachary, let me help you.¡± Jeremy put up his hand. ¡°No need. I can do it by myself. Plus, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to go into the men¡¯s restroom. You also need to stay here for the auction.¡± It was indeed true what he said, so Sophia had no choice but to say, ¡°Okay. Just be careful. Call me if you need help.¡± Jeremy nodded and wheeled himself out with Benjamin in tow. Once outside, he made sure he kept himself at the same speed as his son so he would not knock him over. Meanwhile, on the other side of the second floor, a woman was frantically searching for something. Jeremy looked over. From where he was, he could only see her silhouette and not her face. He turned his attention back to the restroom once he and Benjamin reached the door, and the two of them went in This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. together. Benjamin remained in a daze once he was inside. He, too, saw Corinne outside. He was sure that she was looking for him. ¡®What should I go? How can I get away without Daddy noticing so I can go back to that prettydy?¡¯ he wondered. Jeremy noticed his son zoning out. ¡°What are you thinking about? Don¡¯t you want to pee?¡± Benjamin snapped out of his thoughts. ¡°Oh¡­ You wanted to go too, right, Daddy? Shall I wheel you in?¡± Jeremy waved him away. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Do what you came here to do.¡± Benjamin was saddened that his n fell through again. He was hoping he could sneak away after he wheeled Jeremy into the cubicle. He had no choice but to go into a cubicle under the watchful gaze of Jeremy. He closed the door and relieved himself. Jeremy¡¯s expression rxed after he saw his son go into the cubicle. He then took out his phone to check something. Not long after, he heard the sound of a door opening. ¡®Well, that¡¯s fast,¡¯ he thought. He looked up and realized the sound of the door opening did note from the cubicle his son was in. Naturally, he assumed it was somebody else. He was about to look away when he saw a boy who looked exactly like his son walking out of the other cubicle. ¡®What the hell is going on? When did Benjamin change his cubicle? Did he do it when I was looking at my phone? Why didn¡¯t I hear anything?¡¯ he wondered. Bryan was experiencing diarrhea, so he spent quite some time in the restroom. After he was done, he opened the cubicle door and was greeted with the sight of Jeremy. Stunned and thinking Jeremy hade to look for him, he was about to call him Daddy when he suddenly heard Corinne¡¯s voiceing from outside the restroom. Chapter 1471 Chapter 1471 ¡°Bryan, where are you?! You bettere out now, or you¡¯re going to get it!¡± said Corinne. A chill immediately ran up Bryan¡¯s spine. He could tell from Corinne¡¯s tone alone that she was angry. Out of instinct, he stepped back into the cubicle, locked the door, and huddled in fear. He was very well aware that Corinne was going to give him a beating if she found him then. Jeremy frowned when he saw who he thought was his son shot back into the cubicle as though he had seen a ghost. ¡®What the hell is that kid doing now?¡¯ he wondered with narrowed eyes. At that moment, Corinne¡¯s voice came floating inside the restroom again. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Excuse me, but is anyone inside?¡± she asked. Jeremy turned and saw no one was at the door. ¡®She must¡¯ve thought it¡¯d be rude to peek her head in since this is a men¡¯s restroom, so she stayed outside.¡¯ Jeremy thought the woman¡¯s voice sounded familiar, but he was more concerned about his son¡¯s odd behavior. Thus, he paid no mind to her. Please say something if there¡¯s someone inside! I¡¯ll take it as no one¡¯s inside if there¡¯s no reply within ten seconds. After that, I¡¯m going in to look for my son!¡± shouted Corinne from the other side of the door again after she received no response. Jeremy rarely came in contact with the outside world after he lost his memory. Moreover, he was not interested in anything that did not concern him, so he simply stayed quiet. ¡°I¡¯m going in now!¡± said Corinne after 10 seconds. After that, she walked into the men¡¯s restroom and saw a man in a wheelchair with his back to her. There was a urinal in front of the man. Thinking that the man was about to take a leak, she instinctively looked away. ¡°Sorry. I thought there was no one inside since no one responded when I asked. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to look at you. I only came in to look for my son.¡± Jeremy frowned with annoyance. He did not even bother to turn around and look at the woman who barged into the men¡¯s restroom. Corinne kept her eyes away from the man in the wheelchair and started knocking on the cubicles one by one. Finally, she found one that was locked. ¡°Excuse me, but is anyone inside?¡± she asked. Silence. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re inside, aren¡¯t you, Bryan?