?Chapter 1678:


    After the meal ended, Jaxen hovered around Christina, clearly intent on earning her approval. Christina kept a pleasant smile on her face, though she was barely concealing her irritation.


    A momentter, she turned to Elliott and said, “It’s been quite some time since west talked. Why don’t we catch up alone?”


    “Bonnie, don’t you think it’s improper for the two of you to spend time by yourselves?” Jaxen objected, unwilling to let them be alone together. Wasn’t this practically handing Elliott a chance to steal Christina’s heart? The Wade family had already sacrificed too much to gain her goodwill, even paying an outrageous sum at the auction. He feared Elliott might get there before he did.


    “There’s nothing improper about it,” Christina responded tly. She looked at Elliott. “Come on.”


    Holding the little girl close, Christina headed toward the elevator with Elliott, intending to take him up to the rooftop garden for some fresh air. She was eager to put distance between herself and the Wade family, and Elliott made a convenient excuse — someone to catch up with while she sought a quieter space.


    As they walked away, Jaxen shook with rage. He clenched his jaw, then noticed Elliott nce back and sh him a deliberately taunting smile. That single look pushed his anger even further, and he nearly lost control. But he understood the consequences of acting on impulse, and forced himself to suppress his fury.


    “Jaxen… what do we do now?” La murmured. “Letting them be alone gives that man the perfect opening.”


    “What choice do we have? We can’t exactly trail after them. If we upset her, the Jones family will hold it against us,” Jaxen replied quietly.


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    “I don’t believe they’re just friends. Do you think they already care about each other?” La asked, worry and jealousy flickering in her eyes. She resented Christina for being adored by the entire Jones family and for effortlessly drawing the attention of aplished men. Why did Christina get everything, while she was left with nothing?


    Jaxen’s gaze darkened as he curled his hands into fists. He refused to allow anything unforeseen to happen. “Come on. We need to figure something out.” He motioned for La to follow. Standing there achieved nothing, and lingering any longer would only invite suspicion from the Jones family.


    Unwillingly, the Wade siblings returned to the living room, forcing polite smiles as they made shallow conversation with the Jones family.


    Up at the rooftop garden, Christina had intended to stretch out on the rocking chair, but the little girl in her arms refused to release her grip, so she settled onto the sofa instead. The child clung to her like a ko hugging a tree — even while drifting toward sleep, her fingers remained wrapped tightly around Christina’s arm, her unease unmistakable.


    “Have a seat,” Christina said, gesturing for Elliott to sit. She poured him a cup of hot chocte and set it down in front of him. “Drink this.”


    “You don’t seem very fond of the Wade family,” he remarked after taking a sip.


    “You’re right,” Christina answered inly. “I visited their home before, and they tried to control me by forcing food on me that I didn’t like. Tonight, I simply returned the favor.” She didn’t mention any of the other intentions she suspected the Wade family harbored. That was something she intended to handle herself, and she wouldn’t speak of it until it was settled.


    Elliott let out a quietugh. “Then they had iting. They can be incredibly irritating.” His dislike for the Wade family didn’t stem solely from their attempt to manipte Christina. Their exaggerated warmth unsettled him as well — he sensed ulterior motives lurking beneath every smile.


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