¡± Silence, still. ¡°Bryan, youe out this instant! I can see your feet. Stop hiding and open this door right now! Otherwise, I¡¯m going to kick the door down!¡± After a few seconds of silence, the cubicle door finally opened, and out walked a guilty-looking Bryan. As much as Corinne was relieved to have found her son, she was also very angry. ¡°You naughty child! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to run off by yourself yesterday? Why did you do it again today? Ooh, you¡¯re definitely going to get it once we¡¯re home! Follow me back to the booth now!¡± Corinne thought she should not stay for long since it was a men¡¯s restroom after all. She quickly picked up her son and strode out of the ce while careful to avoid looking at the man in the wheelchair. At first, Jeremy did not pay attention to the aggressive woman until she knocked on the cubicle door where he thought Benjamin was in. He looked on as the woman picked up a little boy, and after taking a closer look, he was sure that the little boy was Benjamin. He did not have the time to wonder how Benjamin got back into that cubicle as he thought it was more important to stop his son from getting kidnapped by a random woman. Chapter 1472 Chapter 1472 Chapter 1472 ¡°Stop!¡± shouted Jeremy sternly as Corinne walked out of the restroom with his son in her arms. Corinne must not have heard him as she kept walking without once turning around. Jeremy used all of his strength to chase after them in his wheelchair, even though it physically hurt him to do that. All of a sudden, another cubicle door suddenly opened, and a little boy called out to him, ¡°Daddy¡­¡¯ Jeremy froze in his spot and turned to look at him. His eyes instantly became as wide as saucers when he saw the little boy standing there. ¡®What¡­ What¡¯s going on? How is this possible?¡¯ he thought. Bryan peeked his head out of the cubicle and sighed with relief when he saw Corinne was already gone. Now that the danger had passed, he thought it should be safe for him to call Jeremy. ¡®But who did Mommy take away just now?¡¯ he wondered. Jeremy looked at the little boy in the cubicle, then at the boy whom Corinne carried away. ¡®There must be an exnation¡­¡¯ he thought with narrowed eyes. Corinne happened to bump into Edmund, who was panting and puffing, when she walked out of the men¡¯s restroom with ¡®Bryan¡¯ in her arms. Edmund was under strict orders from Lucas to protect Corinne at all costs. However, he lost sight of her as soon as she walked out of the private booth. He had been running around the second floor frantically looking for her until then. He immediately sighed with relief when he saw Corinne had already found ¡® Bryan¡¯. Otherwise, he did not know what he could do to ever make it up to Lucas and Corinne. ¡®Miss Corinne, where did you find Mister Bryan?¡¯ he asked. Corinne gestured to the men¡¯s restroom with her chin. ¡°In there.¡± Edmund was stunned. ¡°What? How could that be? Mister Joey and I looked through every cubicle before, and he wasn¡¯t in any of them!¡± Corinne looked down at ¡®Bryan¡¯. ¡°He probably went back inside after going off somewhere. Hmph! I¡¯m ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. going to teach him a lesson after we¡¯re back home. Come on, let¡¯s go back to the private booth now.¡± After that, she strode quickly back to their private booth. Since she had found ¡®Bryan¡¯, all she could think about was the auction. She wondered whether she had missed the bidding for the piece ofnd in Serenity Bay. ¡®Yes, Miss Corinne,¡± replied Edmund before following her back. Lucas¡¯ frown instantly disappeared when he saw Corinne walking in with ¡® Bryan¡¯ in her arms. ¡°Thank god you found him! Where did he run off to?¡± he asked. ¡°He was hiding in the men¡¯s restroom.¡± Lucas frowned. ¡°You went inside the men¡¯s restroom to look for him?¡± Corinne put ¡®Bryan¡¯ down and shrugged. ¡°What else could I do?¡± A flood of anger washed over Lucas. In his eyes, Corinne was a pure angel that could not be sullied. How could she go into somewhere as dirty as the men¡¯s restroom? He was worried that she might have seen something that would corrupt her! At that thought, Lucas turned to Edmund and scolded him angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to follow her? Why did you let her go in? Just what the hell were you doing?¡± Edmund dropped his head in shame. ¡°Sorry, Mister Lucas. This is all my fault. I failed to follow Miss Corinne since she was so quick. It was only after she went in that I found them¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s the point of keeping you around, then?!¡± Chapter 1473 Chapter 1473 Corinne stared at Edmund sympathetically. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mister Lucas,¡± she said, jumping in to defend the poor man. She then turned to Edmund and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go out first, Edmund?¡± Edmund bowed to her gratefully. ¡°Yes, Miss Corinne.¡± Lucas became even more upset and jealous when he heard her call Edmund without using the word ¡®Mister¡¯. ¡®How can she be so casual with Edmund when I don¡¯t get to have that privilege?¡¯ he thought seethingly. ¡®Hmph! Oh well.* 2 Not wanting Corinne to think he was ill-tempered, Lucas decided to let the whole thing slide. He waved ¡®Bryan¡¯ over, saying, ¡°Come here, Bryan.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ became a little sad at being scolded by Corinne. At first, he was hesitant to go over to Lucas, but he somehow felt like he was familiar, so he walked over to him docilely. Lucas picked him up lovingly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you get scolded by your Mommy?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ nodded with a pout. Lucas patted him gently on the head. ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s worried about you. You shouldn¡¯t run off by yourself next time, understood? She¡¯s going to be worried about you again if you do.¡± Corinne looked angrily at ¡®Bryan¡¯. ¡°Next time? I¡¯m not going to look for him next time. He can go wherever he wants!¡± It pained ¡®Bryan¡¯ to hear Corinne say that to him. He did not run off for the sake of running off. It was because he saw his father and wanted to see if he had been worried about him for not going homest night. However, he became even more upset at the thought of not being able to see Corinne again. One day, he would have to go back to live with his own mother and father. Finally, he could not hold back his tears anymore, and he started to bawl his eyes out. Lucas felt really sorry for his nephew. He wiped the little boy¡¯s tears and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Your mother only said what she said out of anger. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to look for you if you go missing again. What you did today really made her mad, so don¡¯t do it again, okay?¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ was not crying because he feared Corinne would not want him anymore but knew he was not her son. He would have to leave her eventually. Not only that, but he would never get to see her again, too. After Sophia finished her business there, he and Jeremy would go back to Molomia with her. They would nevere back to New Capital City again. In other words, he would not see or be hugged by Corinne again as long as he lived. Instead, he would have to live with Sophia, whom neither he nor Jeremy liked. Even though Sophia told Benjamin she was his Mommy, he never felt that way about her. She felt more like a stranger to him, but the same could not be said about Corinne. For some reason, he found Corinne as familiar as his father and would always want her to hug him. 1 ¡®Could it be that the kinddy is actually my real Mommy? But¡­ Daddy has never met her before, so how could she give birth to me?¡¯ he thought. He told himself it was impossible for Corinne to be his Mommy and that he was being delusional. Corinne¡¯s heart softened when she saw the boy crying nonstop. ¡°Stop crying. A big boy like you shouldn¡¯t cry so much. Come here. You¡¯re dirtying your uncle¡¯s clothes with your tears and snot.¡± ¡®Bryan¡¯ looked at the wet spot created by him on Lucas¡¯ suit sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind,¡± said Lucas with a doting smile. Chapter 1474 Chapter 1474 Corinne did not really like how Lucas was spoiling her kids. ¡°Mister Lucas, leave him aside for a moment. Has the bidding for the piece ofnd in Serenity Bay started?¡± Lucas turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ve already got it for you.¡± Relief immediately flooded Corinne when she heard that. ¡°What was the final price?¡± Lucas held up one finger. Corinne narrowed her eyes. ¡°One billion dors?¡± Lucas nodded. ¡°The other patron from the opposite booth kept bidding against me, so that¡¯s why it ended up being one billion dors. But don¡¯t worry, I can give you the money if it¡¯s out of your budget.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The amount was indeed way, way over Corinne¡¯s budget. It was not that Holden Group could note up with that kind of money, but even if the location of the Overall, the value-to-cost price was pretty unreasonable. All the patrons who were at the auction were wealthy people, but even so, they were not the type who would willingly let other people rip them off. ¡®Who would be that stupid enough to buy that piece ofnd at a price far beyond the market price?¡¯ wondered Corinne. She smiled at Lucas and said, ¡°Thank you, Mister Lucas, but I have the money. Though, I can¡¯t help but feel something¡¯s off about the whole thing. Let me go check who the other patron in the opposite booth is.¡± Lucas was well aware there was something off too, but he promised Corinne he would get thend for her, so he did not stop bidding even when the price skyrocketed to an unreasonable amount. He was willing to pay any amount to make Corinne happy. However, Corinne was not willing to be ripped off, and neither was she willing to let Lucas do that. Thus, she gently asked Joey to stay there and look after the twins before going out. Lucas frowned and called out to her. Even though she heard him, she did not stop walking. Instead, she opened the door and went out. Lucas wanted to chase after her, but reason told him he should stay to look after the three kids. What if one of them went missing again? Thus, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly. Corinne strode over to the private booth opposite hers. Miss Corinne, where are you going?¡± Edmund asked when he saw hering out. Corinne put up her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. I¡¯m just going to the opposite booth to take a look.¡± Worried about letting her go alone, Edmund decided to follow her from quite a distance away. He knew she would not be too happy if he followed her too closely. Corinne knocked on the door once she arrived at the other private booth. ¡°Come in,¡± said a woman from inside a few secondster. The woman¡¯s voice sounded familiar to Corinne. ¡®Looks like my hunch is right,¡¯ she thought with a raised eyebrow. She pushed open the door and saw Sophia inside, sipping disinterestedly on her coffee alone. Sophia still had not noticed it was Corinne who came in. She thought it was the waitress bringing in some snacks for her. That was why she told her toe in without a second thought. Corinne stood at the doorway, looking at Sophia with a cold smile on her face. Chapter 1475 Chapter 1475 It was just as Corinne expected-Sophia had been bidding against Lucas to artificially inte the price! The piece ofnd in Serenity Bay belonged to Sophia¡¯s father, so she pretended to be a patron to raise the price and bring in more profit for her family. What she did was a big no-no in the world of auction. ¡¯You can leave after putting the snacks there,¡¯ ordered Sophia. She continued to sip her coffee without looking up as she thought it was a waitress who hade in. It was not until she did not receive a response that she thought something was not right. Her eyes became as wide as saucers the moment she looked up. ¡¯Corinne?! What are you doing here?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Sophia¡¯s first reaction was shock and disgust, but those emotions were quickly reced by guilt. Fearing Corinne would bump into Benjamin and Jeremy, Sophia quickly looked behind Corinne to check if they wereing back. ¡°Miss Sophia, don¡¯t you think what you did was extremely despicable?¡± asked Corinne with a mocking smile. Sophia frowned at being called despicable. ¡°What did I do? Corinne, even if you¡¯re tired of being a spinster, it still doesn¡¯t give you the right toe barging in here to insult me.¡± Corinne stepped into the booth and closed the door softly. ¡¯Your family owns that piece ofnd in Serenity Bay, no?¡± she asked. Sophia¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Why are you asking that? What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°It has everything to do with me because I was the one who bid one billion dors for it just now!¡± Sophia was stunned. ¡°Oh, so it was you. What¡¯s the matter? Are you here to pick a fight because you can¡¯t cough up the money? Corinne, you shouldn¡¯t have bidded so high if you can¡¯t afford to pay. Don¡¯t tell me you want to back out now ¡¯cause that¡¯s illegal!¡± Corinne scoffed. ¡°What about you? Do you think it¡¯s legal for you to bid on the piece ofnd that belongs to your father so you can artificially increase the price?¡± Tsk! Do you have any proof that that piece ofnd in Serenity Bay belongs to my father? If you don¡¯t, please get out of here now. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to call security.¡¯ Sophia was feeling very guilty at that moment. It was not because she did something illegal but because she was worried that Corinne would bump into Jeremy and Benjamin. She would be in deep trouble if that were to happen! Corinne frowned. ¡°While it¡¯s true I don¡¯t have any proof right now, I¡¯m not going to let you rip me off. Let¡¯s go talk to the person in charge after the auction is finished to see whether your bid counts!¡¯ Sophia could hear the faint sound of a wheelchair rollinging from outside. Panicking, she shouted, ¡°Get out of here this instant! This is a private booth, and you have no right to be in here!¡± Corinne only went there to see if her hunch was correct. She had no ns to argue with Sophia, so she threw the other woman a nce and walked out of the booth. TH deal with her after the auction is finished,¡¯ she thought. Jeremy was just bringing Benjamin¡¯ back after Corinne left. They would have bumped into each other if Corinne had left a littleter. However, Corinne took the other way to go back to her private booth while Jeremy came back from the other direction. In the end, they missed each other again. Even though Corinne did not see him, Benjamin did see her walking out angrily from Sophia¡¯s private booth. He narrowed his eyes. For some reason, he could not take his eyes off her. Moreover, he felt a tightness in his chest as though his heartstrings were being pulled. The real Bryan had also seen Corinneing out of the private booth, but the only thing he could do was blink guiltily. ¡®Why did Mommye out of that private booth? Did she go there to catch me?¡¯ Chapter 1476 Chapter 1476 Jeremy only looked away from Corinne after she went back inside her private booth. He looked down at the boy who looked exactly like his son, and when he saw the fear in the boy¡¯s face, he thought, ¡®He seems like he¡¯s really scared of being found by that woman.¡¯ He put his hand on Bryan¡¯s head and said, ¡°Come now. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Bryan snapped out of his trance and went inside the private booth with Jeremy. Sophia could not help but worry that Jeremy had seen Corinne since it was not that long ago that Corinne left. ¡°Zachary, what took you and Benjamin so long?*¡¯ she asked with an unnatural smile on her face. In contrast to her, Jeremy¡¯s expression remained impassive. ¡°Benjamin was experiencing some minor diarrhea, so I waited for him to be done. By the way, who was that?¡± he asked naturally as though they were just having a casual conversation. Beats me. She was just some random woman who thought this was her private booth,¡± replied Sophia as naturally as she could while staring at Jeremy¡¯s reaction. 1 ¡®So he did see Corinne after all¡­ But judging from his reaction, he doesn¡¯t seem like he remembers who she is,¡¯ she thought. 1 ¡°I see,¡± came Jeremy¡¯s simple reply. It was as if he was not curious about anything at all. Still worried, Sophia probed him by asking, ¡°Are you asking because you think she¡¯s pretty? Did she see you too?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡®No. I only saw her back as she walked out of here, to be honest. Is she pretty? How pretty?¡± replied Jeremy disinterestedly. Sophia felt better after she saw no signs of Jeremy having recognized Corinne. ¡®Corinne must¡¯ve taken the other way round, so she didn¡¯t see Jeremy after all. If not, knowing her, she would¡¯ve stopped him to ask him whether he was Jeremy,¡¯ she thought. The more she thought about it, the more she shuddered at how close her lies could have been exposed. ¡®I need to settle all my business affairs as quickly as possible to prevent the same thing from happening again,¡¯ she told herself. ¡®I can¡¯t let Corinne see Jeremy¡­ But what am I going to do when the auction finishes and she insists on talking about the bid with the person in charge?¡¯ Sophia decided to promptly leave. Smiling, she said, ¡°Zachary, since Dad is happy with the price the piece ofnd sold for, there¡¯s nothing else for US to do here anymore. Let¡¯s head back.¡± Jeremy simply nodded expressionlessly at her suggestion. Sophia walked over and picked up the boy standing beside Jeremy. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Benjamin. We¡¯re going back to the hotel now.¡± To her surprise, ¡®Benjamin¡¯ pushed her away. He did not like her one bit, so he did not want to be carried by her. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to carry me! I can walk by myself!¡± ¡®What¡¯s the matter with this kid? When did he be so temperamental?¡¯ thought Sophia with a frown. ¡®One second, he¡¯s running out to apologize to me, and the next he won¡¯t let me touch him? Ugh, forget it. Now¡¯s not the time to think about all this. We need to leave before Corinne sees us!¡¯ ¡°Okay, Benjamin. You can walk by yourself. Mommy will wheel Daddy out, then.¡± Sophia walked over to Jeremy and wheeled him out of the room. Jeremy¡¯s expression remained impassive. As always, he let Sophia wheel him out without saying anything. ¡°You¡¯re not my Mommy,¡± muttered Bryan under his breath. Chapter 1477 Chapter 1477 However, Sophia did not hear Bryan this time. Corinne sat in her private booth with a frown. She looked like she was lost in thought. Seeing this, Lucas asked her gently, ¡°Are you okay? Did you find out who the patron in the opposite booth was?¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Sophia.¡± Lucas was stunned. He looked worriedly at Corinne as he finally realized why Sophia bidded against him. ¡°It¡¯s so despicable for Adam Group to employ this kind of tactic,¡± he said with a scoff. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Corinne scoffed as well. ¡°It¡¯s not only despicable but greedy too! By doing so, they¡¯ve raised the price to ten times its fair value!¡± Lucas agreed to what Corinne said. His eyes darkened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll exin what happened to the person in chargeter. You have my word that I¡¯ll get that piece ofnd at a fair market price for you.¡± Corinne did not have any proof that Adam was Sophia¡¯s father since the old Adam had wiped out all of his past when he took up his new name. Even so, she had faith Lucas would be able to dig up some proof. The auction ended 40 minutester. Corinne wanted to go with Lucas to talk to the person in charge, but he would not let her. He reasoned that it would take some time to exin the whole thing, and that meant only Edmund would be left to take care of the three kids if Corinne followed him. Lucas knew Edmund could not babysit three kids on his own since he was inexperienced in that matter. The fact that Edmund lost ¡®Bryan¡¯ when he took him to the restroom with Joey already proved that. It would be disastrous if something irreversible were to happen to one of the kids while in his care. Thus, Corinne decided to stay back to look after the kids. Lucas asked her to bring the kids to the car to wait for him, so that was exactly what she did. 20 minutester, Lucas went to find them at the parking lot. ¡°How did it go? Did the auction house believe your story?¡± asked Corinne immediately after Lucas got in the car. Lucas turned to her. ¡°I¡¯ve already exined everything to the person in charge, but because Sophia left, we can¡¯t confront her. The auction house said they¡¯ll look into the matter and give US an answer soon. As for that piece ofnd, it¡¯s definitely ours. All that¡¯s left is that the price remains to be discussed.¡± Corinne nodded. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s just wait for the auction house¡¯s update, then.¡± Lucas looked worriedly at Corinne. ¡°Did you see anyone else when you went to look for Sophia?¡± Corinne was a little taken aback by his question. ¡°No. She was the only person in the booth when I was there.¡± After a brief silence, Lucas replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After that, he turned back around and ordered the driver, ¡°Drop Corinne back to the Holdens¡¯ mansion first.¡± ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas!¡± Corinne thought it was odd for Lucas to ask her such a question, so she asked him, ¡°Mister Lucas, why did you ask me if I saw anyone else in Sophia¡¯s booth? Was there supposed to be someone else? Like her father?¡± Lucas shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I only asked because I was curious to know whether she came alone or with her father.¡± Chapter 1478 Chapter 1478 ¡°Oh. Well, Sophia was the only person when I went into her booth,¡± replied Corinne. ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯ll be easier to settle the matter if her father isn¡¯t here,¡± said Lucas. Corinne observed Lucas quietly. Somehow, she could not help but feel something was not right. Lucas knew Corinne was looking at him. He did have something on his mind, but he was not ready to reveal it to her yet. Thus, he turned to look out of the window to avoid her gaze since he could not control his expression well. When he went to talk to the person in charge, the person showed him the surveince footage to confirm his story. On the screen, Lucas saw that Sophia hade with a man and a boy. Even though the man was in a wheelchair, he was sure that it was Jeremy. Lucas could not really get a good look at the boy since the surveince footage only managed to capture the top of his head due to his height. Based on his height, he looked to be the same age as Bryan and Christine. Lucas did not dare tell Corinne about what he saw as he worried she would do something rash out of impulse. In the end, he decided to look into the matter before considering whether to involve Corinne. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. When they arrived at the Holdens¡¯ mansion, Corinne and the kids went inside after waving goodbye to Lucas. Lucas¡¯ smiling face immediately darkened after he made sure Corinne and the kids had gone in safely. ¡°Find out where Sophia is staying, and bring me there right away,¡± he ordered Edmund. The order stunned Edmund, so it took him a few seconds to reply,¡± Understood, Mister Lucas.¡± ¡®Mister Lucas sure is acting weird today. Why, though?¡¯ wondered Edmund.¡¯ Is he going to make Sophia suffer for deceiving Miss Corinne?¡¯ Corinne copsed onto the sofa as soon as she entered the living room with the kids. She was so tired that she did not want to move anymore. Even though most of her time at the auction house was spent sitting on the chair, taking care of the three kids had taken a lot out of her. Moreover, she spent quite some time running frantically around the auction house¡¯s second floor to look for the missing ¡®Bryan¡¯. Thus, she was mentally and physically exhausted as well. Francine came out to wee them home. She lifted Christine and talked to her before she turned to Corinne, who seemed lost in thought. ¡°Corinne, are you okay?¡± asked Francine. ¡°Did the auction not go well?¡± Corinne snapped out of her thoughts. ¡°I saw Sophia. Thend that we wanted to buy belongs to her father, Adam. She was there to artificially increase the price. In the end, we only managed to get the